Playwrights in Process: New Play Festival is Cygnet Theatre’s annual festival of readings of new plays presented in collaboration with Playwrights Project. The festival introduces San Diego playgoers to new works by local artists and also offers a series of workshops designed to introduce curious audiences to the art of playwriting. In addition, the three-day festival at the Old Town Theatre includes opportunities for informal forums to meet the playwrights.
With the festival around the corner, we asked our playwrights to tell us how the process is going for them. Here’s playwright Diana Burbano talking about her play, Silueta, with playwrights Tom Shelton and Chris Shelton.
L to R:Diana Burbano, Tom Shelton, Christopher Shelton
How has working with theatre artists from Cygnet Theatre and Playwrights Project helped your writing for Playwrights in Process?
They are generous and are deeply invested in helping our play grow. It is rather delicious to feel like we have a whole group of people who are “in” on the story. We are very grateful for the time and brainpower that Jessica Ordon, Katherine Harroff, Derek Charles Livingston, Veronica Burgess and Charles Maze have given to us. It feels hugely collaborative and energizing.
Diana on her inspiration for the play: I was and am dismayed at the lack of interesting roles for women of my age and ethnicity.
About Silueta: Silueta is a two-person show based on the true story of Ana Mendieta, who fell 34 stories to her death in 1985. Almost three decades later her ghost returns to ask her husband a question for which she needs an answer: Did he push her.
Playwrights in Process: New Play Festival is Cygnet Theatre’s annual festival of readings of new plays presented in collaboration with Playwrights Project. The festival introduces San Diego playgoers to new works by local artists and also offers a series of workshops designed to introduce curious audiences to the art of playwriting. In addition, the three-day festival at the Old Town Theatre includes opportunities for informal forums to meet the playwrights.
With the festival around the corner, we asked our playwrights to tell us how the process is going for them. Here’s playwright Paul-David Halem talking about his play, Mannequins.
Paul-David Halem
How has working with theatre artists from Cygnet Theatre and Playwrights Project helped your writing for Playwrights in Process?
I have been truly fortunate to have Derek Livingston as both my Director and Dramaturg. He has read my play no less than 7 times, and each time has offered wonderful suggestions for the rewriting process. I have a wonderful cast of actors with Jason Heil as the lead who have brought my words to life. All of the actors also have been helpful with suggestions and comments. This has been the most nurturing experience I have ever had. There is no doubt in my mind that “Mannequins” has reached a level that could not have been achieved without their generous help. My heartfelt thanks to Derek Livingston and the wonderful cast he has assembled – Jason Heil, Whitney Thomas, Cameron Sullivan, and Linda Libby.
On his inspiration for the play: I’ve often been accused of having a warped sense of humor. As for my inspiration – it is getting to have my characters have outrageous experiences that I would never get to have in my suburban existence.
About Mannequins: Life is more interesting if it’s not what it seems to be. Fade in on a successful actor trying to read a hot new film script. Phone calls, delusional friends, and a hunky burglar disrupt his plans…as the mannequins watch.
Playwrights in Process: New Play Festival is Cygnet Theatre’s annual festival of readings of new plays presented in collaboration with Playwrights Project. The festival introduces San Diego playgoers to new works by local artists and also offers a series of walgreens workshops designed to introduce curious audiences to the art of playwriting. In addition, the three-day festival at the Old Town Theatre includes opportunities for informal forums to meet the playwrights.
With the festival around the corner, we asked our playwrights to tell us how the process is going for them. Here’s playwright Thelma Virata de Castro talking about her play, Cookies for Prisoners.
Thelma Virata de Castro
How has working with theatre artists from Cygnet Theatre and Playwrights Project helped your writing for Playwrights in Process?
Even the interview process was a learning experience! Producer Derek Livingston asked me questions that focused my rewrites for Cookies for Prisoners. I had a great meeting with Dramaturg Robert May in which we discussed the big question, “What is this play about?” Director D. Candis Paule brought out the central theme of family. We had two table-reads with the actors and it’s been so helpful to hear their voices in my head. Veronica Murphy, Nicolette Shutty, Shuan Tuazon-Martin, Tom Ashworth and Austyn Myers take all the craziness quite seriously. It’s just been fun! Robert has said many times that if playwrights want to get their plays produced, they need to write better plays. Well, receiving support from Playwrights in Process has definitely helped me write a better play.
