5 Questions with Joe Sutton

The 12th reading in our FORUM "Soundings" series is US by Joe Sutton. This reading will be begin at 7:00pm and will be held at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dreyfuss Theatre, 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ. Click here for directions. Click here for a printable map of the campus (the Dreyfuss Theatre is located in Building 9).

Matt, Mark and Mary’s college-aged son is going through some difficult times, so much so that his parents pull him out of college and bring him home. What transpires is a drama about a generation of  highly-educated parents, who,  armed with the knowledge of their own college malfeasances and transgressions,  and highly aware of the sins of their parents, still cannot communicate or begin to understand their child.

Joe Sutton’s plays include Voir Dire (nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and the Best Play Award of the American Theatre Critics Association), As It is in Heaven, The Winner,The Third Army, and Restoring the Sun. Joe co-wrote The Predator’s Ball with Karole Armitage, and saw the piece premiere in Florence, Italy before enjoying a run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  Other theatres producing Joe’s plays include New York Theater Workshop, Long Wharf, Arena Stage, the Cleveland Play House, and the Old Globe in San Diego.  After Hurricane Katrina, Joe initiated The Breach, a New Orleans-centered theatre piece co-written with Catherine Filloux and Tarell Alvin McCraney which premiered at New Orleans’ Southern Rep before going on to play at Seattle Rep.  More recently, Joe’s play Complicit opened at London’s Old Vic with Artistic Director Kevin Spacey directing. Joe has also recently been developing a pilot of USA television called Scales of Justice, about an overweight detective in post-Katrina New Orleans. Joe is a recipient of numerous awards and honors, among them fellowships from NYFA, the NEA, and NJ Arts.  When not in rehearsal, Joe teaches playwriting at Dartmouth College.  There he lives with his wife Anne and their son Nicholas. 

1. What do you enjoy most about playwriting? 
THE PUZZLE.  FIGURING IT OUT.  CREATING A WORLD, OFTEN INTUITIVELY, AND THEN GROWING IN MY CONSCIOUS UNDERSTANDING OF IT. 

2. What was the inspiration for this play? 
WELL, OF COURSE, WE HAVE CHILDREN -- AND SOME OF THE ISSUES OF THE PLAY CERTAINLY RESEMBLE ISSUES WE FACED AS PARENTS.  BUT IN A LARGER SENSE, I'VE BEEN WONDERING FOR SOME TIME ABOUT OUR GENERATION AND FAMILY-MAKING...WHAT OUR EXPECTATIONS WERE, HOW REACTIVE WE WERE (TO THE PREVIOUS GENERATION), HOW MUCH WE "PRACTICED WHAT WE PREACHED"...AND I WANTED TO EXPLORE ALL THAT.  AND OF COURSE IN THE END I WAS INTERESTED IN AN EVALUATION -- JUST HOW DID WE DO?

3. You teach playwriting at Dartmouth College. What do you hope your students will take away from your class? 
AN APPRECIATION OF THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN NARRATIVE AND DRAMATIC WRITING.  I WANT THEM TO UNDERSTAND (AND VALUE) WHAT MAKES A PLAY SPECIAL -- WHY IT IS A SPECIAL ART FORM...AND TO LEARN AND APPRECIATE WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO MAKE A PLAY WORK BEST.

4. Your play Voir Dire was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. How did you find out about the nomination (did someone call you, did you get a letter in the mail, or did you hear it first on Twitter)? 
THE PRODUCING THEATER, SEATTLE REP, NOTIFIED ME.

5. When you want to relax, where would we find you a) on the beach with a good book, b) at a sporting event, c) enjoying a nice glass of wine on your porch, d) none of the above, you find me (fill in the blank) 
ON THE BEACH WORKS.  BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE REAL ANSWER IS IN FRONT OF MY SCREEN.  I AM PROBABLY MOST "RELAXED" WHEN I AM WORKING.  IT IS ONE OF THE PERILS OF BEING A WRITER.  I FEEL COMPELLED TO DO WHAT I DO -- AND WHEN I AM DOING IT, I RELAX.

