Adam Scott Weissman, director/producer/Adapter of Might As Well Live: Stories by Dorothy Parker, answered some quick questions for @SeeItOrSkipItLA!
1. For those who are not in the know, who was Dorothy Parker?
A: Dorothy Parker was an American writer who lived from 1893 until 1967. She was a prolific author in as diverse an array of mediums as any author of her time. She wrote poems, short stories, screenplays, stage plays, song lyrics, and criticism. You probably quote something she said or wrote frequently, but you may not know it. (“I hate writing. I love having written.” / “Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses.”) She was quotable, and she’s largely remembered for her witticisms, but her short stories are some of the greatest in American literature. In so many ways, she was ahead of her time. Her stories both capture her particular time and place (New York in the 1920s-40s), and transcend it.
2. How did you choose which stories to include? Were they your favorites, or is there a theme, etc?
A: I chose the stories primarily because I thought they would be well-suited for the stage. The stories themselves are composed primarily of dialogue and take place in a single location. “The Lovely Leave” was the short story that first made me fall in love with Dorothy Parker’s work. “The Game” is an underrated story she wrote for Cosmopolitan in 1948, co-authored by her then-boyfriend Ross Evans. Its structure and tone reminded me of such modern stage masterpieces as “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”, “God of Carnage”, and “Clybourne Park”, and I wanted to see it onstage. I added a twist to “New York to Detroit”, which was actually inspired by characters in “Mr. Durant”, another of Parker’s stories, which I thought could really bring her original dialogue to life. And finally, “You Were Perfectly Fine” is simply too funny and familiar of a situation (waking up in someone’s apartment other than your own with a pounding headache, and trying to remember just what you did the night before) to neglect.
3. What about your show makes it perfect for the Fringe?
A: It’s a sophisticated, smart show with great actors that doesn’t require a big, expensive set, or more than an hour of your evening, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to come see it. I think that’s kind of what Fringe is about. At least that’s how I see it.
4. What do you hope the audience walks away with after your show?
A: I hope they see themselves in these characters, as I do. And I hope they go to their local bookstore and buy a copy of The Portable Dorothy Parker.
5. What show, other than yours, are you most excited to see at the Fringe?
A: I’m seeing a lot of shows, but the two I’m most excited about are Julisa Wright’s one-woman show Dear Hollywood and Kara Lee Burke’s 1950’s sitcom for the stage My Gay Husband.
Intrigued? You can see Might As Well Live: Stories by Dorothy Parker on these days:
Acme Theatre at the Complex (6470 Santa Monica)
Saturday June 13 at 7 PM
Thursday June 25 at 10 PM
Saturday June 27 at 3 PM
Non-Fringe performance – Sunday June 14 at 3 PM at The Phantom Galleries Gallery H, 12619 Hawthorne Blvd., Hawthorne, CA 90250. Tickets to that show are only $5 on Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/might-as-well-live-stories-by-dorothy-parker-tickets-17025128618?
For ticketing* click here.
*The Fringe run has sold out, however there will be a stand-by line at the door for each performance.
As a special thank-you to all Fringers following my coverage, please enjoy 15% off purchases at In Heels Productions throughout the month of June. Use code HFF15 at checkout!