Sarah Saltwick is a playwriting and fiction Michener Fellow at the University of Texas in Austin and a graduate from Hampshire College. Her work has been a finalist for the Heideman Award and the Bay Area Playwrights Festival and was twice nominated for Best New Play by the Austin Critics Table. Her work has been presented, developed or produced by the University of Texas at Austin, Nouveau 47, paper chairs theater company, TheatreMasters, Scriptworks, WordBRIDGE, Bristol Riverside Theater, Shrewd Productions, Last Frontier Theatre Conference, and Moving Arts. She's written plays inspired by giant rabbits, Texas, guacamole, Dolly Parton and more. Her fiction has been published by Escape Into Life.
Sarah on...
The Process
My process depends a lot on the project. When I'm revising, I try to give myself a few long afternoons/early evenings so I can write through the play without too many distractions. Even if I'm focusing on a few key scenes, I like to look again at the whole script when I'm revising. It's time consuming and can drive collaborators a little crazy but it helps the whole play evolve and not just moments. When I'm working on something new my focus is on generating material and getting to that loose first draft in an ideal time frame, that means writing about 30 minutes a day. I write pretty fast so I can get at least a scene done in that time. Writing quickly helps keep my critical voices at bay and lets the characters perform the scene for me on the page. It does lead to a lot of typos though! And of course, I do a lot of almost writing -- daydreaming and note scribbling. I like to write my notes by hand. I also collect images, both digital and hard copies, and sounds for the projects I'm working on.
SatisfactionDiscovering something true. When characters surprise me. Discovery and surprise often happen in the same moment. Discovery can be a little painful, getting to that one truth after 15 pages of writing can mean that 14 of those pages aren't useful, but the excitement of that new perspective carries me through. In the best processes, both in writing and rehearsal, plays have a way of becoming more of themselves. It's incredibly satisfying to see something that I wrote but didn't fully understand, become powerful and necessary. Opening nights are pretty good too! There's a real luxury in having already done all your work by the time the audience comes in, and getting to sit back and watch.
Knowing
It wasn't until I was actually in graduate school that I started thinking about writing as a career. Before that I was focused on craft and self-discovery. All my teachers: Suzan Zeder, Steven Dietz and Kirk Lynn, as well as Sherry Kramer, guest star teacher, have been incredible, inspiring careers built over time and talent. The more I do theater, the more I believe in it as a place for people to come together and connect. I think theater builds our emotional empathy and our imagination. These things are so important for society. I know my life is going to be a mix of writing, teaching and other work and at this moment, I'm okay with that. I think I might go crazy if it was just me in a room generating material!
Inspiration
I love the writing of Caryl Churchill. So good. I loveDeath of A Salesmantoo. And I would encourage everyone to find a copy of Arthur Miller's bookSalesman In Beijing, about directing the play in China. I think Dietz'sLonely Planetis a beautiful and perfect play. I recently saw Will Eno'sMiddletownat Hyde Park Theater and loved its odd sensibility, humor and wisdom. The more I get to know Lisa D'Amour's work, the more I love it. I can't wait for UT's production ofThe Cataract. I love the poetry of Sharon Olds and Matthea Harvey. Elizabeth McCracken's memoirA Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imaginationis an amazingly honest and unforgettable story. I'm inspired by the music of Neko Case as well as my boyfriend's two bands The Octopus Project and Woozyhelmet.
The First Time
I had my first play performed in undergrad at Hampshire College, and it was great. I was surprised at how fully the characters came to life. I discovered, as I continue to discover, how little needs to be said to create something. I'm continually amazed by the magic that can be created onstage through actors' bodies and the suggestion of the text. I have a play where someone turns into a seal and every time it works, I'm amazed. Impossible things!
Advice
Do your work already. Get good at learning and remembering people's names. Collaborations are long game that take active pursuit but also patience. Action and plot are not the enemy of beauty. Learn how to talk about your plays.
I'll just expand on the last one. I used to hate that question, "What kind of plays do you write?". But I realized that at least half the time, people are actually interested in learning more about what playwrights do. They may not have seen a play since high school. They may have terrible associations with the theater. The question is an opportunity to share something about my work and my world.
Adapted by Sarah Saltwick
Based on the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Austin, TX
For more information on Sarah's past, present, and future endeavors, check here.
