Write Club Dissects Itself (Part IV)
In this installment, we'll hear from the founding father of Write Club NYC, Ben Scott.
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Benjamin T. Scott
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Where are you from?
I grew up in a small town in rural Pennsylvania called Bellwood.
How do you think your upbringing shaped you artistically?
My role models growing up were coal miners and factory workers. As I got older the local economy took a downturn and a lot of these hard working men and women lost their jobs.
As a result I often find myself drawn to stories about people who are trying to reconcile the American dream with harsh reality.
Did you study theater/writing? Where?
I was an English major at Penn State University and I later studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
What are you working on right now?
I’m trying to finish a full length play entitled Walter Vs. The Water Authority.
What playwrights inspire you?
That could be a very long list. But I would say the big three are Albee, Odets, & Bogosian. I draw a lot of inspiration from popular music as well. The lyrics of Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Neil Young, and Johnny Cash have all helped shape me as a writer.
If you were stranded on a desert island with one book, one play, one magazine, and received one newspaper what would they be?
Well, Boat Building for Dummies would definitely be the book.
Who are your favorite directors?
There are a lot of great directors working right now. I enjoy Joe Mantello’s work. Jo Bonney is terrific. Moises Kaufman always impresses. I could go on and on.
What is the best play you have ever seen?
It was a production of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I didn’t know it at the time, but the woman who will soon be my wife was playing one of the leads. It was the first time I saw her work.
How do you see American and International theater changing and growing in the 21st Century?
Hopefully for the better. With the tools and technology at our disposal today there’s no reason theater artists can’t find a way to reach previously untapped audiences.
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Benjamin T. Scott
****************
Where are you from?
I grew up in a small town in rural Pennsylvania called Bellwood.
How do you think your upbringing shaped you artistically?
My role models growing up were coal miners and factory workers. As I got older the local economy took a downturn and a lot of these hard working men and women lost their jobs.
As a result I often find myself drawn to stories about people who are trying to reconcile the American dream with harsh reality.
Did you study theater/writing? Where?
I was an English major at Penn State University and I later studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
What are you working on right now?
I’m trying to finish a full length play entitled Walter Vs. The Water Authority.
What playwrights inspire you?
That could be a very long list. But I would say the big three are Albee, Odets, & Bogosian. I draw a lot of inspiration from popular music as well. The lyrics of Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Neil Young, and Johnny Cash have all helped shape me as a writer.
If you were stranded on a desert island with one book, one play, one magazine, and received one newspaper what would they be?
Well, Boat Building for Dummies would definitely be the book.
Who are your favorite directors?
There are a lot of great directors working right now. I enjoy Joe Mantello’s work. Jo Bonney is terrific. Moises Kaufman always impresses. I could go on and on.
What is the best play you have ever seen?
It was a production of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. I didn’t know it at the time, but the woman who will soon be my wife was playing one of the leads. It was the first time I saw her work.
How do you see American and International theater changing and growing in the 21st Century?
Hopefully for the better. With the tools and technology at our disposal today there’s no reason theater artists can’t find a way to reach previously untapped audiences.