Act III

I first moved into New York City in 2002. I had a great apartment in Hell's Kitchen. It was there that I wrote Foggy Bottom, which later premiered at the Abingdon Theatre Company, as well as my adaptation of A Christmas Carol done in Saratoga Springs.

Later, when I got married, my beloved didn't want to move into my beautiful Hell's Kitchen apartment. She needed luxury amenities, such as hot AND cold running water. (I always had at least one or the other.) That meant I had to move into her apartment in Harlem at the end of 2012.

Well, during that second act in New York City I wrote Meucci's Message, which premiered on Staten Island. I was also fortunate enough to have my adaptation of Moby-Dick done on Cape Cod and for Detroit Rep to produce my original play Capital. As the years went on, our friends who lived in Harlem moved away and it became time for a new change.

So now I'm beginning Act Three in New York, this time in a co-op apartment in the Bronx. While I can't tell what the future will hold, theatre does seem to be coming back as the pandemic recedes. My play Kew Gardens couldn't be performed live earlier this year, but you can watch it on YouTube.

Kew Gardens begins about an hour and 12 minutes into the video, but it's well worth watching to see Sienna Thorgusen play Kitty. Enjoy!

Passings

Today was the day my play Kew Gardens was supposed to premiere at Actors' Theatre in Santa Cruz. Alas, live performances of the play have been cancelled, just the latest casualty of 2022.

Fortunately, Actors' Theatre will be filming its 8 Tens @ 8 Festival this year, and the play should be available to view streaming sometime next month. Both Bill Peters, who is directing Kew Gardens, and Sienna Thorgusen, who is starring in the one-woman play, are okay, in spite of the Omicron surge.

Omicron has not shut down Broadway (though it has closed a number of shows), which means that last night I got to see Irene Sankoff and David Hein's musical Come From Away. Seeing a play about 9-11 has different resonances in 2022. Watching it, I certainly remembered my own experiences that day, and the loss of Carol LaPlante, who died in the Towers, but there were other feelings, too, and the memory of all the people in my life who have died of Covid, including Marge Green who passed only recently.

Then, last night, I got word of another passing. Terry Teachout, the long-time theatre critic for the Wall Street Journal, is dead at 65. For nearly 20 years, he wrote for the Journal in a way that wrote for all America. Rather than just cover theatre in New York City, he traveled across the country, reviewing regional productions that were often doing far more exciting work than what is usually seen on or off Broadway. (I invited him to come out to Michigan to review Detroit Rep's production of my play Capital, but alas, he never responded.)

Teachout was an enthusiastic supporter of Gingold Theatrical Group and Bedlam. He also loved attending shows at the Mint Theater Company, which sent out a brief memorial to him today. According to Jonathan Bank, the Mint's producing artistic director, "Terry reviewed 14 Mint productions between 2005 and 2018. His impact on the Mint, and so many other smaller companies, is profound and immeasurable."

The only time I met Teachout in person was at a Shaw conference in New York, where he argued that just as we've liberated the plays of William Shakespeare from having to always be set in the same time period, we should free the plays of Bernard Shaw and other more recent dramatists from always being staged the same way. He particularly praised Bedlam's innovative production of Saint Joan.

So many losses in the past couple of years! Let's hope for better things in the year to come.

CAPITAL One of Detroit's Bests in 2017

The Detroit Free Press has named my play Capital one of the best 2017 moments in the city's arts and culture.

In a special section run on New Year's Eve, theatre critic John Monaghan recalled some magical moments on area stages, and singled out Capital for special praise. Here's what he wrote:

"Capital" (April, Detroit Repertory Theatre): This slapstick farce, in which Karl Marx tried to impart his socialist beliefs on a teenaged daughter, was the year’s biggest surprise. This appropriately economical production (Harry Wetzel both starred as the Father of Communism and designed the sets) highlighted an especially hit-and-miss year at the 61-year-old Detroit Rep.

