The Knocking Within

ANIKAI Dance Theater
Texts from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, MacBeth, Titus Andronicus and Othello
Selected and compiled by Wendy Jehlen
Direction, concept: Wendy Jehlen
Choreographer: Wendy Jehlen with Pradhuman Nayak

ANIKAI Dance Theater premieres “The Knocking Within,” a new text-based work looking at insanity and a dysfunctional relationship through texts from three of Shakespeare’s tragedies – Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello and Titus Andronicus.
The scenes will not play out in a linear manner, but rather will be woven into each other, so that the effect is of the disorientation of unmitigated mental illness and a relationship out of control, or is it the nightmares of two lovers?

Show Times:

• Tues 1/17 @ 6:00pm
• Fri 1/20 @ 8:30pm
• Sun 1/22 @ 3:00pm

Answers by Wendy Jehlen
Artistic Director
ANIKAI Dance

Karen Tortora-Lee’s Question
This is an international festival. What part of the world are you coming from … and will your show tantalize the NYC audience with a taste of your nation’s culture?
Wendy Jehlen:
We are from India and the US, by birth. However, this work, and all ANIKAI works, draws on influences and deep study of traditions from throughout the world. The subjects are also universal – dreaming, the space between waking and sleeping, relationship, love, fear. I believe that our work speaks to that culture of people who do not identify themselves with any one place, but rather with a global community.

Dianna Martin’s Question
Who is the greatest inspiration to you artistically?
Wendy Jehlen: It would be impossible to name just one person. We have both had so many influences and mentors. Much of this piece, believe it or not, was inspired by a few episodes of Radio Lab on NPR.

Geoffrey Paddy Johnson’s Question
What emerged as the greatest challenge during the development of this production?
Wendy Jehlen:Narrowing it down. The texts are so rich, as are the ideas we’ve been wrapping around them. It took us a while to settle into a structure, after which it flowed. I’m sure that we will make changes after this run, which is the premiere. After that we’ll be taking it to Boston, around India, and after that, who knows? The creative process is never over.

Antonio Minino’s Question
You’re in Times Square surrounded by the best Broadway houses and highest selling entertainment in the world. What resources are you utilizing to spread the word about your show and get butts in seats?
Wendy Jehlen: We’ve been using the Internet a lot, emails, Facebook, websites. It was listed in the Times under dance. I’m hoping that there will be curiosity about the breadth of influences and sources for the work, as was expressed in the Times listing. Also, this is a very intimate piece, and performing it for an intimate audience is perfect.
~~~

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• Punk Grandpa: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2016 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)
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Austin Pendleton (photo by George Hartpence)

In the fourth and final installment of our Oberon Theatre Ensemble Rep Interview Series, we’ve got a treat – actor, director, and teacher Austin Pendleton. With a body of work on stage and screen that has spanned several decades, Austin is a vocal and active member of the Off-Off-Broadway community, who has championed the need to recognize the importance of theatre at all levels. Austin is the director of Order, now extended until July 3rd at Theatre Row.

Austin took some time out of his insanely busy schedule to answer some questions about his work both with Oberon and his long career.

Austin, the first time I saw you on stage was in “Doubles” back in the 80’s with my parents as a youngster. I’ve known your work and followed your career throughout the years, and one thing that always sticks out as a wonderful aspect of who you are is that you are always fighting for the little guy – in respect to theatre. You always strive to embrace the needs of the Off-Off Broadway community and promote the recognition of its importance as a lifeblood. What was something that happened in the course of your career that made you champion that cause?

I think what happened with me and off-off-Broadway was that at a place in my work when I’d sort of lost my way as an actor I found  myself asked to play some very great roles with fine actors and directors there, and with great freedom, roles I never expected to be asked to play.  Great Shakespearean roles, for example: Hamlet, Shylock, Richard III, Richard II, Claudius and the Ghost (in Hamlet).  Stuff like that.  And I realized the value and excitement of off-off-Broadway, and how that exact value and excitement could not be found anywhere else.

What is it about a play that draws you to it to the point that you feel you MUST be involved?

I have no idea what draws me to a play and what doesn’t.  I just know when I’m drawn, somehow.

Order (Brad Fryman, Ryan Tramont, Gabe Bettio)

How well did you know the members of Oberon Theatre Ensemble before coming on board? You have worked with or trained some of them before, have you not?

