INTERVIEW: Fishamble returns to NYC with ‘Maz and Bricks’
Photo: Fishamble’s Maz and Bricks stars Eva O’Connor, who also wrote the play, and Ciaran O’Brien. Photo courtesy of Lunaria / Provided by Karen Greco PR with permission.
Consistently and poignantly there has been an international theater company making great strides on the off-Broadway scene for many years. That’s Ireland’s Fishamble: The New Play Company, which has brought to these shores such acclaimed works as On Blueberry Hill, I Can See Clearly Now and The Pride of Parnell Street, among others.
They have set up shop once again at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown Manhattan for a month-long engagement of their latest work: Maz and Bricks, which was born out of the social issues that have changed contemporary Irish society.
The play, written by Eva O’Connor and directed by Jim Culleton, is a two-hander featuring Maz, a woman attending a pro-choice rally, and Bricks, a young father taking his daughter to the zoo, according to press notes. These two characters — portrayed by O’Connor and Ciaran O’Brien — may seem completely different on paper, but once they meet, their lives are changed.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with O’Connor about the play, which is part of Origin’s First Irish Theatre Festival. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
Did the news in Ireland concerning women’s rights and abortion directly influence this play?
At the time I wrote the play abortion was still illegal in Ireland. There wasn’t even a referendum date on the horizon. There was however a groundswell of support for reproductive rights and so much anger and frustration. I wanted to capture a moment in history when the nation felt very divided, and yet people were having really important conversations, and doing everything in their power to change hearts and minds. I didn’t write the piece as a campaign piece as such, but I did want to try reflect Ireland at that time.
What are you hoping to accomplish with this tale of two people?
Maz and Bricks are two very different people with contrasting views, but they change each other’s lives in ways they never thought possible. I wanted to show that if you meet someone on a human level so often you surprise yourself. You can find a connection with someone on the complete opposite side of the fence to you.
Was it always your intention to play Maz as well? How do you approach the role?
I always knew I wanted to play Maz. As an Irish woman fighting for reproductive rights I felt so let down by the state. I knew I could channel a lot of that into the character.
In terms of writing [and] acting, they are two very different hats. (You have to separate them otherwise you’d go mad!) So once the play was written I focussed on the role as I would with any other play I’m performing in. Maz is a really complex character who has had a tough life but also has this amazing resilience. I love playing her.
What’s it like to collaborate with Fishamble: The New Play Company?
Fishamble are brilliant to work with. They have been so supportive throughout this production. They make and support some of the best work coming out of Ireland. Jim Culleton, the director, is a great example of a hugely successful (Olivier Award-winning!) theatre maker who is also so kind and compassionate. I value that so much.
Do you feel that American audiences will pick up on some of the universal themes in the play?
Certainly. There are so many universal themes in it — heartbreak, love, loss, struggle, joy — and, of course, humour. As Irish people I think we rely a lot on banter to tell stories, and there’s lots of that in Maz and Bricks. I think Americans are well able for the Irish jokes!
When did you first get interested in theater?
I came to theater through a dance background as a teenager. When I performed in my first text-based play, I realised that it was such a powerful medium for telling stories. I felt so at home in the theater. I wrote my first play in my first year at Edinburgh university and coaxed my reluctant friends into playing minor parts. All the reviews said it would be better as a one-person piece, so I kicked all my friends out the show and performed it solo! I’ve been writing and performing ever since.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Maz and Bricks, produced by Fishamble: The New Play Company, plays through Feb. 2 at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
