What happens when the line between reality and illusion begins to blur, and the life we believe we know becomes a mystery? In Delete Me, playwright Maria Koronellou explores love, loneliness, and the fragile nature of identity through Elliot, a man who no longer remembers the life he once knew. Blending psychological suspense with questions that invite multiple interpretations, the play challenges audiences to consider how much of our identity is shaped by the stories we tell ourselves. We spoke with Koronellou about the creative journey behind Delete Me, crafting uncertainty onstage, and the role of the Circle Theater Festival in nurturing original work and sustaining the independent theatre ecosystem.
1. What inspired you to write Delete Me, and how did the initial idea evolve into a psychological drama that explores a life its male central character, Elliot, no longer remembers?
I was very interested in exploring how far someone might go to be happy, and how feeling deeply lost might lead them to escape reality. What brings someone to that point? Is it even a conscious choice? Those questions made me want to play with the boundaries between reality and illusion.
Through Elliot, those ideas became a very intimate story about love, loneliness, and the life he longs for. As his world becomes uncertain to him, it becomes uncertain to the audience, too. Everyone may interpret what they see differently, and that’s something I find fascinating.
2. As a playwright, how did you approach building suspense and creating an atmosphere of uncertainty in Delete Me? What do you hope audiences will question about themselves or their own understanding of identity after experiencing the play?
It was very important to me that the characters’ actions remain meaningful, even when the audience isn’t sure what to believe. I built a clear background for each character and knew what they wanted, why they wanted it, and what they were trying to achieve in each moment.
I kept returning to the question, “Who is pursuing whom?” That helped me explore the shifting balance between them while keeping their intentions clear to me as I wrote.
I hope audiences leave wondering how much of who we are comes from the stories we tell ourselves, what we hold on to because it defines us, and how willing we are to question something that gives us comfort. But there’s no single right answer, and that’s the beauty of the play—it leaves room for interpretation.
3. What has being part of the Circle Theater Festival meant to you as an artist, and how do festivals like this contribute to the larger independent theatre ecosystem, creating opportunities for original work to develop and reach new audiences?
Being part of the Circle Theater Festival has given me the opportunity to bring my writing into a room with other artists and discover what happens when it becomes a shared creation. As both the playwright and an actor in Delete Me, that has been especially meaningful. I know the characters from writing them, but watching another actor bring their own understanding to a role opens up things I couldn’t have discovered alone.
Festivals like this give original work a place to begin. Independent artists need opportunities to put a story on its feet, learn from an audience, and build relationships with collaborators. For me, this experience is a chance to grow as a writer and performer while sharing a story I care deeply about.
Delete Me is a part of the Circle Theatre Festival.
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Editorial by Malini Singh McDonald.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on October 26, 2026. All rights reserved.