BUFFALO NEWS By Colin Dabkowski September 15, 2009

Award-winning 'Grenadine' deserves its hype

Never before has an unproduced play by an unknown playwright stirred so much interest and excitement on Buffalo’s theater scene.

Ever since heavyweight playwright Edward Albee selected Neil Wechsler’s “Grenadine” as the winner of the highly competitive 2008 Yale Drama Award, both the piece and the playwright have been the chatter of theatrical circles both locally and in New York. And on Saturday, after eight years of work on the play and a full year of mounting anticipation, Wechsler’s labor of love finally saw the light of day.

Theater Review
GRENADINE
Three and a half stars (Out of four) Comedy presented by Road Less Traveled Productions, Market Arcade Film and Arts Centre, 639 Main St. For information, call 629-3069 or visit www.roadlesstraveledproductions.org.

In a well-oiled production in the Road Less Traveled Theatre, Wechsler’s abstract, strangely comical and charming one-act play received a treatment largely worthy of its wit and originality.

As the lights go up, we meet a motley quartet of vagrants. There’s Grove (David Oliver), a perplexed violinist with no perception of time; Sconce (Jay Pichardo), an eternally optimistic rationalist given to grandiose personal stories about historical characters he’s never met; Pyx (Luke Wager), who harbors the Whitman-esque notion that he is one with the universe; and finally the crestfallen Prismatic (Gerry Maher), who leads the crew on their sordid quest to reach his recalcitrant lover, Grenadine.

Wechsler’s writing, like his characters, is willfully enigmatic and infused with a kind of playfully erudite, post-adolescent humor, which is nearly always well timed and placed. That’s especially true in the case of Pyx, who proclaims at various points that he “is” such concepts as ambiguity, contradiction and music. On the point of Pyx, he seemed to me a great deal funnier in the script than onstage, which could be attributable to the bombast of Wager’s performance.

But within that wise and wry humor, Wechsler has buried great pieces of insight. When Prismatic criticizes Sconce for rhapsodizing about his fictional travels with Sir Galahad, one of the many strange characters the group meets along the way corrects him.

“Too often we distrust our imaginations,” the man says. “More of us should think we traveled with Galahad.” And right he is.

If Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” was, as Brooks Atkinson wrote in 1956, “an acrid cartoon of the story of mankind,” Wechsler’s debut is a similarly sparse cartoon of similar scope but far more hopeful ambitions. Where Beckett hacked away at the inane to reveal near-terminal hopelessness, Wechsler instead uncovers a sort of buried joy.

Director Scott Behrend has given Wechsler’s play the look and feel of an early “Star Trek” episode. The colors in Ron Schwartz’s fine set are heightened to the point of surrealism, as are the mannerisms and dialogue of Wechsler’s four main characters. They are lost in unfamiliar territory, and their playful antagonism seems to be the main thing that sustains them (and their audience) through their wanderings.

Wechsler leaves the story, such as it is, open to interpretation. Constant references to Greek mythology — as well as Irish and English folklore — can’t help but put one in mind of Odysseus. Though Wechsler’s characters are skilled in few of the ways of contending, they seem to represent different sides of the same personality — our hero’s brain split into its rational, poetic and impulsive facets.

No doubt each audience member comes away scratching his head a bit, perhaps formulating a unique take on the vague meanings of the play’s great quest. That ambiguity, and the enticing challenge it poses for theatergoers, is but one of the many charms of this fine new play.

WNYMEDIA.NET By Chris Van Patten September 7, 2009

Grenadine (Curtain Up Preview #1)

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the prolonged absence. I’ve been getting resettled here in Buffalo and had to hold off on some blogging as a result. I’m back though, and Curtain Up!, the biggest event in the WNY theatre season, is on the horizon. I thought I’d post a series previewing the Curtain Up! shows, now through this Friday.

First up is Grenadine, a world premiere play at Road Less Traveled Productions.

Although it has never been formally produced, Grenadine is already quite accomplished. It won the 2008 Yale Drama Award, hand selected by Edward Albee for the honor. Albee will be in attendance for the production, and will also visit RLTP later this year, when they present his play “The Goat; Or Who Is Sylvia?”.

