Anderson: It’s hard to say what “Hell
of a Job” is about without giving away too much. I basically
wanted to break down the fourth wall of a psychiatrist’s
office (where the play is set) and let the audience sit in
on one of the strangest marriage counseling sessions ever.
The characters Bob and Jessica are the troubled couple, and
Dr. Smith (someone who is crazier and more ridiculous than
any of
his patients) is their new counselor. They are there because
Bob disappears for hours at a time, and tells Jessica unlikely
reasons why he is gone for so long. Jessica thinks he is cheating
on her, so she has started fighting with him to get the real
truth about what he does on his little trips. The truth comes
out during the session, and Jessica is surprised, to say the
least. It turns out Bob had a darker secret than she had expected.
Kalamalama: How long is it?
Anderson: It runs 20 to 30 minutes, depending
on the time spent on the physical comedy in the play.
Kalamalama: What is your major and year at
HPU?
Anderson: I am a senior visual communications
major.
Kalamalama: Have you written other scripts?
Do you have more planned for the future?
Anderson: This was the first script I had
written. I enjoyed writing it enough that I am now working
on a full-length screenplay.
Kalamalama: What do you plan for after graduation?
Anderson: After graduation, I am going to
Sacramento, Calif., where I have a job lined up in real estate.
People say, “Why
don’t you just be a writer if that’s what you want
to do?” My answer to them is, if I am relying on writing
to put food on the table, then I might not enjoy writing because
it will be associated with work. I would rather write to relax
and escape after a long day of work.
Kalamalama: Will your script be performed
at HPU?
Anderson: Actually, “Hell of a Job” has
already been performed once at HPU for the student one acts
a year ago or so. I guess they were going do
a reading of the script or something, but doing it as a reading might be hard,
because some of the jokes require you to see something acted out.
Kalamalama: How did you feel when you learned you had won
First Place?
Anderson: I was really surprised when I found
out I won, because I had been so busy that I forgot I had entered
the contest. I was stressing
out about the usual
things—work, school, and money—when Mark Tjarks told me I had won,
so it really cheered me up and made me feel that I might have something to
offer when it comes to writing.
Kalamalama: How will you spend your prize
money?
Anderson: I was going to bring the $100 with
me the next time I paid tuition, but that would be kind of
like bringing a grain of sand to
the beach.
Thanks for interviewing me. I can’t wait to read the paper. |
