Student Blogger: Monique Hebert

As an English major I learned about the craft of writing which provided a foundation for my playwriting. I spent four years in my undergrad analyzing the great American and British poets and prose writers. I got a B.A. in English Literature instead of Creative Writing, and at first after I graduated I was mad at myself for not taking more creative writing courses. That was until I realized how valuable the skills are that I gained from reading a bunch of literature. I wasn't sure what I was going to be doing with those skills after I graduated, but here I am four years later and using these skills everyday when I write.

The best theatre education I ever received was not in a classroom. It wasn't on a stage either. What I know about the theatre I gained from the years I spent volunteering as an usher. I started volunteering because I wanted to see plays and musicals that I couldn't afford to see, and somehow along the way I learned more than I ever thought I would.

As a writer one of the best feelings is hearing your words being read out loud. The first time I ever heard the words that I've written read by someone else was at my grad school residency. I was in a masterclass in dramatic writing where I had submitted one of the plays I've been working on to be read by the group. As time got closer to my work being read I actually grew really nervous. I wasn't sure how the play would be received and what kind of feedback I would get. I was afraid that everyone would hate it and most importantly I would hate it.

On my first day of grad school the program director sat us all down for a new student orientation, and told us her story of her first day on the job. She told us how she felt like a fake and doubted her talent around her accomplished faculty members. Then one of the faculty came up to her and asked her "do you feel like a fake yet"?