I’d worked with Ryan Tramont and William Laney in Richard II, at Frog and Peach.  And I’d seen (because of these guys) some Oberon shows, including Eric Parness’s beautiful staging of A Winter’s Tale.

What was it like being able to work with this stalwart of the Off-Off community, and bring your knowledge to the table?

It was wonderful working with Oberon. They are completely supportive, and they get what you’re trying to do.

What were some of the things that drew you to Order and allowed you to play and have fun with the piece?

Order is fun to play with because it’s so boldly all over the place.  It tries all these different approaches into its scorching subject matter.  You have to be very flexible with it.  I like that.  Also, it’s brilliantly written.

What do you think is the most important link between the two plays in Oberon’s Rep, Othello and Order, and how do they relate to the state of the human condition?

Both Order and Othello are about what happens to you if you meet the wrong Demon for you.

I was fortunate enough to see an earlier reading of this play, and it is quite different now. What has the collaborative process been like between you and playwright Christopher Stetson Boal?

It’s been an amazing collaboration with Chris.  It’s never felt like there were hidden agendas.

Do you see Order as more of a dark comedy or more of a tragedy about a man who is run over by everything in his life, and why?

I see it as either a dark comedy or a funny tragedy.  I like to give the audience a little room to figure which of those ways they would like to go with it.

Who are your greatest inspirations in the industry – regardless of medium?

I’ve got about a hundred inspirations in the industry.  Almost everything I’ve ever worked on has had at least one.

If you had to pick a character from a play, book, or film to be for a day, who would it be?

My God.  Who?  Whatever I’m working on at any given moment, that’s who I’d like to be.

What’s next on your agenda? Do you have a play or project brewing that we’ll be lucky enough to see? We would expect nothing less from a man who is involved with everything in the theatre industry and gives it his heart and soul.

I’m directing a new play, Detroit, by Lisa Damour at Steppenwolf, in August.  I’m playing Kroll in Ibsen’s Rosmersholm, at the Pearl Theatre here in NY, this fall, directed by Elinor Renfield.  I’m directing Three Sisters this winter at CSC here in NY with a lot of great people in it.  And I’m involved in a new musical called A Minister’s Wife, music by Josh Schmidt (Adding Machine), which was done last year at Writers’ Theatre in the Chicago area (Glencoe), a theatre that commissioned me to write the script for the show (based on Shaw’s play Candida), and which will be done next year by Lincoln Center in the Newhouse Theatre.  Also, I’m still teaching (acting) at HB Studio here in NY.

* * *

That sounds like a great line-up. I hope we get a chance to see some of his work this coming year! Order runs through July 3rd at Theatre Row’s Kirk Theatre.

Related Posts:

• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 2
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain
• Everything Is In “Order”
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 3
• Delving Into DARK WATER With Diánna Martin

In the third part of our interview series on Oberon Theatre Ensemble’s Summer Rep 2010, I was delighted to be able to speak with Cara Reichel, Director of Othello, and Producing Artistic Director for Prospect Theatre Company. Coincidently I finally got to see Othello last night (Othello is one of my favorite plays of The Bard). Cara’s ability to weave music (brilliant violin and djembe) in as a way to accentuate both the beauty and horror of the piece was brilliant. That shouldn’t be surprising, considering that Cara has much experience with and an affinity for music and theatre – as we can see from the following interview:

Cara, the first time I saw your work was when I was fortunate enough to see The Rockae, and I was blown away. I never knew that I could see a Greek play such as that with the kind of spin that it took – and have it WORK. Many directors/producers try to do things differently “just for the sake of doing it” and that is where they fail and you succeed. What has pushed you in the direction of putting up shows in the unique way that you do?

I’ve had the luxury of working with Prospect Theater Company, of which I am a founding member and the Artistic Director, for the past 11 years, so if I have an idea I’m passionate about, I’ve usually been able to pursue it and try it out. That’s an opportunity I’m really grateful for and I suppose has made me confident about pursuing sometimes outrageous ideas. I really love doing adaptations of classic works (such as with THE ROCKAE, which was a heavy metal adaptation of THE BACCHAE), as well as new material. However, my production of OTHELLO for Oberon Theatre Ensemble isn’t really an adaptation — although I did have the idea of including the violin and djembe, which I suppose is a new approach.

What are your favorite kinds of works; or, better yet – what is it about a play that draws you to it to the point that you feel you MUST be involved?

