But unlike the previous productions, “Fuddy Meers” and “Wonder of the World,” this one is not a traditional comedy. The five-person drama centers on a family tragedy and is strikingly realistic. This departure – and his recent authorship of the book and lyrics for the upcoming Broadway production “Shrek the Musical” – showcase Lindsay-Abaire's growing diversity as a writer.
“Rabbit Hole” is also a departure from typical Actor's Theatre of Charlotte fare, and director Dennis Delamar appreciates that contrast.
“We have satires and bloody macabre pieces, but this quiet piece is an oasis,” he says. “It gives food for our soul. It is a modern, real-life family drama that any of us can relate to.”
Lindsay-Abaire won the Pulitzer Prize for “Rabbit Hole,” which was produced on Broadway in 2006 by the Manhattan Theatre Club. In that production, “Sex in the City's” Cynthia Nixon received high critical praise in the lead role of Becca; her mother, Nat, was played by Tyne Daly, who was nominated for a Tony Award (as was the play).
In “Rabbit Hole,” conversations become unintentional swords. Words meant to comfort end up riling. Innocuous comments take on assumed meanings. What were probably minor failures to relate to each other prior to the tragedy become yawning chasms of disconnection.
Though the play is not a comedy, it is often funny as it explores the relationships between husband and wife, mother and daughters, and siblings. Lindsay-Abaire uses wit to illuminate characters – played by Susan Roberts Knowlson, Chip Decker, Julie Janorschke-Gawle, Nikhil Pai, and Polly Adkins – as they weave through their sorrow.
He also uses silence to reveal emotion, pregnant moments conveyed in the script by the word “beat.” And to Delamar, the beats are as important as the dialogue.
“I literally say every beat is significant,” says Delamar. “The writer has put them in for a reason, and one of my jobs is to lead you as to why he put a beat there.”
For Knowlson, who plays the main character Becca, the restraint of her character is a challenge.
“As we go scene by scene, there are points where I want to cry, and the script is very specific that I can't do that,” she says.
The dramatic role is a change for Knowlson, who has spent the majority of her career starring in musicals.
“Trying to sing and dance at
the same time is so
different than finding the
silence and the beat in a
small movement,” she says.
“The nuances are much
greater. And Actor's Theatre
is a small space as well.
Finding that balance is a
challenge.”
