We are delighted that this year’s judges – audience members and our fellow artists of all levels in the Off-Off-Broadway community – saw fit not only to honor Chisa’s courageous and thought-provoking words, but Mad Dog’s first commissioned play and enthusiastic dedication to producing new, original work.

This Is Not The Play’s nomination for Outstanding Original Short Script reaffirms our ongoing commitment as a company to giving early-career and underrepresented playwrights a forum where their voices can be heard, loud and clear.

You can check out photos from the production here.

For submission information, check out our Submissions page.

For more information about the New York Innovative Theatre Awards, or to read a full list of the nominees, go to www.nyitawards.com

Happy Leap Day! Remember: “Real life is for March… nothing on Leap Day counts.”

***

For our final interview, we are happy to steal Kevin O’Callaghan from his hectic schedule for a quick chat. Staying close to his character in the play, we decided to have our tête-à-tête over a sushi lunch in New York’s most iconic hotel. Read on as Kevin gets real with Charlie, reveals his top shelf analogy on theatre, and what he hopes the audience leaves with after the show.

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Talk a little bit about Charlie and what you found interesting about him? What makes him different?

The thing that I find most interesting about Charlie is his honesty. He’s brutal, he’s crass sometimes (ok, most of the time), but he’s genuine in most cases. The audience may not like the things he’s doing and sometimes neither do I, but it’s not my place to judge him. I love playing characters like this because they say a lot of things that we, as a society, think, but we never say. That’s what makes Charlie special. And completely incorrigible.

I’ve been asking the actors about how they tackle the language of the play. We’ve heard people making comparisons to LaBute and Mamet. What was it like for you exploring this aspect of the play?

When people speak of heightened language, they think of Shakespeare and Moliere and the great Greek writers, but they forget that we have contemporary heightened language as well. The way Mamet and Labute and even Patrick Marber write is very poetic. Phil has a great voice for dialogue and a very sophisticated understanding of how language and poetry work. When it’s firing on all cylinders, it’s a truly beautiful soundscape. The words really take you on a journey. And as an actor, it’s a wonderful feeling to work in tandem with such a special text. It’s like a cocktail. You throw in the rocks and the booze and the mixer and you blend and balance them together to create something special. The words are the booze, the actors are the rocks and the audience is the mixer. Don’t drink and drive.

What has been some of the unexpected challenges you have had to overcome through the course of the rehearsal?

It’s very easy to play characters like Charlie as villains. Just because they make some socially unacceptable choices doesn’t make them the devil, so it’s important not to judge your character. For whatever reason, I’ve played lots of these guys. I have a lot of sympathy for them. I guess you need to have that. Sympathy.

What has been the audience’s reaction to Charlie so far?

They hate him. People really have strong reactions to him. Last night a woman shouted out during the performance, “I wanna grab him by the throat!” It’s a nice feeling.

What do you want people to take away from this production?

I hope they leave talking. I hope they argue and fight and kiss and love and smile and think. I only ever want all of that after a show. That’s not too much to ask for, is it?

Anything else?

I’d just like to thank you for having me! It’s nice to do interviews not in a Starbucks like most independent theatre companies. This place is beautiful. What is it called? The Plaza Hotel? So professional.

Thank you to everyone who came out to support us on our opening week. It has been a thrilling ride so far and we are not stopping yet. The Thrill of the Chase began again on Thursday with shows this Friday and Saturday at 8pm, as well

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as Sunday at 2pm. Tickets are available here, and if we had to turn you away last weekend on a sold-out performance, let us know when you are coming again so we can keep a seat warm for you.

This week, we are posting two interviews with Mad Dog company members, Kevin O’Callaghan and Nicole Samsel. These two don many hats within the company but we caught up with them as actors in our explosive new production of The Thrill of the Chase written by British playwright (who came to visit us in New York) Philip Gawthorne. Be sure to catch up on all of our past interviews with the creative team by clicking here. Finally, keep your eyes peeled this weekend, mate, when we finally pin Kevin O’Callaghan down for an interview. Crikey!