I think those are definitely two separate questions. Often times, my favorite kind of work to watch is one that I am amazed and delighted by because it’s so outside the realm of my own ability, or it’s something I wouldn’t have thought of. I typically say that I prefer plays that grapple with big existential questions and aren’t afraid to embrace the epic … but I love really, really funny or intimate things too. For me, it’s an intuitive thing. If I read or see a play — or have an idea for a production, since many of the pieces I work on are generated from concepts — and something about it sticks with my subconscious, then I create a little place for it on the list of projects I’d like to tackle someday.

Do you prefer plays or musicals?

Well, I mostly work on musicals. And, I put a good bit of music into OTHELLO. So, I suppose I have to say I “prefer” musicals. But that’s really a silly question — I prefer to work on and see challenging, engaging, and smart theater. There are just as many musicals I’d avoid as plays I’d avoid. To me, music is another tool in the box that you can use to tell a good story — along with acting, design, choreography, etc. If it useful and helpful to telling the story, then why not add a little music?

How well did you know the members of Oberon Theatre Ensemble before coming on board? You have worked with some of them before, have you not?

I worked as the associate director on a production of THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR in, I think, 2007. I enjoyed working with the company quite a bit, and was glad when the stars aligned and this second opportunity came my way. Stewart Walker, who plays Iago, was in that production as Dr. Caius, so we’d worked together before – and of course I knew Brad Fryman, Oberon’s Artistic Director. Randy Howk, who plays Roderigo in OTHELLO I saw onstage in an Oberon production last summer, and then subsequently worked with him on a project for Prospect. Actually the actor I know best in this production is Jen Blood, who plays Desdemona … we’ve worked together for 10 years now on a variety of projects. I think the OTHELLO cast is a great mix of Oberon stalwarts, actors I’ve worked with in other contexts, and many brand new folks who we met through the audition process! They have come together to create an excellent ensemble.

Iago (Stewart Walker) Othello (Daniel Morgan Shelley)

The most interesting thing to me was the exploration of the conflict between our rational and irrational selves. Over and over in the text, Shakespeare talks about the “beast” or “monster” within — early on in the play Iago has a great speech exploring this idea which really seemed to me to be the thematic core of the text for me — “If the balance of our lives had not one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us to most preposterous conclusions: but we have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts.” This is a pretty different worldview than my own — so looking at human nature from the flip side drew me in.

What did you find to be the most challenging aspect of working on a play such as Othello, and, conversely, what allowed you to play and have fun with the piece?

The most challenging part of this production was working on a very tight timeline. It’s quite a massive play to do on a showcase schedule and budget. The most challenging part of working on the play was trying to navigate Othello’s arc and mindset. It’s hard for me to understand why a character who seems so together up until the end of Act III suddenly goes so off the deep end. It’s almost the opposite of HAMLET – Hamlet’s uncertainty I can understand! If I were workshopping this play with Shakespeare, as a new piece, my comment to him would be — don’t you think we should wait to have him swear vengeance and make up his mind about things until a bit later in the play? It’s very sudden. But, that challenged me to think a lot about the character of OTHELLO and what sort of person I could believe WOULD have such a reaction. What allowed me to play and have fun while working on this piece was our wonderful cast. Facing the challenges of this text without a truly collaborative group would have been overwhelming, but working together with the actors each rehearsal was an exciting process of discovery.

What do you think is the most important link between the two plays in Oberon’s Rep, Othello and Order, and how do they relate to the state of the human condition?

I think both these plays confront questions of the “demons within” each of us. Seeing these two plays in rep provides two very different interpretations of those darker aspects of our human nature.

How do you feel set, costume, and lighting design speak to your work (Othello and your other works from the past) and when you work with the designers, what is that collaborative process like?

Daniel Morgan Shelley as Othello and Jennifer Blood as Desdemona

Usually the designers are some of the first partners in a collaborative process. The discussions I had with the OTHELLO team, in trying to figure out a simple and powerful idea for how to stage the play, were very helpful for me. Ann Bartek and I somehow came up with this idea of “ropes” for the set, which could be re-arranged for the various locations — I really loved this idea and how the actors could interact with and change the set at various key moments in the play. Figuring out how to incorporate the ropes really informed how I staged some crucial scenes. The lighting design is also truly essential for OTHELLO in helping control the mood and world of the play, and the color coding of the costumes is so helpful for a show in which I have actors playing multiple roles, so the audience can more easily follow the story. to me, the design best process is one where the elements of the design arise so organically from a deep discussion of the play that, looking back, you can’t identify where the core ideas came from — but everyone feels they are right for the production, and they work! It’s rare that all these elements come together … but that’s a sign to me of a good and true collaboration that serves the play rather than imposing an idea on it.

