A Look at "JENNY'S HOUSE OF JOY" by Playwright Norm Foster: Strong Women and Hearty Laughs

 

Promotional Material From Lakewood Theater's Production of Jenny's House of Joy, starring (from left to right to up) Chelsea Martel, Christina Lovett Steeves, Kalyn Black, Sarah Johnson, and Midge Merrill Pomelow

BACKSTORY with Bobby Keniston

Norm Foster, the author of tonight's entertainment Jenny's House of Joy, is the most widely produced playwright in Canada, and for very good reason. His plays are relatable, accessible, and oh-so human. It doesn't hurt that they are laugh out loud funny, too! I personally had the pleasure to appear in his play Skin Flick here at Lakewood a few years back, and I had a blast. I reached out to Mr. Foster with a few questions about what inspired him to write this play set in an old West brothel, and its companion piece Outlaw, which is set in the same town and year as Jenny's and features overlapping characters. To my surprise and appreciation, he generously took the time to write back with his thoughtful answers.

"First of all, the western genre has always been my favourite", Mr. Foster writes, complete with delightful Canadian spelling. "I chose Baxter Springs, Kansas as the setting for Outlaw and Jenny's House of Joy because of the role it played in the cattle drives of the day."

When asked about the subject matter of the play, he makes it clear that he set out to write a play about strong women. "I wanted to show this group of women in a different light from what we would expect of women in that profession... I think audiences should know that some of the women who took part in this profession back then were fairly normal by most standards and had dreams like any person might."

I asked Kalyn Black, one of the lovely and talented actresses you have the pleasure of watching in theshow tonight, for her thoughts about the play's female characters. She tells me how "each one of thewomen find their way to Jenny's House of Joy through various paths of finding their true self worth.Each woman has a barrier that is unique to them that prevents them from seeing their own value."

Ms. Black concludes with perhaps my favorite insight of the play, saying it is "a story about losing yourself and finding your way back."

But what about us in the audience? If we lose ourselves in the world of the play, will we ever be able to find our way back to it?

"I always intended to write a third story about the people from Outlaw and Jenny's,"  Mr. Foster assures me. "Maybe someday I will complete the trilogy."

We can always hope!

Note:  This interview/essay first appeared in Lakewood Theater's program for their production of Norm Foster's Jenny's House of Joy.

Find out more about Norm Foster's plays here:

NORM FOSTER: CANADIAN PLAYWRIGHT

The Backstory of "But Why Bump Off Barnaby": Will the Real Jack Sharkey Please Stand Up?

 

Note:  This piece originally appeared in Lakewood Theater's program for their production of Buty Why Bump Off Barnaby by Rick Abbot

BACKSTORY WITH BOBBY KENISTON

Greetings, friends! I would like to welcome you back to Lakewood Theater for the summer! I know I am not the first to do so--- I have no doubt that the wonderful box office staff, the indispensable volunteer ushers, and the tireless gang at the Lakewood Inn Restaurant have all beat me to it. Still, I would like to add my gratitude to the list and thank you for supporting theater here in central Maine as the world creeps back to sense of normalcy.

Nature often works in cycles, so it feels appropriate to open our 2021 season with last season's closing show, But Why Bump Off Barnaby?, a delightful mystery farce by Rick Abbot. If you have read myessays before, you know I often try to contact the authors of our plays for interviews. Sadly, this is not possible with Rick Abbot. He passed away in 1992. Further, he wasn't really Rick Abbot.

Don't worry, there's no mystery here. Rick Abbot was one of four pen names for prolific writer Jack Sharkey (the others were Monk Ferris, Mark Chandler, and Mike Johnson, who only wrote stage thrillers). Like many other prolific playwrights, Mr. Sharkey employed these pen names to avoid saturating the market, and because he wisely realized that many theaters don't like to produce multipletitles by the same author in a single season.

