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Video: Go Inside Rehearsals for Paula Vogel's MOTHER PLAY
Mar 29, 2024
'There are not a lot of mother plays written by women. I understand why... there's guilt, the understanding of how hard it is for women,' explained playwright Paula Vogel in a break from rehearsals for her aptly named, Mother Play. In this video, watch as the full cast and creative team gets ready for Broadway.
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0:00
You can't help it every once in a while step back and go
0:01
I cannot believe I get to do this. Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
0:08
Up next for second stage theater is Mother Play by Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel
0:13
Under the direction of Tina Landau, it welcomes back to Broadway Jessica Lange
0:18
Jim Parsons, and Celia Keenan-Bolger. And I caught up with all of them during a break in rehearsal
0:24
You know, there are not a lot of mother plays written by women, and I understand why
0:29
There's the guilt, there's the understanding of how hard it is for women
0:35
But there's also a deep desire for me to pay homage and look at this incredible woman in my life
0:44
Now, of course, when I say it's semi-autobiographical, there's a lot of poetic license in this
0:49
And by the way, there's also a ballet with cockroaches. Growing up, I was growing up below the poverty line
0:58
so the cockroaches were constant companions. And I thought, you know, why not
1:03
Let's have them along, too. What a cast you have put together
1:06
Talk about your three incredible actors you're working with. They're extraordinary, each in their own right
1:12
but also how they've bonded as a family. We were fortunate to do a workshop a couple months ago
1:18
and they've come together in such a beautiful way, and it's such a gift as a director
1:23
because I really can sit back, let them do their thing, and edit, if you will
1:29
You know, they're extraordinarily creative and funny, but also come with such depth
1:36
and are giving the play resonances in ways that I never expected
1:41
Having Paula in the room, what is that like? I've known Paula forever
1:45
I adore her. Yes, she's great. No, I mean, for me, that's a brand new experience
1:51
because I've done Williams, and I've done him several times in New York and in London
1:56
I've done Eugene O'Neill, also in New York and London. But this is a brand new experience for me
2:04
to work on a new play, to have the play right there
2:08
making adjustments, and you know, it's a living thing. It's a living, breathing experience
2:14
and it's great, it's wonderful. Talk about being in the room with Jim and Celia
2:19
and finding this play together. Yeah, that too has been an extraordinary experience
2:25
I mean, I have loved working with them from the very first day
2:30
and they are both so emotionally available, and I think we have a common language as actors
2:39
Yeah, everything about it, knock on wood, has been a joy. There's nothing like theater in general
2:46
but there is nothing like being in a rehearsal room. I mean, you just, once you check in
2:52
you are in there all day, you're around everybody. I love how there's nowhere to go off and hide
2:59
Every piece of work that's done in the room, whether you're directly involved or not
3:03
affects you in some way. There's no other work I do that's quite that level
3:08
of fulfilling at the end of every day. So talk about that first table read
3:13
I love to talk to actors and directors, like when you're sitting with your cohorts
3:18
and you hear the words come off the page. What was the first table read like this like for you
3:22
Oh, well I was nervous. Were you? Well, I admire Jessica and Celia
3:29
I admire Jessica, Celia, Paula, and Tina all so much. I want to kiddingly say
3:36
I just wanted to make sure I wasn't fired. I don't, I didn't really feel that vibe in the room
3:41
I didn't think they were gonna be like, oh God, and you know, they had decided
3:47
But I did, it just felt like, I don't know what word to use
3:54
like the ones that are coming are not right. Like it felt important, it felt big, it felt
3:58
there was just a lot, you know. It was so honored, I still feel that
4:02
so honored to be a part of it, you know. You kind of have to put blinders on and go
4:07
all right, it's Paula Vogel, all right, Jessica Lange's talking to me, I'm seeing Celia's holding my hand
4:12
it's like, let it go. But you can't help it every once in a while
4:16
step back and go, I cannot believe I get to do this
4:19
You know? Well, Paula has been talking about this play to me for a long time
4:25
I did very early readings of Indecent and was so moved by her spirit of collaboration
4:34
and I just really hoped that someday we would get to work together
4:40
and she would, you know, I would see her and she would say, I'm working on something
4:43
And I thought, well, I wonder what that's gonna be. And then she sent me this script and of course
4:49
I mean, the truth is even if it was like the worst thing I had ever read
4:52
which of course it wasn't, I would have been, I would have signed up
4:56
because I just think Paula is one of the great playwrights of our time
5:01
and so to be able to be a part of an original piece that she's written is very, very meaningful to me
5:08
I've never been a part of a production, let alone a Broadway production where
5:13
the writer and the playwright and the star were all women over 60
5:18
and I think the wisdom of these women who have made so many plays
5:25
who are such essential creative spirits, just to be in the presence of that wisdom
5:35
and that experience has been transformative for me. And then of course, you know, Jim
5:42
everybody said like, oh my God, you're just gonna love him so much and I was like, oh, I'm so curious to see
5:47
we have a lot of friends in common and they were right
5:51
I mean, he's not only a really extraordinary artist, but he's also, again, like his spirit of collaboration
6:00
of, I don't wanna say positivity because it sounds so pat, but I do think it's easy in these processes
6:08
when you're making something new to get sort of caught up in like, how's it gonna be received and will people like it
6:14
and of course, you know, I think we care about that, but I think Jim just keeps bringing me back
6:19
to the making of it and how important that part is and so that feels, I'm really happy
6:27
that he's a part of this. Having it done at second stage, what it means to you
6:32
It means the world to me. You know, Carol Rothman was the first person in New York
6:36
1979, to give me time and talk to me about my plays
6:42
That's how long we've known each other. I am so grateful for second stage
6:48
that they give such space and importance to living American playwrights. We can never, ever lose this theater
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