Connect with us

Theater

Director Alan Paul enjoying frothy romp ‘The Comedy of Errors’

Theater bug bit Michael Kahn protege at young age

Published

on

Alan Paul interview, gay news, Washington Blade

Alan Paul says a ‘60s Greek aesthetic has informed much of his work. (Photo courtesy STC)

‘The Comedy of Errors’ 

 

Through Oct. 28

 

Shakespeare Theatre Company 

 

at Lansburgh Theatre

 

450 7th St., N.W. 

 

$44-118

 

Shakespearetheatre.org 

Director Alan Paul came out at just 15. He was the last of his group at performing arts camp to come clean on his sexuality. The rest had all come out at about 12, he says. Paul felt quite left behind. Certainly he’s never been behind professionally. 

At 25, Paul was named Shakespeare Theatre Company associate artistic director under the auspices of legendary STC Artistic Director Michael Kahn. Now 34, Paul boasts an impressive CV crammed with work on classics, opera and musicals. He’s been nominated for several Helen Hayes Awards for directing and won for STC’s “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.” His more recent production of “Camelot” has broken STC box office records.

Growing up in nearby Potomac, Md., Paul made frequent trips to New York to see Broadway musicals. He loved “Sunset Boulevard” with Glenn Close as Norma Desmond but was verily obsessed with the London cast recording featuring Patti LuPone as the reclusive silent film star. From an early age, Paul longed to be a part of the theater world and struck up correspondences with many Broadway professionals. After graduating from Northwestern University where he was in the musical theater program, Paul returned to his hometown to pursue a career in earnest. He splits his time between Washington and New York where he’s often called to meet with designers and audition actors.

Currently, Paul is staging STC’s production of Shakespeare’s early work “The Comedy of Errors,” a farce jam-packed with slapstick and mistaken identity revolving around two sets of identical twins. A twin himself, Paul felt instantly at home with the work’s situations and possibilities.

Recently he took a break from tech week to talk about his latest directorial effort and other things.  

WASHINGTON BLADE: I read that you wanted to plumb the work for its romantic and elegant elements. True?

ALAN PAUL: Those were early words. When you see the fart jokes you won’t think elegance. It’s a difficult play because it has to be funny but it also has to be about real people. The characters are searching for lost loved ones. The premise is deep. The comedy of it is what happens in the course of this crazy 24 hours. But there is elegance in the physical production. I wanted a mostly black-and-white set and costumes. I’m inspired by films from the early ‘60s like the Greek romantic comedy “Never on a Sunday” starring Melina Mercouri. 

BLADE: Is it wrong to associate you primarily with musicals?

PAUL: I’ve directed many plays but musicals have been the most visible thing I’ve done. I love both. It’s fun to jump back and forth. In addition to Michael (Kahn), my heroes include Jack O’Brien. He directed “Hairspray” and “Henry IV” on Broadway in the same year. And Michael Blakemore who on the same night won Tony Awards for directing a play and a musical, “Copenhagen” and a revival of “Kiss Me, Kate,” respectively. People mistakenly think a director of musicals can’t be serious or real. Or a play director can’t be fun. I try really hard to play both sides of that. For “The Comedy of Errors,” we’re including some original music. It’s about creating that ‘60s Greek feeling. Also, the cast includes Eleasha Gamble who plays the courtesan and owner of the Porcupine Club. How could I not give her a song?

BLADE: You’re a twin. Has that been your way into “The Comedy of Errors”?

PAUL: Yes, I have a twin sister. For me, I understand the bond with my sister. The bond is different from what I have with anyone else. We share a sense of humor. If you looked at our text messages you’d have no idea what it means but we think it’s hilarious. Twins figure into so many of Shakespeare’s plays. I think Shakespeare had twins and one of them died. This play, and “Twelfth Night” especially, is about needing to find your other half. Shakespeare had a fantasy of family coming back together that never happened. I believe it comes from an extraordinary sense of loss. 

BLADE: How did you go about casting twins?

PAUL: I’ve cast two sets of twins who look nothing alike. Put the same hat on them and who cares? We get it.  

BLADE: Tell me about how Michael Kahn hired you. 

PAUL: It was over drinks at Playbill Café. I miss that place so much. Not a big deal for him, but life changing for me. 

BLADE: This is Michael Kahn’s last season at STC. What has he taught you?

