Ryan Rilette on New Book: a show of firsts
Actor Ray Ficca, playwright Bill Cain, and director Ryan Rilette during a rehearsal for New Book.
This is a show of firsts. It’s the first play that I picked for Round House, the first time we’ve produced Bill Cain here, the first show I’ve directed here, and the first time I’ve had the chance to direct one of Bill’s plays. While at Marin Theatre Company, I produced two of Bill’s plays: Equivocation and the world premiere of 9 Circles, which also won our Sky Cooper New American Play Prize. Bill quickly became a fixture around MTC, a big part of our family, so I’m thrilled for him to be the first playwright that I’m introducing to my new Round House family.
Family is at the heart of How to Write a New Book for the Bible. Like many great American playwrights, Bill has written about his own family in this play. But what makes this play unique is that Bill hasn’t fictionalized his family – he hasn’t hidden them behind a thin veil, like O’Neill does with the Tyrone family. Instead, in New Book, you meet a lead character named Bill Cain. You learn Cain family secrets, watch Cain family arguments, and ultimately, experience Cain family loss. This is truly an autobiographical play.
Bill has done this for a very specific reason – he’s leading you by example. He’s showing you how he looked back at his own family, how he explored their lives, and the revelations that resulted from doing so. Ultimately, this play asks you to do the same. It asks you to take a deep look at your own family, at your own life.
The title of this play comes from Bill’s unique perspective as a Jesuit. Bill is many things – an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and television writer; a director and Artistic Director; and a teacher. He is also a priest. As he says in the play, that’s not something he normally tells people right away, but in this play, he had to because it’s his outlook as a priest, specifically a Jesuit priest, which informs his view of his family.
Jesuits believe that God can be found in all things. You find God by exploring your life, by paying attention, by being “contemplative in action.” One famous definition of Jesuit prayer is that it is “a long, loving look at the real.” Over lunch one day in New York, while discussing this, Bill gave me another great description that comes directly from theater – one that I’m sure you’re familiar with: “Attention must be paid.”
Bill reminds us in this play to pay attention to our own family, to our own lives. In an American Theatre article written about him just before the premiere of New Book, Bill says that “If there was the revelation of the divine in Abraham and Sarah, there’s the revelation of the family in everyone’s parents and everyone’s children. The thesis of this play is that every hundred years every family ought to add a new book to the Bible, to look back on their experiences, to recognize the darkness and claim the luminous.”
That’s our invitation to you. Whether you’re Jewish or Muslim or Catholic, an agnostic or an atheist, this invitation still applies. You don’t need to believe in God to explore your own lives, but if you do, you just might find the presence of the divine.
-Ryan Rilette
Ryan Rilette is Round House’s Producing Artistic Director and the director of How to Write a New Book for the Bible.
How to Write a New Book for the Bible is onstage at Round House Bethesda from April 10 thru May 5. The production stars Ray Ficca, Danny Gavigan, Mitchell Hébert, & MaryBeth Wise.
CAST
Mary: MaryBeth Wise
Bill: Ray Ficca
Paul: Danny Gavigan
Pete: Mitchell Hébert
ARTISTIC TEAM
Director: Ryan Rilette
Scenic Designer: Daniel Conway
Costume Designer: Rosemary Pardee
Lighting Designer: Colin K. Bills
Sound Designer: Eric Shimelonis
Props Designer: Andrea Moore
Movement Coach: Mark Jaster
Stage Manager: Erin C. Patrick
CAST
Suzanna: Alyssa Wilmoth Keegan
Max: Will Gartshore
Andrew: Rex Daugherty
Susan: Brigid Cleary
Becky Shaw: Michelle Six
ARTISTIC TEAM
Director: Patricia McGregor
Scenic Designer: Daniel Conway
Costume Designer: Katherine O’Neil
Lighting Designer: Jedidiah Roe
Sound Designer: Eric Shimelonis
Props Master: Rebecca Dieffenbach
Stage Manager: Bekah Wachenfeld
From discussions with directors, designers, and actors to childcare matinees and audio-described and sign-interpreted performances, each production features fun and informative audience events. For further info, call our box office at 240.644.1100.
Designer Discussion
Gain an inside look at the show’s costume, set lighting, and sound designs from the professionals who make it happen.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at 6:45 p.m.
Director Discussion
Get up close with director Patricia McGregor in this pre-performance talk.
Friday, May 31, 2013 at 7:15 p.m.
Post-Show Talkbacks
Stay afterwards for a lively discussion with members of the cast and special guests.
May 29 thru June 2, June 9 and 16, 2013
Accessibility
RHT offers designated audio-described and sign-interpreted performances of each Bethesda production. More info about those performances may be found below.
Using the services of Maryland Relay, patrons who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind or Speech Disabled can easily communicate through TTY (text telephone) with the Round House box office about performances in our Bethesda and/or Silver Spring theatres. For more information about using Maryland Relay’s TTY service, visit http://www.mdrelay.org/.
Audio-described performance
Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 3 p.m.
Sign-interpreted performance
Reservations for sign interpreting services must be made at least 2 weeks prior to the performance.
Saturday, June 15, 2013 at 3 p.m.
From discussions with directors, designers, and actors to childcare matinees and audio-described and sign-interpreted performances, each production features fun and informative audience events. For further info, call our box office at 240.644.1100.
Designer Discussion
Gain an inside look at the show’s costume, set lighting, and sound designs from the professionals who make it happen.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at 6:45 p.m.
Director Discussion
Get up close with director Ryan Rilette in this pre-performance talk.
Friday, April 12, 2013 at 7:15 p.m.
Post-Show Talkbacks
Stay afterwards for a lively discussion with members of the cast and special guests.
April 10 thru 14, April 21 and 28, 2013
Accessibility
RHT offers designated audio-described and sign-interpreted performances of each Bethesda production. More info about those performances may be found below.
Using the services of Maryland Relay, patrons who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind or Speech Disabled can easily communicate through TTY (text telephone) with the Round House box office about performances in our Bethesda and/or Silver Spring theatres. For more information about using Maryland Relay’s TTY service, visit http://www.mdrelay.org/.
Audio-described performance
Saturday, April 20, 2013 at 3 p.m.
Sign-interpreted performance
Reservations for sign interpreting services must be made at least 2 weeks prior to the performance.
Saturday, April 27, 2013 at 3 p.m.
From discussions with directors, designers, and actors to childcare matinees and audio-described and sign-interpreted performances, each production features fun and informative audience events. For further info, call our box office at 240.644.1100.
Designer Discussion
Gain an inside look at the show’s costume, set lighting, and sound designs from the professionals who make it happen.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013 at 6:45 p.m.
Director Discussion
Get up close with director Mitchell Hébert in this pre-performance talk.
Friday, February 8, 2013 at 7:15 p.m.
Post-Show Talkbacks
Stay afterwards for a lively discussion with members of the cast and special guests.
February 6 thru 10, February 17 (3pm performance) and 24 (3pm performance), 2013
Accessibility
RHT offers designated audio-described and sign-interpreted performances of each Bethesda production. More info about those performances may be found below.
Using the services of Maryland Relay, patrons who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind or Speech Disabled can easily communicate through TTY (text telephone) with the Round House box office about performances in our Bethesda and/or Silver Spring theatres. For more information about using Maryland Relay’s TTY service, visit http://www.mdrelay.org/.
Audio-described performance
Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 3 p.m.
Sign-interpreted performance
Reservations for sign interpreting services must be made at least 2 weeks prior to the performance.
Saturday, February 23, 2013 at 3 p.m.