At the PWC this week: brianne a. hill

Many Voices Mentee brianne a. hill has a reading of her play Skin & Masks today at the Center, with dramaturgy by Christina Ham and featuring actors ShaVunda Horsley, Warren C. Bowles, Tatiana Williams, Jasmine Hughes, Darrick Mosley, Ivory Doublette, Sam Bardwell, and Am'Ber Montgomery. Learn a bit about brianne in this mini-interview.

What kind of stories interest you?

The kinds of stories that interest me are simple. Ones that tell the story of who a person is and why they are here on the planet. What most interests me are the stories of people who often get ignored; the brother standing on the corner waiting for the bus, the sister who sheds tears alone in the mall. My grandmother and I used to people watch and create stories about their lives. That's something that I enjoy doing to this day. Using my imagination and experiences to wonder what led up to a particular moment in time for a person.

What playwriting or theater advice do you have for others?

The best advice I can give as a beginning playwright is to be yourself. You may be inspired by others' work, people may say your work is similar to someone else's, but ultimately you have been given the task to do one of the hardest things for people to do, which is to be yourself. Write about things that interest you, that make you feel alive. Write for the next generations. Write stories that must be told.

Who or what inspires you?

Nature continues to give me inspiration and replenishment. Mornings particularly inspire me. There is a freshness that is present every morning when I wake up. Sitting by the water, getting close to a tree, watching the sunset are all things that feed me artistically. They are constant reminders of abundance, creation, and beauty.