Grenadine tells the tale of a man in search for love. Separate press notes have described it as follows:

Grenadine follows a man’s quest for love in the company of his three devoted friends. The bonds of friendship are challenged – and ultimately reaffirmed – by the quartet’s journey through an unfamiliar landscape.

and

Four friends embark on a fantastical journey to win the heart of the fabled Grenadine… the bonds of friendship are challenged and ultimately reaffirmed by the quartet’s journey through an unfamiliar landscape.

Fairly similar; you get the idea.

It’s really exciting on many levels to see RLTP continue to premiere such exciting new works, with big names attached. Anthony Chase noted in this week’s Artvoice that RLTP is clearly “continuing its ambitious bid for a national profile” and if they continue to land award-winning plays like this, they’ll get on the national stage in no time.

Scott Behrend, RLTP co-founder and artistic director, will direct.

Grenadine stars Gerry Maher, with David Oliver, Jay Pichardo, Luke Wager, Peter Jaskowiak, Bonnie Jean Taylor, Lisa Vitrano, & Chris Corporandy also in the cast.

The show opens Friday (September 11th, as do all Curtain Up! shows) and runs through October 11th. Tickets are available online at RLTP’s website.

THE STAGE  (from the U.K.) By Lalayn Baluch  June 25, 2008 

Hare replaces Albee as Yale Drama Series judge

Playwright David Hare has taken over from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Albee as the judge of annual international writing competition the Yale Drama Series.

Hare will judge the contest - which was set up last year to promote the work of emerging playwrights, and is supported by Yale University Press and Yale Repertory Theatre - in 2009 and 2010.

The competition is open to any original, unpublished and unproduced full-length play in English. Submissions for next year’s contest must be received by August 15.

Winners receive $10,000, funded by the David Charles Horn Foundation, publication of the manuscript and a staged reading at Yale Rep.

This year’s prize was awarded to Yale University graduate Neil Wechsler for his work Grenadine. Last year’s winner, The Boys from Siam by John Austin Connolly, will be published this autumn.

For more information, visit www.yalebooks.com 

VARIETY  By Gordon Cox June 10, 2008

Neil Wechsler nabs Yale Drama prize
Writer wins $10,000 prize for play 'Grenadine'

Scribe Neil Wechsler has picked up the Yale Drama Series Award for his play "Grenadine."

Kudo, judged this year by Edward Albee, comes with a $10,000 cash prize, a reading of the play at Yale Rep and publication by Yale U. Press.

Storyline centers on a young man and three of his friends as the man looks for love.

Albee also judged the inaugural year of the Yale honor, awarding it to John Austin Connolly's "The Boys from Siam."

Judge for 2009 and 2010 will be David Hare, the Brit playwright ("Skylight," "The Blue Room") whose last play on Broadway was "The Vertical Hour."

Albee, meanwhile, is drawing crowds Off Broadway, where the Signature Theater staging of his play "Occupant" has extended for a second time.

Sellouts are a regular event at Signature these days, thanks in large part to a subsidy that prices the majority of ducats at $20. Ticket price for the extension, now two weeks, is $65.

Show, starring Mercedes Ruehl as sculptor Louise Nevelson, closes July 13.

NEW YORK SUN  By Staff Reporter June 10, 2008

Neil Wechsler Wins Yale Drama Award

Neil Wechsler's "Grenadine" has been named the winner of the 2008 Yale Drama Series Award, the school announced Monday. As part of the award, established last year to support emerging playwrights, Yale University Press will publish Mr. Wechsler's play and Yale Repertory Theatre will host a reading of it. The award comes with a $10,000 cash prize.

Mr. Wechsler, who lives in Buffalo, graduated in 1996 from Yale, where he studied philosophy and psychology.

The judge for the 2008 award was the three-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee. Next year's judge will be British playwright David Hare.

PLAYBILL  By Andrew Gans  June 9, 2008

Albee Selects Wechsler's Grenadine as Yale Drama Series Award Winner; Hare Will Judge in 2009-2010

Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning playwright Edward Albee has selected Neil Wechsler's Grenadine as the winner of the 2008 Yale Drama Series Award.

The award, which was first presented in 2007, supports emerging playwrights and is jointly sponsored by Yale University Press and Yale Repertory Theatre.

Playwright Wechsler will be presented with his award Sept. 14 at a ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton New York. He will receive the David C. Horn Prize of $10,000, and Grenadine will be published by Yale University Press and receive a reading at Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, CT, Sept. 15.

