C.S. Hanson’s plays have been produced in New York City (Cherry Lane, Theater for the New City, NY Fringe Festival, The Brick, Metropolitan Playhouse, Estrogenius, 3Graces, At-Hand Theatre), Miami (City Theatre), Washington, D.C. (The Source), Pittsburgh (New Works Festival), Denver (The Three Leaches), and Montreal (Gleams Theatre; Montreal Fringe Festival). Hanson’s work has been developed thanks to The Lark, Culture Project, EST, Lake George Theater Lab, LaMaMa, Abingdon Theatre, Naked Angels, and New Jersey Rep. Hanson’s short play STALK ME, BABY has been produced at universities and colleges throughout the U.S. and in Australia. Hanson has received commissions from the Experimentals at LaMama (George Ferencz, curator) and America-in-Play (Lynn M. Thomson, founder and artistic director) where she was Artist Associate (here’s a New York Times article about the group). Member, Dramatists Guild of America.
Write Teacher(s) Readers – meet C.S. Hanson!
MM: First things first, did you always want to be a playwright?
CSH: No. I always knew I wanted to write. I’ve found the process of writing to be very satisfying. My goal was to find a job that allowed me to write. Professionally, I became a corporate writer. Being a playwright was something that happened along the way. It was a lark. I loved going to the theater and reading plays, but I didn’t set out to be a playwright. 
MM: Of all the characters you’ve created, is there one (or more) in particular that are closest to your heart?
CSH: Yes, it’s Johnny, from I COULD NEVER LIVE HERE. The people he loved the most left him. Yet, somehow, in the middle of nowhere, mostly alone, he pursued his art. He painted. On the day of his funeral, his sister, who hasn’t bothered to visit him in years, discovers a room full of his paintings. He appears to her as a ghost, and that’s when the fun begins!
MM: What’s the first show you ever wrote?
CSH: The first plays I ever wrote were necessary disasters. Short plays served as my playing ground, helping me to learn the art and craft of playwriting. The first that made it to the stage is ANSWERS, about a woman who makes all decisions based on answers from her Magic 8 Ball. When her boyfriend catches on and hides the little device, he springs the “I love you” question on her and it sends her on a frantic search for her Magic 8 Ball.
MM: If you were stranded on a desert island, (assuming there is WiFi and a TV and/or computer), what television shows and/or movies would you want to have available to you?
CSH: Assuming there’s WiFi? What a nightmare, if there isn’t. And I’m really not all that interested in being stranded alone. I spend enough time alone writing. To answer your question, I would want the movies Ground Hog Day, Blazing Saddles, The Lives of Others (a wonderful German film), Hanna and Her Sisters, all the films Nancy Meyers directed, and a whole slew of French films (you pick them). As for TV, how about The Americans, Nurse Jackie, Being Human, Seinfeld, Law and Order, NCIS . . . oh c’mon, if there’s WiFi, just let me have my Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime accounts.
MM: If one were to walk into your home, what books would they permanently see on your bookshelf?
CSH: My apartment is filled with books. Permanently! My books are like wallpaper. I have several bookshelves crammed with books, and you see them the moment you step into my foyer. Poetry, fiction, literary classics, lots of art books, some nonfiction, and a good number of plays fill my bookshelves. Most are hardcover. I appreciate the look and feel of books. If I were to start rattling off the titles of these books, it would sound pretentious.
MM: Who are the playwrights that have best shaped you as an artist?
CSH: My teachers, including Cassandra Medley, Arthur Giron, Mary Sue Price, and Curt Dempster, helped me understand dramatic structure. I have been inspired by the plays of David Ives, Caryl Churchill, Edward Albee, Paula Vogel, Sam Shepard, Arthur Miller, and many others.
MM: What words of wisdom would you have for younger playwrights?
CSH: Observe the world. Not just your world, but the worlds and lives of other people. Investigate what makes people do what they do in life. Work at jobs. See how people attempt to get along. Watch people in all walks of life, listen in on conversations, interview people who work in professions that you know nothing about.
MM: Arts Education programming is always the first thing to get cut. Why would you advocate for arts education programming in schools?
CSH: Well-rounded people will do better in all aspects of life, in my opinion. Also, art is not easy. It challenges us on many levels and instills discipline and requires decision-making. You might not become a great pianist, but you will learn many things by practicing scales and playing music. You may not grow up to be a writer, but it’s important to learn to string words together to create a coherent, meaningful message.
MM: Who is/was your greatest teacher? (Can absolutely be more than one!)
CSH: My greatest teacher is New York City. The people, the architecture, the parks, and the infrastructure in this city are constant teachers. Rubbing shoulders with people from all over the world, riding the subways and buses, seeing great art in public spaces and in museums, going to the theater in venues large and small, attending lectures, walking into beautiful libraries – this city is my constant companion and teacher. Its old buildings and the occasional cobblestone street are reminders of the past and of the people who came here from places far away in search of freedom. I have learned to be far more patient and tolerant as a result of living here. The city teaches me to keep an open heart, to practice kindness, to listen, to be aware of and respect the many people who are part of its fabric.
Thank you, C.S.! Write Teacher(s) Readers, keep up to date with the latest project fro C.S. Hanson via cshanson.com.