What is your favorite Shakespearean play? Your favorite Greek play? Which would you rather do next, if the opportunity arose?

I don’t really think I have favorites… but in general, I’m more drawn to Shakespeare’s work than the Greeks. One of my favorite challenges is finding ways to make plays work in a new context… so I suppose the one I’d prefer to do is the one I have a good idea for! I directed JULIUS CAESAR a number of years ago and I hope to return to that project again in the future.

Who are your greatest inspirations in the industry – regardless of medium?

Directorially, I am a big fan of Mark Wing-Davey. I just saw PASSION PLAY and was truly inspired by that beautiful show so that’s been on my mind a lot. I also really admire Adam Guettel’s work. And of course there are many women directors whose careers inspire me daily in different ways: Tina Landau, Graciela Daniele, Susan Stroman, Susan Schulman…

If you had to pick a character from a play, book, or film to be for a day, who would it be?

I’m spending way too much time trying to decide my answer to this one, and I think it might be impossible to say definitively… so I will say GANDALF. Or Maria, from the Sound of Music (before the Nazis arrive).

What’s next on your agenda? Do you have a play or project brewing that we’ll be lucky enough to see?

My next major directing project is Prospect Theater Company’s fall show, ONCE UPON A TIME IN NEW JERSEY. It’s going to be great fun — it’s a musical comedy set in 1950′s Hoboken — about as far as you can get from OTHELLO. I’m excited about it, but it also makes me realize what a great experience it was for me to work with Oberon and stretch some different muscles while working on this play!

* * *

Well, we’re also delighted that she had the opportunity to work with Oberon. We’re also thrilled to have had the opportunity to speak with her about the production and get some insight into the mind of one of theatre’s most prolific producers/directors today! I look forward to seeing many more of Cara’s productions in the future. As for Othello, it ends its run on June 24th – so get thee to the theatre!

Related Posts:

• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 2
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 4
• “I Am Not What I Am” – Othello
• The Knocking Within: 4 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (Times Square International Theater Festival 2012)

Order - Ryan Tramont as Tom Blander and Amanda Plant as Maisy Blander

Next up in our Oberon Theatre Ensemble Rep interview series is Brad Fryman, the Artistic Director of this esteemed theatre company, who produces the shows, and who essentially decides what will be running season after season. Not only is Brad producing two shows simultaneously at Theatre Row, he is also co-starring in Order, as the anything-but-sane psychotherapist, Dr. Fine. Having co-starred in numerous theatrical productions year after year with an impressive body of work, Fryman continues to strive toward providing the public with thought-provoking theatre, and if this season is any indication, then provoking the senses and minds of audiences are definitely a given.

I had a chance to catch up with Brad in between shows to find out his thoughts on this Summer Rep season and working on Order with Austin Pendleton and Christopher Boal. Here’s what he had to say:

Oberon Theatre Ensemble has been around for more than 13 seasons, with a long list of wonderful productions that have earned awards, recognition, and respect from the theatre community. What do you look for in picking your shows – and your talent?

First of all, I like working on something that I would enjoy seeing. That sounds like a no brainer. But it is seriously where I try to begin. A compelling story or, maybe something I haven’t seen before, is what initially grabs me. This season we have exactly that with a terrifically compelling story in Othello and an equally compelling story in Order that is told in a completely different way. That is what started the ball rolling as we looked at our options.

Then there have to be people that strongly want to tell these different stories. This is important because at this level those people have to give up so much, everything one might say, in order to finally bring these productions to life.

All the while, the talent we have available is always in our minds as to who might we have that might be perfect for a certain role. It is all part of the selection process.

What inspired you to include these specific plays in your Summer Rep for 2010? Are there any interesting stories behind your reasoning?

We’ve done a lot of Shakespeare and Othello was at the top of the remaining list. It is just an easier story for me to understand and I think one of Shakespeare’s tightest tragedies. I thought we could tell it in a simple, fresh and compelling way.

As Cara and I were discussing the season it was a play she was very interested in being involved with. It also just so happened that, all the while, Chris Boal and I had been discussing his play Order that shares a number of similar themes.
