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My return to the position of Producing Artistic Director has required major changes in how I focus my time. In the past six years of "retirement," I have been gobbling up novels and non-fiction as opposed to reading the hundred-plus plays I read annually.
Stepping back in, I thought I needed to catch up with the newest generation of writers. A great place to access scripts is the New Play Exchange. This is where writers post their work, and it is searchable with lots of filters to point in various directions. I entered my parameters, and a list of about 40 plays popped up. That's at least 80 hours of reading. I scrolled down and made a few choices, and when I got to MONSTERS OF THE AMERICAN CINEMA, I stopped.
The title intrigued me because my husband serves on the Board of our local art cinema, and I thought, “Cross marketing!” Sidenote: I am not a monster/horror film fan. I don't like suspenseful cinematic moments when the music sends shivers up my spine, and we see the back of someone's head showing there is someone or something, a monster, behind the unsuspecting person. Not for me. But the worldwide interest in sci-fi, futurism, and mystery/thriller, particularly by younger people, intrigues me. And, I am slightly less terrified during those creepy sequences with the scary sound and the manipulative POV camera work than I used to be. And so, I dove into the play.
The first scene flew by. The second scene took me by surprise. And by the third scene, I thought I had never read anything like this. The writer has structured the play in such an exciting and unpredictable way that I couldn't stop reading.
So, what about the monsters? The play takes place in a mobile home next to a drive-in movie where Remy and Pup live. Remy is Pup's stepfather, and following the death of Pup's biological father and Remy's husband, Remy is raising Pup. Monster movies and classic films are the bread and butter of their shared lives, alongside the great popcorn.
The writer uses recurring duologues to frame the story—each character directly addressing the viewer as if in a documentary that cuts back and forth between storytellers and reveals the divergent perspectives on their shared experiences. The scenes are packed with teenage confusion and the urgency to become an adult. And how does that impact Pup's choices as he deals with the devastating loss of his father and is being raised by Remy? Does he release a monster within himself?
Playwright Christian St. Croix structures his play in a non-linear fashion. As if he had taken lengths of celluloid that housed the monster films referred to throughout the play and strung them together seemingly randomly. The present, then a flashback, then a nightmare, back to the now, then on to something real, or is it something imagined? There are beautifully etched scenes filled with humor, celebrating the relationship of a stepfather and stepson finding their ways together, and yes, also nightmares. The strength of the writing keeps it all on track and offers a story of love, betrayal, forgiveness, and a path forward.
I am excited to be working with Darian Dauchan again. A veteran KTC returning guest, we have been fortunate to see many pieces he has written and performed, including the hip-hop multi-media musical DEATH BOOGIE, as well as BLACK SHEEP, ENTERTAINER'S EULOGY, and MEDIA MADNESS. His performances in THE WHIPPING MAN, THE BROTHER'S SIZE, and SEX WITH STRANGERS were striking.
Joining KTC is newcomer Jackson Janowicz. A phenomenon of today's world is auditioning someone on Zoom. The audition process is tough enough for all parties, even when you are in the same room—nerves, expectations, a subway delay, a studio with thin walls where you can hear tapdancing or singing while trying to focus on the work of the stranger in front of you and vice versa. But then add the flattening aspect of Zoom, and the layers of distance increase substantially. However, all of those complications were put aside, and Jackson's work came through brilliantly. Just wait and see.
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