Well, it's that time of year again and we get treated to some great new theatre at the 2009 FringeNYC. A very exciting event this year will be the return of award winning playwright Andrew Unterberg with a new and exciting piece of theatre.
In The Crow Mill, a young scientist, guided by his wife, tries to reconstruct memories of his abusive childhood. His mother, now crippled with Alzheimer's disease, holds the key to solving these unanswered questions, though with her memory slipping away, so are his chances at gaining closure. With silent protestors surrounding their yard and a mother's vision of crows circling overhead, the family bunkers inside a home where reality is a risk and sanity a reward. The show features an amazing cast which includes Geraldine Librandi (The Sopranos), Quentine Mare and Margot White (The Farnsworth Invention).
Being Jewish truly informs Unterberg's writing. He was the recipient of the Best of Fringe Award for his play "The Infliction of Cruelty" which ran at the Festival in 2006. During the day, he is a lawyer during the day and by night, a writer. It's an interesting story about passion, following your heart, and perseverance. Andrew is a new father as well. So I asked Unterberg about his latest endeavor and life after the 2006 Festival.
TJ: Where did you come up with the idea for this show?
UNTERBERG: In The Crow Mill, a scientist, guided by his wife, tries to remember his abusive childhood while his mother, who has Alzheimer's, loses her memories and the secrets of their past. In part, the idea came from watching my grandmother try to cope with Alzheimer Disease. It left a profound impact on me and I began to think about how memories truly define our lives. And then I twisted it. I also saw first hand how we all (especially my grandmother) had to take advantage of every moment of laughter and there is a lot of humor in this play.
TJ: Tell me a little bit about the cast for the show?
UNTERBERG: Absolutely incredible! Geraldine Librandi (The Sopranos), Quentin Mare (Rock 'n Roll) and Margo White (The Farnsworth Invention) completely inhabit these characters and they bring such an energy to this play. I was both blown away and humbled when they accepted their roles. The Crow Mill performs are at The Cherry Pit and it is an intimate 90 seat theater. With the way Eli Gonda (our director), who has that uncanny ability to bring out the best in everyone, is directing them, when these three actors get going they are going to yank the audience right in and you're going to feel like you're in the room with them.
TJ: What does it feel like to be back at the Fringe?
UNTERBERG: I think I was more excited this time than last (if that is possible) because I knew first hand from experience how amazing this festival is. FringeNYC has such a contagious spirit. Elena Holy and her team have done a tremendous job creating an environment filled with artistic camaraderie and they have carried that feeling throughout every year as this festival continues to grow. I think the NY Fringe is now the biggest Arts Festival in the country which is exciting.
TJ: Having received the Over Excellence Award in 2006 for The Infliction of Cruelty, do you feel this puts you under a little more pressure this year due to expectations?
UNTERBERG: There is always a deep desire to constantly improve, constantly challenge my style of writing and my of-the-moment notions. But when I'm starting a new work I have to put any accolades out of my mind because the award was for that work and this new work needs to stand on its own. When I am working on a play I'm immersed in that world and those characters and that there's not a lot of room to think about anything else.
TJ: Did you always know that you wanted to write plays?
UNTERBERG: I wish I did so I could have started right away. I always knew I wanted to write but I didn't come into the playwriting process until after I finished school. But once I began I knew immediately that this was what I wanted to write.
TJ: What's up next for you?
UNTERBERG: I'm at work on my next play. It is inspired by a small town in Texas that just looks and feels like it's from a different time (and not necessarily in a good way). I grew up in Texas and when we drove past the houses in that town, I was always curious about the lives of the people behind those front doors. I'm letting my imagination answer that question.
