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From the production group that brought “A Piece of My Heart” to the stage, comes “Talking With,” by Jane Martin. “Talking With” will be shown today and Saturday, and Sept. 17 and 18 at Heaton Auditorium on Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
Based on the book of the same name, “Talking With” is a play that offers a glimpse into the unusual secret lives of everyday women. Ten women will tell the audience what goes on behind their eyes and ask them to consider what might be the unknown stories of the women in their lives.
“This is an interesting show to work on because it is the absolute minimal theater experience ― one actor, the audience and absolute naked honesty. No hiding behind big costumes or sets or dialogue,” said director Liz Nye. “I love the idea of a woman standing alone on a stage talking frankly about who they are and what they want. These monologues really do what great theater should: they give the audience the ability to walk out feeling as though they know these women personally and they have something in common with them. Because let’s face it, we all have secret lives that nobody else knows about.”
“Talking With” fills the stage with odd but recognizable characters that amuse, move and frighten, including a baton twirler, a fundamentalist snake handler, an ex rodeo rider and an actress willing to go to any length to get a job. The cast is made up of women from the Kaiserslautern and Heidelberg areas, including such well-known faces from area stages as Jeanne Rangonese, Samantha Jackson, Liz Nye and Amy Smolinski.
“When I became an Army wife, I knew I would be giving up a lot of opportunities to pursue my theater career. I never dreamed I would have the chance to perform in Germany because of our military life,” Smolinski said. “The process of working on this show, unique because of its all-monologue structure, has given me a terrific opportunity to stretch my acting muscles and grow as a performer.”
The play deals with the personal ordeals of each of its female characters. As the evening ranges from comedy to tragedy, the characters confront issues of evil, beauty, self-worth, God and the feasibility of living at McDonald’s.
“This play has it all: dragons, snakes, cats and ‘The Patchwork Girl of Oz,’” Nye said.
The common thread throughout is the female experience, however it presents itself, and the challenges and rewards of being a woman.
“Talking With” will be shown at 7:30 p.m. today, Saturday and Sept. 17, and 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at Heaton Auditorium.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students. Entrance is free for wounded warriors and Fisher House residents. Advance ticket sales are available through the Vogelweh Community Center.
For details, call the VCC at 0631-536-7626 or 489-7626.
The play is sponsored by the VCC and MWR.
