An Interview With
Amy E. Witting

G.I. JOE JARED, Based on One Really Bad Date

 

G.I. JOE JARED, Based on One Really Bad Date is a funny play but down to earth at the same time.  Where did this play come from and how did you get connected with Ken Wolf at Manhattan Repertory Theatre where the play was produced?

 It is based on a true story.  Jared is real but I can't remember his last name.  In 2004 I went on  my first blind date unintentionally.  My roommate put a profile up on an online dating site for me, and I started emailing with a guy from West Virginia.  I was out having a few drinks at a bar with some friends when he called and happened to be in the area.  I told him to stop by, thinking it was safer since my friends were there, and he really did have a box of G.I. Joe Tarot cards with him.  That was the skeleton for the piece. I wouldn't have believed this guy even existed if I didn't have witnesses.

I have a tendency to start plays and keep them in this black hole of my computer.  I believe I started writing G.I. Joe Jared in 2007.  I had about eight pages written and those eight pages were long forgotten.  I had previously worked with Ken Wolff during his Amazing Play Festival in 2009 with my second full-length play, His Name Is Edgar.  Ken provides a wonderful opportunity for playwrights to have a space to showcase their work.  Manhattan Rep is in a prime location on 42nd street, and he only asks that you pay a security deposit and guarantee a certain amount of audience members.  The space is very intimate and focuses on the work, and it's a wonderful catalyst for many artists.  It's affordable, and Ken is very supportive of the Indie theatre community.  After having a wonderful experience with His Name is Edgar, Ken wrote me an email asking if I had anything to submit to his Winterfest.  The deadline was in four days.  I'm always up for a challenge.  So I brought my computer to my Saturday night babysitting gig and started searching the black hole of my computer.

I found the eight pages and starting writing. I think coming at that memory with more life experience under my belt allowed me to create this really interesting piece about this awkward blind date bringing two estranged friends back together.  The twist it takes at the end was something I hadn’t intended at first, but it makes sense.  It was very personal to me, and I don’t want to say anymore for fear of giving away the ending.  It helped that the family I worked for stayed out late that night.  I basically finished the first draft that night, submitted it to Ken the next day, and did rewrites throughout the rehearsal process.

I have been very fortunate to have wonderful collaborators that I have worked with over the years. Kerry Fitzgibbons, Billy Weimer, and Salomé M. Krell were invaluable during this process.  It was my first time directing, simply because I didn't have time to find another director, and we worked as a team.   At one point we were in my living room eating lasagna with pages spread out all over the floor, reading and re-reading scenes to see what was working and what could be cut.  The three actors had previously worked together on His Name is Edgar, so it helped that they had that comfort level together.  I had no idea how the play was going to be received and found out recently a few of my friends thought it was a serious drama about War because of the title.  I since changed the title from G.I. Joe Jared, to G.I. Joe Jared, Based on One Really Bad Date to reach a more international audience.

The night of our dress rehearsal I reworked the entire first ten minutes, and I think finally it gelled.  I remember sitting in the corner at Manhattan Rep with Neil Diamond playing in the background wondering if the audience would enjoy it.  I was so nervous and found myself in tears of joy at the end of that first night.  I don't often sit back to reflect on pieces, or performances, but it really was a wonderful experience.  I often wonder what the real Jared is up to now.

You noted that you studied at Paper Mill Playhouse for 10 years while you were growing up.  What was that experience like, how did you get involved in the first place, and is it an ongoing program? Do share some of your experiences.

You should really ask my two older brothers what the experience was like, as they were dragged to every performance.  But it really was a great experience.  I grew up in Maplewood, New Jersey, which is about ten minutes from the Paper Mill, and I started taking classes with Mickey McNanny when I was seven years old.  She had her own program called Showbiz kids and my first staring role was as The Crocodile in Peter Pan.  I had a solo that both terrified me and thrilled me at the same time, "Never Smile at Crocodile, no you can't get friendly with a Crocodile". It's amazing how the memory retains these moments. That terrifying thrilling feeling stays with me when I perform today. 

I followed Mickey when she started working at the Paper Mill and continued to take classes until I graduated High School. We did two productions a year, and I moved up to the All-Star group that performed at hospitals, schools, and nursing homes all around New Jersey.  The theatre program wasn't as extensive as it is today, but it really was a wonderful home for me growing up.  Mickey McNanny also was the first teacher to really encourage my writing.  As you probably know first hand, I am a horrible speller and think commas go after every word. It used to be a major block when it came to showing anyone my writing, but Mickey asked me to write original plays my junior year of high school to be performed at the Paper Mill's theatre school.  It was the first time I was acknowledged as a playwright.

