DG National Report: Boston by Mary Conroy
Looking across the spectrum of productions in Boston this winter and this spring, I came across something different and exciting and timely: a documentary play about the Boston Marathon bombings. And to my delight, a collaborator on this project is none other than Dramatists Guild member, Lisa Rafferty.
Mary Conroy: You are currently working on two documentary plays, can you tell us more about them?
Lisa Rafferty: Joey Frangieh and I created Finish Line: A Documentary Play about the 2013 Boston Marathon. We had a sold-out developmental run in Boston last April, prior to the upcoming world premiere on the Shubert Theatre in March 2017. It is a story of recovery, resilience, and determination that focuses on how a community came together to heal and grow stronger, rather than on the act of violence itself. The script is created verbatim from dozens of interviews. Among those interviewed are survivors, runners, doctors, police officers, journalists, clergy, students, and many others. Notable interviewees who contributed their stories include Police Commissioner William Evans, news anchor Maria Stephanos, Life is Good founder John Jacobs, Boston Strong co-author Dave Wedge, 1976 Marathon winner Jack Fultz, and Boston Globe photographer John Tlumacki.
My latest documentary play is SHE DID ALL THAT: Betty Ford, Speaking Out, Saving Lives. This piece focuses on the courageous and outspoken First Lady. She was a trailblazer, following the legacy started by Eleanor Roosevelt and continuing to the leadership of the First Ladies today. The first chapter and first act focuses on her first two years in the White House.
MC: What brought you to each project?
LR: Joey and I both have a passion for documentary theatre and knew the best way to tell the story of April 15, 2013 would be through the words of those who were impacted, directly or indirectly. It has been a powerful and profound experience to create a platform for these voices.
The inspiration for Betty came during a visit this summer to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor. While there, I read a disgruntled letter from Maria von Trapp to Betty Ford. This led to a discussion with a staff member, which led to research on the papers there, which opened my eyes to the extraordinary courage and candor of Mrs. Ford, and her impact on the lives of thousands of women. It was something that I did not know about, and very much wanted to share.
MC: Why the stage as opposed to the big screen?
LR: There is something pure and raw and alive about theatre. An audience watching theatre becomes a community together, sharing what can be healing, enlightening or provoking in a visceral and unique way. I have not written for the small or large screen, although certainly either of these pieces could be adapted. Calling HBO!
MC: Have you been met with any challenges because they are documentary plays? If so, what?
LR: The goal is always to stay true to the source material—whether it’s interviews, oral history, first-person accounts, other source materials. In the cast of Finish Line, we had hundreds of hours of audio from over 85 interviewees. All the stories told to us infused the piece, and influenced the production. Not every story can be shared onstage but we hope the production reflects many points of view, and offers a vision of a community that arose out of the darkness of the day.
With the Betty Ford piece, I am going back in time, and creating a context and sharing the impact of all that occurred, using only source materials. There is so much material out there on Betty Ford’s pioneering legacy—the challenge is to crystallize it and create dialogue and action. A cast of eight actors portray over fifteen characters, including Betty, President Ford, Morley Safer, Maria von Trapp, White House reporters, and citizens who wrote to the First Lady, both critics and admirers.
MC: What have been the most fulfilling elements of working on documentary plays?
LR: Collaboration is so important in my playwriting and creative work. In addition to the work that Joey and I have been doing for two years, there has also been collaboration among actors from various workshops, designers, a dramaturg, and the interviewees themselves who have all valuable contributions to the development.
For the Betty Ford piece, I am working solo for the first time, but looking forward to input and feedback from cast and audience as it develops. What’s particularly fulfilling in this is the focus on a strong woman, who continually spoke out in the face of criticism, resistance and opposition, and stayed true to herself. I’m inspired by her and hope many others will be also.
MC: When can we see the productions of these documentary plays?
LR: The world premiere of Finish Line will take place from March 15–26 at the Shubert Theatre in Boston.
There will be a benefit staged reading performance of Betty on February 9 at Company Theatre in Norwell, MA. Hoping for a future performance in Ann Arbor, MI. Stay tuned!
In addition to her documentary theater work of Finish Line and Betty Ford, LISA RAFFERTY has written four comedies in the MOMologues series, published by Samuel French, which have been performed around the US and the world. Her essays have appeared in The Boston Globe, Wicked Local papers, and The New York Times. Lisa is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
