The St. Edward’s University Transit Theatre Troupe, in collaboration with the Unofficial Summer Playwriting Salon, will bring to life the creative works of playwriting students at 6 p.m. on Nov. 3 in the Munday Library. 

The 10-minute plays include junior Calista Robledo’s “The Everlasting Romance in Minute Maid Park,” senior Kayleigh Manz’s “The Crow’s Destiny,” senior Phylicia Walker’s “Champagne Gold,” junior Olivia Schultz’s “Headliner” and senior Leon Linam’s one-act play “Continuum.”

Hilltop Views talked to playwright Phylicia Walker days before her debut. 

“‘Champagne Gold’ is a story about two southern gals down on their luck in the ways of love  — or as I’ve affectionately been calling it — my usual brand of shenanigans,” Walker said. “It’s all in the name of lighthearted fun.”

One would imagine a play being born after days or even months of wrestling with writer’s block, until one day the story just magically reveals itself in a flash of inspiration. But for Walker, the play’s story idea was born in just three days.

“This play stemmed from a project I had back when I took intro to creative writing. The task was a 10-minute play — which sounds easy in theory but considering my habit of scrapping and starting projects from scratch — it took me a while to finalize a concept. The idea was a literal shower thought of mine,” Walker said. “Three days before the assignment was due, this fictional conversation started playing out in my head. The longer it went on, the more I began to realize that this was the one I was turning in. I immediately hopped out of the shower and started feverishly typing, and two days later, I had my play!”

“Champagne Gold,” a play with prominent themes of love and loyalty, came to life in a small room in Moody Hall about two years ago. Now, days away from being revealed to a bigger audience, Walker can’t help but feel equal parts nervous and excited. 

“I’ve never had something I’ve written ever leave the confines of the classroom, and the thought of people coming to see and hear my work of their own accord is both incredibly thrilling and incredibly nerve-wracking,” Walker said. “I remember sending my script off to Calista in early October and waiting for her notes. I finally got the courage to open the email, and I was met with ‘I have no notes. This play is so fun! It’ll be great for the reading!’ and I felt an immense wave of relief come over me. Even now, as it’s days away, it still doesn’t feel real.”

Walker, now in her last year at St. Edward’s, was destined to become a writer from the moment she read her first book and wrote her first story. Although, back then, it wasn’t as clear to her. 

“I adored reading as a kid. I remember writing stories about my favorite characters — fanfiction before I was old enough to really know what fanfiction was — in all sorts of scenarios, and something about that just stuck with me,” Walker said. “Even as a kid, I used to write plays featuring the likes of Barbie for the fun of it. There was a period where I didn’t want to pursue writing in school because I felt like it would ruin the fun for me. But if anything, pursuing writing has actively made me want to write more.”

Her love of stories led her to pursue playwriting from all the genres she could have chosen.

“As for why playwriting, my work tends to be dialogue-heavy by default. It gives me the freedom to use what I consider my strongest writing talent and put it at the forefront of my work. I’d have to thank Professor Braun for getting me into it properly,” Walker said.

“Champagne Gold,” set to hit the stage Nov. 3, along with her fellow playwrights’ work, is a play Walker hopes the audience leaves smiling. 

“I had fun writing this, and I want the audience to have fun hearing it,” Walker said. “I like writing more lighthearted pieces to make people smile, and if I get even the smallest grin at a bad joke, I consider it a victory.”