Born in Chicago in 1931, Jack Sharkey served in the army where he wrote and directed shows for theEnlisted Men's Club. In 1958, he moved to New York City to pursue writing, and, oh boy, did he pursue it! He wrote countless science fiction stories, novels, and chapbooks for children before deciding to solely write for the stage in 1975. And though it is estimated that he wrote 85 plays or more, it is very likely his name isn't nearly as recognizable to you as a playwright like Neil Simon or Beth Henley. This is because Sharkey was one of the playwrights who made a fine living, but never a “killing”. A “working class” playwright, Sharkey geared his plays toward the community theater and school markets, like so many others in his field (Tim Kelly, Pat Cook, and yours truly come to mind), making sure to write great parts for large casts to shine.

“His first play, Here Lies Jeremy Troy, was about two days from opening on Broadway on two occasions,but just didn't happen,” his widow Pat Sharkey told the L.A. Times in 1996. “He got comfortable with not trying for that anymore. He wrote what he would enjoy seeing, feeling that if he would enjoy it, other people would.”

Mr. Sharkey particularly enjoyed creating fast-paced, joke-filled shows that were easy to produce and made people laugh without offending them. It seems he couldn't resist going for the funny bone.

“I remember a few times, Jack would try writing a straight mystery,” Pat Sharkey said, “and after a few pages he'd decide to turn it into a comedy mystery, after all.”

And here, nearly 30 years after his death, Lakewood Theater carries on his legacy of laughter by bringing back the crowd pleasing But Why Bump Off Barnaby?, a quintessential comedy mystery. It is our hope it keeps you guessing--- and chuckling--- until the very end.

Thank you so much for joining us on our journey for 2021! Full steam ahead!

If you are interested in learning more about the play, or producing it, follow this link to Concord Theatricals:

'But Why Bump Off Barnaby?' | Concord Theatricals

A History of the Play "Mid-Summer" by Viña Delmar: How Vaudeville Lies at the Center of this Nostalgia Piece

 

BACKSTORY WITH BOBBY KENISTON

Note:  This was originally written for Lakewood Theater's production of Mid-Summer

Mid-Summer, tonight's entertainment, was one of only 3 plays Viña Delmar wrote, but don't let that fool you--- she was a very prolific writer for nearly fifty years, rising to fame in the late 1920s with her then provocatively titled novel Bad Girl, and went on to receive an Academy Award nomination for the screenplay of The Awful Truth in 1937. Mid-Summer, premiering in 1953, was a love letter of sorts to vaudeville, and featured a young Geraldine Page in her Broadway debut. Speaking of auspicious debuts, I am happy to report that this production marks the Lakewood directorial debut of (among many other titles) my good friend, Arturo Meneses, who was good enough to talk with me about the play, about vaudeville, and about his love of Lakewood Theater.

“It really is like home,” he told me, a sentiment to which I, and many others, can certainly relate.

Audiences have been enjoying Art's work for quite some time. He made his acting debut while still a teenager in 1997 in the musical Jungle Queen Debutante, and played a memorableHarvey Johnson in Bye, Bye, Birdie. I first acted with him a few years ago in Incorruptible, andaudiences cheered his performances in The Legend of Georgia McBride and Godspell. On topof his work as an actor and director, Art has been spending some time this summer organizingthe Lakewood archives, sifting through old memories of friends made throughout the years.

Art found his summer home after working with Mark Nadeau at Messalonskee High School,who encouraged him to audition, and also cites the late Jeffrey Watts as a mentor and influence. He first pursued his interest in directing at the University of Maine at Farmington, taking the helm of such productions as Pillow Talk and Medea (the hilarious Christopher Durang comedy). He really cut his teeth by directing his very own production of Bye, Bye Birdie at the Hsinchu International School in Taiwan with a group of young people who had never acted before!

“They all auditioned very well,” he said with a shrug. “But then didn't know how to act as soon as they were cast in the play.”

A self-proclaimed “Actor's Director,” Art has certainly made an impression on the cast of Mid-Summer. “He really takes the time to ask us questions, encouraging us to find our motivation,”

Kaelie Merrill, the talented young actress who plays Lily, the Geraldine Page role, told me. “He really wants us to think about our characters and how we connect to them. This experience has taught me how I can grow as a person just by putting myself in her [Lily's] shoes.”

Art has delved into the world of vaudeville, and read the delightfully titled No Applause- JustThrow Money, a history of vaudeville by Trav S.D. When I asked him how we make an older art form like vaudeville accessible to audiences today, he said, “The issues we go through today are the same ones people went through back then. The situations will always be relevant.”

