Pulitzer Prize-winner speaks about life, work

A woman sits on a cushioned chair atop the stage, relaxed as if she were in her own living room. The audience hangs on her every word.

She is Paula Vogel, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright renowned for her shows’ provocative themes.

Vogel was invited to Penn as part of the Platt House Theatre Fellows program, a recent initiative established by an anonymous donor. Fellows visit the school for two days and speak to a class, hold a public talk and attend a private brunch with select students and faculty members.

Rose Malague, instructor of the Provocative Performance class Vogel visited earlier that day, moderated the question-and-answer session.

The event, titled “The Impossible Game of Theatre,” took place at the Annenberg Center’s Harold Prince Theatre last night.

“In general our goal is to expose students and the whole campus to the high-quality, exceptional theatre artists that we have in the country,” Platt House director Ty Furman said of the program. The first Platt House Theatre Fellow was Moisés Kaufman and Vogel is the second.

“If artists can make me uncomfortable, they’ve given me a huge gift,” Vogel said.

She has earned a reputation for pushing the envelope as a playwright. How I Learned to Drive, which won Vogel the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1998, details the sexual relationship between a young girl and her uncle. Many of her other works explore similarly controversial topics.

Vogel’s comments ranged from passionate to humorous to uplifting. She spoke in favor of gay rights, abortion rights and other hot-button topics.

“She was really open in a way that was very refreshing,” Temple University graduate Phoebe Schaub said. Vogel’s social commentary was met with applause.

The playwright also delved into personal issues, including her use of writing to cope with loss. Referring to her play The Baltimore Waltz, a tragicomedy about two siblings, she said, “I got the chance to dance with my dead brother.”

“She seemed like a really genuine person,” College junior Nicole McGarry said.

Vogel encouraged artists in the audience to be persistent about reaching their goals. Her advice emphasized the need for collaboration and the importance of emotional honesty.

“I just write about things that worry me, that hurt me, that I know, that I’ve seen,” she said.

Several attendees shared the sentiment that Vogel was honest and inspiring.

“Nothing is impossible as long as you have audience members that meet you halfway,” Vogel said.

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