Script Spotlight: Unexpected by Andrew Kooman

“Unexpected,” Andrew Kooman’s popular and highly original script about unplanned pregnancies, takes center stage in this month’s Spotlight. Andrew, who has 15 plays on Scriptmore, gave us an insightful behind-the-scenes look at why he wrote the script, the impact it has had, and his history writing for the stage.

Scriptmore: Where do you live, and how long have you been writing plays?

Andrew Kooman: I live in Delaware, Ontario, Canada, which is a few hours west of Toronto. I was born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta, which is where I started writing plays about 15 years ago.

I’d never written a play before, but there was a playwright workshop and contest open to the public in my hometown. I entered the one-act competition. I had to race to hit the deadline (one week!), but I was motivated. That little play with a big heart (“Shelter”) won the competition. As a result, I was given the opportunity to work with a professional dramaturg and pro director, then had public reading of the play with trained actors. It was a tremendous experience, and I’ve written for the stage ever since!

Scriptmore: Do you have experience as an actor, director, or in other aspects of theater?

Andrew Kooman: I was always in church or school plays growing up, but my acting stopped in adulthood. I helped to produce my full-length stage play “She Has A Name” when we toured it across Canada in 2012. I love collaborating with and handing over the work to a director who shares my sensibilities and can help bring the story to life in ways I wouldn’t have imagined it on the page.

Scriptmore: What made you want to write a play about the three experiences of unplanned pregnancy in “Unexpected”?

Andrew Kooman: This play originated as a commission for a milestone anniversary gala for the Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre. They wanted a special event for their donors and the community that was different from what other non-profits were doing. They reached out to me, and I pitched a play that explored stories that fit into the world of their work.

The event was meant to entertain, raise awareness, and also humanize their work. That was my starting point. They shared a number of real stories with me, and I was surprised to learn they serve such a wide range of people and families from all different walks of life who face unexpected choices.

From there, I started to imagine a few characters that could bring these raw and rich stories to life. These three memorable characters emerged to tell their stories in unexpected ways.

Scriptmore: How difficult was it to work out the unique structure of this play, with actors playing more than one character and the shifts in focus and timeline?

Andrew Kooman: I love writing stories that break in and out of time and require doubling for actors. I find it quickly forces me as a writer to think out of the box. It also keeps audiences on their toes. If well done, it can really propel the narrative and add to the interest and drama. But it’s also a stewardship consideration. Disrupting linear structure and writing roles that are played by more than one character pushes the production to be lean and maximizes resources.

That’s one of the first things I learned in the workshop where I got my start as a playwright: If you want to get work produced, especially in Canada, you’ve got to write with only a few actors in mind and with set pieces that are minimalist. Production budgets can be small. So, when I write, I’m always factoring in the limitations a production will face once it moves toward production. It’s wonderfully freeing and makes imagination for the playwright, actors and audience the most valuable commodity.

Scriptmore: Have you ever seen this play performed?

Andrew Kooman: I have seen this play performed before a live audience, which is always a pinch-me experience. I attended the world premiere of an early version of the play in Alberta, Canada, where it was performed in a few different cities.

The play really resonated with the audience. It was meaningful to see them laugh, hold their breath, and lean into the story. It was also amazing, after the show, to have audience members come up and whisper, “I have a story just like that” and for the conversations it opened up as a result. The non-profit was able to leverage the performances to raise more than six figures for their charity, which was exciting.

Scriptmore: Can you recommend a play available on Scriptmore by another playwright?

Andrew Kooman: David J. Swanson and Rachel Benjamin are hilarious and such talented writers. You can’t go wrong with them or their plays!

You can follow Andrew’s work and subscribe to his newsletter “Things I Wrote Down” on AndrewKooman.com. You can also visit his streaming video platform at UnveilTV.com.

The Day the Magic Stopped

Characters: 1

The Day the Magic Stopped

By Andrew Kooman

Bryan, a teenager, learns that his girlfriend is pregnant. It rocks his world. And even though he’s terrified about the future, his biggest concern is what will happen to the baby, since his girlfriend won’t talk to him anymore and has booked an appointment at an abortion clinic. An excellent monologue for workshops and auditions.

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