Bozeman Actors Theatre Presents “The Realistic Joneses” by Will Eno

BOZEMAN, Mont., March 24, 2018—Audiences will hear one of the brightest voices in American theater as Bozeman Actors Theatre presents “The Realistic Joneses,” a play by Will Eno that The Guardian named 2014’s “Best Play on Broadway.” The local production opens April 19 at The Rialto in downtown Bozeman.

Eno, a finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, has collected critical acclaim and the admiration of actors everywhere for his idiosyncratic ear for language and his dialogue steeped in a signature blend of wit and pathos. The New York Times has called Eno “a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation.”

“From the very first time I read this play, I was impressed by—no, more intrigued by—Eno's ability to write believable and heartfelt dialogue,” said director Joel Jahnke, well-known to audiences as both an actor (last appearing in “Jimmie and Pete” at The Ellen Theatre) and as the longtime artistic director of Montana Shakespeare in the Parks until his retirement in 2013.

“Eno has a way of gently infusing the way we all talk and communicate normally with the heightened sense that great dramatic writing requires,” Jahnke added. “This is a rare gift and what makes this play rise above most others.”

In “The Realistic Joneses,” Bob and Jennifer Jones (played by Mark Kuntz and Cara Wilder) meet their new neighbors, John and Pony Jones (played by Miles Duffey and Claire Barley), during a starlit backyard encounter in a town not unlike Bozeman. In the days that follow, the couples realize they have even more in common than their suburban neighborhood and their shared last names. As their relationships begin to irrevocably intertwine, the Joneses must decide between their idyllic fantasies and their imperfect realities as they wrestle with ponderous questions of mortality and intimacy—often with subtle humor.

“I’m fascinated with how real these characters are to me,” Jahnke said. “They seem from the outset to be people I know, my neighbors, my friends. They’re funny, touching, complicated and troubled, often in the same moment. Couple this kind of writing with a great cast and the result is a captivating evening in the theater.”

“The Realistic Joneses” is the fourth play in Bozeman Actors Theatre’s 2017-18 season and the first since “I Am My Own Wife” sold out all six shows at Verge Theater in February. Mark Kuntz last appeared in the company’s “Copenhagen” and “Fool for Love” to start the season. Cara Wilder, former artistic director and co-founder of the company, last performed for BAT in “Marjorie Prime” in 2017. Claire Barley appeared in BAT’s 2014 production of “The Language Archive,” as well as the 2016 staged reading of another Will Eno play, “Middletown,” in which Kuntz and Wilder also appeared. Miles Duffey, an actor for Montana Shakespeare in the Parks since 2011, most recently playing Happy in Death of a Salesman, is performing with Bozeman Actors Theatre for the first time.

Bozeman Actors Theatre will present “The Realistic Joneses” by Will Eno at The Rialto, 10 West Main St. in downtown Bozeman. Shows run Thursday through Saturday, April 19-21 and April 26-28, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24 in advance at www.bozemanactorstheatre.org or $27 at the door.

Pulitzer-Winning Play Examines Controversial Transgender Pioneer

Bozeman Actors Theatre and Verge Theater Will Present “I Am My Own Wife” in February for the first time in Bozeman.

BOZEMAN, Mont., Jan. 2, 2018—Actor Ryan Lawrence Flynn recalls his unease about accepting the lead role in Doug Wright’s “I Am My Own Wife,” premiering at Verge Theater on February 2. That’s because this lead role is the play’s only role, split across dozens of parts.

“At first the idea of doing this play was so intimidating,” Flynn said. “But the more I get into the process and explore these characters, it’s actually become quite exciting to lose myself in this incredible story.”

Flynn, known for his versatility on local stages, has played multiple parts before, most notably in the Verge’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes” live radio theater productions of the past seven years. But “I Am My Own Wife,” a Bozeman Actors Theatre production in collaboration with the Verge, is a challenge on a much grander scale, he said.

Over the two-hour play, Flynn portrays not only the main character, a transgender German woman, but also the American playwright-narrator and his newsman friend with a Texas twang—each of them trading dialogue scene by scene.

Then there are the 32 other minor characters, men and women with a variety of accents, appearing throughout the play.

Though it might seem gimmicky as described, it isn’t, Flynn said. “What hits you from the beginning is not the single actor doing voices, but this powerful story of believing in one’s entire self and identity,” he said.

“I Am My Own Wife,” in fact, received critical acclaim and every major award in theater after its 2003 Broadway premiere, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. In the years since it has captivated audiences in productions around the world, said director Kari Doll.

At the heart of the play’s appeal is a profoundly human story of survival, she said.

The play recounts the life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, born Lothar Berfelde, who survived a violent childhood in pre-war Germany and the Nazi and Communist regimes in East Berlin as a transgender woman. Through interviews and monologues, Charlotte describes her will to endure and even prosper across decades as a famous Berlin preservationist, but not without great sacrifice. When the reunification of Germany reveals that she may have been a secret police informant, even her most devoted admirers have to reexamine right and wrong in the context of brutal oppression.

Von Mahlsdorf, who died in 2002, remains a controversial figure in Germany today—celebrated by some as a transgender pioneer but vilified by others.

“Knowing how difficult life can be for transgender people in this day and age, I was fascinated by Charlotte’s true-life story,” Doll said. “To me, this is a story of survival against immeasurable odds. It’s complicated. Nothing is black and white. But in the end, Charlotte shows us all how elegant determination can conquer hatred.”

As an actor, Doll worked with Flynn on several “Don’t Close Your Eyes” productions at the Verge, so she immediately thought of him when casting “I Am My Own Wife” last year.

“Ryan was the obvious choice for me,” she said. “I was already familiar with his amazing talents and versatility, and after this show audiences are going to share that sentiment.”

Bozeman Actors Theatre and Verge Theater will present “I Am My Own Wife” by Doug Wright as a 2018 Main Stage production at the Verge, 2304 North 7th Ave. (across from Murdoch’s). Shows run on Fridays and Saturdays between Feb. 2 and Feb. 17, 2018, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $14 in advance at www.vergetheater.com and Cactus Records, or $16 at the door.

Auditions

Bozeman Actors Theatre will hold open auditions for our 2018-19 season on Saturday, January 13, 2018, from Noon to 4 pm, at Verge Theater. A big THANK YOU to our friends at Verge Theater for hosting this event!

Please prepare one dramatic and/or comedic monologue. There will also be opportunity for cold reading, as well. We want to see what you can do! The auditions aren't specific to a particular show, but rather an opportunity for you to be considered by BAT's directors and producers for the upcoming season. Please bring a theatrical headshot/resume, if available, including contact information.

To schedule a 15-minute time slot, please contact Kari Doll at kdamazon2003@yahoo.com.