Elizabeth DeSchryver, author of the #MeToo Play festival play Fair, is a long-time Evanston resident and a former Methods Architect for an international consulting firm. Her short plays have been performed locally at Chicago Dramatists and Cold Basement Dramatics. Now retired, she plans to pursue writing full-time.
1. When and why did you start writing plays?
I have always loved theater, but didn’t start to study playwriting formally until about ten years ago. What drew me is how interactive it is—dialog-driven, conflict-driven, but also collaborative.
2. What was your impetus for writing this play?
The immediate impetus was a class exercise to write a scene exploring any abstract concept— I chose fairness. But as I wrote, it turned into something very different, a troubling journey into the past.
3. What do you expect the audience to feel after hearing your play at our festival?
Is it appropriate to hope for mildly nauseous? Disturbed, at least. And wondering.
4. What’s the one technique that helps you get past writers’ block?
Oh, I don’t have one. I have a whole suitcase full, ranging from special music to trigger a mood, attending a talk, meeting a fellow writer for coffee to talk it out, or digging through old exercises. But mostly, I just start writing anything, to get the wheels rolling.
5. What’s something most people don’t know about you that you’re now ready to share with the world?
I like to watch kids shows on PBS, even though I don’t have any kids.
Looking forward to your work!