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We caught up with Nicole Samsel earlier this week after an exhilarating opening week and asked her about the ride so far. Nicole spoke of the unexpected challenges she faced during rehearsal, how the audience is responding to the play and firmly warns us to not judge Izzy so easily.

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Talk a little bit about your character and what you found interesting about her. What makes Izzy different?

If you ask yourself, “Which of these things is not like the other?” The answer is Izzy. She does not quite belong in the world of the other characters. Where she’s from, her family background, and her social and economic status are all very different from everyone else in the play, especially Charlie. One of the things I love the most about Izzy is how she negotiates these differences. She clearly doesn’t belong, but struggles to make a place for herself. Who can’t relate to that feeling? And within that struggle, she refuses to pretend she is something that she’s not. Izzy isn’t a perfect person but she certainly isn’t lying about who she is, to herself or anyone else.

Any unexpected challenges you have had to overcome in rehearsal?

It’s always challenging working on a character that we learn a lot about before we ever meet. The audience hears a lot about Izzy from the other characters long before she ever appears onstage. As an actor reading the script the first few times, it’s easy to allow these early comments to shape the way you look at the character. So a big challenge for me has been letting go of my early perceptions of Izzy and really figuring out who she is. It’s been so wonderful to work with my fellow actors and our awesome director Joel to really discover who these people are.

What do you think makes this play, this story, and these characters important or relevant today? What does your character or her relationships teach us?

I love this type of storytelling because it doesn’t take anything for granted. So often we are fed “inherent truths” in stories. This person is the hero, the villain, the lover, etc. And I think that lets the audience off the hook a little bit. We don’t have to think too hard about why Iago is manipulating those around him. He has his motivations… but also, he’s just a bad guy and that’s what bad guys do. The Thrill of The Chase excites me because the characters live in a grey world. Maybe they make poor choices or do horrible things; in some cases we, as an audience, choose to see beyond it. On the other hand, some actions are unforgivable… but every individual in the audience has to draw the line for themselves.

How has the first week of the run been?

The first week of the run has been fantastic. It’s easy to get tunnel vision during an intensive rehearsal process and forget the bigger picture of what you’re working on. Getting to finally share our work with an audience is fun because it lets the material breathe a bit and reminds you of all the great things you start to take for granted. This past week also has reinforced for me what an amazing group of people Mad Dog is working with on this show. Tech week leading up to an opening night is challenging in the most ideal situation. As a small company in New York, we don’t have the luxury of just doing one job during a production. But every single person involved in this show, when asked to lend an extra hand (or 5), not only went above and beyond what was expected, they also did it with a smile on their face. I think everyone has definitely earned our little Friday night outings!

How do you think the audience is responding to your character and the play? Is it what you expected or has it been very surprising?

I think the audience has been responding really positively! I’m not sure if I can say the individual reactions have been what I expected or not. The beauty of live theatre is that every night and every audience is different. The second you think you have it pinned down and know the audience is going to do something, or react in a certain way, they surprise you. I think it’s really important not to anticipate what the reaction will be and just enjoy every night for what it is. If you try too hard to please, you risk losing the integrity of the show and everyone loses.

Any memorable quotes from the audience? 

I wish I could tell you, but mostly audience members have wanted to talk about the end of the show and you won’t find any spoilers here! On a separate note, I will tell you that some of my favorite responses have taken place during the show. There’s nothing like an audible response from the audience during a performance – a gasp, laugh, or a well-timed “really?” to let you know they’re with you.

Any memorable stories about the whole experience?

Some of my favorite rehearsal moments are the ones that absolutely weren’t funny at the time. The moments when you need everything to go right, but there’s a really loud dance class rehearsing next door and you can’t hear yourself think. Those moments are the toughest to get through, but the experience of opening the show is all the more satisfying because we did.

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For the premiere of his play The Thrill of the Chase, British playwright Philip Gawthorne has joined us in New York for the final week of rehearsal and we took this opportunity to invite him into the hot seat. In this special interview, Literary Manager Heather Kelley spoke to Philip about his inspiration for this provocative new play, the play’s assimilation from the UK to the US, and what really goes on in the back seat of a Maserati six nights out of the week.

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What was your initial inspiration for this play?