PAUL: He pushed me very hard when I was very young to run the department. He gave me a lot of responsibility and expected me to know what I was doing. I figured out how to do it and I think that he gave me a lot of confidence early on. Also, I will take away his incredibly high standards. He won’t let anything go that does meet a certain standard. And I have that myself. An internal GPS that says “not good enough.” 

BLADE: Will you work under Kahn’s appointed successor, Simon Godwin?

PAUL: That’s an ongoing conversation. I like him and am excited to see what he’ll do. 

BLADE: Was directing The Comedy of Errors your choice?

PAUL: STC wasn’t doing a musical this season so I knew I’d do a play. I really wanted to do Shakespeare so Michael and I talked about a lot of different titles. Comedies to dramas. We hadn’t done this one in a long time. I thought it was a great way to open the season and I wanted to assemble a group of funny people that the audience would know. It’s always fun to have artists on stage together who have contributed to the success of STC. People like Tom Story, Nancy Robinette, Ted van Griethuysen, Sarah Marshall. 

BLADE: And don’t forget Veanne Cox as Adriana.

PAUL: Yes, wait until you see her arguing with a parrot. She has a pet bird that talks to her. 

BLADE: Last season you broke Shakespeare Theatre Company sales record with your production of “Camelot.” How do you explain that?

PAUL: The election. I’d been uncertain about doing “Camelot.” People love the music but not so much the book. But when Hillary Clinton lost the election, I couldn’t help but wonder what Obama was thinking about his legacy. That’s what King Arthur goes through at the end of the play. When the Round table is cracked he says that barbarism is the natural state of man. Then at the end of the scene he meets the kid and his spirit is revived. I thought that’s the story Washington needed to hear. And I was right. 

BLADE: There are so many shows opening right about now. Why see “The Comedy of Errors”?

PAUL: Well, it’s short — 95 action-packed minutes. Nobody wants to see a really long play. With this production, you’re out in time to get drinks or supper. Also, it’s funny. In these times of the stressful news cycle, I want to give people some entertainment and joy. 

BLADE: Tell me about your childhood letter writing. 

PAUL: Yes, I have a whole book of correspondence, about one hundred letters. I started writing letter c/o the stage door when I was a kid. I wrote stage managers, a dance captain and actors like George Hearn. I have letters from Audra McDonald before she was famous. Bob Mackie wrote me. I wanted to know how things worked. 

BLADE: How does being gay figure into your work?

PAUL: Freedom to have fun with sexuality. Someone in the show accused me of trying to make this into a John Waters’ movie. I said that’s a good thing. There’s lots of drag. Sarah Marshall plays a man, Dr. Pinch. Three men double as female characters. 

BLADE Any directorial projects you’re itching to tackle?

PAUL Yes, two musical and a play. In keeping with my Greek ‘60s film thing, I’d like to do the musical “Zorba.” And another is “Golden Boy,” the musical based the Clifford Odets play about a young man from Harlem who pursues prizefighting despite his family’s objections. It needs a little doctoring, but I think that would make a wonderful Broadway revival. And the play is “Teenage Dick.” It’s got a provocative title but it’s actually a version of Shakespeare’s “Richard III” set in an American high school. It played at the Public Theater in New York this summer. Please someone in Washington let me do this. It will be a huge hit in this town, I’m certain. 

The cast of ‘The Comedy of Errors,’ a brisk farce now on the boards at Shakespeare Theatre Co. (Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy STC)

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Theater

Talented pair of local queer actors tackles ‘Little Shop of Horrors’

Ford’s production features terrific score

Published

on

Chani Wereley (Audrey) and Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Seymour) in the 2024 Ford’s Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors. (Photo by Scott Suchman)

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ 
Through May 18
Ford’s Theatre
511 10th St., N.W.
$33-$95
Fords.org 

Ever since premiering off-Broadway in 1982, “Little Shop of Horrors” has drawn a devoted following of avid audiences as well as performers eager to act in the show. Now playing at Ford’s Theatre, the doo-wop, dark comedy features a terrific cast including a wildly talented pair of local queer actors who’ve longed to appear in the show since they were kids. 

Set in the urban 1960s, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s hit show with a terrific score follows the wacky rise of Seymour, a nebbishy florist in a Skid Row shop who changes his fortunes by unintentionally marketing an exotic, human eating plant.  

Chani Wereley, 28, who plays Seymour’s love interest Audrey, a hyper femme downtowner with an edge, has had her on eye the role for years. Wereley says, “Audrey’s been around the block more than once, but I approach her as a person who moves through the world with love and hope.”

