Six Questions for a Young Playwright

Nate Harpel received a degree in theatre from Western Washington University and came to Tacoma to launch his career. His play, Zero Divided By Zero, will be read on September 11th as part of the Tacoma Actors Guild’s New Plays in Performance series scheduled for the second Monday each month. Admission is free.

How did you get interested in theatre?
I started out in music as a singer. That’s how I got a taste of acting. I love the collaboration. Theatre is the synthesis of all the other arts. You need to have people who are virtuosos to make it work.

What’s your play about?
It’s an exploration of love and logic. I believe love comes from mysterious sources and I’m intrigued by the prevalence of metaphors in everyday mathematics. So I took on a search for understanding in terms of romance and imaginary numbers. 

Who are your favorite writers?
Tony Kushner, of course. Nilo Cruz and Naomi Izuka as well. My biggest influence, however, is the work of local novelist Tom Robbins. Though he doesn’t write for the stage, his writing is full of the big ideas for which theatre is perfect.

Why Tacoma?
I like how Tacoma’s booming cultural scene mixes with its blue-collar roots. This is not a pretentious place. I lived in Bellingham for a long time. There weren’t the same opportunities that there are here.

What’s the best part about having your play read at TAG?
It’s amazing to watch really good actors find the heart of a character.

What are your plans for the future?
One thing Tacoma is missing is fringe theatre. I’d like to change that. I want to get my hands dirty and do the real work of making theatre.

Photo by Chris Tumbusch