What most excites you about BOA this year?
The increased scope of the festival, which has been a steady and inspiring progression. I was a festival participant in 2008 with my middle-east thriller 22 MINUTES REMAINING, and I served as dramaturg in 2010. I’ve gotten to see three artistic directors helm the festival, from Richard Bernier (RIP) to Jessica Holt (MFA) to Sara Staley (Woot), but this is both a return to playwriting for the festival for me, as well as a chance to work with a theatre company whose work I understood from the very beginning. More specifics on that in the next question:
How did 3 SISTERS WATCHING THREE SISTERS come to be?
I owe a direct debt to Wily West’s Cowboys vs. Outlaws season 2013 kickoff in Febraury. We had two weeks (I imposed a three day deadline) - to create a seven page play from a prompt: “He found it in a dark hole in the woods.” I found this to be a tad on the specific side, so instead of treating it as a plot synopsis or key point, I used it as a bit of found dialogue instead. Sharp-eared audience members can hear the distinctive line in the play itself.
The increased scope of the festival, which has been a steady and inspiring progression. I was a festival participant in 2008 with my middle-east thriller 22 MINUTES REMAINING, and I served as dramaturg in 2010. I’ve gotten to see three artistic directors helm the festival, from Richard Bernier (RIP) to Jessica Holt (MFA) to Sara Staley (Woot), but this is both a return to playwriting for the festival for me, as well as a chance to work with a theatre company whose work I understood from the very beginning. More specifics on that in the next question:
How did 3 SISTERS WATCHING THREE SISTERS come to be?
I owe a direct debt to Wily West’s Cowboys vs. Outlaws season 2013 kickoff in Febraury. We had two weeks (I imposed a three day deadline) - to create a seven page play from a prompt: “He found it in a dark hole in the woods.” I found this to be a tad on the specific side, so instead of treating it as a plot synopsis or key point, I used it as a bit of found dialogue instead. Sharp-eared audience members can hear the distinctive line in the play itself.
Team Cowboy wins Wily West's Showdown competition: Susan Jackson, Charles Lewis III, Ignacio Zulueta and Patricia Milton!
What did you learn by participating in BOA this year?
I learned how important partnerships are between theaters and playwrights. From presenting the piece at the season opener in February, to advocating for the script as an interested producer during the BOA selection process, director (and former actor) Kat Kniesel supported my script at the right junctions, challenged me when it was needed to improve the work, and trusted me to get the rewrites done on time or at rehearsal as needed.
What is your favorite Chekov character and why?
She’s not a favorite per se, but at the present I’m identifying with young Irina, and not just because I’m the baby of my family. In her yearning for distant, cosmopolitan Moscow there’s a parallel to the lure exerted on me by New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago.
What will audiences get for their money by attending BOA this year?
A chance to look at themselves in a mirror as life watches art imitate life watching art imitate life watching art... Plus, uppity pigeon puppets, chilling sociopaths, snappy patter, morose hayseeds, cat ladies, wack ladies, baby ladies, funny ladies, and my three sisters - And that’s not even including program 1!
I learned how important partnerships are between theaters and playwrights. From presenting the piece at the season opener in February, to advocating for the script as an interested producer during the BOA selection process, director (and former actor) Kat Kniesel supported my script at the right junctions, challenged me when it was needed to improve the work, and trusted me to get the rewrites done on time or at rehearsal as needed.
What is your favorite Chekov character and why?
She’s not a favorite per se, but at the present I’m identifying with young Irina, and not just because I’m the baby of my family. In her yearning for distant, cosmopolitan Moscow there’s a parallel to the lure exerted on me by New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago.
What will audiences get for their money by attending BOA this year?
A chance to look at themselves in a mirror as life watches art imitate life watching art imitate life watching art... Plus, uppity pigeon puppets, chilling sociopaths, snappy patter, morose hayseeds, cat ladies, wack ladies, baby ladies, funny ladies, and my three sisters - And that’s not even including program 1!
IGNACIO ZULUETA (Playwright) Ignacio writes, lives, and laughs in Oakland. His plays have been published locally, performed throughout the country, and broadcast on KUSF 90.3FM and KPFA 94.1FM. He’s a member of Playground-SF, the Playwright’s Incubator at Asian American Theatre Company, and an Associate Artist at AlterTheater. His recent awards include an Emerging Playwright Award and 2012-13 Fellowship from SF PlayGround, and a Horizon Foundation Grant for the advancement of LGBT issues. Follow him on www.facebook.com/ignacio.onstage
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