Monaghan wrote a four-star review of Capital in April. Martin F. Kohn also gave the show a rave in Encore Michigan, and blogger Daniel Skora gave it a great write-up in It's All Theatre. Skora also named Detroit Rep's production of the play one of the best of the 2016-17 season.

Capital portrays Karl Marx, not when he was a famous philosopher, but when he was a lowly journalist in London, struggling to pay rent and constantly arguing with his teenage daughter. He mistakenly gets hold of a scandalous letter by the novelist Charles Dickens. And then all hell breaks loose....

If you're interested in the play, check out the website I set up for the piece, or feel free to contact me directly.

CAPITAL Named "Best of the Season"

Thanks to Daniel Skora whose blog It's All Theatre named my play Capital as one of the best productions in Southeastern Michigan during the 2016-2017 season.

Skora gave the play a great review in March, calling it an "enjoyably amusing and often hilarious comedy" with a "uniformly exceptional" Lulu Dahl as Jenny Marx. He also praised the actor Ben Will as "inherently funny" in his multiple roles.

Leah Smith directed the piece this spring at the Detroit Repertory Theatre. Detroit Rep has announced its upcoming season, which includes plays by Rich Rubin, Jeffry Chastang, Daniel Damiano, and Steven Simoncic. It looks like a great lineup, so if you live in the Detroit area, get your season ticket now!

Click here to read the rest of Skora's "Best of" list, which includes productions by Williamston Theatre, Tipping Point Theatre, Detroit Public Theatre, and the Matrix Theatre Company.

CAPITAL Site Up and Running

Now that the wonderful Detroit Repertory Theatre production of my play Capital is closed, I'm trying to get other theatres interested in the script.

To that end, I've created a brand new website dedicated the play. Go to  http://capitaltheplay.com/ to read a synopsis of the piece, find out more about the characters, read the reviews that ran in the local press, and find out more about the play's humble author. You can also see some amazing photos of the Detroit Rep production.

Hopefully I'll be reporting soon on future productions of the play!

Final Curtain for CAPITAL

Saturday morning I flew out to Detroit for the final weekend of Capital at Detroit Repertory Theatre. The cast did an exceptional job, and I could not have been more pleased.

Next up, the theatre will be performing the two-person play Countdown to the Happy Day by Thomas W. Stephens. If you're in the Detroit area, please check it out, as the Rep is a rare gem!

Thanks to everyone at Detroit Rep for a magnificent production, but most especially to director Leah Smith and the cast of Harry Wetzel, Lulu Dahl, Sara Catheryn Wolf, and Ben Will. I'll miss you guys, but I hope to work with each one of you again sometime in the future.

CAPITAL Closes Out April, Ready For May

My play Capital did well in Detroit last weekend, with strong sales on Thursday and Saturday nights, and even stronger sales for Saturday and Sunday matinees. In fact, 189 people came out to see the show at Detroit Repertory Theatre last Saturday afternoon alone.

Capital continues performances this weekend. The cast, which includes Harry Wetzel, Lulu Dahl, Sara Catheryn Wolf, and Ben Will, is excellent. Detroit Rep regular Leah Smith directed the piece, which got a rather wonderful review in the Detroit Free Press.

While I won't be able to see the show this weekend, I will be returning to Detroit for the closing weekend and seeing the show on Saturday, May 13th. If you come to see it that evening, perhaps I'll see you there!

Capital Continues

It was great to go out to Detroit and meet the cast and crew of Capital at Detroit Repertory Theatre. I'm also pleased that audiences are continuing to enjoy the play. Last Sunday's matinee saw 183 people come out for the performance.

I'll be back in Detroit for the closing weekend, and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again at the performance on Saturday night, May 13th. The very last performance is on Sunday (Mother's Day), May 14th, so if you haven't seen it yet, get your tickets now!

Leah Smith did a wonderful job directing the piece, which stars Harry Wetzel as Karl Marx, Lulu Dahl as his teenage daughter Jenny, Sara Catheryn Wolf as the actress Nelly Ternan, and Ben Will as a plethora of parts, including a certain great author....

