Certain plays deserve special attention.
“Next Fall,” opening Wednesday at the St. Lawrence Arts Center in Portland, is one of those shows.
Additional Photos
Presented by Good Theater, “Next Fall” tells the story of Luke and Adam and the ups and downs of their unlikely five-year relationship. Artistic director Brian Allen applied for special permission from the Actors’ Equity Association to hire a third Equity actor for this show. Usually, union rules allow him to hire only two, unless he also hires an Equity stage manager.
“I wanted a third for this show, because I believe so strongly in it,” said Allen, who directs. “They are always eager to give their members more work, and because all the actors are local, they agreed.”
In all, “Next Fall” features six local actors. Rob Cameron, Moira Driscoll and Abbie Killeen are the locally based Equity actors; the rest of the cast includes Joe Bearor, Matt Delamater and Tony Reilly.
Written by Geoffrey Nauffts, the play has been a hot commodity since opening off-Broadway in spring 2009. It moved to the Helen Hayes Theatre on Broadway in March 2010 and received lots of accolades, including two Tony Award nominations, two Drama Desk nominations and the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play. Nauffts also won the Outer Critics’ John Gassner award for playwriting.
It’s just now beginning to show up regionally, and the Good Theater production is its Maine premiere. Allen saw it on Broadway.
“It’s just one of those pieces that really spoke to me,” he said. “It has all the things I love about theater, and it made me laugh. I was really touched. I like the characters. They are very real and very believable. I like the journey that they go on.”
The play is set in present-day Manhattan but jumps back and forth in time, from the present in a New York hospital to a series of events over the past five years. At its center are Luke and Adam, played by Bearor and Cameron, two men in love. It also features two parents in denial (Driscoll and Reilly) and two friends on speed dial (Killeen and Delameter).
Although “Next Fall” is a serious drama, it also includes moments of humor. Allen is cautious about giving away too much of the story.
“When the play starts, you are in the middle of something, and you keep flashing back to see what you are in the middle of. As the play goes on, the relationship becomes more fleshed out, but it’s not a linear story,” he said.
“I must say, though, it’s very easy to follow. It is not a confusing story. The audience will not wonder what is going on. The jumping back and forth in time is just part of the writer’s device so things can be revealed in a certain way.”
Nauffts is an actor who has had recurring roles on “Law & Order” and “The Commish” on television. He also has made his mark as a writer, and is best known for writing the TV series “Brothers and Sisters.”
Allen thinks Nauffts’ background as both a writer and actor reflects in “Next Fall.” The play has two acts and 14 short scenes. In that sense, it feels very episodic.
“It has a TV feel to it,” Allen said. “The scenes are tight, and you get a lot of information from them. He has written these roles, so they are so rich.”
Staff Writer Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or:
bkeyes@pressherald.com
Twitter: pphbkeyes
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.