May 1, 2025 • 21 mins
Regret, change, and the peculiar state of limbo take center stage in our riveting conversation with the cast and director of "Savage in Limbo," part of Chino Community Theatre's Three on the Edge Festival. This John Patrick Shanley one-act transports audiences to a seedy Bronx bar circa 1984, where five characters who've known each other since grade school find their lives unexpectedly intersecting on a quiet Monday night.
Director Michelle Knight-Reinhart and her talented cast—Alex Huey (Denise Savage), Bodhi Aguirre (Tony Aronica), and Rafael Ortega (Merc)—delve into Shanley's distinctive writing style and the raw humanity of their characters. Known for works like "Doubt," "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea," and "Moonstruck," Shanley creates painfully honest dialogue that explores the human condition through the lens of working-class New York characters yearning for connection and change.
What makes this production particularly fascinating is how it balances gritty realism with moments of unexpected humor. The laughter often emerges from uncomfortable situations and self-inflicted problems as characters desperately try to change their circumstances while simultaneously resisting transformation. As one cast member notes, perhaps "limbo" isn't just a temporary state but the constant in all our lives—we're perpetually wondering if something better awaits us while remaining stuck in our patterns. The production embraces its 1980s setting with period-appropriate costumes and creates an immersive bar environment where drinks mysteriously appear without being mixed, adding an intriguing theatrical element that mirrors the reliability and steadfastness of Merc's character.
Don't miss this powerful exploration of human connection running May 9-24 as part of the Three on the Edge Festival, which also features "Breathing Corpses" and "Bending the Spoon." All three productions contain mature themes and strong language, offering audiences a thought-provoking theatrical experience. If you're buying tickets for one show, consider attending all three in repertory to experience the full range of this compelling festival.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Steps to the Stage.
A 7th Street Community Theatrepodcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hello and welcome to Steps to the Stage, the
community theatre podcast, wherewe talk to the theatre
professionals you know and love.
I'm Marlee, and today we'recovering Chino Community
Theatre's Three on the EdgeFestival, featuring Breathing
Corpses, Savage in Limbo andBending the Spoon.
Edge Festival featuringBreathing Corpses, savage in
Limbo and Bending the Spoon.
Today I have Savage in Limbocast and director with me, so if
(00:29):
everyone could just introducethemselves and say what role you
are in the show.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I'll start.
I'm Michelle Knight-Reinhart.
I am the director of Savage inLimbo.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
I'm Alex Huey and I will be playing Denise Savage.
Speaker 5 (00:42):
I'm Bodhi Aguirre and I'll be playing Tony Aronica.
I'm Rafael Ortega and I'll beplaying Denise Savage.
I'm Bodhi Aguirre and I'll beplaying Tony Aronica.
Speaker 6 (00:46):
I'm Rafael Ortega and I'll be playing Merc.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Merc, I love it.
Okay, so just starting off forour director, can you just give
a short little synopsis of theplay and what everyone's going
to see without giving too muchaway?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
To kind of steal from the back of the script.
It takes place in a seedy-ishbar in the Bronx circa 1984.
These are five people who haveknown each other kind of
peripherally, maybe a littlemore personally, a couple of
them through since grade school.
They all went to St Anthony's,they're all grew up in the same
(01:21):
Bronx neighborhood and they allkind of find themselves in this
bar on a Monday night and it'skind of dead and their lives
kind of intersect.
So that would be.
It's just that slice of life.
It's a one act.
It's a long one act Runs about80-ish, 80 to 90 minutes.
Amazing 80 to 90 minutes.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Amazing and just like starting off for our director
perspective.
What kind of drew you to theplay and why did you want to see
it on the stage?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Well, when I was in college, this play Linda one of
the characters in the play shehas this monologue that was done
all the time by women, youngwomen, in college.
It was a very popular monologueof the time in the in the 90s.
And then John Patrick Shanley Ilike his work.
He wrote Doubt, he wrote Dannyand the Deep Blue Sea, yeah, and
(02:17):
he wrote the screenplay toMoonstruck, and so I'm a fan of
his work as well.
So I was drawn to him as aplaywright and the characters
are just, and the more you talkabout it, like with most
well-written things, there's somany things that are in the
subtext there that you'repulling those threads I like to
(02:38):
call it pulling the threads ofthe material, because you know
well what does that unravel andwhat does that unravel the
material, because you know wellwhat does that unravel and what
does that unravel.
And so I think that they'vebeen doing their work and
they've been revealing a lot ofthings about the characters that
I think they've built intotheir, their characters.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Amazing.
And then, from the actorperspective, how did any of you
feel when you first read it orfirst started working with it?
Is it with this play I've beenfamiliar with?
Speaker 6 (03:01):
sorry, I've been familiar with Shanley for a bit.
