Daniel Dercksen shares a few thoughts with Fiona Coyne about her new play Careful that triumphantly made its debut at the Absolut Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in May 2009 where it received a nomination for Best Playwright and Diane Wilson was presented with the Best Actress Award for her role as Jean Baxter.

Tell me about Careful?
It's a play about friendship and fear, or fear and friendship, and being willing to take the risk to care, both about oneself and others. 

Is it a play for all audiences?
Judging by the response it received in Dublin, yes, it seems to appeal to a wide spectrum of people, regardless of age or gender or sexual orientation. 

How did Careful happen? What inspired you to write the play?
I was having lunch with Roy Sargeant and he mentioned that Diane Wilson was keen to get to the Dublin Gay Theatre Festival. That struck me as so wonderfully off-beat: the notion of a straight actress wanting to perform at a gay festival. I jokingly commented to Roy that in itself that would make a play. He told me to stop laughing and get writing. So I did. That very evening I wrote the first scene and ten days later I had a play. Six months later it premiered in Dublin. 

Was it a difficult play to write? Explain
It was not at all difficult. I think because I was writing it more as a  playful exercise (versus wanting to write 'a play') it kind of rolled off the keyboard. 

How do you relate to the characters in Careful?
I don't really. Apart from the fact that they're women I have little in common with either of them. I am not by nature a 'careful' person, and this is a play about people who - to date - have lived carefully. Too carefully.

Your views on the reception it received in Dublin?
I am not even going to pretend to be blasé about this. I was and am totally thrilled. I was blown away by the reception we got and am exceedingly proud of how well it went down with an international audience. 

Do you think there is such a thing as a South African play? If so, what makes a South African play?
Yes, obviously there's such a thing as a South African play. I suppose by definition it is a play written by a South African about South Africans. Ideally, it is a true reflection of whichever South African issues and realties it raises and, most importantly, South Africans can relate to it in a very personal way.

What motivates you as a writer?
Truth. I always to strive to speak what I believe to be true. Never to try and write what I assume other people might want to hear.

Where do you find inspiration?
I am obsessively interested in what informs human behaviour and belief-systems. It is not so much what somebody does (or not), or says (or not) that interests/inspires me; rather, it is WHY and HOW they got to be that way. So every single time somebody says or does something that strikes me as radical/odd/reactionary…you name it… I am inspired and driven to know why. At present I am fascinated with the way in which fear (the underlying reality) so often presents as arrogance and/or aggression (the perceived reality). I am a voyeur by nature, which helps. Talk radio in South Africa is a veritable feast of potential characters for plays.

What inspires you?
I don't know if it is 'inspiration' as such. It is just that I have a morbidly low boredom threshold so I find I have to keep dreaming up projects and taking on new challenges for no better reason than to keep myself stimulated. 

You are such an optimistic person and always seem to be on top of the world, your craft and your career? How do you manage to do this?  Is there a secret Coyne formula?
I would honestly not describe myself as optimistic. I am far too cynical to be an 'optimist' and I have a very dark, intense side, but that being said I am emotionally resilient and highly analytical, which means I generally am able to see both sides of a situation. I work well under pressure and I am extremely disciplined about deadlines. Apart from that, I just try to get on with it as best I can. Does any of that constitute a secret formula? I wouldn't say so.

What medium do you prefer writing in? Why?
I have no preferences. To date I have mostly written for theatre and it is the medium I know best but it is by no means a specific preference.

How do you go about writing a play? Briefly define your writing process?
"Briefly" describe the process… "Briefly"? Yes, very funny, Daniel. Seriously, it's the greatest mystery to me, how the script and the story begin to dictate themselves and take on a life of their own. Basically I start with a single, narrow theme that I want to explore.

Are you happy with how your words translated into the current play?
Actors are by nature careful (no pun intended) and, understandably, they seek to protect themselves against any lines they may perceive to be risky or strange or compromising. So some of my favourite lines, as I penned them, didn't make it to the staged version, but I accept that that is the nature of the playwright/performer dynamic and whilst I do feel that some telling lines were lost, I am indeed happy with the end product. Two phenomenal actors are breathing life into my lines... a caring director has guided the project... who would not be happy with that?

What do you hope local audiences will get from watching Careful?
That they will come away understanding that one of the greatest risks we can take in life is to be TOO careful. We have to be willing to take chances, to throw caution to the winds, to open ourselves to life and what life has to offer.... 

You have had a good working relationship with Diane Wilson?
Di and I fight like cat and dog about some issues. But the highest compliment I can pay anybody is to take the time or the interest to fight with them. She is the most brilliant actress I know. She drives me crazy (and I drive her crazy) but I can say without any hesitation whatsoever that when I am writing a play with Diane in mind as the actress, I write with pleasure and confidence. 

Who is the real Coyne? The woman behind the playwright and celebrity?
Just one more person who worries about what to cook and what to wear and whether I'll ever really 'make it'. 

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Hell, no.

Where did it all start for you, the impulse to write?
The late David Mattheson said I ought to. It was one of those dinner parties - you know the type..? I don't know why, but somehow he got to me and so I tried, and wonder of wonders, it worked.

What excites you about writing a new play?
I confess I like the autonomy: creating something from scratch, getting to build a little world peopled with creatures that spring from my imagination. It takes my focus off worrying about what to cook and what to wear... 

What excites you about theatre?
The immediacy of it, and therefore the slightly edgy quality it has. I mean, if something goes wrong in theatre there is no edit option, no out-takes. I also like the restrictions of writing for theatre and the discipline and economy this requires; when writing for the stage one is bound by space and time, unlike with screenplays or novels. 

