DK: I think that I’m like all writers in that my influences are always changing based on where I am. At the moment Jean Genet is a big influence. That is why I directed The Maids this semester. The best way to get inside the writer is to put him on stage. Genet manages to find humanity in places people wouldn’t look for it or that are not socially acceptable. He dives in and pulls out the human core.

Another influence right now is early Brecht. The early plays throw practicality to the wind. They can go from skyscrapers to a dock to the jungle. They are plays that you can’t stage literally but that wasn’t a concern for him in that period.

THC: What do you do about writer’s block? Do you get it?

DK: I’m not a fan of the term. For me writer’s block isn’t a wall, it’s a slowed down thought process. It’s like being stuck in molasses turning over ideas in what looks like a fruitless manner.

THC: It’s November. What do you have done so far?

DK: Not much is written. I’ve done a lot of historical research about my subject, which I think is unique for a creative thesis. I have several revised outlines of at least the first act. I’m starting to do that for the second act now. At the same time, I keep a notebook of phrases and dialogue that could be useful.