 
Playwrights Theatre will present these readings free of charge, with an optional donation of $10

♦ A $25 dollar donation will get you a FORUM pass that covers all of the readings.

♦ A $250 donation will get you a rehearsal pass that allows access to all reading rehearsals.

♦ Reservations can be made online at or call (973) 514-1787 X10

Click here to reserve your seat to see US.

You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.

5 Questions with Martyna Majok

The 10th reading in our FORUM "Soundings" series is THE IRONBOUND by Martyna Majok. This reading will be begin at 7:00pm and will be held at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dreyfuss Theatre, 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ. Click here for directions. Click here for a printable map of the campus (the Dreyfuss Theatre is located in Building 9).

An immigrant woman waits for the bus after a long day. A man appears. A man always appears. And he has something to offer. Spanning 22 years and three different relationships, every scene is a little war between a man and a woman for their best version of security. What are two people willing to trade and how dirtily are they willing to fight for the cheapest safety in a world that does not value all kinds of people?

Martyna Majok was born in Bytom, Poland, and aged in Jersey and Chicago. Her plays include Mouse in a Jar (Red Tape Theatre, The LIDA Project), the friendship of her thighs (Jane Chambers Student Feminist Playwriting Prize, workshops at the claque, The Playwright and Director Center of Moscow, and The Kennedy Center), Petty Harbour (finalist for the 2012 Princess Grace Award in Playwriting, Vassar/NYSAF’s Powerhouse Festival and NYC Readings Series) and reWilding (Yale Cabaret, Satori Group, One Coast Collaboration). Martyna has been awarded the 2013 Smith Prize Commission (for The Ironbound), The Merage Fellowship for the American Dream, The Olga and Paul Menn Award in Playwriting, a Ragdale residency, The Howard Stein Scholarship for Playwriting, a nomination for the Cherry Lane Mentor Project, a commission from Walkabout Theatre, and publication of her short play, After Hours Stan, by Smith & Kraus. Martyna studied at The University of Chicago and the Yale School of Drama. She has taught playwriting at Wesleyan, The New Haven Co-Op High School, and New Jersey Repertory Company, in addition to assisting a class taught by her mentor, Paula Vogel, at Yale. Other projects include Prypiat, a musical about the modern day re-settlers of Chernobyl, a film, and devising a new play about women and disability with Marya Sea Kaminski. Martyna was the 2012-2013 NNPN playwright-in-residence and teaching artist at New Jersey Repertory Company and is a current member of Ensemble Studio Theatre’s Youngblood.  She lives in New York City.

1. Where did you get the inspiration for The Ironbound?

A combination of things. I was reading Slavoj Zizek's "Violence" -- which talks about capitalism and how abusive it is to view people based on their economic worth -- while working a few low-paying jobs. And I was preparing to marry my now-husband -- a decision based on happiness and love, not money. It's a decision I'm happy with but it's obviously been difficult to start a life together with very little money and no safety nets. And I know it's not without its own problems marrying or being with someone for money, either. But what I'm interested in here is not coupling with someone for their huge wealth -- I mean, sharing a bedroom with someone so they pay half the rent so you can help put your kids through school, footing your medical bill this time since you can't, etc. And so I started thinking about the romantic decisions that I've witnessed or made in the past. What is debt in romantic relationships? If you're seen as cheap labor in the world, how do you treat yourself in love? And, when you come from little money and safety, what is the risk of falling in love?

2. During 2012-2013, you are the NNPN playwright-in-residence at New Jersey Repertory Company. What is the best lesson learned from this experience?
How professional theatre works and which plays make the cut. The most important was discovering the lens through which some artistic directors consider plays and when and for what they take risks. It's the same as with anything else. It's as wide or as narrow as our own personal interests. Theatres want important and/or entertaining plays. Plays that are relevant to themselves and their audience. Plays with humanity. Or hilarity. And that, yes, if a famous actor wants in, your play will likely be produced. I also learned that connections are important but not what it's all about. That you should write what matters to you above almost everything else and push yourself to go far with it. That the world is looking for authentic stories told with urgency and excitement. And that lots of playwrights are writing about rich couples encountering infertility problems. And two couples having a dinner party where a bunch of marital secrets leak out. Also, lots of pedophile plays. Strangely, I had to read lots of plays about pedophiles...



