‘Caroline, or Change’ … “It's semi-autobiographical of Tony Kushner's boyhood in Lake Charles, Louisiana (in 1963). … Caroline (Rashada Dawan) is a maid in the home of a small Jewish family. This young boy has lost his mother and his father has remarried. The new mom is in the home and he can't really deal with her, so he attaches to Caroline because she is the constant force in his life. She was there when his mom was alive. She was there when there was no mom. She's still there now … Caroline has her own life. She has four kids, one of whom is in Vietnam … her eldest daughter is leaning into change in a way that I don't want to really give away, but she's young, very concerned with civil rights and wants to live her life in a larger way than what she feels her mom has done. There's the step-mom Rose Gellman who is dealing with the change of coming from New York and going to rural Louisiana in a Jewish family. … In the course of the show, Kennedy is assassinated, so there are changes great and small. That's what the show hinges upon … the everyday things that you have to deal with while outside forces seem large and overwhelming … What are the ways in which we deal with change? Can we change? Caroline believes that she cannot change and the show allows room for that discussion. It's also filled with all kinds of magical realism. Like the moon is a character. The washer is a character. The dryer is a character. The radio is three people. There's all of this beautiful, beautiful imagery and super fun, magical realism mixed in. The music is out of this world. It's my favorite show in American musical theater.”
‘Lottery Day’ at Goodman … “(In 2019) I'm directing 'Lottery Day' by Ike Holter. … it is the ultimate play in his Chicago cycle of which there are seven plays. … It was very well received at the New Stages Festival last fall … (New Stages) is an entire developmental process over the course of a month that's not just the table read or the rehearsal in the room. It's all of that, plus you put the thing up in a really rudimentary way. It's completely on its feet and completely off book with props and a super basic set that you share with whoever else is doing the plays in the festival. ... After you open, you get to go back into the rehearsal room. So you're running for two weeks in rep with these other things while you're still back in the room working … it's a really productive workshop experience that the Goodman invests and in all of these new plays every year. … we got so much help … so many good notes from the people there and just so much assistance. I'm a storefront girl, so to be someplace work-shopping something and have that many resources was so luxurious and so helpful. And I know Ike felt the same way. We got a lot out of that. And then they selected it for the season, which is so cool.”
Tony Kushner and Lou Malnati's ... "Please come. We will roll out the red carpet. We will probably not pay for anything because we are broke. But if you happen to have a taste for Lou Malnati's and you just really want to come to Chicago, we will buy Lou Malnati's ... whatever size pizza you would like, I will get for you."
Comments have been edited for content and clarity.
PHOTO CREDIT
Lili-Anne Brown, The Wiz, Dessa Rose & BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story|Michael Brosilow
Caroline, or Change|Rob Riddle/Ghost Light Headshots
Tilikum|Jonathan L. Green
Rashada Dawan|Zoe McKenzie Photography
MORE INFORMATION
Caroline, or Change The Den Theater Previews begin September 22nd
Firebrand Theatre
TimeLine Theatre Company
Sideshow Theatre
BUDDY: The Buddy Holly Story Stage 773 through September 15th
Amercian Blues Theater
COMING UP
The Total Bent Haven Theatre
Lottery Day Goodman Theatre
PODCAST available on Apple Podcasts, Libsyn and Stitcher
ARCHIVE DE USURIS BLOG EMAIL WEBSITE SUBSCRIBE