On Commissions – The Hows & The Whys – Discuss

Tis the season for new play commissions in our midst. We’ve launched 5 of them with Locally Grown, and we’re soon to be ushering in a 6th with the world premiere comedy, ELECTILE DYSFUNCTION, THE KINSEY SICKS FOR PRESIDENT which begins performances, believe it or not, next Saturday, February 4th, only a few days after the world premiere production of Renee Calarco’s THE RELIGION THING comes to a close (Sunday, after the 7:30 show). Last night, students from UM, UC, and ND (that’s the Fighting Irish) saw another world premiere new play commission, this time at Ford’s Theatre for Richard Hellesen’s NECESSARY SACRIFICES.

The question we’re going to ask of our commissioned playwrights, our new play development staff — both at Theater J and perhaps elsewhere in the city, and the country as well, is “why commission?” What’s perilous about it for a theater? What’s wonderful about it for a theater?

How’s it an albatross of pressure and over-direction for a playwright? And why’s it wonderful for a playwright?

How does a commission work? And in those rare cases, how does a commission NOT work!?

We’ll do a shout-out for responses and post herein and below in the comments. Respond away!

Week #3 of Locally Grown Readings: COLD NOVEMBER LIGHT and the Completion of THE PROSTATE DIALOGUES

Fascinating unfoldings on Monday and Tuesday of this most recent week of “Locally Grown” readings. Let’s hear from those who attended COLD NOVEMBER LIGHT by Stephen Spottswood.

Christopher Sellers (stage directions), John Lescault (Harry), and Gwen Grastorf (Gwen) in COLD NOVEMBER LIGHT.

We’ve received two interesting, contrasting readings of Stephen’s play from students in our “Theater of Politics/The Politics of Theater” course. COLD NOVEMBER LIGHT is a play that moves backwards in time and the simple question asked during the talk-back was, “what’s the function of such a reverse-action structure in a two-character play like this?” That question led to some insightful reflection as the night went on — a play that BEGINS with a bittersweet leave-taking between friends who’ve clearly had a positive impact on each other but are, nonetheless, saying goodbye to each other… (why must they part?, we wonder) and then we move forward in theater time while backwards in story-time to find out how difficult Harry, a largely autistic, genius painter, turns out to be and how uncivil so much of his interaction with his wheelchair-bound model, Gwen, turns out to be. But as the play unfolds, are we monitoring, or actively engaged in trying to deduce the answer to a Larger Dramatic Question hanging over the action? One student below is entirely captivated. Another less so, but still appreciative of much of the work. So what’s next for the playwright and the play? Stay tuned.

We look forward to more comments once others have caught up with the script.

Jon Spelman in THE PROSTATE DIALOGUES.

The night after COLD NOVEMBER LIGHT reading, we shared the complete version of Jon Spelman’s THE PROSTATE DIALOGUES. The play, presented so auspiciously as a 50 minute excerpt on January 10 (see the wonderful comments here), allowed itself to become a much fuller experience clocking in at 120 minutes, not counting the 10 minute intermission. And so the evening, the 2nd of 4 presentations, became a very useful experiment where we found a kind of “law of diminishing returns” for a piece that needs to be more tightly focussed on the narrator’s journey in order to make its most effective point. Material that played brilliantly at the 30 minute mark on january 10, did less well at the 55 minute mark. Fascinating how a play will reveal its vulnerabilities — its true structure — through trial and error — through bold (and sometimes fool-hearty) experimentation, we find the truest shape of a play and intuit a journey, both for character, artist, and audience. We’re on that wonderful road of discovery now with Jon. Come back on Sunday February 12 or 19 at 5 pm for the more-perfect-length (which is to say 60-80 minute journey) version. As the work goes on…

Not Everything is Solved With a Treenorah

Shirley here.

While we’ve been blogging a lot about THE RELIGION THING, we’ve stayed sort of quiet about, well, the religion thing.

Be assured, the play’s look at interfaith families has not gone unnoticed–either by us or in the press. The review in the Washington Blade starts with the line “They say couples who share the same faith stay together longer.” Reviewer Patrick Folliard is likely referencing this potentially controversial op-ed. But more on that later.

Rebecca Ritzel of the Washington City Paper found herself reflecting on her own blended family after watching the play, “I’d argue that for theatergoers—like me—whose families have found a way to blend their faiths for the sake of sanity, THE RELIGION THING offers a communal evening of comic relief. And so I endorsed the show to a skeptical cousin. “I don’t need to see that play; I’m living it,” she said. Then I told her about the scene (recounted in one fantasy sequence, with Mo wearing a negligee) where an ignorant Catholic wife accidentally sets a Menorah on fire during Passover. “Now that,” said my cousin, coming around, “that sounds pretty funny.” (A side note–Mo, the Catholic in question, displays the menorah after observing a Passover display at Whole Foods stocked with piles of Channukah candles. Think something like that could never happen? Think again.)

