Caroline Russell-King’s Postcard Profile with playwright Sunny Drake (with a nod to Bernard Pivot and James Lipton).
What is the next project for you?
Child-ish a verbatim piece based on interviews with children speaking about love, climate change, and life performed by adults, which is in development with Summerworks lab in Toronto, Necessary Angel, Nightswimming and Why Not.
How do you contribute to these pieces?
I’m the playwright creator.
What is your greatest creative challenge?
The producing side; being an independent artist my job is the constant hustle of resources and pulling together relationships.
What turns you on creatively?
Two things: Form as content, I’m obsessed with style and creative choices; and, two, that everyday people can celebrate the art as much as theatre people.
What turns you off creatively?
Things that are a little too precious, irrelevant or precious content.
What’s one thing you’re really good at?
Bringing people into a creative process and building relationships to make dreams happen.
If you could resurrect and share a drink with a dead person who would it be?
My Grandad, who I didn’t really know but I was told that “some things skip a generation.” He was a socialist, fruitarian, a quirky guy. He was working class who hustled new enterprises in a way I relate to. A writer!
What is one thing you wish you’d known sooner?
It’s OK to fail and in fact it’s really good, and it’s not going to be the end of my career.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Journalism, I’m endlessly fascinated about current affairs and what’s going on in the world.
What would you do with extreme wealth?
Give a whole bunch away to First Nations, climate change and inequity reduction.
What is one piece of advice you would give to the person who wants to do what you do?
Don’t wait for the grant or the theatre to produce your work or people to love your work. Just keep making it.
Sunny Drake’s Men Express Their Feelings runs until March 15 at the Big Secret Theatre in Arts Commons.
Caroline Russell-King is a playwright, dramaturg, and instructor. She is a member of The Playwrights Guild of Canada, the Dramatist Guild of America and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. You can find her work here at www.carolinerussellking.com.