I wanted to do something about a break-up pact that went wrong and show how it affected a friendship. Believe it or not, it was originally going to be more of a romantic-comedy, but my brilliant dramaturg on the project, Nina Steiger at the Soho Theatre, kept encouraging me to go down a darker path with the ideas and themes. Eventually it became about as far from a romantic-comedy as you could possibly get. It was subsequently described as “the play for those who think LaBute isn’t harsh enough”!

The Thrill of the Chase was originally conceived as taking place in London. Why did you re-locate the play to New York, and how difficult was this transition?

Well from a logistical standpoint, it didn’t make a lot of sense to have four New York actors adopting British accents, to do a play which would work just as well if not better reset in New York. Naturally the actors would become more concerned with their accent than anything else and it would be an unnecessary obstacle to them. Also from an audience standpoint, it made the play more accessible and relatable, as there were certain British cultural references than might be alienating to a New York crowd. But it was a simple and logical conversion to reset the action in NY. My dialogue and style of writing is quite transatlantic anyway; the rhythms of speech in this play were already quite American, I just needed to focus it up. However, it had to be New York. It wouldn’t work reset in a lot of other US cities. But NY and London are very comparable, in that they are both centralized urban environments, with underground transportation systems, and they both have a bar-hopping culture where you can walk around, all of which were important to the story. It wouldn’t work in LA for example, where everything is spread out and people drive rather than walk everywhere, and they don’t take the subway like you do in London or NY. So overall it was a natural fit and I think it’s actually enhanced the piece.

You’ve been compared, as a playwright, to both Neil LaBute and David Mamet. Is this a fair comparison?

I don’t know if they would think it’s a fair comparison! I’d like to think it is, but to be honest it’s just hugely flattering to be mentioned in the same sentence as either of those playwrights, who are both theatrical legends. What I would say is that they have both certainly inspired me in a massive way, particularly with this play.

Do you see this play as a mirror reflecting our current reality, or is this some sort of cautionary tale?

I think it’s both. It’s definitely reflecting a certain aggressive, grasping, ruthlessly ambitious mentality that I’ve seen in a lot of young men now, who are brainwashed into thinking that if they’re not screwing supermodels in the back of a Maserati six nights out of seven, that they are a complete failure.

And I also think it’s a cautionary tale about losing one’s moral compass, and the consequences of selfishness and spiritual bankruptcy. But it’s also quite humanistic and compassionate, even though it’s dark.

It’s often difficult for an audience to accept that a play is not necessarily autobiographical; it’s perhaps easier to assume that at least one of the characters represents the playwright’s point of view, if not his or her actual experience. Is this a ridiculous assumption?

It’s not ridiculous, but it is inaccurate. This play is certainly not autobiographical, as if it was I’d be in prison. It’s more that the two main characters represent the internal struggle that most, perhaps, all men face. The battle between the desire for domesticity, safety and stability…and our primitive, animalistic tendencies. It’s a conflict that may never be fully resolved, and the media and society just stoke the fire further. Ultimately, this play doesn’t offer an easy solution – it just looks at the problem in what I hope is a provocative, but honest, way.

***

Philip Gawthorne is a playwright and screenwriter from London, England. His stage work has been performed at venues such as Atlantic Theater Studios, Manhattan Theatre Source, and The Sanford Meisner Theatre in New York, and The Old Vic, Soho, Hampstead, Bush, and Royal Court Theatres in London, amongst many others. He has written extensively for the BBC and was listed by Broadcast magazine as one of the top ten young writers in the UK. Philip is currently working primarily in features and has several films moving into production this year. He is now working with top producers in the US and UK developing tailor-made vehicles for a number of A-List Hollywood actors.

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It’s Valentine’s Day, but we let Cupid lend his arrows to our director Joel Waage, who shoots his answers out to us in the hopes that we will flutter ever so lightly to catch his next production, The Thrill of the Chase. Joel took a walk through Central Park with our Literary Manager, Heather Kelley, and spoke of his experience directing this cast, the evolution of masculinity in the play and how the two female characters fit into all this.

