FLIGHT
A play by Kari Margolis
based on the short story EPISODES IN THE LIFE OF A CLERK by Tennessee Williams
*presented by special arrangement with The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee
Flight’s central character, Edward Schiller, is secretly a poet, an emotionally unfulfilled artistic soul who somehow threatens those around him by the simple act of being different.
“One of the most memorable hours of theatre I have ever witnessed… it restores my faith in the art form.”
— Mark J Charney, director, playwright, educator
Synopsis
Where stark factory floors dissolve
into vast skies, and humor and heartbreak coexist in the same breath, this highly visual solo show expands Tennessee Williams’ eighteen-page short story into a dynamic theatrical journey.
Flight’s central character, Edward Schiller,
is secretly a poet, an emotionally unnourished artistic soul who somehow threatens those around him by the simple act of being different. When he discovers a hidden door leading to the roof of the twenty-five-story Continental Shoe Factory, the open air and the sweeping energy of the Mississippi River flood him with possibility.
On that rooftop, space itself becomes
transformative. In Schiller, we recognize our own longing—for beauty, for purpose, for freedom from the forces that confine us. In his struggle, we witness society’s fear of the “other” colliding with the human spirit’s irrepressible desire to fly.
Inventive and emotionally resonant,
Flight is a bold, theatrical event that transforms simplicity into spectacle and interior longing into soaring physical imagery. It is a celebration of artistic difference, a meditation on humanity’s quiet desperation, and ultimately, a leap of faith toward freedom.
A Note from the Director
I’m sure like so many of you, I’ve been working hard to stay grounded.
My heart asks my mind, “Where does creating theatre play a role in this moment? How can I justify the immeasurable joy I feel in the studio when collective creativity generates magic in front of my eyes, while others suffer?”
So, being grounded had turned into being stuck.
Until I was invited to take flight.
Literally.
An unexpected invitation (and challenge) from the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival to adapt Williams’ little-known short story “Stair to the Roof, or Episodes in the Life of a Clerk” into a full evening play entitled Flight sparked an irrepressible yearning.
A yearning to connect and honor the power of our human need to express ourselves.
A yearning that drew me back to the studio with a refound trust in our ability as theatre-makers to transport audiences to that magical space where they can absorb details overlooked in the frenzied energy of everyday life.
In this living collective experience we can skillfully, like Olympians of the soul, tap into sensations that incite imaginative thinking, and inspire audiences to see the extraordinary in the taken-for-granted ordinary.
“MB Adaptors describes its company as “Theatre of Mind, Muscle & Media,” and Flight was a perfect demonstration of the truth of that assertion. While Margolis’ directing led Hanson’s performance to be a complete triumph, Brown’s projections and sound design added a richness. These pieces of humanity showed the power of a theatrical adaptation of fiction.
— Bess Rown, Medium
FLIGHT Creative Team
MBA’s powerhouse team will breathe new life into Williams’ potent language to create a theatrical adaptation with the hallmarks of the company’s work: dynamic physicality, poetic imagery, innovative storytelling, and evocative sound & multimedia.
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As co-artistic director, Kari has conceived and directed seventeen award-winning productions for the company that have toured nationally and abroad, as well as several site-specific events for such places as the Brooklyn Museum and the Beach at Coney Island NY.
Over the last 40 years, Kari has developed an internationally recognized approach to theatre training and creation (Margolis Method) that merges the skill sets of the actor, director, and playwright.
Kari has been a guest artist for the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival for fourteen years and has created several original works at universities.
Kari conducts residencies and lecture demonstrations internationally. She is a keynote speaker, playwright, freelance director, and published author. Her book, “Walking The Artistic Path,” is now available!
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Jarod contributed to and performed in seven MBA repertory productions. He co-created Overtime: Men at Work with Jonathan Beller for MN Fringe. His short play SWEVEN was a semi-finalist KCACTF Region.
He is Lead MM Faculty and received his MFA from Towson, where he was a Fellow for the Center for Intl Theatre Development. He was the Graduate Student Rep for the Association of Theatre Movement Educators (ATME) and is currently the organization’s Treasurer.
Jarod is an Acme Corporation theatre company member in Baltimore and Die-Cast in Philly. He is currently the Movement Director for Fells Point Corner Theatre’s production of MACHINAL and most recently co-directed a new opera entitled THE LIGHTS WENT OUT BECAUSE OF A PROBLEM with Acme at the Voxel theatre.
