FringeNYC 2013: kumrads won't
e.e. cummings, whiskey, a stuffed koala named James... Ponce doesn't know what awaits her in aging Walter's crummy apartment. As they weather a midnight snowstorm, a fragile connection sparks. Can they make it last till morning?
Official production websiteShow details/ticketing at FringeNYC
Review by Heather McAllister · August 15, 2013
A tragedy disguised as a romance, kumrads won’t paints a devastating portrait of loneliness, which according to playwright Christina Michelle Watkins, “…doesn’t exist. It’s just self-loathing.” Over the course of one windy evening, connections are missed, swerved around, or crashed into head on like out of control jets, each piloted by a damaged, beautiful soul.
In this piece, e.e.cummings, whiskey, “ask me to stay,” “do you want to stay?” music, confusion, love, lust and need all are addressed in a loop de loop of emotions spiraling out of control as Walter and Ponce dance around their feelings, their expectations, and ultimately their self sabotage.
Like Lizzie in The Rainmaker before her, sweet wonderful Ponce, played to perfection by Tiffany Nicole Green, wants – no - needs to be asked to stay. Needs to see that vulnerability in a man, before he can be her man. Needs to see it crystal clear before she can be his woman, before she can share her soul.
But loneliness – self loathing in disguise – is mean, and strict, full of rules and barriers that keep popping up in an obstacle course of the heart.
Walter, beautifully and simply portrayed by the gorgeous Stephen Payne, navigates as best he can, but self defense mechanisms make terrible co-pilots, and he keeps getting lost along the way.
kumrads won’t, horribly, painfully relatable, grabs hold and won’t let you go. Shakes you like a rag doll, then holds you tight. It made me lose my breath.
Playwright Christina Watkins is someone we will hear from again. Keep your eye on this one. Her play is unpredictable, ordinary yet extraordinary, and brutally honest. kumrads speaks of the tragedy of our lives, and what we do – or don’t do – to make it all right, or “allllll right,” as Walter says it in his sexy drawl.
Simply and powerfully directed by Kristin McCarthy Parker, with beautiful lighting by BJ Brooks, and evocative sound design by Nick Abeel, the uncredited set – Walter’s apartment - is as sparse as Walter’s belief in himself.
Please, go see this honest, hopeful play, be gently yet painfully reminded of your own missed connections, and maybe, just maybe, take a step away from self loathing, and towards love.
Preview: Interviews with Artists from kumrads won't
We're asking artists from each show to answer questions about themselves and their work to help our readers get a detailed advance picture of the festival:
Celebrating Our Diversity · kristinmccarthyparker@gmail.com (Director)
- How important is diversity to you in the theater you see/make?
Diversity is essential. The stories we tell shape our understanding of the world and our role within it. Without diverse characters in our stories, our scope of understanding becomes greatly reduced. - Who are some current indie theater writers/directors/creators whose work really excites you now?
I just served as Trip Cullman's assistant director on CHOIR BOY, by Tarell Alvin McCraney. That was a thrilling experience. CHOIR BOY deals with the struggle of growing up as an effeminate, young, black man in a traditionally hyper-masculine prep school. Tarell's writing is extremely relevant right now, and Trip lent a very focused, compelling vision to his work. I'm also really excited about this play, kumrads won't, in its world premiere, and getting to introduce Christina's powerful voice to the theater community. - How do you feel about gender-blind casting?
In most instances, I'm all for it! I was in an all-female AS YOU LIKE IT with The Queens Company a year ago (the fourth show all-female show I've done) and was amazed at how little our connection to the text had to do with our gender. This isn't the case for all plays, but where applicable, gender-blind casting can really expand our ideas about who a particular character is and what the boundaries are for women in the theater. - Who are your heroes?
My mom. My grandma (she's 96). My roommate. The playwright of this show, Christina Michelle Watkins. All the women in my life who find empowerment through being themselves, fully and completely, without apology or disclaimer. - Which cartoon character would most like this show – Bugs Bunny, Marge Simpson, Charlie Brown, or Casper the Friendly Ghost?
Hmmm. There's a tentativeness that I think would resonate with Charlie... the wanting something so badly, but not being able to figure out how to get it without tripping over one's own feet. It's not quite as existential as PEANUTS, but I definitely think he'd relate.
All About My Show · Christina Michelle Watkins (Writer)
- Complete this sentence: My show is the only one in FringeNYC that...?
...that has whiskey, cigarettes, and a stuffed koala on stage the entire time. - What do you think this show is about? What will audiences take away with them after seeing it?
It’s about loneliness. But more than that, it’s about how we create our own loneliness through our self-loathing. There are many effects of hating one’s self, but the one that I find the most fascinating and have observed again and again is the way in which it acts as a force that doesn’t allow us to let the caring of others enter our worlds. This connection that would occur on our most intimate, necessary level is made impossible by our own wall of self-revulsion. And thus, we feel utterly alone. I want the audience to leave and ponder the effects of their feelings of self have on their connections and decide if they are happy with the status quos of their relationships with self/others. - Why did you want to write this show?
I don’t know. I think the bit were I wasn’t able to sleep until I got it out may have had to do with it. Let’s go with that—I wanted to sleep and be able to have conversations where I was emotionally present and until I got it out, that wasn’t going to happen. I’d like to think it worked out well for all parties. - Who are some of the people who helped you create this show, and what were their important contributions to the finished product?
Courtney Kersten--my brilliant editor; Matt Meier and Nick Abeel--believing in the script and encouraging me to keep writing; R. Scott Lank-- helping me understand playwriting in a different way; Kristin Parker-- turning belief into action; Mat Smart-- organizing an initial reading; Dennis-- expanding my assumptions; Blake--love and patience. - Which character from a Shakespeare play would like your show the best: King Lear, Puck, Rosalind, or Lady Macbeth -- and why?
I'd like to think King Lear and Lady M might go to blows over who enjoyed it more. I think they’d identify with the way the guilt we carry, deserved or not, influences our connections and can slowly or (quickly!) drive us closer to the edge of sanity/functioning.
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