Meet the Fellows: Morgan Gould

This is the latest in our Meet the Fellows series, where the Dramatists Guild Foundation will introduce you to the current class of DGF Fellows. Each of these writers and writing teams have proven themselves to be leaders of the craft whose work we expect to be enjoying for years to come.

Since its inception in 2000, the DGF Fellows program has provided a home for more than 160 writers. Over the course of this year-long intensive, composers, lyricists, playwrights and bookwriters work with professional mentors, honing their individual processes while developing a full-length piece. Beneficiaries of this rigorous and highly selective fellowship receive stipends, development opportunities, and a foothold in the industry. Alumni include Anna Ziegler (Actually), Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Academy Award winner, Frozen) among dozens of other vital contemporary theatre makers. 

Helmed by Michael Korie (Grey Gardens), Laurence O’Keefe (Legally Blonde), Sheri Wilner (Kingdom City) and Diana Son (Stop Kiss), the DGF Fellows program is singular in that it pairs playwrights and musical theater writers, creating a space for diverse and interdisciplinary creators.

It is our pleasure to help spread their unique and promising voices. Now, get to know Morgan Gould.

What was your first experience with theater?
When I was four I saw a production of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf ran up the aisle and I thought he was chasing me, so I ran out of the theater. To this day I cannot BEAR to see a basketball game.

When did you decide to become a writer? Is there a writer, show, or piece of writing that was particularly influential on your path?
Still deciding. If I get a TV job, I’ll keep writing. If not, I’ll probably die because I have four day jobs.

How do you describe your work overall? What sets your work apart?
I mean, there’s not that many fat writers. Which is funny, because fat people like sitting down and I get to sit down a lot as a writer. So you would think there would be more of us. Maybe we are busy eating pizza. I digress—I think I bring a perspective on beauty, on feminism—and why white thin woman feminism isn’t enough and never has been – and a sense of humor about women and fatness and being othered. I bring ideas for where to buy plus size clothing, if that’s of interest.

Can you tell us a little bit about the show you’ve been developing as a Fellow?
Three Fat Sisters is about 3 fat sisters. It’s the story of 2 older sisters who suddenly realize their youngest sister is no longer fat. So they decide to kill her.

What do you find most rewarding about your work as a writer?
Working with actors. I am very, very privileged to have an extremely loyal and talented and good looking group of actors I work with a lot. I’m so lucky they’ve been willing to grace my work with their skills and generosity. It really is the only subject I have nothing ironic or sarcastic to say. They are what makes my work possible. They are brave when I cannot be. They say the words I can only write. I love actors.