I would encourage anyone who is looking for a local Jersey theatre school to check out the Paper Mill Playhouse.  I was just speaking with Kerry Fitzgibbons, the managing director of aWe Creative Group. We were talking about our community theatre programs.  How we wish we could recreate that small community feeling here in this gigantic city.  In due time I'm sure we will.

http://www.papermill.org/education/theater-school/junior-players.html

 Mickey McNanny is still the director of the theatre school!

You have also studied abroad, worked on documentaries, and have traveled as a teaching artist.  What personality traits do you feel you have that allows you to find and be part of such an interesting, varied existence?

I can tell you one thing, I'm not boring.  I caught the travel bug at a very young age when I first went to Paris and Madrid with my seventh grade Spanish class, and I'm heading to Greece on Wednesday.  I lived in London and Los Angeles, spent a lot of time in Ireland, and traveled to Ecuador with Dramatic Adventure Theatre in 2009.  I have a zest for life. You learn so much about the world... absorb new languages and cultures.  I'm constantly observing, teaching, and being taught.  That's the wonderful thing about travel.  You let your guard down and connect with others on a very humane non-judgmental level.   I have a philosophy—If someone asks you to travel somewhere you've never been before—just say yes.  The rest will work itself out.

I'm one determined independent woman.  But in all seriousness,  a good friend of mine just told me "you are the most introverted extrovert I’ve ever met."  I thought he hit it on the nose.  I come across as a zany outgoing person, but really most often I like spending time alone, travelling, writing in transit, and taking in every visual this world has to offer.  I am definitely the person on the street that is looking up at the architecture and bumping into people on the sidewalk.

I studied documentary filmmaking in college and was spoiled by all the equipment we had access to.  I spent my junior year at Ithaca College travelling the U.S working on a documentary on Savant Syndrome.   I have a knack with people which made documentaries really easy for me.  I would get to know the subjects, spend time with them, while my partner was filming.  Sometimes we would forget the camera was even on and some of the most natural moving footage came from those moments.

I spent my senior year with a dear friend, Ainsley Hill, working on a documentary about violence against women. "Women Unsilenced."  That documentary was a catalyst for my first showcase of one-acts in New York City.

I found it hard to make a living doing documentaries after graduating, so I started writing more and self-producing my own theatre work.  I guess it was more of an instant gratification for me.  But I'll go back to making films  one day. I actually just made a three minute video for G.I. Joe Jared's fundraising campaign that tapped back into that side of me.

G.I. Joe Jared is going to Edinburgh for the festival this summer.  I heard you talking about this a year ago and know you did a lot of homework and thinking about this.  Would you like to share some of the thought process that went into deciding what you should do?

I lived in London and visited Edinburgh, but never went to the festival.  It was this big mystery to me.  There are a handful of artists that I trust, and work very well with, and I just had this idea to take a show to the festival a couple of years ago.  In the summer of 2009 I went to Ecuador with Dramatic Adventure Theatre and met Tiffany May McRae who also had a strong desire to perform in the festival.  She has Scottish roots, and she's a very talented actress, and very easy to work with.  We traveled under some interesting conditions in Ecuador and she was always able to keep a calm head and bright perspective.  So I decided that we were going to take something to the Fringe.  I first had a drama in mind—a full-length.  I like to try to include as many of my artistic friends as possible.  I thought the summer of 2010 was going to be the year and Tiffany and I went to the Roadshow in February 2010, and it seemed intense, and overwhelming. I also quickly realized that a ten-person drama would not be the right choice.  So I changed my mind opting for a small comedy.  G.I. Joe Jared had just finished it's brief but well received run and I thought that might be an interesting choice. What I didn't realize is that you didn't have to be accepted into the Fringe, you just needed to have the finances and publicity support to find a space in Scotland to accept your play.

 I decided that before taking a show over I needed to scope out the venues in person and booked a trip to Scotland. Tiffany had attended the fringe as an audience member a few years ago and I thought it was essential to look into the different venues first hand. The Edinburgh Fringe always seemed like the perfect fit for me. A combination of my love of travel, my love of theatre, and something great to add to my resume.  When I arrived in Edinburg I stood at the train station and felt this overpowering of emotion.  There were people from all over the world in this one central location all for one reason.  The love of the arts.  Famous Artists, Street Performers, Students, Singers, Dancers, Actors, Comedians.  The energy was palpable.  I tried to see every show possible, which is impossible for even the most adventuresome theatregoers. In the week I was there I saw about fifteen shows ranging from brave experimental theatre, to one-woman shows, to street performers singing with a Hoover vacuum cleaner.  I just felt that this was the nucleus for Indie theatre.

When I returned I brainstormed about what shows to bring, and I kept going back to G.I. Joe Jared.  I think the hardest part for me is defining my role in the production.  I want to do it all, and it's not always possible to do it all.  My first love is as an actor but I find it easier to be the writer; and now that I've put on the producer and director hat it becomes a bit of a challenge.