Kaelie agrees, and adds, “I think vaudeville is fascinating... They could say things that we can't say!”

Though the brilliant Viña Delmar is no longer with us, and, sadly, vaudeville itself has faded away, we are all fortunate to experience a kind of time travel tonight, thanks to the hard work of Arturo and the talented cast and crew. So prepare to be transported to the Lenoir Hotel in New York City in the year 1907, as we enjoy Mid-Summer during our very own glorious mid-summer here at Lakewood Theater.

If you are interested in producing Mid-Summer, you can find it at Concord Theatricals by following this link:

Mid-Summer (Delmar) | Concord Theatricals

BULLSHOT CRUMMOND: a history of the play, and a brief history of parody

Note: This essay first appeared in the program for Lakewood Theater's Production of Bullshot Crummond

BACKSTORY WITH BOBBY KENISTON 

In 1974, Ronald House and Diz White were in a fringe comedy troupe called The Low Moans

when they first developed the initial concept for Bullshot Crummond, tonight's entertainment.

The idea was fleshed out with fellow troupe members Alan Shearman, John Neville-Andrews,

and Derek Cunningham, and had its first production in San Francisco at the Palladium Theater

the very year it was written.

The play, as you will soon witness for yourselves, falls into a very particular style of comedy we

like to call parody. Specifically, Bullshot Crummond, the name and the play, is a send-up of the

character Bulldog Drummond, who was created by author H.C. McNeile in a 1920 novel named

after the hero. Bulldog was a World War I veteran who had trouble going back to the boredom of

a humdrum civilian life. He decided to place advertisements, looking for excitement, until, lo and

behold, he transformed from listless veteran into a world class adventurer! And there were

plenty of adventures to be had--- McNeile wrote ten more novels, four short stories and four

stage plays about them!

Certainly there are elements (including his name) that made Bulldog Drummond a perfect target

for the parody provided by The Low Moans' performers. While researching this play and the

source material it spoofs, I began to wonder just how long parody has been around, and where

it all came from. It should have come as no surprise to learn that it has been around since

Ancient Greece at the very least. In his Poetics, Aristotle mentions Hegemon of Thasos as the

inventor of parody. Hegemon would slightly alter the wording of well-known poems, and thus

“transformed the sublime into the ridiculous.” There were other narrative poems in Ancient

Greek literature known as a “parodia”, which took the ideas of epics, but treated them in a light,

satirical manner with mock-heroic subjects, like The Diliad (sadly, a lost parody of the Iliad,

mentioned by Aristotle) by Nicochares. Aristotle, always a bit self-serious, wasn't much of a fan,

saying that Homer made men better than they were, while these writers of parody made men

worse.

Perhaps Aristotle was missing the point, or simply didn't know how to take a joke. Parody

continued to thrive. It was first mentioned in English in 1598's “Every Man in His Humor” by Ben

Jonson, and Shakespeare, of course, used parody quite freely, notably in A Midsummer Night's

Dream with a group of rustics making a clown show from Pyramus and Thisbe, complete with a

talking Wall (something our former President would no doubt love) and Lion.

Nowadays, it is not uncommon for the parody itself to outlive its source material, which may be

the case for Bullshot Crummond, a play still widely produced and a well-known crowd pleaser

(trust me, you'll see in just a few minutes). It is reported that when Mel Brooks, a master in the

art of parody, saw the play, he was so impressed by its zaniness and humor that he said it

couldn't ever possibly be filmed. And while Mr. Brooks has been right about so many things in

his 95 years, he was wrong about this. Perhaps inspired by the success of other parody films

like Airplane!, a movie adaptation simply called Bullshot was released in the UK in 1983, with

three of the Low Moans reprising their stage roles, and several cameos from famous British

comedians. The film was produced by George Harrison's production company, Handmade

Films, as the former Beatle was known to love a good laugh.

And a good laugh is what we have in store for you, dear audience, as our very own lively troupe

of performers wait in the wings for the curtain to rise on Lakewood Theater's production of

Bullshot Crummond,

 If you are interested in learning more about the play or producing it, you can check it out at Concord Theatricals by following this link: https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/5604/bullshot-crummond

INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT MARY LYNN DOBSON

 

Playwright Mary Lynn Dobson

Note:  This interview originally appeared in the Lakewood Theater program for their production of Ms. Dobson's play Two on the Aisle, Three in a Van.

