Lauren Gunderson | Southern Hospitality An interview with the playwright BY MARGARET EDSON When Lauren Gunderson as 16, she wrote Margaret Edson a fn letter on the acason of Eds Pulitzer Prize ein for Wit. Since they both lived in Atlanta, Eden incited Guudee to tet and they ace been friemls ever since, Eden and Gundersen spoke by pave in early May MARGARET EDSON: Isthis the more classic folks. Every week we got co read a poem and your first play fenturin write a one-page response. At first, didn't know how to just Pop-Tares sit and think an read a poem, but that’s pare of what tha LAUREN GUNDERSO} assignment taught me, One ofthe poets I chose was Walt Indeed iti yes Although Whinnan, andar shat the nex as Walt Whitman, and then Uhave been fan of Pop-_thethird one was oo... And in one of his poems he desis Tarts for many yearsnow. sitting on a roof—t hinkit pat of Lee of Gras—in one of the sections, he’ siting on the roof i raining and be’ just Any kind? Are you watching the countryside and the city inthe dance, And promiscuous in that way, happened to be quite romantic in my evening plans that ‘orjustdo you jusc like nightandT ent out on my roof and it started to drizzle as 1 csc wes reaing this poem and it ustkind of started coming tue Trin more into the fruit with the icing. Most desserts are Won, There's a turn in the play that is very surprising about the icing. I actually haven't had one forever, but completely unexpected somebody else would have seen thar the thing that reminds me of adolescence, more than it coming, bu I did nor at all almost anything ese No, most people have said they haven't seen i Well, maybe you should have one, and see how it goes, Once people read and see your play, when they describe Ts probably no jing to live up to my rand memoriesofit. it, they're going to include the turn, So ather people will bre denied the experience of the naive reader that Thad, Oh, they do, Don't worry: which is not knowing what's going happen. Do your sons like Pop-Tarts? rm nor sure how to deal with it, One ofthe things thae we learned fiom the fist production at Marin Theatre Company Yes, buc they are being raised properly; they only like four here in the Bay Area was how to talk about the play. How war and cinnamon, do you explore the play and encourage people to see i? We Of course. Well, they've been trined well. learned to not pretend that there's nothing extra going ons is. play about which you ean say that there’ more thar Right, yes. Now, the spooky feeling of poetry that meets the eye. When you just present it as being about rwo Caroline identifies docs it feel spooky to you! teenagers in a room, most adults go, “I have ovo teenagers Yes. The spookiness came from one particular night. There’ in aroom, I don't wanta see that. Dear Gd, don't make me a lot of this play that goes into memories of me as a high sit through thatall night long,” schooler: I had a really wonderful literature teacher, This was Ut ade—Mrs. Bennet—and she gave us a weekly Bue I'm wistiul, because other peoplearen' go ment to ead any poem we wanted, and geared us towards that same experience that I was able to have ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT Lauten Gunderson isan award-winng playariah vig in Sen Francisco. he studied at Emary University and NYU'S Tisch Schoo! of the Arts where she wes a Reynold Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. Her work has been produced and developed at companies across the USS Incuaing: South Coast Repartory (Emile, Silent Shy, The Kennedy Carter (The Amazing Adventures of Or Wondrtu' ana Her Dog!) Serkeey Rep, TheatreFiest Fire Work), Shotgun Payers, TheatreWorks, Crowsed Fie, San Francisco Playhouse (Baver, Marin Theatre Company, Synchronicity Theat, ‘etor’s Express, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Portland Center Stage, Second Stage Theatr, Impact Theatre the Larkan the Nel Emile: 2 Marquise Chitelt Detends Her Lite Tonight Is published by Samuel French. and You ang the fst and second plays Inher Shakespeare Cycle: xi, Pursued By @ Bear nd Tl and Trouble are publishes by Playserpt, Inc. She Is a playwrightin-esidence atthe Playwrights Foundation and prous Dramatists Cullé member. LaucenGunsersoncom and GLalaTelsaStory. ABOUT THE PLAY Jana You was erginaly commissioned by SouthCoast Repertory The pay ha its Nationa New Play Network roling world premiere at Marin Theatre Company (Jasson Minadakis, tsi director: Michael Barker, managing director on Octaber 1S, 201% Oey Theatre Center (Jaton Loew, istic director, Amy Marshall, managing giector on March ,20'4 and Phoenix Theatre (Bryan Fenseea, producing director) on March '3, 2014. The Mari ‘Theatre Company production was directed by Sarah Rasmussen. Scenic dasign was by Michael Locher: costume design was by Magge Whitaker; ignting design a5 by Wen-Ling Liao: sound design and orginal musie were Sy Wil MeCanaless; the stage manager mae Angela Nostrane, The cast was Oevion MeArthT (Gnthony) and Jessica Lynn Carroll (Caaline). The Olney Theatre Center production was directed by Eleanor Horie. Scenic design was by Dan Con ‘ceatume design was by lvania Stack: lighting design was by Nancy Scherer, sound design was by Matthew M. Nielson the stage manager was Becky Reed Rm ANERICANTHEATRE JULHAUGUSTI4‘That’ true. The first audience was my husband, Nathan, and these two wonderful actors (one of whom sas in the production) Jessiea Lynn Caroll and Reggie White, who are ‘my great friends herein the Bay Area I was just us al some lasses of wine and my kitchen table. [told them not to read the end. You know actors want to highlight their Hines, but in this case I said, “You know these ids. They're just kids She’ kind of cranky and upset all the time. Hea sweet As student. Youll