Theatrefolk Featured Play - She Wrote, Died, Then Wrote Some More
Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. She Wrote, Died, Then Wrote Some More by Steven Stack is a fast-paced quirky melodrama that would definitely be a showstopper for any school!
Tonight was going to be writer Alina Deveraux’s most important night, the unveiling of her memoirs: a non-fiction fictional retelling of Alina’s life moment by moment up until three hours ago when she finished it.
Until she ended up dead. Or not dead.
The comedic, melodramatic one-act mystery, She Wrote, Died, Then Wrote Some More, is a hilarious romp that features betrayals, broken hearts, a rather odd but beautiful love story, and many twists. The play features a cast of eccentric and unique characters, who may or may not at some point end up dying themselves. Or appearing murdered because of a rare fainting when frightened disorder…
Why did we publish this play?
I don't write melodrama well and I so admire those who do. What I love about Steven's play is the way it brings the form to vivid life with characters who are great to watch. It's amazing to see how far a character will go in this play to get what they want, with hilarious results in equal parts verbal and physical humour. Steven has said that "melodrama can be realistic - just not the way we know reality in our day-to-day life" which is a great perspective. He knows how to set up the world for his characters and then push the limit of the reality of the world to the extreme.
It’s a fast-paced and fun romp of a play featuring quirky and distinct characters in a world that is bizarre, but still close enough to reality to be believed. This would be a showstopper play for any school!
Let’s hear from the author!
1. Why did you write this play?
I love writing melodramas and I wanted to write a murder mystery where almost everyone died but, spoiler alert, they weren’t actually dead.
2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences.
The themes of She Wrote, Died, Then Wrote Some More are that nothing is ever really what it seems and that people will go to whatever length necessary to get what they want.
3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play?
When Minnie’s plot is revealed by Alina, who rose from the dead from her fake death to save Marian while all the while the stage is littered with “dead” bodies. It’s such a fun and striking visual especially when you consider what’s about to happen.
4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be?
Remember that these characters are real to themselves and should be created and performed as so. They are ridiculous to us and what they experience perhaps even more so but to them, it’s their actual life and they are not in on the joke.
5. Why is this play great for student performers?
Because the characters are complex and super fun to play. It also forces actors to create the truth of their characters and not simply play “the jokes.” Doing this allows the audience to believe what they are seeing while also making the play funnier. Plus, they get to die on stage in odd ways and that’s always awesome.
Get your copy of She Wrote, Died, Then Wrote Some More, right here, right now!
Related Articles
