Deuteranomaly

Benefiting: Adam R. Spector Foundation
Produced by Mind the Gap Theatre
Directed by Paula D’Alessandris

“When the Greenbergs discover that their young son, David, suffers from Deuteranomaly (red-green colorblindness), the couple’s opposing views on love and limitation come to light. Twenty years later, a grown-up David struggles with this legacy in his relationship with Cassandra, a talented painter whose work he can never truly see.”

Show Times:

• Fri 6/1/12 – 5:30pm
• Sat 6/2/12 – 10:00pm
• Thur 6/7/12 – 4:00pm
• Mon 6/11/12 – 6:00pm
• Sun 6/17/12 – 1:00pm
• Fri 6/22/12 – 4:30pm

Answers by Jessica Fleitman (Playwright)

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
How did you come up with the title for your show?
Jessica: Deuteranomaly came from a prompt in a playwriting class, in which the first line of the play had to be a statement of scientific fact. Mine was the following (SPOILER ALERT for the first line in the play!): “One in seven men suffers from some form of color blindness.” I began researching forms of color blindness, and stumbled upon “Deuteranomaly,” which is the term for the inability to differentiate between red and green. I liked the word because it managed to simultaneously sound vaguely biblical and slightly off (which is a good way to describe the entire play, now that I think about it).

Diánna Martin’s Question
If you were going to invite 5 people (from the past or present) to see your show – who would you invite … and why?
Jessica:

1. Neil Simon, because I’ve always dug the humor and humanity in his work. I think we’d have a lot in common, and I’d love to go for a post-show bagel with him, which is a Jewish theater tradition that I just made up but plan to start one day (come on, Neil! You and me! Let’s make it happen!).

2. My grandfather. He passed away before I was born, but for some reason, this is the one play of mine that I really wish he could see.

3. Naomi Iizuka. She is an amazing playwright who I was lucky enough to have as a professor during my time at UCSB, and she was unbelievably inspiring and instrumental in shaping this play (and in shaping my dreams of a theater career in general). I am indebted to her in so many ways, and I’d love to show her how the piece has evolved.

4. Steven Spielberg, so he can direct the inevitable Oscar-winning movie version of Deuteranomaly (casting suggestion: Brad Pitt as Every Character).

5. YOU! Can’t wait to make your acquaintance, Future Audience Member! Let’s go for a post-show bagel!

Antonio Minino’s Question
What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your art and was it worth it?
Jessica:  I imagine that the sacrifices I’ve made for my art are pretty par-for-the-course for most artists living in New York City: time, money, good posture, a healthy sleep schedule, and remaining bits of sanity. It is 100% worth it.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
Was there any unexpected discovery made during the development of this production and can you share it with us?
Jessica: Comedy comes to me much more easily than sincerity. Deuteranomaly is a comedy with some sincere/dramatic moments sprinkled throughout, and even though I felt they were earned, I couldn’t shut off the part of my brain that yelled “CHEESY!” every time I read through those moments in the script. I’ve had a couple productions of Deuteranomaly, and I’ve been perpetually amazed and moved by the ways audiences have connected to the more serious moments in the piece. I’d made the mistake of assuming the general public was as emotionally immature as I was. Apologies, General Public. I was wrong about you.

Michelle Augello-Page’s Question
What do you hope the audience receives from the experience of seeing this show?
Jessica:  Deuteranomaly is a play about the things that are missing from our lives: the ability to differentiate between red and green, for example, or the people we may lose along the way. Deuteranomaly is a comedy about people who cope poorly with missing things: I hope the audience will laugh, then reflect on how they deal with the things missing in their own lives, and then laugh again. And then I hope they join me and my friend Neil Simon for a post-show bagel.

___

Planet Connections runs from May 30 – June 24 at The Bleecker Street Theater located at 45 Bleecker Street, New York, NY. To purchase tickets to this or any of the shows click here.

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