I came across him through like areally it wasn't a one act, but
it was a short play calledDreamer Examines His Pillow and
yeah, he's just such a likegritty I wouldn't say that, but
(03:22):
I guess, yeah, for lack of abetter term, gritty writer, I
mean it's just that bleeds over.
That grittiness bleeds overinto all his work.
You know, and it's just so funlistening to these people and
their, their, their humor.
They're like he always kind ofwrites from the lens of someone
(03:46):
in that time, like New York.
It's such an interesting littlereflection of where he came
from and you see that.
So I mean this is just anotherinstance of that, and I mean
getting to work on Shanley.
The invitations just sort ofpopped up and I was like I have
to do one Shanley play.
(04:07):
Yeah, you know, it's yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Amazing yeah, anybody else act perspective.
Speaker 5 (04:15):
I had a lot of fun working on this play.
When I was reading lines withfriends, one of my friends was
like oh, this is a really goodcharacter.
Let's see if you can have a lotof fun with this one.
He's really just like mouthyand loud, but there's something
lovable about him.
I'm probably going off on atangent here from your original
question.
No, you're good Go ahead, but Ireally wanted to address the
(04:37):
context of the play itself.
I think a lot of it has to dowith regret.
From my perspective, I think,um, oftentimes, when I'm with
people who are younger, they'relike, oh, you can't regret
anything because you wouldn't bewhere you are today, and I'm
like, sometimes I hate where Iam.
So regret is definitely part ofof growing up, like you
definitely have to umacknowledge that it happens and
(04:59):
is part of the experience oflife.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Yeah, amazing Alex, you have any.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
The biggest thing I want to add is just in Shanley's
writing, just how honest it isand the way he delves into the
human condition as a whole isvery unique, yeah, and special.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, I love that we kind of talked about in our
conversation with BreathingCorpses like something real, but
also like dark and comedy.
So it's just been interesting,like how all these plays explore
like humanity more.
Like how does it feel becausethere is some comedy elements,
right, yes, how does it feelkind of exploring acting and
directing comedy, but also likereal things going on and there
(05:41):
is like a dark undertone.
So so like how's that been inthe process for everybody?
Speaker 5 (05:48):
I've almost broken up a couple of times during
rehearsal, like I crack a smileand it's very much like that
Saturday night live, likecracking, like character and
just like.
Okay, this is, this is funny.
But it's also like we're tryingto hold it together at some
points and it's it's interestingto see that.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Sometimes it's funny because it's not funny
Uncomfortable.
It's interesting to see thatSometimes it's funny because
it's not funny.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Exactly In that dark corner.
Uncomfortable laughter.
Speaker 6 (06:07):
Yes, like you shouldn't be laughing.
You know you do, there's a.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I think Merc has a lot of, even though it's not
intentional.
But he has a lot of the comicrelief because his character is
so straightforward all the time.
He doesn't say things to befunny but as you view them as
the audience, they're prettyfunny.
And you think, is that really?
(06:37):
I never thought of it that way.
He has a really good line aboutpeople wonder why it's
happening.
They do something and theywonder why it's happening.
It's happening because they'redoing it.
So you know that whole, likeshe said, human condition of
like, well, why is thishappening to me?
You know, like the guy who hasthe same thing for lunch every
(06:58):
day and he complains and he sayswho packs your lunch?
And he says I do.
So you know things happenbecause you do them to yourself.
And Denise Savage, the savagewho is in limbo and, uh, she,
you know they people give herchoices at one point in the play
and she doesn't want them, eventhough she wants to change.
(07:20):
She wants change.
That's a huge thing that shewants, but she doesn't want to
do anything to change excepttalk about it Sort of.
Speaker 6 (07:30):
Yeah, if I could interject.
I think that's also kind of whythe humor pops up is because so
many of the decisions thatthese characters make they're
kind of self-wrought.
Like you were saying that theplay deals a lot with regret, it
deals with regret in the sensethat these people are so fed up
(07:51):
with their lives, they're fed upwith where they're at Maybe not
all the characters but, likeI'm going to say, 90% of
characters.
That's not a way to what do youcall it?
Yeah, but most of thecharacters deal with regret in
that sense and it's funny whatthey do in order to try to
(08:12):
ameliorate the regret, or likewhere they take off from, like
how they, how they proceed fromthat point of regret.
That's what's so funny.
It's like what, what?
That's what you're going to donext.
You know it's yeah, like there'sand there's so many instances
where these people are trying tomull over their decisions in in
the course of the play withthis audience of people in this
(08:35):
bar, and that's hilarious.
That's a hilarious thing to seepeople trying to change their
lives in front of people in abar of all settings yeah, yeah
just where most people wouldprobably try to change their
lives.
