History on Stage

Today is the Feast Day of Joan of Arc, a historical figure who has inspired a number of plays, including Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, Jane Anderson's Mother of the Maid, and my own Dark Night of the Soul.

History has always been an inspiration for dramatists, and this Saturday another history-inspired play of mine, Snip o' the Shears, will have a staged reading at the Hamilton Grange branch of the New York Public Library.

Snip o' the Shears is based loosely on accounts of Betsy Ross, the Philadelphia-based upholsterer who according to legend sewed the first modern flag of the Uniter States. She will be portrayed this Saturday by Rebecca Ana Peña. Rachael Langton is directing the reading.

Later this summer, I'll be presenting a paper on plays inspired by historical slave revolts. I'll be discussing J.H. Amherst's The Death of Christophe King of Hayti, as well as W.H. Murray's Obi; or, Three-Fingered Jack. This will be at a conference by the British Association for Romantic Studies in Glasgow.

That conference will be in July, and then in August I'll be giving a paper online for the North American Society for the Study of Romanticism on Felicia Hemans' historically inspired play The Vespers of Palermo. Hemans was literally writing about a massacre that occurred in medieval Sicily, but the 1823 play was also referencing the recent turmoil of the French Revolution.

George Gordon Byron wrote dramas inspired by history as well, and this fall I will be speaking on a panel at the annual Curran Symposium, co-sponsored this year by the Keats-Shelley Association of America and the Byron Society of America. The roundtable I'll be on will discuss Red Bull Theater's staged reading of Byron's Sardanapalus, about the ancient Assyrian king.

That's a long ways off yet, but I hope you can join me for the reading on Saturday. After that, I'll be off to a conference in Dublin... but more on that later!

Semi-finalist for the Clive Award

Today I received news that my play Dark Night of the Soul is a semi-finalist for Fellowship for Performing Arts' inaugural playwriting competition, the Clive Award.

Fellowship for Performing Arts was founded by award-winning actor, Max McLean, whose one-man rendition of the Book of Genesis was developed at Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey and later produced at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The production company tells stories from a Christian worldview to engage a diverse audience. It has a special interest in the works of C.S. Lewis and produced new theatrical adaptations of The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce as well as a play and film about Lewis’ spiritual journey called The Most Reluctant Convert.

This year the company launched the Clive Awards as a competition to encourage the writing of new works that advance its mission. Dark Night of the Soul, which provides a fresh new take on the story of Joan of Arc, certainly fits that bill. The play was previously chosen by Nittany Theatre at the Barn as the winner of the theatre's 2017 National Free Speech Contest.

Finalists for the Clive Award will be announced next month. Fingers crossed!

Presenting on Saint Joan

Today was the second day of the International Shaw Society's "Shaw and Heroism" conference at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

We opened with some video presentations delivered over Zoom. David Staller spoke about his experiences running Gingold Theatrical Group which will be performing Arms and the Man this fall.

After David spoke, Jean Reynolds gave a paper on Getting Married. She noted that Mrs. George's trance in the play prefigures the trance in Shaw's later drama Heartbreak House. She also likened the play to Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, since both stories feature a stopped clock and an uneaten wedding cake.

Next, Vishnu Patel spoke about heroism and desire in Pygmalion. He discussed an Indian adaptation of the play in which caste replaces class. The Eliza character in that version is named Manjula, and like in the musical adaptation My Fair Lady, it is hinted at the end that she might marry the professor who taught her how to speak and act in a new way.

My own presentation was also today. I discussed how the actor Sybil Thorndike came to embody heroism in the London premiere of Shaw's masterpiece Saint Joan. Shaw had originally gotten to know Thorndike when she understudied the leading role in a touring production of Candida. It was after he saw her in a different role, that of Beatrice in Percy Shelley's The Cenci, that he reportedly remarked, "I have found my Joan."

The first woman to play Joan in Shaw's play was not Thorndike, but the American actor Winifred Lenihan. John Corbin, critic for the New York Times, was unimpressed with Lenihan, though fortunately ticket sales for the play remained strong. Thorndike played the role when the play opened in London, and she seems to have put her own distinctive mark on the piece.

After my presentation, we had a discussion with the cast of the staged reading of Saint Joan we saw yesterday. The actor who played the lead commented that Joan is earnest and authentically herself, while everyone else is acting out roles assigned to them by society. (By the way, this is also a major theme in my own play about Joan of Arc, Dark Night of the Soul.)

The last speaker today was Miki Matsumoto, who discussed the film Mournful Indifference, which reimagines Shaw's play Heartbreak House. The Russian film directed by Aleksandr Sokurov in 1987 was interpreted at the time as relating to Perestroika in the Soviet Union, but Miki also related it to the present war in Ukraine.