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Heather Kelley: This is Mad Dog’s first production featuring guest artists as well as company members. How did this shift the dynamic of the rehearsal process?

Joel Waage: The transition into working with guest actors has felt seamless. One of the things I have always worked towards in rehearsal has been the separation of the rehearsal business and company business. It’s a strange thing working with actors who are also producers who are also design assistants who are also set dressers who also take on so many of the jobs that go into producing a play. Ryan and Jenna have both been great about being not only actors, but surrogate company members (something which I did not expect walking in on day one). Whenever a task needs to be done they have been right there with us. The biggest challenge was dealing with the ‘Previously On…’ of Mad Dog, getting them up to speed with the shorthand we have been developing for years.

When you first began rehearsing, which aspects of this production seemed the most straightforward to you? Which seemed the most daunting?

I would say that the thing that was most straightforward would have to be the relationship between Nicky and Charlie. This is the kind of friendship that has defined them both since they were very young, they are more like brothers than friends. As questions about the script arose, they could often be answered by looking back and imagining moments from their twenty years of friendship. The most daunting task has been finding the flow and the life of the apartment that plays such an integral role in the show. As is so often the case with Off-Off Broadway companies, we do not have a permanent home, so moving from space to space it has been difficult to adjust and fully comprehend these guys’ apartment.

Has this changed now that you are headed into tech?

Things are changing for the better as we move into the space. The friendship between these guys has grown deeper and their history richer as time has gone by. And as for the apartment, it’s a huge relief to finally have a space that these four characters can inhabit fully. They are finding the rhythm of this space, and it is a very exciting moment for the company.

The play has a lot to say about masculinity. Do you think this is something the average American male struggles with? Is our definition of what it is to “be a man” evolving?

I have always been drawn to plays that prod at the definition of “masculinity.” Although I do believe that the definition of what it is to be a man is evolving, I still think there is an image that is conjured when one speaks of what it is to be a man. The friendship between Nicky and Charlie is a study in what is to be this kind of man. More importantly it explores a point of conversion in anyone’s life. The moment when one decides to put away the trappings of youth and move on to the next phase of life. That moment holds a universality that transcends gender.

Where do the two female characters, Faith and Izzy, fit into all of this?

It is a mistake to see this story as merely dealing with the friendship between two guys. It is about the intertwining of four lives. Although the conversation around the show will often lead to issues of masculinity, the show itself does not parlay in those terms. Fundamentally it is about four people who are struggling to leave their past demons behind and step into the abyss of the future.

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Joel is the Artistic Director of Mad Dog, where he previously directed This is Not the Play and All the Way from China. Other directing credits include, Waiting for Godot, Titus, Step 3, Flood Story (FSU); Julius Caesar, The Zoo Story, The Retreating World (Asolo Late Night Series); Pippin, Godspell, The Wiz, In Your Eyes, Lost in Yonkers (Village Theatre); The Dying Gaul, Sylvia (WWU); The Fantasticks (Tahoma); Noises Off (Green River CC). Joel hails from Seattle, Washington and has a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from Florida State University and Bachelor of Arts from Western Washington University. Joel also recently appeared on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

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Today, we catch up with another wonderful talent gracing the stage, Jenna D’Angelo. On break from rehearsal, she spills the beans on why she loves her character Faith, how she’s conquering the climax of the play, and why it would be worth your time to stick around after the show for a drink (or two).

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Talk a little bit about Faith and your thoughts about her?

Something that I find interesting about the play as a whole, and my character, is that it is very difficult to distinguish “good guys” and “bad guys.” We all ride a very fine line, much like in life, and Faith is no different. I love Faith because she is lost just like everyone else; she is looking to find someone and something real, to be happy, but she may not always go about finding it in the best ways. She is very lovable, fun and flawed. She makes mistakes.

The language of this play has been compared to LaBute and Mamet. Do you agree?

