THE BIGOT Set to Inspire Audiences Long After Curtain Call

Actor Danny McWilliams wasn't insulted when "The Bigot" director Ken Wolf thought he was perfect for the title character in the upcoming drama. If anything, McWilliams calls the intense part of Jim, a racist homophobe whose is estranged from his liberal son Seth (Adam Dyminsk) and feuding with his lesbian neighbors (Gerry Glennon and Susaye Lawson) an "actor's dream."

But more importantly, he saw the potential to have audiences leave the Manhattan Repertory Theatre, where the play runs from June 8 to June 11, with a lot to think about.

"We all know somebody like him," explains McWilliams. "We all grew up with it. We are still a little of that in one way or another. "What we talk about in this play is not talked about," he adds. "My parents were from the World War II, there was no psychiatry for them... My parents weren't bigots, but they had their issues. My parents never said the N-word ever in the house. Ever. But I remember growing up if a black family moved into the neighborhood way down there, they were like, 'A black family is moving five blocks away, you know what that means.' I was (of a different generation) and was like, 'Who cares?'"

"It's stunning how newsworthy it still all is, especially after the election," said McWilliams. "It's still there! It's still there! What the hell for?"

Though Donald Trump's name doesn't come up in "The Bigot," much of the play is inspired by playwrights Gabi and Eva Mor's attempt to come to grips with the divisive political landscape before and after the 2016 presidential election. If Jim, a widower who clings to his hatred of the creeds, faiths and opinions after his wife's murder, could change...

"We thought that the story must be told, that everyone at one time or another has been exposed to bigotry, but we still remain idealistic enough to believe that even in a dire situation there can be hope," says Gabi Mor.

For Wolf, a veteran who directed 35 productions and wrote 20 plays of his own, the themes are bigger than a specific moment in time. "For me it wasn't about anything political, as a human being I'm fascinated by belief systems, and what it takes for people to change," says Wolf. "Belief systems are how people see the world - through rose color glasses or in his case brown color glasses and that's what's exciting for me. The show really shows how he changes."

Glennon saw a lot of herself in the character of Paula, particularly in the attitude of embracing cultural differences. In another eerie parallel, her daughter has a similar health condition to the one faced by Jim, a major plot point in "The Bigot. "There are so many layers there's so much going on above the surface and beneath the surface," says the Irish actress.

"It's a full meal; we're feeding the audience the appetizer, the main dish and the desert."

"I think because of our new president, it's now politically correct to speak your mind no matter what it is," said Wolf. "We've lost civility because of him. We're so polarized as people now and that's become okay. Which is mind-boggling to me. When they leave the theater, I just want them to question their own beliefs about labels."

The Bigot starts on June 8 at Manhattan Repertory Theatre - For Tickets reservations, visit http://manhattanrep.com/the-bigot-by-gabi-mor-eva-mor.

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