Full Frontal … does the phrase alone make you curious?  Are you wondering what could possibly be going on here? Two simple words which can conjure up so many things. Does “full frontal” always need to be about nudity? In the case of Eddie Antar’s new work FULL FRONTAL – A Naked Exploration of Sex and Sexuality the answer is quite possibly no.  In this group of five short plays “that lay bare our most primal desire” Antar is more interested in exposing people’s feelings, motivations, and inner intuitions about sex and sexuality.  Settle in with this concept for a minute and it doesn’t take long to understand that sometimes it’s easier to bare your body than it is to bare your emotions.

“It’s a vertical journey through the stages of maturity,” says Antar. “It starts with two late teen fumbling through the awkwardness of “First Time” and ends with a middle aged Jewish woman musing about why she was transfixed by the site a young Latino on the subway platform.

“But it also moves horizontally: Two young office workers who kiss on impulse but refuse to be labeled, a young man who can’t sustain a marriage working overtime to cover up the real object of his desire and a sexually free bodhisattva rambling explicitly in the car back seat while a middle aged couple whose sex life has grinded to a halt sit in the front.”

I had to know more!

So, Eddie Antar – you’ve got five short plays all about sex seen through some very different eyes. Were all of these conceived of as short plays as we’ll see them at The Workshop or were some of these originally intended to be longer shows?

EA: No. All were conceived as short plays. When I get an idea I almost immediately decide whether it will be a short play or a full length.

The five scenes take us from a fumbling first time couple all the way though to an older woman who experiences sex in a new way after she’s long past menopause. In between there are a few different scenarios that deal with the fluidity of sexuality. How personal are these stories? Or are they simply universal?

EA:  Wow. I guess you’re asking me to go Full Frontal. Well, both. My own first few sexual encounters were filled with awkward scenes that included ”missing the target”, “what does this do?” and even failure to launch. I was the last of my friends to be “made” and all of them talked like sexpert Valentinos who hit it out of the park first at bat. It took years (and some therapy) to understand that they were probably stretching the truth, to say the least. As for the other stories, I think they do send universal messages in a sense because they deal with the dilemmas we encounter in the sexual arena… same sex attraction from (or to) a buddy, the friend who has no verbal filter, fear of being outed (outing having many variations) and so on.

Two of the plays deal with same-sex attraction – one male, one female. Each gender reacts quite differently to the realization that their sexuality may be more elastic than they would have others believe. Talk a little about highlighting each side of that spectrum – and do you think your plays would have worked if the genders were reversed?

EA: I think they would be very different plays if I reversed the genders of those two plays. Two dudes has a quality, a bro energy that, according to the accepted boundaries, never cross into romantic attraction. As a writer, I get aroused by those possibilities. (Yes, word chosen intentionally.)

I believe that the women deal with that fluidity easier. Same sex experimentation is more common. So I just took it beyond something fleeting to the possibility of choosing it as a life style.

With the girls’ story, I also wanted to deal with “Impulse Attraction”, straights that suddenly find themselves turned on by a same- gendered person. They’re not gay, but they’re not sure what to call it. So they refuse to label it.

As you assembled your team of actors was there any trepidation on their part to embrace their roles? Any moments of hesitation or confusion?

EA: Yes! Totally. First, trepidation on my part, especially in the first story. And especially in a very intimate space like the Jewel Box. In fact the actress we wound up casting asked “How are you going to stage this?!?” And waited for my reply before she would audition. B.T.dubs, no worries from the guys. Typical, right? Yet, I’ve seen guys freeze up with the material as well when asked to bare that much soul. (Yes, word bare chosen intentionally.)

Leslie, my director and I had many conversation about how to keep the actors safe and feeling respected, BUT also adhering to the truth of the moment. We didn’t want to pan away. Especially emotionally.

Out of the five plays, what do you like best about each one?

EA: For the kids in the car, I like how it shows a side of that act we hardly see, mixed with the expectations we tend to have.

With the two woman on the roof, the courage it takes to refuse to be labeled.

With the free spirit in the back seat, the unforeseen balm that can occur from an innocent, unplanned, unwelcomed event.

With the two guys on the train, the private moment in a public space. And, the mystery of a stranger who can read truth into a situation that those involved can’t see.

With the middle aged woman, the mental collage effect of jumping from one trajectory to another, yet ending up at the same destination by the end.

