Interview: Playwright Robert Cooperman of AN UMBRELLA ON A RAINY, RAINY DAY

In her book, BURNT OFFERING, author Laurell K. Hamilton writes, “Never trust people who smile constantly. They're either selling something or not very bright.”

Playwright Robert Cooperman, whose work AN UMBRELLA ON A RAINY, RAINY DAY will make its debuting run 7 p.m. Aug. 21-23 at the Abbey Theater of Dublin (5600 Post Road in Dublin), explores why society tends to regard seemingly content people with distrust and suspicion.

“I couldn't remember any particular thing that inspired me,” Cooperman said. “I just wanted to write a piece about the mistrust of happiness.

“In the arts we all seem to be so miserable. I wanted to put something together that shows us that misery is one response, but contentment and happiness is yet another response.

“Society seems to mistrust people who are content or firm in their beliefs. This piece touches on all different segments of society, from religion to education to the government and how they all feel if somebody is happy, content, laughs and smiles, there must be something wrong (with them).”

In this Niko Carter-directed play, Mother (played by Julia Cannell) and Father (Nathan Haley) welcome a third child (Jack Van Winkle) to their brood of Sister (Cindy Tran Nguyen) and Brother (Euan Baker). The new addition seems to be constantly smiling and impervious to pain and that raises the suspicions of the world around him.

The parents then try to seek out the reasons behind this abnormal behavior from his teacher and the clergy (all played by Caleb Baker) and his doctor and a government official (collectively performed by Reina Watson).

“That this baby smiles, laughs, and is impervious to pain troubles everybody,” said Cooperman, who spent nearly a year constructing this show. “Mother seems to be protective of the child and asks, ‘Why is this a bad thing?’ But Father says, ‘We need to talk to the experts.’

“They take advice from all these people who believe there might be something wrong with their son and get contradictory diagnoses. Soon the child finds it less and less easy to be content in a world that doesn't trust those who are like him.”

This negative world view led Cooperman to start the nonprofit organization Stage Right Productions, Inc. Too many shows out there present the world in a negative light, according to the playwright, so he wanted to present audiences with something different.

“I was getting a little tired of seeing the same point of view presented in shows, no matter where I went,” said Cooperman, who has written 10 short act and full production plays. “I thought Columbus is an area with a thriving theater community and we have a lot of diverse voices. Why not have the voice of the more traditionally minded person be portrayed?

“People were resistant at first, but some people like (Abbey Theater president) Joe Bishara, were supportive. I just felt there's room at the table for all of us.”

Although he has produced some of his own plays, Cooperman felt the need to step away from this work.

Bishara recommended Carter to Cooperman, who had worked with the director on other pieces he has done at the Abbey.

Cooperman, who played George Steinbrenner in the Abbey’s production of Irish playwright Sean Cooney’s A YANKEE GOES HOME and had a minor role in the Abbey’s presentation of OUR TOWN last winter, said it is more difficult to watch one of his own works be performed than to direct or act in someone else’s work.

“Everybody thinks I'm crazy … but I think it's self-serving (to direct your own work),” he said. “I like it better when someone else does my stuff.

“With acting, even if I forget my lines, I feel that I have some control in that. We can work around (my mistake). as any actor would.

“The feeling of the show being out of my hands is the most difficult. I feel like I am a passenger on a plane and I'm afraid of flying. I have no control over what happens.”

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