So our company decided to bring G.I. Joe Jared to the Fringe. We went back to the 2011 Roadshow with a plan and got accepted into the Free Fringe Festival with an amazing venue right off the Royal Mile.  It definitely is a lot of work, time, money, and energy, but I know it’s going to be the most rewarding experience.  I'm so excited and a bit exhausted; but overall I can't wait to have this show performed in front of an international audience.

You will also have a production at 59E59 before you embark for the Scottish highlands.  How did this come to be?

I met Elysabeth Kleinhans who runs 59E59 in January at the Fringe Festivals Road show at The Barrow Street Theatre.  She generously opens her space for three weeks in July to give productions headed to Scotland a chance to perform to a more local audience before leaving.

Once you have your space in Scotland you can request a time slot from Elysabeth.  So luckily we had everything in early and received four dates to perform at 59E59.  We've decided to do a rotating cast so I will actually be performing in the NYC production.

We will be performing July 12, 13, 14 (Tues - Thurs ) at 7pm and July 16 (Sat) at 2pm.  Tickets are $20 which will go toward any last minute expenses for our Scottish adventure.

You are Artistic Director for aWe Creative Group, a No-Ho based Theatre Company.  Care to share some information about this?

I have never been one to wait for doors to open—I like to push on them and create my own doors.  After transitioning out of the documentary filmmaking world I decided to take an acting class in 2005 with Bruce Ornstein and met Billy Weimer, Kerry Fitzgibbons, and other likeminded artists.  Kerry and I were asked to join Groove Mama Ink run by Kara Tyler and quickly we started to run the downstairs theatre at The Gene Frankel.  It was ambitious for a young theatre company. Kerry and I eventually began doing our own creative work under the name of aWe Creative Group.  Billy was always our go-to set designer, lighting designer, calming force, and the three of us became constant collaborators.  They are both extremely talented and passionate individuals.

I started writing; they started acting in the plays that I wrote; and we found spaces to put them on.  We learned it was better to have a name to produce under.  I think one of my brothers came up with the name, although neither will admit to it.  I just remember brainstorming and someone in my family said, "if you monogram your name on a towel it would be aWe." Which was a springboard to aWe some, aWe inspiring, actorsWritersentertainers.   I wasn't sure what it was when we started.  It was just a name. We kept being selected for festivals and growing our audience and with the PlayFUN! being such a success aWe Creative Group became a really well established company in the Indie Theatre world.

After working together for four years, Tiffany May McRae joined us in 2009. We finally started getting our act together for real.  We are revamping our website, starting workshops, and that ever lingering idea of community theatre in New York that Kerry and I have is starting to incubate.

I have been a professional babysitter for twenty years and often write plays and put on productions with the kids I sit for.  We've been slowly moving towards opening up our own theatre school but funding is always the main block.  We have faith that in due time this will be our next venture.

Could you tell us about the PlayFUN! festival you produce?

Ahh, PlayFUN!  We just finished one last weekend and I'm still living off the high of it all.  It's not a new concept, twenty-four-hour theatre, but it's a wonderful way to reconnect to the simple love of theatre.  PlayFUN! started two years ago this month, when I was volunteering at PRO-TV, http://www.dctvny.org/youth a youth media program run out of a giant firehouse in Chinatown.

 They needed help fundraising. They have this wonderful raw space that I thought would be great for a festival.  I had produced twenty-four-hour theatre before with Groove MaMa Ink as a survival tool to maintain our rent, but decided that I would try to get a group of people together to create an evening of theatre.  I sent an email out to all the artists I had worked with in the past begging them to participate in this festival.  I promised free booze, that's always a good hook, and a warm fuzzy feeling of helping high school students create films.

The first weekend was so successful we quickly gathered another group of artists for round two three weeks later. The rules are simple. No Divas! Eight teams consisting of one writer, one director, and up to four actors, are chosen at random on Friday night. The writers go home at 9pm on Friday to write their scripts (they have to include the pre-selected first line, random line, and the random prop). Scripts are emailed to the groups by 8am Saturday morning, and Saturday is spent rehearsing, memorizing, and performing in front of a live audience at 8pm. We are still working out the kinks.  Space seems to be the biggest issues.  Our last production was at The Producers Club which worked out nicely although that space was a bit small.  I always forget how exciting it gets close to showtime, and how the audience fills up quickly.  It really is wonderful to watch actors let their guards down during these weekends. 

Some of my friends' most vunerable work has been a product of a PlayFUN!  With so much competition and commercial drive within theatre, I think it’s important to always go back to the root of it.  The reason we create is because we have a love and a passion to do so.  Participating in PlayFUN! allows you to freely create and remember why you are an artist to begin with.  I feel very luck to have met and collaborated with many wonderful artists in New York City.  It's been a great ride so far.           

Interview with Amy E. Witting was conducted by NYTE Small Press April 2011

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