"Love Hurts": A Chat With Steven McKinney (Stevie Mac) on His Newest Project

You might be more familiar with Steven McKinney as Stevie Mac, the former frontman of one of Beijing's most iconic bands. However, McKinney's talents don't stop at music; he's also a seasoned actor and a passionate writer. Now, he's taking on an exciting new challenge: playwriting. This April, McKinney will bring Love Hurts to the stage, a collection of six original one-act plays written by him and in which he'll also appear in some of the performances.

Presented by Cozmikk Entertainment in collaboration with the acting troupe Lovers, Liars and Fools, Love Hurts explores the many emotional shades of love through a mix of comedy, drama, suspense and more. We caught up with McKinney to talk about stepping into writing for the stage, where the inspiration for the play came from and what audiences can expect from an evening that promises both heartbreak and laughter.

Where did the inspiration for these stories and this project come from?
Essentially, I just wanted to try something new. Music has been on the back burner for a little while, and I felt like it was a good time to focus more on my writing. I've written film scripts before, but I'd never really challenged myself with stage plays, so I thought I'd give that a shot.

Writing has always been really important to me, honestly, it's right up there with singing and making music. I try to write a little every day, just to be creative. Over time, that turned into six stage play scripts that were reviewed positively by some very knowledgeable peers, which was incredibly encouraging.

I'm really grateful for the opportunity to see these pieces come to life and to share them with an audience.

Can you tell us a bit more about the theme and where the idea for the name Love Hurts came from?
Love Hurts explores the many ways love can be painful. Love doesn't hurt in just one form; it can appear through drama, suspense, comedy and even horror. This collection of plays moves through those different emotional spaces, showing how love can lift us up and break our hearts.  

The theme almost came together by accident. I wrote the plays without really thinking about how they connected, but I started to notice a common thread running through them: love and heartbreak. Even though the plays move across different genres, that emotional core ties them together. The audience can expect to be taken on a bit of an emotional ride, and we truly believe there's something special in the way these stories came together.

Although some key themes are love, loss and heartbreak, there is also some humor as well. Was it important for you to balance the heavier themes with moments of comedy?
We're going to tug at your heartstrings, and we might even spook you a little. The comedy pieces are there to cleanse the proverbial palate and give the audience a chance to simply enjoy a good laugh. There are two comedic plays in the lineup, and I'm really proud of both of them. We've got some great actors in these roles, and we're all excited to perform them for the audience.

Of the six plays in the lineup, is there one that stands out as a personal favorite, or one you're especially excited for audiences to see?
This is all new to me, and I'm excited about all six of the plays. My hope is that the audience really gets drawn into the stories. I want people to enjoy them, to feel something while watching them. At the end of the day, what more can a writer hope for than for their work to be appreciated and enjoyed?

Can you tell us about your collaboration with the acting troupe Lovers, Liars and Fools, and how the troupe influenced the development of the plays in Love Hurts?
I'm an actor in the Lovers, Liars, and Fools (LLF) troupe, which was founded by the incredibly talented actor and director Gregory Joseph Allen. Greg has shown a lot of faith in me, both as an actor and as a writer, and honestly, none of this would be happening without his support and his stamp of approval.

Greg's vision for LLF has never been just about putting on plays; it's about doing them well. He really pushes us to dig into character development and to focus on connecting with the audience in an honest, meaningful way. That kind of environment makes it a great place to grow as a performer and a writer.

Some of the plays were actually written specifically with LLF and our strengths in mind, especially our ability to perform one-act plays. We really thrive on a small stage with limited props, letting the actors carry the storytelling and connect directly with the audience. We have a fantastic cast of actors, directors, and a great production crew. It's truly an honor to have such a talented group of people bringing these scripts to life.

It's been great having a place like LLF where I can express myself creatively. I care deeply about the troupe, and it's been an awesome experience seeing these pieces become part of the Love Hurts showcase.

This production is being presented by Cozmikk Entertainment. Can you tell us a bit more about their involvement?
Cozmikk has actually been involved with LLF almost since day one. Greg is also one of Cozmikk's acting teachers, so there's always been a natural overlap between the company and LLF.

For Love Hurts, Cozmikk is presenting the production and supporting it from the production side, providing rehearsal space, helping with marketing, and giving the show a more formal production structure. Cozmikk's founder, Kent S. Leung, is also serving as an executive producer alongside Greg and has been a longtime supporter of helping the troupe bring our work and vision to the stage.

With three directors involved, how did the directing process work across the different plays?
There was an agreement to share the workload this time. Greg directed the entire show last time, and he wanted the opportunity to step back and act as well. We're fortunate to have some veteran directors, Peter Fox and Richard Tse, in the troupe who really enjoyed the plays and were eager to bring their own directorial vision to the stage. The three directors each took on two plays, choosing the ones they felt most drawn to. It's been great having that diversity of perspective shaping the production.

Finally, what do you hope audiences will take away after watching Love Hurts?
A smile. I want the audience to walk out feeling like they've experienced a whole range of emotions, but in a way that ultimately leaves them happy. If people leave with a smile on their faces, then LLF has done its job well. That's what we're hoping for.

You can find the full lineup of the six plays below:

Part One
1. The Broom Hazard
2. The Wrong Time
3. The Collapse

Part Two
4. The Child
5. Slick Rick
6. Don't Stop Dancing

"Love Hurts" will be taking place at JinShang Yuan's Starlight Lounge on Apr 10, 11, 17 and 18 at 8pm. Tickets are RMB 100 and can be bought by scanning the QR code in the poster above. 

Jinshang Yuan Starlight Lounge
B1/F, Jinshang Yuan, 20, Xinyuan Lixi, Xindong Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区新东路新源里西20号金尚源B1

READ: Events and Happenings in the 'Jing This Weekend (Mar 20-22)

Images: courtesy of Steven McKinney