Interview: Stuart Landon of THE FLICK at Open Stage Of Harrisburg

Technology and our experience of entertainment go hand-in-hand. I remember watching movies on VHS tapes, seeing actual slides in classes in school, and saving computer documents on floppy disks. The 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama, The Flick by Annie Baker, is set in a movie theatre that is one of the last that still shows 35mm films. Being born in 1980, I fall into the last year of Generation X-part of that weird gap in between Gen X and Millennials that some have called Xennial. I learned how to type on a typewriter in high school, I know how exciting it was to hear "you've got mail" and the frustration of waiting for a dial-up modem (not to mention the fact that if someone wanted to make a phone call you couldn't be on-line). Our phones had cords and you actually talked into them. And if you wanted to watch a movie at home you rented a VHS tape from Blockbuster. Many of us have experienced the transitions brought about by changes in technology. This is just one of the real-life themes that The Flick explores. This show will be performed by Open Stage Harrisburg at Midtown Cinema. Broadway World spoke with the director, Stuart Landon to learn more about this award-winning play.

BWW: Tell us a little about yourself and about Open Stage Harrisburg

Stuart: I'm the producing artistic director at Open Stage Harrisburg. I've been on staff for about 7 years. This is my first season as artistic director. Open Stage Harrisburg is in its 32nd season and strives to provide thought-provoking theatre in the Harrisburg area. For the past 5 years I have also served as the director of community engagement at Midtown Cinema.

BWW: That brings me right into the next question. The Flick will be performed at Midtown Cinema. For those who are not from the Harrisburg area, tell us about the Midtown Cinema and your decision to perform the show there.

Stuart: This production brings together lots of things I love dearly. Midtown Cinema began about 16 years ago, and a few years into its history John Tierney became interested in the organization and his development company, Lift Development LLC now owns the cinema. Midtown Cinema is known for featuring independent, foreign, nostalgic, and cult films. It's located on Reily Street and shares a building with Zeroday Brewing Co.

When I started at Midtown Cinema, we were going through the transition to digital that is talked about in The Flick. A couple years ago when this script was first published, my friend and board member Abby Tierney handed me the script, and I fell in love with it. Actually, I lost it for a few weeks, but when I picked it up, it was extremely unique in its structure and content. It is very much a slow-brew or slow-burn piece. And that made it so intriguing. Especially since having worked at the cinema as a manager, we saw first-hand the digital conversion that weighs on the employees of The Flick so heavily.

I jokingly said something about doing the show as environmental theatre. Then I realized how well that might work out. The theatre seating is about the same as at Open Stage, and when I started looking at the possibility I became even more excited to do it at the cinema. The actors will be in and amongst the audience. It is not interactive, but it will be thoroughly engrossing. I think the environmental aspect will make it very interesting because there's already a sense of voyeurism in the piece, as the audience is invited to listen in on the characters' conversations. Typically it's presented as though the audience is the screen of the movie theatre; but in this production we'll be actually sitting next to the characters-the employees of the movie theatre.

BWW: As the director, how did it feel to direct a show in a non-traditional setting?

Stuart: I have a little background in interactive theatre, so it felt similar in some ways to that. It actually felt easier in this particular instance because these characters are truly sweeping and talking throughout the show. So, when we got into the cinema for the first time it felt completely natural.

BWW: What challenges have the cast and crew faced in performing a show in a non-traditional venue?

Stuart: There is a lot of content in this piece. The dialogue is written exactly how we talk, for instance, with lots of "likes". It's a brilliant piece of theatre so we want to make sure we're saying everything just the way it was written. Since moving into the cinema, the actors have really been able to finesse their performance. One of the big challenges with the venue is how to move from scene to scene because there is a passage of time from scene to scene. Since it doesn't take place all in one day, we have to figure out how to get from scene to scene, which is challenging when the "stage" is in the midst of the audience watching the show. We have a dedicated and talented crew to make it happen.

BWW: Something that seems to be a point of contention about the play itself has to do with the pacing and length, as it is rather long for a play. In your opinion how does the structure of the play and the pacing of the dialog lend to its authenticity?

Stuart: I personally think it flies by. There are a lot of words and a lot of pauses written into the script; there is a lot of activity too though. The best thing about the play is how realistic and naturalistic it is. That we are lucky enough to witness the journey of these individuals who work at The Flick. The actors and production team the honor and responsibility to show truth. Annie Baker, the playwright, has a story to tell, and the payoff is very much worth it. In answer to those who say "Oh my gosh, it's so long", it doesn't feel long, and it's a privilege to go on this journey with the characters, even as the journey has tense and awkward moments. It's really an exploration of humanity, not an escape from it.

BWW: Would you say that the phrase "life is made up of ordinary moments" could be used to describe what the show is about?

Stuart: I would say yes to a point. But I think that the reason why anyone writes a play is because the day that the play take place is different from any other day in the lives of those characters. So we're looking at what is extraordinary in an ordinary day or we're witnessing an ordinary activity that explodes in some way. There is tension and dramatic action...these characters need to be heard, they make mistakes they're not always listening to each other. Life is made up of ordinary moments until it becomes extraordinary. I would say it's about human moments but not ordinary.

BWW: How do you hope audiences will be impacted by this show?

Stuart: I hope that they get to go catch a drink afterward and spend time chatting with their family and friends about what the play means for them. I hope that it puts them in a place where discussion is created. There's a lot to chew on and digest. It might not happen that night, maybe it'll happen later in the week or month or year. I hope it sticks with the audience because there are a lot of great questions it explores and questions that it leaves unanswered.

BWW: In your opinion, how have changes in technology impacted the performing arts? Has it presented live theatre with unique challenges? How about opportunities?

Stuart: We see a lot of pieces of theatre exploring social media and other technology, like Dear Evan Hansen that has themes about social media use. But when it comes to how it has impacted the industry or form, I would say the challenge is being able to break through because there's so much content out there when it comes to entertainment. However, I have found that once we break through to an individual, once we break through the chatter and people get to sit down in a theatre and experience the magic that is there, then they realize that it's something they can't get through a screen. You can't get the experience when you sit and watch Netflix.

People today spend so much time in front of screens, just watching, that we find many people now are looking for experiences-interactive experiences they can have with their families. Theatre has this energy that the performers have between one another and between themselves and the audience that is palpable and exciting. I haven't necessarily seen an issue with people saying they'd rather stay at home and watch something on a screen rather than come to a live show (I have, however, heard that conversation in movie theatres. It is definitely a challenge for cinema). I also think we have to make sure that we're prepared to provide those experiences people are thirsting for and that we need to choose to make it accessible to everyone, no matter how much money they make or their age or anything else.

BWW: If you could bring an older technology or older form of entertainment back into fashion, what would it be and why?

Stuart: I wouldn't necessarily want to bring this back, but I have a great love and nostalgia for my time walking around Blockbuster and other video stores like Aardvark Video that was the video store in my hometown when I was growing up. When it comes to bringing back an older form of entertainment, I would love to see vaudeville make a comeback.

BWW: Why should people come see this show?

Stuart: I think that it's going to be different than any other play that they will have a chance to see. Mostly because of the environmental theatre experience. This may be unlike any theatrical experience they will ever have. When they want to have an experience, this will give it to them. They will be surrounded by it and engrossed in it.

Tickets are going fast, so you won't want to miss your chance to see The Flick presented by Open Stage Harrisburg at Midtown Cinema. Visit www.openstagehbg.com for tickets. The show will run on Sunday evenings March 25-April 22.

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