But you can't light candy canes...

Last weekend we hosted a series of discussions addressing the topic of interfaith couples and blended families. One of our guests was Susan Katz Miller, a writer who blogs about interfaith identity at her own site, and for the Huffington Post. Susan is a great writer and a compelling panelist, and we’re pleased any time she can join us. She’s started an interesting dialogue about the relationship at the center of the play over on her blog.

Ari is Interesting!

Grace here. Just wanted to share some pretty snazzy news about our fearless leader, Mr. Ari Roth, who was named one of the Top 10 Most Interesting Jews by Washington Jewish Week. Check out his most memorable Jewish experience of 2011….

More on THE RELIGION THING; and an interview with the playwright

This blog entry comes to us from Frank Disalvo, a Theater J Literary Intern and MFA Playwriting Candidate at Catholic University. Frank served as dramaturg on Theater J’s production of THE RELIGION THING.

The first duty of a dramaturg working on a new play is to explain to everyone else what a dramaturg does (ha, ha, yeah, ahem–that’s a little dramaturgy humor there). The second duty is for the dramaturg to keep his eyes on the text, working with the playwright to help develop the piece, and with the actors to help them better understand the world of the play (through research, images, and conversation.)

I sat down with the playwright to talk about her new play, and how Theater J has worked with her over the past year and a half to develop it. I also took it as an opportunity to just talk about the play itself, as dramaturgs are wont to do.

The cast of THE RELIGION THING. Photo by Colin Hovde.

The Play (or, “Why You Have No Excuse Not To See This”)

THE RELIGION THING deals with weighty topics including, but not limited to, religion (as you may have inferred from the title) and politics. As you watch the show, though, you will discover that our playwright never takes an opportunity to comment on her characters, or to inject her opinion into the play. Calarco, an award-winning D.C. playwright, says “I don’t have an agenda with this play. I didn’t want to reveal what my religion is, or what my political opinions are.” In the end, this makes THE RELIGION THING a much more complex and thought-provoking play, leaving the audience with a lot to sort out for themselves.

THE RELIGION THING is a case study on personal identity rather than any kind of argument for or against religious belief. Calarco shows how religion and faith not only affect the relationship between a person and his or her God, but also between a person and their own sense of self. Throughout the play we see conflicts that are created because characters’ religious beliefs–or lack thereof–clash with their past, or their future.

Okay, you caught me–if it sounds like I am being laughably vague, it’s because I am–THE RELIGION THING is not only a thematically deep play that will no doubt spark lengthy discussions (I suggest you and your fellow play-goers plan to spend a few hours at coffee shop or bar after the show), but it is also equal parts character-driven and plot-driven, with plenty of twists and surprises.

Mo and Brian are our main protagonists of the play. A successful D.C. couple, she’s a quick-thinking lawyer with a sharp tongue and he’s a laid-back lobbyist who is a little lost in life. When Mo’s friend Patti mentions that she and her husband Jeff are thinking of having a baby, it sets something off in Mo and the arguing begins.

“I’m tired of waiting for you, Brian,” Mo says mid-way through the first act, when the two are alone. “I am not waiting until I’m 40 [to have kids].”

“So the religion thing is what?” replies Brian. (Hey, that’s the title of the play!)

“The religion thing” is a point of contention that Mo and Brian have been avoiding confronting for their entire four years of marriage. You see, Mo is Roman Catholic (“lapsed Catholic,” points out Brian) and Brian is Jewish (“You haven’t set foot in a synagogue since I’ve known you,” Mo shoots back at him).

Neither of them is particularly religious. And yet, neither is willing to budge when it comes to “the religion thing.”

“Our children are not being raised Catholic,” Brian says sternly.

“What, you want them to be raised Jewish?” asks Mo, though the disbelief in her voice shows it’s not really a question.

This is where THE RELIGION THING is at its most engaging and thought-provoking. Faith isn’t so important to Mo and Brian–what their kids “believe,” matters of heaven and hell, and spirituality aren’t the point. The real issue here is identity. While Brian hasn’t been to a Kol Nidre service in eight years and Mo only goes to Mass on Christmas Eve, they both still identify strongly with the religion with which they were raised; neither would consider converting.