If you're on the fence about whether or not to go, read the four-star review in the Detroit Free Press. Trust me, this is a cast you won't want to miss!

CAPITAL Cast Takes Easter Off

Last Sunday, 192 people came out to see the matinee of my play Capital at Detroit Repertory Theatre.

Tomorrow, however, the cast will be taking a break for Easter. Performances will resume on Thursday, April 20th.

Earlier this week, Capital got a great review in the Detroit Free Press. It's also been favorably received by Encore Michigan and the blog It's All Theatre. You can also read about the play in the Detroit Metro Times.

The show has a great cast including Harry Wetzel as Karl Marx, Lulu Dahl as his teenage daughter Jenny, Sara Catheryn Wolf as the actress Nelly Ternan, and Ben Will as "That Guy"--a stranger who morphs into a variety of different characters throughout the play.

Leah Smith has done a wonderful job directing the show. It's only playing until May 14, so get your tickets now!

Detroit Free Press Give CAPITAL a Rave!

So the first review of my play Capital, now showing at the Detroit Repertory Theatre, was pretty good. Encore Michigan acutely observed that the play "mixes political philosophy with the story of a poor girl’s longing for a silk bonnet." Reviewer Martin F. Kohn also rightfully praised director Leah Smith who "emphasizes the fun in this world premiere production."

Daniel Skora then wrote a lovely write up in his blog, It's All Theatre.  He called the play an "enjoyably amusing and often hilarious comedy" and praised Lulu Dahl, who plays Jennie Marx, as "uniformly exceptional." Still, while it's always nice to get favorable notices in websites and blogs, what about the local newspaper, The Detroit Free Press? When were they going to run a review.

The answer? Today! And critic John Monaghan has given the show four out of four stars! You can read his full review here, but I want to give you some highlights:

"Groucho, Harpo and Chico are still the funniest members of the Marx family, but Karl Marx gets plenty of laughs in Detroit Rep's staging of 'Capital.' The inspired new comedy from James Armstrong recasts the philosopher and economist not as the wild-bearded father of communism but as the real-life father of a demanding teen who gets caught up in a zany farce...."

Monaghan has special praise for Harry Wetzel, who not only plays Karl Marx, but also designed the show's wonderful set. He writes: "With all of this kookiness spinning around him, you might assume that Marx is little more than a straight man. Not so. Wetzel has plenty to do in the verbal and the physical comedy departments, too, and he helps make the show feel much shorter than its nearly two-hour running time."

He also has great things to say about Ben Will, who plays multiple roles, and Sara Catheryn Wolf, who plays Nellie Ternan. Dahl again gets special (and deserved) recognition. He calls her Jenny "whip-smart" adding: "Like the show itself, she can be silly, but she's never stupid."

But perhaps my favorite quote is this:

"Playwright Armstrong has created a work that is at once old-fashioned and modern, cerebral and slapstick. Jenny might as well be talking about the latest iPhone rather than a new hat. The debate over what to print and the sanctity of the private versus the public continues to rage today courtesy of our tabloid culture."

But don't take the newspaper's word for it--see the play for yourself! Capital is playing until May 14th at Detroit Rep!

Saturday Afternoon in Detroit

What do you do on a Saturday afternoon in Detroit? Go see my play Capital of course!

I just received the first box office report from Detroit Repertory Theatre for my farce Capital. The play follows the adventures of a still-unknown Karl Marx and his teenage daughter (who like many teenagers only cares about clothes and the latest expensive fashions).

According to the report, the Saturday matinee sold the most tickets during opening weekend. There were 136 of us there opening night on Thursday, March 23rd. The next next night when I returned to see the show again, 175 people came.

At the matinee on Saturday, though, there were 194 tickets sold! I missed that performance, because I was on my way to a wedding in Pittsburgh, but I hope folks enjoyed it! There weren't too many people who came out Saturday night, but Sunday's matinee and evening performances both sold well.

