Jason vs. Morgan: The Interview, Part 2

In which our heroes attempt to interview each other.

MORGAN: Cape Cod.

JASON: I didn’t ask anything yet.

MORGAN: Oh. I thought you were going to ask where I grew up. I grew up on Cape Cod.

JASON: Well I was going to ask that, but you ruined it.

MORGAN: Sorry.

JASON: Just. It’s ok. Just. Why don’t you let me ask the questions and THEN you answer. That’s traditionally how this works.

MORGAN: Right. Of course. Yes. Haha. Yes.

JASON: Okay. So. Where did you grow up?

MORGAN: Cape Cod.

JASON: Did you do theatre?

MORGAN: I did. My parents ran a community theater in our town so I was in like 20 productions of A Christmas Carol and Scrooge. We did big musicals, too. When I got to high school, I did the school plays. I went to a big public school and drama wasn’t really a big thing, but there were definitely a few of us die hards. But the budgets weren’t very big. I loved it though. I did the drama competitions and won some acting awards. Basically, I was a young Meryl Streep. But mostly, I remember the thing that I loved was the people. I still feel that way. I love theater people. You can be your real dorky freak self and not only does no one care, it ACTIVELY makes you respected. I think theater is special in that way. We honor and praise all forms of nerdiness.

JASON: So flash forward, now you’re like a grown up person (sort of)…what do you do in theater now?

I’m not an actor and haven’t acted since college. I’m mainly a director and a playwright. I’m in grad school for playwriting now, and I’m directing a bunch of things at the moment. I also have my own theater company where I write and direct all of our plays and then produce them—I’m a one man band. I’m interested in all types of theater—musicals, comedy, experimental, new plays. I like challenging myself as an artist and an audience member to think outside the box about what is “good” and I like things that make me laugh.

JASON: Who are your favorite playwrights? NO FAIR SAYING YOURSELF.

Jason Pizzarello is clearly the next Arthur Miller. But OTHERWISE, I love Lisa Kron, Young Jean Lee, Leah Nanako Winkler, and Lucas Hnath, who are all playwrights that work a lot in New York. And I jest, but I love Arthur Miller. Also a big fan of Thorton Wilder. He’s so experimental and crazy, I think we forget that. I also love Chekhov when it’s done well.

JASON: Why did you decide to start Stage Partners other than because you were scared of what I would do to you if you didn’t agree to join me?

My mom is a teacher and I know how hard they work. She puts in like 70 hours a week. I just hate how hard they work and how most people think they’re lucky for having summers off. Anything that makes their lives easier is awesome. So that plus remembering how important my drama club experience was to me, while simultaneously remembering how old and out of touch I felt like a lot of the plays we chose were, made me feel like we could do better. We could make fresh, new, fun plays easy for teachers to find. Boom. Stage Partners.

JASON: Okay. Final question. You could wave a magic wand and have two wishes. One is like a GIANT wish that has global ramifications. The other is a small wish that would make your petty existence slightly more convenient. Go.

MORGAN:
1.    I’d wish for people to literally be able to switch lives with others. THINK of how much intolerance would be solved if you didn’t have to IMAGINE empathy, but you could actually live in another person’s experience.
2.    I wish the cup of coffee sitting a mere 3 feet away from me was juuuuuust a little closer so I wouldn’t have to get up to get it.