So much goes into the making of a play. From conception to production — and all the twists and turns in between — the willingness to bend and change with the living, breathing work makes all the difference.

In her new show, “All She Must Possess,” UMBC assistant professor Susan McCully explores the lives of Baltimore’s Cone sisters, Etta and Claribel, who together built an impressive collection of more than 3,000 pieces of art, including 500 by Henri Matisse. The show, which recently closed out its world premiere at The Rep Stage in Columbia, MD, was part of the 2018 Women’s Voices Theater Festival.

UMBC senior theatre design and production major Isabelle Tabet interviewed McCully about the genesis of “All She Must Possess,” and what it was like to watch her play take shape on the stage.

Below: Photos of “All She Must Possess” by Katie Simmons-Barth, courtesy of Rep Stage.