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| Finish this sentence: You'll f*cking love this play if you f*cking love… "A mash-up of "A Mighty Wind" and "Lost Highway"". "We Are Being Held" explores intriguing new territory. Photo byDelaney Britt Brewer. |
We Are Being Held
Ps 122, 150 1st Avenue, NYC
Thursday, July 23rd - Sunday, July 26th
Tickets: $15 at ps122.org
or 212-352-3101.
Info: coffeecuptheatre.org
"Awakened without his memory on a lone subway car, one man’s past is conjured by two seemingly innocuous passengers who begin to unravel with him. Yes, it is an original piece of theater about human connection. Yes, it began as a subway play. Yes, we will go off the rails." Delaney Britt Brewer is a playwright, book writer and lyricist living in New York. We sat down with her to discuss her newest work, "We Are Being Held."
Q: Tell me how you came to write
this play. I hear it was an unusual process.
A: I was approached by Ishah Janssen-Faith, the
Artistic Director of Coffee Cup ( a theatre co.) to work with
the company for a show they were planning on creating for the
undergroundzero festival at PS122. At that point she knew she
wanted a writer involved in the creation of this new piece, but
the nature of collaboration was still to be worked out. We had
a space, we had some of the team of collaborators and we had the
seed of inspiration before we had any text written. It's proven
to be an intensely awesome and scary way to work. Choose your
own adventure style art making.
Q: The title suggests connection in unlikely
places. Close?
A: Definitely. Choosing that title was pivotal
in the creative process of this show because it solidified to
me what we were actually going for theme-wise. It has seemed to
really resonate.
Q: This isn't your first play set in the
subway - what is it about NY's public transit system that sparks
your imagination so much?
A. Ha—that’s funny. I would rather
avoid the subway at all costs, but somehow I’ve ended up
on two projects that deal with it! Actually this show is a sort
of revamp of a show Coffee Cup performed last year that grappled
with the connectivity of people on the subway. However, with this
show the subway is much more of a launch pad rather than subject
matter. The story goes from yoga retreats, to chicken recipes,
to panda bears, to love loss, to karaoke, to Buddha walking to
Alaska, and so on. Oh, and songs will be sung.
Q: What or who is inspiring you right now?
A: The best two pieces of theater I’ve
seen lately have been the Theatre de Soliel show, which was bar
none the best piece of theater I’ve ever seen in my life.
Also "Stunning" was a really exciting work on all counts
for me. There was so much intelligence, craft, style shifting,
and attention to detail going on in both the writing and the production.
I was inspired by both shows because there was such passion and
grit in them.
Q: You're kicking some pretty sweet goals
in NYC: career highlight this far?
A: I love working with my friends as collaborators.
There have been times in rehearsal or otherwise when I see folks
I know and love understand the rhythm of my language, and we are
all on the same page and get each other’s humor. On top
of that, folks I know are so open and talented that it makes me
happy to have had the opportunity to work with them in some capacity.
Q: In your opinion, how's the theater scene
doing nationally and internationally?
A: I hear theater’s better over there cus
they got more dollar billz. But, I do think that’s it. If
you have more support and there’s more of a cultural literacy
involving theater, then theater can only be better because there’s
more of an ability to take risks. I just don’t think theater
has as much respect or support Stateside. There’s a climate
of fear involving productions. Like we’d better mount "Friends
the Musical", or else.
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