Don’t miss our Planting the Seed Festival in Prescott, Jan 2nd and 3rd!
Tickets available HERE.
I’ve never “officially” met Kay, but I’ve known her cyberly-speaking since 2012, when we were both writing for HowlRound’s Here and Now Project. She was living in Hawaii at the time, something us main-landers dream about, and wrote a really cool collection of plays that made me think “I need to stay in touch with this writer!” and so I did.
And when we were gearing up for Planting the Seed, she sent us a fun little writer’s comedy about some willful characters titled, Seeds of Rebellion. I really enjoyed this play, and so did the other playwrights who read and evaluated the script (of course, what writer hasn’t wondered what her characters might be thinking…) I’m really looking forward to sharing Kay’s play with our audiences, and I think it’s a great piece to open with since it pokes some good natured fun at the 10-minute-play format I’ve asked our writers to apply towards the ONSTAGE Project.
So, with that, let’s learn a little more about playwright Kay Poiro!
LBDI: Why did you decide to submit your work to the ONSTAGE Project?
Kay: I loved the idea of a theatre festival united in theme happening in different parts of the country around the same time
LBDI: Describe your writing space…
Kay: cluttered kidney shaped Ikea desk, with a Mac desktop and a printer. Corkboard with calendars to my left, “to do” pile on my right
LBDI: If you could be any cartoon character for just 24 hours, who would you be?
Kay: Speed Racer
LBDI: What was your first play titled/about?
Kay: My first play was called “4F” and it was supposed to be a rock opera based on a Depeche Mode record. In my defense, I was 14 and didn’t know licensing from liverwurst!
LBDI: Which playwrights do you admire and what about them inspires you?
Kay: Mark Harvey Levine. I admire how hard he works to get his work seen in every corner of the world and by anyone willing to listen.
LBDI: Why do you write for theatre? (as opposed to other written media…)
Kay: I love writing for theatre because the playwright is respected in the process. And when my work is presented, unlike screenwriting, it is MY work that is seen- not some bastardized, play-to-the-demographic monster stitched together from studio notes. Seeing and hearing my words onstage is so vital as a writer because then I hear what works and what doesn’t. How can I grow as a writer if I never get a chance to hear my voice?
LBDI: What is your spirit animal?
Kay: Spider/ Amy Winehouse
LBDI: Paper or Plastic?
Kay: Paper
Kay Poiro is an award-winning screenwriter and internationally produced playwright. In 2012, her feature script “Ridgeway Mystery Club” won Best Screenplay at the 8th Annual L.A. Femme Film Festival. Her stage plays have been performed across the United States and around the world, including London, Sydney, India and Korea. In 2010, her play “Bless Their Hearts” won the Audience Ovation Award at the Fire Rose Productions’ Ten Minute Play Festival in Los Angeles. Kay is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America and lives in Maryland.
Don’t miss the Planting the Seed Festival, Jan 2nd and 3rd at the
First Congregational Church Theater in Prescott.
Showtimes – Jan 2nd @ 7:30, and Jan 3rd @ 2:30 & 7:30.
Tickets just $14 online or at the door!
