Charles Mee
Something I found kind of funny and refreshing... Right now I am working on a research paper on playwright Charles Mee, who writes heavy political/Historical plays. His play are about as unconventional as they come. As I am doing my research, two facts popped up in interviews...
1. The play that sparked his interest in Theatre was a Broadway production of "South Pacific" that his parents took him to as a child.
2. After a lapse in play writing, during which he was mostly doing political and Historical non-fiction writing, he took his young children to a production of "My Fair Lady." This show brought back his love of theatre and he began writing plays again.
I just found it funny that someone who is so, so, so unconventional would find his inspiration in two very commercially successful pieces of Broadway musical fluff. I also liked that he was not shy about admitting it.
And really quick before getting back to my paper, I saw "Ave. Q." this past week. It was fantastic. Even after listening to the soundtrack, I was still surprised by plot points and staging. I loved the bears!!! The show was very creative and hilarious.