Oakland sticks out neck for vaunted ‘Rabbit Hole’

By Milan Paurich

Despite winning the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a successful Broadway run, David Lindsay-Abaire’s “Rabbit Hole” is still largely unknown in the Youngstown area.

For starters, no local community theater has had the courage to stage the show until now. Additionally, the eagerly anticipated film version — directed by John Cameron Mitchell of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” fame, and starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart — doesn’t even begin principal photography until this summer, so it doesn’t have the name-recognition factor to boost ticket sales.

Christopher Fidram, director of the upcoming production of “Rabbit Hole” that opens this weekend at the Oakland Center for the Arts, recently sat down for an interview to discuss the play, its myriad challenges and why it’s important to see the show live on stage before queuing up for the upcoming movie adaptation.

Q. As a director, what was it about the material that drew you to “Rabbit Hole”?

A. I first became interested in the play after it won the Pulitzer. There was an uproar in the literary community when it did. How could a play about an everyday middle-class family dealing with a crisis win the Pulitzer? Where was the play’s historical or social significance? It seemed almost too generic a premise to be of such great literary importance. But I saw the play and was deeply moved by it. The characters weren’t “larger than life,” just regular people who laughed and fought and expressed themselves in honest ways. The story was so different from what I’d imagined it would be. I made it my goal to bring it to a local stage so that everyone else could experience what I did.

Q. Could you tell us a little about the story line for readers who might be unfamiliar with the play?

A. “Rabbit Hole” is about Becca and Howie, a suburban couple struggling to get their lives back on track after their young son dies in a tragic accident. It’s almost a year later, and the entire family is in a state of transition. The numbness is starting to wear off, and it’s time for the characters to somehow move forward. But no one is exactly sure how to do that.

Q. The auditions for “Rabbit Hole” have quickly become the stuff of community theater legend because of their record turnout. What was that like for you?

A. Like I won the lottery (laughs). These weren’t just warm bodies, but some of the best actors in local community theater. Every person who auditioned offered their own unique take on the play. I literally grieved for weeks afterward because I wanted to cast them all. As a director, that’s a great problem to have.

Q. In his author’s notes, Lindsay-Abaire cautions to “avoid sentimentality and histrionics at all costs.” Because the play is such a delicate balancing act of emotions, how do you prevent the more poignant aspects of the show from descending into bathos? And how do you stop the actors from resisting the urge to go for the jugular? (“No extra embracing or holding of hands” as per the author’s instructions.)

A. This is a never-ending point of discussion between myself and the cast. Early on, the actors were conscious about not pushing too hard for emotion. The play doesn’t need that. Most of the time, the characters are looking for ways to avoid feeling sentimental or emotional. They want to feel good, and they’re trying to move on. But there is undeniable grief at the center of the play, which must be acknowledged. To not acknowledge it would minimize the magnitude of what they’re struggling through. It’s a fine line, and I think the cast approaches it with delicacy and restraint.

Q. Who’s appearing in the show?

A. I cast five individuals whom I’ve never directed before: Sara Klimenko, Joel Stigliano, Tess Tessier, Candace DiLullo and Cheney Morgan.

Q. Although “Rabbit Hole” was selected as part of the Oakland’s “plays that became movies/plays that began as movies” season, is it something of a relief that the film version hasn’t even begun shooting yet, so you don’t have to deal with audiences’ preconceived notions of what the characters are “supposed” to look/sound like, etc.?

A. I wanted to stage the play before the film version was even announced. Too often we think that a film is the definitive version of a story. But good stories can be translated many different ways and still be done effectively. I’m excited to bring the play before a live audience because it’s such a beautiful, intimate piece of theater.

Q. In a previous interview, you suggested that you were giving serious thought to taking the 2009-10 season off as both director and actor. Has anything changed your mind to want to jump back into the fray?

A. So much has happened in the past year to jeopardize the future of local community theater. When the Youngstown Playhouse shut down, the overwhelming feeling was one of helplessness. Corporate sponsorship is at an all-time low. We’re all working with less, but there is real solidarity among actors and theaters. There’s a greater responsibility for those of us who love theater to find new ways to work together. So I can’t walk away from local theater right now. It’s just too important.