LaBute and Mamet are great because they write the way people speak; there are starts, stops, ellipses, half-completed thoughts, fillers, changing ideas mid-sentence, interruptions, etc. On the page the dialogue can look confusing or disjointed, but when you hear it, it sounds completely natural. Philip’s style is very similar. It is great to work with language that feels right coming out of your mouth, however there are inherent challenges to memorizing because you might have a line that goes, “I don’t know, I just–you know?–I don’t know, I just feel that…you understand, right?” Memorizing lines like that will take more time, but once they are in your body they feel right. So for me personally, I really enjoy working with this type of language; some scenes are trickier to nail down than others, but you get there.

What has been some of the unexpected challenges you have had to overcome in rehearsal?

Working with Mad Dog. KIDDING!! You guys are fantastic. A challenge that for me wasn’t unexpected, but a challenge nonetheless, was my last scene of the show. It is a very difficult scene with violence, fight choreography and dialogue, and as an actress, I have never had a scene like it before. I knew coming into it that it would most likely be the trickiest scene of the show for me, and it has been, but Joel (Waage) and Ryan (Barrentine) have both been great, and working with Paul (Molnar) the fight director has been wonderful – he really gave us great things to think about and places to go with the choreography.

How does this play and these characters exist in our world today? What does your character Faith and the relationships that surround her teach us? 

I think what this play does, and does very well, is challenge the way we think about the world and the way we see other people. Some of the characters in the show you may look at and make an immediate judgment about them: “He’s a villain.” “She’s manipulative.” “He is a pushover.” In life, just like when you see a show, we make a snap judgment and it can be very difficult to change that first impression. So you may start out the show feeling one way about a character, and Philip does a great job of really forcing you to examine why you feel that way and pushing you in the complete opposite direction – can your opinion change, and why is it changing? For my character, Faith, the audience will see her in many different lights and some people may love her and some people may hate her, but what the play really asks you is WHY do you feel that way, and asks you to see it from HER side, really examine why she does the things she does. Under different circumstances could you see yourself doing something similar in the pursuit for happiness? Good stories push us to grow and evolve and Thrill of the Chase is a good story.

The show opens this Thursday. What will you be focusing on in rehearsal?

Nailing down specific moments, working out little kinks. And just keep having fun.

How has your experience been working with this company of artists? Spill the beans on some memorable moments. 

I have had an incredible experience working on Thrill of the Chase and working with Mad Dog, truly one of my best New York theatre experiences. It is always a great feeling to come to rehearsal for a show and script you feel passionate about, and get to work with a room full of phenomenally talented people who are going to push you and who you can learn from. I feel very blessed to have been a part of this show. As far as funny stories – absolutely yes. Going through the show and doing beat work was great because we are coming at the show as an American cast, working with a British playwright’s script, so there were definitely some differences in language, which was always fun to find. Some more of my stories may not be appropriate for this interview, but I’d love to tell you them after the show!

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Jenna D’Angelo is incredibly excited to be a part of Mad Dog’s The Thrill of the Chase. A recent NYC transplant, Jenna has been involved in a number of plays and film projects, notably the short Madeleine Zabel (www.maddyz.com) as Madeleine, which had its world premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival. NY theatre: Romeo and Juliet, Almost Maine, Still Jackie, Animals. Regional: As You Like It (Rosalind), Dracula, California Suite, Seneca’s Oedipus. Film: Dream Lover, Madeleine Zabel, Silent Wave, Honeymoon’s Over. B.A. Western Michigan University. www.jennadangelo.com

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Our interview continues today with one of the stars of The Thrill of the Chase, Ryan Barrentine. Ryan candidly talks to us about dealing with Nicky in the rehearsal room, his impending rehearsal with the audience, and shares with us the perils of hauling a pool table on the back of a truck.

***

Let’s start by talking a little bit about your character, Nicky. Who is he and what do you think makes him different?

What I love about Nicky is that the nature of the character allows others to constantly influence his decisions. He is everyman; it’s because of this that the actions of the play drive to the heart of every person watching. What I can always appreciate about this type of character is there are very few restrictions to the overall characterization. It is in fact so much more about what Charlie (played by Kevin O’Callaghan), Izzy, and Faith say and do that define who Nicky really is. There are also these very simple subtle nuances throughout the script that even now I pick up on, that slowly reveal his past and his “demons.”

