1. DAYS OF RAGE is a recent play you’ve submitted to the The Baltimore Playwrights Festival. What is it about?
DAYS OF RAGE explores a young woman’s journey from a tradition of peaceful political protest to participating in armed conflict and how her choices affect those around her. The Weatherman, a real-life pro-violence group operating in the 1970s, provides context for the play.
2. Why did you choose a theatrical format for this particular story?
The sociopolitical implications of public protest, so present in our lives today, lends itself to dramatic exploration in so many ways, whether tapping into America’s recent history of violent protest or dramatizing what choosing such a path could like today. The choices and consequences are stark.
3. What is your approach to creating a strong protagonist — and does a play need a central character?
I do think most plays work better with a central character, although a talented writer can certainly create a powerful ensemble piece that works. Understanding the protagonist’s needs and wants—the most essential drives—and the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving them—are key.
4. Tell us about yourself.
I write for the page, the stage, and forms in between. My novel, “Ell,” will be published in June 2021 followed by “The Potrero Complex” in the fall of 2022.
5. What are you working on now?
I recently completed a short story and a one-act play, neither of which may ever see the light of day, and I’m outlining my fourth novel.
6. What is coming up next for you?
The publication of “Ell” next June, and all the pre-publication marketing that goes with it.