Interview: Priest Tyaire of “Mrs. Independent”

Posted on May 5, 2014 at 8:00 am

It was a very great pleasure to talk to writer/star Priest Tyaire about his new play, “Mrs. Independent,” currently on tour and opening in Washington D.C.’s Warner Theater May 8-11 for Mother’s Day next weekend.

PriestPhotoCan a woman still be submissive to her husband and allow him to lead her household if she is the primary breadwinner? Does the role reverse? These are the questions explored in Priest Tyaire’s critically acclaimed stage play, “Mrs. Independent.” While Trey, maintains an honest and respectable salary of $40,000 a year as a head mechanic, his wife, Carleena, climbs the corporate ladder as an attorney and advances to a six figure salary. This creates not only a financial imbalance but also raises a question of Trey’s intellectual compatibility in Carleena’s mind and pushes their once equally yoked marriage further off course. With such a significant gap in their salaries it becomes increasingly impossible for Trey to satisfy his wife and this leads to a downward spiral of emotional and spiritual conflicts in their relationship.  The play stars Robin Givens, Christopher Williams, Shirley Murdock, Tony Grant, and Trisha Mann-Grant, along with Tyaire himself as the husband trying to understand what it means to be a man in this relationship.

Tyaire is often referred to as “the new Tyler Perry,” because he was inspired to start writing because of his own struggles, because he writes and stars in his own plays, and because he has attracted a devoted audience primarily made up of African-American women.  Tyaire spoke to me about what got him started and the messages he hopes to send with his writing.

You were trained as an electrician.  Why did you start to write?

In 2006 my mother was diagnosed with cancer and the Lord laid it on our spirit to write about her.  That show sold out.  We did 24 tours, over 90% seats filled.  Still, my father told me it was time to go back to being an electrician.  But the Lord kept changing my path and he understood that.  Before he passed, he apologized for discouraging me.  But he was just trying to protect me.

My first play was a tribute to my mother.  It was called “Tears of a Teenage Mother.”

In the show, a girl does not want to tell her mother she is pregnant, and she almost dies.  A young lady brought a group of teenagers to the show.  One of them ran out of the show.  She was pregnant and did not know how to tell anyone.  I hope my plays will help people have those difficult conversations they do not know how to begin.

I wanted to write about my father next, so my next play was “Torn Between Two Fathers.”

With no background in writing, how did you begin?

I bought every Tyler Perry DVD, listened to the backstage commentary, and learned everything I could about blocking, sets, pacing.  When I was growing up, I did not think it was manly to go to plays with my mother.  But she took me to Mama I Want to Sing and I was so touched by it. I love to get a phone call from a guy asking, “What do I wear to a play?”  I know he will find out that he will connect to the story and want to come back to see more.

And you also became an actor.  How was that?

The funny thing is, I’m shy.  People say that is hard to believe.  As long as I feel the audience is with me, as soon as I hear the first laugh, I’m good.  I know you’re not supposed to break the fourth wall and interact with the audience, but we do it all the time.  I always try to include the audience in, make it an experience.  That’s our mantra: “not just entertain but experience.”

mrs. independentTell me about this new play.

In “Mrs. Independent,” the woman is the breadwinner and the man has insecurities behind it.  It’s always a topic of discussion.  There is a mother who pushes them but it is not bashing anyone, women or men.  It is uplifting.  But bring your tissues — you are going to cry.  And you are going to church.

Do you pray before the show?

Always.  We have someone I call our prayer warrior.  She gets us going.  And you will always see God throughout my work.  I’ve been through so much I felt like Job at times: “God said you can do what you want to him but you can’t kill him.”  I needed to make sure it was God’s voice and not my own.  God will test you and push you.  God gives everyone a gift, but just like it says on Christmas, the batteries are not included.  You have to provide your own.

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Interview: Amy Powers on the “Heathers” Musical

Posted on April 6, 2014 at 3:42 pm

Can it be possible that “Heathers,” the highly quotable ultimate mean girl story, was made 25 years ago? As Entertainment Weekly dishes with the actors and filmmakers to mark its anniversary and The Atlantic’s Alan Zilberman considers its impact, a musical based on the movie has just opened off Broadway. I spoke to producer Amy Powers, a Harvard Law grad turned writer, lyricist, and theatrical producer, about the show, how she left law for show business, and how being a lawyer helps her do her job.

Who came up with the idea of “Heathers” as a musical?