I feel that both plays deal with our personal “demons.” Iago’s envy, Othello’s jealousy and Tom Blander (ORDER) who had issues with his personal “demon” with its insatiable appetite for power are all aspects of these different “demons” told in these incredible stories.

Chris and I had been talking about working together for a long time and we were just waiting for the right project to come along at the right time. It just so happens that Order fit into the wheel well of the company as well its being a very original, compelling piece of theatre.

What do you think is the most important link between the two plays in Rep, and how do they relate to the state of the human condition?

As I talked about in the previous answer the plays are dealing with our “demons” in obviously completely different ways.

What drew you to the role of the therapist in Christopher Stetson Boal’s Order? Do you find it incredibly challenging to act in a play while you are producing it?

Dr Fine in Order is essentially your therapeutic nightmare. I have a background in psychology and knew immediately who this person was. I would never say this type of therapist is prevalent in the industry, but a number of folks have shared stories from their own experiences with me. It’s all very interesting. And I also think the play about a man trying to make a difference in small meaningful ways could maybe be a metaphor for all the folks trying to work and tell stories in the theatre. But, that’s a different article.

When a production is running smoothly and everyone is at the top of their game, it’s pretty easy to wear a couple different hats. When there are complications it can sometimes get difficult.

Order - Ryan Tramont as Tom Blander; William Laney as Detective Arlow; Gabe Bettio as Bathug

Do you see Order as more of a dark comedy or more of a tragedy about a man who is run over by everything in his life, and why?

I absolutely think it’s both. It’s a seriously funny tragic story of a man trying to do everything he can to make the world a better place and getting beaten down every step of the way until finally his “demon” takes over with an insatiable appetite for power.

What was it like being directed by Austin Pendleton?

Austin has been great. Every step of the way, he has surprised me with his incredible connection to the theatre. Whether it’s a brilliant note that gives an actor an entirely new and exciting path to take his character, or an idea for a specific moment on stage, or his ability to enable the actors to have the faith to fully embrace their characters. His adjustments with actors are often so insightful it’s frightening. His understanding of the play was immediate and intense. From day one, he was so fully committed to the text it was astounding and his freedom to play with theatrical conventions was refreshing.

These are pretty intense words, but I feel it has been a real gift and an honor to work with Austin. His energy and passion for American theater is something to be treasured.

What are one of your favorite aspects of Cara Reichel’s interpretation of Othello?

Cara’s direction and design within this space is brilliant. Her use of music always supports the action of the play moving it forward in complex and refreshing ways.

I think Cara is an exceptional storyteller and I am amazed with what she was able to do with Othello. I follow her work with Pete Mills and the Prospect Theater Company where they produce some of the most compelling new musicals in the country. Not to over do it but it has been fantastic working with Cara!

Having incorporated The Bard’s plays in your Reps, season after season, what would you say is your favorite Shakespeare play (if we had to twist your arm for one)?

Having just done this incredible tragedy, I am, sort of, in the mood for something quite a bit lighter. Maybe even A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

What’s up next for Oberon? I hear Duncan Pflaster’s play about Chekov in space is around the corner …

We did a reading of Duncan’s The Starship Astrov last year in our Oberon Originals Reading Series and truly enjoyed hearing this play. It is a hilarious ride. The audience had such a great time. Yes sure it is essentially, Chekov in Space, but really so much more, too. If anyone is a fan of Chekov or Star Trek, they are in for an incredible treat. If they are a fan of both, well, they won’t want to miss a single performance. Did I mention that tickets to ALL these shows are on sale NOW at ticketcentral.com???

Duncan’s script is incredibly sharp and finding actors who can handle both of those facets has been an interesting challenge. It’s going to be a great production directed by Eric Parness in the Beckett at Theatre Row in July.

Related Posts:

• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain
• Everything Is In “Order”
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 4
• The Starship Astrov: Best Of Both Worlds (Midtown International Theatre Festival 2010)
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 3

One theatre company very near and dear to my heart is Oberon Theatre Ensemble, now celebrating its 13th season bringing invigorating theatre to New York City. Their M.O. is usually a Rep that involves both a play by The Bard and an original piece or revival. The last few years they have been doing their Reps at Theatre Row.

