5 Questions with Russell Davis

THEATRE FOR YOUR MOTHER: THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD SHOW is appropriate for the entire family.

This FORUM reading will be held at The Growing Stage on Sunday, December 4 at 1:00pm and later that day at 7:00pm at Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Russell Davis' plays have been produced at various theatres, including People's Light & Theatre, Actors' Theatre of Louisville, Yale Repertory, Long Wharf and Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey. He was resident playwright at People's Light for the Theatre Residency Program of the National Endowment for the Arts/Theatre Communi­cations Group. He was a recipient of a 2008-10 Pew Fellowship in the Arts and has received playwright fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, McKnight Foundation, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York Council on the Arts and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. He is also a juggler.

1. What inspired you to write Theatre For Your Mother: The Little Red Riding Hood Show?
People's Light & Theatre Company produced an English Pantomime some years ago and I loved how the actors talked and argued with the audience. This seemed to fit nicely with the Little Red Riding Hood story, where the Wolf, Little Red, the Mother and Grandmother could all have contesting versions of the same story. It seemed an excellent opportunity to tell a tale for children and also to question it as an adult.

2. Can you tell our audience what it means to be a resident playwright?
It means that rehearsal space is available when I need it as a playwright or juggler. It means that once in awhile they'll produce a play of mine, or certainly think about it. It's a tremendous resource actually in terms of having folks, such as actors, designers, directors, to talk with about the various projects we're each working on.

3. How does your juggling help your playwriting process?
I would not be a functioning playwright if I had not learned to juggle. It sounds silly but juggling taught me how to be disciplined. It taught me how to work on something, and to keep at it over and over. You can't kid, or lie to, yourself as a juggler. Either you're learning and progressing or you're not and, either way, it's plainly visible.

4. What do you love most about being a playwright?
I love how never ending it is. The more you think you know the more you realize actually you don't know.

5. Which do you prefer chips or pretzels?
Neither, actually. But if I were in prison and had to choose, I'd choose pretzels.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see THEATRE FOR YOUR MOTHER: THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD SHOW at The Growing Stage.

Click here to purchase a ticket to see THEATRE FOR YOUR MOTHER: THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD SHOW at FDU.

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

$10 per reading
$25 for a FORUM pass (attend all 23 readings in the series)
Children attend free (with a paying adult) to the December 4 reading at Fairleigh Dickinson.
THEATRE FOR YOUR MOTHER: THE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD SHOW is appropriate for the entire family.