Oh my, this has been a busy few weeks, but I am back at the computer logging all of the footage for my doc, plus I have been interviewing each of the actors from the show, then something interesting happened, the playwright asked me if he could speak with me. To be fair, he kind of makes me nervous, but I think that might just be me; in either case he offered to give me a face-to-face interview and if he liked it, he would let me interview him on camera later.
So without further ado, here is my written interview with Tim Haggard, writer of A Wonderful World taken on the first day of the table read.
PW: Thanks for taking a moment to speak with me.
TH: I figured if you wanted to get the whole story behind this project, you probably need to start at the beginning, so here I am.
PW: "A Wonderful World" has a ton of buzz behind it, how did you decide to bring it to the stage?
TH: To be honest, this is something that I had been thinking about for a long time, but I have to give credit to Saul Rosenberg, my agent.
PW: So it was his idea?
TH: Not at all, but Saul kept pushing me to try something new, so I decided why not take it to the stage?
PW: Are you a big fan of theater?
TH: I like theater, but I love the written word. For me it doesn't really matter the art form; theater, film, television or a novel, it all begins with the writer.
PW: Now that you are here working with the director and the actors, is the experience turning into everything you expected it to be?
TH: Time will tell.
PW: Sounds a bit ominous, am I detecting a little tension?
TH: Tension? Not from me.
PW: No, I just noticed that...
TH: Look, there I was, meeting the cast for the first time, introducing myself and the play and trying to inspire them, so they do my play justice. That's all. No big agenda beyond that. Just trying to get off to a good start.
PW: Well the cast includes some truly excellent performers...
TH: Really? To be honest I don't know if these people are talented enough to bring this complex and rich material to life the way it deserves to be, the way it needs to be. But I'm pouring my heart out to them--because, for me, this is all about heart. And I hear laughing! Giggling! I'm not saying anything remotely funny, and these f#$@ing dip-shit actors are laughing!
PW: Maybe they were just nervous, what if...
TH: Nervous, try disrespectful. Who, I'm asking myself, do these people think they are?! Actors are a dime a dozen. They can be replaced. And maybe they will be. We'll just have to see. I'm not going to rush to any conclusions just yet, but we'll just have to see. The only actress I have faith in at this point is the one with the glasses, I forget her name, the one who was taking notes--as they all should have been!
PW: Notes?
TH: Seriously, they're idiots--except for the one with the glasses--don't they realize what a privilege it is to be working with me, and that this script is gold! Projects like this come around maybe once in a lifetime; IF you're lucky. Well, maybe more than that, now that I'm writing plays, but not often, not often. Don't they get it? My play could well be the "Streetcar" or the "Death of a Salesman" of our generation. It could make their careers, each and every lousy one of 'em.
PW: What makes you say that? Is there something that you specifically believe, makes this project a career-maker?
TH: Specifically? Yeah, I can be specific. Given the timeliness of the script, what with the war in Iraq resembling the hopelessness of the one we fought in Vietnam, this play may well serve as a rallying cry, a maypole, a lightning rod for this generation. I've swung for the fences with this script; now I just have to make sure these actors, MY actors, are home run hitters and not a bunch of whiffers.
...at this point we were interrupted by Jill Baynor the stage manager, the director was asking for Tim, so we had to cut it short. Before he walked back to the group I asked him one last question.
PW: So, Mr. Haggard, is it all worth it?
TH: You kidding, it's Broadway baby!
- He then flashed a broad smile and off he went. Next time I need to ask him about the ending, but in either case I appreciate his willingness to be so candid on the record, should be an interesting on camera interview as well.
Until next time - Pam Out!
