Photographer: Gregory Costanzo
Annie Baker is one of the most prominent playwrights in the United States, famed for her works such as The Flick and The Aliens. In 2014, she was bestowed the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, The Flick, mainly for the nuance and authenticity of its story and characters.
Her plays tend to emphasize the lives and struggles of ordinary life, bringing about captivating narratives surrounding the lives of regular people. Baker's writing aims for sincerity and depth, allowing her plays to connect with her audience on an emotional and intellectual level.
She amplifies the engagingness of her stories through her apt theatrical style. Every play she creates requires active engagement, avoiding simple, linear plots that are effortless to understand. Instead, she utilizes the value of profundity in her stories.
The complexity of Baker's storytelling and the stage life she naturally creates brings vivid and heartfelt experiences for the audience of her plays, which allows her already authentic characters to impact her audiences in whatever way she chooses.
Her award-winning play, The Flick, stood out for its compassionate portrayal of working-class characters while taking an innovative approach to its dramatic storytelling. The play is set in a small-town movie theater in Massachusetts, centering on the lives and struggles of three unappreciated employees. The three characters navigate the challenges of their lives in and outside of their work.
Baker's meticulous attention to detail and her commitment to capturing the subtleties of everyday life enhance the flavor of the story. Using subtle elements like detailed realism, extended pauses, and unobvious character emotions, Baker can convey drama from her works, fostering excitement in her audience.