This week we met a power duo: the scriptwriter, Stephen Gracia, and the director, Michael LoPorto. It was interesting to have read the plays written and directed by them and then be able to speak to them. I was able to get to have a better idea of what the scriptwriter and director were like after being able to have watched and read their works. When I read both of the plays, I found both of them to be engaging. The monologue of the person coming out seemed to be relevant to today’s society. I could have easily come across a video like this on my feed. In addition to this, I enjoyed the play about the French artist. Both the script and directing were well done. After speaking with them, it was interesting to see why they chose those two topics. I enjoyed listening to Stephen’s point of view of these pieces of art. It became clear to me that he creates scripts that he likes and make him happy. He seems passionate about this, which was very inspiring to me. At the same time, it was interesting to see how their art has been affected by the pandemic. For Stephen and Michael, they cannot have rehearsals in person because of COVID, which is why they have individual practices/rehearsals on zoom. I can only imagine what this is like for all of the actors. However, it makes me happy that they are continuing to create art instead of putting their art on pause. In addition to this, I enjoyed the conversation about what is considered art. I agree with Michael’s perspective because I also think that art is a form of expression. Sharing it with others does not make it art, rather it is already art when it is made, even if no one else was around during this process. Thus, I enjoyed learning more about Stephen and Michael and was able to learn a lot about theatre during this class period.