About the Playwright Emily Dendinger

We talk to playwright Emily Dendinger about her writing process and her new play #GodHates You.

Orlando Shakes: What themes or ideas are you focusing on with this play?

Emily Dendinger: In this play, and maybe all of my plays right now, I am really interested in the idea of radical empathy. Are there sins or crimes that are so heinous they can’t be forgiven? What about if a person is truly sorry for their past deeds? For awhile now I have been excited to write a play about religion that didn’t poke fun at it, but was about people who were really struggling with their spirituality in big ways.

Orlando Shakes: What is the biggest challenge about crafting a new play?

Emily: It’s hard to answer this question because for every play it’s so different. Every play comes with its own challenges, and sometimes it’s about figuring out what are you really trying to say or write about. For #GODHATESYOU, I wrote the first draft of this play while I was the NNPN Playwright-in-Residence at Curious Theatre. The first draft focused on Noah and Laurel, and both of their spiritual journeys. However, after the first read, it became very clear I was far more interested in Laurel’s story than Noah’s, and while Noah has stayed in the play, his role and character drastically changed. Sometimes the hardest part is figuring out where to begin.

Orlando Shakes: Who or what was your biggest inspiration for becoming a playwright?

Emily: For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a writer, however, I was also really into theatre and was a ballerina for 12 years. Playwriting seemed like the perfect way to combine all of my passions. I also made my sisters act out ridiculous plays in our basement as kids for hours at a time, so they definitely deserve some credit.

Orlando Shakes: If you could only describe your play using four words, what would they be?

Emily: Who deserves your forgiveness?

Orlando Shakes: What is unique about your writing process?

Emily: I spend a lot of time researching my plays before I start working. I once read that Tom Stoppard researches all of plays and takes copious notes, which he never looks at. That is very much my process. I do a lot of reading, writing, and thinking before I even think about putting words on the page. Almost always I start with the characters. Who are these people we are about to spend time with, and why do we care about them? I tend to write very fast and write tons of drafts. My favorite part of the writing process is getting in the rehearsal room with director and actors. I love the collaboration that comes when you have a room full of smart individuals all working together to make sense of the play. Actors are geniuses because they tend to track their character’s arcs, which means they have tremendous insight into a character’s actions and start to find moments I never dreamed of.

Orlando Shakes: Aside from this play what is next for you?

Emily: I’m currently working on a brand new play about Emily Roebling, a little known woman who helped build the Brooklyn Bridge. Mudlark Theatre in Chicago is also producing a brand new TYA play about the Lowell Mill Girls’ strike this spring.

ABOUT EMILY DENDINGER
Emily Dendinger is a Brooklyn-based writer. Her plays include No Home for Bees (2017 Source Festival Finalist), Little House in the Big City (2017 NNPN Showcase Finalist), Pocketful of Sand (2016 Activate Midwest New Play Festival Winner and 2015 Alliance/Kendeda finalist). She is a two-time winner of Theater Masters and has been a finalist for the City Theatre National Award, Emerald Prize, and Heideman Award. Emily has worked around the country with companies including Actors Theatre of Louisville, Route 66, The Lark, Sideshow Theatre, The Alliance, NNPN, Available Light, Curious Theatre Company, NJ Rep, and TimeLine Theatre. Her work has been developed at The Perry Mansfield Festival of New Work, Tofte Lake Residency, and Durango New PlayFest. Emily was the 2015-2016 NNPN Playwright-in-Residence with Curious Theatre Company and is an alumni member of TimeLine’s Writers Collective. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa’s Playwright’s Workshop.

Don’t miss Emily Dendinger’s #GodHatesYou at PlayFest presented by Harriett’s Charitable Trust!