On her inspiration for the play: My idea for the play was to have characters bake cookies for prisoners, but to have the characters be as guilty as the prisoners themselves.
About Cookies for Prisoners: Margie bakes cookies for prisoners, takes in stray people and advocates for underdogs, but all bets are off when it comes to tolerating her own son. All the characters in this play are hiding horrible secrets in the kookiest ways.
Director of Development, Veronica Murphy, talks about our educational focus for the month of October: Fall for Kids, and how you can help.
Last Fall, through the generosity of Kamaya Jane and Diane Zeps in honor of their Mother Elaine Lipinsky, Cygnet launched a pilot educational program, Engage the Stage, that has proved so successful we are expanding it this year. We are providing opportunities for underserved students to experience live theatre, many for the first time. Programs include:
Field Trips with performances, workshops & theatre tours
Performances of abridged Shakespeare and other classic literature
Citrus Valley High School Tour
Developed and coordinated by Cygnet’s Director of Education & Outreach, Taylor Wycoff, these programs meet state and district education standards while allowing students to explore the world of live theatre.
“I had the great privilege to take my English students to see “Gem of the Ocean” WOW! It was a life-changing experience for them. Over 80% of my students experienced live theatre for the first time that day. This would not have been possible without the generous gift of free tickets.”
-Teacher, Southwest High School
“It was really good, and the actors did an amazing job. This was the first play I’ve seen, and I’m determined to come back and watch another play.”
If you would like more information about engaging students you know, please contact taylor@cygnettheatre.com
If you would like to make a contribution to provide student tickets or otherwise support this important work, please contact veronica@cygnettheatre.com. We have a $15,000 matching gift opportunity for this program that will double the impact of your donation.
Artistic Director Sean Murray shares his thoughts on our upcoming Sam Shepard shows – Fool for Love & True West
Cygnet is continuing it’s tradition of plays performed in rotating repertory. What’s different about this rep?
This season we are focusing exclusively on the work of a single playwright. Each play stands on its own and you don’t need to see one to appreciate the other. However, when you are able to experience these two different plays side-by-side, one begins to recognize common themes between them. Both plays explore a crisis of identity and betrayal. Characters in both shows experience an existential soul searching and a feeling that their lives are inauthentic. They also are pretty funny people as they grapple with essential issues such as disconnection, empty searching and a deep sense of betrayal.
Sean Murray directs Fool for Love
When did you first become aware of Sam Shepard’s work?
I first became aware of Shepard’s work in the early 80s when I worked as an actor for the San Diego Repertory Theatre. At an early age, I was cast as Crow, the punk-rock-pirate from The Tooth of Crime. I worked there when they presented the San Diego premieres of True West and Fool for Love, again in the early 80s. Additionally, while I was in school at the North Carolina School of the Arts, I played Weston in Curse of the Starving Class, a show I later produced at Cygnet Theatre.
What are the challenges you face when staging True West?
The set of True West
On a purely technical level, the script has the two brothers literally destroy the suburban kitchen that is the set. We have fifteen toasters, that all have to make real toast, a typewriter that is literally pounded into pulp by a golf club wielding character, the contents of kitchen cabinets thrown across the floor, a wall-phone that become a weapon after it is torn from the wall! The actual aftermath of all of this chaos has to be carefully considered.
The acting challenges are also vast. Each character goes on an existential journey from the quiet, tension-filled first scene to the all out chaotic war of the final scene. Pacing this progression is important. Finding the way into the levels of envy, threat and betrayal that these characters must portray is a frightening and exciting process for the actors.
May and Eddie – Fool for Love
Fool for Love is both arduous and physically challenging. What’s your take on this play?
