Marisol

written by: jose rivera   directed by: susie gidseg and jen brown

produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

Directors Note

When Jen and I were both theatre students at OU, we fell in love with a script. There is something about this play. Something that caused it to win an Obie Award and put Jose Rivera and his magical realism, and his playing with time and religion and friendship and love on the map. Something about his ability to touch you— but in a strange way. To make you wonder what really would happen if angels decided to revolt against god. What really would happen if apples were turned into salt. What really would happen if the world ended and we didn’t know where we were, or maybe who we were.

This play is about a journey to find yourself and your purpose, amidst a crazy world spinning out of control. We remember Susie as a college freshman, curled up with Jen’s copy of Marisol—reading and reading and dog earring pages and
eventually keeping the script (she said she lost it, but Jen probably knew better), and imagining someday, one day, being able to do it and do it well.

There is nothing like the sound of 15 some odd theatre people, running like crazy all around the off center at all hours of the night because they want to be there, of a fight choreographer volunteering his time, or friends jumping on the bandwagon just because to paint bricks or shop for hours at home depot, a friend coming on for the stage management experience of his life—just cause, a sound designer from Oklahoma doing a brilliant score from a state away, or actors volunteering for extra work on their days off. Its no wonder when the play ends, we miss this. The closeness, the hours spent all together, holed up in the Dougherty Arts Center, in passionate discussions about the meaning of art.

Rivera wrote Marisol in the 90’s, pre- 9-11, with the idea of the Apocalypse looming in the distance. Years later, after the attacks, after the millennium has come and gone (and we are still here), the words still ring true. And all of us, just like Marisol, still continue—trying to find our purpose—trying to find our friends— trying to make our world sit still sometimes.

It has been both a joy and a challenge to direct this production, but it is something we are both very very proud of. Thank you for “going there,” Thank you for coming, thank you for suspending your disbelief and embarking on a journey with us. Welcome to pre- apocalyptic New York City.

We hope you enjoy the show,

Susie Gidseg and Jen Brown, Directors