It's true, but it's yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yeah, I think I was talking about the play and the
themes with someone today, as amatter of fact, and she was
saying well, isn't limbo kind ofthe constant?
Like, we think about limbo asbeing something, but really
aren't we all kind of always inkind of a limbo, about limbo as
(09:11):
being something?
But really aren't we all kindof always in kind of a limbo?
You know, even if we have aroutine or whatever we we're, we
always feel like there might besomething else out there.
So puts us, so it's theconstant, which I thought was a
really interesting concept oflimbo being the constant in your
life.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Yeah, that is very interesting, and then it's also
hard because I feel like so muchis act of acting is based on
like what does the characterwant, like how do we get there,
and then if all these charactersare kind of stuck, you know
like it's probably aninteresting like process.
Yeah, what's been like the bestlike have you had like a most
challenging like acting moment,just in like one setting?
(09:44):
Like you have to be witty anddark.
How's that been the process foryou guys?
You have to be witty and dark.
Speaker 5 (09:51):
How's that been the process for you guys?
Well, the most complex part ofmy character is probably just
his quick talk.
He's a very, very fast-paced,very New York-talking guy and
trying to find my beats in thosemoments and trying to find
those pauses and give him almostthat fully realized human, uh
(10:17):
quality.
You know, cause oftentimes wesee people from New York.
I'm from New York, I'moriginally from upstate New York
and it was really easy to kindof slip into that role for me,
but I think it's also in in insome in some ways, but, um, I
think what that that quick pacesort of thing could often be
like, um, a caricature, but it's, it's not like it's definitely
(10:42):
part of the, of the, of the, ofthe seam, of, of, of a lot of
these people, um, that that arefrom from that area, from New
York.
It's very, just like quick pace.
And I often tell people all thetime like I feel annoying,
living in California when I talkto my friends and stuff, cause
I'm constantly screaming andyelling and that was my dinner
table, like that was myconversation, like I had to be
(11:03):
heard by my family, so I had toconstantly scream over everyone
and talk loud and just like bethat animated person, just to
exist in my family even.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Yeah, yeah, anybody else Part of your process,
something challenging orsomething like a good moment?
I?
Speaker 4 (11:21):
think Denise has a couple of monologues, a couple
of very long monologues in theshow and both of those I found
interesting challenges, both indifferent ways, because just the
way she expresses herself,she's trying to communicate
something very deep and the wayshe goes about it is part of
(11:46):
where the humor comes from herbecause it comes across very
uniquely, because I don't wantto give too much away.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
But just finding that , where that all of that is
coming from, from her, to makeher human and not just a
caricature, like we said.
Yeah, but really finding thosehuman elements but allowing the
humor to come through, becauseshe's just a caricature, like we
said, but really finding thosehuman elements but allowing the
humor to come through becauseshe's just really trying to,
she's trying to build aconnection, she's trying to do
make, make change and, you know,move, move her life forward in
(12:21):
ways that just don't happen,because because reasons.
Because it doesn't happen.
Because it doesn't happen, yep.
Speaker 6 (12:28):
Can I also add on yeah, so many of these people,
they have so many idiosyncrasies, like they're so particular,
and you see that in New York,you see this giant diversity of
people and they're all just inthis small place and you get a
glimpse into all these very likedifferent lives, and I think
you know there's something tothat, like we, we get to work on
(12:50):
all these, we get to figure outthese particulars that are
inherent to the character, thesethese very eccentric, eclectic
mix of characters.
It's yeah, I think I'm a littlethrown out there.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
No, you just exactly yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
I think another really interesting thing for me
about the show is the differentenergies that the different
characters bring into the show.
Because it starts out and youhave just Merc and April on the
stage already they're there andthey have kind of this calm,
easygoing, just simple energy.
(13:30):
And then Denise bursts in andshe's got and she even says one
of her first lines is I've gotenergy, so she brings it up.
And then Linda comes in and shebrings a different energy
because she's got a differentenergy of she's upset.
And Denise is kind of frantic,not really upset, she's just
(13:54):
frantic because she's lookingfor something exciting, even
though it's a Monday night, youknow.
And then Tony comes on and hehas this other burst of energy
because he's had this epiphanyand he wants everyone to know
and he wants to explain, know,and he wants to explain himself
and have them understand andtell him, yes, yes, you can make
(14:16):
a change and you can do greatthings, you know.
So it's all of them kind ofmaneuvering and trying to bring
the energy up or pull the energydown.
And you have like Merc'scharacter who kind of wants
things to be.
It's his bar, he has a certainway, he likes things to be and
he wants to keep the energy hereand so having different
(14:37):
energies come in kind of throwhim off.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
You know kind of, yeah, yeah, interesting, rhythm
breaks and changes and thingsVery interesting and then also
just having it all be in a baris really interesting.
