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UNIQUE, ACTOR-DEVELOPED NEW PLAY PREMIERES AT PHILADELPHIA FRINGE FESTIVAL
by
Tony Devaney Morinelli | 08.10.2010
Philly Fringe enthusiasts and Mainliners alike will have a unique opportunity this September, when the Fringe moves west to Bryn Mawr, bringing a compelling and thought-provoking new play, developed and set in Philadelphia, to the Riely Theatre at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA. The opening night for When Lilacs Last by Tony Devaney Morinelli is set for Thursday, September 2 at 8:00 pm , and the play will enjoy a two-week run. Audiences will not want to miss this riveting new drama, which returns to the entertainment hub of the Main Line directly following its debut at the New York International Fringe Festival in August. When Lilacs Last has already received accolades from previous productions and competitions, and has undergone significant development and expansion to full-length form. When Lilacs Last is a hard-hitting confrontation: two promising young men struggle with abusive fathers, sexual orientation, and bigotry while coming of age in Philadelphia, 1955.  Philly Fringe enthusiasts and Mainliners alike will have a unique opportunity this September, when the Fringe moves west to Bryn Mawr, bringing a compelling and thought-provoking new play, developed and set in Philadelphia, to the Riely Theatre at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA. The opening night for When Lilacs Last by Tony Devaney Morinelli is set for Thursday, September 2 at 8:00 pm , and the play will enjoy a two-week run. Audiences will not want to miss this riveting new drama, which returns to the entertainment hub of the Main Line directly following its debut at the New York International Fringe Festival in August. When Lilacs Last has already received accolades from previous productions and competitions, and has undergone significant development and expansion to full-length form. When Lilacs Last is a hard-hitting confrontation: two promising young men struggle with abusive fathers, sexual orientation, and bigotry while coming of age. It is Philadelphia, 1955. There is a new bridge to be named “The Walt Whitman,“ much to the outrage of the citizenry—theatrically come to life as a Greek Chorus—who object to the homo-erotic works of the poet. Brendan and Jackie, two young men from the Philadelphia waterfront neighborhood of dock and bridge workers, forge a friendship via the exact same poet in question, a friendship that gives both of them hope in a bleak and lonely time in their lives, until their homophobic fathers come to a breaking point, venting their own frustrations on their vulnerable sons.The violent and tragic second act, underscored by the echoing lines of Whitman’s most self-aware and political work “Leaves of Grass”, creates an atmosphere of growing tension in both households, and builds to a frightening but inevitable climax. This vibrant new play, set against the brilliant poetry of Walt Whitman, is a searing experience of devastation—innocence and desire overwhelmed by ignorance and brutality. The work is the melding of an original script by Tony Devaney Morinelli, an accomplished and internationally-produced playwright, and the improvisational work of students at The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA. Starting with a skeletal script, the actors developed their characters during rehearsals, and multiple drafts emerged. In each subsequent workshop production, the intense hatred of the fathers against a society they feel has abandoned them, and the spiritual and intellectual connection forged by the two sons, all deepened in complexity, and the stories of the two families converged. Monologues, direct address to the audience, and the use of the frustrated and often angry Citizen-Chorus, round out the ultimate version. Students involved in the production and dramaturgy of the play were changed through their active participation, their involvement as students aware of extreme and painful prejudice on a daily basis, and the fluctuating nature of the subject matter. Hatred in 1955 is not so very different from hatred in 2010. The Shipley School is immensely proud of their efforts, sanctioned at every step by Head of School Steven Piltch, who has from day one been supportive of the important message of tolerance and the unspoken need for conflict resolution that goes way beyond the dramatic story of these two families. The play has been expanded to full length, based in part on the original cast’s ongoing work on the play they have become so invested in. Actor Christian Santilli, who plays Brendan, describes this investment: “The experiences of these kids that go through this is that of pain and pure, unwarranted suffering. Something I hope will come through in my performance of this play and something I hope might be conveyed to the audience watching it.” Playwright and director Tony Devaney Morinelli, who the students at Shipley refer to as “Doc”, created an atmosphere in which the play could evolve, and honored the contributions of students at every stage, including the choreography of sections of intense physical stage violence. The beating sequences are painful to watch, yet serve a purpose of the theme of abuse in the play. And, no doubt about it, the language is often graphic and harsh. “As to the physical and verbal abuse that we dramatize in the play, it just always struck me that people can readily condemn and even punish the physical, but the equally devastating effects of verbal abuse seem to work their way around the same judgment. Think of kids fighting: one kid calls another a name. The other kid hits back. Who gets the heaviest blame? ‘Sticks and stones ...but names will never hurt me’ - I don't think so.” When Lilacs Last received a standing ovation and tremendous peer feedback when the earlier and shorter version premiered at the West Chester University Theater Competition this past year. The Philadelphia Fringe Festival production will feature professional actors Steve Snyder and Benjamin Kanes in the roles of the intensely troubled and homophobic fathers, and Jake Deitrich and Christian Santilli recreating their already much-acclaimed performances as the two sons, Jackie and Brendan. When Lilacs Last will be of significant interest not only to the gay, lesbian, and trans-gender community, but also to all those interested in the safe environment of young people who face verbal and physical violence because of their sexual orientation. Lovers of the works of Walt Whitman will be intrigued to see how his timeless poetry is woven into the body of the play, that is itself written in blank verse, creating a unique theatrical style. New light is shed on the poem “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” from Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass”. The book becomes pivotal to the conflict in the play between father and son, and on stage it is treated with reverence by some and with hostility by others. WHEN LILACS LAST Thursday September 2, 8:00 pm |
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