Review Fix Exclusive Midtown International Theatre Festival Coverage: John Barrow Talks Althea, She Went to Hell

July 5, 2016 Patrick Hickey Jr. Theatre 0

Review Fix chats with Playwright John Barrow, who discusses his new production, “Althea, She Went to Hell,” which is set for a run at this year’s Midtown International Theatre Festival. 

ALTHEA, SHE WENT TO HELL by John Barrow, directed by Cecelia Riddett; starring Deborah Mahaney, Craig Myers, Stephen Bradbury*, Maryam Benganga, Kelly Taylor*, JoAnn Cunningham*, Tom Miller*, and Mark Speyer. The Rev. “Boy” Boykin, Jr. is in trouble. His megachurch and his television ministry are losing money. His wife Althea is fed up and wants out. Death arrives one day to claim Boy and then all hell breaks loose! (Comedy) *AEA
Performance Schedule: Mon 7/25, 6:00pm; Thurs 7/28, 6:00pm; Sat 7/30, 2:45pm
Running Time: 85 minutes.
Venue: Main Stage, 312 W. 36th Street.

Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this project? 

John Barrow: A few years ago I was researching Chrysippus and other plays by Euripides.  At the same time, the pastor of a large Baptist church in Atlanta, where I was then living, was sued for divorce by his wife.  Being a preacher’s wife has always seemed a thankless task. It dawned on me that Euripides’s Alcestis–the ultimate self-sacrificing wife–could be turned into a contemporary comedy.  

Review Fix:What’s your creative process like? 

Barrow: I think about the material for a long time before I write a word.  When I sit down to write my goal is to start at the beginning and continue through to the end.  And of course many revisions.

Review Fix: What makes this different or special? 

Barrow: It’s different because it’s a modern comedy based on an ancient Greek drama.

Review Fix: What did you learn about yourself through this process?  

Barrow: Humor is important.  

Review Fix:How does it feel to be a part of something like this?  

Barrow: The process has been both a pleasure and an education.  The MITF staff are professional and well-organized.  As a production draws near the playwright has to step back and trust the directors, actors and tech crew to make it work.

Review Fix: What are your ultimate goals for this production and for the future? 

Barrow: I haven’t thought that far ahead.  

Review Fix: What do you think your audiences will enjoy the most?

Barrow: I hope they will enjoy the combination of humor with some very serious subjects. 

Review Fix: What’s next? 

Barrow: A new play about Lillian Smith and Carson McCullers.
 

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14316 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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