Lily Dunham

There’s a weird kind of honesty possible when, as an actor, I shed my own name and history and way of breathing, walking, and speaking to portray another person. Last year my drama teacher asked us, for our last class project, not only to act, but also to write our own scenes. So I wrote a scene about a girl who is trying to find herself, learning as I wrote about obstacles and intentions in a new and visceral way. It turns out that writing isn’t just a way to learn about acting. I think it’s a chance to learn about life, about how other people live, what they want and why they behave the way they do. I want to find a way to use playwriting to better understand the people I don’t agree with and the conflicts I don’t understand. I want to create characters who can give voice to people who don’t otherwise get to be heard.