RC2

BST: Is there one story that goes all the way through the play?

RC: Oh, yeah--from beginning to end, it follows the thoughts of one character, pretty much.

BST: So would you call it a "stream of consciousness" play?

RC: That was originally going to be the title.

BST: Really?

RC: "Stream Of Consciousness." ...Because the scenes weave in and out of each other with direct continuity. And that's amazing that you said that. The three titles I had in mind were "Stream Of Consciousness," "Terminal Uniqueness," and "Stiffy." I chose "Stiffy" because it's short and businesslike.

BST: And it will guarantee some kind of an audience.

RC: Yeah, sex sells. I hate to say that, but it does.

BST: Well, it is a show about sexual addiction.

RC: And it's a cute, funny thing. ["Stiffy"] came from a metaphor for masturbation. When we were kids we used to call it "shakin' hands with Mr. Stiffy."

BST: What influenced the writing process? What was the "germ" that started it all?

RC: Broom Street germs started this--I had the flu, and I could not stand what I was seeing on daytime television. There was literally nothing that I could do. So I was thinking how I've seen a lot of good works from new directors here [at Broom Street], and I'm thinking to myself, "Well, I've been in a lot of shows, I bet I could do that." And having this idea for a show in my head: "What would I want to see presented if I were the playwright? What do I want to see when I go to the theater? That's what I need to write: Something that I want to see." And to my knowledge, nobody had done a play on sexual addiction. It's probably a scary topic to even think about [doing.]

BST: And this is theater to do it.

RC: This is. Madison's Broom Street Theater is the perfect place. There's a lot of camp in [Stifffy]. There's also a serious side. It's different from a typical Broom Street Show in that I don't have the actors running into all four corners screaming at the top of their lungs. [laughs]

BST: Yeah!

RC: But I do have some elements that are traditional Broom Street camp. So we'll see. From our test audience so far, we've got good approval.

BST: Has there been a lot of input from the cast, as far as the creative process goes?

RC: Oh, I've given the actors free reign of their characters--up to a point. I let them know right from the beginning that this is a script--it's just my interpretation of my thoughts. [I told the actors that] I would love for them to bring their own energies and thought into the work. And they have. That's where I think the best acting comes from, and it makes the actors feel the most comfortable. Everything that they've done has been wonderful. If there's an obvious break from my intent of a scene, though, then I draw the line and I say, "No, this is the interpretation I want."

BST: Every work changes once you start to direct. Have you noticed any notable changes from when you started writing this to now?

RC: Yeah, the rough draft was a very angry play. You could call the rough draft a dark comedy. It was a little too direct, and preachy, so I'm glad I've edited it and taken a step back and brought it more to a comical format that is a litte more digestable--especially considering the subject matter. Again, I'm going back to my main concern: What is it that I want to see in a play? And I don't like to be preached to. So I had to tone it down, and soften the message--or change it in a way so that it's more absorbable. So I used a lot of metaphor, some visual puns, and things like that, to get the point across without shoving it down anybody's throat.

BST: And did it change at all when you had a cast?

RC: Yeah. [For instance,] I have a preacher in the play who has a public access show, and he's trying to convert homosexuals, and I had originally envisioned him as a bible-thumper--a typical t.v. evangelist. Well, Kevin [Bosley] got ahold of the script at auditions and he just somehow magically knew what that character was. He change the whole flavor from a Southern Baptist to mix of Italian and Spanish--it's really bizarre, and it's perfect for the character, because this character is very confused; Torn between God, what he thinks God is about, and what his own internal instincts are saying.

BST: There's always an aspect of every script that seems completely different when the actors get ahold of it; once the actors start saying the lines, the work changes. Some scenes that work better, some scenes that don't work quite as well, and some scenes that explode in a way you can't anticipate. You've mentioned the preacher character--we're there any other roles that "exploded" for you?