Julie Marie Myatt

WHILE the president and Congress were struggling to reach a consensus on what to do about illegal immigration, the ensemble at Los Angeles' Cornerstone Theater had already agreed to address the issue with its next play, "Los Illegals," written by the theater's new artistic director, Michael John Garces .

The six women gathered around the table share an addiction, a need to expose the most private thoughts in the most public ways. Much of their time is spent alone, creating works of art that can exist only with the help of others. They are destined to keep moving from place to place, job to job, pursuing what many dismiss as quixotic (OK, crazy) dreams. "I love writing plays," says Jessica Goldberg. "I love those moments when all of a sudden there are people talking and I need to say it on paper.