S. Dylan Zwickel tends to stay out of the spotlight and let her work speak for itself. The Argus chatted with Zwickel, of Second Stage fame, about her passion for theater and bold fashion choices. The senior who usually stays hidden in the wings took center stage during our interview.
The Argus: How does it feel to be a WesCeleb?
S. Dylan Zwickel: I’m pretty flattered. I don’t really know if I’m a WesCeleb, actually. I feel like probably everyone in theater knows me because of Second Stage, but I don’t know if anyone outside of theater even has an idea of who I am, so it’s a little weird to be a WesCeleb. But thanks anyway!
A: What are you up to right now?
SDZ: In life? Basically, I have four things going on. Number one: I’m working on a [senior] thesis. Number two: I’m directing “Hamlet.” Number three: I’m applying to grad school. And number four: I’m running Second Stage as Managing Liaison.
A: And you wonder why you’re a WesCeleb?
SDZ: But they are all theater things!
A: What made you get started in theater?
SDZ: I’ve been in theater since I was really little. I guess my mom put me in it.
A: What was the first show you were ever in?
SDZ: The first show I was ever in…I have a very vague memory that might be a dream, but I’m pretty sure there was a production of “Beauty and the Beast” at my elementary school.
A: But here you are doing mostly playwriting and directing, right?
SDZ: Correct. Actually, I acted a little bit freshman year here. I knew since junior or senior year in high school that I wanted to direct. But there really weren’t opportunities for that in my high school, so I acted up until then in order to keep doing [theater].
A: What have been the highlights of the shows that you’ve put on here?
SDZ: I’ve loved everything: all the shows that I’ve directed here, pretty much all the shows I’ve worked on in various capacities. I assistant directed the faculty show last spring. That was probably the most formative experience for me.
A: For those who don’t know, what are the shows that you have either directed or written since you’ve been at Wesleyan?
SDZ: Sophomore fall I directed “The Last Five Years.” Sophomore spring I directed “Urinetown.” Last spring, so junior year, I workshopped a play that I wrote called “The Cardioluthier” and I was assistant directing “Peony Pavilion.” Last semester I directed “Broadcast,” and this semester I’m directing “Hamlet.” I’ve also written for 24 Hour [Play Festival] and directed for 24 Hour, and I even acted for 24 Hour once freshman year. I’ve written stuff for things outside of Wes but I haven’t really put up any of my work here except for the workshop.
A: What keeps you coming back to the stage after all of these shows?
SDZ: I don’t even know how to answer that. It’s my life. That’s like asking me why I eat.
A: What do you think is your greatest accomplishment?
SDZ: I’m hoping that “Hamlet” and my thesis will be my magnum opus. I think that those two are hopefully going to be my greatest achievements at Wes, which is exciting because they are still upcoming.
A: Can you talk a little about your thesis and the premise of it?
SDZ: Yeah! I’m writing a musical. It is an adaptation of two Greek myths. Ben Zucker [’15] is writing the music.
A: What are you hoping to do once it’s completed?
SDZ: We are going to do a staged reading later in the semester, but [it will be] very basic, just with music stands, mostly for our own purposes to see what we still need to do. It will be before theses are due, so I’ll still have time to work on it.
A: That would be so awesome.
SDZ: It would be awesome.
A: To see your name in lights.
SDZ: Someday.
A: Is that your dream?
SDZ: I mean, just to be working is my dream, really. And to at some point get invited to an award show [whispers] so I can wear a pretty dress.
A: Well, it’s clear that you have a very distinct style. Where do you get your inspiration?
SDZ: Mostly from other decades, not this one. Pretty much 1910s to 1930s with some influence in the ’50s and occasionally a little ’70s are my main things.
A: What do you love about those decades?
SDZ: The cuts just fit me better than things today, and I just really like how they look. “Downton Abbey” has influenced me a lot, which is ridiculous.
A: Where do you shop?
SDZ: Goodwill near Wes. My friends give me [clothing] a lot. They’re like, “Oh I don’t want this thing anymore because it’s kind of ugly, but you might be able to rock it.” Almost everything that I have I am not the first owner of.