So how's like from theproduction side, like setting
costumes, is anyone doing someaccents Like, how has the
production, the design kind oflike helped you with the show?
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah, some of them are doing accents and we looked
up like and boroughs in New Yorkwe found is something
interesting because it's notnecessarily specific to a
borough, but more the ethnicmakeup or your family You're.
You know not necessarily thatborough Like.
There's not necessarily a hugedifference between a Bronx and a
(15:21):
Brooklyn and a Staten Islanddepending on if you are Italian
or Jewish or Polish or what yourethnic background is and stuff.
So there's some accents and thenthere's some as far as the
costuming, we do 80s, so likebiggish hair for the ladies.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Colorful, colorful.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Very cool.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Leather pants for Tony.
Yes, leather pants leatherpants.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
So yeah, so that should add to the, to the colors
of the character um.
And then an interesting thingabout um it being in a bar is
that, uh, I guess this.
I guess people notice thisright away, but Merck never
(16:12):
really mixes drinks.
They just kind of appearInteresting.
It's like do they just knowwho's coming in and what they're
going to order?
And then I thought about that,metaphorically I guess, or maybe
realistically how often do younotice your bartender mixing
your drink when you order it?
(16:34):
That's so true, you don't alwaysyou order it and you turn and
you are distracted, and thensuddenly it appears and you
assume they mixed it, you knowwhich you don't really know.
It's there, it's there, it'swhat I ordered.
So, yeah, I mean, sometimes youwatch and sometimes it's a
thing, it's a show thing, buthe's not a showy kind of guy, so
he would just, you know, Iimagine that he would quietly
(16:55):
mix it and then hand it to you,and so it's kind of a revealing
thing about Merck is that itjust appears because he seems
reliable, he's like solid and helikes things to be how he likes
them.
He's like solid and he likesthings to be how he likes them,
and so for him not to make a bigfuss about mixing drinks is
kind of metaphorical to Merck, Ithink.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
Reading it the first time I actually thought it was
kind of like an absurdist thing.
You know, it's just the wayit's mentioned in the script.
It's just like he doesn'tprepare drinks, they just pop up
from behind the bar, he putsthem on the thing and hearing
this take it's interestingbecause, considering the themes
(17:40):
of the play, you start to seelike there is this layer of
almost like expectation, like heknows what each person might be
ordered or what is what peoplemost likely order.
It's a it's a whole headache totry to get into why that's the
mechanic you know, but it's justone of those little interesting
(18:02):
things you know, yeah, I lovethat Kind of like.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
It's like realistic.
There's like a weird like seminot naturalist sort of thing
going on.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
It's also been interesting having to really pay
attention more than I've everexperienced before, of being
aware of where my drink sat inthe room the whole time during
the show.
Yes, very true, it's become anadditional element of the
character as well.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Yeah, wow, like different weird things part of
your process.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
you have to think about yeah, yeah, there's a.
In fact, we just were, becausethere's things that are kind of
repetitive as far as lines oractions.
So we were kind of doing it wasalmost a noises off kind of
moment where it's like no orderthe drink, leave the drink on
the bar, walk away.
Oh no, this time you have totake the drink and leave it on
(18:54):
the table.
So it's just funny, yeah,because they have to have it and
it has to be there for him touse later or whatever.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Exactly.
Well, this has been an amazingconversation, guys.
As we wrap up, can everyonelike if you were to sell the
word in one word, one word youjust give me one word, we'll go
down the line.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
You could be like oh, someone to be intrigued to
watch this play over here?
Uh, probably, uh, flabbergastedI like that word, I just like
I'm throwing out a big wordthere, the word that I probably
isn't even in the dictionary.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
No, it is, is it?
Speaker 5 (19:33):
It's a real word.
Yeah, it's a real word, okay,cool.
Speaker 6 (19:38):
I'll go hyphenated word if this is even it's
allowed Dead plant, dead plant,okay, dead plants.
I stick to my guns.
Perfect Dead plants.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Epiphanies.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Okay, yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
Connection and understanding.
Speaker 6 (20:02):
I like that.
We ended on that note.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
As opposed to dead plants.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
All right, amazing.
So what days is Savage andLimbo performing.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
We open on Friday May 9th and then we have a
performance on Sunday May 11th,so bring your mom.
Saturday May 17th we have amatinee, and then Thursday May
22nd and Saturday May 24th at7.30 pm we have shows.
So we have a total of five.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Well, amazing, it sounds amazing and interesting.
So thank you everyone forchatting with me today.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
And there's also Breathing Corpses and Bending
the Spoon that are also part ofthe festival, and all of them
have the Mature Audience Warningbecause they all contain strong
language and themes.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Yes, they should all be amazing.
All in rep with each other.