BACKSTORY WITH BOBBY KENISTON

Whenever possible, I like to reach out to the playwrights of our productions and let you read what they have to say in their own words. Mary Lynn Dobson was gracious enough to take the time to answer some questions I sent along to her.

BOBBY KENISTON: Having worked as an actor and director, do you feel that acting and directing influences your work as a writer?

MARY LYNN DOBSON: Acting came first, directing and writing came shortly after. I think having an actor/director viewpoint helps when writing because you know details about production/performance that can fill out your story. But directing is probably my favorite. It takes the onus off you because you’re collaborating with others on someone else’s play. When your own work is being performed there’s a whole new level of stress, especially when you write comedy. If the audience isn’t laughing, your play’s not working. You know instantly. Then, there’s the actually writing process where you beat yourself up for hours over a single word. For me, Dorothy Parker summed it up best: “I hate writing. I love having written.”

BK: Two on the Aisle, Three in a Van, performed as part of the New York International Fringe Festival, one of the largest multi-arts events in North America, where it received the Summer Theatre Citation for Outstanding New Play and an award for Best Ensemble Cast. Could you tell us a little bit about performing as part of FringeNYC?

MLD: The play won and was first performed in the YES Festival at the University of Northern Kentucky and went over really well. So, I credit them with giving the play its start. After that, it had a several interim productions. Then I was approached by producers, Tiger Theatricals and Peter Riga, and they entered it in the Fringe Festival. Now let me tell you, everything in the Fringe happens really fast. We had next to no time to put publicity together, secure designers, get rehearsal space and hire actors. I actually auditioned 2 actors at the Cheesequake Rest Stop on the Garden State Parkway. But I was lucky because I ended up with a stellar cast led by Jim Stanek, Natascia Diaz and Gordon Joseph Weiss. We had very limited rehearsal time and you’re only allowed one tech rehearsal at the venue. Plus, there are 2 other shows going up on the same day. We literally had 15 minutes to put up and break down the set each night. For most shows that wouldn’t be problem, but we had to get a van on and off stage. It truly took a village and while it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had, it was like being on the most terrifying rollercoaster in the world, and you don’t realize you had fun until 5 hours after it’s over.

BK: Two on the Aisle, Three in a Van is part of the glorious tradition of plays about the theater, giving audiences a behind-the-scenes view of what really goes into mounting a production. What do you think makes plays about the theater so accessible and enjoyable for audiences? Is it a way of inviting them into our world as theater-makers, or does working in theater simply lend itself to comical situations?

MLD: It’s both. What I tried to do was write for theatre people as well as an audience who just wanted to see a comedy. I chose “shows” that I thought most everyone would know. And even if someone wasn’t familiar with them, I wrote it so they still would know what was happening in the story. My goal was to try to make it universally funny, which I hope I did.

BK: Along with your plays for a more adult audience, you have written the family-friendly The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood, published by Dramatic Publishing, which has been produced in all fifty states. Is there a difference in how you approach writing a play for all audiences that is different from writing your other plays? Do you feel it is important for playwrights to diversify in this way to reach a wider audience?

MLD: Two on the Aisle, Dracula and Skin Deep are for adult audiences. Skin Deep is a comedy about child beauty pageant moms being interviewed for a “documentary.” Out of 982 plays, it was one of 6which won the Samuel French Off-Broadway Short Play Festival. I seem to gravitate to writing for adult audiences more. I have no children and shouldn’t be the person molding the minds of young America. I think Robin Hood will be my only family-friendly play. Truth be told, I kinda Forrest Gump-ed my way with the success of that one. When Dramatic first published it, I thought it would just get a couple of productions a year at best. It’s global now. Seriously, it’s been performed all over the world. And it’s a really weird feeling when you’re sitting in your den watching Dancing with the Stars and you realize in a few hours part of your life will be going on in Albania without you.

