I Interview Playwrights 1098: Deena MP Ronayne

Deena MP Ronayne

Hometown: Chelmsford, Massachusetts. The son of my grammar school music teacher was a

background illustrator for The Simpsons and the Springfield town hall on the series is

modeled after the Chelmsford Public Library.

Current Town: I currently live in Aberdeen, South Dakota. After I grew up in MA, I spend over

17 years in Orlando, FL and then moved to the midwest when I married my husband. Aberdeen,

SD is his home town and now it is my home.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: Usually, I am a producer through my company, Hardly Working Promotions LLC, but when

COVID hit, I had the time to try writing my own play for the first time. That play is called

“Triple Bypass: Three Ten Minute Plays About Living for Death & Dying for Life.” The

Aberdeen Community Theatre joined forces with me and we made a video of a full production

and I have been putting it in virtual fringe festivals ever since. My next goal is to bring this play

to life in person in several cities around the world with local casts and crews in 2022.

Q:  Tell me, if you will, a story from your childhood that explains who you are as a writer or as a

person.

A:  As a small child, I wanted to learn how to partner dance, I watched Dirty Dancing a lot…and I

mean A LOT. There were no resources for teaching that kind of dance to a 6 year old where I lived,

so I would play the movie and act out the scenes with my extra large Gumby doll. The lift scene did

not go very well.  However, when I think back to my thought process at the time, I see an

unwillingness to wait around for what I wanted, I did my best to create it for myself. This sums up

my growth in the entertainment industry in general because projects are kind of like children

(you can love someone else’s project but never as much as you love your own) and if you don’t find

what you are looking for, the only last limitation to get where you want to be is your imagination.

Q:  If you could change one thing about theater, what would it be?

A:  Accessibility across the board needs a major and long overdue overhaul. If I could wave a magic

wand, there would be theatre opportunities for participating and viewing in the most oppressed and

distant areas, there would be one central spot for all audition notices, and there would be an

abundance of diverse artistic grants that don’t take a magnifying glass and a professional fundraiser

to find, apply for, and receive.

Q:  What are your first memories of theatre?

A:  In my home growing up, there were many soundtracks for musicals on record and on tape cassette.

I would listen to all the Andrew Lloyd Webber shows at home, and look at the album art. The very

first show I ever saw was an evening with Michael Crawford at the Wang Center in Boston and he sang

all the hits from ALW musicals. It was years before I realized anyone does anything onstage without

singing.

Q:  What kind of theater excites you?

A:  I adore the concept of immersive theatre and I hope to participate in more of it as things move

further away from the COVID crisis.

Q:  What advice do you have for playwrights just starting out?

A:  Get as many people as you can to workshop your work. You will get invaluable knowledge about

what is actually conveying to potential audience members verses how you see your play in your head.

Q:  Plugs, please:

A:  For more info, please visit: www.hardlyworkingpromotions.com

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