Grenadine, according to press notes, "follows a man's quest for love in the company of his three devoted friends. The bonds of friendship are challenged—and ultimately reaffirmed—by the quartet's journey through an unfamiliar landscape."

Wechsler graduated from Yale University in 1996 with distinction in Philosophy and Psychology. He lives in Buffalo, NY, with his wife, Anne, and their two-year-old son, Max.

John Austin Connolly's The Boys from Siam, the 2007 recipient, was also selected by playwright Albee. The Vertical Hour's David Hare will select the winners in 2009 and 2010.

For more information visit www.yalerep.org.

THEATER MANIA By Brian Scott Lipton June 9, 2008

Albee Selects Wechsler's Grenadine for Yale Drama Series Award

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee has selected Grenadine, by Neil Wechsler, as the recipient of the 2008 Yale Drama Series Award, jointly sponsored by Yale University Press and Yale Repertory Theatre. The play follows a man's quest for love in the company of his three devoted friends.

Wechsler will be awarded the David C. Horn Prize of $10,000 in a ceremony in New York City on September 14; the play will be published by Yale University Press and receive a reading at Yale Repertory Theatre on September 15. Wechsler graduated from Yale in 1996.

Playwright David Hare will be the judge for the award in 2009 and 2010. Submissions for the 2009 Yale Drama Series competition must be postmarked no earlier than June 1, 2008, and no later than August 15, 2008. The competition is open to any original, unpublished and unproduced full-length play in English.

For complete contest rules, please visit www.yalebooks.com.

HARTFORD COURANT

Neil Wechsler will receive the 2008 Yale Drama Series Award for his play "Grenadine."

The new prize, which comes with $10,000, began in 2007 and supports emerging playwrights. The award is jointly sponsored by Yale University Press and Yale Repertory Theatre. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Edward Albee selected the 2007 and 2008 winners. British playwright David Hare ("Plenty," "Amy's View," "Skylight") will select the 2009 and 2010 winners. Yale Press will publish "Grenadine." The award will be presented in New York Sept. 14. A reading of the play will be given by Yale Rep in New Haven on Sept. 15.

"Grenadine" is described as "a man's quest for love in the company of his three devoted friends. The bonds of friendship are challenged — and ultimately reaffirmed — by the quartet's journey through an unfamiliar landscape. Wechsler, who lives in Buffalo, graduated from Yale University in 1996 with distinction in philosophy and psychology. He has been writing novels, novellas and plays ever since.

LONDON THEATREVIEWS By Blanche Marvin  June 2008

The series spreads its wings from the USA to international outreaches as plays are allowed to be submitted from everywhere. The doors are open world wide. It is a very good yardstick in comparing the writers on this kind of global basis. Edward Albee has been the new play judge and David Hare, a renowned British writer, is the next judge for 2009-2010. That is the IMPORTANT NEWS! The fact that a Brit is following Edward Albee as judge is of major significance and should be recognized here in the UK. Submissions are open for everyone on every level as long as original full-length plays in English are unproduced and unpublished. The deadline is August 15.

Eddie Albee has chosen Grenadine by Neil Wechsler as the winner for the 2008 Yale Drama Series Award which was inaugurated in 2007, jointly sponsored by Yale University Press and Yale Repertory Theatre. $10,000 was awarded to Wechsler by the David C. Horn prize and his play will be published by Yale University Press along with a reading at the Yale Rep. The award will be formerly presented on Sunday September14, 2008 at the Ritz-Carlton at Battery Park, New York City and the reading will be on September 15 at the Yale Rep in New Haven.

Edward Albee has been especially keen to act as judge because of the calibre of work being submitted and feels that the award will help in the depth of writing for the theatre. Grenadinefollows a man’s quest for love amongst his three best friends. Those bonds are challenged, then reaffirmed by the quartet’s journey through unfamiliar territory. Neil Wechsler graduated with distinction from Yale University in 1996 majoring in philosophy and psychology. He has been writing novels, novellos, and plays ever since. David Hare has been delighted to take on the appointment as he feels more attention and less respect is paid to playwrights. Despite all the play development happening, he feels it is much more difficult for a playwright’s voice on his own terms to be heard.

Above Scrolling Images:
All photos by Katie Gilliland (Courtesy of Road Less Traveled Productions)