Center Stage at Southampton Arts Center will present the Long Island staged readings of Truman Capote’s holiday short story collection One Christmas and A Christmas Memory at the Southampton Arts Center, located at 25 Jobs Lane, from November 28 to November 30, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Produced through special arrangement with, and permission granted by, the Truman Capote Literary Trust, Center Stage will bring to life the bittersweet, heartwarming, and thought-provoking prose written by one of the 20th century’s greatest and most celebrated American writers, Truman Capote.
Center Stage Founder and Artistic Director Michael Disher shared some insight into this year’s production in this exclusive interview with Hamptons.com.
You have selected to produce Magical Staged Readings of Truman Capote’s Holiday Short Story Collection Revisited at the Southampton Art Center. What “personal reason” is there for presenting this show?
The prose is rich, breathtaking, heartbreaking, endearing, and simply so well-written. In a few pages, Capote captures relationships, holidays, and an era where so little could mean so much.
You once shared a personal encounter with Truman Capote with Hamptons.com. Can you tell the story again?
Mr. Capote would often hold court at Bobby Van’s in Bridgehampton. Often, he would leave (or be escorted out) and find his way to a small coffee and pastry place I frequented next door called Simple Pleasures. I loved that storefront. He would find his way there, which is where we met.
What pleasantly surprised you about the first time you produced this show?
I often wonder if what appeals to me will appeal to audiences. These pieces did. Without altering a single word, this nimble cast wove unexpected spells with Mr. Capote’s pages of his youth. Many people thanked me for presenting an alternative to the usual holiday fare, which is why we decided to tell these tales again. I hope more people introduce themselves to the man’s brilliant short stories.
Will you change your approach this time around?
With most of the cast reprising their roles, there is the luxury of digging deeper into subtext, character analyses, and rhythms within his rhymes. A usual rehearsal schedule seldom allows these luxuries. With my cast, I hope we mine more of the gold in these stories. Plus, almost every actor will perform these pieces off-book. I am pleasantly surprised with just how much these performers have retained. I guess good words do stick with us – and create more than memories.
How would you summarize your illustrious career to date? What goals do you still have?
I have been fortunate to produce, direct, design, choreograph, teach, and write shows on the East End since 1983. That’s a long time. Many shows, many hits, some misfires, and some wonderful pieces that simply couldn’t find their proper timing. I used to say my favorite show was the one I was working on at the time, but my favorite moments were and remain in a classroom. Now, the classroom can be a room, stage, rehearsal hall, studio, or a mound of dirt – the location means nothing. It’s the opportunity to share knowledge and techniques gained while learning from the people, place, and current events involved at the time.
As far as a goal, I am determined to maintain my personal bar of excellence. I do demand a great deal from performers and make no apologies for this. We have a responsibility to playwrights, audiences, and personal integrity. This will never alter for as long as I live.
Of all your experiences in theater and the performing arts, can you list a few of your most shining moments?
Most involved teaching and development – the creation of InterAct, Southampton College’s Winter One-Act Play festival for MFA and Theatre Students, writing an MFA in Theatre proposal for Southampton College (sadly never implemented), development of a musical theatre program at LIU/Southampton, creation of DCTCTC (Davidson County Thomasville City Theatre Cooperative) in North Carolina, offering students from 3 school systems the opportunity to perform together. Teaching over 10,000 students nationally and the shows – over 200 to date.
Look, I just turned 70. I have been gifted a lifetime, or two, to do what I feel and felt was important for myself and our communities. I’ll always feel it’s important for Southampton to have an articulate theatrical voice and presence. I’m continually learning just how important this is.
As long as there is a bare stage, some well-written words upon a page, and I see the potential to brighten and better some lives for a couple of hours – I’ll be there.
