Leading up to the CARRIE Philadelphia premiere, we'll be checking in with members of the cast and creative team to offer a behind-the-scenes look at Brat's upcoming theatrical event. This month, we talked with playwright Erik Jackson about his play and how he got Stephen King to personally approve his wild script. Read on...

Q. How did you secure the rights to mine Carrie for all of its comedic glory? –What about that 6-page letter that you wrote to King do you think really sold it to him?

A.  When I first approached him about adapting a non-musical, comic version of his novel, his reps were not keen on the idea, citing the ignominious fate of the Broadway musical version of 1980 (it didn't do so well). But they cc'd King on their rejection letter to me, and a couple of weeks later, I received a follow-up note from them saying he wanted to hear more. So I poured my guts into a pitch that detailed my game plan to tell his story in a style of heartfelt camp, staying true to the core but tweaking and heightening everything, pushing it into comic territory. I guess he liked what he read, because he gave me six months to deliver a script to him and when I did, he gave it the thumbs up and emailed me to say he thought it was "terrific." That was an awfully good day for me.

Q.  I understand that your adaptation of Carrie has only been performed off-Broadway at PS122 as a Theatre Couture production. What about Brat Productions or Philadelphia, do you think, lends itself as a prime stomping ground for this upcoming production of “Carrie”?  

A. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Carrie's director, Michael Alltop, and Brat Productions through a mutual friend when Michael was looking for a writer on another project. I sent him Carrie so he could get a sense of my writing, and he dug it. I began to learn more about the company and really admired the excellent, adventurous work they were doing. And there were some weird similarities between my previous work and Brat's that made it all seem like kismet. (The most recent example: One of my earlier plays, produced Off Broadway, was an Edgar Allan Poe-inspired comedy called Tell-Tale, and Brat had a huge success with their Haunted Poe last year. Clearly, we both like our American authors and scary subject matter.) I can't wait to see what they do with Carrie. Michael has let slip a few things already that have made my jaw drop. 

Q. In what ways has having Carrie White played by a male actor in drag changed the story or propelled the production, in your mind? –Also, was a female Carrie ever under consideration? Why or why not?

A. Having a male actor in drag as Carrie immediately gives the audience permission to laugh. At its core, King's novel is a pretty brutal tale--a girl gets her period in public, is taunted and abused at school by her classmates and at home by her mother, then kills almost her whole town in revenge. Laugh riot, right? But somehow, having the lead character played by a dude in a dress lends a cathartic lightness to the story in spite of the seriousness, and sets the right tone for all my comic liberties. I also feel that Carrie is, at its heart, the story of the ultimate outcast, and in America today, the sight of a cross-dressed man pushes all sorts of buttons. So you might read a sociopolitical allegory into the concept if you squint real hard. But that's probably not good for your eyes.

Q. What about Stephen King’s “Carrie” do you think lends itself to the more playful, comedic side that your adaptation obviously takes?

A. King's work certainly has humor, and I think he must have recognized a kindred spirit in my twisted humor, or at least was willing to gamble that when we smacked his sensibility and my sensibility together, something interesting would result. I didn't just want to write a parody, because I love the characters and story too much to simply mock them. I thought it would be more interesting to deliver laughs, yes, but also to touch on the inherent heart in the piece. High school is such an intense crucible—all the raging hormones, the mini societies, the budding power plays. In retrospect, it's hysterical, but in the moment, the high-school experience for many can be as horrifying as one of King's monsters. Also, have you read about all the bullying going on in schools these days? Heck, it was on the cover of People Magazine a couple of months ago. Three and a half decades may have passed since King wrote Carrie, but its themes are more relevant than ever. 

Q. In the exclusive interview you did with Rocky Wood of HorrorKing.com in 2006, you mention that you hoped Stephen King would attend one of the off-Broadway performances of the show. Did Mr. King get a chance to see the show? If so, could you speak about that a little.

A. Are you kidding? You've seen how many books that guy pumps out--he apparently doesn't get up from the typewriter. Unfortunately, he didn't make it to the show, though virtually every member of his core team did--his attorney, who has been an amazing champion of the show, his agents, publishers, editors, you name it. They all told me they relayed good reports to him, so who knows--when you're at Brat's production, take a good look at the man in the seat next to you. It could be Steve.