Phobias

Prose by Michelé Strachota. Finalist in the 2016 Manuscripts Prose Contest with Benjamin Percy

Sloppy Seconds: A Play and How it Came to Be

Although many people have attended a play or musical in their life, not many take the time to think about the process behind the works they see on stage. Before a play ever gets to production, it begins on the page, and before that, in an author’s head. My presentation will explain (at least in a subjective perspective) how plays come to be. Specifically, I will explain how my play Sloppy Seconds came to be. Unlike other writing, playwriting requires a community to bring the work to life. As this is precisely what attracts me to playwriting, I wrote Sloppy Seconds in a way I believe allows a lot of flexibility for anyone trying to put on a production. Overall, I want to illustrate that playwriting, and my play in particular, is meant to bring communities together. More than anything, I have learned that playwriting is made to be uncomfortable, to push boundaries, and to experiment. The risks I took in writing Sloppy Seconds brought me the title of regionals winning playwright at the recent American Collegiate Theater Festival (ACTF). A few of the actors who performed at the festival will read a scene from the play during my presentation. Plays are meant to be heard and seen, so as much as I can talk about what I have written, is it best for everyone to experience it first hand