BWW Exclusive: Chatting with THE UNBUILT CITY's Beth Dixon and Carter Hudson
By: Nicole Rosky Jul. 02, 2015
Vassar and New York Stage and Film's Powerhouse Theater is now presenting its 31st year of championing new works, with a full season of stories that take audiences from a South Sea island to center court at the US Open and beyond. Beth Dixon and Carter Hudson star in the mainstage production The Unbuilt City by Keith Bunin and directed by Tony-nominee Sean Mathias (now through July 12).
On a cold afternoon in February, Jonah knocks on the door of a townhouse in Brooklyn Heights. He's come to persuade Claudia to sell her famously secret art collection to a university archive. Instead she turns the tables and reveals to him a series of mysteries about the nature of love, legacy and the untold history of the city.
Below, Beth and Carter tell us more about the production:
Tell us a little bit about your character and how he/she fits into the story...
CH: I play Jonah, a young New Yorker sent to assess the value of a wealthy woman's art collection and to acquire one particularly valuable piece of architectural history. What we don't know is if she even has this piece in her possession and if she'll agree to sell it. Jonah is a writer, struggling to make sense of his place in the world. How can he be of use? How can he be a person of genuine value when it's hard enough just to pay the rent on time? Is he destined to be alone?
BD: It's a two character play, so each of us is half of a tale that Keith Bunin is telling through us about personal worth, how it is measured, and how it is achieved. The city in the title represents the ideal that one hopes to achieve in terms of how to live and what to live for, which Keith posits is as much for other people as for ourselves.
What has it been like working with Keith [Bunin] and Sean [Mathias]?
CH: This has been an incredibly concentrated process. Obviously it's a small cast, and we've been so lucky to have the writer with us throughout rehearsals and performance, and a director who is fiercely detail oriented. It all made for a very intimate process, which has been invaluable. These characters are deeply complicated and tracking their journeys was a delicate process. We also had a ton of fun! We worked very hard and we goofed off and enjoyed being together in the room.
BD: Both Carter and Sean are a complete joy, Carter for his professionalism and thoroughness and creativity, Sean for his exacting and exciting response to us and to the script. I have been stimulated and amused and enlightened by them both. There was a great deal of laughter during rehearsals which eased the very hard work of learning the text and interpreting it for an audience.
What's the best part of being a part of the Powerhouse experience so far?
CH: Aside from working on terrific writing, the best part of the Powerhouse experience has been the artistic community they foster. There are so many insanely talented artists coming and going week to week. Every time I turn the corner I bump into actors, directors and designers whose work I've always admired. You share houses together, go to barbecues, and get to talk shop about the all the exciting work everyone is in the middle of. It's a heady experience.
BD: I can't say that working at the Powerhouse is different from working at any other theater, really. Certainly the crew and staff are pleasant and professional. There seems to be a lack of cynicism, a real involvement from everyone which is refreshing. And it's sweet that everyone seems too young.
Photo Credit: Vassar & New York Stage and Film/ Buck Lewis
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