A Short Trip
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Jason Atkinson
July 13, 2012
What is your job on this show?
playwright.
Where were you born? Where were you raised? Where did you go to school?
I was born in Pennsylvania and raised in rural South Carolina. I studied classical guitar at the Cleveland Institute of Music and then ditched that for something even more practical--theater.
Have you been part of FringeNYC in the past? If so, how did you particpate? (Be specific! Name shows, etc.)
I wrote a musical that was featured in the 2005 fringeNYC called "Genius Famous." It was directed by the talented Ryan Davis and reviewed by the inimitable Martin Denton. The show was, admittedly, a little strange, but I appreciated the fringe (and nytheatre) for taking a chance on me!
In your own words, what do you think this show is about? What will audiences take away with them after seeing it?
My show is about a woman in her seventies who wants to go on a trip by herself. Her husband doesn't want her to go, but she decides to go anyway. This leads to a great deal of conflict as her husband is used to getting his way.
"A Short Trip" deals with the complexity of long term partnerships and the unique problems couples face during their senior years. At times it is funny. At times it is sad. I hope audiences will take away an appreciation for, I suppose, their lives and the lives of people who love them. "A Short Trip" attempts to express that our time here on earth is "short" and that it should not be wasted.
Which famous New Jerseyite would like your show the best: Snooki, Bruce Springsteen, Thomas Edison?
I think they would all like it, even Snooki. Even Snookie has grandparents that she, I hope, cares about.
Can theatre bring about societal change? Why or why not?
I'm not sure that theater, alone, can do all that much. But the people who come to the theater, who give new ideas a chance, who value new ideas and foster those ideas, they can, and they do, change everything.
