High School Student Makes Professional Debut as Playwright
By: Joseph Melnicoff Oct. 21, 2006
While most High Schoolers are trying to figure out what they are going to do with their lives, this junior at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts is already making money at his chosen profession. Travis Mayo, 17, made his professional debut as a playwright when his work The Student was included by Mark-Brian Sonna of MBS Productions in his entertainment Theatre of Death, which began performances on October 18.
I had an opportunity to talk with Mr. Mayo after the opening night presentation of Theatre of Death. He impressed me as a focused and serious individual with a thoughtful countenance. I asked him when he first got interested in Theatre. "It started when I was five," he responded. "My parents enrolled me in some classes, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience."
He first tried his hand at playwriting when he was fourteen. "People gave me positive feedback about my plays," he stated, "So I kept on writing more." I asked Mr. Mayo what was the most important element of good playwriting. "Definitely the characters," he replied. "You really need strong characters to develop a play. Strong characters can easily can carry a minimalistic plot." Mr. Mayo thinks he has found the perfect time to write—at 2AM. "That's when my creative juices really start to flow," he smiled.
Which playwrights does he admire? "Beckett, Ionesco and Christopher Durang", he immediately answered. "Durang's avant garde style has been a major influence on my work. "What's next for Dallas' newest playwright? "I'm starting to direct as well as write," he informed me. Mr. Mayo has already chosen the College he would like to attend after High School. "I'm very interested in NYU," he said. "I think New York City would be a great place to learn all the facets of becoming a theatre professional."
Photo 1: Travis Mayo
Photo 2: Jared Culpepper in Mayo's play The Student
Photo Credit: Mark-Brian Sonna
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