Thebiggest challengewe’ve experienced in getting into the depths of Fool for Love has been in determining what is true and what isn’t. The characters accuse each other of lying throughout the play. There is a layering in this play that conceals the actual truth that they are running from. Like Austin in True West, May is attempting to recreate herself anew. She is trying to escape what she was and forge a new self. The sudden reappearance of Eddie, like the reappearance of Lee in True West, forces a confrontation between one who wants to hold the other to who they have been, and the other who is trying to break with their past. As we explore what is actually happening between these characters, and we continue to raise their stakes in the play, that informs the level and veracity of the physical actions.
Can you share some of your thoughts about deciding to take on these plays?
These two particular plays are rooted in a sort of realism. I say “sort of” because on the surface they take place in a kitchen or a motel. There are real props, etc. The character dialogue sounds like a realistic conversation on the surface. However, there is a very strong poetic quality to the language and imagery. Finding actors who can develop these characters to the marrow and handle the heightened poetic language is not always easy. In addition, when you are trying to cast actors who have to also be ‘right’ for not just one role but two different roles, this adds a new challenge.
Don’t miss Fool for Love and True West Sept. 24 – Nov.2.
As part of our goal to help you understand the thought-provoking work of American playwright and icon Sam Shepard, we’ve put together 7 things you should know about Fool for Love and True West. If you don’t already, follow us on Facebook for daily “fun facts” about Sam Shepard, the plays, as well as behind-the-scenes info and pictures.
3 things worth knowing about Sam Shepard’s Fool For Love:
-First performed at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco on February 8th 1983 with Kathy Baker as May and Ed Harris as Eddie.
-It was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1984.
-The play was turned into a movie in 1985, for which Sam Shepard also wrote the screenplay and starred as Eddie opposite Kim Basinger as May.
4 things worth knowing about Sam Shepard’s True West:
-First performed at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco on July 10, 1980.
-It was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1983.
-It was nominated in 2000 for the Tony Award for Best Play.
-The play was turned into a made-for-TV-movie in 2002, which starred Bruce Willis and Chad Smith.
Kathy Baker/Ed Harris in Fool For Love (1984) – Bruce Willis/Chad Smith in True West (2002)
Up next for the Pageant the Musical contestant feature is Max Cadillac who portrays the vivacious Miss Industrial Northeast, Cosuela Manuela Rafaella Lopez.
What makes your character a winner?
Consuela is bright and bouncy with a big personality and even bigger smile. She’s “living la vida loca” and loco for her loving family and friends!
How did you prepare for this show?
Besides twirling and dancing around my living room since birth, I’ve been researching and talking to pageant friends, as well as watching pageant movies like Miss Congeniality and Drop Dead Gorgeous.
What did you learn about beauty pageants that you didn’t know before?
I learned how hard it is to wear and change jewelry and accessories so often and so quickly. There are so many times where I needed to wear diamond rings, earrings, or bracelets. Luckily, most of the fashion jewelry was inexpensive so I didn’t have to worry so much about being careful with the pieces. I even remember a time when I wore these cheap gold chains with a diamond pendant hanging and I was expected to take them off and change it with another piece of hip hop jewelry in 15 seconds!
What will you never do on stage?
I will probably never play the king in The King and I, but one can dream.
Do you have a role model?
My role models for this show are Sofia Vergara, Cindy Crawford, and Bianca Del Rio.
What inspired you to be an actor?
My biggest inspiration came from seeing my first show on Broadway when I was 5.
What is your favorite part of a show?
This whole show is my favorite, but I must say strutting down the runway in a bathing suit really makes my night!
What is your favorite part about working at Cygnet Theatre?
Cygnet is such a fun and intimate theatre space, I love getting to really engage with our audience.
We had a chance to sit down with award-winning Set Designer Sean Fanning to find out what inspired him to create our fabulous and glamorous set for PAGEANT. A Resident Artist, this marks his twentieth production with Cygnet over the past 9 years.
The featured designer showing his ideas for the set of Dirty Blonde.
What are some of your favorite Cygnet shows/sets?
