theatre
The La Jolla Playhouse has welcomed back
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Doug Wright
to direct this world premier adaptation of August
Strindberg’s 1888 play Creditors. Set in a seaside re-
sort, Creditors is a physiological thriller, which tells
the story of two strangers that strike up a seem-
ingly innocent conversation. As they exchange
increasingly intimate perspectives on art, marriage
and women, undercurrents of sexuality, language
and economics explode into a tangled web of
intrigue, suspicion and revenge. With its cunning
mind games and verbal twists and turns Wright is
eager to share with audiences what he describes
as Strindberg’s underappreciated masterpiece,
which underneath its heart-pounding plot lies a
rich, unsettling rumination on the toxicity of love.
Rage: You must be very excited about your return to the La
Jolla Playhouse to present this world première of August
Strindberg’s Creditors.
Please share with us what this experience has been like.
Doug Wright: Artistic Director Chris Ashley made
a wonderful offer to me: “Adapt a classic,” he told
me, “and I’ll let you direct it, too.” I’ve always had a
keen interest in directing as well as writing, so I was
quick to say yes. It’s been a glorious experience so
September 29-october 25
far; I have a stunning, ferociously intelligent cast.
The LaJolla Playhouse
They’re every bit as articulate as the characters
lajollaplayhouse.com they portray, and each rehearsal has been exhila-
rating. Because of the intense emotional demands
of the play, I’ve tried to create a nurturing rehearsal
environment that allows the actors to reach into
their very darkest selves, and meet the demands of
Breathing new Life
this scabrously funny and deeply unsettling play.
So far, they’ve exceeded my expectations; they’re
a fearless and inventive bunch. And the Playhouse
into CrediTors
staff is so supportive, too. I’m having a great time.”
Rage: What was it that drew you to this particular play
from Strindberg and why did you feel compelled to bring
an interview with
it to the stage?
DW: It’s very rarely revived, and yet Strindberg
DIreCTor
himself felt it was one of his strongest works, on
a par with masterpieces like The Father and Miss
Julie. It’s also so cunningly structured; just three
central characters in one setting, acting in real
Doug
time. The play chronicles 90 minutes in the lives
of three fatally linked individuals. And despite the
play’s age, it still reads like a gripping little thriller.
I’m fascinated by the ways in which we celebrate
WrIghT
and torture one another in the name of love, and
Strindberg was a veritable expert.
Rage: The play was written over 120 years ago, in what
by brad hart
ways will your adaptation bring a modern day relevancy
or feel to it?
DW: Fortunately, I don’t have to; it’s a bracingly
12 RAGE monthly | OctOber 2009
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