Seven Interviews

by Mark Dunn

Three actors. One desk. Three chairs. Theatre at its most elemental. Seven Interviews offers up seven different short plays, each with an interview format, and each of which illuminates some aspect of the human condition. The seven pieces range from the broadly comic to the achingly tragic. Among the situations set up in the seven pieces are a job interview to replace a secretary who is giving her employer nightmares, a biographer's horrible realization that she doesn't know her subject at all, the matter of a baseball team mascot who is frightening children at the ballpark, a dialogue between psychiatrist and patient with an unexpected outcome, a conference between parent and school principal over the expulsion of the woman's son; along with pieces about a very unlikely customer for a professional hit-man, and an office cleaning lady caught red-handed on Christmas Eve.

86 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2014

About the author

Mark Dunn is the author of several books and more than thirty full-length plays, a dozen of which have been published in acting edition.

Mark has received over 200 productions of his work for the stage throughout the world, with translations of his plays into French, Italian, Dutch and Hungarian. His play North Fork (later retitled Cabin Fever: A Texas Tragicomedy when it was picked up for publication by Samuel French) premiered at the New Jersey Repertory Company (NJRC) in 1999 and has since gone on to receive numerous productions throughout the U.S.

Mark is co-author with NJRC composer-in-residence Merek Royce Press of Octet: A Concert Play, which received its world premiere at NJRC in 2000. Two of his plays, Helen’s Most Favorite Day and Dix Tableaux, have gone on to publication and national licensing by Samuel French. His novels include the award-winning Ella Minnow Pea, Welcome to Higby, Ibid, the children’s novel The Calamitous Adventures of Rodney and Wayne, Under the Harrow and Feral Park.

Mark teaches creative writing and leads playwriting seminars around the country, in addition to serving as Vice President of the non-profit PULA (People United for Libraries in Africa), which he founded with his wife, Mary, in 2002.

(modified bio courtesy of http://njrep.org/playwrights.htm)

Reviews

[Amelio · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of one-act plays. Most of them were quite funny (it is a collection of comedies, after all), and there's a lot of opportunity for directors and actors alike to make the script come alive. It was interesting to see how different stories can be even though all 7 have the same stage setup: two chairs and one table/desk.
It was also very cool to read the Fourth Interview (the play I acted in!) in its collection and without the intent of memorization or acting. It's definitely my favourite (and I am SO unbiased).
Overall a great, quick collection if you're looking for a comedy play to read!