Jacqueline E. Lawton
  • Home
  • Info
    • Artistic Statement
    • Bio
    • Awards and Fellowships
    • Affiliations
  • Writing
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
    • Plays
    • Productions
    • Commissions
    • Award Ceremonies
    • Publications
  • Advocacy
    • Appearances
    • Facilitation, Workshops, and Trainings
    • Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the American Theatre
    • Gender Equity
    • Theatre and Technology
    • Theatre Action >
      • After Orlando
      • Climate Change
      • Every 28 Hour Plays
    • Testimonials
    • Additional Resources
  • Dramaturgy
    • New Play Development
    • Production Dramaturgy
    • Dramaturgy and Script Consultation
    • Additional Resources
  • Teaching
    • Qualifications
    • Curriculum Development, Theatre Arts Integration and Teaching Artist Training
    • Philosophy
    • Experience
  • Producing
    • ARDEO
    • On Stage with the Migration Series
    • Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign
  • Media
    • Gallery
    • Good Ink
    • Media Coverage
    • Interviews
    • Press Releases
    • Podcast & Video
  • Blog
  • Contact

44 Playwright for 44 Presidents - Grain of Sand

10/25/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Raising Cane. Carl Brandt Long and Matthew Ward. Photo by Johnny Shryock
Picture
Hamlet: Reframed. John Stange, Sara Bickler, and Pamela Leahigh. Photo by Greg Velichansky.
Picture
King Leir (staged reading) David Winkler, Jack Powers, and Kelsey Meiklejohn. Photo by Greg Velichansky
Ahead of the 44 Plays for 44 Presidents event on Monday, October 29th, I had a chance to connect with Carl Brandt Long of Grain of Sand Theatre. Here's our conversation:

Jacqueline Lawton: How did your company form and how long have you been presenting work in D.C.?
Carl Long:
Two actors and a director were discussing Hamlet over drinks and the second story in it – the political story behind the revenge tragedy.  The conversation turned into Hamlet: Reframed at the 2011 Capital Fringe Festival, and we’ve been growing ever since.

JL: What impact do you hope to make in the D.C. theatre community?
CL:
Our goal is to make high quality, engaging, and thought-provoking work that highlights use of language and storytelling, with a modest budget. 

JL: Is political theatre important to you?
CL:
We feel that political theatre is valuable for the community, especially in DC.  Though politics informs many of the stories Grain of Sand tells, we don't consider ourselves political theatre company, since we don't have a political or social agenda.

JL: Why did you decide to participate in 44 Plays for 44 Presidents?
CL:
We like collaborating with other people and other theatre companies, and the resulting energy in the room when a bunch of creative people play together.  New faces and new ideas are very inspiring.  We also like discovering new perspectives on familiar stories – in this case, the way the script features different storytelling methods for each president.

JL: Which presidents are you featuring? What’s their political affiliation and campaign slogan?
CL:
We’re featuring:
  • Franklin Pierce (D – “We Polked you in 1844; we shall Pierce you in 1852!”)
  • Eisenhower (R – “I Like Ike”)
  • Ford (R – not applicable)

JL: What’s something interesting we should know about them?
CL:
Here are a few things:
  • Pierce didn’t make his political views known, especially on the subject of slavery.  Consequently, he didn’t make enemies, and was nominated as a compromise among Democratic factions.
  • Eisenhower painted 260 portraits and landscapes as a way to relax during the last 20 years of his life.
  • Gerald Ford, despite being a strong supporter of music education, was one of only two presidents not to own a piano.

JL: Did any of them support the arts while in office? If so, how?
CL:
I’m not sure about Pierce and Eisenhower’s public support while in office.
  • Pierce was lifelong friends with Nathaniel Hawthorne, who jumped at the chance to write Pierce’s political biography (a popular campaign tool at the time), despite being at the height of his literary career.
  • Eisenhower was an avid painter, though despised modern art.
  • Ford signed a number of bills to provide federal funding for the arts.  He wrote: “I firmly believe that, in order to inspire the people’s pride in their Government, we must provide them with manifest evidence of its vitality, cre­ativity and efficiency by setting the highest standard in architectur­al design, environmental planning and visual communication.” 

JL: If he was running for office this year, would you vote for him? Why or why not?
CL:
No to all three.  Pierce was willing to say whatever would please the crowd, and I’m not a fan of Eisenhower’s or Ford’s foreign policy.

JL: In addition to 44 Plays for 44 Presidents, what’s next for your company?
CL:
Grain of Sand’s production of You Can’t Get a Decent Margarita at the North Pole begins on November 29 and runs through December 23 at The Shop at Fort Fringe.  See our website for more information!

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    My Blog

    Picture
    I'm a playwright, dramaturg, and teaching artist. It is here where you'll find my queries and musings on life, theater and the world. My posts advocate for diversity, inclusion, and equity in the American Theatre and updates on my own work. Please enjoy!
    Tweets by @dulcia25

    Categories

    All
    Advocates For Youth
    ARDEO
    Blackbirds
    Dance Exchange
    Dc Theatre
    Diversity And Inclusion
    Dramatist Guild
    Gender Parity
    Intelligence
    Lions Of Industry
    LoTT
    Love Brothers Serenade
    Mothers Of Invention
    Musings
    Nnpn
    Noms De Guerre
    Nso
    Our Man Beverly Snow
    Plays For Two
    TCG
    Theatre Education
    Theatre For Social Change
    The Hampton Years
    The Inferior Sex
    Triangle Theatre
    Wizard Of Oz
    Women Artistic Directors
    Women Directors
    Women Dramaturgs
    Women Playwrights
    Women Stage Managers
    Women Theatre Critics
    Xx Playlab Festival

    Archives

    June 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    June 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    May 2012

    Reading List
    2am Theatre
    American Theatre Wing

    Americans for the Arts
    The Atlantic
    Black Girl Dangerous
    Colorlines
    Feminist Crunk Collective
    Feminist Spectator

    The Good Men Project
    Guardian: Theatre
    Guernica
    HowlRound
    Media Diversified
    The Nation
    NEA Art Works
    NPR Arts and Life
    NYTimes: Arts

    Opine Season
    The New Yorker
    The Paris Review

    Salon
    Theater Talks
    Think Progress
    WaPo: Theatre
    Works by Women

    Vox

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Info
    • Artistic Statement
    • Bio
    • Awards and Fellowships
    • Affiliations
  • Writing
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
    • Plays
    • Productions
    • Commissions
    • Award Ceremonies
    • Publications
  • Advocacy
    • Appearances
    • Facilitation, Workshops, and Trainings
    • Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the American Theatre
    • Gender Equity
    • Theatre and Technology
    • Theatre Action >
      • After Orlando
      • Climate Change
      • Every 28 Hour Plays
    • Testimonials
    • Additional Resources
  • Dramaturgy
    • New Play Development
    • Production Dramaturgy
    • Dramaturgy and Script Consultation
    • Additional Resources
  • Teaching
    • Qualifications
    • Curriculum Development, Theatre Arts Integration and Teaching Artist Training
    • Philosophy
    • Experience
  • Producing
    • ARDEO
    • On Stage with the Migration Series
    • Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign
  • Media
    • Gallery
    • Good Ink
    • Media Coverage
    • Interviews
    • Press Releases
    • Podcast & Video
  • Blog
  • Contact