Tomorrow, Mary Christian will be speaking on Shaw's true and false prophets. It promises to be quite interesting!

Finalist for Mach 33 Festival

Last week, I announced that my play Dark Night of the Soul had made the longlist of shows being considered by the Free Spirit Theatre. Unfortunately, the play ended up not making the shortlist for the company.

However, my play Bones of the Sea has now been named a finalist for the 2019 Mach 33: Caltech/Pasadena Playhouse Festival of New Science-Driven Plays. Three winners are slated to be announced shortly.

Mach 33 seeks to foster conversations around science, math, and technology. It presents staged readings of unpublished new work, hosted by the Pasadena Playhouse, but produced by Caltech Theater. Plays are presented by casts including Caltech students, faculty, staff, and other members of the community. All readings are followed by post-show discussions with playwrights.

Bones of the Sea tells the true story of Mary Anning, a working-class woman and religious dissenter who revolutionized the scientific world at the beginning of the 19th century. Anning was the ultimate outsider: wrong class, wrong sex, wrong religion. Yet she managed to make remarkable contributions to the world, and I think it's about time to tell her story.

The script had a reading in New York City with a cast of wonderful theatre veterans, including Jessica Vera, Steven Haworth, Gordon Stanley, and Carole Monferdini. Elephant Room Productions subsequently did a reading of the play and featured it on a podcast.

In addition to Bones of the Sea, Mach 33 also chose as finalists ProjectX by Taylor Hatch, Sizzle Sizzle Fry by Susan Bernfield, The Surest Poison by Kirsten Idaszak, and Ushuia Blue by Caridad Svich.

Wish me luck!

Making the Longlist

I'm pleased to announce that my play Dark Night of the Soul made the longlist of shows being considered by Free Spirit Theatre in the United Kingdom.

Based in Solihull in the West Midlands, Free Spirit Theatre focuses on original works by emerging writers. Their past plays have included Drugged Love by Kitty Harper and Battle of the Exes by Kathryn Bakewell.

For their upcoming show, Free Spirit put out a request for dialogue samples of new works. After receiving more than 300 submissions from around the world, they requested 60 full scripts, including Dark Night of the Soul.

The play is a fresh new take on the story of Joan of Arc that explores how people deal with crises of faith. Nittany Theatre at the Barn chose the play as the winner of the 2017 Theatre of the First Amendment Play Festival, and it received readings in Pennsylvania and Florida, but it has yet to be fully produced.

I'm excited that Free Spirit is considering the piece. It would be great to see it performed in the UK!

Shaw in New York... in Print!

The most recent issue of The Shaw Society's publication The Shavian arrived in the mail yesterday. I was pleased to see them include my article "Bumper Year for Shaw in New York."

I knew I wanted to write something for The Shavian after I saw Bedlam's wonderful production of Pygmalion last spring. Director Eric Tucker did a wonderful job making the century-old play fiercely relevant to contemporary America.

Of course, Bedlam wasn't the only company doing Shaw in New York last year. Saint Joan returned to Broadway in a production by the Manhattan Theatre Club. Being a huge fan of Joan of Arc (and having written my own play about the Maid, Dark Night of the Soul), I knew I would be seeing that as well.

Plus, Gingold Theatrical Group always does a great job with their Project Shaw readings, and I knew they were planning a full-scale production of Heartbreak House. I pitched the idea of an article on all three to The Shavian's editor, Anne Wright. She liked the idea. The only problem was that Heartbreak House wouldn't be opening for several months. Still, she asked me to go ahead an write the article, getting in my copy as quickly as possible after Heartbreak House opened so the whole issue could be laid out, printed, and mailed by the end of the year.

Well, GTG outdid themselves, and I ended up having nothing but good things to say about their production, in spite of not knowing how good it would be when I agreed to review it. Director David Staller reset Heartbreak House as a play-within-a-play happening during the blitz in London, and the concept worked beautifully.

Incidentally, this issue of The Shavian also includes articles by Philippa Parker, Stanley Weintraub, Kenneth McConkey, and others, so I'm in good company!

Mother of the Maid

Last week, I had the privilege of seeing Jane Anderson's new play Mother of the Maid at The Public Theater.

Anderson, who also wrote Defying Gravity, uses her latest play to tell the story of Joan of Arc through the eyes of saint's mother. The result is a touching story of fame, glory, family, and heartbreak.

Stage and screen legend Glenn Close plays Isabelle Arc, the titular mother in the piece, and her daughter is played by Grace Van Patten, a relative newcomer who was also in The New Group's production of The Whirligig last year. Both performers hold their own, however, and they are complimented by a supporting cast that includes Dermot Crowley, Andrew Hovelson, and Daniel Pearce.

