An Interview with John Mabey, Author of A Tragedy of Owls

Part four in our new Artist Interview series

1. Please tell us a little about your play.
   
   My play, A Tragedy Of Owls, is a historical piece that takes place during WWII. It’s a dramatic interpretation of real people and events in a prison located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Two members of the Dutch resistance, one an attorney and the other captured by the Nazis, have an urgent request for each other at their very last encounter. The play not only explores homophobia and resistance to the Nazi regime, but also friendship, love, and social justice.
   
   2. How did you come up with the idea to write about this?
   
   I lived overseas for nearly a decade, and my time living in Amsterdam especially was so formative. And although separated by time, the real-life events of this play all took place within close proximity to where I lived. The anti-Nazi bombing of the civil registry office was located down the street from my apartment, and I also volunteered for the queer Dutch organization where the attorney in this play worked. The area was so rich in poignant history as my apartment was also just down the block from the Anne Frank House as well.
   
   3. In what way does your work explore LGBTQ+ themes, or if a queer author, how does this play celebrate who you are?
   
   The characters in this play face horrific obstacles and realities that I can only imagine…