An interview with Ken Urban

The Playwrights’ Center’s 2015-16 Ruth Easton New Play Series continues April 4 & 5 with A Guide for the Homesick by Core Writer Ken Urban. Associate Artistic Director Hayley Finn talked with Ken about his interviews with Doctors Without Borders volunteers, the use of actor doubling in the play, and how being a musician shapes his dramatic writing.

A Guide for the Homesick follows the lives of four characters, but they’re played by two actors. Why did you choose that structure?

That choice was part of the play from the first draft. The play came about when I was commissioned by Epic Theatre Ensemble to work on a play about the experience of being an international aid worker. I had done some research, and Epic helped me interview volunteers from Doctors Without Borders. During the interviews, I saw how these men and women were haunted by what they experienced. Having two actors play four characters was an interesting way to create that haunting sensation. Plus hotel rooms always feel haunted to me.

I did initially write the three stories separately: Jeremy and Teddy in the hotel, Jeremy with Nicholas in the clinic in Africa, and Eddie and Teddy in the hotel room. Part of the fun was figuring out how to splice the stories together, to discover the most exciting way to activate the characters’ memories. Initially it was a lot more literal—I felt like I had to make it clear that something specifically triggered the leap into memory. The impulse was to help an audience understand the formal device. But as the play developed, I got bolder.

What was your process for developing the play? Was it similar to how you usually work?

This was different in that it was the first time I had ever written a play inspired by interviews, though the play is not documentary in nature. I decided to focus on the theme of homecoming because when I was interviewing the Doctors Without Borders volunteers, they all spoke about how they got so much training for going overseas, but they were not prepared for what happened when they returned home to New York—they felt ostracized and couldn’t get back into their normal lives. Even small things, like friends complaining about going to the grocery store or problems with the subway, would make them very angry because they didn’t have a place to vent and process what they had experienced. At the same time that I was doing those interviews, I started watching a number of documentaries about the rise of anti-gay and lesbian violence in Uganda and other countries in East Africa. Those two interests dovetailed together to become that first draft of A Guide for the Homesick.

What questions are you asking with this play?

“What does it mean to be a friend?” Sometimes people that you’ve known for a long time—be it your parents, your relatives, or even your close friends—are not the people that are there when you need them. Sometimes a stranger, or someone you meet briefly or in unexpected circumstances, can end up being the person that saves your life. For me, that’s the central question of the play: What are the ethical obligations of being a friend? And how can a stranger become the friend you need most? The intimacy of the play comes from how these two strangers–it’s a simple sexual hook-up in a hotel in Amsterdam–become so much more to each other.

What are you hoping to work on when you join us in Minneapolis next month?

I’m always curious how the flashbacks work in the play. I’m excited to work with [director] Jeremy [Cohen] and our sound designer Dan Dukich to figure out how we can guide the audience, while also not sucking the mystery out of the play: to figure out the dance between an audience figuring it out and letting it wash over them. It will be great to experiment and discuss ways we can activate those moments, even in something as simple as our workshop. My gut is telling me sound will help support the actors. Even when the play changes locations, the visual is always the hotel room, so sound is key. I’m also interested in hearing the play with an audience, and I love audiences in Minneapolis. 

What are you looking for when you watch your play in front of an audience?

The rhythm of the play—knowing where the play picks up speed, and where it needs to slow down. You can tell pretty quickly when the audience is taken out of something or when something is too confusing or they’re bored. Experiencing the play with an audience is always nerve-wracking, but also incredibly illuminating. The nice thing about the Playwrights’ Center is that we have two readings. If something doesn’t work both nights, then you know that moment needs some further exploration.

How did you get interested in theater, and what inspired you to make the choice to become a playwright?

I never thought I’d be a playwright. I was never really interested in theater as a kid. I never saw plays until I went to college. That’s when I got hooked. During my semester abroad in London, I got to see plays every day for cheap with lots of young people. It was an exciting time; those months inspired me to want a life in the theater. I don’t think I would be a playwright if I had seen a show at Lincoln Center or on Broadway when I was in high school. It wouldn’t have remotely interested me. What interested me was going to places like the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, the Bush, or the Gate—small pub theaters in London. Seeing plays where people of all ages went for cheap. Plus, you could drink in the theater. That made me think theater was cool as f*ck.

What are you working on next?

I’m working on two new plays. The first is about gay divorce and Hegel’s idea of tragedy. It’s a first for me: a play that unfolds in real time in one setting for the majority of the play. A married gay couple invite their families over for dinner only to announce that they’re getting a divorce. We see what happens as a result of that announcement. 

In the Civilians’ R&D Lab, I’m working on a new play inspired by Henrietta Lacks, the woman who accidentally achieved cellular immortality. The idea came to me after reading Rebecca Skloot’s book about Lacks. My play is about the ethics of work, and how our jobs impact ideas of right and wrong. As part of the Civilians group, I’ve conducted interviews with molecular biologists. My play follows an English professor who faces hard questions when working on a book about race and science, and finds herself seduced by a student. 

What are your other interests besides theater? 

Well, I’m in a band called Occurrence. We just finished mixing and mastering a new record that will be released this fall. That’s been taking up a tremendous amount of time. Making music is more than a hobby, but it’s not exactly like… You know, there’s only so many penniless careers one can have. So far it has been pretty separate from my theater work, but that could always change down the road. I’m so proud of the new record. It’s a collaboration between myself and singer Cat Hollyer. We mixed it at the same studio where David Bowie made his final two records, and which is now about to close because New York…. sigh. You know the story.

Does music play into your writing?

I always listen to something when I work on a play. Sometimes I’ll listen to certain sounds or certain tracks that I’ve made. It helps me in terms of pacing and tone. I’ve written songs for some plays, like Nibbler, A Future Perfect, or The Happy Sad. I’m definitely not one of those writers who likes to write in silence. 

What were you listening to when writing A Guide For The Homesick?

I listened to Stars of the Lid a lot when writing this one. Mostly sounds that help me focus, that put me in the mood. The vibe was strangers in a strange place. I have some apps that make sound effects. I remember writing the opening scenes while listening to “winter rain” on my iPhone. Figuring out when the rain would get louder and softer. It’s akin to scoring a film that I see in my head. But that film is a play. That probably sounds crazy!

Reserve your free tickets to A Guide for the Homesick »