BK: A few drama teachers describe The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood as having a Mel Brooks vibe to it, and one theater company described your play Dracula, Down for the Count as a Young Frankenstein for Dracula. Would you say you are inspired by the comedy style of Mel Brooks? Who are some of your other influences?

MLD: Actually, both my Robin Hood and Dracula were first done in the mid-eighties before Mel Brooks did his versions. That being said, if anyone feels my work resembles Mel Brooks’, even if it’s only by a hair, I can die happy.

BK: It is a clearly an uncertain time for playwrights and all other theater artists. Do you have any thoughts on how Covid-19 will affect live theater moving forward? What do you think of the many theater companies trying to offer new content through Zoom and other online resources during this time?

MLD: I commend anyone for doing anything they can to keep theatre going. Unfortunately, many shows might not fend well in a Zoom format— mine included (except for Skin Deep). This is such a horrible, crazy time. I think some necessary changes will have to be made. Will they be permanent? That I don’t know. But one thing I truly believe, and I believe this with every fiber of my being— we will make our way back.

If you would like to learn more about Mary Lynn Dobson and her work, please check out these links!

https://www.concordtheatricals.com/a/2406/mary-lynn-dobson

https://www.facebook.com/TheSomewhatTrueTaleOfRobinHood/

https://www.dramaticpublishing.com/the-somewhat-true-tale-of-robin-hood

And feel free to check out my book review blog, MY ONLY FRIENDS ARE BOOKS!

INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT LESLIE KIMBELL, author of FOUR OLD BROADS

 

Leslie Kimbell, successful playwright!

Note:  This interview first appeared in Lakewood Theater's program for their production of Ms. Kimbell's play, Four Old Broads.

BACKSTORY WITH BOBBY KENISTON

Though probably the last thing the world needs is another Zoom meeting, I am happy to report that this oh-so-necessary pandemic technology has made it much easier for me to reach out and actually talk to people like Leslie Kimbell, the author of tonight’s entertainment, Four Old Broads. And what a pleasure it was to talk shop with this playwright who is just as funny and charming as her work! After sharing a mutual relief that THEATER IS BACK and a brief discussion about how Zoom has changed the standards of formality for online meetings (who needs pants when you only see the top half?), I talked with Leslie about what inspires her work, and the joys that come with writing plays and watching them come to life.

Leslie wanted to write ever since she was in high school. Born in Tennessee and now living in Georgia, she has had a long career in acting, burlesque, and directing, all disciplines she says have enriched and inspired her writing, giving her a sense of the big picture and what is playable on stage. In 2015, she was on a lunch outing when her friend and mentor Billie made an “off-color joke” that tickled her enough to jot it down on a napkin. And while this joke did not make it into the play you are about to watch, it proved to be the seed of inspiration that Leslie needed to start her playwriting journey, reminding her of the sass and spunk of the real “old broads” in her life. And just like that, she was off to the races, eager for time at her computer to bring her story to life, excited when her two boys left for school giving her precious distraction-free writing sessions, and always on the lookout for any spare moment to keep working on her play.

“You can you use the word obsessed,” Leslie told me with a laugh.

The first draft of Four Old Broads was roughly two hours and forty-five minutes long. The “get the story out, throw everything in” draft, as she calls it, an important part of the process for any writer. After a reading of the play with some theater friends, Leslie could hear what her story needed, and what could be tucked away for use elsewhere.

“Too bad we couldn’t have an evening of deleted scenes and additional footage like on DVDs,” I joked. Fortunately, Leslie had the better idea of incorporating some of the material into the sequel, Four Old Broads on the High Seas, including the “off-color” joke from the napkin!

When I asked if she set out to write a play with juicy parts for women, since women audition more for community theater than men but seem to have fewer roles for them, her answer surprised me in the way we are often surprised by the things that should be obvious. “Actually, I wanted to write a play for seniors,” she told me. “You never see plays that are about seniors.” And, indeed, since Four Old Broads has been published, she has received letters from a number of senior community theater actors, thanking her for writing a play that gives them such fun characters to perform, and a story that is all about them.

Not every baseball player hits a home run their first time at bat, and not every playwright knocks it out of the park with her first play. But Leslie Kimbell is not every playwright. Since Four Old Broads premiered in 2017, it has been published by Samuel French (now Concord Theatricals) and performed all over the world. The publication Carolina Curtain Call even favorably compared it to The Golden Girls, a favorite of mine that Leslie had never seen until after she wrote the play and heard the comparison!

