A while ago, I was interviewed by a journalist who wanted to gather information about female playwrites in the 1600s, and here is the series of questions, and my answers:

1. Where are you from? How is your family?

I am from Kent, Canterbury in England but didn’t stay there too long because there was a civil war that broke out. I was born in 1640. My mother, Eaffry Johnson, was a wet nurse. I don’t really know much about my father because when I was too young to remember, he was appointed by the military to go to South Africa, and left. When I was growing up, my mother, Eaffry Johnson,  was very adamant in making sure that I attended school. She cared a lot for children to grow up with class, that is why I sometimes wonder if she was my biological mother, or just my caretaker from birth because I lived with a lot of other girls who I called “sister.”

The other person that I recall spending my childhood with was a boy that I have grown to know as no other than my brother. If he is still alive and well on this earth, I know nothing of it, for the last time I saw him was when I traveled to the West Indies. Also, my good friend Mr. Behn was a very dear person to me, once I grew older. We were always so close and shared everything with each other. I guess to the public eye, it looked like we were married, and it may have been that way in the both of our eyes. Speculation still goes around to this day, even though Mr. Behn has been long since dead. I will never confirm or deny any rumors or gossip if they come up because the relationship between Mr. Behn and I will always be a sacred piece in my heart.

2. What events in your early life made you interested in the arts?

This is really embarrassing for a woman of such high regard to confess, but I have no shame. I had the opportunity to be a spy for King Charles II. It sounds like an opportunity of a lifetime but it was most definitely not worth while. My code-name was Astrea, and I was also Agent 160. While England was at war with the Dutch, I, along with many other top secret agents, helped provide the English government with useful information that could help them along in the war. I worked in the Netherlands for some time, so when I came back to England, I found myself drowned in debt all because espionage pay was very low to nonexistent! I was thrown in debtors prison and absolutely could not bear it. I looked back at the many times I was snooping around in important paperwork and then I had an epiphany: writing is very valuable! I was determined to make my writing valuable to everyone so I could get out of prison. At first, writing was something that helped me from completely drowning in debt but I soon found myself addicted. It was like an escape from the real world and it almost instantly became my profession of interest!

As a young woman, my brother and I were, taken to the West Indies where I met a wonderful African Prince, who inspired my novel, Oroonoko. I was told that he was an African Prince, but seemed to me more like an African slave owner. Of course, it is possible that he just had many servants, but I digress. The two different lifestyles that the “Prince” could have been leading made for a good storyline. So that is where the basis of my novel, Oroonoko comes from.

3. What role did mentors play in helping you develop interests and talents you have as an artist?

Unlike the stereotypes of women needing a big, strong, man to survive, I succeeded numerous times with lots of feminine talent and assistance. My mother noticed that I liked to write, so she would often provide me with the materials I needed to do that. A sister of mine also helped me with getting materials to write Oroonoko. I could work well on my own, by myself most of the time. Solitude was like a blank canvas that my mind could paint over with bright, vibrant, and wonderful ideas.

A person who was very near and dear to me was like a mentor of my life. His knowledge and smart ideas and companionship was not limited to show through only when I was artistically inclined. That person is my very dear life partner, Mr. Behn. I took his last name, so that I could always be reminded that he will always be with me. Even though he is not physically here, I still hear him from time to time in my thoughts, questioning a line or two at the beginning or end of  scenes in my plays.

4. What was the world of art like in your particular art field when you entered it?

When I entered the art of being a playwright, I was turned down I would say 75% of the time just because I am a woman. Because of my bright and brilliant ideas, I was often labeled indecent. People called me indecent only because their minds were to small to grasp the artistic genius that was produced with every piece of my work! It was not hard to tell that the majority of my followers would not be men. I have heard so many times that the play writing industry is no place for a woman and have suffered many times because I voiced my opinion on the subject.

In the late 1660s, I was hired to write for The Duke Theater Company, in London. When I first began writing plays for them to stage and put on, there were, once again, people trying to put me down. Editors were always trying to fiddle with my story lines, and I would not stand for it! When I made it very clear that what I write, is what I write, and is not to be tampered with by anyone, I think they got the message. In 1670, The Force’d Marriage- a wonderful romantic comedy written by yours truly- was on the big stage. From then on I got respect, and the recognition that I deserved from the start.

5. How did the major cultural, economic and political situations effect of the time impact your work?

My work was impacted culturally because, by the time I had started to get serious about my writing, the theaters in London had just began to open back up. The theaters were closed because of the interregnum. The Interregnum was a point of chaos in London. When the current ruler of London died, this was the point in time where there was no ruler. London turned into a place of constant warfare. It did not stay this way for too long because civilization slowly but surely restored. Lucky for me, when I came to London, the theaters were opening again and hungry for some fresh new talent. They needed a good show and i was very successful at providing them with it! This made me so eager to get my work out there for everyone to love!