The queer D.C. native adds, “On long trips to visit family in Canada or Florida, the first thing we’d do is pop a ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ video [film version] into the car’s VHS player. I’ve watched is so many times, I could quote the whole movie to you.”

After auditioning to play Audrey in director Kevin S. McAllister’s production at Ford’s, Wereley never thought she’d book the part, and when they said she got it, she cried.  

Similarly, Tobias A. Young, 34, the pansexual actor who voices the part of the bloodthirsty plant affectionately dubbed Audrey II, explains his intense interest in the work: “I started watching the film in ’86. Growing up as a little gay boy in Calvert County, Md., I wanted to be blonde Audrey [played by Ellen Green in the movie]. I didn’t know much about musicals at the time, but I was absorbed.” 

When asked by Ford’s to play the voracious plant Audrey II without auditioning, his reply was an unhesitant “yes.” 

Voicing a role requires Young to sing from backstage in a black box rigged with monitors and a mixing board. He says, “people ask if I’m singing from inside of the ever-growing, scary plant. No, I’m not, and that’s fine. But let’s face it, actors love to be seen on stage, but I don’t feel entirely unseen as Audrey II.”

He’s worked hard and successfully with formidable puppeteers Ryan Sellers and Jay Frisby to bring parts of himself to the carnivorous plant — his sassiness, own movements, and even a tilt of his head; their efforts have drawn the actual Young into the show. 

Both Wereley and Young possess gorgeous, emotive voices as evidenced by Wereley’s striking rendition of Audrey’s “Suddenly Seymour,” and Young’s soulful “Feed Me (Git It).” Additionally, both actors are also big on queer representation in theater. 

When her young pals were listening to Britney Spears, Wereley was dancing to retro tunes like “Mashed Potato Time,” and her favorite song to this day, the Shirelle’s girl group anthem “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” As Audrey, Wereley eschews the character’s usual platinum hair for a bouncy brunette, cherry-streaked wig, tight pencil skirts, swing coats, and her very own half-sleeve tattoo. 

“It’s important for people to see themselves on stage,” she says. “Seeing me or someone like me is inherently interesting. Being that person on Instagram or with the institution, cast, or audiences is meaningful. It’s important.”

In 2011, a couple years after finishing high school, Young landed a part in “Dream Girls” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, and he’s been working professionally ever since. Growing up, he didn’t see a lot of himself – Black and queer – on social media. He now wants to be open and honest for those out there who might not feel seen, he says

An introvert who lets everything loose on the stage, Young says, “theater is a safe space for queer people. That’s the first place we feel safe, particularly in school. And this is why we need theaters in schools, now more than ever.”

He adds, “What’s great about Ford’s is its surprises, especially when they switch up casting. It’s meaningful to see the shows you love, but why not see them with a twist? Using unexpected actors and incorporating queer people just makes it that much better.”

Continue Reading

Theater

Woman crashes ex-girlfriend’s wedding to a man in new play

Nonbinary playwright Bryna Turner brings ‘At the Wedding’ to Studio

Published

on

Playwright Bryna Turner (Photo by Lila Barth)

‘At the Wedding’
Through April 21
Studio Theatre
1501 14th St., N.W.
$45-$99
Studiotheatre.org

For nonbinary playwright Bryna Turner, the way to theater was first as an actor. But as gender non-conforming, they couldn’t really see a future in it, so they decided to write their own plays.

“At the Wedding,” Turner’s play about a woman named Carlo who crashes her ex-girlfriend’s wedding to a man, is currently making its area debut at Studio Theatre with a production staged by out director Tom Story.  The comedy made its world premiere at LCT3 at Lincoln Center Theater and was featured in the New York Times Best of 2022 “Unforgettable Theatrical Moments” category. 

Brooklyn-based Turner, 33, is inspired by experience, storytelling, and language. With “At the Wedding,” they humorously explore loneliness, estrangement, and a love for living.

WASHINGTON BLADE:  How do we meet Carlo? 

BRYNA TURNER: In the opening monologue, Carlo is at the kids table at a wedding reception telling them not to make her mistake. You’ll fall in love but that will only break your heart. That kicks the show off and this is who we’re dealing with.  

BLADE: How was falling in love for you? 

TURNER: My experience when I fell in love was that I was joining the human race. But then comes heartbreak…. that other thing everyone was always talking about. Poems and music took on new meaning. 

BLADE: But you can find a laugh in pain? 

