INTERVIEW: ‘Maiden Voyage’ centers on all-female patrol on a U.S. submarine
Photo: Playwright Cayenne Douglass and director Alex Keegan work together on Maiden Voyage. Photo courtesy of the artists / Provided by Emily Owens PR with permission.
This weekend, playwright Cayenne Douglass debuts the latest iteration of her new show, Maiden Voyage, at The Flea Theater in Downtown Manhattan. The play, which runs through Sunday, March 17, follows the first all-female patrol on a United States submarine, according to press notes. The high-pressure environment causes many unique situations and power dynamics, with a captain who subconsciously overcompensates for gender inequality. As the playwright stated in press notes, the show explores what marginalized individuals might do under pressure when given an opportunity that was previously unavailable to them.
Maiden Voyage is directed by Alex Keegan and has been in the works for years. The cast consists of Arianne Banda, Georgia Kate Cohen, Brenda Crawley, Shimali De Silva, Rachel Griesinger, Natasha Hakata, Kait Hickey and Tricia Mancuso Parks.
Douglass is an accomplished writer who has had work produced or developed at a number of important creative organizations, including Ensemble Studio Theatre, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, Theatre Masters, Fresh Ink Theatre, New Perspectives Theatre Company, Dixon Place, The Tank, Letter of Marque, Clutch Productions, Company One, City Theatre Miami, FEAST: A Performance Series and Manhattan Repertory Theatre, according to her biography. Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Douglass on a variety of topics, including how Maiden Voyage was developed and what it’s like to work with Keegan. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did the idea for this play first come to you?
I wish I had a big sexy answer for you, but I don’t. I was thinking about what setting haven’t we seen on stage or what world haven’t we explored, and the idea of a submarine came to mind. I was also interested in writing an ensemble-based piece, and I decided to think about what an all-women’s piece would look like because I was reading about how colleges needed more good roles for women. Then the idea just sort of clicked, and I started writing small two-person scenes and learning what characters wanted to make an appearance.
Early into writing the play, I started to feel uncomfortable being in the world because I am claustrophobic. I went to lunch with a playwright friend, and I said, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to finish this play. I don’t know that I can spend an extended period of time in this world. It’s so uncomfortable!’ to which he promptly replied, ‘I think that means you have to write it!’ I knew as soon as the words passed from his lips that he was right. So, I went back to my computer and kept on. As much as I was uncomfortable, I was excited by what was coming out, and it seemed that other people were leaning in when I was sharing early pages.
What’s the significance of having the story play out on a submarine?
The meaning and significance of a submarine became apparent as the story unfolded. A submarine, being an extreme environment, provided the perfect backdrop to delve into what expands in confined spaces and what comes sharply into focus. I began to delve into the paradox of how pressure is vital for the submarine’s survival, yet the pressure to achieve as the first successful all-women-led patrol becomes the very force endangering their existence. Additionally, I am fascinated by exploring the dynamics that emerge and how individuals, who might be presumed to share a collective identity, fracture or diverge when placed in a high-pressure environment.
How would you describe The Captain’s character?
I would describe The Captain’s character as mercurial, manipulative, ambitious, funny even … and of course very complicated. There’s intentionally a lot of ‘gray’ in the play — in that I don’t tend to write characters from the standpoint of ‘this person is inherently good’ or ‘this person is inherently bad.’ I want the audience to draw their own opinions and conclusions about who someone is and why they might operate a certain way. I approach my characters as if they are my children, with compassion and understanding, and a willingness to investigate their humanity even if the way they operate is morally bereft.
To that end, I’m fascinated with how The Captain became the way that she is. Is her belief system problematic? Yes! But how did she get there? What made her become who she is? What company did she keep when she was climbing the ranks in her Navy career? And what sacrifices did she make to be ‘one of the guys’ and not threaten the status quo? The paradox is interesting to me that then, when you finally get the opportunity to challenge that status quo, you have already bought into it. In that way what was an act of survival grows to become your downfall. I hate that and love it so much because it’s so fraught! As an artist, it’s so juicy to play with! My writing often explores how the outside gets in. I’m fascinated with how external influences become our internal belief systems, blurring the lines between self and society, and I find myself often questioning the barriers that define them.
Has the play changed over the past few years?
I began writing this play in the summer of 2018, which happened to be the summer before Alex and I both embarked on our respective grad school programs. I said, ‘Hey, I have part of a new play I started writing … would you be interested in doing a closed 10-hour workshop so that we can hear it out loud before we leave the city?’ Alex said yes, and now we started six years ago investigating what this world is and what the play might become.
