At Bay Street Theater, You Can Give Playwrights a Piece of Your Mind

[caption id="attachment_37171" align="alignnone" width="432"] 2014 New Works Festival panel discussion with (l to r): moderator John Weidman, playwright P. Seth Bauer, Bay Street Theater's Will Pomerantz, and playwrights Jessica Brickman and Molly Smith Metzler.[/caption]

By Annette Hinkle

This weekend, audiences at Bay Street Theater will have an opportunity to do something that few theater goers ever get a chance to do — tell a group of playwrights exactly what they think of their plays.

But that’s precisely what artistic director Scott Schwartz is encouraging people to do as part of Bay Street’s 2^nd Annual New Works Festival which runs Friday to Sunday at the theater.

The plays to be read over the course of the three days are “A Delicate Ship” by Anna Ziegler, “The Green Heart,” a musical by Charles Busch and the late Rusty Magee, and “Plane Play” by Julia Brownell. Mr. Schwartz notes that this year’s event is subtitled “A Festival of Rediscovery” because two of plays being presented — “A Delicate Ship” and “The Green Heart” — have already had full productions and are being read as part of the process of being revisited and reworked by their creators.

“For an author, seeing your work in front of an audience is very different than reading it on the page or sitting in a room with a couple actors,” says Mr. Schwarz. “All three of these works are comedies. They have dramatic overtones, but they’re funny and you get to hear where the laughs land. If the audience starts to shift or cough, you can feel when the attention flags.”

“This is an opportunity to hear in the moment how the audience reacts,” he adds.

The festival also includes “Artist Interact,” a panel discussion at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 which will be moderated by Tony Award winning producer Ken Davenport featuring the creators of “The Green Heart” who will talk about the process of developing a new musical and reshaping it over the course of years and through multiple productions.

Mr. Schwartz explains that the idea for the rediscovery theme of the festival came about as a result of last year’s panel discussion, which was led by playwright John Weidman. Though that panel focused on what it means to be a writer and to have a career in theater, at one point, talk turned toward what happens when a play is produced and the writing — and rewriting — process comes to an abrupt end for the playwright.

“All the writers on the panel felt a lot of theaters and programs around the country are geared toward works in development and world premieres,” explains Mr. Schwartz. “What the authors recognized is you work hard on a play, get it to a premiere production and you learn so much because it’s in front of a paying audience. But it is a challenge and frustration for writers — they get these premieres and they never get to work on the scripts again.”

“We thought, lets look for that this year and utilize our new works festival to give writers an opportunity to have that forum,” adds Mr. Schwartz. “That’s where the whole idea of rediscovery comes from.”

The festival’s first play will be Anna Ziegler’s “A Delicate Ship” which will be presented at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 24. The play had its world premiere at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in March 2014 and is the story of a love triangle in which Sarah and Sam, a new couple just discovering each other, are thrown into turmoil when Nate, Sarah’s best friend from childhood, shows up on her doorstep hinting he may be something more to her.

[caption id="attachment_37174" align="alignnone" width="360"] Anna Ziegler[/caption]

“Anna is an exciting, emerging writer and on a lot of 10 best lists of women writers to watch,” explains Mr. Schwartz. “Anna learned from the Cincinnati production and had ideas and wanted to continue to work on this play. She’s very excited about this opportunity.”

The second play being “rediscovered” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 25 is “The Green Heart,” a musical that Mr. Schwartz actually saw back in 1995 when it was produced in Manhattan.

“The show had been slated to have a bigger life, but it didn’t,” he recalls. “I’m passionate about musicals and wanted to include one. It’s a little wild – it’s Charles Busch, but it has really good characters.”

The musical follows the story of William Graham, an egotistical millionaire who has squandered his inheritance and, as a result, conspires to marry Henrietta, an older wealthy woman who can unwittingly support both he and his mistress. But then he does the unthinkable. He actually falls in love with his new wife, much to the dismay of her corrupt lawyer and sinister housekeeper. Naturally, a series of schemes and double crosses ensue as the players strive to gain control of Henrietta’s fortune.

Carl Andress will direct the reading with musical direction by Paul Masse and Mr. Schwartz explains why “The Green Heart” is being put through this process.

[caption id="attachment_37175" align="alignnone" width="360"] Charles Busch[/caption]

“I think there are commercial questions, but they’re making it smaller to make it possible to do around the country,” explains Mr. Schwartz who notes that the cast size has been trimmed to 10 in order to make production feasible on smaller stages and budgets. “They also felt there was work to be done on the story. Carl would love this piece to have new life. He is very enthusiastic.”

The third play of the weekend, “Plane Play” by Julia Brownell, will be read at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 25 and came to Mr. Schwartz as part of the submission solicitation process in which Bay Street asks playwrights to send in their work.

The play tells the story of Josh, who, when his wife leaves town with her yoga instructor, finds himself a single dad to a newborn and a 17-year-old stepson. Enter his mother, Jane, who flies into town presumably to help. But as a narcissistic alcoholic, she brings along enough baggage from their damaged mother/son relationship to render her contributions questionable at best.

“Will Pomerantz, our associate artistic director, did a lot of initial readings and he sent me a short list of the plays he liked,” explains Mr. Schwartz. “We’re the first public reading ever. Julia wrote the play last year, and it’s never been read out loud for an audience. We’re the premiere of the premiere.”

While all three playwrights will have the opportunity to consider how their work might benefit as a result of this festival, Mr. Schwartz the audiences will get something as well.

“What the audience gets is a great theatrical experience,” he says. “They get to hear work in development by very interesting writers — and it’s unfiltered, you’re focusing on the words, the music and the acting.”

“You’re also asked to give feedback in the end and ask questions of the author. It’s a very participatory experience,” he says. “Whether you’re a student of theater, or a lifetime theater goer, you can plug into the potential classic of tomorrow.”

“Who knows if one of these shows is one of those that eventually goes on Broadway? I’m glad Bay Street can be a part of that conversation and journey.”

Bay Street Theater’s 2nd Annual New Works Festival runs April 24 to 26. Readings are free with donations requested. The theater is located on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor. Tickets for the panel discussion are $10 and include a cocktail reception. Purchase online at www.baystreet.org or call the box office at (631) 725-9500.