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OFF THE RECORD The Larry Craig story is a launching pad for BCT’s new play ANDREW CRISP
We all know the story: a U.S. senator from Idaho enters a busy bathroom at a large airport. An undercover police officer in the adjacent stall witnesses a “lewd gesture” and toe-tapping beneath the divider. The senator is hauled to an interrogation room in the bowels of the airport. Off the Record, the new play by first-time playwright and longtime actress Lynn Allison, is not the Larry Craig story. “It’s not that story under a different name,” Matthew Cameron Clark (left) and Stephen C. Bradbury (right) star in Lynn Allison’s Off the Record. said Matthew Cameron Clark, Boise Contemporary Theater artistic director, who plays the role of officer Joe Mahoney. “It uses our required tapping into Boise’s larger theater awkward. Allison uses that situation to segue awareness of that story as a launch pad, and community. A Kickstarter campaign for into larger discussions of identity. ends up going in a very surprising direction.” the production overshot its funding goal of “‘Who are you?’ is the fundamental quesWhile related thematically to the Craig $10,000 by 25 percent. Allison also submitted tion. And, ‘What makes you tick?’” said scandal of 2007, involving undercover officer the play to BCT’s 5x5 reading series, where she Allison. “It’s trying to ultimately humanize Dave Karsnia’s apprehension of the Republiworked out some of the play’s kinks. everybody, rather than just drawing lines in can senator, the names and details have been “If you’re saying somebody else’s words, the sand. I mean, there’s plenty of that, and changed. Instead, Allison’s senator is named you’re responsible for that little piece of it,” John Michael Goodwin, and the upstart young plenty of hypocrisy in high places. But we said Allison. “It’s still nerve-wracking on some officer, the white-bread Joe Mahoney. The play know that story.” level, but to have other people say words that Instead Allison suggested that the play is begins moments after the bathroom stall bust, you put down on the page, you feel much a chance for the audience to understand the but she stresses the story is not a lampoon. “It’s not at all intended to be a dramatiza- entirety of the two men’s characters—an explo- more responsible.” According to Peterson, the 5x5 reading ration entirely left out tion of those events. series is designed to hone the skills of Idaho of what was covered It’s intended to be an talent and for BCT to try brave or bold new nationally. At its core exploration of those Off the Record runs through Saturday, April 28. For a review of the play, see Page 14. things, all of which describe Off the Record. is the senator’s forced events,” said Allison “It’s amazing how much time these things outing, and how his coover coffee. “UltiBOISE CONTEMPORARY THEATER take. It’s not something that happens oververt efforts caught up 854 Fulton St. mately, fundamentally, 208-331-9224 night, especially as a first-time playwright,” with him. Clark plays it’s two people in a bctheater.org said Peterson. Mahoney alongside room forced to deal Allison said that, at first, she was tempted Stephen C. Bradbury as with each other, and to rewrite sections or massage language when Sen. Goodwin. all that goes with that. an issue came up. But at some point, she had “They both have a reason to talk about It navigates a number of different waters, so to let the words stand on their own. being gay and whether or not the public is to speak.” “Writing a play is like writing a piece of aware of your sexuality,” said Clark. “It Some of those waters include political deals a lot with hiding and public perception, literature that isn’t really complete until it is on debate on heady issues. But it also raises the its feet. Even the reading aloud of a play can be and sort of deliberately creating your public question of what a play about a closeted different than ... getting it in front of an audipersonality. It’s very much crafting a characsenator confronting the law looks like free of ence,” said Allison. “That’s the most telling; ter. We all do that.” the national media spin. The details of Craig’s that’s going to be the most informative.” Crafting a character is a skill that Allison transgressions were played out time and again Allison handed off the play to be crafted has been honing for years as an actress with as the scandal around the senator unfolded, Idaho Shakespeare Festival. Clark and Helene into a finished product by director Dwayne the jokes and puns often writing themselves. Blackaller, with help from Clark and Bradbury. Peterson, BCT’s managing director, suggest However, the larger issues related to the situa“You come to discover a play is just like Allison’s career is what makes Off the Record tion went largely unexplored. a blueprint for a house,” said Allison. “It so compelling. “I was kind of handed a situation, and I depends on who your general contractor is, “There’s no question that her work as an thought, ‘Oh, it’d be interesting to see what the craftsmen you’re pulling in. Your product actor has led to her being able to write really their on-the-record exchange was, and then can be totally different from one expression to what happens if you turn off the tape recorder. exciting dialogue. ... It may be her first play, but she’s been telling stories on stage for quite another.” And what could happen,’” said Allison. a while,” said Clark. “She’s clearly paying The public knows little about the emotionattention.” ally charged atmosphere in the room, though VIDEO: BW interviewed the director, playwright and cast about the But getting the play off the page and onto the conversation between Karsnia and Craig play that’s not (exactly) about a its feet has been a much different process than was officially recorded. Chances are body certain Idaho senator getting arAllison typically experiences as an actress—it language and subtext was terse, official and rested in an airport bathroom. WWW. B OISEWEEKLY.C O M
Irene Deely says Woman of Steel isn’t closing.
THE STEEL DEEL A “for sale” sign that recently popped up in front of the Woman of Steel Gallery has stirred up concern among local art enthusiasts. But there’s nothing to worry about, explained Irene Deely, Woman of Steel artist/ owner. The welded-steel and cast-bronze art space is simply expanding. “Over the last year or so, my studio work has increased,” said Deely. “I’ve had to pull away from trying to run the gallery and do all the events in favor of my studio work. That’s led to a large portion of my building being unused, so I’m actually looking for someone to either lease or buy the building that would be compatible with the art district goals that we have.” If Deely manages to lease or sell the entire space, she’ll move into a brand new studio nearby. If she only leases out a chunk of the space, she’ll stay in the studio but also do some expanding. Deely owns the 30,000-square-foot parking lot just west of Visual Arts Collective, at the corner of 37th and Osage streets in Garden City. It’s there that she intends to build a studio that’s more suited to her needs. “It’d be nice to have a larger studio that could handle the scale of work that I’ve been doing,” said Deely. In other expansion/re-location news, In Retrospect vintage clothing store, formerly at 1615 W. State St., has moved up a few blocks. The new spot at 1940 W. State St., a big yellow house just across from the Westside Drive-In, is bigger and better suited for the store’s old-fashioned aesthetic. “We own this property. Before, we were just leasing,” said store owner Nancy Zurcher. “It’s bigger and it just goes really well with the vintage clothing we sell—the house was built in 1940.” Zurcher said that she just finished moving all of the unique, old-fashioned clothing that she peddles into the new location. To celebrate the move and introduce customers to the new location, In Retrospect will hold an open house Saturday, April 14-Sunday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event will feature a variety of sales, giveaways and treats. —April Foster
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