That would be our visionary co-producer, Andy Cohen, President of the management and production company Grade A Entertainment. My husband (J. Todd Harris) and I met Andy through a philanthropic networking group for Jewish Los Angeles entertainment professionals,created by my great Harvard Law School friend Steve Price. We loved Andy’s idea… and Todd brought in Andy Fickman, our wonderful director. Andy took it to his Reefer Madness! Lyricist/bookwriter, Emmy winning showrunner Kevin Murphy… and we all courted Lawrence O’Keefe (Tony nominated for Legally Blonde, The Musical).

Is it still set in the 1980’s or is it updated to the era of texting and Snapchat?

It’s proudly faithful to its original 80’s setting. (Technologically, this is the equivalent of “once upon a time”… the better to underscore the universality of bullying, peer pressure and self doubt). So yes – there’s a VCR. A teacher passes out mimeographs of Heather Chandler’s suicide note. We even have corded telephones (remember those?).

Why does the extreme situation of “Heathers” feel so true to the experience of high school?

Because it pretty much is, emotionally. The social politics of high school often feel like life and death. Insecurity is the norm, boundary testing reflexive. Allegiances can feel like they are built on quicksand. People wish other people would just, well, die. As my husband says, very essence of successful drama takes a magnifying glass to reality, and that’s what HEATHERS does.

Who becomes a mean girl and what happens to them?

My personal opinion is that mean girls are born, not made. You’re either a Queen Bee or you’re not. To quote that veritable source, Wikipedia, “When a young virgin queen emerges… she will generally seek out rivals and attempt to kill them.” As a parent, I saw that happening in nursery school! Most mean girls are feared, worshipped, hated, …. and eventually left behind, as people grow up and there is life outside the hive. Nice girls win. Mean girls put away their stingers or become bitter, lonely old ladies.

What made you decide to leave law?

The Universe. First It smacked me upside the head (I got Chronic Fatigue Syndrome literally a month after joining the Real Estate Finance Department at White & Case). Then It kissed me on the lips (while recovering, I wrote my first song — about a paralegal, no less — and the rush was addictive). There’s a big difference between doing something because you can, and doing something because you must. It didn’t feel like a decision — it felt like a mandate.

How does your background as a lawyer help you as a producer? As a writer?

Well, it certainly is a boon in understanding and navigating the nuts and bolts of the rights situation, and all of the agreements (investor, theater, creative). And, as every single issue in producing theater is a negotiation, I still utilize the skills learned during my HLS class with Roger Fisher (Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In).

As far as songwriting goes, my legal background was actually a challenge. I actually spent my first 5 years “unlearning” how to “think like a lawyer”… to let go of logic and simply become a creative channel.

Which classic high school movie comes closest to your own teenage years?

It hasn’t been written yet. I actually had a great time in high school (I know, I’m the only one). The worst thing that happened to me – moving and starting a new school in 10th grade – was actually the best, too, because I got to write my story over from scratch. When someone shoots the suburban ‘new kid’ story about the happy, sappy heroine who hangs with jocks and nerds alike, stars in the school show, writes her college application essays in limericl, and whose biggest claim to fame is as President of the Friday Afternoon Pseudo-Intellectual Elitist Wine Group (which serves Almaden), I’ll gladly watch.

What surprised you most about being a producer?

It’s only glamorous on Opening Night. Otherwise, it’s basically a daily deluge of decisions. Luckily, we’ve been working with a fantastic team of co-producers, including Scott Prisand (Rock Of Ages), Jamie Bendell (A Gentleman’s Guide To Love and Murder), Big Block Theatrical, and Stage Ventures (Rock of Ages, Million Dollar Quartet and more).

What was the best advice you got?

When a New York theater opens up, jump at it… even if you have no cast, no funds raised, and only four months to make everything happen!

What are you hoping the audience will see in this show?

Themselves… and everyone they knew.

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The King’s Singers: American Songbook

Posted on February 13, 2014 at 3:59 pm

I had the very great pleasure of attending a concert performance by the magnificent King’s Singers, who paid tribute to one of my favorite genres of music, what is now called the “American Songbook.”  They sang the work of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, and many more.  If you get a chance to see the King’s Singers on tour, I highly recommend it.  If not, listen to this:

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Interview: Playwright Jason Odell Williams of “Handle With Care”

Posted on December 3, 2013 at 3:50 pm

handle with care posterMany thanks to playwright Jason Odell Williams for taking time to talk to me about his romantic comedy, Handle With Care, opening tonight in New York, and starring Broadway legend Carol Lawrence, the original Maria in “West Side Story.” It tells the story of a young Israeli woman who reluctantly travels with her grandmother to America. Fate and hilarious circumstances bring together the young woman, who has little command of English, and a young American man with little command of romance. Is their inevitable love an accident? Or destiny generations in the making? Produced by my lifelong friend Sara Crown Star along with Doug Denoff, it arrives in New York after rave reviews around the country.

