Baby with the Bathwater by Christopher Durang is my most recent directorial
production. The storyline in this play spans 33 years; the first act takes
place in one single year while the second act takes place in 32 years.
Because this is a dark/absurdist comedy, presenting a
dysfunctional family, I decided to present a family that while not completely
in accord on the inside, they look immaculate and perfect on the outside.
To achieve this goal, I placed Act One in 1969 (in order to reflect the changing America.) Act Two started in 1975 and slowly moved through the years until the year 2000 (a symbol of a "new beginning, new era, new millennium.)
The choice to present the play in an early era than written presented many challenges, for while the play moved through 33 years, such artistic choice needed to reflect times, literary references,the hairstyles, the music, the fashion, and the pop culture of the world the world the characters were living in. And while these changes were quite challenging from a technical and character development standpoint, it was a greatly rewarding and successful production.
