I write plays for a hobby, so I thought I’d take a look at what he did. Call it a sick fascination, but I was curious.
He knew how to format a play correctly, so he’s almost certainly taken a class.
He’s just beginning learning the craft. This is first-play stuff. The character of John is almost certainly based on himself. Beginning playwrights (especially young ones) nearly always have a character based on themselves.
The interesting thing for me is the portrayal of the mother Sue. Sue is trying to make excuses for John, and she’s treated as weak. That’s an unusual touch for a beginning writer. Usually, the alter-ego character gets no sympathy from anyone. He/she is the victim.
I’m not saying the play is any good, of course. Still, some theater somewhere will probably perform it now.
>I write plays for a hobby, so I thought I’d take a look at what he did. Call it a sick fascination, but I was curious.....Beginning playwrights (especially young ones) nearly always have a character based on themselves.<
Maybe. I’ve been writing since I was a sophomore in high school, and I’ve never based a character on myself. Creative writing requires imagination, empathy, acute senses, a love of words, a dose of mysticism, vision, and a story to tell. It doesn’t necessarily follow that the shooter had actually been a victim. He could have based his play on a situation he’d heard about in the news, which intrigued him. He was no kid.