Review Fix chats with playwright Bill Holland, who discusses his production “The Tenants,†at this year’s Midtown International Theatre Festival.
About “The Tenantsâ€:
THE TENANTS by Bill Holland, directed by Mark Cirnigliaro. This is a mostly true story and you’ll laugh at Bob’s misery. (Dramatic Comedy)
Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this project?
Bill Holland: Everything that happens in the play is completely true. It’s based on an experience my sister had renting out the upstairs of her house and all the craziness that happens when you let strangers into your home.
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Holland: Most of my work is based on actual happenings throughout my life. Certainly the inspirations for the pieces are. I’m 87! That’s a lot of experiences. But mostly I just write. I write all the time. I never stop writing. I’ve always got a play in the works. They may never see the light of day, but they get written all the same.
Review Fix: What makes this different or special?
Holland: Well, a lot of my work tends to push serious, or dramatic with hints of comedy. This piece is the opposite of that (hopefully).
Review Fix: What did you learn about yourself through this process?
Holland: That I’ve still got a lot left in me. I’m not done writing.
Review Fix: How does it feel to be a part of something like this?
Holland: Well I’ve done a lot of festivals. Festivals are the new NY theatre experiment houses. It’s always a chance to take a risk, write something and give it a simplistic production to see what works and what doesn’t, strictly from page to stage, without any bells and whistles covering up possible blemishes. You’re totally naked and it whether works or it doesn’t.
Review Fix: What are your ultimate goals for this production and for the future?
Holland: Well I haven’t written a straight comedy in a while. So I’m interested to see if it works! But for the future I think there may be more to explore between these people and this situation. Maybe I’ll make it a full length.
Review Fix: What do you think your audiences will enjoy the most?
Holland: The fact that it’s only 30 minutes! No, I’m kidding. Hopefully, they will be able to see the natural humor in a sticky subject.
Review Fix: What’s next?
Holland: Straying from my formula a little. Writing a piece that’s inspired by Bernie Madoff. It has some of me in it, but it’s really being driven by what our culture and society have created with these sort of financial monsters.
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