A: I see you as a WesCeleb because you are very visible on campus not necessarily in a way that people know you personally but they know your work.
SDZ: That’s probably true.
A: Does that make you feel accomplished?
SDZ: This should have been my answer to my biggest accomplishment at Wes. As much as I’ve loved every show I’ve worked on and have gotten something wonderful out of them, Second Stage is the thing that I feel really fulfilled by and feel really good about. I [feel that] I’ve done good on this campus through my work with Second Stage. Even if people don’t know my name, so many people have seen Second Stage shows or worked on Second Stage shows that are only possible because there are twelve of us sitting in that room for hours and hours and hours a week making it possible. I have taken a very active role in that.There are a couple of new things that we provide that were my brainchildren. Last semester, Grace Herman-Holland [’15] and I started having workshops for theater skills, which had never been done before. Now Grace and May Treuhaft-Ali [’17] are continuing that because I’ve moved back to the Managing Liaison position, which is a lot of extra work. They are doing an amazing job with that. Right now I am working on creating a new play development program through Second Stage, which is going to be called Any Stage. I try to make Second Stage present in the community and provide a lot of services. I think I’ve taken an active role in making there be more services that we can provide. So I’m proud of that.
A: How does it feel to be the leader of something that is so prevalent on campus?
SDZ: I was Managing Liaison sophomore year too, and it felt really weird because everyone I worked with pretty much was older than me. [As a sophomore] I felt like I was sort of stumbling through. Trying it now, I feel like I have the authority that the position awards me, and that’s what’s appropriate now because I really know how theater on this campus works more than almost anyone else.
A: What is it that you want to “go for” after you graduate?
SDZ: Well, right now, I’m applying to the graduate musical theater writing program at NYU, so that’s the number one. Hopefully I’ll get into that. But if I don’t get into that, I’ll apply to some directing fellowships in the city and use all of my connections and hopefully find some work. I mean, I’ll probably also be a waitress on top of all that because theater. I worked at a restaurant in high school and I really liked it, so that’s fine; I can do that forever. I’ll be sending out my plays places and hopefully get in some production work, get in some directing work, and probably do a lot of readings in my living room and hoping people come, that sort of thing.
A: The life of an artist.
SDZ: Yeah, really.
A: Some people have called you crazy for doing “Hamlet.”
SDZ: I’m about to go out into the real world where I’m not going to have money to direct the crazy project I want to direct. Why on earth would I pass up that opportunity now? Okay, yeah, I’m crazy, and it’s not going to be the definitive “Hamlet,” but it’s going to be my “Hamlet.” If I’m lucky, I’ll do “Hamlet” four more times every 20 years or every 10 years or something and it will be different every time. Why not start now?
A: Is there anything that most people don’t know about you?
SDZ: I can wiggle my ears. That’s always my go-to in stuff like “Two Truths and a Lie.”
A: One thing that I would think that people don’t know about you is that you seem so legitimate and serious about your work, but you also have this huge heart. You wrote notes to everyone in the “Broadcast” cast.
SDZ: Aw, that’s so nice! I like to write notes to my cast members. People need to know their work is appreciated. I think it’s a good thing to do. Sometimes people write things back, and it’s super heartwarming. I love everyone in my casts, usually. I always love everyone in their way, at least. Doing theater with people is a very special experience. You have to let people know that you are all in it together and that you appreciate them.
A: What makes theater so magical to you?
SDZ: Other people. People trying to find truths through other people’s truths. So many things. I could go on and on about how important I think theater is and how magical it can be.
A: Leaving Wesleyan is probably going to be a big step outside of your comfort zone.
SDZ: Yeah, obviously the real world is scary, but I’ve wanted to move to New York since I was five. I’ll be living with one of my housemates next year and I have a lot of friends in the city. Hopefully I’ll be in this NYU program, and if not I’ll be doing something else that will be great. I don’t know. Obviously, it’s scary sometimes, and for good reason, but mostly I’m just really excited. Maybe I’m delusional because I think that it’s going to be like “Friends” and “Smash” all at the same time, which it won’t be, but for now I’m going to keep pretending that it is.
This interview was edited for length.