“Demolition” the new psychological drama by Matthew Letscher, currently playing at the Pacific Resident Theatre, is something almost everyone will relate to. Thought-provoking, funny with intelligent, powerful themes and strong performances, “Demolition” will stay in your memory banks long after the actors have taken their final bows. We caught up with author Matthew Letscher to give us details about his most recent work.
Was there a personal event that inspired you to explore the dynamics of male role models or mentorship for your new play Demolition?
The most direct event was working for my father’s construction company. I did that for five summers and met a wide array of men working in tough jobs. None of them presented the same kind of mentoring relationship that Doug presents for Paul, the teenager in the play, but many represented examples of how some choices stick with you long after you wish you could leave them behind.
In what way does Doug’s role influence Paul’s journey through boyhood, and vice versa?
Doug helps Paul see that while nothing lasts, some choices linger, if you let them. Doug made some very safe, fear-based decisions early on that narrowed the scope of his life. He doesn’t want Paul to do the same. So, for multiple reasons, he’s eager to advise Paul in all things regarding adulthood. Paul helps Doug understand just how much has changed for young people over the last couple of decades. Initially, Doug thinks he understands Paul’s malaise, but as the truth comes out, Doug soon realizes that he might not have any answers for Paul. In this way, the student becomes the teacher. And it leads to Doug, the adult, having to grow up very quickly.
How did you approach the subject of identity, and what does it mean to you personally?
I think kids are largely born about 90 percent cooked. They are who they are and usually find some way to express it. If we’re not listening and present, parents can miss it. It’s easy to try and fix kids problems by pointing them toward what we think is the most appropriate path. We think we’re helping, but often we’re robbing them of the opportunity to build their own foundations based on what they respond to and the mistakes and failures necessary to achieve in that area. Identity, in part, comes with understanding what one values. This kind of structure needs to be implemented by parents to start their life, but finally, values are chosen by what kids come to understand about themselves. And in the play, we are at a crisis point for Paul in this regard.
Did you find any aspects of the play, or the characters, to be particularly challenging to write?
Paul’s father, Chuck, was tough. He is motivated by the same things motivating Doug and Paul’s mother, June. And that is to make sure that Paul launches into the world. He has a philosophy on child raising that is complicated by how different his son is from him. Instead of allowing for this, his first instinct is to try and bend Paul to his will, to make him see the wisdom of his words. Having to write a relationship so heavily taxed by anger and shame is not tons of fun, but dramatically important.The important part to me was to establish that Chuck isn’t sadistic, that he actually has a positive path in mind for his son. He simply is trying to force a square peg into a round hole.
Describe your developed process from idea, to page, to stage. Were there script revisions during rehearsals?
In the beginning, it helps to have an actor in mind for a character. In this case, I knew that Keith Stevenson was the voice of Doug. Knowing that gives me a leg to stand on and makes writing easier. Then I usually write about 15-20 pages before I decide to leave it alone. And there it sits as I think about it for a few months or so, rambling through possible dramatic scenarios until something feels right. In this case, Doug commits a very dramatic act at the end of the play. I just thought, how can I get this guy to commit that action in a day? What has to happen to push him to that point. I wrote the rest pretty quickly after that. There were several readings, which is where I met our director Max Mayer. He was very helpful from a dramaturgical point of view immediately. Then in rehearsal, there were many, many tiny, internal rewrites, though usually small ones. The most problematic section was, by far, the scene with Mr France, the school administrator. He is there to deal with Paul, but it took me awhile to realize that he needed to arrive with his own set of problems in order for the setting to make sense and for conflict to bloom. I probably fully rewrote it 6 times before we settled where we did.
The play is described as being about “breaking things apart to become your own kind of hero.” Can you elaborate on this idea and how it is reflected in the characters’ development and the plot?
Actually, a better way to say that would be “breaking things apart in order to rebuild” In a word, demolition. Change requires risk and damage. You cannot change without risk. The same can be said for heroism. You can’t truly be a hero without great risk, and probably great loss.
Are there particular reactions or discussions that you hope Demolition will provoke with audiences?
I just hope people laugh! Did I mention this is largely a comedy? That said, something that really interests me is the idea that these people are the last generation to straddle the digital divide with their children. They can remember and have lived an analog life previous to the internet, social media and cell phones. And that is something that will always be a wedge between these parents and their children. There isn’t the mutual fluency that existed before and will exist after. These families are at the center of a major evolutionary moment and are paying the price for it.
What has been the most rewarding part of bringing this play to life, and what’s next for you?
Working with friends and family. I’ve been a member at PRT for over 20 years. There is a lot of talent in that company and a lot of LA theater history in that building. PRT will celebrate 40 years as a company next year, an incredible acheivement for any company, let alone one of it’s size in Los Angeles. I’m so pleased that Demolition found a home there. My next play is called Always Come Back and will be produced at the Purple Rose Theater in Michigan during the summer of 2025.
WHERE: Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd. Venice, CA 90291
Street parking or small free lot in back: https://pacificresidenttheatre.org/18272-2/
WHEN: 8pm Thursdays – Saturdays; 3pm SundaysClosing: October 13, 2024.
HOW: Reservations online: https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=prtvePhone: (310) 822-8392
HOW MUCH: Tickets $35 – $45 55+ Discount $10; Student Rush at door $12
Facebook: PacificResidentTheatre / Twitter: @PacificResThtr / Instagram: @pacificresidenttheatre / Website:https://pacificresidenttheatre.org/
