Artist Spotlight - Eliana Pipes
Eliana Pipes attended the 2021 NHP conference, and is the playwright of BITE ME, a new play running now through October 22 at WP Theater in New York. She took a few minutes from her busy schedule to comment on a handful of topics. Learn more about BITE ME >>
The 2021 Pandemic Conference
“I am still so grateful for my experience at New Harmony in 2021, it was the first in-person theater convening I had since the COVID-19 pandemic landed, and it was incredibly meaningful for me to be able to share space with the NHP community. The pandemic clipped the end of my graduate experience, and like so many I felt really isolated from the theater. Coming to New Harmony was a real breath of fresh air – playing volleyball with the other writers, enjoying shared meals again, and hearing new work again. I’ll never forget my time there.”
Inspirations and Influences Behind BITE ME
“I typically write large cast nonrealist plays, but BITE ME is a naturalistic two-hander in a single location – which was a big switch up for me. When I was working on it, I re-read Amiri Baraka’s The Dutchman, Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries, and revisited Scott Sheppard and Jennifer Kidwell’s Underground Railroad Game.”
Writing Rituals
“I’ve been keeping a journal since I was 13 years old and it’s been such a valuable tool for me as a writer and a person. I type my journal, so I basically have a word searchable record of the process of growing up – which came in really handy for this play that takes place mostly in high school. But even beyond that, journaling has been a huge part of helping me develop my voice as a writer and a daily way to get me started with a writing session.”
The Journey into Theater
“My path into the theater industry is really unusual because I got involved at a really young age. I grew up in LA and came into theater through the education department and nonprofit arts programs that came to my public schools. That, combined with my nerdy parents who are both English majors and met in a book club, set me up to appreciate the arts and see my place in the field. The competition circuit has been a big part of my growth as a writer, I started entering Young Playwright’s Competitions in high school and then moved into full length play competitions and built a network from there. Awards are so subjective, but even when I didn’t win the prize, I became connected with people in the network of readers who responded to my writing. I wish I had profound golden wisdoms to offer, but really my only advice is to keep writing and keep sharing what you write.”
Future Dream Projects
“I’m excited for all my future projects! I’m looking forward to getting more plays out into the world and seeing new iterations of each of them. “