3. You are working on Prypiat, a musical about the modern day re-settlers of Chernobyl. What made you decide this medium for this topic?

When I was two, living in Poland, my teeth disintegrated because of exposure to Chernobyl radiation. They grew back -- but they were super weak and would break often. I've had health problems from Chernobyl for most of my life. Because I was so young, I don't remember much and I only learned about the whole experience when I was 22 -- I just thought I had bad dental luck. So I became obsessed with Chernobyl and Pripyat, the town that was built basically to house the workers of the nuclear plant. The re-settlers and those that refused to leave this dangerous place were fascinating people to me. I knew I wanted to tell a huge, sweeping epic about them and insert into that world an outsider that we could relate to, an American who is escaping from the Peace Corps because he committed a crime in his host country. It had huge emotions to me and I wanted permission to go all the way. To me, that meant music. If you're interested, here are some rough demos of songs (https://yaledrama.digication.com/martyna_majok/Lyrics). I've got a lot of work to do -- I've never written a musical and this feels immense -- but it means much to me.
 
4. You assisted teaching a playwriting class at Yale with your mentor, Paula Vogel (who received the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, How I Learned to Drive). Can you tell us what the experience taught you?


That teaching is wonderful. That was my first time teaching college, TA-ing for Paula at Yale. I later went on to teach my own course at Wesleyan (and a number of classes at NJRep last year). Watching Paula teach, I learned that you should always strive to give your all in the 2-3 hours you'll have each week with your students. Your focus, your experience, your patience, your compassion. But particularly your focus. Paying real, devoted attention and endeavoring to deliver something truthful is your job. And it's a great job. I remember she told me, when she first started teaching, she'd go home afterward and just crash on her bed. That was how I felt my first two years. It was exhilarating.

5. You said you were born in Bytom, Poland, and aged in Jersey and Chicago. Jersey is known for having some pretty good pizza, but then, Chicago, has deep dish. Which do you prefer and why?

Oh, man... I'm about to get some real hate no matter how I answer this. Okay. I gotta say it.... it's Jersey for the win. I love Chicago in a real way -- whenever I fly over the Hancock on my trips out to the West Coast, I get misty-eyed. But deep-dish is a pie. It is a pie with cheese. It is a thick-breaded, thick-cheesed, thick-sauced pie. If you drop it on your foot, it will hurt you. As for me, I like some crunch to my slice. And the cheese juice (you know what I'm talking about)...it's just right on a good Jersey pie. Joe's in Kearny? Forever in my heart. Nino's in Harrison? No joke. A Jersey slice is childhood comfort food for me. And, for the record, Poland has horrific pizza. Order pierogi.
 
Playwrights Theatre will present these readings free of charge, with an optional donation of $10

♦ A $25 dollar donation will get you a FORUM pass that covers all of the readings.

♦ A $250 donation will get you a rehearsal pass that allows access to all reading rehearsals.

♦ Reservations can be made online at or call (973) 514-1787 X10

Click here to reserve your seat to see THE IRONBOUND
.

You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.

 

 

5 Questions with Russell Davis

The 11th reading in our FORUM "Soundings" series is TRESPASSER IN A PROMISED LAND by Russell Davis. This reading will be begin at 7:00pm and will be held at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Dreyfuss Theatre, 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ. Click here for directions. Click here for a printable map of the campus (the Dreyfuss Theatre is located in Building 9).

In search of his former love, a young man enters a strange and foreboding place, secluded from the rest of society. Following a letter she wrote to him once in the past he finds that everything has changed since he knew her, and now an ancient prophecy may stand in the way of the future he wants with her.