TURNER: Comedic tone is important to me because that’s how I view the world. I like to have a laugh when things are hard or sad. 

Also, I feel like it’s a way to bring people in. You relate to a character who makes you laugh. Two of my plays begin with a lesbian yelling at the audience. It’s almost like crowd work.

BLADE: Were you ever hesitant about writing queer plays? 

TURNER: I was lucky at Holyoke [Mount Holyoke College where Turner was an undergrad]. Director Brooke O’Hara was teaching there when I attended and she brought in some queer plays; she showed me there was a canon to join and that was exciting.

BLADE: When did you first identify as nonbinary? 

TURNER: In 2022. I’d been butch-presenting for over a decade. Then during the pandemic, I began spending more time alone. When alone, you grant yourself more permission to think. 

For me, I’d always wanted to be independent and not ask for anything, to be butch on my own. As nonbinary, suddenly I had to ask people to use my pronouns. Also, it granted the opportunity to allow people to surprise me in mostly positive ways.

BLADE: Was becoming a produced playwright tough?

TURNER: I wanted to be a playwright at 21 and I had a play produced when I was 27. Now, looking back, I can see it happened pretty quickly, but at the time it felt like forever.  

While doing my MFA in playwriting at Rutgers University, I was working in the box office at the Public Theater in New York where I managed to see things like “Fun Home” and “Hamilton.” 

If I wasn’t working, I was commuting to Rutgers in New Jersey, and I was always writing. I had to be diligent. I’m a perfectionist, but I got things done. I wrote scenes in between waiting for customers at the box office or on the train. It took a lot of energy; drive pushes you. 

BLADE: A while before “At the Wedding,” you wrote “Phases of the Moon” about lesbian poet Elizabeth Bishop. What sparked that interest? 

TURNER: It’s about her time at Vassar College when she fell in love with a woman. It’s set in the 1930s but it’s bit anachronistic. There’s a scene with a Tegan and Sara song. 

Bishop identified as a socialist vegetarian while at one of the most expensive women’s colleges during the height of the Great Depression. I thought to myself, ‘I know that girl, too.’ I love how we can know this person across nearly 100 years.

BLADE: Can you describe your formative years? 

TURNER: I grew up the youngest of four in a small coastal town surrounded by redwoods. It was pretty rural but included an enclave of hippies. Despite being a shy kid, I developed an interest in theater. My parents were relieved. I had tried a lot of things and quickly lost interest: soccer, ballet, Tee-Ball. I remember striking out and all my family laughing. I threw down the bat and that was it. 

BLADE: Do you think about who you’re writing for? 

TURNER: I do. I’m thinking of a queer audience, and writing things that I want to see. In doing that, I’ve been happily surprised that straight people want to come along too.

Continue Reading

Theater

D.C.’s spring theater scene offers ‘Macbeth,’ ‘Peter Pan,’ Sedaris and more

Queer themes well represented in season’s productions

Published

on

Out actor Adam Chanler-Berat to play Andrew the archivist in ‘Unknown Soldier’ at Arena Stage (March 29-May 5). (Photo courtesy Arena)

There’s a lot on for theater this spring. And here’s a queer heavy sampling. 

If it’s “Company” you’re after, try the Kennedy Center. The national tour of the Tony-winning, gender-swapped revival of out legend Stephen Sondheim’s hit musical withBritney Colemanas forever single Bobbie is moored to the Opera House through March 31. Kennedy-center.org 

Signature Theatre in Arlington presents “Penelope” (through April 21), a one-woman musical featuring out Broadway star Jessica Phillips. With glass of bourbon in hand, Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, gets a few things off her chest. Think Trojan War. Sigtheatre.org

At Studio Theatre, nonbinary playwright Bryna Turner’s “At the Wedding” is currently making its regional debut in a production helmed by out director Tom Story. It’s a queer comedy about a woman crashing her ex’s wedding with the intention of not making a scene. Good luck with that. Out actor Holly Twyford plays Maria, mother of the bride. Studiotheatre.org

At Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Helen Hayes Award-winning actor Justin Weaks is workshopping his new play “A Fine Madness” (March 17-24)). The solo piece is inspired by the talented out actor’s 2016 HIV diagnosis and the ensuing years he spent alone and processing. (Tickets are pay what you will – starting at $5.)

