Review Fix chats with playwright Doug Dubrin, who discusses his production at the Midtown International Theatre Festival, “The Dead for Breakfast.†Breaking down the inspiration for the performance, as well as his goals for the future, DuBrin lets us know exactly why we should check out the production at this year’s festival.
For more information on the production and the MITF, click here.
Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this production?
Doug DuBrin: My comfort zone as a writer is typically (and ironically) irony. A war comedy, needless to say, is ironic, oxymoronic, paradoxical. I have worked on this play for years, and since its backdrop is war and American imperialism, it has remained relevant. At its core, though, the narrative peels away layers of the human psyche and reveals some quite unsavory aspects . . . oops, I hope I haven’t said too much.
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
DuBrin: It greatly depends on the play. Since this one is a full-length, it has undergone multiple revisions and reconfigurations, most recently under the adept guidance of its director, Dan Swern.
Review Fix: What makes you different from other playwrights?
DuBrin: I once answered this question a bit snarkily about being born on another planet, so I apologize for being evasive; perhaps I do, though, raise absurdity to a deity status in a way that many do not (Beckett, of course, was the king).
Review Fix: What makes this production special?
DuBrin: For me, it is my first full-length play to be fully produced (I have had several one-acts and ten-minute pieces staged), and I aspire see its run continued after the MITF.
Review Fix: How is your cast unique?
DuBrin: The ensemble is wonderfully versatile, in that each has to play at least two roles, engage in demanding stage movement, deliver rapid-fire dialogue, handle automatic weapons, and bleed and puke and die all over the place.
Review Fix: How does it feel to be a part of this festival?
DuBrin: I have now done several shows with the MITF, and I learn something new every time. As I mentioned, this is my first full-length with the fest, and that in itself has presented multiple challenges with staging, casting, rehearsal, performance, promotion, etc.
Review Fix: What are your goals for the production?
DuBrin: Primarily, to see if we can move the production afterwards to another venue. To do so, Dan Swern (the director) and I are working to get as many industry people to attend as possible.
Review Fix: Who do you think will enjoy it the most?
DuBrin: Those who appreciate the darkest of comedies, the sharpest of satires, and the ghastliest of war stories –that is, all children under the age of seven.
Review Fix: What’s next?
DuBrin: I have two other shows in this summer’s MITF: a one-act, Intestinal-Pulchritude, and an entry in the short-play lab: Would I Slug a Nun? Beyond that: My family, my teaching job, and more writing.
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