Playwright Philip Dawkins has become one of Chicago’s most recognized talents. His work, frequently utilizing a unique queer perspective, has been produced by such diverse theater companies as About Face, Northlight and Steppenwolf. Now, Raven, whom also produced his brilliantly nostalgic The Gentleman Caller, is presenting The Comedians, his truly original gay love story, for a limited run. Here, Dawkins speaks of the show’s unusual genesis and what he hopes audiences will take away from it in these truly challenging times.
Windy City Times: What was the initial inspiration for the piece, Philip?
Philip Dawkins: Oh my, who can remember? I’ve always been fascinated by stand-up. Next to swimming with sharks, it seems like maybe the most terrifying activity I can think of. So, of course I’m attracted to it. I’d thought for a long time that it might be fun to explore something existing at the intersection of stand-up and theater; a story told through stand-up sets (which is difficult, seeing as how stand-up is not necessarily a narrative art form). Fast forward to May of 2020. COVID has shut everything down and I get a commission to write an audio play for Audible.com. I knew I wanted to write a romantic comedy, but we still had questions about whether or not we’d even be able to have actors in the same room with each other. We were all feeling so isolated and not knowing how long it would be before we could be in the same room together again. I had to think about a way to perform a love story with the characters in complete isolation. I thought immediately of stand-up. The rest sort of tumbled out from there.
WCT: Did you actually study as a stand-up comic as part of your research?
PD: Yes…and no. “Study” might be a generous word for what I did. Though, I don’t know. I did study. I read every book available on the craft of stand-up. I interviewed queer stand-ups and romantic partners of stand-up comedians. I watched every stand-up special ever thrown on film, many of them multiple times. I’ve seen them all. If your Aunt Patty did a stand-up routine at a church basement fundraiser in 1987 and it was filmed, I’ve probably watched it. (Patty killed, by the way.) I found the most helpful comedy sets for me were the ones by comedians who I don’t particularly find funny, because I was just able to focus on the structure and craft. I could see the structure in their set because I wasn’t distracted by the laughter.
WCT: The Gentleman Caller brilliantly imagined a kind of quasi relationship between Tennessee Williams and William Inge. Is it part of your mission as a playwright to grace the world with non-stereotypical romances between queer people? (And if so, thank you!)
PD: I don’t know if it’s my mission. If I have a mission, it’s to open up opportunities to exercise empathy. That’s what I try to do as a playwright, give an audience the chance to empathize for a couple hours. And if I can do that through inviting audiences to see themselves in the stories of people from marginalized groups, all the better. We MUST practice radical empathy. Jesus, god, I think we’re lacking empathy so hard in this country. I mean look at how many people went to the polls recently and forgot to bring their empathy with them. Astounding. My job, as I see it, is to say, “Look at these characters with whom you may assume you have nothing in common. Now see yourselves in them.” It’s why I often title my plays something rather on-the-nose and descriptive. The Comedians. The Homosexuals, The Gentleman Caller, Failure: A Love Story, I’m daring audiences to say, “Oh, well that’s not me. I don’t identify with that, so I probably won’t have anything in common with these characters,” and then walk out of the theater saying, “My god, that play was about ME.” If I can do that, I’ve done my job.
WCT: What are one or two special elements in this current production at Raven that have thrilled you and that you truly think will engage audiences?
PD: Honestly, I’m just in love with our two actors. They are funny as hell, and also very moving. I’ve never worked with either of them before, and I hope this is the beginning of a long working relationship with both. Watching Bill and Terry navigate their characters’ journeys, careers, relationship and material over the span of the evening is pretty magical. What they’re doing is deceptively difficult, and I think they’re nailing it. It’s tricky because this is a play where the action takes place off stage, in between the scenes. It’s rather Greek in that way. It’s then up to the comedians to come on and check in with us in a way that both moves the story forward AND makes us laugh our toenails off. It’s not easy, and they’re killing it. And we need funny right now. My god, do we need funny! What has thrilled me? The opportunity to sit in the dark and laugh like a maniac. And I think this will also thrill the audience.
Note: This Interview was edited for clarity and length
The Comedians runs from November 14th – November 24th at the Raven Theatre, 6157 N. Clark. More information is available at https://www.raventheatre.com/.