UTILITY: A Play Directed by Georgette Verdin

Amber is doing everything she can to keep her head above water, but no matter how hard she tries it never seems to be enough. Money is tight, her marriage is in turmoil, and she’s juggling two jobs just to make ends meet. As she struggles to plan her eight-year-old daughter’s birthday party, Amber must stay strong as she feels increasingly invisible in her own life. Meticulous and heartbreaking, Utility offers an empathic glimpse into America’s’ working poor. Winner of the 2016 Yale Drama Series Prize.

Episode Transcript

Cesar G. (00:00):
ViaStage interviews artists producing the most
thought provoking work on stage.
Today we're talking about theplay UTILITY, which can be seen
at Rivendelle Theatre in Chicagothrough May 4th.
In the play UTILITY, Amber isdoing everything she can to keep
her head above water.
But no matter how hard shetries, it never seems to be

(00:21):
enough.
Money is tight.
Her marriage is in turmoil andshe's juggling two jobs just to
make ends meet.
As she struggles to plan hereight year old daughter's
birthday party, Amber must staystrong as she feels increasingly
invisible in her own life.
What does the play UTILITY haveto do with the world we live in

(00:41):
today?
Let's ask director GeorgetteVerdin.
Could you share with us someways that you think UTILITY is
topical and today'ssociopolitical climate?

Georgette V. (00:54):
You know, what I love is that UTILITY, it's not a
play about being poor, butobviously economic hardship is,
is a container that the playlives in.
Um, and uh, you know, uh, theplay is actually about Amber
grappling with this lost senseof self.
Um, and I think what the playdoes really beautifully, uh, is

(01:17):
remind us of our shared humanitydespite circumstantial
differences, which I think isreally poignant for right now
given the sort of divisivenessin our country, uh, in the ways
in which we all feel so divided.
So I think it's important to, todo art that reminds us that we
make progress when weacknowledge that we're far more

(01:40):
similar than we are different.
Uh, and I think that UTILITYreally does that.

Cesar G. (01:47):
In terms of how people can be more empathetic, is that
just kind of a, a sentiment thataudiences can walk away with or
do you think action can betaken?

Georgette V. (01:59):
Yeah.
No, I do, I do think that actioncan be taken.
And I think it's, I think it'sremembering to stay open to
people and to be curious aboutpeople who are different than
us.
Right?
That we, you know, one puttingourselves in places, even if it
just starts at the theater, youknow, where we're, we might be
seeing a story of someone whois, who is living a different

(02:23):
lifestyle than we are.
Um, but I think it's importantthat we seek out opportunities,
um, to, uh, to be around peoplewho, who are different from us
and that we get that we getcurious about them and that we,
that we learned about them causethey can, I think that all comes
back to that notion that, youknow, if you do that, you're

(02:45):
going to recognize what thesimilarities are, you know, and
if those are going to beundeniable.
Um, and so I think, I thinkthat's really important that,
that we don't just sort of say,oh, you know, that was, that was
a nice play.
You know, what that we allow itto be a reminder that, um, you

(03:05):
know, that we do have aresponsibility.
We have a responsibility to makeconnections, um, and sort of
bridge gaps where we can, um,and, and try and put ourselves,
put ourselves in other types ofexperiences.
Um, so that, that's what I wouldhope.
That's what I would hope foraudiences is that they, you

(03:25):
know, and I think it, I thinkit's very, you know, um, I think
there will be people who seethis play and think that these
characters might be Trumpsupporters.
Um, which I think is, you know,it's interesting, um, I
personally, um, I think thatthese characters are, um,

(03:48):
probably not voters at all.
Um, but, but I think, but Ithink that that, um, regardless,
I think it's important that we,we need to be reaching out to
marginalized communities acrossall cultures, um, and, uh,
socioeconomic backgrounds.
Because, um, that's how we makeprogress, you know, and we

(04:10):
don't, we don't make progress bycontinuing to, uh, let the
divide happen, you know?
So that was part of why, youknow, I think there were people
who, you know, I think it's sortof questioned why UTILITY, why a
family in East Texas, why isthat relevant?
You know, stories, we can, wecan talk about.

(04:34):
And I think it's just, you know,to me, um, at some point we, you
know, even though I don't thinkthese characters are, you know,
voted for Trump necessarily, butI think we do have, we have to
get curious about who are thepeople that did, you know, and
you know, and why, and what aretheir stories and I know that
that is really hard, um, for,for those of us on the, on the

(04:58):
far left right now.
Um, but I think it's the onlyway forward, honestly.

