Emily Cutler is a senior at Indian Springs School in Birmingham, Alabama. Her two greatest passions are foreign languages and creative writing.
After she graduates next year, she will have completed level five in Latin, Spanish, and French. She is also an avid creative writer with works published in literary magazines of the University of Michigan, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and New York University as well as in the inaugural print issue of the Able Muse Review. Her poetry, fiction, and plays have received awards including three Gold Keys from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, two first places from the Alabama Writers’ Forum High School Literary Awards, and recognition from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival Young Southern Writers’ Project. In her spare time, Emily enjoys volunteering as an assistant ESL teacher, reading, and playing the piano.
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Emily Cutler interview with Joshua Fardon
What inspired you to write the play?
I believe that teacher-student relationships are a crucial part of education. I attend a school where I am able to have close relationships with many of the teachers, and that aspect has greatly contributed to my learning. In writing "The Tutor System" my goal was to portray a teacher-student relationship in a human, realistic way that the audience would relate to. I hope to comment on the role of those relationships in education and perhaps one day change the education system with my writing.
It's interesting hearing these issues addressed from a student's perspective. But because drama invites ambiguity, some people in the audience are still likely to construe Blaine's emotional attachment to Sanders as being dangerous (it also depends on how it's played). Why did you choose drama as a means to express your ideas?
I chose drama because I love to write dialogue. I think dialogue is so revealing of characters, and I liked that drama would allow me to focus on subtext and on how the setting affects the mood of the conversation. I also do like the idea that drama invites ambiguity because that is representative of the truth: in real life, there are various ways to interpret people and events. My opinion is that Blaine's emotional attachment to Sanders is not necessarily dangerous, but I like that the audience can decide for themselves.
Besides subtext, there's a lot of technique which you've used to tell the story: for example, beginning in the middle of a conversation, following the protagonist, and sticking close to the conflict. It's rare to see that in the work of someone so young. Who are your influences? Do you plan on pursuing playwriting?
Thanks so much! That means a lot to me. The biggest influence on my playwriting has been my teacher at the Sewanee Young Writers' Conference, David Roby. He gave me the best playwriting advice I have ever received, which was to make every character active. That has always been a principle in writing that I strive to adhere to. He also encouraged me to take risks in my writing and taught me a few of the techniques you mentioned. Another influence on my playwriting has been the director of my school's theater program, Mr. Ellington, who read some of my early plays and encouraged me to go further. Finally, my Spanish teacher Sr. Mange has been a great mentor and first reader for all of my creative writing. I do plan on pursuing playwriting! I hope to major in Creative Writing in college and perhaps go on to an MFA program.
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All Connotation Press plays are presented online to the reading public. All performance rights, including professional, amateur, television and the rights of translation into foreign languages are strictly reserved. If you are interested in seeking performance rights to a specific work contact the Drama Editor, Joshua Fardon.
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