The School of Theatre and Dance welcomes alumnus Robert Wuhl back to campus for the premiere of his first play “Hit-Lit.” Wuhl wrote the play and co-directed it with Steven Wallace, director of the School of Theatre and Dance.
The Daily Cougar got a chance to sit down with Wuhl and talk about his show.
The Daily Cougar: You’re an actor, comedian, writer, producer and director. Which role has been your favorite and which has been your strongest?
Robert Wuhl: Directing is my favorite. However, writing is the basis of my career.
TDC: What is “Hit-Lit” about?
RW: It’s a screw-ball romantic comedy about a mistaken identity set in the publishing world. I wanted to do a satire about media because that’s the style that I like to write about. “Hit-Lit” is about the culture of celebrity and the culture of satire on media, and at the same time, I wanted to do a love story about professionals.
TDC: What was your inspiration while writing “Hit-Lit”?
RW: I get a lot of inspiration from the screw-ball romantic comedy that people like Preston Sturges, Billy Wilder, Cary Grant, Doris Day and Blake Edwards do. Those were the basic influences for this play even though the style of this is more contemporary.
TDC: How did you get the idea for “Hit-Lit”?
RW: It started out as a film script and then it became a play. The studios said it was too smart of an idea for the film industry because of the nature of what comedies are doing these days. The marketplace has changed. You have to appeal to your audience.
TDC: You’ve written scripts for episodes in a television series, award shows and now a play. Have you noticed a difference in the style of writing?
RW: Yes and no. I like film. However, it’s all storytelling. That’s what I like to do — tell stories. As long as you tell your story and are able to express it to an audience, it’s fine.
“Hit-Lit” will open at the Jose Quintero Theatre at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and will run through Saturday.
