Tori and Mabelle talk with Donna Hoke about her journey as a gig writer into playwriting; embracing and owning your hometown; the value of development workshops; and the art of documenting submissions.
Writing prompt (courtesy of Donna Hoke)
Give a character an unusual phobia. Here’s a list of phobias to choose from: https://www.verywellmind.com/list-of-phobias-2795453
Now put your character in a scene with an antagonist, during which the phobia is confronted and conquered–without the antagonist knowing it. The antagonist may speak as much as you wish; the protagonist can only speak thirty words max during the entire scene.
Connect with Donna:
- Donna’s website: [email protected]
- Twitter: @donnahoke
- IG: @dhokeplays
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donnahokeplaywright
- Read Donna’s plays at the New Play Exchange
Donna’s full bio: Donna’s work has been seen in 47 states and on five continents, including at Barrington Stage, Barrow Group, Celebration Theatre, Gulfshore Theatre, Queens Theatre, The Road, Writers Theatre New Jersey, Phoenix Theatre, Atlantic Stage, Purple Rose, Skylight, Pride Films and Plays, New Jersey Rep, Hens and Chickens (London), The Galway Fringe Festival, and Actors Repertory Theatre of Luxembourg. Plays include BRILLIANT WORKS OF ART (Kilroys List), ELEVATOR GIRL (O’Neill, Princess Grace, and Austin Film Festival finalist), SAFE (winner of the Todd McNerney, Naatak, and Great Gay Play and Musical Contests), and TEACH (Gulfshore New Works winner). She has been nominated for the Primus, Blackburn, and Laura Pels prizes, and is a three-time winner of the Emanuel Fried Award for Outstanding New Play (SEEDS, SONS & LOVERS, ONCE IN MY LIFETIME). She has also received an Individual Artist Award from the New York State Council on the Arts to develop HEARTS OF STONE, and, in its final three years, Artvoice named her Buffalo’s Best Writer—the only woman to ever receive the designation.
Donna also been serving the Dramatists Guild in various capacities since 2012, is an ensemble playwright at Road Less Traveled Productions, blogger, moderator of the 13,000+-member Official Playwrights of Facebook, New York Times-published crossword puzzle constructor; children’s and trivia book author; and founder/co-curator of BUA Takes 10: GLBT Short Stories. Speaking engagements include Citywrights, Kenyon Playwrights Conference, the Dramatists Guild National Conference, Chicago Dramatists, the Austin Film Festival, and a live Dramatists Guild webinar. Her commentary has been seen on #2amt, howlround, The Dramatist, the Official Playwrights of Facebook, Workshopping the New Play (Applause, 2017), and at donnahoke.com.
The anniversary gift Tori got for husband can be found on Etsy here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/678948890/personalized-song-lyric-wall-hanging?ref=shop_home_active_7&frs=1&crt=1