Don Grigware sits down with Playwright Lee Blessing and Director Nan McNamara to discuss Blessing’s new ending of A Body of Water opening February 7th!
Meet The Director of A Body of Water. We are so excited to welcome longtime Co-op member Nan McNamara to her fourth production in the role of director. She previously directed two of the three plays that comprised The Nibroc Trilogy; Boys Next Door; and the 20th Season production of The 1940’s Radio Hour
Q: What makes you excited about this project?
Nan: Working with the playwright, Lee Blessing, is a thrill. I think he is one of our greatest American playwrights. Having performed in two of his plays in the past, I am particularly excited to be able to direct one of his plays with a newly written ending that will be a world premiere. I am also excited to be working with the design team, all of whom I have admired from other productions I have been in as an actor. And of course, the cast! It excites me to see how much they bring to the table. As an actor myself, I am in awe of their talent (and that we get to hang out together during rehearsals
Q: Why should people come see this show?
Nan: First and foremost, come and experience a play by Lee Blessing. Secondly, this play in particular explores big questions about life and our purpose here on earth. But there is a lot of humor and three very compelling relationships. Come see these actors - they will take you on a real journey.
Q: What is your favorite quote from the play?
Nan: I love Wren’s statement, “If you want to know who you are, simply look.” I feel like we live in a culture right now where the reflex can sometimes be to blame others. But perhaps what we really need to do is look inside and take responsibility, to not live in fear and to be willing to experience intimacy. This play is asking us to question what’s really important. It’s a roller coaster ride of what’s real and what’s not.
Ivy Beech
as Wren
“It’s such a wild ride for all the characters while also being incredibly thought-provoking.”
Q: What is something you love about playing Wren?
IB: “I love how Wren is direct, challenging, and has a very high BS meter. She demands unwavering honesty and she’s fearless!”
Q: Why do you think people should see A Body of Water?
IB: It’s such a wild ride for all the characters while also being incredibly thought-provoking. There are major plot twists and the storytelling is non-conventional. Everyone has different insight when they come away from this play and that’s really thrilling. And the playwright has re-written the end!! So it’s a world premiere of this new ending!
Bruce Ladd as Moss
“The story poses really interesting questions involving memory and how do we know if something we believe is true, or not.”
Q: What is something you love about playing Moss?
BL: The play has some really interesting twists and turns in it, so playing the story in such a way that those twists are surprising...even shocking...when they occur is lots of fun.
Q: Why do you think people should see A Body of Water?
BL: The story poses really interesting questions involving memory and how do we know if something we believe is true, or not. Plus Lee Blessing, the playwright, has rewritten parts of the play and it has a new ending that we are doing!
Treva Tegtmeier* as Avis
“This show takes you on a riveting journey. It is quite a ride.”
Q: What is something you love about playing Avis?
TT: She has a great sense of humor and a lovely vulnerability.
Q: Why do you think people should see A Body of Water?
TT: This show takes you on a riveting journey. It is quite a ride.
A Body of water plays February 7 through march 15. Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:30pm; Additional saturday matinees 2/15 & 2/22 at 2:30pm.
*The actors appearing in this production are members of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors in the United States