As a reviewer I often see shows where there’s flat out gratuitous nudity. Sometimes it serves the plot, other times it’s merely a device to get bigger audiences. In your plays, however, it’s obvious that your characters are getting a lot more naked – but it’s all emotional. Tell me, if done correctly, what emotions will be out there – bare – on the stage the night of your show?

EA:  Courage, awkwardness, embarrassment, fear, bravado, and balls… to name a few.

 In a similar vein, while you were putting together a show about sexuality was there any thought about writing one of the scenes as a full-frontal nude scene? Just a “let’s get this over with” kind of tactic?

EA: I wrote the pieces separately thinking that they might show up in some one act festival (which, by the way, this is not) which usually means small venues. I just wouldn’t want to do that to an actor in that setting unless it was totally justified.

Now a days there are so many more sexualities that are being discussed – even “bi-sexual” doesn’t cover it all in a world where there are those who identify as pan-sexual, gender queer and even finer gradations such as Sapiosexual and Demisexual. Do you think as you continue to write plays will you perhaps focus on these areas as well?

EA: Yes. Not that I’m aware of all the terms you’ve listed, but I do see Full Frontal growing to include more subjects. I’m currently toying with a transgender piece.

In fact, when published, the collection will contain stories not included in the current show.

Even as your characters are exploring or questioning their sexual emotions, identities and natures, overall these five plays give a rather positive message. We know that when dealing with sexuality this is not always the case – not even if the battle is within oneself. So I’m wondering – was there a play that had a darker message that didn’t make the final cut? Or do you think it would have felt out of place among these five stories?

I have one short play that is about a major league baseball star that sexually abused a mentally challenged boy when they were teenagers. It’s a play a love but it didn’t quite fit the evening format. I have other ideas that might lead to darker places, but for now I wanted to deal with stuff general public might relate to.

If you were doing an interview on a morning talk show and could magically bring one of your characters to life from the play to come sit with you and field questions, which character would you take with you – and why?

Wow. I think I would pick Ellenore, the middle aged Jewish woman who had the courage to follow her impulses without knowing why.

–

Thanks, Eddie Antar!  We can’t wait to see this fantastic set of short plays.  For the rest of you – see below for more details.  See you at the show!

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FULL FRONTAL
A Naked Exploration of Sex and Sexuality
Written by: Eddie Antar
Directed by: Leslie Kincaid Burby

April 3, 2014 – April 12, 2014

WorkShop Theater Company – Jewel Box Theater
312 W. 36th Street
4th floor
New York, NY 10018

Click HERE to purchase tickets

PARENTAL ADVISORY: FULL FRONTAL contains sexually explicit language and is not recommended for anyone under 16 years of age.

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There’s a terrific moment in Eddie Antar’s The Navigator when main character, Dave, is beginning to realize the true capabilities of his GPS system.  Not only did the soothing female voice guide him to the proper exit, but she (albeit a bit cryptically) pointed him toward a great stock tip, gave him some advice on how to discipline his daughter, and – if that wasn’t enough –  anticipated a huge accident and directed him off the highway in the nick of time.  Not quite sure how it’s all working, Dave says “I like having answers but… how do I know what the questions are?”

And that’s really the heart of the this little gem of a play:  getting the right answers to some questions? That’s good … great, even.  But if you’re going to have the equivalent of a Magic Eight Ball that’s omniscient at your disposal, you need to know which questions to ask … because if you’re not being selective about the questions, you’ll be tempted to ask that voice everything.  Soon you’ll find you’ve given up the very thing that make you human: choosing.  Failing.  Getting back up again. What The Navigator does, and does wonderfully, is show the initial seduction, the subsequent joy, and the ultimate frustration of always knowing the next decision you make is absolutely the right one no matter how crazy it sounds.

Kelly Anne Burns, Joseph Franchini, and Nicole Taylor in The Navigator (Photo credit Gerry Goodstein)

When we first meet Dave (played by Joseph Franchini) he is driving home from a job interview, freaking out.  He hasn’t worked in six months and really needs the job.  Moreover, he’s on the phone with his friend and stockbroker, Al (Michael Gnat) trying to come to grips with the fact that he just lost a bundle on a bad stock.  ”How did this happen?” he wails.  He seems to use the specious logic that just knowing why he lost all that money will somehow have it all make sense to him.  Of course, this is nothing more than the desperate ramblings of a man at the end of his financial rope; knowing won’t put the money back in his pocket.   But, as The Navigator proves over and over, to a man like Dave – sometimes being sure that something will work is better than understanding why it will.