Also slated for Woolly is “Amm(i)gone” (April 20–May 12). Created and performed by queer theater maker Adil Mansoor, the personal story is about inviting his Pakistani mother to translate “Antigone” into Urdu as means of exploring the tensions between family and faith. Woollymammoth.net

At Atlas Performing Arts Center on H Street, N.E., Mosaic Theater presents Rhiana Yazzie’s “Nancy” (March 30- April 21), a tale of ambition and ancestry soaked in ‘80s nostalgia. Staged by out director Ken-Matt Martin, the seven-person cast includes Lynn Hawley as Nancy, out actor Michael Kevin Darnall as Ronnie, and Anaseini Katoa is Esmeralda, a Navajo woman advocating for her community. Mosaictheater.org

Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va., delivers divas. Meow Meow, the post-post-modern phenom from down under, brings her globally celebrated act to the park’s Barns venue on March 21. And on June 8, a single show featuring both Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight promises to light up Wolf Trap’s cavernous Filene Center with legendary star power.Wolftrap.org  

Arena Stage presents “Unknown Solder” (March 29-May 5), Daniel Goldstein and Michael Friedman’s sweeping musical about a woman in search of her family’s past. The topnotch cast includes Lori Lee Gayer, out actor Adam Chanler-Berat, and Broadway’s Judy Kuhn. Arenastage.org

At 1st Stage in Tysons, Va., wonderful out actor Michael Rusotto plays the titular sissy in Douglas Carter Beane’s “The Nance” (April 4-21). Set in 1930s New York, the action follows a queer burlesque actor as he navigates his way through a world where it’s safer to be gay onstage than off. Nick Olcott directs. 1ststage.org

Broadway at the National moves musically into spring with “Peter Pan” (April 9-21). Playwright Larissa FastHorse’s fresh adaptation of the eternal boy’s classic tale feels fresh without losing the familiar including terrific tunes like “I’m Flying,” “I Gotta Crow,” and “I Won’t Grow Up.” Broadwayatthenational.com

Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) presents “Macbeth” (April 9-May 5) starring movie star Ralph Fiennes as the Thane of Glamis, and Indira Varma as sleepwalking Lady M. Staged by STC’s artistic director Simon Godwin, the production won’t be performed in the company’s usual digs but rather a borrowed former BET soundstage (1301 W St., N.E.) where the world of the Scottish play will be created. Exciting stuff. Shakespearetheatre.org

Attention dance lovers! In Fairfax, GMU Center of the Arts presents Martha Graham Dance Company — the oldest modern dance ensemble in the country— for just one night (April 13) with a program that showcases the company’s legacy through iconic classics and new work. Cfa.gmu.edu

Also on April 13, bestselling gay author David Sedaris brings his inimitably hilarious take on life to the Strathmore in North Bethesda. Strathmore.org 

Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater presents Opera Lafayette’s modern premiere of “Mouret’s Les Fêtes de Thalie” (May 3 and 4), an opéra-ballet that broke with serious French operas by putting contemporary characters on stage. Renowned French conductor/musician Christophe Rousset conducts. Operalayette.org

At GALA Hispanic Theatre, it’s Gustavo Ott and Mariano Vale’s “The Return of Eva Perón: Momia en el closet” (May 9–June 9), a dark musical comedy filled with “historical intrigue and spine-chilling entertainment.” (Performed in Spanish with English surtitles.) Galatheatre.org

This spring, Creative Cauldron in Falls Church presents Kirsten Childs’ new musical “The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin” (May 16-June 9), the humorous and pointed story of a seemingly confident woman’s journey through racism, sexism, showbiz, and finally self-acceptance. Angelisa Gilyard directs. Creativecauldron.org 

For one night only, the Alden Theatre in Mclean, Va., presents “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now — The Three Leading Ladies of ‘Hairspray’” (Saturday, June 8) with Marissa Jaret Winokur, Kerry Butler, and Laura Bell Bundy. Broadway’s original Tracy, Penny, and Amber are staging a rare reunion to celebrate the hit musical’s 20th anniversary. Mcleancenter.org

And on time for Pride, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington presents what promises to be a beautifully rendered multidisciplinary event. Titled “Portraits” (Sunday, June 16 at Lincoln Theatre), the concert features visual art, music, and dance, representing a vibrant spectrum of sexual, gender, racial, ethnic, and cultural identities in a nine-movement commission combining the work of nine visual artists, nine composers, nine choreographers, and sung by the Chorus and featuring 17th Street Dance. Gmcw.org

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Sign Up for Weekly E-Blast

Follow Us @washblade

Advertisement

Popular