New Jersey Stage 2016: Issue 1 | Page 52

The play takes place in the 1960s and the current time. What sort of research did you do for the earlier timeframe? I did a number of different kinds of research. In terms of formal research, I started with newspaper articles about the 1960’s and some of the topics covered by the scenes which take place during that time period. Although the events of the play are entirely fictional, they were inspired by actual events on Ivy League campuses in the Northeast during the sixties when desegregation was first taking place, so I read about that time. I also read novels and films from and about that time period to get a sense of the language and slang. (Some of the differences in usage are quite subtle and specific.) However, perhaps my best research came from speaking to people who went to college during that time period on campuses similar to the fictional campus of the play. My father went to Harvard and he was a wonderful dramaturg for the sixties scenes! Did you see or experience any racism on campus during College Colors Crossroads Theatre NewJerseyStage.com 2016 - ISSUE 1 Table of Contents 52