What was the initial inspiration for this story?  is any of it based on characters or incidents from real life?

The initial inspiration was I wanted to write a play for my wife. I was an actor at the time and was becoming tired of bad auditions and mediocre plays that were angry and about “serious important issues.” I wanted to write a romantic comedy – in the best sense of that word – that people from 8 to 88 could enjoy. Like Neil Simon or the classic sitcoms from the 60s and 70s. So I asked my wife what kind of play she’d like to act in, and she wanted something where she couldn’t be understood or where there was a communication gap. She’s Israeli and speaks fluent Hebrew so i thought i’d start with that. I thought she should be lost or stuck somewhere where no one or very few people can understand her. And from there a play was born! It’s not based on any specific real life incidents but I drew on my experiences when I first visited Israel and Charlotte’s nieces and nephews couldn’t understand me and we had to find some common-ground method of communication. And the two main characters, Josh and Ayelet, started off as versions of my wife and I, but over time became their own characters. I usually begin writing a character with a person or actor in mind and then the character takes over and becomes its own living breathing being.

What is the biggest challenge in creating a romantic comedy?  The Atlantic wrote about how the genre seems to be disappearing from movies — why is it hard to create one these days?

I think because everyone is so familiar with the structure – and you can’t really deviate from it too much or it won’t work. Boy and Girl meet, there are obstacles along the way, Boy and Girl fall in love and end up together. It’s no secret that the two main characters are going to get together in the end and it will be a happy ending – the only question is HOW. So everyone knows what’s coming and therefore it’s harder to surprise them. And it’s hard to not seem schmaltzy. It’s hard to be sincere in this day and age. It’s definitely the hardest genre but ultimately my favorite. Because you’re challenge is to make people laugh, cry, smile, feel warm, and delight them from start to finish. No easy task.

What is it like to work with the legendary Carol Lawrence?  How does her extraordinary background in theater contribute to this production?

She’s pretty amazing. I sometimes forget about her roots and her background and just see her as lovely Carol, the actress playing Edna, but once in a while I have to pinch myself when I remember she was the original “Maria.” Her stage experience and also just her life experience help her bring such amazing depth and warmth to the role. And she’s also extremely sweet and endearing in person. Lovely to have in the cast. We’re very lucky!

What makes the relationship with a bubbe so universal?handle with care

Everybody has one. And if you weren’t particularly close to your bubbie, you know what’s it like to be close to SOMEONE in your family. And that’s universal. Family and Love are the most universal topics I think. And the best topics.

What did you learn from regional productions of the show that helped make it work off-Broadway?  Were there any major changes along the way?

Yes, and there are still changes! There will probably be script changes up until a few days before opening night! But that’s what theatre is about. Tweaking and re-writing until you get it right. We learned SO much from the regional productions. Learned where the laughs are, where audiences were confused, where they were bored, where they were charmed, surprised, enthralled. Listening to an audience watch your play night after night is incredibly informative. It’s the only way to know what’s working. So i will use the first several preview performances to tinker and finalize the script for sure.

What were some of your favorite romantic comedies — legitimate theater or movie — when you were growing up?

When Harry Met Sally is the perfect romantic comedy film. And then for theatre, Barefoot in the Park is a benchmark play for me. If I can come anywhere close to Nora Ephron, Rob Reiner or Neil Simon, I’d consider myself very lucky.

What do you want families to talk about after they’ve seen the show?

I want them to talk about their own families, their own stories of fate and destiny, whether or not they believe in fate or destiny or soul mates or if it’s all just a bunch of random chaos, to talk about their own stories of finding love and falling in love. I want them to leave the play buzzing and smiling and happy and feeling a renewed faith in humanity! Is that too much to ask??

What makes you laugh?

My wife and my daughter. A great romantic comedy. And of course – this play!

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Princess Bride Comes to Live Theater

Posted on November 16, 2013 at 8:00 am

One of the most quotable movies of all time, “The Princess Bride,” is being developed as a play. It was originally a book by Oscar-winner William Goldman, then the beloved movie with Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, and Peter Falk.  Now Variety reports that Disney is working on a musical for the stage.  Time for more fun storming the castle!

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