Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from, where did you grow up, and how did you get to FSU?
Born and raised in Austin, TX. I decided to come to FSU because their writing program was a joint program in film and theatre. There aren’t many of those in the country...
What we want to explore with this interview is the process of playwriting from the perspective of the playwright. Before we expand on that, tell us: why write plays?
That’s like asking “why enjoy yourself?” Writing is a huge stress-reliever for me, and I love seeing the characters I create come to life. There is also the theatrical advantage of being able to get away with practically anything because audiences are usually happy to go along for the ride. Writing a play is like playing the Guess Who game with yourself for hours on end: you always win. Really, what could be better?
Let’s talk a bit about developing characters. Where do the ideas come from? How do you find them or more accurately, how do your characters manifest themselves? Do you hear a line in your head? Do you hear a voice? How do you give the character a voice?
Every person I see on the street or cross paths with at the book store is a chance for me to gain rare material. People are fascinating, and even someone who is a complete stranger conveys a lot about themselves through their actions and reactions as well as their quirks (because, let’s face it, we all have our quirks). I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t intrigue me in some way…
Once I begin to write my characters, they very quickly take over and begin to write the play themselves. I remember one play I was working on that had gone through many incarnations. I knew what I wanted the play to say, but I was having trouble finding the correct way to say it. There had been a character in early drafts whom I had ultimately killed off as I revised, deeming her unimportant to the main story. One day I looked over what I’d written to find that she had not only brought herself back to life, but had succeeded in making herself the center of the play! From then on she became my main character, and the story unfolded easily as I began writing from this different perspective.
Hearing character voice is not a conscious process for me. If the characters are well-crafted initially, then their voices become instinctive, and I won’t have to think too much about them as I write. Instead, their words will just flow out of me.
What is it that lights that proverbial fire under your butt?
I would have to say the hope of one day seeing my characters come to life on stage (or screen). That, and the thought of winning a Emmy.
What drives you to create?
I guess I'd have to say I have a soft spot for the odd ball out, the kid who is too quickly judged because he is different. Writing allows me to advocate for these individuals, leading the audience to empathize with characters to whom they wouldn't necessarily give a second thought if they encountered them on the street. Every person has a story. Every person IS a story. When stories are all around, how can I refuse to write them down?
OK. You’re in rehearsals and things are moving along. What happens when the director wants to change or, gasp, CUT part of your script?
I’ve had the good fortune to work with smart directors whenever I’ve had a play produced. Often if the director asks about an awkward moment, or suggests a cut, it has been something I have been thinking about cutting or changing for days, but because I didn’t immediately know how to fix it, I let it slip, hoping no one would notice. So I actually enjoy being called on things like that because it forces me to have to fix the problems in my script instead of ignore them, and that in turn makes the script stronger.
Do you have an emotional response?
To the suggested cut? Sometimes yes. Usually by the time a show is in rehearsal, I’ve lived with the characters for a long time, and have grown somewhat attached to them. Cutting dialogue is a bit like hushing someone. Sometimes it has to be done for the greater good, but I still can’t help but feel apologetic (and a little bit like a jerk) to the person I’m hushing.
When did you first recognize yourself as a writer?
I don’t know that there was really one moment of realization. I took a playwriting class in college and found that I really enjoyed it. I have never been one to keep journals or diaries or anything though, and I was never that kid in the back of the class writing constantly in a notebook to control the flood of ideas. As I formed different kinds of relationships in college, I found myself writing plays to make sense of it all, and before I knew it, I had become hooked to the play form as an outlet for my emotions.
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