Interview (Part 1): Beth Curry

My interview with the 2020 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner.

Beth Curry wrote the original screenplay “Lemon” which won a 2020 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Beth about her creative background, her award-winning script, the craft of screenwriting, and what winning the Nicholl Award has meant to her.

Today in Part 1 of a 6 part series to run each day through Saturday, Beth talks about her experience in musical theater, her “burlesque pop” band Totsy, and how she was inspired to take up screenwriting.

Scott: You’re a screenwriter, and given the various projects you’ve got, you can even put producer in there. Could you give us some context? What’s the elevator pitch of how you became who you are and what you do in the entertainment business?

Beth: Hmm. That’s a good question. I would say I have creative ADD. I find that being a multi-hyphenate feeds the other creative parts within me. I look at all of my different projects as baby birds. I feed my musical project here. I feed my screenwriting over here. Over the past few years, it’s been more screenwriting than anything else. That birds pretty chunky now.

I think that by being a multi-hyphenate, it enriches the other projects I do as well. How did I land there? That’s a really good question. I started doing musical theater and community theater in San Luis Obispo, California, and then did some professional theater as well.

Then I went to SMU, and studied theater, just straight theater. Every summer, I would go to New York thinking, “OK, I’m going to go to move here when I graduate and try to be on Broadway.” Then when I graduated college, my mom passed away, so I came back to LA, and I stayed here instead to be closer to my dad.

In LA, I did musical theater. I started getting into music and writing — writing just music, not screenwriting. Then in 2005, I randomly auditioned for this show which circuitously led me to New York where I got my first Broadway show.

I stayed there for five years. I did Legally Blonde from top to bottom, and then I did the tour of Young Frankenstein. I played the Madeline Kahn role. During that show, I had a lot of time offstage. I would fall asleep. I would do P90X, anything to stay awake.

That’s when I discovered writing. I copied the structure of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I wrote a pilot, and had the cast do a reading of it. And that…hooked me. I was hooked! That was my last musical theater show and probably will be, thank God, because I don’t want to slap down into the splits eight times a week anymore. I’m grateful for those days…but those days are diggety done. That was a very long answer, but that’s how I became who I am creatively. I’m just a creative being. Doesn’t matter if I’m singing it, writing it, acting it, whatever — it’s just that high you get from being creative…from flowing.

Scott: It’s all storytelling, too.

Beth: Yeah.

Scott: Let’s talk about your band, Totsy. When did that start?

Beth: Totsy — I collaborated with my partner, Brett Boyett, on that project. We wrote one song, “Dope on a Rope,” before I went to New York. Then when I came back from New York, we continued doing it. We wrote songs specifically for placements in film and TV.

Then we had a catalog of songs, and he was like, “We should play out.” I was like, “OK.” Of course, my branding mind, I was like, “It needs to be a bit heightened and retro. Vintage!” Then the image was born, and we went on the road, and it’s still living. I can’t fit in the costume anymore, but it’s still going.

Scott: How would you describe the music?

Beth: We call it burlesque pop, which makes no sense. I don’t even know what you would call it. It’s just Totsy.

Scott: It’s a lot of fun. I encourage people to check it out online. You’re sitting there as an actor waiting to deliver your lines as the Madeline Kahn character. Young Frankenstein, the poo-pooh undies line

Beth: You know what? The poo-pooh undies line didn’t make it.

Scott: Seriously?

Beth: I never got to say “poo-pooh undies.” I did not.

Scott: Maybe she ad-libbed that.

Beth: Yeah, maybe. My life is not lived. I’m going to say “poo-pooh undies” every day now for the rest of my life.

[laughter]

Here is is the “poo-pooh undies” scene from Young Frankenstein:

Scott: You’re waiting between getting on stage, discover this writing thing, Curb Your Enthusiasm. Yeah, you enjoy it. You’re not going to film school. How did you go about learning the craft of screenwriting?

Beth: When the Young Frankenstein tour came to LA at the Pantages Theatre, Meredith Stiehm came to the show. She’s a friend. Actually, she’s the wife of my friend’s brother-in-law. It’s confusing. Anyway, she came to the show. She’s a huge fan of musical theater.

We met up, and she was like, “I would love to do what you do.” I was like, “I would love to do what you do.” She said, “Really?” Then she invited me to her writer’s group called Safehouse, and I have been there ever since. That’s where I learned how to write.

I’ve always had my voice, I think, but I had to learn structure — I’m still learning. I always say, “I need my writer’s group. I need as much perspective as I can get because I’m only as strong as the people around me.” I’ll always going to be a collaborator. I don’t know how writers have the perspective to see things that need to be changed. I need the mirror of a writer’s group.

Scott: How long have you been part of that group?

Beth: Ten years.

Scott: Wow.

Beth: I know.

Scott: Over a decade. How many people are in the group?

Beth: It varies, but writer-wise, only three writers go every week. There’s a whole gaggle of actors. Writer-wise, there’s probably like thirty writers. Then actor-wise, there’s probably like sixty actors, and you cast it, and then you put up your pages. After, people comment on the writing, not the acting or directing, and it’s really helpful.

Scott: One of the things I read on your website which I found quite compelling because it’s actually something that I have pinned on my Twitter feed, a very similar sentiment.

It says, “Beth strives to write stories that increase empathy. She loves telling stories that inspire someone to consider, quote, ‘the other side of things,’ giving them a new perspective. She strives always to include three Hs in her writing, honesty, hilarity, and heart.” Always there from the beginning, or is that something that’s evolved in your writing?

Beth: I think that’s something that’s evolved in my writing. Right now, we’re in an unprecedented time, and I feel like it’s really important to create stories of empathy because if you can understand the other side, you can’t hate the other side as much.

I’m just trying to create stories that create a little more empathy, not like a huge come-to-Jesus moment, but just a little more awareness and kindness for someone or something you don’t understand. I’m always drawn to stories of the underdog.

Scott: Absolutely. We live in such a heightened time of acrimony, even dehumanization. To be able to put a human face on the other makes it much more challenging for demagoguery to exist if you see the humanity in them.

Beth: Exactly. That’s definitely evolved over time. I’ve always felt like an underdog in my own life. I grew up with crazy red, huge, frizzy hair, no two front teeth. I dressed myself. I kind of looked like a hobo. I just always felt like an underdog in everything I did, so I will always resonate with those stories.

Scott: That’s perfect training for being a screenwriter, being the underdog.

Beth: Absolutely.

Here is a music video featuring Beth’s musical group Totsy:

Tomorrow in Part 2, Beth reveals the inspiration behind her award-winning screenplay “Lemon.”

Beth is repped by Jenny Wood and Raquelle David at Elevate Entertainment.

Beth’s website: LINK

Totsy website: LINK

Twitter: @bethcurrywagner

For my interviews with every Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winner since 2012, go here.

For my interviews with Black List writers, go here.