Cesar G. (05:05):
Yeah.
So perhaps just being able tojudge less and be curious more?

Georgette V. (05:13):
Yeah.
I think that curiosity is ahuge, a huge bit of it, you
know, um, to stay open and, andallowing ourselves to, to not
necessarily think that we haveit all figured out, or to kid
ourselves into thinking thatwe're having a conversation with
the other side when we'reactually not, you know, I think

(05:33):
that's really important as well.
Um, because many a times where,you know, we think we're having
conversations and actually we'vejust not left the comfort of our
own zone, you know?
Um, so--

Cesar G. (05:46):
Do you think, Amber, do you think she just would
really like people to, tounderstand what she's going
through?

Georgette V. (05:54):
I do.
I think, I think Amber does notfeel seen by the people in the
play.
Um, I think that she reallystruggles because I don't think
that she feels seen.
And I think that's, um, but I,but you know, similarly, I think
that there are other charactersin the play as well who also
don't feel seen.

(06:14):
So I think it's, you know, aquestion that I've been asking
myself and that we've beentalking a lot at rehearsal is
like what makes us feel seen,you know, as, as people.
Um, and, uh, and I think that'sa really important question.
And I think that, I think thatwhat Amber comes to learn at

(06:34):
some point is that, um, is thatalso maybe she's looking for a
very specific thing and thatmaybe people are seeing her, but
then not necessarily seeing herin the way that she would prefer
them to see her.
You know, it's, you know what Imean?
Yeah.
That's that there's this senseof, um, maybe you know, that we

(06:58):
tell ourselves stories aboutpeople in the way that they
respond to us.
And we're not always right aboutthose stories that we have of,
of other people.

Cesar G. (07:08):
Can you share with us what age group she's in?

Georgette V. (07:10):
Yeah.
So, um, Amber is uh 31.
Yes.
Yeah so she's 31, um, you know,fairly, fairly young, but she's
got three kids, you know, uh,two jobs, you know, and, and,
and you can just tell like,throughout the play, you can

(07:31):
tell, you can tell.
I mean, she's got an incredibleamount of inner strength, um,
and, and sort of resolve, but,but also she's tired.
You know, I think she's really,really tired and she's having to
sort of tap into these likeinner reserves to be able to
sort of, um, you know, do whatshe needs to do.

(07:53):
Um, so that's, that's a bit ofthe, of the, the journey as well
as just, you know, sort ofwatching, you know, we get the
place takes place over a fewdays.
So, uh, we, one of the, anotherreally lovely thinking about the
writing is that, um, you know,we really get to sit and see

(08:14):
what a day in this life is like,so we'll have, you know, um, one
day develop over several scenes,you know, and, and, and that
really makes it feel very livedin, and we can really feel like
the, the length of these daysfor someone like Amber, um, and

(08:35):
just how much it takes out ofher, you know.

Cesar G. (08:39):
But would you say that Amber was once upon a time, much
happier?

Georgette V. (08:46):
Yeah.
I mean, I think she thinks so.
I mean, I think that, um, youknow, she's very quick-witted
and she's got a great sense of,and I think that, um, I think
that she feels like she's lostsome of her, um, you know, her,
her firiness.
Um, and I think, I think it'sclear to the, I think it's clear

(09:09):
that it's still there, it's justsort of caked over a little bit
with exhaustion.
Um, but, um, but yeah, I think,you know, I think that that is
definitely, uh, that she's she'sfeeling like, who am I, you
know, that she's feeling a bitof a stranger to herself, you

(09:30):
know, and that this isn'tnecessarily the life that she
thought she would be leading.
Um, and uh, you know, so yeah.

Cesar G. (09:41):
Yeah.
Well that in itself is somethingthat I think the majority of
Americans can relate to to someextent.

Georgette V. (09:48):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Things don't go as you, youknow, when, when you're young
and you're, you know, you havedreams and you have all of these
aspirations and then life startsto happen and you kind of
wonder, how did I get here?
You know?

Cesar G. (10:07):
But at the same time, she's only 31, so she has plenty
of life to live--

Georgette V. (10:12):
For sure.
And I think that this is, um, Ithink it is a hopeful play.
I think there's a lot of hope inthe play, and even though we
don't see any massive, um, youknow, grand scale changes, um, I
think that we start to see thebeginnings of some shifts that

(10:34):
might lead to something down theline.

Cesar G. (10:38):
This is Cesar Gonzales podcasting for ViaStage.
Visit ViaStage.com to see locallistings of live shows posted by
artists, producers, and venuesin your area.