MAKES ITS WEST COAST PREMIERE AT THE OLD GLOBE!
by lisa lipsey Bethany is a relevant tale that caught the atten-
tion of Old Globe leadership last year when it made its off-Broadway debut. The script begins at the height of the foreclosure crisis and follows the life of single mother, Crystal, who loses much more than her house. Hidden costs in an economic downturn are quickly unearthed in this suspenseful dark comedy. New playwright Laura Marks explores just how far
we’ll go to get back what’s ours, and the result is a 2013 Lucille Lortel Outstanding Play Award nomina- tion. Gaye Taylor Upchurch, who directed Bethany’s premiere production, will re-imagine the play for its West Coast premiere. Marks, a Kentucky native, recently graduated from
The Juilliard School’s playwriting program and be- came a member of New Dramatists. Her other honors include a 2012 Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, a 2013 award from the Fellowship of Southern Writ- ers, two Lecomte du Noüy Prizes and a two-year residency in The Public Theater’s Emerging Writers Group. She also won the Leah Ryan Prize for Emerg- ing Women Writers, was a Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist and is published in Methuen’s American Next Wave anthology in the U.K. Upchurch first connected with Marks through
the Women’s Project and directed the off Broadway productions ofBethany with America Ferrera starring as Crystal. Her work has been seen at Culture Project, La Mama and Lincoln Center Institute and she has developed new work at New Dramatists, New York Stage and Film, The Kennedy Center, Dixon Place, Playwrights’ Center, Geva Theatre, Lincoln Center Theater’s Directors Lab and Space on Ryder Farm. She also worked with Sam Mendes as associate director onThe Bridge Project.
THE SHOW TO THE OLD GLOBE: Why directBethany? I think it is a courageous play, courageous for
UPCHURCH CHATTED ABOUT BRINGING
actors, a challenge. It is an ensemble piece, an open story that is really powerful. It starts strong and then really takes off and is exciting. When I first read the
14 RAGE monthly | JANUARY 2014
A NEW FEMALE VOICE HAS ARRIVED BETHANY
script it was a true page-turner, this play is driven by suspense—it’s Laura’s writing. It is a very personal story even as it addresses the larger politics. It is not overly political, just enough to hook you. What do you enjoy most about being a director? I love being a storyteller and theatre asks us to face
our humanity. Stories are really important, to look at how we see ourselves in the world. One thing I love in particular about this show is the play belongs to Crys- tal, the young woman anchors the show and gives it a voice. It is a beautiful role and a character that is so appealing, you can get behind her right away and what happens is harrowing. It is not every day that we get to recognize and identify with a female character actually written from a woman’s voice. Tell me about your directing style. I tend to be drawn to scripts that have naturalistic dialogue or are somewhat poetic and can have an abstract set design, allowing the audience to use their imagination. But it is a little hard to be abstract with this show because it takes place in very tangible places, the kitchen, a car dealership (where Crystal works), the bathroom. Have you done any of your own writing? Something in the way you speak reminds me of a writer. Thank you. I am surprised you asked that question,
I think the last piece I wrote and performed was in third grade, a skit on Marie Curie (laughs), a short culture piece. I’ve written a few short stories and I’ve been thinking about writing more in the future, but dialogue is daunting. Lately I have been busy reading.
If you had carte blanche to direct any show, which one would you choose? Something bizarre and grotesque like Tennessee
Williams’ The Rose Tattoo which deals with love, death, sex and religion. Bethany is new to the West Coast, what plot teaser can you give us about the show? I don’t know how much the Old Globe has given
away about the plot, but I will say it is more fun to see if you don’t know too much. I mean someone who has seen it before would enjoy it all the more, but the first time, it’s an exciting ride.
Bethany runsSaturday January 25 through Sunday, February 23 at the Old Globe in Balboa Park. For tickets and more infor- mation call 619.234.5623 or go
tooldglobe.org.
CHECK OUT THESEBETHANY SEMINARS: INSIGHTS PRE-SHOW SEMINAR Monday, January 27 Reception at 6:30 p.m., Seminar at 7 p.m. FREE POST-SHOW FORUMS Tuesday, February 4, Tuesday, February 11, Wednesday, February 19 Post-show forums follow evening performances only. FREE SUBJECT MATTERS Wednesday, February 12 Post-show discussion with local experts, such as scientists, artists, historians and scholars. FREE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64