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you go though it,� he says. “There are these two characters, Joe and Jules, a gay marine biologist and a female journalism student, in this basement biology classroom just before the comet hits the earth. And then there’s a third character named Barbara, who is on the outskirts of the play, but who seems to have inf luence on it. As the play goes on, you learn more and more about Barbara, and what her relationship is to the main story that you’re watching. That makes it a little weird, I guess.� The characters of Joe and Jules first emerged in Nachtrieb’s mind while he was in grad school, knowing only that these two people would end up dealing with some sort of natural disaster, and would serve to describe some of Nachtrieb’s own scientific observations about life. “I’ve always been interested in biology,� Nachtrieb says, “always thinking about human beings in a biological context, how we are all part of this large, natural system, and even if we think we are outside of that sometimes, we are very much a part of that. I’d always wanted to write a play that looks at how that works. Science and biology definitely inf luence my worldview, and that’s a big part of this play. “On a certain level, this is my play about evolution and what inf luences it. I’m asking the question, how much of evolution is, you know, that something survives because it was the most fit to survive? And how much of evolution is really just chance and randomness, being in the right place at the right time? I’ve read that a lot of the most rapid changes in evolution occurred after big cataclysmic events—comets hitting the earth, etcetera. “Scientifically, every time a comet has hit the planet, there has been an amazing expansion of new species. In our own lives, change doesn’t usually happen at a rapid pace; it’s very gradual. But, of course, things can happen at any moment that could cause a radical shift in another direction, taking your life to unexpected new places. That’s what Boom is about, on one level, for all three characters in the play.� And what’s it about on the other level? “On the other level,� he says, laughing again, “it’s about the worst blind date possible, one that all of a sudden has no end, because they are trapped in this lab after the surface of the planet has been made uninhabitable.� Clearly, Nachtrieb has struck a chord with this play, which explains why so many theater companies are snapping up the rights to produce it. “Obviously, the theme has intrigued people,� he agrees. “And the fact that it’s a three-person play set in a single location makes Boom very producible, which is maybe part of why it’s gotten as many productions as it has. On the other hand, I’ve been in contact with most of the companies doing it, and there just seems to be something about it. The directors and actors who’ve done it or are doing it have a
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really strong connection to it. That’s a real honor for me, because, let’s face it, it’s not the most straightforward play. It’s certainly a little bizarre—as am I. That so many people are finding something in the play that makes them want to produce it is an incredible joy and an honor, and I’m not about to question their judgment.� Admittedly, Nachtrieb’s plays take a slightly sideways look at life, and he populates his stories with characters who are definitely on the fringe of their respective worlds.
‘It’s about the worst blind date possible, one that all of a sudden has no end, because they are trapped in this lab after the surface of the planet has been made uninhabitable.’ “I’m interested in people who are off the main train and are a little ‘particular,’� he says. “My sense of humor can be a little bit on the absurdist side but is still always rooted, I hope, in some kind of logic and reality. There is a lot of absurdity in our everyday lives. There are all these absurd, ridiculous things we all do all the time that we accept as being totally normal. My plays are my way of toying around with that.� It’s been three years since Nachtrieb could afford to support himself solely as a playwright, a situation he is careful not to take for granted. “Being a full-time writer is certainly something I’d always planned to do,� he says, “but I always knew how hard it would be to get there. I still sometimes have a hard time believing I’m actually doing it. There’s still a hand-to-mouth feeling about it, thinking things like, ‘OK, if I’m careful and don’t spend too much, I’m good through March.’ I feel like I need to keep writing, and that I need to keep writing really good plays, to give them all great care. “I’m at the point in my career,� he continues, “where I know I can’t stop and I can’t get lazy, and I can’t let myself produce anything that isn’t the best it can be. My plan right now is to just keep going, to build on the success I’ve had so I can create a career that I’m proud of and that keeps giving me new opportunities.� ‘Boom’ runs Tuesday–Sunday through Dec. 6. Tuesday, Thursday–Saturday at 8pm; Wednesday at 7:30pm; Sunday at 2pm and 7pm. $20–$51; Tuesday, pay what you will. Marin Theatre Company, 397 Miller Ave., Mill Valley. 415.388.5208.