BWW Blog: John Strasberg's ADAMS' APPLES

Adams' Apples is a John Strasberg talent trifecta. He wrote, directed and starred in this contemporary homage to Anton Chekov's The Cherry Orchard. In our recent interview, Strasberg explains that like Chekov's dramatis personae of 100 years ago, the modern day characters we meet in his film "never did anything about doing what they dreamed of doing".

The Adams clan is being forced by a combination of financial folly and economic downturn to auction off the family's beloved apple orchard. In the days leading up to the auction they reunite with each other and past acquaintances. They relive memories, revive old conflicts, wax philosophic, reflect on roads not taken, loves forsaken. "They're very alive, but they're not doing anything. They're very alive but yet they're not. Why is that something that touches us so deeply?"

For this, his first film auteur project, Strasberg served as writer, director, producer and key cast member. It is an impressive debut, having garnered several well deserved Oniros Film Awards (monthly edition) for Best First Time Director (John Strasberg), Best Editing (Cheryl Grant & Bryce Earhart), and Grand Jury Award for Best Screenplay (John Strasberg).

Adams' Apples was originally written as a play, penned entirely by the hand of John Strasberg. The play first premiered Off-Broadway in 2011, a time when the country was deep in recessionary doldrums, so it did not draw the audience or critical attention during its 16-day run that Strasberg had hoped for. The entire experience taught him that the small live theatre production process is a crazy cash burner.

That lightbulb moment and his passion to share the story led him to the idea to convert his play to a screenplay. The film was shot in 8 days...on a budget of $11,000 bankrolled by generous friends and some kind strangers. Post-production was akin to a cinematic barn raising; uber-talented editors Cheryl Grant and Bryce Earhart pitched in and tag-teamed to get the "final cut in the can".

The film was shot in location in Massachusetts and also in its entirety on a black box stage at Strasberg's Accidental Repertoire Theatre in NYC. (For any readers who are wondering: Is John Strasberg is related to The Actors Studio Strasbergs, the answer is: Yes. He is the son of legends Lee Strasberg and Paula Strasberg and brother of the late Susan Strasberg.)

Strasberg's creative DNA shines in how the film's scenes glide eloquently between the dynamic color and movement of the Massachusetts homestead and the quiet intimacy of the blackbox stage. This novel and unorthodox concept earned the film "best experimental feature" of Chicago Indie Film Awards and, more recently, the winner in the "feature film" category at the prestigious 2021 New Media Film Festival.

A tip of the hat to you, John Strasberg. While the characters you created tragically fritter away daylight "not doing what they dreamed of doing", by becoming a first-time film director in the ninth decade of life you have demonstrated in spades that it is never too late to chase your dreams.... I'm excited to see what you do next!

Adams' Apples is available to view on Broadway On Demand here. In this writer's opinion, however, it rightly belongs in Netflix or Amazon Prime, where an audience will quickly discover and spread the word about this groundbreaking work. (If anyone reading this is in a position to make that happen, do it!)

Keep up with news on Adams' Apples on their Instagram page, @adamsapplesthemovie.