 |
| Miranda Hoyt-Disick 11th grade, Riverdale Country School |
1. What inspired you to write Enter Banquo's Ghost?
On the night of the Tonys sophomore year, I was faced with a challenge. I had to write an updated version of the banquet scene from Macbeth that happened to be due the next day. Coincidentally, I had recently started watching the HBO series Girls, and I thought it might be fun to inject Shakespeare with some good old Hannah Horvath neuroses. I decided that the protagonist, "Beth", would be haunted by the ghost of her old boyfriend, "Robert Banquo". The whole thing was just supposed to be one scene, but I started playing around with the characters and decided upgrade Beth's nervous behavior to a mental break-down, complete with banter and the destruction of a perfectly good chicken.
On the night of the Tonys sophomore year, I was faced with a challenge. I had to write an updated version of the banquet scene from Macbeth that happened to be due the next day. Coincidentally, I had recently started watching the HBO series Girls, and I thought it might be fun to inject Shakespeare with some good old Hannah Horvath neuroses. I decided that the protagonist, "Beth", would be haunted by the ghost of her old boyfriend, "Robert Banquo". The whole thing was just supposed to be one scene, but I started playing around with the characters and decided upgrade Beth's nervous behavior to a mental break-down, complete with banter and the destruction of a perfectly good chicken.
2. You directed your play for a theatre
festival at your school last year. Please tell us more about that experience.
I loved directing my play at school.
My producer and assistant director, Madeline Meyer, was amazing about
scheduling everything and helping me with the blocking and with giving notes to
my actors. We rehearsed during lunch in the drama and film rooms. It was my
first experience directing, and I found everyone eager to cooperate and make
the play as good as it could be. During the performance, I was pretty much
frozen in a state of joint joy/terror, a condition that will probably rear its
head again at the next production.
3. In
your bio you mention that you play both the guitar and ukulele. When did you
begin to play these instruments? What is the biggest difference between playing
the guitar and the ukulele?
I began playing guitar in 5th
grade and ukulele around this time last year. They're both great instruments,
but the ukulele is portable and easier to play in the hallways to the annoyance
of everyone, so naturally I prefer it.
4. What has been your most memorable theatre
experience to date?
At the beginning of the year, I
got to see The Glass Menagerie with Zach Quinto and was crying by the end of the first act. It was a beautiful
production that did nothing but enhance my undying love for Tennessee Williams
and pretty blatant desire to resurrect him.
5. If you were going on an adventure, who
would you take as your travel partner and why?
I didn't even have to think about
this one. Spike from Buffy the Vampire
Slayer, 100%. If you've seen the show, you understand. If not, first
of all, why haven't you seen it, go now, watch all 7 seasons they're on
Netflix. Done? Welcome back. Spike is resourceful, good in a fight, and has an
amazing habit of commenting on the story going on around him. We only have one
of these qualities in common, but still. Definitely Spike. He's a little
undead, but it's totally fine. I'd just have to remember a blanket to shield
him from the sun (he burns up pretty quickly).
See Miranda's play Enter Banquo's Ghost at the 2014 New Jersey Young Playwrights Festival on Tuesday, June 3 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Performances will be held in the University Center Little Theatre on the campus of Kean University. Please reserve your space by contacting us at njypf@ptnj.org. See you there!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for adding to the discussion! Please bear in mind that this is a site with a wide audience from young playwrights of all ages, to teachers, to theatre artists, and beyond. As a result, all comments will be moderated before posting. Thanks!