Enjoy this exclusive interview between Script in Hand curator Mark Shanahan and Colette Mazunik. Colette is the playwright of A Danger to Yourself and Others, our November Script in Hand playreading.
MARK SHANAHAN: What was your inspiration in writing A DANGER TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS?
COLETTE MAZUNIK: I write to exorcise my demons, to interrogate my assumptions, to beta test my options, to heal, to provoke empathy.
This piece in particular was fueled by my own anxiety and my propensity to catastrophize. I asked myself—what’s the worst that could happen? Now can I make it worse? Can I back myself into a corner so that I have no idea how my character will extricate himself from the mess I’ve made?
MARK: Your play balances a wicked, fast paced sense of humor with a thoughtful approach to some more serious issues at times. How do you strike that balance as a writer?
COLETTE: Thank you!
I love these characters, and try to write from within them, with compassion—rather than about them, with judgement.
I absolutely want us to laugh at their situations—and their misguided responses to situations—but I never want to make fun of my characters. I hope this perspective informs a more gentle, thoughtful approach to their struggles.
When it comes to writing fast-paced scenes—it’s just the tedious work of always saying—is there a way to use one sentence instead of three? Can that sentence be three words instead of nine? Can that word be one syllable, not two? So what in a first draft might be “Do you think it’s time to involve the police?”, in a later draft becomes “Call the cops!”
MARK: What is the experience like for a writer when hearing a new play read before an audience?
COLETTE: Writing a play involves a lot of time alone in a room transcribing conversations of imaginary characters.
But theatre is communal—never alone. Directors and actors fashion flesh for characters—we gather in the theatre—and it’s the breath of the audience that brings plays to life.
That’s what I want from the start—to laugh in a room filled with strangers, to let down our guard, to recognize a bit of ourselves on stage, and to feel less alone.
MARK: Have you ever had any experience with identity theft or con artists? And how did you research the world in which these characters live?
COLETTE: Oh, boy! If someone ever looks at my google search history—it’s pretty alarming and includes things like: What kind of tool do you need to cut off a human thumb? How much does a stolen social security number cost on the black market?
Thank you, Jesus, I have not personally gone through the hell I put my characters through. I’ve just got a mind that easily jumps to worst-case scenarios!
Early on, I knew this play would include a robbery at a gas station—but I didn’t know how to pull one off. Would I have to apprentice with a thief to learn? I ended up giving my own ignorance to my character. Eddie doesn’t know how to pull off a robbery either.
MARK: This play is full of wonderfully funny characters who live in a very particular world of deception, con artistry, psychological turmoil and gamesmanship. And the play leaves us with some open ended questions about the future. Is there a world in which you could imagine ever revisiting these characters for a sequel?
COLETTE: Again, thank you!
Sure! I’ve actually sketched out plans for another play with Leah as the main character. But until I find the spark of personal connection, I won’t start writing.
My most recent project, HELLFIRE & HAM, is a family drama set on January 5th, 2021.
CLICK HERE or on the the graphics above to read Colette’s full bio.
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