Heather mentioned the characters that inhabit this play sound like real people, speaking in a language that you might eavesdrop on a bar. How do you find working with the language of this play?

The language of the play is essentially like “reality” which has many pros and cons. This means there are important moments imbedded in a passage that one could easily overlook. It is almost like approaching a very stylized language like Shakespeare; you have to be careful not to just say the words. It is very easy to become quick nonsense, and for the audience to check out. If that happens, those fast-paced moments are completely lost inside of everything that’s going on. What’s great about it, though, is that when done properly it can become a powerful tool that can make audience members completely forget they’re witnessing theatre and instead truly believe they know the characters onstage.

What have been some of the unexpected challenges that you have had to overcome throughout the course of the rehearsal?

I think a challenge of any production is time. You need enough time to memorize the script, nail down blocking and fight choreography, translate emotion into the words, and really work the scenes. But the biggest challenge is always establishing a bond between all the actors, one that allows the characters to have the relationship that’s needed. In this case those friendships started during the first read-through; that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes it never happens.

We are coming up to opening night; what will you be focusing on during rehearsal before the audience arrives?

When it comes time to opening night there is always one thing you haven’t rehearsed yet, and that’s what the audience will respond to. What moments are going to need air for laughs or need to slow down to understand. It’s just always important to focus on what has been set down for us, always remember to listen onstage, and let the arc of the play take its course.

So, how do you think the audience will respond to this play? Do you think they will find this story and these characters important or relevant today?

This is such a relevant play it’s insane. In fact, conversations in this play could be happening as we are speaking now. Even some of the things that the characters talk about have happened to me at one point or another, which is an awesome and reassuring feeling when working on a character, while other moments are quite grotesque. The play is a very interesting social commentary on friendship, sexuality, violence, and love. Not to mention what some people do when money has no value. I think about it as a backwardly misogynistic play, that really plays on the pressures of modern society.

How has your experience been working with the cast, the director and Mad Dog?

This has been the best experience I have ever had working on a show. Every single person in Mad Dog and in the cast is phenomenally talented, there is a sense of stability and professionalism that we all have. Which is so important when working with such a tough play, with lots of uncomfortable moments. I really think that this is one of those thought-provoking plays, that will leave people with divided views and some really great bar conversations afterward.

Any funny or memorable stories from rehearsal?

Ahhh, where can I possibly begin, there are so many memorable stories. I really hope that people in the audience will be in shock when they see that pool table onstage, because Joel (the director) and I could have been picking up the shattered pieces of it after it flew out of the back of a pick-up truck into traffic and smashing all over the road. And I think those Friday nights will have to become a weekly thing after the show ends! Thanks so much to Sarah, Kevin, Nicole, Jenna, and Joel for being the coolest and most talented people ever.

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Ryan Barrentine, initially from Tampa, Florida, just moved to NYC after graduating from Florida State University with a BFA in acting. He is ecstatic to be working with such a talented company as Mad Dog. Previous credits include Tom in Fat Pig, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rosencrantz in Hamlet, and Dr. Haans in Doomsday Parade (FSU).

Check back everyday leading up to opening night as we talk to the actors, director and playwright of this biting new play by one of UK’s most talked about young playwright.

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Today, we are discussing this play with Mad Dog’s Literary Manager, Heather Kelley. Heather generously gives us an insight into the selection of the play, its context, Mad Dog’s dedication to new work, and why she thinks you should come join us at The Thrill of the Chase.

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What drew you to The Thrill of the Chase?

Its sensibility. I could tell immediately that Philip has a keen ear for dialogue. His characters sound like real people; you might eavesdrop on them in a bar, or at a dinner party, and yet they are aggressively theatrical. I read so many plays that aren’t able to strike a balance. They are either so stylized they run the risk of sounding academic, or so pedestrian you wonder why they were written at all. As an actor, you’re always answering the question: why now? Why is this day different from any other? What are the consequences for it being so? Playwrights juggle so many things; it’s not surprising, as with acting, a sense of immediacy is often the first thing to go. With Thrill of the Chase, you’ve got a play that, perhaps, on the outside sounds familiar: it takes place in an apartment in New York, and examines the friendship between two men who are seeming opposites. I feel like I’ve seen a lot of plays about that: plays that explore men, their relationships with other men, and their identity as men. I see these plays, and no matter how good they are, as a woman, it’s hard to feel engaged. And yet, Philip’s play stood out to me. It was braver, asked more questions than it answered, and – despite some of its characters’ behavior – didn’t feel misogynistic. It took what has become a cliche for me and turned it on its head in the best possible way, and this is a testament to Philip’s superlative storytelling.

