Two of the original founders of New York City's famed Circle Repertory
Company are being honored by The College of Fine Arts at
Arizona State University throughout the spring. ASU faculty
member and four-time Tony® Award-winning director Marshall
W. Mason and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford
Wilson are continuing their three decade-long collaboration
on Mr. Wilson's latest play, as yet untitled, culminating with
a staged reading this May, and a possible world premiere of the
play at ASU in December. ASU's Theatre Department is also celebrating
this continuing collaboration by mounting two other of Mr. Wilson's
great works during the spring semester, Lemon Sky and Balm
in Gilead.
While many have thought that Mr. Mason's collaboration with Mr.
Wilson had slowed down or stopped completely, the opposite has
been true. Thanks to technology, the long-time collaborators have
been conversing and working on drafts of scripts together via
fax and email. "The only thing that's lost is the immediacy."
says Mr. Wilson, though Mr. Mason concedes "This way of working
is harder, especially for Lanford, since there are points in the
process where he really needs to hear the words read aloud."
Mr. Wilson does admit his process has changed over the last few
years, as he's moved away from writing for a repertory. "I'm
not writing for specific actors and their individual strengths
like I used to."
Mr. Wilson's current work-in-progress, variously code-named by
playwright and director Los Alamos and This Is The Hour
in their email exchanges, is set in Los Alamos, NM on the eve
of the test of the atomic bomb. It concerns the making of the
bomb, and centers on five friends: 3 scientists, a wife, and her
Native American boyfriend. "But," Mr. Wilson is quick
to point out, "it not just about the bomb. It's more about
friendship and its responsibilities."
While there are some who may wish to draw parallels between this
play and Wilson's play, Angel's Fall, which is also set
in New Mexico and deals with atomic energy, Mr. Mason believes
this is only true of themes, but emotionally, it is more reminiscent
of other of his works. "It isn't as serious and heavy. The
tone is upbeat, more like Fifth of July." says Mr.
Mason.
Mr. Mason cast the show by the third week in March, even before
the second act was completed. The auditions were videotaped, and
"over-nighted" to Mr. Wilson for his input and approval.
It is still undecided whether the cast that works on the staged
reading will also be used for the full production this winter.
"It will all depend on schedules and how they fit."
says Mr. Mason. Mr. Wilson will join the rehearsal process in
person when he comes to Tempe for three weeks in April. The series
of four staged readings, which will involve some directed movement
and lighting, but no sets, are scheduled for April 29th through
May 2nd in the Lyceum Theatre on the ASU campus.