About the Play:
In The Mud is Thicker in Mississippi, Dwight gets stuck neck deep in mud as is forced to seek help from the girlfriend he’s been abusive to for years and her overprotective older brother.
Produced By:
About the Author:
“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only real obligation.” New York native Dennis A. Allen II (Playwright) has taken this quote from Paulo Coehlo’s, The Alchemist, and has made it his mantra. After receiving his BA in Communications, Dennis tried his hand at acting, thinking it would be a hobby, and auditioned for a local repertory company. He landed the role of Moon in a production of Tom Stoppard’s, The Real Inspector Hound and since that first taste of the stage has played key roles in many plays after, including the lead role in Beast : A Parable a one act play by J. Julian Christopher. His love for writing has him pursuing a career as a playwright and Dennis returned to school to get another degree in Theatre Arts. It would be safe to say that he has realized and is fulfilling his obligation. Dennis is a founding member of Three Monos Ensemble.
Dennis’s Forty Days to Forty Plays Interview:
OOB Festival (OOB): Tell us a little about your playwriting career. When did you start writing plays? What are some of your proudest accomplishments as a playwright?
Dennis A. Allen II (DA): I started writing plays about two years ago. I have always loved writing, and previous to me trying my hand at plays, I mainly focused on spoken word poetry and short stories. But once I immersed myself into the theatre I immediately found that theatre is the vehicle within which my voice can most effectively and efficiently travel. I’ve been an actor and under my theatre company Three Monos Ensemble, I’ve had the opportunity to help
showcase other writers’ work and I have found joy in both, but neither compare to the exhilaration I feel when I am writing.
I promise I’m not trying to win any brownie points, but my proudest accomplishment to date as a playwright is getting The Mud is Thicker in Mississippi, accepted into this year’s festival.
OOB: Talk about your entry to this year’s festival. How did you come to write this play? Was there a particular inspiration behind its creation?
DA: I wrote, The Mud is Thicker in Mississippi after watching the HBO documentary Prom Night in Mississippi and a few days later I saw a news “human interest” story on a horse that got stuck in mud. The two meshed together in my brain and The Mud is Thicker in Mississippi was born. I think as individuals and as a society we get stuck in a quicksand that we try to force our way out of through our own strength, instead of recognizing that one, we need others’ help and two, applying the same old tactics will only sink us deeper into our problems.
OOB: Do you plan to hone and further develop the play in upcoming rehearsals? Has it already been produced?
DA: The Mud is Thicker in Mississippi has not been produced. I do plan to further develop the play in upcoming rehearsals because once a piece is “on its feet” I think there’s an inevitable growth that takes place. Working with the director and seeing and hearing your play performed by the actors, you can find right away what works and what doesn’t. The collaborative nature of theatre provides a nurturing space for that play to develop and as a writer I look forward to those unexpected discoveries, that the rehearsal process brings.
OOB: What do you hope to take away from this year’s festival?
DA: This will be the first time I see a full production of one of my plays, so I hope to take away a better understanding of the entire production process, hope to meet and pick the brains of the other talented writers participating in this year’s festival and hope to come away a better writer and (as cheesy as this sounds) I hope to come away with an experience that makes me a better human being.
OOB: Looking back over your personal history in the theatre, what emerges as your favorite memory? Is there a particular story you’d like to share?
DA: My favorite theatre memory to date is actually somewhat recent. J. Julian Christopher (who’s also had his play SCHWARZ! (Hansel und Gretel) accepted into this year’s festival) and I started our theatre company Three Monos Ensemble a little over two years ago. We recently put together our own mini festival that showcased seven new playwrights’ works. I learned so much from that experience, enjoyed being able to provide a venue for the playwrights to present their work; and loved that I was able to share the experience with my close friend and business partner.
