- When did you first discover theater/what was your first experience?
SMJ: In first grade, I was the Narrator of The Cat Goes Fiddle-I-Fee. It was as magical as a first-grade production of a 10 minute musical in a small town Ohio public school cafeteria can be. SARAH: In 5th grade, I was cast in my middle school’s production of West Side Story, which looking back is a SHOCKING choice for middle school, but being on stage was a new and exciting feeling!
- When/how did you become a writer? Is there a writer, show, or text that particularly inspired you?
SMJ: I wanted to create complex and meaningful work for women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Fat and all other theatermakers who have been reduced to the fringes of theater. Current inspirations include Josh Wilder, Bill Irwin, Poppy, Hansol Jung, and so many others. SARAH: I always wrote silly little songs as a kid, but only began to explore writing in college when professors started to notice I had an ear for creating melodies and harmonies, and I quickly fell in love with songwriting. So many artists inspire me, but some staples are Phoebe Bridgers, Lianne La Havas, Bon Iver and Anaïs Mitchell.
- How do you describe your style/work?
SMJ: I’m not afraid to mix and match and throw things against the wall and see what is exciting. I write mime musicals, social media cult plays, plays that examine pop culture, plays that can live on YouTube, and plays that blur the lines between comedy and horror. SARAH: I compose mostly vocally, even if it’s a piece that’s meant for several voices and instruments. I will usually sing the entire melodic line for an instrument or vocal part into a voice memo on my phone, (on the street or in the grocery store looking like a totally normal person) and then add it into Garageband with the other layers of the song.
- What is most rewarding to you about writing music?
SMJ: Collaborating with Flaim is a dream. Her work makes mine infinitely better. Plus, it’s really cool when songs connect folks together, so to know that one of our songs does that is humbling. SARAH: I love the journey. Watching the evolution of songs SMJ and I have written in the last 3 years is so interesting...some have changed drastically and some have barely changed at all. Each song has its very own life!