Playbill | About the Playwright

Wyat Hamilton is a senior majoring in civil engineering, intending to pursue a career in railroad engineering. He’s done almost everything that there is to do in theatre from acting in University Theatre’s The Institute, helping out with sets and costumes for several productions, directing the performance component of UT and Alpha Psi Omega’s end-of-year award show, to participating in the Student Musical Committee as part of UT’s season selection process, his proudest contribution. Wyat’s play Lethean received an honorable mention with the 2022-23 Creative Artist Award. He currently serves as secretary of Alpha Psi Omega, the theatre honors society on campus.

Teletype is a play about a lot of things and likewise inspired by many things. Perhaps the best summation is that it’s a play about loyalty. Loyalty to a purpose and commission to serve as leaders, loyalty to friends, loyalty to institutions, what choices people make when their loyalty is betrayed, and a warning against blind loyalty. [At its foundation], Teletype was inspired by the 2022-2023 academic year at NC State, with many tragedies that weighed heavy on students, and the institutional response that was found lacking. It is set in the 1969-1970 academic year due to the divisive nature of the times and challenges of the day. West Virginia was chosen because of the availability of information on student life and activities during the Vietnam War, mostly via a West Virginia University Library article on the topic. The injustices are based on real events, but the choices of the characters are a call to improve.