Dave could be any one of us these days. A stretch of bad luck has made him tentative, given to second-guessing himself.  His mind is often elsewhere … running that last bad decision over and over, or wondering how to get out from under the weight of the guilt he carries for a few decisions that have turned out really badly.  These choices have stayed with him, circling his head like vultures, constantly reminding him of how devastating bad judgement can be.

Dave and his wife Lilly (Nicole Taylor) obviously love each other but the strain of being in survival-mode for so long has them foregoing the niceties.  They speak to each other not so much in the shorthand of long-married couples but almost in a Morse code, so devoid of extras is it.  They communicate simply to pass on pertinent information, but rarely to share thoughts or feelings.  They’ve been too busy counting their pennies and worrying about the future to take the time or energy needed for repairing their marriage.

So when the pleasantly modulated voice of the Navigator (Kelly Anne Burns) begins to provide answers is it any wonder that Dave -reluctantly at first, but soon whole-heartedly- gives up his own autonomy and blindly follows the advice of the voice coming out of his dashboard?  Especially when that voice leads him to money, a better relationship with his wife, and a new outlook on the road up ahead?  Where once he was timid and overwhelmed he is now confident and sure.  And completely reliant on his Navigator.

Initially the storyline sounds a bit gimmicky, maybe even a bit campy.   But what playwright Eddie Antar has done so well is let the modern day Genie-in-a-bottle scenario unfold naturally (or as naturally as one might expect if your car suddenly started giving you the answers).  Dave experiences all the moments of initial shock and doubt, he tests the boundaries, he becomes drunk with power, then inundated by the almost suffocating inability to leave his car.  His Navigator has simultaneously set him free, yet made him a prisoner.  Antar also creates recognizable relationships in terms of Lilly and Al – long term people who care about someone who they suddenly can’t understand anymore.  Director Leslie Kincaid Burby does a strong job throughout; a few moments do play a bit like a Jerry Lewis act however Burby understands how to bring forth the touching moments as strongly as the comedic ones, delivering a snappy, heartfelt cautionary tale that plays fast and drives the point home smoothly.

Marrying all this together is Quentin Chiappetta’s almost unbelievable sound design which elevates this play to a whole other level.  Not merely random whirrs and click, Chiapetta has created an entire arsenal of dial tones, car noises and ambient transitions which almost become a fifth character of the play.

The biggest credit goes, however, to the actress who portrays the title character – The Navigator herself.  Crisply written by Antar, Kelly Anne Burns brings a wry note of humanity to an ostensibly mechanical object while still maintaining an overall sleek, steely automated exterior.  While she does very little actual interaction with Franchini there is no denying that the two actors play well off each other; together they create a truly believable scenario of man and machine.  During silent moments Burns is both inanimate and yet constantly engaged; robotic twitches in her eyes would have you swearing that she’s actually hooked up somewhere and transmitting data.  She is at once subtle and magnetic; the perfect actress to embody such an eerily engaging device.

If you’re unsure where your life is headed and you’re wishing someone could just give you all the answers, set your GPS to The Navigator.  Chances are, as you head out of the theatre later that night, you’ll think twice before turning your phone back on.

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These days, when taking a road trip of any kind — even if it’s just over the state line to New Jersey — it’s almost impossible to think about arriving safely at your destination without the use of a GPS.  The technology is so ubiquitous it’s now even an easily downloadable app for your phone.   Days of trying to stretch a huge AAA TripTik across your steering wheel as you drive and hoping it doesn’t fly out the window are over.  Unless you like getting pulled over for driving erratically, GPS is the way to go.

But what if your GPS could tell you more than which road to take, which exit is best, or which alternate route to use when you (despite its best advice) still managed to miss the turn?  What if your GPS started telling you the answers to everything ?  Especially during a time when you don’t seem to have the answers to anything?  This is the premise of Eddie Antar’s The Navigator – a show which originally was presented by The WorkShop Theater in 2010 as a Play in Process.  It was so successful that it was nominated for multiple IT awards, won 2 (for Outstanding Direction and Outstanding Lighting Design) and is now being remounted February 9-March 3 as a full production.