What makes this situation so difficult for us as the audience is that we can see that Mo and Brian are perfect for each other in every other way. They way they can riff off of each other and trade lighthearted insults can only be described as endearing. But Calarco gives us no easy outs – and she refuses to show us her judgments of the characters in the play.

“What do you hope happens to Mo and Brian after the end of the play?” I ask her eagerly, hoping she’ll give me some solace after the uncertainty of the play’s final scene.

“I think they’re doing what they should be doing at that moment in time,” she responds with a slight smile. Well, I suppose I can read whatever I want into that. Thanks, Renee.

Jeff and Patti, the other couple in THE RELIGION THING, have similar problems, but from a totally different perspective: both are born-again Christians who make faith central to their lives. As Patti reveals in the first scene, they are planning to begin a family soon. But both are dealing with issues from their past which threaten to disrupt not only their marriage, but their beliefs about who they are. Both of them cling to their faith, but both of their pasts come into conflict with their present lives. These issues of faith even threaten to end Mo and Patti’s nearly two-decade friendship.

Calarco presents religion and faith at an individual level, exploring how each person finds faith, or uses it to define themselves. Another playwright might slip in hints as to what their opinion is, or resolve things neatly so that we can see who is “right” and who is “wrong” at the end. But Calarco does none of that. Instead we get a story that is much more natural, more human, and more moving.

Liz Mamana and Chris Stezin (Photo by Colin Hovde)

Origins (or, “Theater J Questions Title, Gives Playwright Key to Play)

THE RELIGION THING has a long and storied past. Okay, maybe not that storied, but it’s been in development since 2004, when it was in a completely different form. At that time, the play, then called Good Counsel, was only ten minutes long “and was not quite a play, but not a sketch.” After being heard at the Source Theatre Company’s 10-Minute Play Competition and at Page-To-Stage at the Kennedy Center in 2004, the playwright began to think of expanding the piece. “The characters were telling me they wanted to be in a bigger play,” she says. “I felt like they had more to say.”

‘The Hampton Years’ – First Full Length Play Presentation in Locally Grown Festival – Hits a Homer!

Jacqueline Lawton’s The Hampton Years explores the relationship between art professor Viktor Lowenfeld and his students, John Biggers and Samella Lewis. The commissioned work underwent 4 major drafts before its first airing Monday night in the Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater. What revelation and what a break through! It’s a play about being black and being an artist, being a Jewish refugee and pouring one’s love of art into one’s teaching. It’s about artists wishing each other well even as competition becomes inevitable. It’s a play about power and student activism during wartime written with generosity and little rancor. It’s a play about art history that speaks to our moment.

Let’s hear from more students from the Universities of Michigan, California at Berkeley, and Notre Dame, all in DC for the semester doing internships on Capital Hill by day, and taking a political theater elective course once a week at night. Attending the Locally Grown Festival readings is one of the extra assignments. Let’s see how this struck them… and you!

Locally Grown Readings Are Launched!

An inspiring double-bill tonight — MARRIED SEX by Laura Zam and THE PROSTATE DIALOGUES by Jon Spelman. Some amazing revelations.
Soon to post any number of responses. Share your thoughts about these intensely rich, very personal works. On Facebook, my friend
Tim Christensen writes:

These were two one-person, author-read readings about very intimate subjects. Totally riveting, so personal, and I would describe them as autobiographical documentaries as opposed to plays. I’m wondering if Ari Roth disagrees. I hope to see them again when they’re finalized.

I’d say I agree and disagree. They were intensely autobiographical documentaries. AND they were terrific plays in the making, soon to be shared as fuller-length events when they’re presented individually later in the Festival (check the website for various performance times).

What’s the distinction between a “documentary” for the stage and a play? Between story and play? Looking forward to reactions…

Locally Grown & The State of DC Theater (in The Post)

Everyone’s talking about the unprecedented consideration that The Washington Post Sunday Arts section has given to The State of DC Theater in a series of about 10 different articles. Here’s a link to the lead piece. The article points to our festival in an interesting way, suggesting that attention be paid to the experiment; to the investment being made on a new work written by a local author, with talent, time and resources being lavished on material whose pedigree we’d more regularly associate with “Fringe” or “workshop presentation.” THE RELIGION THING is occupying a major space in our season and the New Play Development efforts surrounding it and the 5 Locally Grown rehearsed readings have, necessarily, focussed us a theater toward the local, and away from a more comprehensive canvassing of new national offerings (although we have had two great Tea @ Two readings this fall featuring two hot plays on the national circuit — OUR SUBURB by Darrah Cloud (an homage to OUR TOWN) and BROKE by Janece Shaffer).

