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Alison Croggon posted a review of a Melbourne production of Richard Foreman's Now That Communism Is Dead, My Life Feels Empty at her site.
Prompted by this production, she wonders about how possible it is for other directors to stage Foreman's plays. Matt Johnston, knowing I've directed multiple plays by Richard, suggests I answer, and I do.
I didn't exactly think my answer was fully what I wanted it to be -- I started on a track that would have become a far-too-long essay, then deleted it and started over, trying to keep to a "comment" format -- but, to my surprise and pleasure, Matt referred to it as "inspiring" and Alison as "moving," so I guess I should link to it.
Here it is in context, with the review and comments before and after.
I've directed eight plays by Richard, I think . . . lemme see . . . Lava (two different staged readings), Egyptology, Cafe Amerique (English-language premiere), Film Is Evil: Radio Is Good (three productions of the same basic staging), Miss Universal Happiness, Harry in Love (world premiere), Symphony of Rats, and . . . I guess you could halfway count The Mind King, maybe -- I "conceived" the production and script into a one-man show for myself, and asked Emma Griffin to come in and direct me in it. I brought it back a few years later, but Emma didn't have the time to work with me on it again, so she asked me to drop her credit from "director" to "consultant."
I really, really want to bring back Harry in Love sometime soon. Next year at The Brick, if possible, with most of the original cast, if I can (Josephine Cashman, Ken Simon, and Milo Barasorda, at least, maybe Michael Bruno, if I can find him). Not enough people saw that one. Someday, I'll get to George Bataille's Bathrobe, the last Foreman play I'd like to direct that I haven't yet. I have some slight directoral feelings towards Sophia=Wisdom pt. 2: Total Recall, but probably not enough to actually make it necessary.
I love directing Richard's plays, but I got tired of having the rep as "the guy who does all the Foreman plays," so I laid off for a while. Frankly, I'd really like to do most of Sarah Kane's plays now.
Prompted by this production, she wonders about how possible it is for other directors to stage Foreman's plays. Matt Johnston, knowing I've directed multiple plays by Richard, suggests I answer, and I do.
I didn't exactly think my answer was fully what I wanted it to be -- I started on a track that would have become a far-too-long essay, then deleted it and started over, trying to keep to a "comment" format -- but, to my surprise and pleasure, Matt referred to it as "inspiring" and Alison as "moving," so I guess I should link to it.
Here it is in context, with the review and comments before and after.
I've directed eight plays by Richard, I think . . . lemme see . . . Lava (two different staged readings), Egyptology, Cafe Amerique (English-language premiere), Film Is Evil: Radio Is Good (three productions of the same basic staging), Miss Universal Happiness, Harry in Love (world premiere), Symphony of Rats, and . . . I guess you could halfway count The Mind King, maybe -- I "conceived" the production and script into a one-man show for myself, and asked Emma Griffin to come in and direct me in it. I brought it back a few years later, but Emma didn't have the time to work with me on it again, so she asked me to drop her credit from "director" to "consultant."
I really, really want to bring back Harry in Love sometime soon. Next year at The Brick, if possible, with most of the original cast, if I can (Josephine Cashman, Ken Simon, and Milo Barasorda, at least, maybe Michael Bruno, if I can find him). Not enough people saw that one. Someday, I'll get to George Bataille's Bathrobe, the last Foreman play I'd like to direct that I haven't yet. I have some slight directoral feelings towards Sophia=Wisdom pt. 2: Total Recall, but probably not enough to actually make it necessary.
I love directing Richard's plays, but I got tired of having the rep as "the guy who does all the Foreman plays," so I laid off for a while. Frankly, I'd really like to do most of Sarah Kane's plays now.
