Reflections on Co-Directing 'This Is Our Youth' by Kenneth Lonergan
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| Rosa Navarrete (co-director), Myles Brewer (producer/actor), Sara Dowling (producer/actor), Christopher Carrillo (producer/actor) and Austin Dague (co-director) | Location: The Complex Hollywood's Dorie Theater Performances Aug 30, 2018 - September 2nd, 2018 |
I am proud to say that, over the summer, I directed my first full length play with a wonderful team of artists. This team brought to life THIS IS OUR YOUTH, by Kenneth Lonergan. The full length play was put up and performed at The Complex Hollywood's Dorie Theater this past August 30th to September 2nd. The team of artist you see in the image above are myself (Rosa Navarrete, co-director), Myles Brewer (performed as Dennis), Sara Dowling (performed as Jessica), Christopher Carrillo (performed as Warren), and Austin Dague (co-director). We worked collectively together for months, and brought this piece to life. The performance was produced by non other than the actors themselves. I was really taken by their drive, and I have no doubt these young artists will take over the entertainment industry someday. Their sensibility to their creative process, their sense of responsibility to each other, and their craft spoke volumes.
The play is set in New York circa 1980s, and although cell phones were becoming a thing back then, it wasn't really an accessible technology to just anyone back in those days. We had to adapt ourselves to the life before cell phones. Recreating the 80's fashion was a fun exploration for the actors, where the directors had some input, but the research and work was done mainly by the actors. They took their roles very seriously. Collectively we researched post-war articles, 80's teen film, lost boys & girl, rich kid syndrome, coke and pot smoking rebel experience through the lens of yuppie kids, and it was quite a venture. The development of the characters meant digging deep in the writing. The characters seem to, at times, want to destroy the illusion of comfort in their lives through drug induced teenage and young adult interactions, which leaves them vulnerable to precarious interactions. Separating themselves from the comfort of their parents meant living a riskier life that is cushioned by the safety net of money unseen. A lot is revealed at the end of the play, but I invite you to read it if you missed your chance to see the live performance. It also has New York as a setting, and that town is always fun to play in.
I had an absolute blast playing in this world, and I only hope we could mount this show for a longer period of time, but for the time we did -- we got amazing feed back from audiences. A womxn at the end of the second show told me it felt like a twisted teenage Wolf of Wallstreet. Another gentlemen came out of the theater and talked to us for almost an hour about how much we had got the world right. How he grew up in the 80s and was around the yuppies who liked to get high. He was very impressed with the acting and the set dressing. We sold out our first night, and had healthy houses each day. The actors worked really hard to make everything run smoothly. And overall, the most gratifying feedback was that the production felt like real life and not like a theater performance.
MAKE WAY FOR THESE TALENTED KIDS y'alls! There is a lot of heart in this group, and although we were just together for a moment in time, I will cherish this as my first time directing a full length play with the unforgettable Myles, Sara, Christopher, and Austin. Sending them each good vibes. Special shout out to Casa 0101 Theater who provided us with some real 1980s props, thank you!
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisouryouthla/
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