The clearly ominous sound of bulldozers rumbling starts the play. The lights shift into blue and grey, the dilapidated stage portrays the shambles of a broken house. Two young girls move slowly around the space like ghosts, neither giving any notice to each other. Then suddenly, all noise stops, the lights brighten and blind the stage, and there is a bang of childish laughter. Monopoly has begun.
The play is a success. The writing brings the characters to life while the movable staging creates an imploring message the audience must deliberate and explore. Sitting among the crowd, Sarah Cho, observes her work with a keen eye. The playwright smiles slightly at the rising applause the crowd gives her. It was a good performance.
An interview with Sarah Cho
1) What led you to pursue playwriting?
I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t pursuing playwriting as a means to an end… and then I realized there are no means in playwriting. So why am I writing plays? Well, first of all, I’m in my 20s so it’s probably the best time to make as many mistakes as I can. AND TAKE RISKS. And let’s be real, there’s really no money in theatre therefore, low risks and more room for me to make mistakes. I just want to make trouble and seen (or hear?) how loud I could make noises. That way, I learn more about myself as an artist to make a “dent in the universe”.
2) How did you get the idea for Monopoly and why did you decide to approach it the way you did?
I love watching documentary films. It’s my favorite past time. I was moved by two films called “Detropia” and “Monopoly”. I became emotionally invested in what was going on in Detroit at the time when I saw the documentary and wrote the play… and I hate the Monopoly board game with passion. So put those two together, and you got yourself a play in the making! In “Detropia”, there were images in the film of thousands of abandoned homes being bulldozed every day that really struck a chord with me. As I was seeing it, a thought crossed my mind: What if there were children still living in these abandoned homes as it were being bulldozed?
3) The main characters in your play are two young girls. Was it hard to write through the eyes of children?
No, it was not hard at all to write through the eyes of children because in many ways, I’m still a child at heart. It’s highly autobiographical. It’s about the relationship between me and my sister and the bond we shared growing up. I love my sister. She’s my best friend. And I also hate her because she’s my worst enemy so writing this play as a way to embarrass her felt like I struck gold. I still love her.
4) Are you in the process of writing more plays? If so, what can you say about it?
I’m in the process of rewriting a play called “The Cancer Games”. It’s like hunger games but everyone has cancer. I started to write this play when I learned my grandfather was diagnosed with liver cancer and I finished it around the time he passed away. (This was last year). This play will be receiving a workshop production at this year’s New Play Festival in UIowa’s Theatre Arts…. so maybe you should check it out sometime. I’m also in the process of rewriting a played called “Waiting for Mr. Rogers” and it’s about these puppets who never got a chance to be in the Kingdom of Make Believe and are waiting for Mr.Rogers to bring them home but they don’t know that he’s dead. And I’m also in the process of writing a new play about two Asian girls becoming friends after dating the same white guy. It’s a buddy comedy.
5) What would you do if you didn’t become a playwright?
I want to be a documentary filmmaker, an improviser, comedian, producer, writer, blogger, Youtube star, music video director, animal activist, barista, run a soup kitchen, and design a boardgame.