This just goes to show that each theatre is different. A lot of times, Saturday and Sunday matinees are practically empty, but other theatres cultivate daytime audiences. These days, there's plenty to do in downtown Detroit. (Including going to John K. King used bookstore, where I managed to pick up some great editions of plays while I was in town.) I'm honored that so many Detroiters are choosing to spend their time at my play.

Not that everyone is coming for my sake, of course. They're probably there for the stellar cast, which includes Harry Wetzel as Karl Marx and Lulu Dahl as his daughter Jenny. Sara Catheryn Wolfe does a wonderful job as the melodramatic actress Nelly Ternan, and Ben Will does quintuple duty playing a multitude of characters.

If you missed the first weekend, fear not! Capital is playing until May 14th, so get your tickets soon. Director Leah Smith did an excellent job staging the play, so it is not to be missed.

Another Rave Review for CAPITAL!

Daniel Skora has written a lovely review of my play Capital for It's All About Theatre. You can read the full review here, but its spirit is captured in the opening line:

Take the social, economical and philosophical ramblings of Karl Marx, a misdirected letter from Charles Dickens to his lawyer, and the yearnings of a soon-to-be young woman for a silk bonnet and you have the makings of “Capital”, the enjoyably amusing and often hilarious comedy currently being presented by the Detroit Repertory Theatre.

On Saturday, Encore Michigan published the first review of the show by Martin F. Kohn. Both Kohn and Skora write appreciatively about the script as well as about Leah Smith's excellent direction, and the wonderful cast, including Harry Wetzel, Lulu Dahl, Ben Will, and Sara Catheryn Wolf.

Skora calls the play "a robust tug-of-war" that is "whimsical rather than intellectual." Praising the direction, he notes that "Smith has assembled a cast who know how to do physical comedy." He singles out Dahl as "uniformly exceptional" and calls Will "inherently funny."

The play is showing until May 14th, so be sure to get your tickets from Detroit Rep!

CAPITAL Is Open, and Reviews Are In!

This weekend, I flew out to Michigan to watch the opening performances of my play Capital at Detroit Repertory Theatre.

The opening went well, and now the reviews are starting to come in! Martin F. Kohn wrote an excellent piece for Encore Michigan you can read here. A word of warning, though: it does include a few spoilers.

As Kohn points out, Capital is set in London in 1858, the city of both Karl Marx and Charles Dickens. The play mixes political philosophy with knockabout farce, as Marx's daughter Jenny tries to get a new silk bonnet by any means necessary.

Leah Smith ably directed the piece, which features an excellent cast, including Harry Wetzel as Karl Marx and Lulu Dahl as his daughter Jenny. Kohn called Jenny "a combination of teenage petulance and intellectual acuity." Sounds about right to me!

Ben Will has perhaps the most difficult part, playing a variety of roles, including a traveling salesman, the promoter of a reading tour, a police constable, a landlord, and a great author. Sara Catheryn Wolf plays the actress Nelly Ternan, and is particularly funny when Nelly shows off her melodramatic acting.

Mary Copenhagen did a great job with the costumes, and I was particularly impressed by the versatile set designed by Karl Marx himself... Harry Wetzel! Thomas Schrader designed the lighting and Burr Huntington did the sound design, both of which suited the play perfectly.

If you're in the Detroit area, make sure you see it! The production is excellent and will be showing until May 14th.

Opening Soon!

