First-Person: Jonathan Fournier on Miner Inconvenience (Fringe)

Staging a Disaster

Fiddling with Miners

by Jonathan Fournier

THE IDEA

The idea to write about a pack of trapped miners did not come from my head, nor my heart. It was thrust upon me in the form of a small school assignment in the Fall of 2010. "Write two pages - in any style/format - about the Chilean Mining accident". I procrastinated and procrastinated... What did I have to say about a bunch of miners trapped in a cave? It seemed so distant, a world away. But it really isn't.

I finally squeaked out two pages, in which a few miners lament that they're going to miss out on their dreams because they're stuck in a cave. I realized that there was something relatable about this after all. Few people will experience being stuck in a cave, but haven't we all had times where we worried about not being able to achieve our dreams? We've all felt "trapped" in bad situations at one time or another and it can be just as demoralizing as being trapped in a literal cave. Maybe your "cave-in" is that you can't afford school or that you're an anglo in a francophone province. This is the hook of the miners' story and this is what made me continue with it outside of class.

The Upstage Interview: Jonathan Fournier and Santiago Espinosa on Miner Inconvenience

they were on the edge; they have no safe place to go to; and were forced to put up with each other

Upstage and CharPo contributor Sarah Deshaies  spoke with writer/director Jonathan Fournier and actor Santiago Espinosa about Miner Inconvenience. Below is an abridged version edited by Estelle Rosen, CharPo Editor-in-Chief.

UPSTAGE: We were talking about the Chilean miners; was that the inspiration for you to write this story?

FOURNIER:  Yes it was. We were given an assignment in an English class in 2010 to write about the Chilean miners. I wrote about two pages but I wanted to see if I could make it into a play.

UPSTAGE: What was it that made you want to continue to make it into a full length play?

FOURNIER: Well I guess because they were on the edge; they have no safe place to go to; and were forced to put up with each other. Not always a fun situation.