Theatre Guild presents local premiere of ‘Icebergs’
Alena Smith’s 2016 dramatic comedy “Icebergs,” a contemporary account of hip thirtysomethings navigating life and love in Los Angeles, receives its local premiere beginning Friday, Nov. 29 at the Dayton Theatre Guild.
On the Day of the Dead, up-and-coming indie writer/ director Calder and his wife/ rising actress Abigail entertain close friends for a casual evening that spins into a variety of thought-provoking topics ranging from carbon footprints and filmmaking to the world’s melting icecaps and the importance of family planning.
“‘Icebergs’ has some serious moments, but it also has a lot of comedy (and) I liked that about the script,” said director Debra Kent, who staged “Nice Girl” for the Guild last season.
“The story (also) takes place in Los Angeles, which spoke to me. I lived north of L.A. for several years, and a lot of the references in the script ring true for me. There are also a lot of current themes running through it, things we’re all concerned about today such as climate change and having children or not having children.”
Kent, whose previous directorial credits include “Good People,” “Last Gas,” “Luna Gale,” and “Time Stands Still,” has served on the organization’s playreading committee for several years. She views “Icebergs” as a prime example of the fresh, exciting and eclectic work that is most artistically appealing and beneficial to the Guild, celebrating its 75th anniversary this season.
“We work hard to bring new plays to the area, including plays that were recently on Broadway or off-Broadway,” she said. “We like to produce plays our patrons would not necessarily see elsewhere in the area. In addition to trying to choose a classic each season, our policy is not to consider anything we have produced in the past 25 years.
“We also try not to pick a play that was recently done locally at another theater. Our audiences like to see something they haven’t seen before. Trying to find good scripts we want to bring to the Dayton area keeps us on our toes. It is also nice to support playwrights and help them get their work produced.”
The diverse cast includes Maximillian Santucci as Calder, Sha-Lemar Davis as Abigail, Lorin Dineen as Molly (Abigail’s Tarot card reading friend), Titus Unger as Nicky (Calder and Abigail’s agent), and S. Francis Livisay as Reed (Calder’s old college roommate visiting from Missouri).
“This play is a great character study of some thoroughly modern anxieties,” said Santucci, who portrays Calder and appeared at the Guild in “100 Saints You Should Know,” “An Inspector Calls” and “The Little Foxes.” “Above all else, Calder just wants to cease worrying and start living, despite all of Abigail’s worries. ‘Icebergs’ is a very frank show and there’s something to laugh about with every character, but nothing to hate about anyone.”
“I love that we have so many new faces in this cast,” Kent said. “I am enjoying working with all five of the actors. Two have been on the Guild stage before, but I haven’t worked with them until now. This entire group is very focused and enjoy working together and being directed.”
Playwright Smith, named one of 10 TV Writers to Watch by “Variety,” notably served as writer and producer of Showtime’s “The Affair” and previously wrote for HBO’s “The Newsroom.” She was also a member of the Emerging Writers Group at New York’s Public Theater. Her essays about writing for theater, TV and the Internet have been published in “Grantland” and the “Los Angeles Review of Books.”