Cameron Speta Is A Non Binary Playwright Based In Chicago. I Began My Playwriting Training In My Sophomore Year Of High School, Writing For Our Ten Minute Play Festival. I Was Mostly Self-Taught, Relying On Notes From My Peers To Make Edits To My Work. After Graduating High School in 2016, I Went On To Study Playwriting At The University Of Iowa, Where I Received The Iowa Center For The Arts Scholarship For My Playwriting.

While Studying At Iowa, I Received Education In Many Areas Of Theatre Including Acting, Directing, Design, And Of Course, Playwriting. My Writing Skills Flourished In The New Learning Environment And I Wrote Many New Works During My Time At Iowa. I Participated In The Undergraduate Playwrights Workshop, A 3000 Level Course, In Both My Junior And Senior Years. I Submitted Several Plays To The University Ten Minute Play Festival, With Three Students Receiving Production In 2019. In My Senior Year, Blood Moon Received A Workshop Level Production As Part Of The 2019-2020 Season.

During My Time At Iowa, I Performed On Stage Many Times As Part Of Various Productions In The Theatre Department And One Production With The Opera Program. Despite Playwriting Being My Main Focus, I Developed A Love Of Performance In High School That I Continued In My College Years. I Studied Several Styles And Techniques Including Autobiographical Performance, Stand Up Comedy, Mask Performance, And Linklater Vocal Progression.

As A Playwright I Draw Stylistic Inspiration From Noel Coward, Moliere, Sam Shepard, William Shakespeare, And Agatha Christie. I Am Also Influenced By Various Non Theatrical Works Including Star Trek, The X-Files, Final Fantasy, Dungeons And Dragons, And The West Wing. In My Work, I Strive To Write Plays That Entertain Just As Effectively As They Convey Their Greater Thematic Messages. In My Time At Iowa, I Saw Many Works That Focused Very Heavily On Their Message To The Detriment Of Audience Enjoyment. This Caused Me To Work On Finding The Balance Between Entertainment And Education. I Am Drawn To Genre Fiction Because Those Works Are Often Able To Strike That Delicate Balance. Additionally, I Am Drawn To The Writings Of Moliere And The Comedies Of Shakespeare And Wish To Use Their Style Of Language In Modern Work.

My Work Experience Includes Production Management Intern For Chicago Youth Shakespeare’s 2017 Production Of Much Ado About Nothing and Assistant Stage Manager For On The Spot Theatre Company’s Debut Production Of Scenes For A Green World. My Time At Iowa Also Gave Me Hands On Experience As Part Of The Backstage Crew For Three Mainstage Productions: Seven Spots On The Sun (2019), Orlando (2019), Hit The Wall (2020).