INTERVIEW: Arin Arbus helps two lonely souls connect in ‘Frankie and Johnny’
Photo: From left, director Arin Arbus, actor Michael Shannon, playwright Terrence McNally and actor Audra McDonald are the creative forces behind the new revival of Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune. Photo courtesy of Miller Mobley / Provided by Polk & Co. with permission.
Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune is receiving a critically lauded revival on Broadway at the Broadhurst Theatre. Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon star as two lonely souls who are brought together for a one-night stand that results in an unforgettable evening of revelation and personal growth.
Arin Arbus, who served as the associate artistic director of Theatre for a New Audience for a decade, makes her Broadway directorial debut with this modern classic.
“It’s been pretty great,” Arbus said in a recent phone interview.
Arbus began the project in the fall of 2018 with a two-week workshop with the cast members. Rehearsals then began in April 2019, and she called the experience of working with the likes of McNally, McDonald and Shannon a complete thrill
McNally, playwright of such works as Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class, was a presence in the rehearsal room, which Arbus appreciated.
“He was very involved through the process,” she said. “He didn’t come to every rehearsal, but we were able to ask him all of our questions. And I think he helped to align us.”
Arbus called Frankie and Johnny a play about needs and connections, and the two characters’ emotions and urges are brought powerfully and intimately to bear on the Broadhurst stage. “It’s such an amazing piece,” she said. “For me, the territory of the play is existential. … They struggle so deeply to find meaning.”
She said the experience of making her directorial debut on Broadway has been the “thrill of a lifetime.” Before Frankie and Johnny, Arbus’ name was well known to New York theater enthusiasts. For example, for TFANA, she directed many William Shakespeare productions, including The Winter’s Tale, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew, among others.
Arbus came to theater at a young age. Both of her parents were actors, so she grew up amidst scripts and prosceniums. She loved the art form almost from day one.
When she was approached about Frankie and Johnny, she immediately said yes and was delighted to be working with Shannon and McDonald. “I find their chemistry together is exciting and believable,” she said. “It would be really difficult to do this play with anyone that someone didn’t like or trust.”
Arbus said both actors came into the rehearsal space with a deep understanding of their respective characters; however, they were also open to evolve those characterizations throughout the workshopping of the play.
The production, running two hours and 15 minutes, requires a lot of intensity from its cast members. Besides the emotional toll, there’s also the intimacy of their love affair and the teeter-tottering between drama, romance and occasional comedy.
Arbus was tasked with “cultivating a sense of safety in the rehearsal room.” Helping her with this responsibility was an intimacy director, Claire Warden, who aided Arbus and the cast in the choreographing of both the sex and violence in the play.
“She was a real advocate for everybody,” Arbus said. “She established parameters, which enabled everyone to feel heard and respected.”
For Frankie and Johnny, she hopes audience members form their own opinions and interpret the play in a myriad of ways. “My hope is that everyone is going to have their own response,” she said. “I hope theater inspires dialogue.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, directed by Arin Arbus, is now playing a limited engagement at Broadway’s Broadhurst Theatre in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
