On the origin of Monsoon Season, she said, “In 2015, I wrote frequently for SHOTZ, a monthly festival of short plays. The month I wrote Monsoon Season, the theme was horror. All of the plays had to incorporate a scream and blood. I was given one actor, Richard Thieriot, and told to write a seven-minute horror-themed play that met those conditions. And that’s how it started.”
Regarding her inspiration to write this play, she said, “I grew up in Phoenix, and have always found monsoon season to be an exciting, sinister time of year. I thought it would make a good setting for a scary play. While writing Monsoon Season I knew that I would only have one actor, so I thought the theatrical device of a character talking to other people who are not embodied on-stage would work well to convey an isolated man losing touch with reality.”
She noted that she was not consciously going for a theme while she was writing the play. “In the writing stage, I was mainly focused on plot, mood, character development, and the overall arc of the play. I do think certain themes have emerged, but it was never my goal to write to a particular theme—they developed organically with the story,” she said.
On her plans for the future, she said, “As for the future of this play, I would love to get it published and hope there are future productions. I’ve also considered adapting it for the screen – I think it’s a very visual piece and could work well for film or television.”
Digital age of entertainment
Regarding the impact of streaming services (Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu) on the entertainment business, she said, “I think they’ve increased the sheer amount of filmed content dramatically, which has opened doors to new people and new stories. There is such a demand for original content right now, I think there’s more room for risk-taking with forms of entertainment that aren’t formulaic or a guaranteed hit. It’s an exciting time to write scripts. In general, I think times of upheaval in a business create new, unexpected opportunities.”
On being a playwright in this digital age, she said, “Anachronistic, but noble.”
For young and aspiring playwrights, she said, “Find a community of like-minded artists to work with regularly. Get your work produced as often as possible, even if it’s readings in someone’s living room. Plays don’t live on computer screens, so the more you can build relationships with artists you respect and who respect your work, the more your work will get done, and the better it will get.”
“It’s really hard to know what a play is exactly until you’ve seen people perform it in front of an audience. Also, find a way to create accountability for yourself—otherwise it’s really hard to make yourself write,” she added.
For fans and viewers, she concluded about Monsoon Season, “Thank you for coming to see it, you’re the best.”
For more information on Monsoon Season, check out the following website.
