Spoken word tops production at Capital Rep
In Shakespeare’s time people would say they were going to hear a play, where today most people say they are going to see a play. The difference is respect for the spoken word over production values.
This weekend, Friday through Monday, there is a splendid opportunity to go “hear” a play without the distraction of sets, costumes or special effects lighting. Capital Repertory Theatre is offering the 6th annual version of its play reading series, “Next Act! New Play Summit.” It consists of actors reading four never produced plays, with the scripts in their hands.
“Next Act” is an opportunity for professional actors and directors to share the early stages of a new play with an audience. Every year for the past five years “Next Act” has produced a play that was given a full production on Capital Rep’s main stage the following year. This year “Paris Time” which will run January 26-February 16, was discovered at last year’s Next Act.
Local playwright David Bunce says he hopes the trend continues. His play, “Red Maple: A Love Story for Empty Nesters” will be offered at 7:30 p.m. Monday night at the Capital Rep theater in Albany. “I certainly hope this is the first step towards a long life for the play,” he said in a recent telephone interview.
Bunce was quite candid as he admitted that when writing the play he was very aware that “Red Maple’s” theme and construction was more commercial than anything he’s attempted before. “Five characters, one set and most of the characters are in their mid-fifties. As the title implies, it’s about people who are dealing with living together after their children leave the house. It’s me and my wife and an awful lot of other people who buy tickets to plays.”
Bunce was an actor for 27 years with the much-lauded but now defunct New York State Theatre Institute. He now teaches, acts and directs theater at Russell Sage College as a Guest Teaching Artist. He recently played George in Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” at the school and admits that type of provocative theater is more his personal taste.
He says “Red Maple” couldn’t be further way from that style of dense, intellectual theater. “It’s pure fun,” he says. “It’s kind of a ridiculous, but funny comedy.” He laughs when asked if he is selling out his values with the play. “Not really. I support people having a good time in the theater..” But he adds, “I do hope that a couple of days after seeing the play a husband or wife would turn to the other and ask, “Are we OK? What do we need to work on?”
He explains that the play centers about two empty nest couples, John and Karen, and John and Stephanie. They get together for a dinner party. Robert has just been in a near-fatal automobile accident. He reveals a secret to Robert and it has a domino effect. Before long everyone has a secret that comes out. For instance their friends do not know Karen has been living alone at a hotel for two weeks. About the fifth character all he would say is, ‘She is a young woman with a very unusual job.”
Bunce insists the plot is a starting off place for craziness and antic behavior. In fact, his major concern about the play being seen with actors holding scripts is that because the piece is filled with physical comedy, audiences might not appreciate all the visual humor. But, after a pause, he says his trust in director Margaret E. Hall, who has already offered great suggestions on improving the work, will solve all staging problems. “She’s really good,” he says.
Did Bunce’s reputation as having one of the area’s best theater minds influence the decision to select his play. “Not at all,” he answers. “My play was given to readers without a playwright’s name attached to the script, just like every other play. In one case, an actress friend who gave me advice in the very early stages of the play’s creation recused herself for fear she might have to vote knowing I was the playwright”
They say you should only write what you know. So which character is most like Bunce himself? “I see myself as more like John. He’s an observer and takes an analytical approach to most things.” He chuckles as he adds, “My wife says she sees is a lot of the impetuous and self-destructive Richard in me. So guess I am a little of both of them.”
However, the actor in him surfaced as he said, “I’d just like a crack at either of them one day. But on Monday night, all I want to do is sit in the back of the theater and learn from the audience.”
“‘Red Maple: A Love Story for Empty Nesters’” is at Capital Rep in Albany Monday 7:30 p.m. Other plays in the festival are “Showpony,” 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Capital Rep. “Your Best One” at Capital Rep, 7:30 p.m. Saturday. “The Marble Muse” at Proctors GE Theatre, Schenectady. For tickets and information call (518) 445-7469 or go to capitalrep.org