At Play, Issue 2) Was the First Thing I Saw
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re p resenting the american theatre DRAMATISTS by publishing and licensing the works PLAY SERVICE, INC. of new and establisheda playwrights.t As the 1998-99 season proceeds, “How I Learned to Drive,” winner of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, pl a y remains the most produced play of the year. Never one to slow down, Paula Vogel took ISSUE 3, SPRING 99 some time recently to have a Prague and Brazil, and it’s usually for profession- tour and she slipped and fell. Fortunately, she fell conversation with Robert al writers, although I’ve done it with student on the timpani, so she didn’t hurt herself. But, Vaughan, our director of pro- writers. Basically we spend every day for at least a unfortunately, it was while they were playing her fessional rights, about where week in the rehearsal room writing short plays theme song, “Falling In Love Again,” that she fell and we end up doing what we call “The Great off the stage. she’s been and where she American Play Bake-Off,”where everyone has to plans to go. write a play in 48 hours. RV: You’re making that up. I am not making it up. Listen, Washington D.C. RV: A full-length play? is rife with these things. Do you know about the Well, however long it comes out. I say to people instance of “Mata Hari?” Now, I was in town that they have to write it in 48 hours, and if they when this happened. sleep or eat it’s on their own time. Usually what does come out ends up being the germ of a full- RV: Mata Hari the spy? length play, if not a full-length play. The fourth “Mata Hari” was a David Merrick musical, and it workshop I’m doing will be open to Arena Stage opened at the National. Lyndon Johnson was in RV: You’ve been so busy. Where subscribers, people from the neighborhood, the audience opening night, and at the end of the have you just come from now? board members, anyone who wants to come first act, the stage set fell on the actress who was Oh man, Robert. Let me try and think about down. We’re trying to create circles that expand, playing Mata Hari. Fortunately, it hit her with what this past week has been. Well, Seattle. I do and God knows I’ll know Washington in a much the canvas part instead of the wooden part, and remember Seattle; Seattle was fun and fabulous. better way when the three years are up than I her head basically just went through the flat and Let’s see, where else have I been? Little things, you know it now. You know, I’m always in a state of they brought the curtain down and they never know … and Washington D.C. … I’m starting to shock when I go back and visit family members, had an Act Two. They never opened. That was the work with Arena Stage. The Hamptons, to get because when I was growing up, basically it was end of “Mata Hari,” though it would be interest- some award, which was kind of fun. the National T h e a t re and Shady Grove ing to see if someone could bring it back. Music Fair. (Pause) Wait, I have to tell you RV: You got another award? about some memorable things. RV: Don’t give them Yes, I got another award. And, you know, that’s (Laughs) any ideas. been all in the past week. I don’t really remember Washington is different from what I did yesterday. RV: I like that laugh. What when I knew it. Now it’s its did you do? own community with a RV: (Chuckling) Have you had You’ll probably quote this, but ver y diverse spectrum time to see the new film version I’ll never forget the night that of theatre. It’s really a of “Lolita?” I was wondering what Anna Maria Alberghetti was per- place where I think you thought of it, considering forming and left her throat mike you need to have a how you feel about “Lolita.” on when she went backstage to vital theatre com- I liked it very much. The one thing I missed was the bathroom during Act One and mu n i t y , more the kind of irreverent humor that the first film … this you can’t quote … anyway, than any place had. It was a little more twisted and a little more it was the purest, highest “C” I’ve else in the scrappy. I think this “Lolita” was reverent. It was ever heard her hit. Then there continued on page 4 almost religiously done, beautifully done, so I was the time when thought it was really interesting, but I still prefer Marlene Dietrich fell the original movie version, and of course nothing into the orches- beats the book. The real trick is how can you get tra pit a n d that tone that Nabakov achieved? You can’t. You n e ver came can’t do it on stage, you can’t do it in the movies. out again. I sort of go in (to the movie) expecting the worst She w a s and then being pleasantly surprised, because I making a really think it’s an impossible task to adapt some- c o m e b a c k thing like that. RV: So you went to Arena Stage recently. You’re going to be working there for three years? How Yes. This first season I’m going to be doing four workshops. The first is going to be for anyone who works in the building and wants to take a playwriting workshop and spend eight hours with me on a Saturday. The next workshop is for anyone who works for the Washington D.C. media - reviewers, reporters. And for the third one we’re asking several theatre companies in Paula Vog e l Washington to nominate two playwrights and I’m going to do for them what I call my “boot camp.” Learned to RV: You do that at Brown, don’t you? THRIVE I do a boot camp at Brown. I’ve done a boot camp in L.A.. I’ve done a boot camp in London and Carol Rosegg LINES leading mail “The Irish are Coming!” (At Play, issue 2) was the first thing I saw. As Artistic Direc t o r of The Irish and American Reperto r y The- at r e, a new company in Columbus, Ohio, I was extremely excited to see your article on Ma r tin McDonagh and the continued ren a i s - sance of Irish arts. As a new company inter- ested in producing professional prod u c t i o n s , Dramatists Play Service was a great help in getting us set up for our first prod u c t i o n , “Molly Sweeney” by Brian Friel. Love the ne w s l e t t e r , love Dramatists Play Servi c e . We look forwa r d to working with you again soon! Anne Hannon Irish and American Repertory Theatre Congratulations to everyone at Dramatists The Play Service was proud to see so many of our titles included in American Theatre Magazine’s annual Top Ten List of the most-produced plays of the year. for an outstanding web site (www.d r a m a - tists.com). I found what I wanted. Orde re d 1 How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel it. Got on with the rest of my day. Thanks 2 The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry to all for the thoroughly professional job. 3 Gross Indecency, The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde by Moisés Kaufman The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (Non-Professional Rights) You ’ r e making everyb o d y ’ s life much easier. 5 6 Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (Non-Professional Rights) Neil Thackaberry 7 Having Our Say by Emily Mann, adapted from the book by Sarah L. and Summit Classic Theater Elizabeth Delany with Amy Hill Hearth 8 The Old Settler by John Henry Redwood the play service sh i p p i n g we l c o m e s ne w s Below is a selected list of outstanding new properties acquired since the publication of Last fall, Dramatists Play Service converted to a new computer system our 1998-99 Supplement. and moved our entire warehouse of acting editions to Brooklyn. Our new Corpus Christi by Terrence McNally distributor, the Mercedes Controversy! Protests! Hysteria! The theatrical event of the season is a contemporary passion play Distribution Center, is now handling drawing parallels between “the greatest story ever told” and the life of Joshua, a young man discover- all of our book fulfillment. ing his sexuality and purpose in Corpus Christi, Texas. (World premiere at New York’s Manhattan Theatre Club.) We made this decision in order to Love and Understanding by Joe Penhall improve and expedite both our services and the shipping options we The British Invasion continues. What do you do when a no-good friend needs a place to stay, but seems intent on turning you and your girlfriend against each other? (American Premiere at the Long had been offering to you. We regret Wharf Theatre, New Haven CT.) that during the move, and immedi- ately afterwards, book shipments The Ride Down Mt. Morgan by Arthur Miller were delayed and our customer When Lyman Felt is injured in a car accident, his wife Leah is called to his side - as is his other wife, service department was sometimes Theodora.