TEASER – The Navigator: Your GPS tells you how to get where you’re going, but what if it could tell you more? Dave has fallen on hard times. He’s out of work, drowning in debt, and his wife is threatening to leave him. Then suddenly his car’s navigation system starts giving him the answers. to everything.

Eddie Antar, thank you so much for giving us some time before The Navigator opens!  I know you must be really busy right now so our readers appreciate it.  So tell us — with only a $300 budget last year The Navigator swept the NYIT Awards with eight nominations, including Outstanding Production of a Play and Outstanding Original Full-Length Script. The Navigator was the most nominated show at the 2011 New York Innovative Theatre Awards. You don’t get nominated for that many awards with a gimmick. So while the teaser sounds cute, there must be more to this story than a know-it-all GPS. Where does the true heart of this story lie?

Eddie Antar: We live in a world where information is easier and easier to obtain. You no longer have to add, spell or keep your eyes open for exit signs on the highway. The heart of the play is in the question “Are we losing anything?” What happens to the life experience when all the answers are provided for you.

How did the idea of a know-it-all GPS come to you? Were you watching Night Rider and asking your magic 8 ball questions one night and thought “hey this could be a play!”

EA: I was touring colleges with my son back in 2007 and I elected to get a GPS with my Hertz. I fully expected it to tell me when to exit or make a right turn. What I didn’t expect was it telling me to keep to the left because we were approaching a fork on the highway. I looked at my son and said “This thing knows more than I thought”. After that the jokes started coming: “What if it could give you stock picks? Or Lotto numbers? Wouldn’t it be great if it could tell you what to say to your wife in a fight? How to deal with a troubled teenager?” My son Matt suggested that I write a play about it. My first thought was “I’m lucky if I get a 20 pager out of this.” But once I hooked onto a theme, I just kept writing.

I remember, as a child, asking my father how he grew up without audio cassettes. “We didn’t miss what we didn’t have” was basically the answer. Nowadays it’s hard to remember that there wasn’t always a GPS system to help get us from point A to point B … but people had to muddle through with AAA maps for years. So — my question is — if the GPS hadn’t been invented would you have written a similar story using a different scenario?

EA: I can’t think of any other plug and play type of technology that can so guide you for hours through to whatever you’re trying to accomplish. There is a point in the play where Dave, the driver, doesn’t like what the Navigator is suggesting, so he turns it off, but he’s unable to continue driving because he can’t read the highway signs. I’ve had that experience, where I’m no longer reading signs, I’m just listening to “Approaching exit… on the right”. I can’t think of another type of technology where it assists you so fully just by turning it on. Without that, I don’t think it would be this kind of play.

These days it seems like we’re all a little lost … we’re working harder and have less to show for it. Your character, Dave, is (unfortunately) more “every-man” than “some poor guy down on his luck”. Do you think this is what accounts for the success of the first production of The Navigator? That everyone could see a little of themselves in the character?

EA: Absolutely. But I do think that he is an “every-man” who is “some poor guy down on his luck”. We’ve all been there. A few things go wrong, one right behind the other, and we can become terrified of making one more decision. At that point we just want to know. Think of how high the stakes can get in the world we live in today. A few of choices go south and you’re really up a creek. Gambling can be fun, until one more loss could means total financial (or marital) ruin. I think that’s something anyone can identify with.

Many shows dream of being remounted, few get the opportunity. So first of all, congratulations! Secondly – without giving too much away – what types of things are you changing this time around? And what are you keeping from the first production? Or is it all “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”?

EA: We have more of a budget this time around and more space to work with. So this time around we’ll be playing some with production values (set, lights and sound to some degree. Our sound designer is a genius.) But we’re all mindful of the fact that the play was successful for a reason, and we don’t want to mess too much with that.

Finally, if you had a GPS that could actually tell you anything, what would you hope to learn from it?

EA: The most important thing to me is my family. These are not just words. And I do worry about things like making sure we’re always fully funded, eating, wearing clothes and can occasionally go out and enjoy ourselves. I’m an independent database applications developer (ironic, I know) and if there was one thing I’d always want direction on it would be decisions to make sure that we stay afloat. I wouldn’t mind those directions at all.

Thank you, Eddie Antar, for giving us some great answers!  I know I’ll be looking forward to seeing this show.  And for our readers – here’s everything YOU need to know about The Navigator if you want to buy a ticket.  And – even without an all-knowing GPS – I know you do!)

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The Navigator

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