INTERVIEW: A losing NHL season inspires new play ‘Islander’
Photo: David Gould stars in Islander at HERE. Photo courtesy of Maria Baranova / Provided by Everyman Agency with permission.
Islander, a new show by Liza Birkenmeier, has an interesting premise: In the 2017-2018 hockey season, the New York Islanders had an abysmal year. They never made it to the playoffs, and because their home rink was being renovated, they were untethered from their fans and their typical surroundings. At first glance, there may not be much theatrical drama within a losing season in the NHL, but Birkenmeier thought differently.
She compiled verbatim commentary from the NHL and crafted a mostly-one-man show (there are two supporting characters) that centers on a single athlete who is focused on self-improvement and overcoming the odds, according to press notes. David Gould stars as the Islander player
Helping Birkenmeier on this journey is director Katie Brook, and their work will be on display through Sept. 4 at HERE in Manhattan. They actually were set to premiere the show last year, but the pandemic indefinitely postponed the original production. Thankfully, the dramedy soldiered on, and audiences now have a chance to catch in-person performances at the tail end of this summer.
Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Birkenmeier and Brook earlier in the pandemic about the production, which is being presented as part of the SubletSeries@HERE. The two previously worked on Dr. Ride’s American Beach House at Ars Nova. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did this original idea come to you?
BROOK: We were excited by the drama of professional sports commentary — the hyperbole and passion. We thought that a verbatim piece with this material would make something dynamic, though we weren’t sure exactly how we were going to use it.
BIRKENMEIER: We decided that ice hockey would be our focus; it was a sport that for many reasons we felt comfortable commenting on.
BROOK: And the Islanders have a poetic name and were in the midst of a harrowing season.
Are you fans of the New York Islanders?
BIRKENMEIER: We are now!
How did you capture this verbatim commentary? Have there been any additions or editing on your part?
BIRKENMEIER: We watched a ton of hockey games and got a sense for the overall context and narrative for the 2017-2018 season. We watched games on TV, at bars, live, listened to them on the radio, and to pre- and post-game coverage. We collected a ton of material, and then I looked it over and focused on a couple of voices — from live commentary and from other coverage — that I thought were best. A lot of the editing is very detailed and extensive, but I didn’t actually write a word.
What does the play say about white male fragility in 2021?
BIRKENMEIER: More than having an “opinion” on white masculinity, our time and context makes the play feel inescapably curious about this political identity. The play gives room for emphatic performance, violence, self-reflection and passionate dedication. As we hear the team’s journey narrated from one guy’s voice, it’s hard not to consider the cultural change in the understanding of straight white masculinity, especially as the team, or the central voice of the piece, fails and flounders.
BROOK: The thing is that straight white men are always going to come out on top, so we’re just seizing on a really special moment right now, I think.
What’s it like to work together?
BIRKENMEIER: Katie and I have been working together since 2010. Our projects have totally ranged in their use of text, in their construction, and in their tone. It’s exciting to make an experimental sports comedy together — it’s at once the most familiar process in the world and also strays from everything else we’ve made.
When did you first fall in love with theater?
BROOK: I don’t know when I fell in love with theater, but I know that my aesthetic was seeded in 1986 when I got a book called Chicken Licken for my 4th birthday.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Islander, compiled by Liza Birkenmeier and directed by Katie Brook, plays through Sept. 4 as part of SubletSeries@HERE in Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
Revised: 08/21. A previous version inadvertently switched the names of the Q&A.
