The ridiculously talented Weston Scott, author of the soon to premiere BareStage production Wonder Girl, graciously agreed to an interview with Caliber Magazine to talk about his passion of playwriting. Wonder Girl premieres November 15th, 16th, 22nd and 23rd at 8pm and on November 17th and 24th at 5pm. Student ticket prices are $6 online and $8 at the door and General tickets are $8 online and $10 at the door.

Caliber: How old are you?

WS: I am 20 years old. I am a fourth year. I’m turning 21 on November 12.

Calber: What is your major?

WS: I am double majoring in English and Political Economy.

Caliber: What made you choose those majors?

WS: I always knew that I wanted to be an English major, mostly because I love reading. I focus mostly on Shakespeare and he’s my favorite. But I came here also as a math major until I realized math was not for me, at all. So Math 1B just ruined me but I realized that I really liked history and economics so I started doing Political Economy. It really worked out.

Caliber: What is your recent work?

WS: Wonder Girl is premiering Nov. 15. Wonder Girl is a story about a young girl who gets super powers. It’s very much an examination of what it means to be a hero in our own culture, what it would take to be considered a super hero and what it is like to be very young and taken seriously to a degree. Just what a person can do with something that they had no control over.

Caliber: Do you usually write musicals?

WS: I’ve only done musicals thus far. I don’t even know why! It would be so much easier to write a play sometimes! But I’ve done a lot of musical theatre. I started musical theatre when I was 10. I just haven’t stopped and then I became involved in BareStage. Also, when I started writing for BareStage it just seemed right to start making musicals for them.

Caliber: Where did you grow up?

WS: I grew up in Orange County, in Buena Park. I lived there until I was 11 and I started doing theatre there but then we moved to Santa Maria. That’s where I’ve been ever since.

Caliber: Do you have any siblings?

WS: No, I don’t. I am an only child. I get all of my parents’ affection. I always wanted a little brother though so that my parents would pay less attention to me!

Caliber: Do you pull inspiration from your childhood for your writing?

WS: Definitely. I remember that I was really big on action figures, which I find funny looking at myself now because I’m very big on reading. I just had all of these Star Wars action figures that I would take around to all of the kids in the town. I think that was the first time that I thought about making stories. I wrote Wonder Girl , which centers on superheroes, and I wrote a play last semester, which was Sci-Fi and more about space. I think all of the roots in my stories stem from my childhood.

Caliber: What are some of your other passions?

WS: Aw, man. Well, musicals are definitely the biggest one. This isn’t really a passion but just another thing that I do: I am an RA in Unit 2. I love the RA life. It’s really the best. I just love being that connection for new students. I love cinema in its entirety. When I was 14 I decided I would memorize all of the Oscar Best Picture Winners just because. I started to lose it but I can still recite them from 1960 and up. I am with BareTroupe also, which is a musical theatre performance group and that is a lot of fun. We have a lot of fun together doing all of these crazy numbers.

Caliber: What brought you to Berkeley?

WS: So I was applying to and visiting all these schools. I was actually touring Stanford and we were in the area and decided to check Cal out because it was a good school but I didn’t think that I would apply. The second we parked I was in love with the campus; I was in love with everything. I just thought it was the coolest place I had ever been. I ended up not applying to Stanford but applying to Cal and as soon as I got in I was sure that I wanted to go to school here. It was kind of a mistake but I’ve been here ever since. Even when I applied it was just another box to check on the UC Application but here I am.

Caliber: How many screenplays have you written?

WS: I’ve written three so far and there are more that are in progress. The first one I wrote is called Death and Other Hobbies, which premiered with BareStage last year and it was just a wild experience. I just had so much fun. What I tend to do with my writing is look at a genre and what typically happens in the standard fare of it and then I turn it on its head. With Death and Other Hobbies, I did that in terms of farce. I love comedies and I love to laugh. I actually have a very distinct laugh, as my friends tell me. It’s always a group of very odd characters meeting in a place and there are often stereotypes involved. The first act was straight farce but then someone dies and then it brings all of these stereotypes into reality and seeing how actual people would act in this situation. It ended up being a trip to produce.

Caliber: Do you have a personal favorite?

WS: My personal favorite right now is Wonder Girl because it’s in the thick of it. I’m still on that high. I’m actually applying to schools for my MFA in musical theatre and play-writing and it’s the piece that I am going to submit.

Caliber: If you could have a star perform your work, who would it be?

WS: I really enjoyed This is the End. I just thought it was ridiculously absurd and hilarious. I actually disliked Jonah Hill before I saw this movie but that movie made me love him. So I would love Jonah Hill to be in any musical that I create. I would even love for him to star in the story of my life. The offer is on the table Jonah, take it or leave it.

Caliber: What is your next step?

WS: I am applying to NYU. They are the only school in the nation that has a program for musical theatre writing. I definitely would prefer to go there but I am also applying elsewhere. So I am really refining Wonder Girl in the hopes to make the best version of it possible.

Caliber: Anything else you would like audiences to know about you?

WS: I’ll plug Wonder Girl. It is premiering November 15^th and it runs that weekend as well as the following weekend.

Weston Scott has inspired audiences with his previous work and is expected to do the same with this new musical. Show your support for a fellow Golden Bear, Weston Scott, and enjoy a fun-filled, super powered hour of musical numbers and brilliant writing during one of the upcoming performances of Wonder Girl!

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