Available Light explores illness, relationships in area premiere of off-Broadway play
An unnamed illness brings strangers together in “You Will Get Sick.”
For its 18th-season finale, Available Light Theatre will present the area premiere of Noah Diaz’s off-Broadway play, which will open Thursday at the Riffe Center.
“The play deals with experiences that maybe we don’t want to talk about, but which everyone encounters: living in your body, aging, injury and illness,” director Eleni Papaleonardos said.
Telling a difficult story
Papaleonardos, who also is Available Light’s artistic director, praised the “extraordinary” script as one of the best plays she’s read over the past decade.
“Diaz takes on a challenging, painful and universal subject in such a surreal and thoroughly creative way,” she said.
Written before the pandemic in 2018 and first staged off-Broadway in 2022 at New York’s Roundabout Theatre, “You Will Get Sick” was praised by critics as “delightfully strange” and for its charming, whimsical approach to serious themes.
A recipient of a Kennedy Center playwriting award, Diaz’s play fits the semi-professional company’s mission to “tell stories we haven’t heard before” and that “deal with the experiences of our community,” Papaleonardos said.
What’s the play's style and setting?
Although the themes suggest a straight drama, Papaleonardos views Diaz’s play as closer to a dramatic fantasy with unexpected humor.
Set in a modern U.S. city before the cellphone era yet spanning both real and fantastic settings from a big city and Midwest farm to the beloved movie musical "The Wizard of Oz," the play explores how serious illness complicates relationships.
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“The atmosphere is dark, isolated and crowded, like being in a big city but feeling completely alone,” Papaleonardos said.
Diaz, who also writes for television (Hulu’s “Perfect Strangers” and “Up Here,” Peacock’s “Joe vs. Carole”), takes a more stylized approach to his plays.
“The way he plays with form and structure defies common expectations of what theater can be,” Papaleonardos said.
Who is #1?
Rudy Frias plays #1, an unnamed thirtysomething gay man suffering from a terminal disease.
“Not specifying his name or illness makes this play accessible to everyone,” Frias said.
Because of family issues, including his brother and father’s deaths from illnesses, #1 doesn’t know how to talk about terminal illness.
“He can’t communicate with his sister, who would immediately try to take over and take care of him, but that’s not what he wants,” Frias said.
#1 posts flyers to find someone to practice communicating about his disease.
“He’s not looking for care or pity or a friend ... just looking for someone to fulfill the need he has to simply say, 'I am sick,’” Frias said.
Who is #2?
Jeanine Thompson, an emeritus Ohio State University theater professor, plays #2.
“She’s spunky, with a wicked sense of humor and a bit of a bite,” Thompson said. “After losing people and knowing her time is limited, she’s learned how to be resilient."
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Needing money while taking night acting classes at a community college, the older woman (called Callan onstage) is hired to help #1.
“Despite the initial transactional nature of their relationship, the unlikely pair develops an endearing friendship, Thompson said.
“As she walks him into passing into his death, there’s a real bond that grows into caring and love for each other. This play goes on such a dynamic journey of humor, tenderness, grieving and resilience,” she said.
Why is the play written in second-person perspective?
To further enhance universality, characters mostly speak in second-person point of view.
“We keep hearing ‘you feel numbness’ or ‘you notice that’ ... ‘You’ is #1, the protagonist, but it’s also ‘you,’ the audience. It could be any of us,” Papaleonardos said.
Cindy Tran Nguyen (as #3) and Jordan Fehr (#4) play multiple roles, while Jabari Johnson plays #5, the offstage narrator.
“The narration explores inner worries and thoughts, sometimes an encouraging voice, that mainly reflect #1,” Papaleonardos said.
Frias finds the approach challenging but rewarding.
“It’s abstract, but powerful and extremely emotional. That gives you a lot of range to play with ... We needed Kleenexes because we were sniffling at our first table reading,” he said.
Forging connections at heart of story
Beyond his focus on disease, Diaz explores deeper themes.
“People might think this is a play about getting sick, but the core is finding connection,” Frias said.
“Being able to connect with someone physically or emotionally is almost as important as air. Through their evolving relationship, you realize that he’s not alone and she’s not alone. They have each other,” he said.
Thompson, whose mother passed recently from dementia at 94, takes the themes personally. “I understand the heartbreak ... This dark comedy about our journey of life really speaks to my life,” she said.
“This play shows us that illness and death can either break you into tears or break you into laughter.”
@mgrossberg1
At a glance
Available Light Theatre will present “You Will Get Sick” at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 12-14 and April 18-20 at the Riffe Center’s Studio Two Theatre, 77 S. High St. Ticket prices start at $25, with Pay What You Want at the door. (cbusarts.com, avltheatre.com)
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Available Light to premiere off-Broadway play as 18th season finale