Mature audience warning,because they all contain strong
language and themes and maturethemes.
All in rep with each other, socatch all of them.
If you're going to buy ticketsfor one, buy them for all.
Yes, thank you so mucheverybody, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Thanks for listening to Steps to the Stage a 7th
Street Community Theatre podcast.
Follow us on your favoritepodcast platform and leave us a
review and a five-star rating.
It really helps.
(21:20):
You can also find us onInstagram, facebook and YouTube.
Special thanks to ChinoCommunity Theatre and Chino
Community Children's Theatre fortheir generous support and very
special thank you to thelisteners.
Logo created by Marley Lane.
Original music by Joey Riceyour host, marley Lane.
Engineer and producer Joey Rice.
Engineer and executive producerKirk Lane.
Welcome to Steps to the Stage.
A 7th Street Community Theatrepodcast.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Hello and welcome to Steps to the Stage, the
community theatre podcast, wherewe talk to the theatre
professionals you know and love.
I'm Marlee, and today we'recovering Chino Community
Theatre's Three on the EdgeFestival, featuring Breathing
Corpses, Savage in Limbo andBending the Spoon.
Edge Festival featuringBreathing Corpses, savage in
Limbo and Bending the Spoon.
Today I have Savage in Limbocast and director with me, so if
(00:29):
everyone could just introducethemselves and say what role you
are in the show.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
I'll start.
I'm Michelle Knight-Reinhart.
I am the director of Savage inLimbo.
Speaker 4 (00:38):
I'm Alex Huey and I will be playing Denise Savage.
Speaker 5 (00:42):
I'm Bodhi Aguirre and I'll be playing Tony Aronica.
I'm Rafael Ortega and I'll beplaying Denise Savage.
I'm Bodhi Aguirre and I'll beplaying Tony Aronica.
Speaker 6 (00:46):
I'm Rafael Ortega and I'll be playing Merc.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Merc, I love it.
Okay, so just starting off forour director, can you just give
a short little synopsis of theplay and what everyone's going
to see without giving too muchaway?
Speaker 3 (01:01):
To kind of steal from the back of the script.
It takes place in a seedy-ishbar in the Bronx circa 1984.
These are five people who haveknown each other kind of
peripherally, maybe a littlemore personally, a couple of
them through since grade school.
They all went to St Anthony's,they're all grew up in the same
(01:21):
Bronx neighborhood and they allkind of find themselves in this
bar on a Monday night and it'skind of dead and their lives
kind of intersect.
So that would be.
It's just that slice of life.
It's a one act.
It's a long one act Runs about80-ish, 80 to 90 minutes.
Amazing 80 to 90 minutes.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Amazing and just like starting off for our director
perspective.
What kind of drew you to theplay and why did you want to see
it on the stage?
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Well, when I was in college, this play Linda one of
the characters in the play shehas this monologue that was done
all the time by women, youngwomen, in college.
It was a very popular monologueof the time in the in the 90s.
And then John Patrick Shanley Ilike his work.
He wrote Doubt, he wrote Dannyand the Deep Blue Sea, yeah, and
(02:17):
he wrote the screenplay toMoonstruck, and so I'm a fan of
his work as well.
So I was drawn to him as aplaywright and the characters
are just, and the more you talkabout it, like with most
well-written things, there's somany things that are in the
subtext there that you'repulling those threads I like to
(02:38):
call it pulling the threads ofthe material, because you know
well what does that unravel andwhat does that unravel the
material, because you know wellwhat does that unravel and what
does that unravel.
And so I think that they'vebeen doing their work and
they've been revealing a lot ofthings about the characters that
I think they've built intotheir, their characters.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
Amazing.
And then, from the actorperspective, how did any of you
feel when you first read it orfirst started working with it?
Is it with this play I've beenfamiliar with?
Speaker 6 (03:01):
sorry, I've been familiar with Shanley for a bit.
I came across him through like areally it wasn't a one act, but
it was a short play calledDreamer Examines His Pillow and
yeah, he's just such a likegritty I wouldn't say that, but
(03:22):
I guess, yeah, for lack of abetter term, gritty writer, I
mean it's just that bleeds over.
That grittiness bleeds overinto all his work.
You know, and it's just so funlistening to these people and
their, their, their humor.
They're like he always kind ofwrites from the lens of someone
(03:46):
in that time, like New York.
It's such an interesting littlereflection of where he came
from and you see that.
So I mean this is just anotherinstance of that, and I mean
getting to work on Shanley.
The invitations just sort ofpopped up and I was like I have
to do one Shanley play.
(04:07):
Yeah, you know, it's yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
Amazing yeah, anybody else act perspective.
Speaker 5 (04:15):
I had a lot of fun working on this play.
When I was reading lines withfriends, one of my friends was
like oh, this is a really goodcharacter.
