I've been doing all of these new play development program submissions over the past month. Inevitably, they ask some sort of similar question regarding how you think your background qualifies you for something. Or how you view the world. Or what themes do you visit in your work. Ordinarily, I'd rather leave those questions up to someone who's looking at my work from the outside. Someone who isn't me has a better idea of how things track in my work. Do I see similarities in my work? Depends. I see stages in where I visit some of the same things and then I move on to other things. I don't think I was writing the same stuff at 22 as I did in grad school as I did after grad school as I did five years ago.
I'm applying for a certain program that has asked me two significant questions that ask me to access myself and my work. I wrote some answers down, but I figured I'd do some stream of consciousness writing on each question and see if anything falls out. I have a day to do that today where I'm not trying to rush out an answer so I can get it all done.
Themes in my work
When I was younger I wrote about things that happened to me. Then I started writing about things I found funny. And then I started writing about things that felt important, subjects that would position me as a serious minded person. I often wrote beyond my ability because I felt that's where I should be writing. I was young and had a young person's concerns, yet I knew I lived in an adult world and that adults would want me to take something seriously. If I knew then what I know now, I would have stuck with the frivolous and given myself a break. Because now I do write about things that are more serious because my world is a bigger place, I've been on this planet longer and I have more empathy than I did when I was young. I have noticed that I write about death a lot more since my Dad died. I never had anyone die in a play or any discussion of death in plays before he died. But then afterwards I became concerned with issues of regret, mortality, legacy and my concerns became a parent's concern. What kind of world are we leaving behind? How does death define us? I still do it funny. I still do it irreverently. But I'm not afraid to let a character die any more. My work is becoming more fundamental, meaning it's more about fundamental things. The latest play that I just started is about sex and death.
Vision for the Theatre
Theatre's like organized religion. It's a place where like-minded people come together to have their beliefs reinforced and validated. It's exclusive. It represents one belief system and that belief system is about fifty years behind the times.
Theatre needs to be more spiritual. It needs to take what works instead of being afraid of it. It needs to change with the times, much like the Catholic Church got more modern to reach out to a new demographic after Vatican II. It needs to be inclusive, rather than exclusive. It needs to include many traditions. Just like there are different names for God, there are different words for Story. Theatre needs to be in service of truth, humanity, and it needs to be in service of the people. Yes, some theatre is this way. But the institution itself has to change in greater, irrevocable ways.
And in order for the institution of theatre to take many types of theatre, it needs to employ tastemakers from different experiences and backgrounds. Artistic directors and literary managers need to be people of color and playwrights and artists that engage in the theatre as it exists now. The tastemakers need to be more inclusive, rather than exclusive, coming from different backgrounds.
Why do you write plays?
I write plays because I'm interested. I write plays because it's essential to who I am. I write plays because they explain who I am because those experiences are in me. I write plays to entertain. I write plays to interact with the audience and alert their senses. And because of that my plays are interesting, essential, personal, entertaining, interactive and lingering. I used to write plays to prove how smart I am, how important I am, and how right I am. And while I've moved past that, I needed that entitlement to speak up while my capacity for empathy was catching up to my level of skill.
How would this opportunity benefit me my career as a playwright?
I've been writing plays consistently since graduate school. And I've been writing plays to prove things to myself. But recently I had an opportunity to present a new idea to a theatre company of something I was thinking of writing. They liked the idea and gave me the chance to write that play from scratch with their guidance and support, which came in the form of a dramaturg, actors, a director, and deadlines for three readings (two internal and one public) and a workshop. Eight months and several drafts later, I had the play that I sent in with my application. Now I realize the value of having not only the resources and the stamp of approval, but also the deadlines and the guidance of an organization over a period of time. Eight months is a long time to commit to a writer on a consistent basis. And the schedule was rigorous. But that level of trust really set me free. The artistic director said to me that he was the most interested in the marriage of the subject matter (school shooting drills) and me. And he said this to me before I wrote one word.
Having three years of trust and resources will set me free. Having that association with the Playwrights Center helps on a number of levels. Right now, I don't have a theatre agent, so my relationship with theaters and play development entities is essential. I'm a person who likes to focus on the work. Even though I can find space, actors, a director, make copies of page, schedule rehearsals and handle the logistics of getting a play seen and heard, my work only gets better faster if I focus all of my energies on the work itself and not the logistics.
On a business level, I need the visibility that comes with this association. I need people I can call and ask for advice. I need a community of artists outside of Los Angeles. I believe my work can stand up to scrutiny on a national and regional level. I became an exponentially better writer in eight months because of the support of a small LA theatre. The possibility of writing better plays and engaging with the process on a deeper level by having the support of a large play development organization for three years would be a thrill beyond words. And it would have a significant effect on my career.
I'm using these artistic statements as an opportunity to solidify what I believe about my work. It's advertising and coaxing. I have to write these statements to get people excited about me. It's like erotic fiction. I have to turn them on enough to do something about it.
I am grateful for the questions.
I am grateful for the chance to talk about myself.
I am grateful for the opportunity to solidify my beliefs.
I am grateful for the thought process.
I am grateful for the excitement that wells up in me.
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