SistersTalk Exclusive: Interview with She Like Girls Playwright Chisa Hutchinson
01.10.08 (8:52 pm) posted by Genia
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I was finally able to catch up with Chisa Hutchinson, a 2002 Vassar College
graduate and brilliant young playwright.
Ms Hutchinson authored She Like Girls -- a play
that addresses how urban communities deal with homosexuality. After reading several articles about Ms. Hutchinson, I thought an
interview with her would be an interesting read for anyone concerned with issues like race, gender, interracial dating, and sexuality.
ST: Please provide SistersTalk readers with a little biographical information. How old are you and where did you grow up?
Chisa: I was born in New York in 1980 and raised in New Jersey (no jokes, please).
My biological mother gave me away when I was four and
I've been unofficially adopted by a couple different
families since then: one hard-working, God-fearing black
woman who, despite not having the money or the room,
took in kids the way other women take in stray cats,
and one wonderfully enlightened white woman (she wouldn't really
describe herself as enlightened, but that's part of why I think she is)
who offered me her home after I got a scholarship to a private high
school in her neighborhood. I moved from Newark to Short Hills
when I was fourteen. It was like colonizing another planet.
ST: Have you always had an interest in theatre, or did that interest develop while you were a student at Vassar College?
Chisa: For the most part, I grew up piss poor
so I'm not one of those people who can
say I've been into theatre since I was
like, a fetus. I saw the commercials for
Phantom of the Opera and Les Mis' and Cats
(oof), so I wasn't oblivious, but I didn't
see a real play until high school.
I had a drama teacher, Mr. Pridham (I
get to call him Bob now) who was adamant
about getting us off campus to see theatre.
I saw some incredible stuff: Julie Taymor's
Juan Darien, Cabaret with Natasha Richardson
and Alan Cumming (he winked at me!). It was
exciting to be studying something that was
soooooo beyond academic, and to suddenly become
aware of the possibility of theatre not only
as a profession, but as a priority, period.
This was unheard of where I came from.
And then as a bonus, because Bob took kind of a
shine to me, I got to see August Wilson debate
Robert Brustein about color-blind casting.
And that was it. That sealed it for me.
ST: What was it like being the only Black drama major at Vassar College?
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I was finally able to catch up with Chisa Hutchinson, a 2002