Finding Jacob: From Ottawa to Phoenix, Part 4
Wednesday, 03 February 2010
The world premiere of Tangelico and A Cube With A View has been shepherded by many committed individuals – from the vision of the Artistic Director at Space 55, Shawna Franks, to Denny Guge and Stacey Reed working the hell out of Public Relations. And in the last two posts, I’ve touched on the critical role Brandon Wiley played in the production of this unlikely pairing.

I mentioned in the first post, that when I read the following two lines of dialogue in Tangelico, written by Sterling Lynch, I immediately texted Brandon:

JACOB: Well. Ahhh. (He looks around for a moment.) Aha! Why in fuck’s name are you peeling potatoes and cutting them up into strips?

SAM: Hey, don’t use the fuck’s name in vain.

I’m not entirely sure what it means that these lines called Brandon to mind. Once he read through the entire script, he told me, “I have only come across two roles that really jumped out at me. Jacob is one of those characters.” He made it his mission to do whatever he could to see Tangelico produced at Space 55.

Because Sterling’s play is a one-act, Brandon needed a play to compliment Tangelico – make a full evening of the show. “We need another play.” “Brandon, there is no play that would compliment Tangelico. Anywhere.” He decided that I would write one. Nice. I fretted and mulled, talked with Sterling, and decided to write a true companion play. Brandon texted me. Relentlessly. “What’s the title?” “A Cube With A View.” “Love that!” I kept writing and finished the first draft in one day.

Brandon and I talked about this show last week. I asked him what was behind his drive to see Tangelico on stage. “I come to many things late in life. I think that gives me an appreciation for where I’ve been.” Of acting, he said, “When I was ready, I was ready personally and emotionally to invest.” To that end, he said that his drive comes from knowing where he wants to go. I should say here that Brandon is in fact playing the role of “Jacob” in Tangelico.

I asked how he knew he wanted to direct A Cube With A View. “I’m very visual. When I read a script I see it on stage. I saw "Cube" as a play, but I also saw the male characters as being the opposite of who they were on the page.” I pressed him to explain his process around the development of these two characters. “I wanted them to play against the easy stereotype. My goal was to make them even more real and awkward than they appear in the script. A true theater experience happens in the most awkward moments that are true, and we know it, and we don’t know if we should laugh or cry. That’s what I want.”

I am grateful to both of our directors. Bob Fisher is directing Tangelico as well as playing the role of “Dennis” in "Cube". And many thanks to Brandon Wiley for his perseverance and tenacity and all around loyalty to theater. In addition to playing “Jacob” in Tangelico, he is also directing my play.

As the playwright of A Cube With A View, I have to say that Brandon’s vision is remarkable. He has found moments of shear panic, gut wrenching silence, and silly giddiness. Moments where I couldn’t help but sit back during rehearsal and say “Nice.” After Brandon turned around to shush me, he smiled, and surely thought, “That’s what I want.”