First-time director is in the spotlight with a seasoned cast

The Vindicator

The Vindicator faced a conundrum of sorts when it came time to write a preview article for the upcoming Oakland Center for the Arts production of “Speed-the-Plow.” Because Vindicator critic Milan Paurich writes most of the paper’s community-theater previews — and since Paurich is making his directing debut with the play in question — he couldn’t very well interview himself.

In the spirit of “turnabout is fair play,” Paurich asked local director-actor Christopher Fidram (the subject of numerous Paurich-penned Vindicator previews) to compile a list of “Speed”-related questions.

Here are the results of that exchange:

Q. You’ve gained a reputation in some circles for writing blood-thirsty reviews. Are there certain things a critic shouldn’t comment on?

A. Certainly. I’ve never resorted to making insensitive, John Simon-esque comments about an actor’s physical appearance. Most unsuccessful productions fail simply because someone selected a bad play. On those occasions, I’ve focused my most biting remarks on the author’s failings — not the actors or director. One pet peeve I have is with directors who opt to go ahead with a certain project even when they know they haven’t got suitable actors to fill the roles. Why set yourself up to fail? Pick another play — one that’s a better fit for the available talent.

Q. Have you ever written anything (about a play or actor) that you now wish you could take back?

A. There’s a long — and a short — answer to that question. Because of the space constraints of this article, I’m going to opt for the short answer: no.

Q. You’ve been reviewing shows for many years. What made you decide to try your hand at directing? Were you at all apprehensive about accepting the challenge?

A. I did an interview with Youngstown Playhouse Executive Director Mary Ruth Lynn last spring about the Playhouse’s upcoming Griffith-Adler Series. One of the things that jumped out — for me anyway — was when Mary Ruth said a goal of the program was to give new directors a shot without the technical difficulties of working on a larger stage. I guess you could say that triggered a light bulb in my head. Apprehensive? Most definitely. During this entire process I kept waiting for Ashton Kutcher to show up and tell me that I’d been “Punk’d.” Or maybe Justin Bieber — I think I read where he’s going to host the new season of that MTV staple. But, seriously. I’m not naive. I know there are as many people rooting for me to fail as there are hoping I succeed. I guess everyone will just have to wait until opening night to find out which camp (the yay or the nay faction) gets their wish.

Q. Tell us a little about “Speed-the-Plow.”

A. “Speed” is a 1988 work by one of America’s greatest contemporary playwrights (David Mamet) that, unaccountably, has never been staged locally before. The entire play is set inside the office of a newly appointed studio production head (Bobby Gould), and the story — the eternal story — revolves around Bobby’s struggle to make art or to make money. Complicating matters are Charlie Fox, Bobby’s longtime friend and business associate; and Karen, an office temp as idealistic and naive as she is fatally alluring.

Q. You have a terrific cast. What’s it been like directing these actors?

A. I really lucked out my first time at bat, didn’t I? John Cox, Dave El’Hatton and Candy DiLullo are some of the finest actors working in community theater, and I’m profoundly grateful — and yes, humbled — that they’ve elected to take this journey with me. Just watching them tackle these characters — and helping them find new layers of interpretation every night — has been an immensely gratifying experience. Dave (El’Hatton) is an old-school actor’s actor (think John Barrymore or Laurence Olivier); John (Cox) is closer to naturalistic ’70s heavyweights like (Al) Pacino and (Robert) DeNiro; and Candy (DiLullo) is a wonderfully flexible and gifted performer who can do pretty much anything.

Q. A few seasons ago you were banned from reviewing shows at the Oakland. Any irony that the Oakland is where you’ll be making your directorial debut?

A. Yes, indeed (laughs). Alanis Morissette could write a new chorus for her 1995 hit song “Ironic” just to capture the paradoxical nature of it all.

Q. You’ve now experienced local theater from “the other side.” Has this experience changed your perception of community theater? Any newfound empathy for the work that goes into staging local productions?

A. I’m a little incredulous that any show actually makes it to opening night with all of the roadblocks and unforeseen circumstances (sicknesses, scheduling conflicts, overlapping time commitments, etc.). Factor in the long hours — particularly for those with day jobs, which most everyone (myself included) has — and it’s a miracle that community theater happens at all. I didn’t go into this with blinders, though. I always knew that it took a lot of back-breaking labor to put on a show, so my perception hasn’t really changed. As for “empathy,” the last time I looked, that word wasn’t in a theater critic’s lexicon. I’m not a shrink, minister or social worker. I plan to continue what I’ve been doing: write the most honest, unbiased critiques I can, and let the chips falls where they may. That’s an obligation to my readers that I’m unwilling to forsake.