Co-creator Champagna sits down with writer and fellow creator of Womb Envy to learn more!
Champagna: At the top of the first episode we are introduced to our main character MAX waking up in his own vomit on the bathroom floor at 8 pm. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting the gist that he doesn’t really have his life together. A lil tidbit…WE didn’t really have our lives together when we started collaborating on this show together. Do you think this is a common thread for people approaching their 30’s?
Mark: Yes, I definitely think there is a lot of turmoil involved in that transition of turning 30. You're supposed to be an adult at 30 and I think there can be a bit of a retaliation to that. Almost a rebellion. You don't realize that everything is going to be the same the next day and that 30 is still very young.
There's a lot of 'I should be at this place by now', 'I should have achieved this by now and I haven't'. That can be a hard pill to swallow. It's totally ridiculous, but growing up millennials saw baby boomers owning houses and already having that white picket fence dream by the age of 30. Those milestones aren't realistic by that age anymore and reconciling that fact can often cause people to spiral, possibly into self destructive behaviour. I know that was true for myself!
Champagna: Sometimes in order to move forward, we have to use the past as fuel to get us to the other side. Do you think the nostalgia that comes with that process is inevitably what brought MAGGIE to MAX and is why he agrees to her request?
Mark: I think in times of turmoil it's natural to turn to the familiar, the nostalgic. People often romanticize the past. They forget the reality of the past and can choose to just remember the good. It's why so many couples who break up get back together just to break up again. I think these characters remember the good they shared and believe that will fix them. Their former love will solve all their problems. But they soon find that's not enough. They need to evolve and grow together. They need to take accountability of their current situations instead of just relying on the past.
Champagna: What would you do if you're estranged bestie showed up on your doorstep today with a BIG ASK.
Mark: I would be very wary to be honest. I think that yes, I might feel a sense of obligation due to the amount of time we spent together and the memories we created, what we shared. It would give me pause. I would listen. Hear her out. But at the same time - I'm just a different person. So she wouldn't even be asking the same person she knew. I've moved on from that time, I have lots of wonderful friends who I would do anything for, but I don't know if I would sacrifice much for someone I barely know now. IS THAT BAD??
Champagna: Do you have a “MAGGIE” in your own life that you have abandoned? Mark: Absolutely. Mentioned above. We were best friends in high school. She was one of the first people that knew I was bi...and then gay. She was one of the few people I could even talk to about it. We were basically inseparable. We went to raves together. We made each other laugh hysterically. We used to stand outside of The Barracks (a now closed bathhouse) smoking cigarettes and play "Will he go in the bathhouse?". She helped set me up with the boy who would be my first same sex kiss. She would help me cover up my budding relationship with him, too. It was such a selfish time for me. Everything was about me, and I wasn't always a great friend to her. She let me know that towards the end. And then I made a gay male friend and that was it for her. I started going to gay clubs with him and unfortunately left her behind.
Champagna: where can folks find you on social? Mark: kellerlikehelen on insta/twitter/tik tok
Champagna: What’s a surprising fact your cast mates may not know about you? Mark: I think people would be surprised to learn that I am not gay. Thought I was, but oopsie, we all make mistakes. Ha ha ha. Just kidding. I may seem like your average metropolitan gay writer, but I'm also a thrill seeker!! I have been white water rafting, rock climbing, kayaking with sharks and sting rays, snorkelling the great barrier reef, zip lining, edge walking the CN Tower, and sky diving! I like to maybe die!
To learn more about Womb Envy visit the showpage: https://www.border2border.ca/womb-envy
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