Playwright Sheila Callaghan shares her thoughts about LASCIVIOUS SOMETHING.

The characters of August and Daphne, and to a lesser extent Liza, appear to suppress passionate emotion and make decisions based on what they can live with as opposed to what may make them truly happy.  Is it fear of hurt or vulnerability that drives such decisions? Do you think most
people live this way? If so, why?

I am not sure most people live this way, but I do know a good number of people who keep themselves emotionally quarantined to protect themselves. Many of them have been deeply wounded in the past so it's an understandable behavior. It's true that humans are amazing adapters, and while I think we can't change who we are at our core, we can certainly manipulate our reactions to various stimuli in ways that provide the least personal damage.  And anyone who has been psychologically marred is no hurry to repeat that kind of ruin.  I think every character in this play wears that mark to some degree.

The character of August has cloistered himself in Greece rather than
continue to fight for the ideals he once followed in America.  Do you feel people often detach when they feel powerless to make an impact for the better?

Sure, and some people fight harder.  I think the ones that don't stick it out are the ones who are unable to divorce their emotions from their goals.  Everyone wants to do good in the world in some way, but it stands that the larger the good, the greater the personal sacrifice. The person who decides it's worth that cost is bound to have an elevated opinion of him/herself, and a belief that the inevitable pain is worth the ultimate result.  This is why politicians and activists are quite often unrelenting narcissists.  They have egos that can withstand massive blows, and they can rise above emotion because they see themselves in possession of an almost superhuman gift. I don't think August sees himself this way.  Although he did once. He wavered.

Lascivious Something takes place in 1980 – at the advent of the Reagan
years.  What was the thought process behind this decision?

I feel like it's a time when our country took a hard shift to the right, one that still has us skidding on gravel in the shoulder.

What is the significance of setting Lascivious Something in a vineyard?

I was trying to evoke an epic Greek-tragedy kind of tone, and I wanted the environment of the play to feel lush, decadent, drunken, sensual, Dionysian. A vineyard encompasses all that.  Exploding fruit, moist earth, impossible scenery, back-breaking toil and heartbreaking harvests... and of course, wine wine wine.

You have been called a playwright of “risky and visionary scripts” that are “funny”, “sad”, “scary” and “insightful”.   Do you view your writing as a means to provoke thought and discussion on social structures in our society?

Absolutely not!!  My first goal is always to entertain people, to tell a story in a way that won't leave them bored to tears.  I can't always accomplish this-- it's an impossible task.  Which is why I keep writing.  I want to make you feel like you've just seen something old and new at the same time-- an ancient tale strutting around in a snazzy new blazer.  But only half of you will.  Sometimes none of you. This drives me crazy. That's where the "risky" part comes in, I guess.  It's an impossible task, so I have nothing to lose! The "provoke thought" part... if that happens I'm happy, but it's incidental.

You are also a creative writing teacher – do you feel all writers should take classes to hone their craft?
 
If that's what a particular writer needs... classes force folks to work, and some folks need to be forced.  Building a habit of writing is a way to hone one's craft, along with reading and seeing absolutely everything, and finding a community.  Classes help to do this, but they're certainly not the only way.

A curly question - would you like to share with WP’s audience the most liberating thing you have ever done?

Wow. Well it's all about context, isn't it?  What's liberating to me now would mean nothing to my 19 year old self...  but if we're talking recently? Buying my MacBook Air.  It's so light!!!  I can take it anywhere!  I mean it's not a great machine or anything but HOLY CRAP IS IT LIGHT!!!  A close second would be anything involving public nudity and/or the birth of my son.

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