I wanted to draw everyone's attention to the following press release by Detroit Repertory Theatre:

Capital by James Armstrong A World Premiere farce about Karl Marx and his materialistic teenage daughter on the legendary Detroit Rep stage

DETROIT - March 06, 2017 - The World Premiere of James Armstrong's farce Capital will have a Champagne Opening Celebration on Thursday, March 23 at the Detroit Repertory Theatre at 8:30 PM. Opening Nights at the Rep are always full of camaraderie and celebration. This one will be no different. Guests are invited to join in a Champagne toast in the elegant lobby gallery of the Theatre after the show with the cast, crew and playwright who will be flying in for the Opening Night of his play. Tickets are still the lowest prices for professional theatre in the region at $17 advance or $20 day of performance, and may be purchased online at detroitreptheatre.com or by calling (313) 868-1347. Capital will run Thursdays through Sundays until May 14, 2017. More information may be found at detroitreptheatre.com. About the Play Capital is based on a true event in 1858 in London (but turned upside down and bounced around). Karl Marx's teenage daughter, Jenny, will go to great lengths to convince her father her life is over if she doesn't have the latest fashion - a silk bonnet. Unfortunately for her, her father is a political writer whose life is dedicated to teaching the principles of a communal economy and that material possessions are the preoccupation of the bourgeoisie. Also, they're broke. When a scandalous letter containing sordid details about an affair between two famous people falls into their laps, Jenny sees dollar signs while Karl sees immorality. Throw in a famous actress (who can't stop acting) and a bevy of characters (who all seem to look alike) and a hilarious romp ensues. About the Production Capital is directed by Detroit Repertory resident company member Leah Smith (DETROIT).  Last season Ms. Smith directed Devil Dog Six, judged by the Free Press as "...most exciting, inventive theatre experience(s) this year (2016)." Her cast for Capital  consists of three familiar Rep actors and one newcomer. Rep audiences will remember Lulu Dahl (DETROIT) for her performance as Herb's daughter in Herb the Green Knight; Harry Wetzel (DEARBORN), DRT resident set designer, director and actor; and Ben Will (HIGHLAND PARK) who performed the young caretaker six years ago in Dead and Buried. The newcomer to the Rep is Sara Catheryn Wolf (ST. CLAIR SHORES), but theatre-goers will recognize her for her work with many Detroit area theatres.  Resident Company Member, Kelly Pino (HAMTRAMCK), is stage manager for Capital. Harry Wetzel does double duty as the set designer; Mary Copenhagen is the costume designer; Tom Schraeder (Farmington Hills) is the lighting designer; Burr Huntington (ROYAL OAK) is the sound designer.   All Tickets, Fundraisers, Bargain Booklets, and Subscriptions remain the most affordable prices for not-for-profit professional theatre in the Region. General admission is $17 in advance and $20 for regular admission -- all seats, all performances. The Rep's "Anytime, Multi-Use" Gold Double Subscription for two is the unmatched price of $100 and a Silver Single Person Subscription is $50. 10-ticket Bargain Booklets, Regular and Matinee are $110 and $100 respectively and make great mini-fundraisers.  For tickets, fundraisers and information call or visit the Rep Box office, (313)868-1347. Tickets can be purchased by phone using Visa or MasterCard or by visiting detroitreptheatre.com.

One Month Until CAPITAL!

My latest play Capital opens at Detroit Repertory Theatre one month from today!

Leah Smith is directing the production, which will run through May 14th. The show plays every Thursday through Sunday (except for Easter).

I'm very excited about the cast, which includes Robert Grossman as Karl Marx. Grossman has appeared in the AMC television series Better Call Saul and last year was in Detroit Rep's production of Richard Strand's Butler.

The play's action is driven, however, by Marx's teenage daughter Jenny, being played by Lulu Dahl. She's a regular at Detroit Rep, having previously appeared in Herb and the Green Knight, A Paradise of Fools, Dead and Buried, Looking for the Pony, and My Soldiers.

Sara Catheryn Wolf is making her Detroit Rep debut as Nellie Ternan, the actress and lady friend of a certain Charles Dickens. She previously played the Ghost of Christmas Past in adaptation of Dickens's A Christmas Carol. She also is a noted Shakespearean actor, having previously played Ophelia in Hamlet and Lady Anne in Richard III.

Perhaps the most challenging part is being taken on by Ben Will, who plays five different roles over the course of the evening, including a certain great author. In addition to being a versatile actor, he's also a musician, with one single already available on iTunes and some new music coming out this summer.

