Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
The latest from Second Stage is Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins' new play appropriate, directed by Lila Neuebauer
and we're here on opening night at the Yard House to celebrate with the Stari Company
led by Sarah Paulson, Corey Stahl, El Fanning, and Michael Esper. Welcome home to Broadway
How does it feel? It feels great and also wild, but wonderful
We just did nine shows in a row. with our opening night being the end of our week
And now we have tomorrow off, and then we go back and get to keep doing it
which is what's so wonderful about doing a play. And sharing the stage with this remarkable group of actors
what that's meant to you, Sarah? I just love being... I love, the thing I love more than anything about doing a play
is the feeling of community that you have with your fellow actors on stage. There is nothing like it
The last time I was on Broadway, and the last time I did a play in New York, it was a two-hander, two in a row
I did collective stories and Talley's Folly, And it was just me and another actor
And as wonderful as that was, this is really special to be with a group of people and have a big fat cast
And it feels really, really special. Oh, my God. It's so exciting
It's like opening night tonight. The energy was like completely coursing through my veins I mean even when we had our first preview because that still on Broadway you know Like that I just I was quite nervous for that
But I'm having just the most amazing time. I'm like, I love it
I'm addicted. When you first read it, what made you say, yes, I have to do this
You know, I think it was even just from the stage directions. You know, Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins writes such poetic
intriguing, compelling, contradictory prose, you know, this sense that there's just really this
world that is really thought through and complex and full of humor and sorrow, even just from
the first page. It was really, it was a no-brainer. Well, I mean, I already, I wanted to do it
I thought I'd want to do it immediately just because I love Brennan's writing so much
before, even before I knew the play. Yeah. And I think Lila is so extraordinary
and that Sarah is so extraordinary. I mean, just one of the best all time, I think
And then I read it, and I found it so, so frightening
and so beautiful and I think he really doing something extraordinary You know it a real like it a real dance that he doing with the writing between what dangerous and what hilarious and what heartbreaking
And, you know, I just admire it so much. To me, it's all about collaboration
And this is truly one of the most beautiful groups of collaborators I've ever worked with
Lila, Brandon, the actors, the crew. I mean, it's a murderer's role of talent and hearts and brains
Okay, so you were in the room with all these people. I mean, look who you're playing with on this stage
Were they big pinch me moments for you? Like, oh, my gosh, I'm in the room with these people? Every day, even now, opening night
I was like, how did I get here? How is this happening? Because they're just so, so incredible, so good at what they do
So I feel so lucky to get to be in the Arborosa space, to be on stage with them to hopefully just soak up all of their knowledge
I mean, I think my biggest pinch, or maybe it's just the most recent, was tonight because there's this incredible excitement before the show
And like the only thing that'll sort of soothe it is the eye contact of the team that we've built
I feel really really lucky to work with the people that I working with And that I mean to me that what it all about those connections you know What made it so special I think it one of the best American plays of the last 25 years and I working with a first company of actors who are um there it it all the people
I dreamed of doing it with you know I saw the very first production of this play it's
world premiere at the Humana Festival of New American plays in 2013 and I was totally
floored by it like like gobsmacked and that the opportunity to direct it would come
around nearly a decade later is just overwhelmingly wonderful. Well, Lila Norga Bauer is a dear friend, an old friend
I mean, I feel like we literally kind of came up together. So there's a kind of deeper surrealness to the fact that we've gone on this journey
together and we're here right now. It's been very moving in that way. And this, I mean, I could not have asked for a better cast of actors to do this play
right now. Like, we're talking about someone from like Elle Fanning who, this is her first time she's
ever been on stage, which is insane to me, you know? And then we have these incredible vets like Corey Stoll and Michael Esper and, and Sarah Paulson
Yeah, then one name I forget is Sarah Paulson. But, you know, it's been such a like, you know, I realize as a writer, that's what I love the most
I love rehearsals. That's like my happy place. And seeing these amazing artists kind of build these characters on their own terms
It was just like so cool. It was so cool to watch. And I'm just so honored by the gift they had given me of their talent