Let's see if you can have a lotof fun with this one.
He's really just like mouthyand loud, but there's something
lovable about him.
I'm probably going off on atangent here from your original
question.
No, you're good Go ahead, but Ireally wanted to address the
(04:37):
context of the play itself.
I think a lot of it has to dowith regret.
From my perspective, I think,um, oftentimes, when I'm with
people who are younger, they'relike, oh, you can't regret
anything because you wouldn't bewhere you are today, and I'm
like, sometimes I hate where Iam.
So regret is definitely part ofof growing up, like you
definitely have to umacknowledge that it happens and
(04:59):
is part of the experience oflife.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Yeah, amazing Alex, you have any.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
The biggest thing I want to add is just in Shanley's
writing, just how honest it isand the way he delves into the
human condition as a whole isvery unique, yeah, and special.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, I love that we kind of talked about in our
conversation with BreathingCorpses like something real, but
also like dark and comedy.
So it's just been interesting,like how all these plays explore
like humanity more.
Like how does it feel becausethere is some comedy elements,
right, yes, how does it feelkind of exploring acting and
directing comedy, but also likereal things going on and there
(05:41):
is like a dark undertone.
So so like how's that been inthe process for everybody?
Speaker 5 (05:48):
I've almost broken up a couple of times during
rehearsal, like I crack a smileand it's very much like that
Saturday night live, likecracking, like character and
just like.
Okay, this is, this is funny.
But it's also like we're tryingto hold it together at some
points and it's it's interestingto see that.
Speaker 4 (06:01):
Sometimes it's funny because it's not funny
Uncomfortable.
It's interesting to see thatSometimes it's funny because
it's not funny.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Exactly In that dark corner.
Uncomfortable laughter.
Speaker 6 (06:07):
Yes, like you shouldn't be laughing.
You know you do, there's a.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
I think Merc has a lot of, even though it's not
intentional.
But he has a lot of the comicrelief because his character is
so straightforward all the time.
He doesn't say things to befunny but as you view them as
the audience, they're prettyfunny.
And you think, is that really?
(06:37):
I never thought of it that way.
He has a really good line aboutpeople wonder why it's
happening.
They do something and theywonder why it's happening.
It's happening because they'redoing it.
So you know that whole, likeshe said, human condition of
like, well, why is thishappening to me?
You know, like the guy who hasthe same thing for lunch every
(06:58):
day and he complains and he sayswho packs your lunch?
And he says I do.
So you know things happenbecause you do them to yourself.
And Denise Savage, the savagewho is in limbo and, uh, she,
you know they people give herchoices at one point in the play
and she doesn't want them, eventhough she wants to change.
(07:20):
She wants change.
That's a huge thing that shewants, but she doesn't want to
do anything to change excepttalk about it Sort of.
Speaker 6 (07:30):
Yeah, if I could interject.
I think that's also kind of whythe humor pops up is because so
many of the decisions thatthese characters make they're
kind of self-wrought.
Like you were saying that theplay deals a lot with regret, it
deals with regret in the sensethat these people are so fed up
(07:51):
with their lives, they're fed upwith where they're at Maybe not
all the characters but, likeI'm going to say, 90% of
characters.
That's not a way to what do youcall it?
Yeah, but most of thecharacters deal with regret in
that sense and it's funny whatthey do in order to try to
(08:12):
ameliorate the regret, or likewhere they take off from, like
how they, how they proceed fromthat point of regret.
That's what's so funny.
It's like what, what?
That's what you're going to donext.
You know it's yeah, like there'sand there's so many instances
where these people are trying tomull over their decisions in in
the course of the play withthis audience of people in this
(08:35):
bar, and that's hilarious.
That's a hilarious thing to seepeople trying to change their
lives in front of people in abar of all settings yeah, yeah
just where most people wouldprobably try to change their
lives.
It's true, but it's yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Yeah, I think I was talking about the play and the
themes with someone today, as amatter of fact, and she was
saying well, isn't limbo kind ofthe constant?
Like, we think about limbo asbeing something, but really
aren't we all kind of always inkind of a limbo, about limbo as
(09:11):
being something?
But really aren't we all kindof always in kind of a limbo?
You know, even if we have aroutine or whatever we we're, we
always feel like there might besomething else out there.
So puts us, so it's theconstant, which I thought was a
really interesting concept oflimbo being the constant in your
life.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Yeah, that is very interesting, and then it's also
hard because I feel like so muchis act of acting is based on
like what does the characterwant, like how do we get there,
and then if all these charactersare kind of stuck, you know
like it's probably aninteresting like process.
Yeah, what's been like the bestlike have you had like a most
challenging like acting moment,just in like one setting?
(09:44):
Like you have to be witty anddark.