This year is very exciting for the company; they are again on 42nd Street, and they bring us Othello, directed by Prospect Theatre’s Cara Reichel (yes, THAT Cara Reichel), and Order, by Christopher Stetson Boal (of 23 Knives fame), directed by Austin Pendleton (yes, THAT Austin Pendleton – is there any other?). The pairing of these two plays is perfect; both involve men that strive to do good, but end up committing the most atrocious of crimes – both with their dearest “friends” whispering in their ear to bring about their own end. Only in Order . . . one must be careful not to mix friends with demons . . .

The plays have been doing great – Order just got an extended run due to audience demand – and are such a joy. Over the next week I’ll be interviewing some of the people who are bringing these amazing works to us, providing not just a play on stage; but an event.

Up first: Christopher Stetson Boal, playwright and author of Order. Chris is the critically acclaimed author of Crazy for the Dog, and 23 Knives as well as many other plays; he has also won an audience award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Chris, I had an opportunity to see 23 Knives, directed by Eric Parness, last year and thought it was one of the best plays I’d seen the whole year. Now we have another fascinating character study and tale of men who are not whom they seem – but completely and utterly different. Where do you get the inspiration for your work?

Christopher Stetson Boal: It’s hard to say – ideas for my plays almost always come from some weird found source. In the case of “knives” it was a forward in the book “Corpse” – a fascinating tale of forensic science. There was a section that mentioned Antistius and I just never shook it. This play came out of a therapy exercise where I started writing in a different language. That intrigued me so I just went with it.

Piggy-backing off the last question, what were the most important turning points for your while you wrote Order – and when did you realize that this was going to be a play that truly, truly pushed the bar?

Well, I didn’t set out to do that, honestly. But I did kind of tap into the id of these characters, and the worse they behaved the more obsessed with the play I became. I mean, I really think people act this way. We really do eat each other all the time, don’t we?

Ryan Tramont as Tom Blander and Mac Brydon as Adam Jacoby

What do you think is the most important link between the two plays in Oberon’s Rep, Othello and Order, and how do they relate to the state of the human condition?

It’s nice to be linked thematically with Shakespeare, but I think it’s because he basically covered all the themes you could think of! But I suppose both plays deal with the theme of inner demons and wages of listening to them too closely.

How did you get involved with the Oberon gang?

Well I think Oberon is made up of some of the most talented actors around. We did a few readings of the play but I think I got Brad Fryman to finally agree to produce it after we’d both been drinking for a few days.

Did you know Austin Pendleton beforehand as well?

Yes, I’d shown the play to Austin last year, but he was unavailable at the time. Luckily for us his schedule freed up and he agreed to direct it. He’s really quite the master.

I was fortunate enough to see an earlier reading of this play, and it is very different now. What has the collaborative process been like between you and Austin? Do you see eye to eye on many things? What were his reactions to some of the “darker” and more “melodramatic” aspects of the play?

This would be an utterly different play without his involvement and I believe it’s a much better one than it started out as. He saw things in the text I was quite unaware of, but latched onto pretty eagerly as we began to discover what we had. I’d work with him again in a heartbeat. Hear that, Austin?

Do you see Order as more of a dark comedy or more of a tragedy about a man who is run over by everything in his life, and why? One of my favorite lines is still the “Steve Buscemi” line – and despite the suffering the protagonist (played so well by Ryan Tramont) must endure, I always laugh.

It’s both, depending on what night you see it. But then again, comedy is pain, right?

What has your career been like over the last two years? There’s been a lot going on, hasn’t there – both in theatre and film?

Mostly theater. This production came on the heels of “23 Knives“, and I have a play opening in August as part of the SummerShorts festival. I wrote a short screenplay for Ridley Scott Associates for a video game as well, that was fun!

Who are your greatest inspirations as a playwright?

Other playwrights; Austin Pendleton, Arthur Giron, David Hirson, Eddie Baker, Romulous Linney, to name a few.

If you had to pick a character from a play, book, or film to be for a day, who would it be?

Oh, hell, James Bond. Or Indiana Jones. No, definitely Bond.

* * *

Well, I can vouch for the touch of genius – and madness – that is rampant throughout Order, and it’s great to get the voice of the playwright heard. We’ll continue this several-part interview as we delve into Othello as well. In the meantime, go check out these plays! They’re playing at Theatre Row from now until June 26th (July 3rd for Order). For information and times click here.

Related Posts:

• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 2
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 4
• Everything Is In “Order”
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 3
• “I Am Not What I Am” – Othello

Who would you bring to Othello? Someone you love? Someone you once loved?

