Review Fix chats with Adam Reich, Director of “Dying City,†who discusses the play’s return to the stage as well as the casting process. Currently enjoying a run at The Seeing Place Theatre in New York City through March 9, the show is a compelling drama about a topic every American can relate to.
For More Information on the Show, click here, http://www.seeingplacetheater.com/
Review Fix: How does it feel to bring the play back after a few years?
Adam Reich: When the play first came out, all of us were still living under the cloud of darkness that epitomized the reign of George Bush II. There was so much about the war, Iraq, Abu Grahib, etc. that we just didn’t know yet. I feel that that constant uncertainty lies right beneath the surface throughout this play, with respect to both the war and to the characters’ feelings of responsibility for the awful things that happen as a result of the war. And that brings up all kinds of important questions. Was the Iraq war a just war? Who was responsible for going to Iraq and protecting our country? And then if somebody died fighting, was I responsible for protecting him from his own death if I felt the war to be unjust? Our country is still recovering from the psychological devastation brought about by the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and I think it makes the play relevant today, years later.
Review Fix: For those that have seen it before, why should they check it out again?
Reich: Dying City is a character-driven piece that examines the psychological effects of several people affected directly by the tragedies of war. Theater of such a personal nature, if brought to life by its actors and creative team, is always captivating, and certainly worth revisiting if given the opportunity.
Review Fix: What was the inspiration for the production?
Reich: I was actually brought into the picture as director a while after things got started. I know that Erin and Brandon, the actors in the play, had wanted to do the play for several years and had held a couple readings of the play before finally obtaining the rights to put it on stage. Once involved in the project, my inspiration then stemmed largely from the complexity of the characters in the play. They are full of contradictions, which always make people more fascinating. Slowly discovering what makes each person operate the way that they do was an exhilarating process.
Review Fix: What was the casting process like?
Reich: Erin and Brandon had poured themselves into this piece for several years, working on it long before any actual production had begun to materialize. The parts were theirs from the get-go.
Review Fix: Who is your favorite character from the production and why?
Reich: I don’t have a favorite character. All three are deeply wounded people trying to do what they think is right and reaching out for love in their own different ways.
Review Fix: Why do you think these plays are paired together?
Reich: The Iraq war had a profound impact on the lives of so many. Both of these two plays personalize the tragedies that so many face.
Review Fix: What are your goals for the production?
Reich: Theater is capable of sharing deeper and darker truths than we are often willing to look at in our daily lives, and I feel that this production gives us an opportunity to stop for a moment and delve. There is something cathartic about examining tragedy, even if it is sometimes difficult. We heal from empathizing with those who have gone through so much and we become stronger and more psychically generous in the process.
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