How's that been the process foryou guys?
You have to be witty and dark.
Speaker 5 (09:51):
How's that been the process for you guys?
Well, the most complex part ofmy character is probably just
his quick talk.
He's a very, very fast-paced,very New York-talking guy and
trying to find my beats in thosemoments and trying to find
those pauses and give him almostthat fully realized human, uh
(10:17):
quality.
You know, cause oftentimes wesee people from New York.
I'm from New York, I'moriginally from upstate New York
and it was really easy to kindof slip into that role for me,
but I think it's also in in insome in some ways, but, um, I
think what that that quick pacesort of thing could often be
like, um, a caricature, but it's, it's not like it's definitely
(10:42):
part of the, of the, of the, ofthe seam, of, of, of a lot of
these people, um, that that arefrom from that area, from New
York.
It's very, just like quick pace.
And I often tell people all thetime like I feel annoying,
living in California when I talkto my friends and stuff, cause
I'm constantly screaming andyelling and that was my dinner
table, like that was myconversation, like I had to be
(11:03):
heard by my family, so I had toconstantly scream over everyone
and talk loud and just like bethat animated person, just to
exist in my family even.
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Yeah, yeah, anybody else Part of your process,
something challenging orsomething like a good moment?
I?
Speaker 4 (11:21):
think Denise has a couple of monologues, a couple
of very long monologues in theshow and both of those I found
interesting challenges, both indifferent ways, because just the
way she expresses herself,she's trying to communicate
something very deep and the wayshe goes about it is part of
(11:46):
where the humor comes from herbecause it comes across very
uniquely, because I don't wantto give too much away.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Yes, yes.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
But just finding that , where that all of that is
coming from, from her, to makeher human and not just a
caricature, like we said.
Yeah, but really finding thosehuman elements but allowing the
humor to come through, becauseshe's just a caricature, like we
said, but really finding thosehuman elements but allowing the
humor to come through becauseshe's just really trying to,
she's trying to build aconnection, she's trying to do
make, make change and, you know,move, move her life forward in
(12:21):
ways that just don't happen,because because reasons.
Because it doesn't happen.
Because it doesn't happen, yep.
Speaker 6 (12:28):
Can I also add on yeah, so many of these people,
they have so many idiosyncrasies, like they're so particular,
and you see that in New York,you see this giant diversity of
people and they're all just inthis small place and you get a
glimpse into all these very likedifferent lives, and I think
you know there's something tothat, like we, we get to work on
(12:50):
all these, we get to figure outthese particulars that are
inherent to the character, thesethese very eccentric, eclectic
mix of characters.
It's yeah, I think I'm a littlethrown out there.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
No, you just exactly yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
I think another really interesting thing for me
about the show is the differentenergies that the different
characters bring into the show.
Because it starts out and youhave just Merc and April on the
stage already they're there andthey have kind of this calm,
easygoing, just simple energy.
(13:30):
And then Denise bursts in andshe's got and she even says one
of her first lines is I've gotenergy, so she brings it up.
And then Linda comes in and shebrings a different energy
because she's got a differentenergy of she's upset.
And Denise is kind of frantic,not really upset, she's just
(13:54):
frantic because she's lookingfor something exciting, even
though it's a Monday night, youknow.
And then Tony comes on and hehas this other burst of energy
because he's had this epiphanyand he wants everyone to know
and he wants to explain, know,and he wants to explain himself
and have them understand andtell him, yes, yes, you can make
(14:16):
a change and you can do greatthings, you know.
So it's all of them kind ofmaneuvering and trying to bring
the energy up or pull the energydown.
And you have like Merc'scharacter who kind of wants
things to be.
It's his bar, he has a certainway, he likes things to be and
he wants to keep the energy hereand so having different
(14:37):
energies come in kind of throwhim off.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
You know kind of, yeah, yeah, interesting, rhythm
breaks and changes and thingsVery interesting and then also
just having it all be in a baris really interesting.
So how's like from theproduction side, like setting
costumes, is anyone doing someaccents Like, how has the
production, the design kind oflike helped you with the show?
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Yeah, some of them are doing accents and we looked
up like and boroughs in New Yorkwe found is something
interesting because it's notnecessarily specific to a
borough, but more the ethnicmakeup or your family You're.
You know not necessarily thatborough Like.
There's not necessarily a hugedifference between a Bronx and a
(15:21):
Brooklyn and a Staten Islanddepending on if you are Italian
or Jewish or Polish or what yourethnic background is and stuff.
So there's some accents and thenthere's some as far as the
costuming, we do 80s, so likebiggish hair for the ladies.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Colorful, colorful.
Speaker 4 (15:46):
Very cool.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Leather pants for Tony.
Yes, leather pants leatherpants.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
So yeah, so that should add to the, to the colors
of the character um.