Summer. Not exactly the time of year a New Yorker wants to venture into Hell’s Kitchen on a Friday night. Tourists. Bad smells. Bad-smelling tourists. Every out-of-towner at this time of year wants to get drunk, screw one another, and go to musicals. And the Friday I was slated to see Oberon Ensemble’s production of Othello, directed by Cara Reichel, was no exception.

When assessing a play like Othello, the question is not, is it good? Of course it’s good. Shakespeare is—well, you know, pretty good. Was the production fresh, or was it rotten? That is the question.

The stage is sparse. A few lanterns hang from low ropes. As the lights dim, two musicians enter, one with a violin (Whitney Kam Lee), and one with a djembe (Rene Reyes) and they assume their positions on stage. As they play, Othello (Daniel Morgan Shelley) and Desdemona (Jennifer Blood) take the stage for a brief, choreographed dance as preface to the play, as Othello begins after they’ve already fallen in love and married. This dance was a new idea, I suppose, but I could take it or leave it.

The music, however, was one of the freshest components of Oberon’s production. Admittedly, when I heard that a djembe drum was to play a role in the production, it gave me pause—I pictured a kind of horrid vaudeville of non-Western stereotyping—but the East-meets-West duet was a subtle, effective accompaniment throughout the play, and the musicians were very skilled. The violinist even moved among the actors and, at certain poignant moments, such as Desdemona’s remembrance of Barbary’s song as she readies for bed (which turns out to be her deathbed), seemed to echo the pitch of the characters’ inner states.

Jessica Blood (Desdemona) and Daniel Morgan Shelley (Othello) | photo by Ann Bartek

As the play begins, we see Stewart Walker as Iago. With the clear candor of his voice, and his cheerful demeanor, he seems more like Benedick of Much Ado About Nothing fame than the infamous Iago. I was a little worried. How could he go from Benedick to the Iago we know and hate in just a couple of hours?

Jessica Angleskhan (Emilia) and Stewart Walker (Iago) | photo by Ann Bartek

Whether the actors successfully distracted me from a pompous Neanderthal seated beside me became a kind of odometer for their performances. Othello (Shelley) was mostly successful; Desdemona was largely unsuccessful. Where she should have been Desdemona, the daughter who, unbeknownst to her father, rebels against tradition and marries Othello, she acts as fragile and gullible as Ophelia, eyes downcast and body too stiff when still and too scattily hysterical when in motion, so that when others exclaim how great she is, “the divine Desdemona,” Cassio says at one point, I’d cock my head to one side and think, “Her?” She does redeem herself right before she dies, as Blood seems to play a repressed despair quite well, but she did have the violinist and Jessica Angleskhan as Emilia, whose performance was wonderful, to help her out. Angleskhan’s Emilia and Walker’s Iago, and their interactions, diverted my attention most from the Delta Gnu doofus—at times, I almost forgot he was there. Walker’s Iago, as it turned out, did successfully transform from a Benedick at the beginning to one of the most infamous villains ever written. Even the quality of Walker’s face, paired with some great lighting design, made him almost into a different person. The audience’s experience mimicked the experience of the other characters of the play, and were you new to the plot, Iago’s metamorphosis would be utterly shocking. Simon Feil as Cassio was pretty successful, and Jane Cortney’s great performance as Bianca, though a small role, also stole the spotlight from the Trumpish twit.

Othello, as many of us know, is the story of true love’s undoing at the hand of a sociopath who manipulates tiny, seemingly insignificant things. A lost handkerchief spells the end of Othello’s trust in Desdemona. A few choice words from Iago’s lips introduce the suspicion that would kill both Desdemona and Othello by Othello’s own hand. Strange creatures we are that impart so much meaning to a few words and the loss of a small token. Strange creatures we also are that a few tiny transgressions by our fellow man can so color our own experiences of life.

The play is good. Of course, it’s good. It’s Shakespeare. This Othello is fresh, and the acting is, overall, quite compelling.

~~~

Related Posts:

• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 2
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain – Pt. 3
• Oberon Theatre’s “Othello” And “Order” At Theatre Row: Interviews With The Madmen (And Woman) Behind The Curtain
• Something Wicked (2014 Frigid New York Festival)
• Something Wicked: 10 Things To Know About The Show Before You Go (2014 FRIGID NEW YORK FESTIVAL)