I initially heard the play as a series of vignettes, and it has largely retained that form, although initially, they were not interconnected. At the outset, I simply let the characters and scenes evolve organically, allowing them to interact and explore the world. I’m not typically the type of playwright who plans out the structure of a play before getting to know the characters.
Eventually, I had a draft, but upon reading it, I felt that something was missing. There was something about the play that felt flat. While I was in grad school at Boston University, I did a directed study under Kirsten Greenidge. I spent an entire semester charting the arcs of each character in the play. At first, I was distressed in feeling obligated to make every character have an arc, but with seven characters, there’s just not a lot of stage time to do this! But then Kirsten said something that unlocked something for me. She said, ‘Some characters can have their own arcs, but others can contribute to the arc of the boat.’ With this in mind, not only did I chart the characters, I charted the arc of the submarine itself, recognizing its importance as a separate entity within the narrative.
Following this process, I had a draft that I felt proud of. In 2020, it was selected to be part of Fresh Ink Theatre’s season, but unfortunately, it was canceled due to the pandemic. This was supposed to be my first full-length production, so having that pulled so dramatically was really a devastating blow. I couldn’t even think about touching the play for a while. That said, I did submit it to various opportunities and awards, and it kept getting recognized. So I remained hopeful about the merit of the work and that it would one day be shared in three dimensions. In 2022, I applied for the NYFA/NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music, and Theatre and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Creative Engagement Grant, and in 2023, I was honored to receive both! This enabled me to consider self-producing such a huge show as this!
In this production process, I wasn’t able to make drastic script changes. I would have liked to, but having the time to sit with the material and get your head in a writing space while self-producing a team of 25+ artists is next to impossible. That said, I was able to make some really smart edits inspired by the director and the actors, which has helped refine the story logic.
What we will share in March 2024 is an iteration that I’m proud of, and moving forward I have two intriguing ideas of how I would next explore the play. I think that’s the joy of art — you get to where you can see it, and then always have room to mine for more. In that way, I think we find ourselves at a very exciting place.
What do you believe the play says about gender inequality?
Well, it’s essential to note that the play isn’t based on a historical event because the first instance of a woman stepping onto a submarine occurred as recently as 2011. This highlights the necessity of scrutinizing the ongoing presence of power structures within patriarchal systems. Furthermore, the play delves into how women themselves can unintentionally reinforce these structures and become entrenched in toxic systems. Additionally, it explores the harmful impacts of toxic masculinity not only on women but also on society at large. While the narrative primarily focuses on gender dynamics, it also aims to address the experiences of marginalized individuals who feel pressured to prove their worth to fit in. Ultimately, the play encourages reflection on the constraints imposed by societal norms and emphasizes the importance of creating spaces where individuals can authentically exist.
What is it like working with director Alex Keegan?
This is my favorite question because I could talk about it for days! Working with Alex has been an absolute dream. We started working on the play in 2018, and we met the year before in a writer’s lab at New Perspectives Theatre Company. So the relationship with the material and interpersonally was already established, which is a really comfortable place to embark on a collaboration, but even so, you never truly know what it will be like until you’re in the room. I entered in with trust, joy and optimism, and that has never failed or wavered — it has grown.
In my personal and very subjective opinion, I believe that the writer needs to have a strong spine towards their vision and what they want to accomplish, but they must also remain open to hearing when it’s not working and to listen from the room without being too precious. When I’m working with a director that I can trust, it allows me to take my hands off the wheel so that I can do my job. Alex is so smart, inside the material and inventive that I don’t have to split my focus in the slightest to worry about if she’s getting it. Her command is so strong (but in the most supportive and generous way) that it allows me to do my job, and that is a gift!
A lot of how we’ve been approaching working together is with a ‘yes and’ mentality. Alex is fiercely protective of all the folks in the space and deeply loyal to the playwright. She consistently checks in with me to ensure we are on the same page, to discuss the pacing of a scene, the vision of a moment, etc. Our collaboration feels like a continuous dialogue about how we can make the work better, more alive, more interesting. Sometimes I can have a lot of ideas, and she allows me to bring that fullness of Self to the work. I might not be right (in fact, I’m learning that Alex is usually always right! HA!), but she never makes me feel like anything is off the table; it’s always a dialogue that’s been supported by a tremendous amount of respect and care. I’ve felt that coming towards me, and I hope she feels the same coming from me because I respect and admire her so much.
Lastly, I think that a huge part of being good collaborators is having a similar work ethic. I have a very strong work ethic toward the material, and Alex is right there with me. Even in the wild and wooly world of self-producing and all the curveballs that it throws you, Alex has been a true partner in navigating this terrain, which I will be forever grateful for.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Maiden Voyage, written by Cayenne Douglass, continues through Sunday, March 17, at The Flea Theater in Downtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
