The Developmental and Emotional Journey of Bear Trap Garden From Proposal to Production

Author

• Mikayla Delos-Santos, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

5-1-2026

Degree Name

Master of Fine Arts

Department

Theater

First Advisor

Juntunen, Jacob

Abstract

Beginning with the conception of an idea and ending with a three-year reflection, this thesis outlines the creation of a full-length play: Bear Trap Garden by Mikayla Delos-Santos, which will have a production with the School of Theatre and Dance at Southern Illinois University Carbondale on April 23-26, 2026. Bear Trap Garden is a dystopian crime drama that takes place in a matriarchal society in the distant future. Emme, a bright and eager sixteen-year- old volunteers in the boys’ school. She meets Elliot, a boy who was raised outside the system by his mother, now dead, and his father, now missing. In her search for answers, identity, and equality, Emme discovers dark truths about both the world that surrounds her and the world that came before her. Bear Trap Garden is inspired by the Korean feminist movement, the 4B Movement, books such as Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Pamela Sargent’s The Shore of Women, as well as various plays and films.Chapter 1 outlines the prewriting stage and play proposal. Chapter 2 breaks down the workshopping process and the revising that was done between table reads. It also details many of the challenges I faced as I worked on Bear Trap Garden. Chapter 3 focuses on the preproduction process including my experiences working with the play’s director, auditions and callbacks, production meetings, and rehearsals. Chapter 4 includes a reflection on my time in the MFA Playwriting program, the three plays I wrote, and what I learned from each of them.