Are we doing the right thing? Is The Post right, in its showcasing of DC Playwrights, that what we really need next, in this theater town, is an aesthetic, and a series of voices, that really express who we are as a capital city; as a fusion of specific neighborhoods and communities?

What are your thoughts about the maturation of the DC theater community and the weekend’s coverage?

Talking Back to THE RELIGION THING After First Two Previews

450 people have seen THE RELIGION THING after two Pay-What-You-Can previews. Who’d ‘a thunk a local play by a no-name playwright would draw a Sold Out audience on a night when we didn’t even run a Guide ad in the Post? We’re all thrilled with the community’s interest in what we’re cooking up. Better yet, we’re thrilled about the feedback — the intense discussions this play’s been spawning.
It’s time to start posting responses from those who’ve seen the show. It’ll come from students, from regulars, and from new folks to our theater, and it’ll come from friends in the industry. We’re gonna get a lot or responses. Here’s the first. And they’ll continue in the Comments section below. Respond away, friends! We couldn’t be happier about the range and passion of the responses so far.

From: Joshua Greene
Sent: Wednesday, January 04, 2012 11:00 PM
To: Tell Ari
Subject: Thank You

Dear Ari,

Thank you for bringing The Religion Thing to performance. This is a remarkably skillful play that addresses taboo subjects in a way that the audience can appreciate. I’m sorry we couldn’t stay for the discussion, but the three in our party loved it and the performers.

My one comment (apart from the very sharp transitions between humor and serious discussions) was that the Catholic girl seemed, stylistically, more Jewish (in a typically Ashkenazic way) than her Jewish husband (who seemed far too calm and reserved for the Jews we know). Could that be what attracts them, at least in the playwright’s mind: that the guy (who probably threw spitballs in religious school) is more comfortable with an excitable (translation: Ashkenazic Jewish) woman than a calm (translation: non-Jewish) one?

Thanks again for bringing this show to stage.

* * *

Tell us your thoughts!

‘Tis a New Year and a New Festival Sprouts Forth (PWYC’s Start Tonight!)

Happy New Year, People! There’s a lot of good stuff going on!!! The press is welcoming a brand new festival with very generous interest and we’re thrilled for the light being shined on local playwrights in our brand new LOCALLY GROWN Festival!

So here’s the first of three wonderful features, and more’s a coming. But first, the important plug:

Pay-What-You-Can Previews Start Tonight for Renee Calarco’s wonderful world premiere, THE RELIGION THING. Read all about it everywhere!

Here’s the first piece, in today’s Backstage column of The Washington Post:

Unfaithful
“The Religion Thing” is the inaugural play in Theater J’s “Locally Grown” festival, featuring work by D.C. area playwrights. The show, which opens Wednesday, focuses on two couples: one an interfaith husband and wife and the other their longtime friend, a recent born-again Christian, and her new honey, whom she met at a church mixer. The evangelicals are devout in their devotion to both God and each other.

Chris Stezin, plays “a non-observant Jewish guy married to a lapsed Catholic,” half of a couple who, as they age, “begin to miss the rituals of their childhoods and, I think, the substance that observing those rituals lends. . . . They try to navigate this minefield.”

Renee Calarco, the playwright, described herself as “Jewish and somewhat observant. . . . My mother is Jewish. My father was Catholic and he converted before marrying my mother. So half of my extended family is Catholic.
“Oddly enough it’s been a defining thing in my life. . . . How do you relate as a Jew in a Christian world? (read more here)”

Next great feature is in today’s Washington Jewish Week.

Participating in community-supported agriculture programs during the spring and summer growing season has become a popular way to eat healthy and subsidize local farms. At the Washington DC Jewish Community Center and synagogues throughout the region, weekly boxes of fresh vegetables and fruits arrive ready to savor during peak months from May through September. Why not, asked Ari Roth, artistic director of the center’s Theater J, and Shirley Serotsky, director of literary and public programs, support locally grown theater as well.

“There’s a precedent here at the DCJCC with the farm-share program,” Serotsky noted last week, “so it felt right to look at the JCC involvement with the locally grown movement and explore how it might work with theater artists.”

Locally Grown: Community-Supported Art From Our Own Garden is the result: a brand-new theater festival that shines a spotlight on Washington, D.C., metropolitan area playwrights, and includes a world-premiere mainstage production by the District’s Renee Calarco, along with a series of staged readings that run in repertory through Feb. 13. Altogether six playwrights will receive opportunities to share works in progress, develop new ideas or fine tune not-yet-produced works.

Read more here

And one last feature in Playbill.com.

Happy Preview!