Previews: THE FIGS at American Stage

Now through August 4, American Stage brings the world premiere of The Figs, a captivating new play by Doug Robinson, to life. This production promises to be a unique theatrical experience, blending traditional storytelling with the enchanting use of puppets.

Helen R. Murray, the Producing Artistic Director, shared her excitement about directing this innovative play. "The first moment we began to work with the puppets and imbue them with life was really wondrous. To watch the cast so quickly start to treat these puppets like they are part of the ensemble... it was very endearing," she said. This sentiment captures the magical essence of the production, where inanimate objects come to life through the skillful collaboration of the puppeteer, director, and puppet maker.

Doug Robinson's inspiration for writing The Figs stemmed from a desire to explore playfulness in theatre. "Folktales are such wonderful and maddening things. They have their own reason and their logic, and in 2021, I wanted to write a play that uplifted the act of storytelling," he explained. This play celebrates the timeless tradition of storytelling, a theme that Murray believes will resonate with audiences. "We all grew up with stories in some way - at bedtime, or tales from our relatives, or at sleepovers or at camp. This play celebrates all those moments, and why they are so important. Stories are how we learn about our past and dream of our future. I believe that will be something all our audiences can connect with," she noted.

The journey of bringing The Figs to the stage has been a collaborative effort between Murray and Robinson. "Doug had already been through a few drafts before the show came to me. He and I worked on it at our LEV Festival, and we have continued development for the past year. He is a fun and passionate writer. It has been a lovely experience to get the script to this stage. I can't wait to see what is next for The Figs and for Doug," Murray recounted.

Robinson's writing process for The Figs began during his second year of grad school, where he collaborated with a group of actors, a dramaturg, and a director. "I think I came in on day one with 40 or so pages? And over the course of three months I come in with more and more of the play. Inspired by the offerings of the ensemble and the insight of the dramaturg and director. I don't like writing in a vacuum. I love coming in with a few messy pages and exploring on our feet what's happening in the scene," he explained.

Directing a play with puppets presents unique challenges and rewards. Murray described the process as directing a dancer, where "the slightest movement, the smallest touch between the puppet and another actor - all of it is so nuanced." This intricate collaboration between the puppeteer, director, and puppet maker transforms inanimate objects into lifelike characters that are integral to the world of the play.

The world premiere of The Figs has been exhausting and exhilarating for Murray. "A play like this asks its creative team and cast to be highly imaginative and to be excellent problem solvers. The goal is to make it feel effortless to the audience - and that takes a huge amount of work, attention to detail, and thinking far outside the box. It's so much fun and so tiring!" she exclaimed.

Murray hopes audiences will leave the debut performance with a sense of empowerment. "That they have the power to pass stories on and that stories can be used to do good in the world," she said. The actors have prepared rigorously for this unique challenge, mastering transitions with a vibrantly playful set and reconfiguring the set and costumes in split seconds. "This kind of multi-role, actor-driven space takes dexterity to craft and perform. Thank goodness we have such a gifted cast," Murray praised.

Murray described the play in three words: "Heartfelt, heartachy, and heartful!"

According to Robinson, one of the most impactful scenes in the play occurs near the end when a character steps outside the story and sees another version of their life. This moment encapsulates the play's exploration of imagination and possibility.

Putting puppets in The Figs was inspired by Robinson's desire to create loudly theatrical theatre. "Puppets demand an audience to activate their imagination. To believe like the actors onstage that what we're interacting with is another living thing with a perspective and feelings," he explained.

Seeing The Figs go from script to stage in its world premiere fills Robinson with gratitude. "There have been many closures of theatres in the last few years, and there have been even more shutterings of spaces for new play development. I can't know my play without production. I can't get it to its next draft without seeing it on its feet and learning what happens in front of an audience. So I am so full of gratitude for the company of artists who took a chance on this play," he expressed.

Robinson hopes audiences will leave the debut talking about the last time they truly activated their imagination and followed their own "what if?"

The Figs is at American Stage from now to August 4. Learn more and buy tickets at www.americanstage.org.

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