Paul Stroili
Twenty years ago, I was lucky enough to prowl the storefront theatres of Chicago with a group called The Illegitimate Players. They had great success with their original spoof of Tennessee Williams: A Glass Mendacity. I was cast in their subsequent skewering of Steinbeck, Of Grapes and Nuts. It is a brilliant parody and was a big hit.
The script is still as wonderfully politically incorrect as ever. Tom Joad, staring steely-eyed over his parched farm, declares: “We put more ‘n seed into this dirt… we put in toil an’ sweat, blood, too… and the bones of our kin who died workin’ it… what more can folks put into their land?” The response? “Ever think of trying phosphates?”
SeaGlass Theatre, where I currently serve as Managing Director, is an LA-based theatre company that also has roots in Chicago. My fellow company members, along with Artistic Director Kimberly Van Luin, loved the Grapes script as much as I did. To be the first group to present it to a Los Angeles audience is an opportunity we couldn’t miss.
Casey Kramer in "Of Grapes and Nuts"
While I was an actor in the original production, I’m directing this one. Several questions occurred to me as we prepared. How do I effectively direct a new cast when memories from an award-winning production remain? How far do I go out of my way to not adhere to Paul Frellick’s previous successful direction? And most importantly, how has satire changed in the past 20 years?
I struggled with these questions for a while, completely unaware once rehearsals began, the cast would answer most of them for me. It’s not my old play; it’s their new one and to limit any of their initial instincts or choices would disrespect the piece and the actors. Their job is to serve the play. My job is to help them to create their portrayals in the moment, not recreate my past.
With no suggestion on my part, some of the actors have produced moments nearly identical to the 1990 production. If they arrived at it organically, and it works, I leave it alone. To change it for the sake of being different would be just as bad as insisting on the old choices. When two actors, 2,000 miles and 20 years apart, come to the same comic conclusion, they’re probably right. It’s a very cool thing to witness, like finding a diamond twice.
David Reynolds and Lauren McCormack in "Of Grapes and Nuts"
When I’ve accidentally strayed from this mindset, I’ve been reminded. At a recent rehearsal, I knelt down to recreate some blocking that was similar to my past production. My knee, now 20 years older, painfully popped like a shotgun and my shriek was reminiscent of Rufus Wainwright getting a bikini wax. So, even nature and biology have cast their vote in favor of the new over the old.
So, how does satire fare over the years? It seems current tensions don’t allow us to joke about anything without offending someone and spoofing the work of John Steinbeck is mocking an American treasure. But, I respectfully suggest now is the time to ridicule our traditions proudly. We need it. The country is at war. We continue to struggle with unemployment and recession. Conservatives and liberals are more polarized than ever, brandishing their patriotism like armor. American ideals need a little fun poked at them. It is not disrespect; it is sharing laughter based on our mutual blessings and common hardships. Through it all, we’re lucky enough to live in this country.
As opening night approaches, I realize this whole experience has proved more than a little poignant for me. Of Grapes and Nuts is a ship I rode on its maiden voyage and I remember that journey and those people fondly. Twenty years later, it’s nice to be onboard again, a little grayer but with a brand new crew. I can’t wait to see where they take us.
Of Grapes and Nuts by Doug Armstrong, Keith Cooper and Tom Willmorth, presented by SeaGlass Theatre, opens Sept. 18; plays Fri.-Sat., 8 pm; Sun., 4 pm; through Oct. 24. Tickets: $20. The Little Vic Theatre at the Victory Theatre Center, 3326 W. Victory Blvd., Burbank; seaglasstheatre.org.
Production photos by Melissa McCormack