But despite this success, Leslie is a playwright who is grounded in gratitude for her collaborators and her audiences. When I asked her what it was like the opening of night of Four Old Broads, which had its world premiere at Winder-Barrow Community Theatre, a place that she loves and has worked with often, Leslie told me the question gave her goosebumps and was “...going to make me cry.” And indeed, she did get choked up as she talked about sitting in the audience, her loved ones on each side of her, watching the actors bring her play and characters to life. As the audience laughed at the lines she had put down on the page months ago while sitting alone at her computer screen, tears of joy and appreciation streamed down her face.

Leslie Kimbell understands that a playwright’s work is only fully complete when it is watched and enjoyed by an audience. We thank each and every one of you in the audience today for helping complete the work of this talented and generous playwright with your laughter and your applause.

If you would like to learn more about Leslie Kimbell and her work (like her new comedy with heart, Packing Up Polly, which premiered in April), please visit her website, www.lesliekimbell.com

INTERVIEW WITH PLAYWRIGHT NORM FOSTER, CANADA'S MOST PRODUCED PLAYWRIGHT!

 

Norm Foster, Canada's Most Produced Playwright!

Note:  This interview first appeared in Lakewood Theater's Program for their production of Mr. Foster's play, Drinking Alone.

Norm Foster, the author of tonight's entertainment, is the most produced playwright in Canada,

known for delivering the laughs and plenty of heart in his scripts. Lakewood, like Canada, loves Mr.

Foster's works and have produced several of his plays over the years, much to the delight of

audiences like you. He was gracious enough to take some time out of his day to answer some

questions for me about his work, his characters, and the importance of truth in comedy.

BOBBY: While reading reviews of your plays, something critics seem to praise over and over

again is your characters being relatable, like "real people." How important is it for you to keep

characters relatable for the comedic circumstances to work?

NORM: It’s very important for me that my characters are relatable to the audience. I want the

people in the audience to see people they ‘know’ onstage. This heightens the comedy. It’s

funnier when real characters are going through real life situations that could very well happen to

any of us.

BOBBY: While your plays are hilarious, it is also noteworthy how there are tonal shifts to

moments of true poignancy and heart. How do you so skillfully balance comedy and emotion?

Does it all come down to the characters being relatable?

NORM: Balancing the comedy and the emotion is a knack I developed early on in my writing

career. I found that if you have a good mixture of both, it makes the play better. The comedy

makes the emotion run a little deeper, and the poignancy makes the comedy funnier. They

compliment each other. To balance these two, you have to know when to pull back on each

one. If it’s a serious moment, you need to know when the audience needs a break from that

seriousness. That’s when you lighten it up a bit. Going from comedy to a serious moment is a

little more difficult. You have to ease into the seriousness and not make it seem too abrupt a

change. Both elements are made easier if the characters are real people. If they have a truth to

them.

BOBBY: "Drinking Alone" in many ways centers around a dysfunctional family. What do you

think makes family relationships so easy to mine for comedy?

NORM: Families are something we can ALL relate to. That’s what makes them so natural to

write about and why we find them so funny. We have all been through it. Some to a lesser

degree but we all know what’s going on with family dynamics. You can make up the most

bizarre situation, and if a family is involved, we all say “Oh I get it.” When writing a play, if my

idea revolves around a family, like in Drinking Alone, then I know the battle is already half won.

BOBBY: Now that theater is slowly but surely coming alive again, do you think comedy can be

not only a salve for live audiences moving forward, but also a tool to show just how essential

theater can be?

NORM: I think this might be our chance for comedy to finally be taken seriously. And what I

mean by that, is getting the respect that it is due. For some reason people thinks it’s easy to

write a comedy. Really? If you think that, then try writing one. Try and make an audience of 300

or 500 laugh as one. But now, we are all ready to laugh again. We have had enough of hard

times. Comedy to the rescue!!

Comedy to the rescue... I couldn't have said it better myself! For more information about Mr.

Foster and his plays, you can go to his website, www.normfoster.com