The Storyteller Studio 22-23 Cohort Portfolio
Annie Vee
About Me
Annie Vee (she/her) is an NJ/NYC Theater Artist, focusing in Voice Over, Acting, Singing, and Playwriting. She also is a Co-Producer/Staff Writer on the Audio Drama Murphy! Annie is also a new collective member of Blackwolves Productions, which is filled with some wonderful talented artists! Annie has recently moved to New York City, and is excited to start planting her roots in the city, and meet other artists while she is working on her acting/playwriting. When Annie is not working on her various projects, she often finds herself playing video games, cooking, and going for hikes!
Q+A
If you had to choose three words to describe your artistry/aesthetic, what would they be?
Human connection, fantastical, dystopian.
How have you grown during your time in the Storyteller Studio?
I have grown during my time in the Storyteller Studio to be more confident in myself, and find
that it’s okay that I am going at my own pace after having various guest artists come in and
shed light into the world as professionals.
What's next for you?
I have decided to take some Acting Classes at the Cognitive Performance Lab - I have not acted on stage since 2019, and want to get the dust off of my shoulders. I also am currently, and constantly, working on Murphy, (find us anywhere you listen to our podcasts!) In addition, I am looking into gathering fellow artists to share works together, hoping to create a community.
What does it mean to you to be an artist in our current moment?
To be an artist in this current moment is intense. We have been surviving an ongoing pandemic, multiple natural disasters, tense political climates and now are finding our way back to in-person arts again. It feels inspiring, and I am grateful to be in the position I am now.
How has this program shaped your understanding of dramaturgy and collaboration?
During my time in College, I understood Dramaturgy in one way such as research, and creating wonderful pre-show experiences. During my time this year, I have found how beneficial collaborating with Dramaturgs early in the process of your writing can be, and can help you shape the overall narrative and story that you intend to create.
Would You Go Back?
This play is called Would You Go Back?, a choose your own adventure piece in the making! As a playwright, I have a deep devotion to sci-fi, and pushing the limits of the stage. I have explored ideas of other worlds and dimensions previously in another play I had written/produced online called Watching Through Frames and thought of taking a different approach to this particular subject. After spending a summer playing another Supermassive Games video game called The Quarry, a choose your own adventure horror video game following the Butterfly effect theory, it got me thinking if this could be something molded into a play.
Would You Go Back? explores themes such as learning to let life take you on its own journey, and surrounding yourself with people who choose you. Edward reminds me of the ways we try to control life, and its outcomes, not actually allowing ourselves to live. This plays into the effect of the audience having control of the characters decisions throughout the journey of Connie, Edward, and Thena!
I researched the butterfly effect and Edward Lorenz, which both person and theory transcribe into many stories and forms of media today. I took a look into Inheritance a play that had a choose your own adventure element about land rights as well. During my time this year at the cohort, I was partnered with Alexis Telyczka, a dramaturg/writer, and together we had been meeting to go over our projects and she decided to lend me her fantastic dramaturg brain! We have explored different variations of how to create a choose your own adventure platform for the audience.
Currently where I am in the piece is writing the first route/true story of what audiences will see if they choose three - four answers “correctly”. From this, I intend to have two more branches that the story can also go through and follow.
During this time the Storyteller Studio this year was a fantastic support system as there was a storm of life changes that occurred, such as me moving to New York City. Having this space to just be an artist, to learn and listen, put me back in that creative space to write again and ground myself amongst fellow artists.
After writing the script, I want to look into what space would be appropriate for the work. This maybe in the form of a workshop, or a test audience to see how the choose your own adventure format comes into play when there is a live audience.