Let me tie you up : methods of creating theater by control and surrender

Fear can be a paralyzing inhibitor to creative work, yet it is also a necessary force. Through my journey of graduate school, I discovered the important role fear plays for me as a catalyst for art-making, a signal to go deeper into uncomfortable topics, and a necessary counter to the comfort of control. I am most thrilled by theater that pushes me to surrender that control. Using my plays Please Open Your Mouth, Wild Places, and Knotted as examples, this thesis documents examines my methods for balancing a need for control with the power of surrender in my writing process, in the content of my work, and in the audience experience of my plays.