The author talks to EW about crafting the story of a young writer named Cass.
Playwright Cass is in a horrible spot whenWe Play Ourselvesbegins.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: You examine themes including success and failure what were you looking to explore?
Credit: Dane Laffrey; Penguin Random House
I am so interested in the comeback story.
But, often those stories belong to men.
What inspired the character of Caroline and Cass' relationship with her?
Penguin Random House
Then things spin out of hand a bit.
Which relationship of Cass' were difficult to write or surprised you while writing?
I found myself surprised by the relationship with Jocelyn, the agent’s assistant.
The story of what happened to Cass is teased throughout the book piece by piece.
How did you decide to dole out the story of what happened in New York?
What were you trying to explore?
And what happens if you repress it?
Speaking of the title, what does it mean to you?
To me, it has two meanings, which is why I liked it.
Then there’s the flip side of it, we play ourselves like we trick or delude ourselves.
How did you choose which celebrities to include in Tara-Jean’s success story?
Tilda Swinton, Samuel L. Jackson, Cate Blanchett, and more.
It was really a case by case basis.
For example, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton are really good examples of multi-talented artists.
There’s also a nod of sorts that they are living lives that Cass someday would hope to live.
There’s an increase in the range in the types of queer literature recently.
Do you feel excited about this moment as a queer writer?
Yeah, I really do.
I feel like more and more, there is space being made for a real plethora of queer voices.
All of that I find it really exciting.
What do you hope people take away fromWe Play Ourselves?