Where does this play fit on the spectrum of work Mad Dog has already produced, or hopes to produce?

I think, as with All The Way From China and This is Not the Play, we see that experience is the prism we view the world through, and this affects our communication with each other. And it really can’t be otherwise: our own life is our only reference point. In China, grief was the prism; grief colored how each character dealt with one another and made decisions, albeit in very different ways. In This is Not the Play, the prism was the individual’s experience of race, both his or her own and other people’s, and how this experience either confirmed or defied stereotypes. In Thrill, personal histories again have a profound impact on characters. They determine the course of relationships, the magnitude of emotions that character might feel, and are both the source of a character’s greatest strength and greatest weakness.

Since its inception, Mad Dog has championed new work. Why is this, and what are some of the challenges of producing new plays?

Art, at its best, serves a purpose. It does something. It provides a service. There are plenty of “old” plays – plays that have been produced before, and perhaps for hundreds of years, like Shakespeare – that are still relevant, and do still resonate with contemporary audiences. And while theatre as a whole is underfunded and not produced often enough, these plays are more likely than new ones to get a shot; they’ve already proved themselves as “successful,” however modestly. New plays are perceived as more of a risk; they are considered less financially viable. Mad Dog believes that new stories attract new audiences. We are interested in a dialogue – as human beings and as artists – that reflects the world we inhabit, as it evolves, now. Philip’s play is a perfect example of this. These characters are of this moment: they are a product of it. I can’t wait to hear the audience recognize themselves (or their friends or their enemies) onstage!

What, if anything, would you tell the audience about what they’re going to see?

I would just challenge them to consider the playwright’s point of view. Is he condoning his characters’ actions, or criticizing them? Are you, as an audience member, comfortable with what you’re seeing, or appalled? And I don’t know that there is a right answer to either of these questions. I hope we get as many varied responses as there are people in the audience.

Really? That’s all you’re going to tell us?

A play is called a “play,” after all. How much fun would it be if I spoiled the game?

Check out our pre-production photos for The Thrill Of The Chase opening next week, Thursday February 16, 2012. Colleen Katana of Katana Photography came by one of our rehearsal and took these amazing photos. More photos available in our gallery.

Click here to buy tickets for The Thrill Of The Chase.

Check back here in the next week for interviews with the playwright, director and cast of The Thrill Of The Chase as we march closer to our opening night, February 16, 2012.

Read more about the show here.

In the photo (from left): Jenna D’Angelo, Ryan Barrentine, Kevin O’Callaghan, Nicole Samsel

The Thrill Of The Chase

a new play by Philip Gawthorne

Thursday, February 16, 2012 through Sunday, March 04, 2012

Click here for tickets

Perversion. Brutality. Debauchery. What else are friends for?

The Thrill Of The Chase explores a volatile, highly complex relationship between two lifelong friends; the carefree, womanising playboy Charlie, and the hard-working, timid Nicky, who share a stunning penthouse apartment in the heart of the city. When Nicky unexpectedly announces his intentions to turn his back on the bachelor lifestyle and marry his troubled girlfriend Izzy, the affronted Charlie suggests a perverse wager, which will ultimately threaten not only their friendship, but their very existence…

Following in the tradition of David Mamet and Neil LaBute, The Thrill Of The Chase is a brutal, uncompromising, yet darkly comic exploration of masculinity and sexual politics. This is the world premiere of a provocative new work from the acclaimed young British playwright Philip Gawthorne.

Directed by Joel Waage.
Starring Ryan Barrentine, Jenna D’Angelo, Kevin O’Callaghan*, and Nicole Samsel.

Equity Showcase.

*Denotes member of Actors Equity.