I saw the matinee performance on Halloween. During the first scene, some ghosts or goblins must have been playing tricks on us, because a power drill could clearly be heard somewhere offstage. Close and Van Patten continued through the noise, but then hammering started. Didn't the noisemaker know there were multiple matinees going on in the building? Close turned to the audience, apologized, and asked out loud if something could be done to stop the noise. A voice over the intercom said, "Absolutely!" The audience burst into applause.

The intercom voice said that Ms. Close could go offstage and wait, but Glenn (can I call her Glenn, now?) said she'd wait with the audience. "Anybody have any questions about the show?" she asked. Our new personal friend Glenn then answered questions about the play, her career, and her life. She graciously complimented both Anderson's play and her co-star Grace. (Sure, we can call her Grace!) She asked people in the audience where they were from. "Tasmania? When I went to Paris to shoot Dangerous Liaisons, we had a nanny to help with my daughter who had just been born, and our nanny was from Tasmania. The sweetest woman!"

Eventually, the noise stopped and the performance resumed. If you read this blog regularly, you know I'm a sucker for Joan of Arc plays, and that my own play Dark Night of the Soul tells the story of the saint's trial. (It also won the Nittany Theatre at the Barn's 2017 Theatre of the First Amendment Play Festival.) Anderson's handling of the story is different than most, however, as we glimpse Joan's life through the lives of others. Some of the most interesting scenes were between Isabelle and a Lady of the Court, played by Kelley Curran. I'd seen Curran before in the Red Bull Theater Company's 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, but she particularly impressed me in this role, as a clueless but well-meaning noblewoman who wants to help but is powerless amidst the political turmoil of war-torn France.

The delay in the performance meant that I was late for the "Frankenreads" event at the Morgan Library that afternoon, but after the performance, I did manage to catch the end of the marathon of readings from Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein. There's also a wonderful exhibition about the book at the Morgan which you should check out, but definitely make sure you get down to the Public, too. Mother of the Maid is not to be missed!

Joan of Arc Conquers Florida

The readings of my play Dark Night of the Soul were apparently a hit at The Villages in Florida this week.

The Daily Sun ran an article announcing the readings at the Eisenhower Recreation Center on Thursday and Laurel Manor Recreation Center on Friday. The publicity helped to bring out more than 200 people to fill the audiences.

Dave Saxe, who played the Earl of Warwick in the readings, called the play "a very powerful peace" in the article. Laura Saxe, who played Joan of Arc, called it "riveting drama." The reading also featured Alex Santoriello as Brother Martin and Dan Pona as the Bishop.

Hopefully, the play will receive a full production next year!

Joan of Arc Comes to Florida

If you missed the reading of Dark Night of the Soul last month, you can catch the play in Florida later this week.

Dark Night of the Soul will be having two staged readings in The Villages. The first reading will be at the Eisenhower Recreation Center in the Bradley Theatre on Thursday, October 26th, at 5:00 pm. A second staged reading will be in the Lincoln Theatre of Laurel Manor Recreation Center on Friday, October 27th, at 2:00 pm.

Both readings will feature Laura Ann Saxe as Joan of Arc and Dave Saxe as the Earl of Warwick. Broadway veteran Alex Santoriello, who was not in the reading last month, will also be joining the cast.

Dark Night of the Soul won Nittany Theatre at the Barn’s 2017 National Free Speech Play Contest. It tells the story of the last days of Joan of Arc, as her captors tried to convince her to renounce her claims to have heard the Voice of God.

The readings this week are free and produced by Pro-Am Productions and Nittany Theatre. Hope you can come!

Back From PA

I'm back from the State College area in central Pennsylvania where Nittany Theatre at the Barn recently had a staged reading of my play Dark Night of the Soul.

The play was the winner of the theatre's 2017 Free Speech Play Contest. It tells the story of Joan of Arc, and is based in part on the actual records of her trial. You can find out more about the play at a special website I set up about it.

Laura Ann Saxe played Joan, and Dave Saxe read the part of the Earl of Warwick, the English nobleman charged with the task of discrediting and executing her. The trial was presided over by Bishop Pierre Cauchon (played by John Koch). Most of the clergy present were intent on finding Joan guilty, but one young Dominican, Brother Martin (played by Jeff Buterbaugh), clearly sympathized with her.

Though this was just a reading, it was staged with a set and lighting. Actors wore costumes with a period flair, even though they were not intended to be accurate for the 15th century. There will be more readings of the play next month at The Villages in Florida on October 26th and 27th.

Free Speech Reading Tonight!

Tonight is the reading of my play Dark Night of the Soul, the winner of the Nittany Theatre at the Barn's 2017 Free Speech Play Contest.

I saw a rehearsal last night, and the actors are terrific. Laura Ann Saxe plays Joan of Arc, and Dave Saxe plays the Earl of Warwick, the English nobleman intent on having her burned at the stake.

