Everyone’s pretty busy these days, so bear with us as the posting schedule figures itself out. For the moment, we’re getting caught up on Working Title, so here’s Will Leschber visiting Trailer Parks and Faultiness and pondering a U-Turn.
Who’s got the time? Even when I didn’t have a full time job or a newborn or a wife, for that matter, I still somehow never had enough time. Never enough time!! It’s not like we are immortal with an endless stream of years before us to get everything done. Well, now is no different. I hear-tell that as we get older time only slips by more quickly. But, I don’t need to tell this to you! You are already late for your meeting and have started reading three other articles, tagged yourself in two other photos and liked another one as you scan this blog. Don’t worry I got what you need. I know you need your film/theater fix.
Since getting out on the town is nigh impossible for new parents, I hit up my friend Paul Rodrigues to ask him about a perfect film pairing for his new play. Faultline Theater is about to open Trailer Park Gods this weekend. Trailer Park Gods is by Berkeley playwright, Nayia Kuvetakis, and is describe as, “Mythos meets motor homes in this reimagining of Persephone and Hades.” Ancient Greek myth and trailer parks? There’s got to be a filmic link out there!
So I asked Paul, “Hey Paul!! …with Trailer Park Gods about to open, what film would you suggest to audiences to watch which feels like or reminds you of or would enhance the viewing of your play?”
Here is Mr Rodrigues’ thoughtful answer:
“My initial reaction to the question, is that I would pair Trailer Park Gods with U-Turn. They are both ensemble pieces with bold characters that bring a strong sense of place to the story. But more then that, their characters are trapped in these back water towns, and it gets claustrophobic as you are drawn in. Both pieces have a real rawness in their plots and characters, which can be difficult to face, but it makes for fantastic story telling. Lastly it’s been a real honor to work with such a fantastically talented cast, director, and production crew, and the same is true for U-turn, the cast is ridiculous: Sean Penn, Jennifer Lopez (pre J.Lo), Nick Nolte, Billy Bob Thornton, Clare Danes, Joaquin Phoenix, Jon Voight, Laurie Metcalf, and directed Oliver Stone. Each one is doing fantastic work and making bold choices. I like to think that that is what we’re doing (and where we’re heading) as we enter our last week of rehearsal for Trailer Park Gods.”
If you missed U-Turn, this 1997 darkly comic, desolate gem by Oliver Stone it is available for rent on iTunes. The first half is hilarious and they last half makes you never want to breakdown anywhere near Apache Junction, AZ… where the Superstition Free ends and the armpit of the dessert begins.
There’s a reason you don’t wanna break down in some dry highway, Arizona town. Or any desert wasteland stretch of highway for that matter. Many more than one reason, I’m sure. I myself have a stranded road story as all good road warriors have. Somewhere east of the Sonoran Desert, right around Indio, California, headed through the conduit of my new life, I blew a timing belt and a few hours breakdown u-turned into stranded for three and a half days. Something happens when all outside forces prevent you from moving forward. An absurd quiet falls. Laying in my motel room, I wondered how many others are trapped here. Who is passing through and who has been passing through this town for years? And not made it back out.
Maybe these are the thoughts that stretch across time into the minds of the immortals as they blow around their trailer park town. Who knows… But if you want to know, I recommend checking out Faultline’s Trailer Park Gods and Oliver Stone’s U-turn.
San Francisco Theater Pub 