Liner Notes – That’s All He Wrote (Planet Connections 2010)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:37:46 +0000

For you youngsters who get all your music electronically: a liner note is as foreign to you as a 45 rpm adapter so let me break it down for you – liner notes were like mini blog entries that came with an album and often were the first thing some people went for when they got their hands on a record. Back in the day (when you had to Buy a Record at a Store and wait to get it home) before you could listen to the music there was always a little thrill on the car (or bus or subway) ride home – coaxing that vinyl in its paper sleeve out of the album cover and reading the liner notes in anticipation of getting that baby home and slapping it on the turntable. It was here where, like a novelette, the experience of the album, the anecdotes, (the written dvd extras, if you will) were all there in sweet little teaspoon heaping, just the right size to tantalize you and make you want to dive into the album.

But what if liner notes were the only thing you had to go on in order to truly know who your recently-deceased father was? This is the question that Liner Notes (written by Written by John Patrick Bray directed by Erin Smiley and now playing at the Robert Moss Theatre) asks.

When the Larger-Than-Life rock legend dies he leaves behind a grieving widow, a daughter, Alice (Kathryn Elisabeth Lawson) with a knapsack full of mysteries, and little else – - except for the shadows of his old band, namely George (Michael Bertolini) who wasn’t exactly speaking him when he was alive and some how couldn’t make peace with him enough even after his death in order to come and pay his last respects. George now spends a heck of a lot of time in his bathrobe eating Hungry Man dinners and working to intentionally forget The Good Old Days.

Alice makes the journey from home to him and arrives on her “uncle’s” doorstep tired, wired, and stubbornly unwilling to leave until she gets more than just the “liner notes” version of the man who has left this earth for good.

In their crazy time together Alice and George fill in the blanks for each other, helping to explain to each other what was true and what was just a good story, and eventually arrive at the truth together. During their emotional journey they laugh a little, sing a little, flirt a little, and open up . . . maybe more than just a little. Alice also convices George to do a little strumming at an open mic night which is nice, as Bertolini holds that guitar like someone who once made his living by coaxing a melody out of it on a daily basis.

Liner Notes is a touching two-person play that relies heavily on investing in these characters in two ways – both separately as well as together. Michael Bertolini and Kathryn Elisabeth Lawson are both terrific actors and they allow their on-stage chemistry to evolve naturally and evenly, director Erin Smiley understands just how to unfold this story so that we believe in it. She neither rushes nor draws out the pacing, and so it falls about you in a sincere way without jagged edges or skips in the record.

It may be a simple story, but this one strikes all the right chords.

~~~

LINER NOTES

Produced by (re:) Directions Theatre Company
benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

Written by John Patrick Bray

Directed by Erin Smiley

Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission

Performance location: The Robert Moss Theater, 440 Lafayette Street, 3rd floor

Performance dates:

Thurs 6/3 @ 6:30pm

Sat 6/5 @ 1:30pm

Mon 6/7 @ 4:30pm

Sun 6/13 @ 5pm

Wed 6/23 @ 4:30pm

Fri 6/25 @ 6:30pm

Purchase tickets here.

Planet Connections Q&A: I Don’t Want To Hurt Your Feelings / Liner Notes

The Happiest Medium — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:32:39 +0000

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity is New York City’s premiere eco-friendly theatre festival, connecting artists and audiences with diverse dynamic charitable organizations. The Planet Connections experience entertains, enlightens and informs.

The Happiest Medium (proud sponsors of The Planet Connections Festival), will be running Q&A throughout the festival.

Today we ask one question each of Emma Koenig, director and playwright (as well as one of the actors!) of I Don’t Want to Hurt Your Feelings and John Patrick Bray, writer of Liner Notes. Both shows have strong relationship-based stories. Let’s see what they’re all about . . .

I Don’t Want to Hurt Your Feelings

answers by Emma Koenig

Here’s Antonio’s question -

If you would have to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your play/piece, and why?

Dialogue definitely drives this piece because it enables a series of rapid stylistic shifts and opposing viewpoints to flow together. The text combines cliches, slang, pop culture references, and excerpts from real conversations in an effort to explore people’s behavior in relationships. This play also places a lot of importance on how the words we use affect others.

Here’s Karen’s question -

What has been the most surprising or unexpected thing that’s happened during this play? Did that wind up taking the play in a new direction?

I Don’t Want to Hurt Your Feelings had a previous run in December with an entirely different cast. It’s been wild to see how different the piece can be with new energies in the rehearsal room. Also, I created this piece to reflect a certain time in my life and I have updated certain moments to reflect my current state of mind.

Here’s Anne’s question -

What do you think is the central theme and reason this play was conceived?

This play is about the struggle between emotion and logic and how that conflict leads to us creating obstacles that get in the way of our own happiness. Creating this show was a way for me to try to reconcile those contradictory impulses within myself.

Here’s Stephen’s Question -

Why should the audience (we) go to your play? What will the audience learn about the “human condition” by going to your play?

I feel that we are all connected through the bullshit of dealing with relationships. It is my hope that the more personal and specific the content of the show becomes, the more the audience is able to see themselves in the piece.

Here’s Sarah’s Question -

What is your favorite line from the play?

“I’ll feel this strange sense of guilt if I don’t put your dick in my mouth and I won’t want you to think I’m a prude!”

Here’s Diánna’s Question -

What about this play do you feel most drawn to personally, and because of that, what message do you hope the audience walks away with?

I feel personally linked to every aspect of this show and thus sometimes I joke that I’m not sure where this play ends and my life begins. From the beginning, my goal has been simple: I want to the audience to laugh, to feel moved, and to think about their own lives. Even if it’s only one out of those three, that’s fine by me!

* * *

Liner Notes

answers by Julia Sandra Rand

Here’s Antonio’s question -

If you would have to single out a quality between dialogue, plot or character, which one is the strongest in your play/piece, and why?

This play is definitely character-driven, so hopefully the dialogue is strong. I think I have to choose two out of three here. The characters are both story-tellers. Each story leads the other one a little deeper into both who the other is, and who they wished they were.

Here’s Karen’s question -

What has been the most surprising or unexpected thing that’s happened during this play? Did that wind up taking the play in a new direction?

The most surprising thing is that it’s actually getting produced after nine years! lol

Here’s Anne’s question -

What do you think is the central theme and reason this play was conceived?

Well, I wrote the play as an homage to a few of my favorite bands. At the time I was also struggling with the idea of being involved in the academy and the practicum. It’s basically looking at the past, and seeing things as being larger and more important than they actually were. A big fish/big guitar story.

Here’s Stephen’s Question -

Why should the audience (we) go to your play? What will the audience learn about the “human condition” by going to your play?

It talks about grief, mourning, jealousy, the nature of relationships; you might think you need a lover and what you find out what you really need is family. Plus, there’s the idea that we all get hung up on nostalgia; we remember the past the way we wished it had happened, and try to embrace that as a foundation for who we are. But as Johnny Thunders says, “you can’t put your arms around a memory, so don’t try.”

Here’s Sarah’s Question -

What is your favorite line from the play?

Two way tie:

“I wish my grass was emo, so it would cut itself.”

and

“I asked the cute bar-guy for doubles. He gave me octoroons. Wait, that’s not the right word. Doesn’t that mean one of their grandparents were black?”