I Interview Playwrights Part 636: Maggie Bofill

Maggie Bofill



Hometown: I was a beach baby. In Indiana. Grew up on Lake Michigan on the Indiana Dunes.



Current Town:New York City.



Q: Tell me about your upcoming reading.



A: WINNERS - crazy play. It's been a blast! It's the culmination of two weeks of workshops (..and

two years of writing it) First workshop is at EST two weeks ago, and then my theater company,

Labyrinth, gave me a fifteen hour workshop. This reading is the final result. My cast and

director, Pam Berlin, is delicious. WINNERS is a wild roller coaster ride about a modern family

dealing with the recession. Dad's been out of work, daughter has gotten weird...the dog and cat

speak up and have scenes.... just all kinds of messiness, that is also beautiful, and real and

poignant...one hopes.... It has eight characters and is huge. For me. biggest play I've ever

written.



Q: What else are you working on now?



A: A nice light romantic comedy called THE HATE INSIDE...well - maybe not that light. Ha!



Q: Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a

person:



A: My second grade teacher, Mrs. Schoffield, let me put on a play after much begging. So my best

friend San, her life size rag doll Myrtle, and myself, went into rehearsals. I wrote the script and

songs, and in the playground, we perfected my first play - with music - "You Will Be a Queen In

a Palace Ball". it was a hit. Due to popular demand, we performed a different play once a year

after that. Until fourth Grade, when Ms. Lesch said there was no room in the schedule due to the science projects.



Q: If you could change one thing about theater, what would it be?



A: Make it cheaper so more people could see it.



Q: Who are or were your theatrical heroes?



A: Beckett. Pinter. Carol Churchill, Every writer of every piece I see that carries me away.



Q: What kind of theater excites you?



A: New work that takes risks. Old work that breaks my heart. Again and again. Anything that makes

me laugh for real. Comedy is INCREDIBLY HARD. Brutal honesty makes me want to dance and

make love. So.... whatever is honest.....that's it.



Q: What advice do you have for playwrights just starting out?



A: DEADLINES ARE LIFELINES. Sheer terror is incredibly motivating. Set deadlines so you will be so terrified as it approaches that you will actually write.... Become the train that doesn't stop no

matter what gets thrown in the tracks....and discipline. As Martha Graham always posted

anywhere she rehearsed, "Discipline is freedom". So be free baby - and do what you told

yourself you would.



Q: Plugs, please:



A: WINNERS is CRAZY TERRIFYING for me. In a great way. Would love to have peeps in the

audience to accompany me on the ride. Please come if you like. Weird time - but we are there.

Hope you will be too. Tomorrow, Fri. Jan, 24th, LABYRINTH Bank Street Theater, 155 Bank

Street, 4 p,m. DIRECTED BY PAM BERLIN with Florencia Lozano, Grant Shaud, Dave Gelles,

Lucy DeVito, Jonathan Silver, Paula Pizzi.






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