My first show with Cygnet was The Matchmaker, when I was a fresh-faced graduate student back in the 2006/2007 season. My most favorite collaborations include the re-imagining of the musicals Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, and Parade. Those three sets felt like characters of their own, but at the same time had an openness and changeability that allowed for so much interactive range. A personal favorite aesthetically was the Louse Nevelson inspired collage we did for The Norman Conquests during the 2010 season. The economy and focus of that design is something I still look back on fondly.
What do you like about working with Cygnet?
I love the sense of artistic freedom, which goes hand in hand with the challenges inherent in each production. The company’s collective vision is really about finding new ways to tell stories and for me this is also about taking risks as a designer. The thrust stage space of the Old Town Theatre presents a character and personality that cannot help but be reflected in the design approach, often in surprising and very invigorating ways.
How did you get into set design in the first place?
I’ve always loved art, loved drawing, and everything about architecture. And I had a real interest in seeing live theatre, which my mother really supported by making sure I got to see lots of it. Interestingly, it was my profound hearing loss that would make me focus more on the set, because I often couldn’t hear or comprehend the actors, I would spend lots of time looking at and thinking about the environment. The sets that really supported the story and characters were the most successful ones. In high school, while attempting to be some kind of actor, I found myself assigned to the scenery crew, and I haven’t looked back since. I bought books, taught myself drafting and scene painting. I was determined to make a future out of it. More than anyone else, I owe my career to a person who saw that potential in me, my drama teacher, Jack DeRieux, from Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, CA.
Where did you find your inspiration for the Pageant set?
Initially, we knew we wanted to have a “stage within a stage,” some sort of portal within the Cygnet space with a stairway as the dominant visual. Early on in discussions with director James Vasquez, I was researching beauty pageants of the 1970’s and 1980’s – we were focused on a very rich era for both fashion and pageantry. The original goal was “cable access meets Lawrence Welk.” Much of what I found was downright tacky to modern eyes. Sill, there was a certain childlike innocence and playfulness that I really wanted to capture. It was when I stumbled upon an eBay listing for a late-70’s Dawn Deluxe Beauty Pageant toy set that I knew I had our inspiration. It was just this iconic, plastic little princess-pink portal with a little runway. I took the shape and the proportion and blew it up to life size, and really amped up the color saturation and boldness so it felt right to the piece.
What is unique, unusual, different, challenging or surprising about this set?
I think the most unique and surprising is the level of intimacy in this set. It feels very interactive, very “live.” James and I have focused on keeping the majority of the action out on the thrust stage. Very little of the action will be lost to audience seated along the sides. It has created some very dimensional opportunities for choreography, and I think it’s very exciting way to use the space.
How have you collaborated with other companies on this production? Is that helpful spirit the norm in San Diego?
We had some great help from the San Diego Opera’s scenic shop. We also had support from Joey Landwehr at J* Company, who let us use a set of silver curtains for our front swags. There definitely is a wonderful sense of community and support in San Diego when it comes to getting sets produced. In the past, we have also used the Old Globe and there is also a “loan-out” network amongst the smaller theatre companies, for props and scenic elements.
Final thoughts?
Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of this design is the “rebranding” we did for Glamouresse, the fictional beauty product corporation that has sponsored the pageant. The fonts and brand colors can be seen in nearly every scenic design element and prop. I started with this very iconic “G” and the script logo with “swoop” soon followed. It was inspired by the Revlon advertising done in the late 70’s and 80’s, but given a certain saccharine color sense to offset any elegance. Bold pinks, metallic gold, with an aqua accent color. Props designer Michael McKeon followed suit with his marvelous designs for the various beauty wares that are hawked by the “spokesmodels” throughout the show. It was a very fun collaboration.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to bring a production to life? The journey from the very first read through of the script to opening night is a creative collaboration process like no other. Bringing a production to life takes a team of well-trained and committed artisans whose names rarely appear on the marquee. While once a year, they are recognized during award season, they mostly trail behind the scenes to ensure what happens on stage helps tell a story, express the director’s vision and create a lasting impression on the audience. The creation of a play is a fascinating journey that relies on the talent and creativity of a team of dedicated theatre artists. It’s a true hands-on endeavor. We had a chance to sit in on the recent Designer Forum for The Motherf**ker with the Hat and learned a lot about the process of making theater magic. These creative artists pulled back the proverbial curtain and gave us a peek inside. Here are some highlights.
