An Interview with Silva Semerciyan, writer of I and the VIllage

Briefly describe (for us) what your show is about?
It's about an American girl and a American town trying to understand why she walked into her church with a gun.

Now describe it in 3 words.
Girl, church, gun.

Is it similar to what you’ve done previously or are you trying something new? 
It’s not like my previous work.  I've tried to experiment with form while sticking to my theatrical and story-telling preferences: characters with psychological depth, satire, geographical specificity, and some element of spectacle. 

How will it make people feel? / What will it make people think about?
I would love it if it made people consider how the African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child," applies to today.  Aimee is a character who has been 'tagged' in many ways--for  her mistakes, her difference, her critique of her community.  I wonder why we seem so apt to damn others and brand them for life.  Is this yet another indicator of an increasingly competitive world?

What stage will it be at in its development when we see it in January?
It's at quite a late stage of development, having been my thesis play for a Master’s in playwriting.  That said, it's still largely untried; I've only heard it aloud twice.  

What elements in particular are you looking forward to testing it out on Ferment audiences?Will people love or hate Aimee?  Does an female anti-hero have to have some cutesy redeeming quality? 

What are your personal highlights of the line-up for January’s Ferment Fortnight?
They all sound amazing.  I'm especially drawn to Memetune, The Breadhorse, and Chasm of Sorrow.