They Don’t Talk Back by Frank Henry Kaash Katasse, directed by Randy Reinholz for Perseverance Theatre
About a third of my work has been on premieres or second, third, fourth productions where the writer is around and involved. The access to and presence of the writer is what makes all these kinds of projects special. The pieces shown here world premieres or early in their lives. I’ve included a few that are lighting designs, those are labeled. Since I started out with earning a humanities degree (History and Intellectual History) while making theatre at Harvard, the study of text and the making of theatre co-exist in a way that is familiar and comfortable. Working on a new text that has rarely or never been staged, with the writer participating, brings these two aspects of my academic training together. Bringing these plays to life for the first time with the writer to experience them has always been a treasured experience and a kind of trust.