What advice do you have for emerging playwrights in South Africa?
Just do it. It's like bungi jumping. Don't look before you leap. If you feel the urge to write, do just that: write. Write. What have you got to lose? After all, you'll never know whether it'll work - or not - until you try. 

Any comments you would like to share on Careful?
I have dedicated it to the memory of my beloved friend Guy Willoughby - the one person who completely understood why we should be careful not to be too careful.

What do you think makes a writer?
Hell, I don't know. A good ear for dialogue certainly helps in the theatrical context. Apart from that, a skydiver's courage, and a thick skin.

What do you think makes a great play?
Feeling that you care, one way or another, what happens to the characters.

What makes you laugh?
I am able to find the comedy in literally every situation. From my car crash to my divorce to cracking my coccyx at gym, to the death of my best friend, to coming close to losing my house in a mountain fire - for that is indeed the sort of year I've had - I have found the ludicrous and seen the funny side in all of it. Because of this, many people think I have a 'sick' sense of humour, but being able to laugh at life and myself is what keeps me sane. 

Your views on theatre in South Africa?
I think we're in pretty good shape. Having seen so many international offerings in Dublin this year, I'd say, yes, definitely, we're in good shape and have no need to indulge any national cringe whatsoever. 

Your future plans?
As ever, I have no plans. I have projects in mind, yes, but these are options, not must-do's. I let life lead me. I am always careful to be open to whatever happens next. All I know for sure is that I am happier and more grounded now than I have ever been. For the rest...Que sera. We shall see…

Copyright © 2009  Daniel Dercksen


DANIEL DERCKSEN SHARES A FEW THOUGHTS WITH FIONA COYNE ON THE SHADRACK AFFAIR.


Tell me about your new play? Why did you write the play?
Mannie Manim called me up and told me had a slot and would like a play. One doesn't say to no to Mister Manim. Let's just say he's a master of 'positive pressure'.

Do you think there is such a thing as a South African play? If so, what makes a South African play?
Yes, obviously there's such a thing as a South African play. I suppose by definition it is a play written by a South African about South Africans. Ideally, it is a true reflection of whichever South African issues and realties it raises and, most importantly, South Africans can relate to it in a very personal way.

What motivates you as a writer?
Truth. I always to strive to speak what I believe to be true. Never to try and write what I assume other people might want to hear.


Where do you find inspiration?
I am obsessively interested in what informs human behaviour and belief-systems. It is not so much what somebody does (or not), or says (or not) that interests/inspires me; rather, it is WHY and HOW they got to be that way. So every single time somebody says or does something that strikes me as radical/odd/reactionary…you name it… I am inspired and driven to know why. At present I am fascinated with the way in which fear (the underlying reality) so often presents as arrogance and/or aggression (the perceived reality). I am a voyeur by nature, which helps. Talk radio in South Africa is a veritable feast of potential characters for plays.

What medium do you prefer writing in? Why?
I have no preferences. To date I have mostly written for theatre and it is the medium I know best but it is by no means a specific preference.

How do you go about writing a play? Briefly define your writing process?
"Briefly" describe the process… "Briefly"? Yes, very funny, Daniel. Seriously, it's the greatest mystery to me, how the script and the story begin to dictate themselves and take on a life of their own. Basically I start with a single, narrow theme that I want to explore. In this case, that theme was white arrogance/fear. After that I do absolutely nothing for months on end, apart from lie awake worrying that I'm never going to find a play in me, and then, bang, it's very sudden. I suddenly knew, in the middle of dinner one night, that Shadrack would be set in a karaoke bar and would feature an estate agent. I have learned not to question these sudden notions/impulses. I run with them. Shadrack took 10 days from first word to completion of the first draft. I spent a week after that making tiny adjustments here and there. Is that a process? I don't know.

Do you think there is a future for theatre in South Africa? Why?
Yes, there's a future. What sort of theatre will it be? That's another question entirely. There will always be space for highly commercial, 'cute' work - musical tributes and easily digestible comedy. Will proscenium arch style theatre, and slightly meatier 'dramas' still be alive in ten or twenty years? Oh, who knows? Frankly, I don't spend too much time thinking about it. What will be will be. In the meantime, we must just get on with it and try to create decent stuff that will, hopefully, get bums on seats. People aren't as dumb as some like to pretend they are. When a play speaks to the public, they come. And it has little to do with the theatre 'intelligentsia' or the critics. It's word of mouth that makes or breaks a play.

What do you hope audiences will get from watching your play?
I am a subversive at heart, I have to confess this. So, I want audiences - at the first and most basic level, to enjoy the evening, but then, when they've got passed the laughing level, I want it to disturb them too. That doesn't have to happen immediately. Sometimes it takes an audience member days or even a few weeks to process Shadrack. There have been some (notably white, older men) who have knee-jerked terribly around it and dismissed it as 'untrue'. And I'm glad, I tell you, when they react like that. That's when I know it reached them: when it pisses them off. There are those who have perceived Shadrack purely as a light comedy; fine; there's space for that. And then there are those who get it in its entirety. Heightened awareness - that's what I want an audience to come away with, and a little bit of personal discomfort and self-analysis.

What do you hope to achieve with the play?
Above all, I want to grow a new audience. Last time I went in to watch the show it was packed with people I have never seen in my life before - all ages, mixed races. They laugh a lot and then they weep. Their emotions have been engaged. As long as theatre engages the emotions of its audience, it will survive. That's my primary aim - audience engagement on a very personal level.

Any future plans? Tell me about it?
To be Minister of Environment and Tourism. Hey, if Kortbroek can do it…!

Copyright © 2004 Daniel E. Dercksen

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