Tickets are cheaper if you get them in advance, so check out the theatre's website:

Detroit Repertory Theatre

Capital Cast Announced

Detroit Repertory Theatre has announced the cast of my new play Capital, which will run from March 23rd to May 14th.

The play is inspired by true events in 1858 when Karl Marx was living as a lowly journalist in London and trying to raise a teenage daughter. In the play, all she wants is a new bonnet of the latest fashion. Unfortunately for her, her father is... well, Karl Marx.

Robert Grossman will be playing Marx, and Lulu Dahl will play his daughter Jenny. Grossman was in Detroit Rep's production last year of Richard Strand's brilliant play Butler. Dahl is a familiar face at the Rep as well, where she played Herb's daughter in the play Herb and the Green Knight.

Rep newcomer Sara Catheryn Wolf is playing Nellie Ternan, an actress who was also a... um... ahem--close friend of a certain great author. That author, as well assorted other parts, will be played by Ben Will, another veteran at Detroit Rep.

Leah Smith is directing the production, and I am greatly looking forward to attending opening night. Tickets are only $20, and even cheaper if you get them in advance, so if you're in the Detroit area, please come!

Getting Closer

I received an e-mail this morning from Theatre503 in London. My play Betty Thorpe made it through the first round of vetting for the company's playwriting award, but alas, did not get picked.

According to the e-mail, the theatre received more than 1,600 plays for the award, and only around 200 plays were considered in this later round, which included Betty Thorpe. It's nice to be considered, even if they ultimately decided against the play.

Betty Thorpe is one of those plays that everyone tells me they love, but no one seems to want to actually produce. It's had numerous readings, but still no productions. Perhaps the fact that its a period piece (set in the 1930s) turns people off a bit.

And yet another period piece I wrote, Capital (which Theatre503 previously read, liked, but passed on), will be premiering this spring at Detroit Repertory Theatre. That play takes place in 1858, yet the time period hasn't deterred an adventurous company from taking on the challenge.

Ultimately, you just have to write what you have to write. Theatres will do the shows, or not. It's impossible to read the minds of literary managers and artistic directors. I'm glad Betty Thorpe is getting closer to a production. Maybe someday it will actually receive one.

9 Grafton Terrace

Yesterday, I arrived in the United Kingdom for a conference on Regency theatre. After landing in London, I knew there was one address I wanted to see: 9 Grafton Terrace.

Why? That is the address where Karl Marx lived in 1858. My play Capital, which premieres next spring at the Detroit Repertory Theatre, depicts Karl Marx in that year, and two of the scenes take place at that very address.

Unfortunately, according to this blog I took a picture of the wrong house, since what was 9 Grafton Terrace is now 46 Grafton Terrace. Ooops.

But what I found especially interesting was that right down the street was a complex of almshouses! According to another site, the almshouses weren't yet built in 1858, but how interesting that the Marx family literally lived down the road from the poorhouse!

CAPITAL to premiere at Detroit Rep!

It's official!

The Detroit Repertory Theatre has now formally announced their 60th season, and their third show in the line-up will be the world premiere of my new play Capital.

Capital will run from March 23rd to May 14th, 2017 at Detroit Rep, 13103 Woodrow Wilson Street, in Detroit, Michigan. You can get a subscription for the full season HERE, and find directions to Detroit Rep HERE.

The play takes place during the summer of 1858, when Karl Marx was working as a lowly journalist in London. In the play, Marx mistakenly gets hold of a scandalous letter by Charles Dickens. He determines it must be returned to its rightful owner. However, his teenage daughter Jenny (a materialist, but not of the philosophical kind) has other plans....

Capital deals with two iconic figures of the Victorian era, imagining how their paths might have crossed, and how decisions made long ago might still be affecting us today. As Detroit Rep has said in their promotional materials, the play is "a delightful madhouse" full of farcical comedy.

I hope you come out and see it!