Rob Lutfy (Director) “Theater is basically problem solving. I knew I wanted the entire play to have a strong caffeinated feel and I worked with the creative team to achieve that in many different ways. One was to keep the momentum, tone and energy going throughout the entire production starting with the curtain speech to turn your f**king phones off and including all the scene changes.”
Craig Wolf (Lighting Designer) “Stylistically, the job of lighting is to bridge the gap between the set and the cast. We specifically lit and energized the scene changes to capture that caffeinated quality Rob wanted.”
Matt Lescault-Wood (Sound Designer) “I call this a mix tape show. I wanted the music to reflect the characters and the neighborhood (New York’s Hell’s Kitchen). I found a lot of 60s Puerto Rican music, as well as Jazz/Hip-Hop/Fusion that captures the energy and lifestyle of these people.”
Shelly Williams (Costume Designer) “My first task is to create a scene timeline to get the progress of these characters lives straight. They are modern-day people and I wanted their costumes to be grounded in reality and reflect the passage of time with subtle changes. People will naturally carry over small elements of their wardrobe into the next day. Because the actors are involved in scene changes, there was not much time for total costume changes anyway. When shopping, I try to think what the character would buy when they go shopping and create a closet for each one. Each item is selected and fashioned after deep research on the character as well as input from the actor.”
Rob Lutfy “At some point in the creative process, you have to let go and it becomes the actor’s play. You provide a roadmap for them to follow and they you step away and let it breathe. Enjoy learning about the design process? Come to our next free Designer Forum, DATE. You’ll gain a new respect for the craft of making theatre and the craftspeople who make it their life’s work.”
In assembling a season of plays, we definitely try to select scripts that portray a diverse and wide range of issues and styles. This has always been the case. It’s true that we offer up plays that are family-friendly, but they also run alongside plays that are most assuredly for a mature or adult pallet. This is why we put labels and warnings on those plays, so that we don’t inadvertently or accidentally offend anyone who comes to one of these plays without proper knowledge of its content.
Our theatre’s mission is this:
Believing in the power of theatre to startle the soul, ignite debate and embrace the diversity of the community in which it serves, Cygnet Theatre Company is fearlessly committed to the dissection, examination and celebration of the human story through the medium of live theatre.
The Motherf**ker with the Hat certainly fits squarely within this mission, and I can explain my thinking in selecting it.
This play has and will “ignite debate,” it surely delves into the diversity of our community and is an excellent example of the examination and celebration of the human spirit.
There is a prevalence of profanity, violence, drug use in our society. I don’t even have to watch actual television shows for this: it’s in the commercials for them! And while it is true that profanity is a strong way to express a weak mind, in a way, ironically, I feel that presenting this play illuminates the kind of people who rely on this kind of language to express themselves. These characters are people who are, for the most part, trying to clean themselves up, trying to create better lives and fighting to leave behind those habits and addictions that keep them from achieving that. Once the language of these characters is not the issue, the play presents some of the most beautifully rendered characters I have come across in a contemporary play. There is a reason that this script is one of the most frequently produced plays at regional theatre across the country, including last season’s production at the South Coast Repertory Theatre in Orange County. By presenting this show we don’t feel we are contributing to the desensitization of America to the issues, but quite the contrary: this play shines a harsh spotlight on the problems in this country that we’d rather turn our backs from and not acknowledge.
The title of this play boldly announces what kind of language may be in this play, and that is good, but it doesn’t indicate how simple and honest the story under that title can be. Judging it from the title alone does the play and the playwright a disservice. These characters lack the ability to express their emotions. They depend on this kind of profanity to protect themselves from being emotionally hurt by each other and, although it’s pretty profane, under that language beats the frightened hearts of a couple who are deeply in love with each other, hope for a better future for themselves and are constantly trying to overcome the many addictions they have and the emotional scars that come along with them. In the end, this play is a celebration of a deeply strong love that fights to conquer those obstacles and gives the couple hope.
