Writer’s Spotlight: Erika McGonigal

 

            Erika McGonigal is from Greenville, South Carolina. From a very young age she was able to come to Bob Jones University and watch their performances, even being able to get involved in some of them. From that, came an interest in the dramatic arts writing came along with that. She wanted to be doing what she saw on stage, even when she was little. She said that creating her own stories and making stories that she’d want to be in was the big thing for her.

            When she was 10 years old, she started writing Christmas plays that her and her sister would perform for their parents. Her breakthrough play was the for the bake-off at Bob Jones University. She hadn’t taken playwriting class yet and the only plays she’d written for people to see were the ones she’d shown her parents. “I was really self-conscious about my writing and I didn't think it was any good. So, I just I just didn't do it, but I heard people say bake off was fun, writing for bake off, and I was like, ‘well, I might as well try’”

            It wasn’t until her play was performed that she realized that people did actually like what she wrote. She said that “to see people enjoy it, and laugh and have a fun time, seeing it performed. I think was a big thing for me.”  She wrote more once she got into playwriting class and said that it got easier after that.

            Before that class she’d struggled with a lot of self-doubt and thinking that her writing wasn’t good enough. She said that taking playwriting class where David Schwingle was her professor, helped her a lot. “He just talked a lot about sharing your experiences and what you have, and just being brave and sharing it with other people and you’ll be surprised that people actually do want to hear what you have to say.”

            One of her favorite projects to work on was her second bake-off script. It was based off a story that she loved. She said, “I just had a (4:01) lot of fun writing it. And then people also liked performing it (4:06) and seeing it.” She also mentioned that she enjoys righting poems and has written some that are very personal and close to her heart which helped her work through personal matters.

             McGonigal says she wants to continue writing beautiful things. She explains that it’s not things that you would typically think of as beautiful but is reflective of life. “Because as a Christian, that's really important, I think, to have that in our art and I think quality as well. Because if you want to reach people, then it actually has to be good quality, they should feel like it was worth reading or enjoying.”

            Even though McGonigal has proven her proficiency in writing, her focus is acting. She said that one of her goals is writing a monologue, because she’s always wanted to audition with a monologue that she’s written. Writing was not something that was originally on her radar and she was very nervous about taking playwriting class but said it’s been very helpful. “Writing is super helpful for an actor because you see from the playwright's perspective. What they are doing, how to create a character and a story, kind of seeing it from that side can help you as an actor.”

 

            McGonigal said that writing has opened her up more and helped her with sharing her thoughts.  I keep to myself a lot and am really reserved. But I think writing stuff that means something to me, and also being brave and sharing it, helped me with just doing that in life.”

            Her advice to aspiring playwrights is this, “Write about what you're passionate about, because if you love what you're writing and what you're creating then other people will see that love as they're seeing it performed or reading it. It'll be transferred to them and they get some of that passion as well.”