Three Questions for Courtney Dunn, Playwright

Courtney Dunn is the author of The Opposition, featured in the Original 10-Minute Plays by Student Playwrights as part of the BU Players 2014-15 season. We asked Courtney three questions.

A brief summary of The Opposition: The Opposition brings into question the opinions of two philosophy professors, Dr. Gerald Packer and Dr. Andrew Reinhardt, who find themselves at odds with one another as a result of the endurance of the Vietnam War. The play highlights the conflicting opinions and emotions that festered throughout society as a result of this highly controversial time in U.S. history. 

How did you first become interested in theatre?

I became interested in theatre after taking a scriptwriting class at BU in the 2014 fall semester. Before that time, I had never attempted to write a play nor did I have any interest in doing so. The class inspired me to pursue this new field of creative writing, and before long, I found myself not only writing plays in my free time but actually searching for future playwriting opportunities outside of BU.

What inspired you to write this play?

I was inspired to write this play after reading about a BU philosophy professor who was told that his teaching contract might not be renewed due to his opposition of the Vietnam War. 

If you were a fruit or vegetable, which one would you be? 

If I were a fruit or a vegetable, I would be a strawberry, planted by my grandmother, watered and nourished, softly plucked from the stem and cleansed by her hands. My family members are a big part of my life and success, raising me to be who I am and giving me the necessary support along the way.  

Courtney Dunn is a senior, psychology and English dual major. Her plans after graduating are to attend graduate school and pursue a career in English studies/creative writing.

Three Questions for Bry Kifolo, Playwright

Bry Kifolo is the author of The Compliment, featured in the Original 10-Minute Plays by Student Playwrights as part of the BU Players 2014-15 season. We asked Bry three questions.

A brief synopsis of The Compliment by Bry Kifolo: Best friends Erin and Drew are spending the night together unfortunately going over Erin's Shakespearean homework. Drew's efforts to calm Erin down are thwarted and the two fall into a lengthy poetic discussion about how to really compliment someone on who they are as a human being.

How did you first become interested in theatre?

I think the first time I ever started to think about theatre was the summer after 5th grade. I had always loved singing and putting on little skits when I was young but it wasn't until I watched Phantom of the Opera ​for the first time on a vacation and did I really get theatre was a thing. I was hooked and completely fascinated by the fact that someone could don a costume and be a completely different character and do all these wonderful things on stage. From just one movie, my passion really took off. 

What inspired you to write this play?

My inspiration for The Compliment came out of someone calling me "hot" at work. I know it sounds pretty silly but it TICKED me off to no end. I get it, the person didn't really know me and they were just pointlessly flirting, but come on. Who wants to be called hot? I ended up taking this anger out on my computer later that night, typing out how I really wanted to be complimented, and the play evolved from there. I think there's so much to be said in how you compliment someone, and how to make those words really mean something. Appearances don't last, but personality does. It's much more heartfelt to compliment who someone is, not just how they look. 

If you were a fruit or vegetable, which one would you be? Why?

If I was a fruit I would be raspberry (berries count, right?) because they may look small and cute but they might actually be really bitter on the inside. You never know! 

Bry Kifolo is a junior-ish student here at Bloomsburg University. She has recently been in the productions of Macbeth  and Roadkill Confidential​ here at Bloomsburg with BU Players. The Compliment is the first piece she has written to be performed.

Three Questions for Will Olsen, Playwright

Will Olsen is the author of Pastime, featured in the Original 10-Minute Plays by Student Playwrights as part of the BU Players 2014-15 season. We asked Will three questions.

A brief synopsis of Pastime by Will Olsen: Jack Drummond was once the face of Major League Baseball in Indianapolis, but after an encounter with a reporter, he lost it all. Ten years later, he is reunited with the reporter for a chance at redemption.

How did you first become interested in theatre?

I fell in love with theatre at summer camp. The other activities just didn't hold my interest. I sucked at archery, the sports all had rules, the nature lessons had facts, even arts and crafts had a set process you had to follow. Theatre was the only activity where I could just let my imagination run wild. My counselor, Mr. Dave, encouraged all of my crazy antics and it just snowballed from there. In elementary school, my friends and I wrote our own sketch comedy show and we would perform the sketches during recess. I obviously wasn't an athletic kid (as if that's changed...).

What inspired you to write this play?

John Rocker competed on last season of Survivor, and there was so much vitriol thrown at him in the Facebook group I'm a member of. They were calling him a bigot and all these other things, and they were so unwilling to give him a second chance. A lot of the other contestants from his season say that he's actually a really nice guy, but the fans are still unforgiving. That really annoys me. Some of my closest friends are the same people who bullied me in middle school, so my lived experiences have shown me that anyone can change. Plus, baseball is my favorite sport. There's just something magic about it.

If you were a fruit or vegetable, which one would you be?

Kale. Kale is the greatest vegetable in existence, and I always strive to be the greatest.

Will Olsen is a freshman Theatre Major with a Performance Emphasis and a five-time Survivor applicant. He also is the Assistant Op/Ed Editor for The Voice campus newspaper and volunteers with the LGBTQA Student Services office. When he's not writing, Will likes to beat all of his friends in Trivia Crack, daydream and stay up late watching Norm Macdonald's stand-up. He lives and breathes Boston sports.