We will continue to offer plays that you will be happy to bring your family to and are happy that you do. We will also continue to present plays that are more stimulating of discussion, like this one, as part of who we are and what we do. (For the record, my mother has no problem with us doing this play!) Art is something that most definitely can entertain, but art also is a means into seeing the world from another’s perspective, witnessing how other humans get through lives that are different from our own, and ultimately celebrating what we have in common and not just our differences.
Playwrights in Process: New Play Festival is Cygnet Theatre’s annual festival of readings of new plays presented in collaboration with Playwrights Project. The festival introduces San Diego playgoers to new works by local artists and also offers a series of workshops designed to introduce curious audiences to the art of playwriting. In addition, the three-day festival at the Old Town Theatre includes opportunities for informal forums to meet the playwrights.
Initially, we knew we wanted to have a “stage within a stage,” some sort of portal within the Cygnet space with a stairway as the dominant visual. Early on in discussions with director James Vasquez, I was researching beauty pageants of the 1970’s and 1980’s – we were focused on a very rich era for both fashion and pageantry. The original goal was “cable access meets Lawrence Welk.” Much of what I found was downright tacky to modern eyes. Sill, there was a certain childlike innocence and playfulness that I really wanted to capture. It was when I stumbled upon an eBay listing for a late-70’s Dawn Deluxe Beauty Pageant toy set that I knew I had our inspiration. It was just this iconic, plastic little princess-pink portal with a little runway. I took the shape and the proportion and blew it up to life size, and really amped up the color saturation and boldness so it felt right to the piece. 
with this very iconic “G” and the script logo with “swoop” soon followed. It was inspired by the Revlon advertising done in the late 70’s and 80’s, but given 
a certain saccharine color sense to offset any elegance. Bold pinks, metallic gold, with an aqua accent color. Props designer Michael McKeon followed suit with his marvelous designs for the various beauty wares that are hawked by the “spokesmodels” throughout the show. It was a very fun collaboration.
Have you ever wondered what it takes to bring a production to life? The journey from the very first read through of the script to opening night is a creative collaboration process like no other. Bringing a production to life takes a team of well-trained and committed artisans whose names rarely appear on the marquee. While once a year, they are recognized during award season, they mostly trail behind the scenes to ensure what happens on stage helps tell a story, express the director’s vision and create a lasting impression on the audience. The creation of a play is a fascinating journey that relies on the talent and creativity of a team of dedicated theatre artists. It’s a true hands-on endeavor. We had a chance to sit in on the recent Designer Forum for The Motherf**ker with the Hat and learned a lot about the process of making theater magic. These creative artists pulled back the proverbial curtain and gave us a peek inside. Here are some highlights.
In assembling a season of plays, we definitely try to select scripts that portray a diverse and wide range of issues and styles. This has always been the case. It’s true that we offer up plays that are family-friendly, but they also run alongside plays that are most assuredly for a mature or adult pallet. This is why we put labels and warnings on those plays, so that we don’t inadvertently or accidentally offend anyone who comes to one of these plays without proper knowledge of its content.
There is a prevalence of profanity, violence, drug use in our society. I don’t even have to watch actual television shows for this: it’s in the commercials for them! And while it is true that profanity is a strong way to express a weak mind, in a way, ironically, I feel that presenting this play illuminates the kind of people who rely on this kind of language to express themselves. These characters are people who are, for the most part, trying to clean themselves up, trying to create better lives and fighting to leave behind those habits and addictions that keep them from achieving that. Once the language of these characters is not the issue, the play presents some of the most beautifully rendered characters I have come across in a contemporary play. There is a reason that this script is one of the most frequently produced plays at regional theatre across the country, including last season’s production at the South Coast Repertory Theatre in Orange County. By presenting this show we don’t feel we are contributing to the desensitization of America to the issues, but quite the contrary: this play shines a harsh spotlight on the problems in this country that we’d rather turn our backs from and not acknowledge.