And then an interesting thingabout um it being in a bar is
that, uh, I guess this.
I guess people notice thisright away, but Merck never
(16:12):
really mixes drinks.
They just kind of appearInteresting.
It's like do they just knowwho's coming in and what they're
going to order?
And then I thought about that,metaphorically I guess, or maybe
realistically how often do younotice your bartender mixing
your drink when you order it?
(16:34):
That's so true, you don't alwaysyou order it and you turn and
you are distracted, and thensuddenly it appears and you
assume they mixed it, you knowwhich you don't really know.
It's there, it's there, it'swhat I ordered.
So, yeah, I mean, sometimes youwatch and sometimes it's a
thing, it's a show thing, buthe's not a showy kind of guy, so
he would just, you know, Iimagine that he would quietly
(16:55):
mix it and then hand it to you,and so it's kind of a revealing
thing about Merck is that itjust appears because he seems
reliable, he's like solid and helikes things to be how he likes
them.
He's like solid and he likesthings to be how he likes them,
and so for him not to make a bigfuss about mixing drinks is
kind of metaphorical to Merck, Ithink.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
Reading it the first time I actually thought it was
kind of like an absurdist thing.
You know, it's just the wayit's mentioned in the script.
It's just like he doesn'tprepare drinks, they just pop up
from behind the bar, he putsthem on the thing and hearing
this take it's interestingbecause, considering the themes
(17:40):
of the play, you start to seelike there is this layer of
almost like expectation, like heknows what each person might be
ordered or what is what peoplemost likely order.
It's a it's a whole headache totry to get into why that's the
mechanic you know, but it's justone of those little interesting
(18:02):
things you know, yeah, I lovethat Kind of like.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
It's like realistic.
There's like a weird like seminot naturalist sort of thing
going on.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
It's also been interesting having to really pay
attention more than I've everexperienced before, of being
aware of where my drink sat inthe room the whole time during
the show.
Yes, very true, it's become anadditional element of the
character as well.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Yeah, wow, like different weird things part of
your process.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
you have to think about yeah, yeah, there's a.
In fact, we just were, becausethere's things that are kind of
repetitive as far as lines oractions.
So we were kind of doing it wasalmost a noises off kind of
moment where it's like no orderthe drink, leave the drink on
the bar, walk away.
Oh no, this time you have totake the drink and leave it on
(18:54):
the table.
So it's just funny, yeah,because they have to have it and
it has to be there for him touse later or whatever.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Exactly.
Well, this has been an amazingconversation, guys.
As we wrap up, can everyonelike if you were to sell the
word in one word, one word youjust give me one word, we'll go
down the line.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
You could be like oh, someone to be intrigued to
watch this play over here?
Uh, probably, uh, flabbergastedI like that word, I just like
I'm throwing out a big wordthere, the word that I probably
isn't even in the dictionary.
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
No, it is, is it?
Speaker 5 (19:33):
It's a real word.
Yeah, it's a real word, okay,cool.
Speaker 6 (19:38):
I'll go hyphenated word if this is even it's
allowed Dead plant, dead plant,okay, dead plants.
I stick to my guns.
Perfect Dead plants.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Epiphanies.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Okay, yeah, that's good.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
Connection and understanding.
Speaker 6 (20:02):
I like that.
We ended on that note.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (20:04):
As opposed to dead plants.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
All right, amazing.
So what days is Savage andLimbo performing.
Speaker 3 (20:13):
We open on Friday May 9th and then we have a
performance on Sunday May 11th,so bring your mom.
Saturday May 17th we have amatinee, and then Thursday May
22nd and Saturday May 24th at7.30 pm we have shows.
So we have a total of five.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Well, amazing, it sounds amazing and interesting.
So thank you everyone forchatting with me today.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
And there's also Breathing Corpses and Bending
the Spoon that are also part ofthe festival, and all of them
have the Mature Audience Warningbecause they all contain strong
language and themes.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Yes, they should all be amazing.
All in rep with each other.
Mature audience warning,because they all contain strong
language and themes and maturethemes.
All in rep with each other, socatch all of them.
If you're going to buy ticketsfor one, buy them for all.
Yes, thank you so mucheverybody, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Thanks for listening to Steps to the Stage a 7th
Street Community Theatre podcast.
Follow us on your favoritepodcast platform and leave us a
review and a five-star rating.
It really helps.
(21:20):
You can also find us onInstagram, facebook and YouTube.
Special thanks to ChinoCommunity Theatre and Chino
Community Children's Theatre fortheir generous support and very
special thank you to thelisteners.
Logo created by Marley Lane.
Original music by Joey Riceyour host, marley Lane.
Engineer and producer Joey Rice.
Engineer and executive producerKirk Lane.
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