1. DINNER WITH A GUEST is a recent play you’ve submitted to The Baltimore Playwrights Festival. What is it about?
Dinner with a guest is a comedic play about an older married couple who are very old fashioned and set in their ways, living their lives like it’s still the 50’s. In an attempt to step out of his comfort zone, the husband (Don) decides to invite his much younger co-worker, John, over for dinner one night. But nothing goes as planned, starting with John showing up with an extra guest, his girlfriend, which irritates Don and sets off a series of comedic events and mishaps inside their apartment as they all try their best to get along, despite their differences.
2. Once you began writing DINNER WITH A GUEST, did the play proceed as you intended, or were there surprises?
There were many surprises along the way. I had a firm idea on how I wanted the basic plot to carry forward, but many of the dilemmas the characters experience and as well as the conversations have come to me as I was writing it. I played around with character motivations and agendas throughout the writing process. It was fun.
3. What came easily in the writing of the play and what challenged you the most?
Dialogue has always been my favorite aspect of writing (especially utilizing it as means of exploring human relationships) whether it be a novel, short story, or a play. So the flow of the dialogue and the banter between characters came very naturally for me. Initially, the most challenging part was writing dialogue that was actually funny, since comedy was a new adventure for me. But a group of actors performed a reading of the play for me last year with a small group of people attending, and everyone laughed quite a bit, so I was happy with how it turned out. Second biggest challenge was making sure the character’s motivations and hidden agendas were not confusing or illogical. I wanted it to be relatable to the audience, while also tying it in to what is going on in the world today.
4. Tell us about yourself.
I live in Glen Burnie MD with my wife and three kids. I’ve been enjoying a career in Homeland Security with the federal government for over twenty years now, but I’ve had a passion for writing since I was very young. I’ve written many short stories and published three novels in 2015-2018. After that, because of my love for writing dialogue, I decided to try my hand at playwriting. So far, it’s been a pure joy and I plan to stick with it. It would be a dream come true to see one of my plays performed on stage someday.
5. What are you working on now?
I took a break from writing last year, but I am getting back into the writing groove now, working on a few shorter, one-act plays.
6. What is coming up next for you?
Just to continue writing new plays as much as possible, creating stories that will make people think and hopefully laugh, and then submit them to wonderful organizations such as the Baltimore Playwright’s festival in hopes of finding an audience.