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Tony is co-artistic director and an award-winning performer in his own right receiving accolades for his performances that include a “Best of the Twin Cities” and an “Arizoni.”
Along with composing original songs and creating all the sound scores and multimedia imagery for the company’s seventeen productions, Tony created multimedia for Galt MacDermot’s (Hair) newest musical GODDESS WHEEL performed at Snug Harbor in Staten Island NY.
He has created sound scores for commercials and multimedia for such performance companies as Shapiro and Smith Dance and the Minnesota Chorale.
He helped design the media center for the University of Minnesota’s Theatre Department where he also taught media and acting classes.
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Angela is a core MBA ensemble member and the company’s Program and Communications Director, graphic designer, and MM full-time faculty. She is presently developing a new solo work directed by Kari Margolis and was a contributing editor to Kari’s book “Walking The Artistic Path.“
She helped develop and performed in MBA’s repertory production Headshot! in New York and Barcelona. She has a BFA from WWU, and has presented her own performance and design work in Bellingham, Seattle, Wisconsin, New York, and Barcelona, Spain.
She was a principal collaborating artist of Kuntz and Company, the co-founder of On the Precipice Productions, and co-host of the theatre performance podcast, Stage Hackers.
*Special thanks to Jennifer Restak of the National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre for her early dramaturgical research. Script adapted in part from her research.
What the Audience is Saying
“A riveting, emotionally powerful theater performance. A highlight of my summer. The staging, acting, and directing were incredible.”
—Sally Rowe, Artist
“Flight is a true masterclass in the physical cultivation of rich subtext, often submerged deep within the written text and now offered to the audience to see.”
—Student of Dramatic Criticism, Texas Tech University
“The wild inventiveness of the adaptation and performance was always underpinned and informed by the story’s heart. I remain inspired and smitten!”
—Brenda Currin, Actor
“One of the most extraordinary performances I have ever experienced. Bravo Margolis Brown Adaptors.”
—Leslie Rutkin, Writer
“You are fabulous!! We are fanboys!! The work was simply incredible! It was a highlight of our visit - something we’ll remember for years to come.”
—Lee Freeman, Professor Emeritus at the University of Alabama
“Always surprising, deeply moving, and uplifting, the work of Margolis Brown Adaptors Theatre Company is food for the soul.”
—Patricia Lee Stotter, Composer
Show Credits
RUNNING TIME: ONE HOUR
*For mature audiences
All Text By: Tennessee Williams
From the Short Story: EPISODES IN THE LIFE OF A CLERK
Composer & Multimedia Designer:
Tony Brown
Technical Director & Lighting Designer:
Angela Kiser
Set & Costume Designer:
Kari Margolis
Kari Margolis
Adapted & Directed By:
Jarod Hanson
Developed with & Performed by:
Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival
September 2024
World Premiere:
FLIGHT premiered at the Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown, from September 26-29 at Gifford House.
The Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival celebrates its 19th season of offering an unmatched range of performance and scholarship all in one place. The festival explores Williams’ avant-garde spirit and evolving international importance, presenting his classic plays and experimental work, the achievements of his peers, and new work inspired by Williams’ creative vision worldwide.
You Helped us Take Flight
Our thanks to these generous supporters for their contributions to help FLIGHT get to the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Festival:
Erica Babad
Jonathan Beller
Ian Bivins
Wally Bivins
Beth Brooks
Tom Brown
Jeffrey Casazza
Jerome Feigean
Joan Fergus
Shain & Larry Fishman
Beth Margolis
Gottlieb Margolis
Lee Margolis
George Maurer
Deirdre McAllister
Frank & Elizabeth Moseley
Denise Myers
Eileen Noonan
Olivia Pevec
Myra Rappoport
Maryjo Gallo
Renee Hatton
Tim Heitman
Kathleen Johnson
Christina Kiser
May Lane
Ruth Lawyer
Kym Longhi
Jennifer Madsen
Benjamin Margolis
Leslie Rutkin
Naomi Scott
Catharine Slusar
Brandice Thompson
Suzanne Trauth
Charlene Trotter
Brittany Vernon
Larry Wechsler