Though
missing all the theatrical bells and whistles, PCPAÕs ÒInterplay,Ó running
briefly at the beginning of October, may be the fix needed to get through the in
between theater season.
ÒInterplay
is a play reading. As opposed to a fully staged production that would include
music, light, sound, all of that will be stripped away,Ó said Craig Shafer,
media relations manager for PCPA. ÒItÕs going to have just the script and the
spoken word.Ó
The play
reading will feature ÒThe Sweetest Swing in Baseball,Ó ÒRabbit HoleÓ and ÒThe
Pillowman.Ó
ÒThe
concept is to present [shows] by contemporary playwrights that are brand new
and that people havenÕt heard before,Ó Shafer said. ÒThatÕs one of the exciting
features about doing a play reading. You just get to hear the words and your
mind starts to take over and envision the scenery and the set. A lot of people
who have attended this ÔInterplayÕ have likened them to listening to old radio
dramas.Ó
Written in 2004 by Rebecca Gilman,
ÒThe Sweetest Swing in Baseball,Ó uses baseballÕs Darryl Strawberry
as an alter ego for the character Dana Fielding, who is battling depression and
schizophrenia. DanaÕs world mirrors StrawberryÕs struggles with career success,
addiction, and comebacks. According to PCPA, ÒThe Sweetest SwingÓ
explores the fickle relationships of the public with its heroes, art and
commerce.
ÒThe
Sweetest Swing in Baseball is a very sharp story, ItÕs a story I havenÕt seen
before,Ó said Peter Hadres, who plays a patient in an insane asylum. ÒItÕs a
basic story thatÕs been reshaped and I just love how fresh the premise of the
play is.Ó
David
Lindsay-Abaire won the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for his play ÒRabbit Hole,Ó which
is about the journey through grief. Characters Becca and Howie must come to terms
with their meddling family, a sisterÕs pregnancy, guilt, loss, and the return
of a dog.
ÒItÕs a beautifully written play,Ó Hadres said. ÒIt really
captures the humanity that goes along with loss, and the playwright has really
balanced it well with comedy. ItÕs a tragedy and comedy at the same time.Ó
ÒThe
Pillowman,Ó written in 2003 by Martin McDonagh is a mystery. Katurian (Michael
Jankenson), a fiction writer, becomes a suspect in crimes after itÕs revealed
that his short stories, which he creates to entertain his mentally challenged
brother, are strikingly similar to crimes occurring in the town.
ÒKaturian is a character who has grown up in a really troubled
family and becomes an excellent writer at a very young age,Ó Jankenson said.
ÒHis stories are suspense-murder stories and they are used in murder cases
which mimic his stories.Ó
ÒPeople
should want to see this because itÕs truly challenging writing,Ó he added.
ÒThis is the wonderful thing about ÔInterplay,Õ we get to show things that
usually wouldnÕt get shown. If you love thrillers you should see this play.Ó