Latest news with #59E59Theaters
Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
‘Gene & Gilda': Looking Back on That One Great Love
NEW YORK—The struggle to balance one's own needs with those of a significant other can involve compromise, patience, understanding, and more than a few emotional outbursts along the way. Making this point is 'Gene & Gilda,' Cary Gitter's funny, touching, and somewhat uneven work, which examines the relationship between actors Gene Wilder (1933–2016) and Gilda Radner (1946–1989). Directed smartly by Joe Brancato and punctuated with some enjoyable musical and dancing interludes, the show can now be seen at 59E59 Theaters.
Forbes
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
‘Amerikin': A Play That Mines Identity, Race, Empathy And The Lies We Tell Ourselves
(From left) Amber Reauchean Williams, Victor Williams and Daniel Abeles in Primary Stages' 2025 ... More production of Amerikin As Joan Didion famously wrote, 'We tell ourselves stories in order to live.' And often times that can yield lead to some brutal consequences. That is especially apparent in the thought provoking play Amerikin by Chisa Hutchinson. The play centers around Jeff Browning a first time father in Sharpsburg, a rural Maryland town. Jeff, who has lived there all his life, is convinced that the best way for his family to thrive and get support from the community is to become a member of the local white supremacist group. And his Confederate flag-flying good friend, Dylan, is hoping to induct him into it. However, everything comes crashing down when the required ancestry test reveals answers about Browning's DNA that he never expected. Directed by Jade King Carroll, the Primary Stages production takes some fascinating and devastating twists and turns. And Hutchinson deftly toggles between being compassionate and funny. 'Amerikin is about the fragility of supremacy and the limits of empathy,' says Hutchinson. Carroll describes Amerikin as 'a gripping family and social drama that delves into racism, social issues, and the lengths we will go to protect one's own family and find a sense of belonging.' 'It confronts the destructive impact of hatred in our society, exploring how it can drive individuals to madness,' adds Carroll. 'It is an important human story that resonates with relevance, discomfort, humor, and vibrancy. The characters, the dialogue and ensemble work that this allows is pretty exceptional as well.' Now playing at 59E59 Theaters as part of their Amplify Festival, which has honored Hutchinson by presenting three of her plays this season, Amerikin features a knock-out ensemble of actors. They include Daniel Abeles, Molly Carden, Luke Robertson, Tobias Segal, Andrea Syglowski, Amber Reauchean Williams, and Victor Williams. And the play and all its themes are particularly poignant, especially now. 'I feel like someone handed me a stick of gum and a shoelace and told me to build a rocket ship. Like I'm chipping away at a mountain with a toothpick,' reflects Hutchinson when asked how theater can help people heal during such a fraught time. 'But these are the tools I got. I got words. I got empathy. Hopefully that'll move the needle on somebody's pressure gauge— keep them from doing something stupid or violent or immoral.' Hutchinson hopes that after seeing Amerikin people get inspired to think about where they might fall on the spectrum of bigotry and who they consider outsiders and why. 'I hope the play blurs the line between 'us' and 'them' for folks. And that they just try to take everyone's humanity for granted,' she says. 'That's the only way we're gonna survive as a species—if more of us can empathize than not.' Chisa Hutchinson Jeryl Brunner: What inspired you to write Amerikin? Why did you feel the story had to be told, especially now? Chisa Hutchinson: My drives to Shepherdstown, West Virginia, to go work or see plays at the Contemporary American Theater Festival. [The trip] would take me right through Sharpsburg, Maryland. I, to this day, have never seen an actual human being in that town, only evidence of what types of human beings live there: lots of Trump signs sprouting out of lawns, some Confederate flags hanging from homes and businesses, big ol' pick-up trucks. But I also saw signage celebrating veterans, meticulously maintained lawns, and an adorable little ice-cream shop. I was confronted with the humanity and even the admirable qualities of these were people who I just assumed would hate my black ass on sight without knowing anything about me, which in turn triggered hostility in me—despite my literally never having encountered a single person there. It was a fucktangle of feelings. And I hate having that kind of conflict roiling inside me. So I wrote the play in an attempt to offload and understand. Brunner: Can you bring me to when you sat down and started working on the play? Hutchinson: It was shortly after Trump's first election, and I was baffled. Like HOW?! I remembered all those Trump signs on those pretty lawns and did a little digging. I saw they had had a Klan rally in Sharpsburg a couple years prior. I saw it was a 100% white town. At least back then. I see it's 88% now, but still 0 black folks. I became a little obsessed. I went down some YouTube rabbit holes and studied the dialect. I remember being curious about whether people said 'soda' or 'pop' which tends to be geographically determined. But Maryland isn't exactly southern but certainly not northern. I found this survey of Marylanders listing all responses. 'Soda' was the most common—with a few other variations. But two people responded 'Kill all Blacks." So. I knew I was definitely going to have to write this play. Jade King Carroll Brunner: Jade, what was the joy of working with Chisa and what attracts you to her writing? Jade King Carroll: Chisa creates characters and stories that continually surprise you. You never quite know where you are headed. I have had the privilege of collaborating with Chisa for 16 years, and it's no exaggeration to say that she is my favorite collaborator and storyteller. Chisa has a remarkable ability to craft a narrative that keeps the audience engaged without letting them get ahead. She writes honest, prismatic plays that encourage consideration of new perspectives. Her work addresses important contemporary topics with empathy and depth. Chisa creates three-dimensional characters, including those that might initially seem unworthy of engagement, and she fully realizes them, prompting audiences to reflect. Her writing fosters progressive conversations and is always infused with humor. She is not only an exceptional woman, friend, artist, teacher, and wife, but she is also simply a remarkable playwright and human. Brunner: Chisa, what was the challenge of making Jeff and his friends human and not caricatures? Hutchinson: I did have to kinda trick myself. What I did was drop Jeff immediately into a situation that inspires the warm-and-fuzzies in me. I have a real soft spot for dudes who are excited to become dads. So there he is at the top of the play, talking to newborn son. Adorable. Until the next scene when you hear what he's named his dog and then you know this play's not gonna be easy viewing. It certainly wasn't easy writing. Especially for Dylan, Jeff's friend who has asked him to join the local white supremacist group. I had to endow Dylan with qualities I admire. He's dutiful; he loves his family; enjoys good food. The rest were easy because I've encountered some version of them out in the wild. (From left): Amber Reauchean Williams, Daniel Abeles and Andrea Syglowski Luke Robertson, Amber Reauchean Williams and Victor Williams