just go for it, and chen you'll se.” And when we hit a certain part of the play, they hoth had the most delightful expressions that said “What have you done to me?” Well Je'sall have a contract that we're not going to blab, Yes. Alright, Lam secing 2 strong authorial presence in the stage directions. e's almost asf your commentary is guiding the audience. I's more than, “He sits. She stands." Is that somethin Isbeen developing for the las five, six, seven years, because what I've found lacking in some stage directions was kind of| permission for the in-between ofthe line to be as important as the lin itself. For me, especially in play that is this realistic [its about} really making sure thatthe actors know there’ something going on in that pause. You're nor standing heeause itsays “stand”; you're standing because she’s freaking you out and you're making a statement by standing. Tknow that’ job of a great director, as well, bt [wanted that to come across in the reading ofthe play—because, again, for most of it, i's ‘oo teenagers in a room, and I wanted to convey that the situation has such richness and such complenit 1 do is cross outall stage directions.” what would you say? (Oh, Lthink that’ so silly. That presumes that the playwright is only responsible for the lines of dialogue and not the entire world of the story they are charged with exploring and presenting. Perhaps not every playwright dos this, but 1 certainly take great care with pace and rhythm, and how a Tine feels, and how long its, and if i consonants or vowels, because the experience of line is not The First th So,to the director who routinely says, made of a lot of just the information it contains. Inthe play, you use wh: which e words ima sentence with no spaces between the words, and each wor be “IKindal ike ThisGuy.” That's again about pacing and emphasis. There’ something ns with a capital letter lke Tellus about the word clumps. about youthful language where speed and a specific precision highlights meaning. And its completely dtferenc ifthe speed or the connectivity othe precision is gone, Some of ts just my sense of humor, but there a way tosay a sentence thats not funny and a way to say it thats funny: So thatSa litle it of me directing through punetuation, There’ milion ways an actor ‘could do it, butto suggest speeding up this phrase wll help you ‘convey what Caroline actually means, which is nota languid, “L vey lke this guy”—it’s“OkaylReallyLike ThisGuy!” And those have different feelings, different meanings. Carolin isa fast talker, she’ a smart girl, and there’ something about how language together that i force; there’ bit af a conductor in her think that's one ofthe things that comes across in the word clumps. When you imagine yourself in the future 1s, that will ou be looking for in the audience? That’ great question. I'm most interested in their reactions to Caroline, and if they let her grow asa character, hecause| 1 folks (usually sel-idencified parents of high schoolers) were really frustrated with her behavior and her and her attitude could ell in some talkbacks afterwards that ‘empathetic to her So I'm very interested skness they were not vet in what audiences come away feling for her, and how they see all the changes that Anthony inspires in her. Anthony ‘everybody likes, he’ such a great guy. When you seeit,and the audience is clapping at the end, lappi T think alot of them will be eying, oF trying nor to. I hope they're clapping for a real surprise, which doesn’t often hhappen— TV is okay ati, a making us go, “Oh my God, 1 can't believe they did tha,” but nota lot of theatre does that, really; there not a lor of “What? No!” T hope thar that's what they'll be clapping for—some kind of universal goodness. Not that life is easy or that ie fair, hut that thet is some balance toi, ‘That’ kind of why wrote the play Margaret Edson is a playwright living in Atlante Her play, Wit, won the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for Dram: ‘The cast was Thaddeus Fitzpartck Anthony) ané Rachael Tce (Caroline). The Phoenix Theatre production wae directed by Martha Jacobs, Scene design was ‘by Jim Ream; costume design was by Penny Sornterger lighting design was by JH Martin sound design was by Tom Hore; the stage manager wes Chelsey ‘Stautfer. The cast was Eli Curry (Anthony) and Katherine Shelton (Carling). The play was aio produced at Geva Theatre Center (Mark Cuddy, artistic direct ‘Tom Parish, executive director) on Api, 2014. twas directed by Eleanos Holdriage. Scene design was by Dan Conway: costume design was by Wania Stack? Uighting ceslan was by Nancy Schetler: sound design was by Matthew W. Neilson; the stage manager wat Jenny Danes. The cast was Thaddeus Pizpartick (nthony) anc Racnae! Tie (Caroline. J and You won the prestigious 2014 Harold ané Mim SteinberglAmerian Theatre Cites Associetion New Play Award {and was a finalist forthe Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. For more information: landYouPlayumblecom. {ana You's copyright © 2014 by Lauren Gunderson. llinuities regarding rights shouldbe addtessed to Kate Navin clothe Gersh Agency 1 Madison Avenue, 334d Flot, New York, New York 10010, kravinegershmy.com, (212) 634-8169. Protessionals and amateurs are hereby warned that performances of f and You are subject too royalty Is fully protected under the copyright laws ofthe United states of America, anda all counties caveres by the iternatcna Copyright union cnclding the Dominion of Canada an the est ofthe British Commonwealth), and o all countries covered by the Pan-American Copyright Convention ang the Universal Copyright Convention. and o all countries with which the United States has reciprocal copyright relations. 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