Since my own personal economy was in the toilet while the national economy was very well, there was no doubt that I was in huge debt. This debt was not at the same time as the Interregnum in London, it was before then. When I was in debt, I would write short stories and such that would require minuscule amounts of effort by me. So my work was very low quality- in terms of how high of quality it is now. I was writing to survive and when that is the case, you don’t necessarily care tons about much, except for living!

I took a political job for King Charles II and that was probably the worst mistake in my career! Like I said before, thought it was going to be the best experience ever, but it landed me in a huge debt. Although, I would have never started writing if it were not for that job so I suppose- in a very indirect sense- that job made me who I am today. It still makes me upset to think of all  the work I did,  but did not get paid much, at all. So as you’ve heard before- I ended up having to work off my debt, by writing low quality stories.

6. What were your major accomplishments and the methods you used in your art?

I think the better question would be, What is not an accomplishment in my life! I feel like every single thing that I have accomplished in my life are major accomplishments, but for the sake of your time, I will just narrow it down to a few. I was a very accomplished spy for some time for King Charles II. All my work went unappreciated. I worked in the Netherlands and despite the very important political and naval information that I supplied the English government with- I came out very under paid, and under appreciated.

When The Duke theater company decided to help me put on my first staged show- I knew that would be something that went down into my book of accomplishments. Even though I like to be a playwright more than just your average run-of-the-mill author, I must say that I received a lot of recognition from writing the novel, Oroonoko, and I was very proud of that. My most famous work (the one that makes me feel the most accomplished) is my play titled, The Rover. The Rover was one of my personal favorites because I wrote it as a woman, about the things women in this time have to go through such as listening to the condesending remarks of men.

7. What were the key opportunities you had that led to turning points in your life and art?

Back when I was a young girl and I traveled to the West Indies I did not know that this was a wonderful opportunity, but it turned out to be the basis of one of my most famous novels. It tells the story of how Prince Oroonoko deals with love, and slaves, and many other interesting plot twists. If my brother and I had never gone to the West Indies in my childhood, I would have never gotten the inspiration for this wonderful story. The success of this story added gas to the fire of my life. It made me want to expand and grow even more noticeable to everyone by writing more material, and that is when I tried my hand at play writing and fell in love with it!

When I first heard that the Interregnum was over in London, I used that as a huge opportunity. There were so many new theaters opening and wanting to be filled with business. I thought that there was not one person that was more qualified to write and provide fresh new material for any theater company, except for me. When I went to London, it was not hard for me to find work, since every theater was practically begging for talent. I got with the Duke Theater Company and they helped me put on my first show for everyone to see, and I will always remember that.

8. What hardships or roadblocks did you have to overcome in order to be an artist?

I have a very strong personality- or so I’ve been told- and I am not afraid to speak my mind. Because of this, on top of the trivial fact that I was a woman, before I got my start, I had to deal with getting rejected more times than I can count. I had to get past the judgments and the loads of people who doubted me. Now I can only look back at them and ask, “Now who’s the one who is unhappy and failing in their career?”- not me!

When I first started writing plays, I learned that it was a very different experience than that of writing novels. When I used to write my stories it was very easy to just finish it, and then make it available for people to read. When you are writing a play, you can not do it by yourself. Well, of course you can write the play yourself, but you need a good team that can help you make the play available for everyone to see. I learned how to stand my ground when people try to change the words and scenes in my plays, but I also learned that I can’t put on a whole production by myself, so I had to get over doing everything by myself.

9. Who are people that you admire both in the arts and beyond and why do they inspire you?

It was almost like for every story I write, or have written, I have a different things that inspired me to write them. My time spent in the West Indies inspired my novel Oroonoko. I do not have one that I am inspired by more than myself. I believe that the views of everyone that think lowly of women are my constant inspiration and motivation. The fact that I am able to prove people wrong with what they think about women by continuing to write and succeed, is much more inspiring than a human could ever instill upon my being.

10. What personal stories best illustrate how you become successful in the arts?
Well a short while ago, when I was having a period of unusual popularity with my audiences I felt like since they were all in love with my plays, I could try something new. In my plays, The Roundheads, and The City Heiress, I decided to be a little more risque with some of my scenes. Some people loved it and remained loyal supporters of my work but others responded negatively. The Pope for instance did not like my new ideas. He basically said, that all my plays were, was "staged sex"! Even though I was insulted by the Pope himself, I could do nothing but shrug it off and move on. When I look back on it now, I can do nothing but laugh about it! It just reminds me of my perseverance, self motivation and lack of regard of every bodies comments that try to put me down.
Now that I think about my life, I realize how much of a mystery that I still am to many. No body will ever know if I am, will be, or ever was married. Not many people know about the scant amounts of affairs that I have had in my life- if any. I don’t know my father and sometimes doubt that my mother gave birth to me. I just find it amusing how I can show my views on subjects and voice my opinions on things and have people actually hear me out. When I say how I feel, everyone understands that my thoughts are not going to change, but from whom are these thoughts coming from? A woman of mystery? If so, why do people choose to listen and take in my ideas? I could suppose that I am successful because of my strong opinions and unwillingness to back down from what I believe in, and because of a certain air of mystery about me.


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