At age nine I saw Liz Swados’ “Runaways” on a trip to New York City with my father. I was young for the material but so taken by it. I still own the cast album and can sing its songs, while images of the production continue to haunt me. I always loved that it was created by a woman, who, like me, was from Buffalo, NY.
Almost 15 years later, having just dropped out of a Ph.D. program in political science to become a director myself, I assisted Anne Bogart. I crashed her auditions, and she welcomed me into the process. Rehearsals were eye-opening lessons in company building, the physical nature of theater and story-telling as well as pure curiosity and commitment. She expected a lot from everyone but never more than what she, herself, gave. It was a production of Clare Booth-Luce’s “The Women.” We all dug into the text, while reading widely from feminist literature and listening to Cole Porter songs. Anne’s rehearsal hall was an early classroom. I am very grateful.
Pam MacKinnon’s recent works on Broadway include Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” (2012) and Bruce Norris’ “Clybourne Park” (2012). Watch Pam MacKinnon discuss the inspirations and origins of “Clybourne Park” on NYC-ARTS.
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