John Koch is wonderfully creepy as Pierre Cauchon, the bishop who presides at Joan's trial. Brother Martin, a young Dominican who wants desperately to save Joan, is played by Jeff Buterbaugh, a student at nearby Penn State.

The reading is semi-staged. The actors won't be in 15th-century costumes, but they are wearing something to give the play period flair. There will also be a minimal set and a few light cues.

If you're in Central Pennsylvania, please come out at 7:30 for the reading. Donations are suggested but not required. For more information, please click here.

Dark Night of the Soul

As I wrote in a previous post, Nittany Theatre at the Barn has chosen my play Dark Night of the Soul as the winner of the 2017 National Free Speech Contest.

Now, in time for Bastille Day, I have launched a new website dedicated to the piece. Visitors can read a synopsis of the play, find out a bit more about me, and get the latest news for the show.

Previously, Radio Theatre Project Live in Tampa produced a radio drama of Dark Night of the Soul, and links to the radio version are available on the site as well. I've also provided a way for readers to contact me if they're interested in the piece.

Dark Night of the Soul provides a fresh new take on the story of Joan of Arc. It shows what happens after Joan is imprisoned and stops hearing the voice that tells her what to do. The play explores how people deal with crises of faith and how we sometimes find our way back again to what is most important.

The script will receive a reading at Nittany Theatre at the Barn in Boalsburg, PA on September 20th, to be followed by additional readings in Florida on October 26th and 27th.

Check out the new website, and perhaps I'll see you at the reading in September!

Free Speech Contest Winner!

I'm pleased to announce that Nittany Theatre at the Barn has chosen my play Dark Night of the Soul as the winner of the 2017 National Free Speech Contest!

The play was selected from 51 submissions by writers from across the country. It will receive a script-in-hand reading at Nittany Theatre at the Barn in Boalsburg, PA on September 20, 2017, right in the middle of Constitution Week.

That will be followed by additional readings in Florida, first on October 26 in the Omar Bradley Theatre at the Eisenhower Recreation Center, and then on October 27 in the Lincoln Theatre at the Laurel Manor Recreation Center. I'll be at the reading in Pennsylvania, but will likely have to miss the ones in Florida.

Dark Night of the Soul was originally developed in a playwrights group at the Abingdon Theatre Company in New York City. The script subsequently had a staged reading by the Lady Cavaliers Theatre Company in Brooklyn. The play was adapted for radio, and aired on WMNF in Tampa as a part of Radio Theatre Project Live.

The other finalists for the contest were:

Anything Helps God Bless by Al D'Andrea

Mia Wilson vs. Board of Education by Bill McGrath

Satan Amongst Us by Myla Lichtman-Fields

The Case and Trial of John Peter Zenger by Walt Vail

Holly Goday by Lawrence DuKore

The Degenerates by Germaine Shames

For more information check out the theatre's website:

Nittany Theatre at the Barn

Free Speech and Joan of Arc

At a time when free speech seems to be under attack, it's great to know that the Nittany Theatre at the Barn is holding a playwriting contest to pay theatrical tribute to free speech in the United States.

And guess what? My play Dark Night of the Soul is one of seven finalists for the contest! The theatre will announce the winner, appropriately enough, on July 4th of this year. That play will be produced on the theatre's mainstage during Constitution Week in September.

My play Dark Night of the Soul tells the familiar story of Joan of Arc, but in a somewhat unfamiliar way. Joan is shown having a crisis of faith, unsure of what God wants of her and no longer able to hear the Divine Voice that was once so familiar. She is urged to renounce her former statements and submit to the Church, but when she does so, she finds that life is not tolerable without the ability to speak the truth.

In fact, Joan would have been allowed to live if she had only kept her mouth shut and not returned to making statements about her former visions. Her insistence on her right to speak out--no matter what the consequences--makes her a martyr for the universal right of freedom of speech. I'm pleased that Nittany Theatre saw this and honored the play by making it one of the finalists.

Dark Night of the Soul had a staged reading by the Lady Cavaliers Theatre Company in Brooklyn. The play was later adapted for radio, and aired on WMNF in Tampa as a part of Radio Theatre Project Live. However, it has yet to receive a full production.

So, will the play's world premiere happen at a barn theatre in the middle of Pennsylvania? Stay tuned to find out!

Joan of Arc on the Radio

Today I received an e-mail notifying me that my radio play Dark Night of the Soul, based on the trial of Joan of Arc, will be recorded and then broadcast by WMNF in St. Petersburg, Fla. There will be a live taping on May 20th, and the broadcast date will be announced later.

You can read more about WMNF's Radio Theatre Project here:

http://www.radiotheatreproject.org/

Radio Theatre Project