By the Word’s upcoming world premiere of American Devotion certainly caught me by surprise during Elbows Up, Canada. At a time when we’ve been told to be mindful not to support or buy ‘American’, why see a play about devotion to a country that does not feel the same way in return to Canada?
Off I went on a Zoom call to find out more. I’m glad I did.
After speaking with playwright Franca Miraglia and director Mario D’Alimonte, I’m now intrigued by the play’s concept. Dave Rabjohn from Our Theatre Voice will cover the opening night show, and his review will be posted soon after. I’m going to try to make it to the show later.
From the Crow’s Theatre website, where the show will play in the Studio Theatre, here’s a description of Miraglia’s American Devotion:
“Set in 1957, American Devotion takes us back to the Connecticut farmhouse shared by Marilyn Monroe (Misha Harding) and her celebrated playwright husband, Arthur Miller (Holm Bradwell). In this fictional version of events, author Norman Mailer (Mark Rittinger) has successfully wrangled a coveted invitation for cocktails with the reclusive couple. With McCarthyism running rampant, Miller has been called to testify before the House of Un-American Activities Committee, adding further strain to an already besieged marriage. Mailer storms into this delicate situation ready to do battle and claim his prize at any cost, but Monroe has plans of her own for the evening’s festivities.”
Why the personal level intrigue?
American Devotion is set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, the era of stars, starlets, limousines, studio infighting, and backbiting. All that good stuff about celebrity culture, and whether people can see past it or not. That’s one of the foci behind Miraglia’s play, which the playwright handpicked Mario to direct. Franca just knew that Mario could elicit nuanced, sometimes tender and heartbreaking performances from Harding, Bradwell and Rittinger.
Director Mario confesses that he, too, has been obsessed with celebrity culture. He recalled the Rona Barrett Gossip Hollywood magazines that lined the shelves of convenience stores so many years ago. D’Alimonte also confessed that he spent time looking at the recent Met Gala photos online, on television and in print. (I did the same thing) He again confessed: “I couldn’t stop myself.”
He then shared his first encounter with Marilyn Monroe. Years ago, Mario recalled watching the late-night CBC movie with his brother after the news. On one particular night, it was the film Niagara. In his words, the 12-year-old D’Alimonte was ‘completely smitten’ with the sexy Marilyn, her charisma, and the character she played. He even gleefully said he became a bit obsessed after seeing the film and had to find out more about her. He went to the library (remember when that was how we all did research?). To this day, Mario proudly says that Marilyn continues to fascinate him.
Franca had written American Devotion twelve years ago, so it has been percolating in her mind and being for quite some time. She calls herself lucky and fortunate in this process because many people kept encouraging her. Layne Coleman did a staged reading of the script a few years ago. She also had a chance to work with Annie Baker at the Southampton Playwrights’ Conference.
As a young woman, Franca watched all of Monroe’s films and was fascinated. However, because the playwright called herself a theatre-geek kid, it was Arthur Miller and his book Timebends that gave her a window into a different version of Monroe than we had all seen on screen. From her research, Franca recalled that Mailer had written a book about Marilyn, and Miller was horrified by it. Did Mailer see something about Marilyn and her reality that none of us who watched her movies did?
Without spoiling too much for future audiences, let’s just say that both Franca and Mario have delved, and continue to delve, into the rehearsal process to explore a deliciously fictionalized mystery about what might have happened one evening during a conversation among these three iconic individuals.
Miraglia emphasizes that the conversation in the play is fictional. She takes snippets of truth from Miller’s book and twists things around for dramatic structure and purpose. Audiences will be asked to suspend their disbelief and just imagine this conversation took place.
I’m intrigued even more.
How’s Mario feeling about sharing his vision in this new work:
“To quote [Stephen] Sondheim, I’m excited and scared at the same time.”
That’s a normal reaction and feeling for any new work.
Mario doesn’t see Monroe, Miller and Mailer merely as American figures but as icons of the theatre industry. These are characters familiar to him, and he believes they are part and parcel of the audience who now attend the theatre.
Holm Bradwell and Mark Rittinger are names I recognize from the Durham Region and Greater Toronto area community theatre scene. Rittinger had played Willy Loman in a production of Miller’s Death of a Salesman that D’Alimonte had directed. Franca had seen that production and was taken by his work. Holm has been part of the Toronto community theatre scene for quite some time, acting and helping build sets. D’Alimonte has never worked with Holm on stage.
Mario did not know Misha Harding. Franca suggested that she and Mario attend a production of Pygmalion that featured both Holm and Harding. Both Franca and Mario walked away from that show, impressed with the actors’ on-stage work and thought further about inviting them to a reading of American Devotion. Mario said it was exciting to watch the chemistry between Misha and Holm, and later called Franca to say there’s no need to audition.
Mario and Franca call their three actors dynamic and gifted.
As we began to wind down our Zoom call, I commented on the trust that Franca and Mario have and hold for each other
While casting has never been within the playwright’s purview, Franca added that Mario, Mark, Holm and Misha have exceeded her expectations for the upcoming play’s opening. Miraglia has had her plays performed Off-Broadway, in Toronto, Bloomington, and in London’s West End. She has already attended a few rehearsals of Devotion and remarked that this will be her favourite casting ever. Miraglia has been in tears a few times at rehearsal because the three actors and Mario have brought to life what she has envisioned for the stage.
By the Word Productions presents American Devotion, running June 3 – 21 at Crow’s Theatre in the Studio Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue. Tickets are now on sale: (647) 341-7390, boxoffice@crowstheatre.com or visit American Devotion | Crow’s Theatre.
Click here: https://www.crowstheatre.com/shows-events/american-devotion#team for more information on the creative team and online ticket purchase.
