INTERVIEW: ‘Constellarium’ teaches children about diversity
In the coming weeks, Arif Silverman, the actor and playwright, will present his topical show about refugees at the Access Theater in New York City. In partnership with Rebel Playhouse, Silverman will offer a fantastical look at the planet Constellarium, which is a sanctuary for those whose worlds have been destroyed.
Constellarium, directed by Susanna Wolk, is intended for families and children ages 5 and up. Performances run Feb. 2-18.
The themes of the solo show touch upon many topics found in news headlines. First off, Earth has been destroyed, and all of humankind finds themselves heading to Constellarium. As they move to the planet, they must learn to respect diversity and appreciate history.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Silverman about the play. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired the creation of Constellarium?
I had the idea to do a play about a presidential speech from a faraway planet about two years back. I had been reading and watching a lot of fantasy, and was intrigued by the idea of having an actor paint the picture of an entire world primarily through words, without any grandiose or literal visual effects. Then, after the presidential election in 2016, I had the idea to make the planet a sanctuary planet, committed to harboring various peoples who had lost their own worlds. I was excited by this analogy of exploring alien races as a means of revealing and affirming the value of otherness and diversity in society, especially at a time [when] people can get so afraid of something they don’t understand. I thought Constellarium could examine the notion that otherness does not have to be seen as a point of contention.
What’s the best age for people experiencing the show?
My hope is that different ages are able to take different things away. For adult audiences, I hope that the play will help them examine the current state of our real world, while providing an effective means of fun, sci-fi escapism. For younger audiences, I kind of think of it as the other way around — that all the fantastical and otherworldly elements of the play will provide a way for them to help begin to understand the reality of our complicated, diverse world. There are a lot of complex political ideas in the show, but we’ve put in a lot of effort to making sure these ideas are accessible to audiences of all ages.
What are some of the lessons you want audience members to learn?
One is for audiences to think about what it means to come face to face with our history in all its flaws, for them to be reminded that we cannot fully progress as a people without fully acknowledging all that we have done in the past. Another, on a basically theatrical level, is for audiences to learn how viscerally and vividly words can make you feel transported to a different world, for audiences to be reminded that words can potently kindle and expand one’s imagination. Lastly, I suppose, is for audiences to consider what it means to be a good, responsible, accountable leader.
Has the show changed a lot since its original production?
Definitely. This is the fourth time we’ve staged this play, and it’s changed with each iteration, although it feels especially different this time around. There’s a lot more music since the first time we produced it. People seemed to respond a lot to the moments that had singing, so we added a couple of songs at different places, which has helped elevate the material.
We’ve also made the show much more interactive — there’s a large call and response element I’m very excited about, which will hopefully be fun for the younger audience members. Additionally, we’ve made Constellarium‘s history more complex and wrought with deeply troubling, problematic events. When it comes to writing a play about a fantastical world, there is always a delicate balance that has to be set between explaining [too] little and explaining too much. We’ve tried to refine the script each time so that the world, while consistent and vibrant, can unfold the more you come to know the character of President Falco (my character).
Does your love of theater go back to when you were a child?
I loved doing theater for different reasons when I was a child. It was exhilarating to perform in front of a crowd — I always felt confident and invigorated when I was on stage. But the older I got, the more intrigued I was by the storytelling component of theater. I wrote my first play when I was 21, and it was really in doing that that I was able to fully realize my love for the craft. The ability to voice whatever questions or observations I had been grappling with through creating fantastical narratives is the thing for which I am most grateful to theater. That’s what impels me to do it.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Constellarium, written by and starring Arif Silverman, will play the Access Theater in New York City. The production is in partnership with Rebel Playhouse. Click here for more information and tickets.
