This weekend, for the first time on any stage, University faculty playwright Ari Roth's "Goodnight Irene" will be performed by Ann Arbor's own Performance Network. The play, which was commissioned by the prestigious off-Broadway Man-hattan Theater Club, will get its preliminary showings at the Performance Network before moving on the national hot bed of theater, New York City.
This production marks the beginning of Performance Network's 15th season and certainly is a highlight in their relatively young history. The play, staged by nationally acclaimed director and King/Chavez/Parks Visiting Professor Gilbert McCauley, examines the historical dynamics of the relationship between African Americans and American Jews and the recent changes in this relationship.
In addition to the excitement surrounding this new work, "Goodnight Irene" will be featuring two well-known and reputable actors: Peter Birkenhead and Tim Rhoze.
Peter Birkenhead plays Ethan Goodman, fledgling editor of an urban activist journal, who is driven by an interminable guilt to ease race relations. Birkenhead recently completed touring as one of the lead roles in the Broadway production of Tony Kushner's Pulitzer prize-winning play, "Angels in America."
Birkenhead has worked with playwright Roth before several years ago on a production called "Oh, The Innocents" and felt a connection with both the writer and his work. Birkenhead was very involved in the evolution of "Goodnight Irene" from its original draft form several years ago to the current version of the play that will be staged this weekend. However, he says, "The play is very dynamic, which is good. It changes focus quite a bit."
Co-actor Tim Rhoze has also helped transform "Good-night Irene" into what it is today. Originally from Detroit, Rhoze began his career at the Detroit Repertory Theater where he received the Detroit News Award for Best Actor 1990 in the popular work, "Fenses." More recently, Rhoze has been working out of the Goodman Theater in Chicago, where he was introduced to director McCauley four years ago.
Rhoze was a latecomer to the "Goodnight Irene" team and had some initial apprehensions about his inclusion among his co-workers, but says: "It's been great. That stepchild feeling disappeared quickly." Rhoze is now an integral part of the production and has greatly improved everyone's experience with the play.
Birkenhead said, "The experience went up a mile high, just took this big leap. Working with Tim has made it everything I had hoped it would be and everything I was afraid it wouldn't be."
Birkenhead has had a long relationship with Roth that he thinks of as more than professional. He considers working with people like Roth the highlight of his career. Both Birkenhead and Rhoze claim that Roth is easy to work with. Rhoze says, "Ari asks for feedback, and he actually wants it!" Birkenhead says that Roth's love and passion for the play has brought it far and promises to make the production successful.
The actors' relationships with McCauley are also positive and healthy. Rhoze describes his friendship with McCauley as "having grown immensely in the last two weeks, and now we're on a different level." Birkenhead adds, "I cannot say enough good things about Gilbert. I love the way he thinks about this play and I love the way he thinks in general about life. He's got a real big brain and a real big heart and they're working well together."
Performance Network, which has made a living off of original work, has never produced anything of this magnitude. It has never been chosen to present to the world-at-large a piece commissioned by a reputable New York-based company. However, this production does seem to extend a theme began last year with this company by producing works written by playwrights at the University. Last year "Famous Orpheus" written by Oyamo had a successful run here at the Performance Network.
If chemistry is any indication then it would seem that a worthwhile production is imminent. However, there is no guarantee in the industry of theater that a show will succeed. There is risk for the small theater company who endorses original work. There is risk for the actors who are continuously building resumes. Finally, there is risk for the playwright who with every new play and every public performance places his reputation at stake.
Although, the talent assembled here for this production is certainly better than most Ann Arbor ensembles, nothing guarantees it will succeed. The stakes have been raised and the tension is high, and if that does not attract an audience, nothing will.
Tim Rhoze and Peter Birkenhead star in Ari Roth's "Goodnight Irene."