Russell Davis directed Tony Duncan who won the juggling championships at the 1994 International Jugglers' Association Convention, and worked with the juggler Michael Moschen in Michael Moschen in Motion at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival and at the Lincoln Center's SERIOUS FUN! Festival.  He was one of four jugglers featured in 'The Best Jugglers You've Never Heard Of' (cover story JUGGLE magazine, Winter 2007, published by the International Jugglers' Association).  He has led circus workshops at various theatres, universities, and schools.  He has been a juggling/unicycling instructor for the Big Apple Circus' education program, for the S.T.E.P. summer  program for New Haven inner city youth at the Yale Univer­sity gym, and at HB Studio in NY.  He is a playwright and has received fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Pew Fellowships for the Arts, McKnight Foundation, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, New State Council on the Arts & the Tennessee Arts Commission.  His plays have been produced at various theatres and are published by Broadway Play Publishing.

1. What made you want to become a playwright?
Not much.  (Just kidding.)  Actually I was interested in fiction, as a young fellow.  I was particularly fond of E.M. Forster, Dostoyevski, Andre Gide and such.  But after college I was acting in a professional NYC children's theatre and was quite bothered by the quality of scripts we were asked to act in.  And so I began to write scripts myself....

2.  You were one of four jugglers featured in 'The Best Jugglers You've Never Heard Of' (cover story JUGGLE magazine, Winter 2007, published by the International Jugglers' Association). What does it mean to you to be named one of four jugglers that no one has heard of? It means I have earned the respect of some of my juggling peers.  Plus I think it was very sweet of them to write that article.

3. We did a reading of Trespasser In A Promised Land in 2010 as part of our FORUM reading series. What has been a major change in your revision or is it a culmination of smaller changes that are influencing the big picture?There have been several large changes - the character Nina, for example, is no longer from a foreign land - but also many little, and not so little, cumulative changes throughout. 

4. You have a penchant for long titles: IN CASE OF THE APOCALYPSE AFTER EDMOND IS GONE and Theatre For Your Mother: The Little Red Riding Hood Show to name a few. You make it difficult to use a decent sized font on postcards that folks can actually read. On behalf of Marketing and PR Directors everywhere, I just have to ask: What’s up with that?
Well, I have a couple of short titles of scripts that were presented at PTNJ:  The Wild Goose Circus and Sally's Porch.  Maybe it's because I didn't originally intend to be a playwright and maybe I like long titles because fiction writers are allowed long titles.  Knowing what the (long) title is to a play definitely helps me write it.  If it's any consolation, the marketing & PR folks at People's Light & Theatre Company didn't allow me the long title to Theatre For Your Mother: The Little Red Riding Hood Show when they produced that script, and nor did Honolulu Theater For Youth.  They advertised it as The Little Red Riding Hood Show, which I, of course, considered to be a lack of courage on their part.  And maybe misleading too, because it was the grown-up mothers in the audience, and even some of those dads and other adult ne'er-do-wells, who certainly approved of the show as much as any of those youngsters. 

5. If we presented you the following choices of things to juggle, which would you choose and why?   a) grapes   b) knives   c) water balloons  d) tea cups

I would decline to juggle any of those items.  When the public sees someone juggle a grape, a knife and water balloon or tea cup, they are basically witnessing someone performing a three object juggling cascade -- which is the simplest, most fundamental juggling pattern.  There is basically, therefore, no challenge besides taking some time to get used to the different weights and shapes.  The next time you see someone juggling odd objects ask them to start juggling continuously behind their back, or juggle all three objects in one hand, or to do a "three-up" pirouette while juggling those objects.

 

Playwrights Theatre will present these readings free of charge, with an optional donation of $10

♦ A $25 dollar donation will get you a FORUM pass that covers all of the readings.

♦ A $250 donation will get you a rehearsal pass that allows access to all reading rehearsals.

♦ Reservations can be made online at or call (973) 514-1787 X10

Click here to reserve your seat to see TRESPASSER IN A PROMISED LAND
.

You can also find additional information on our website about the entire FORUM reading series.