‘Something Happened’ at Pacific Stages – Playwright L. Trey Wilson on writing and directing his brand new play
“I swear, they were right by the door.” Eric B. Anthony, Mashari Laila Bain, and William Christian discuss the whereabouts of the missing Easter eggs. Photo by Steve Moses
When pressed, the well-written Wilson (“All About Esther,” “Three Part Disharmony,” “Stage Directions,” and more) said only that the lad’s missteps were sexual. Given the author’s body of work, I doubt that four-legged furry creatures are involved, but I honestly don’t know. I think I tipped a cow one autumn night, but the pleasure was fleeting. Kinda like sex, I guess.
The play shares its title with a 1974 novel by Joseph Heller. Wilson, a Chicago native now living in the Fairfax area, assures that he was unaware of the book and learned about the volume only after he had written his own “Something Happened.” He said, “The title actually comes from a line in the play.” Still, the short synopsis of the play and the reading of Heller’s story could easily inspire one to sprint to the medicine cabinet for a double dose of chlorpromazine.
But, take note, South Bay theatergoers. Wilson calls his play “more of a comedy than a drama.” Heck, let’s make it a musical. Andrew Lloyd Webber can write the score, he’s such a lighthearted guy.
Bicoastal
In reading Wilson’s bio, it’s apparent he has split his professional life between New York City and L.A. In addition to multiple theater credits in each, he has appeared as an actor in films and TV, including episodes of “Law and Order,” “Monk,” “Taking Your Life,” “Final Justice” and more.
“Yes, I lived in New York for about eight years before coming here, though I go back to New York every year because I work the Manhattan Theatre Club. They have a program called ‘Right on the Edge’ where actors, writers and directors work with youth in different types of facilities. I work primarily at Rikers Island (the city’s main jail complex). It’s not just good for me, it’s good for all of us because I feel I learn as much as I teach… There’s no more grateful of an audience; they’re so appreciative that someone has taken the time to acknowledge them and actually do something for them.”
Wilson graduated from Boston University, where he was trained as an actor. “But I always kept a journal,” he said. “I dabbled some with the writing, but not much. I’m from Chicago, and some things happened to me (that prompted me to write). There was a lot of racial profiling in the city, and I got stopped by the police a few times, on the way to rehearsal, at my home, on my way to working at corporate events. Well, the third time it happened, four policemen stopped me and a friend.
“Three of the police were fine; one was wonky and physically aggressive. I had to go to court, though the case was dismissed before I could utter a word. Of course, I was grateful for that, but what was challenging is that I didn’t have the chance to express my personal outrage at this incident. Here was a citizen on his own steps talking with a friend in what happened to be a primarily white neighborhood. With the judge dismissing the case, it was clear that he thought the behavior of the policeman to be inappropriate, but I didn’t get a chance to testify… I needed a place to vent, so I started writing more. I wrote a piece called ‘Three Part Disharmony,’ which was my expression of having that experience, and that’s how I started,” said Wilson.
“A lesson for me was that the one policeman who was aggressive turned out to be one of my teachers – not necessarily a teacher I want to see again – but he directed me to create a new outlet for my art that I don’t know if I would have found if this hadn’t occurred.”
Reading the bios of the nine-person cast of “Something,” one is struck not only by the depth of experience, but by the varied backgrounds of the performers. How was such an eclectic group assembled?
“That is a mystery. Some of them are people I knew already… When I do something new, I act as sort of a flytrap – I trap them and keep them nearby. Some of the parts I didn’t project and I didn’t know until we went through the process of auditioning. I love diversity. I learn more from people with different views, so it’s fantastic.”
‘Something’ finds a home
How did Pacific Stages become involved?
“I knew (Executive Director) Jeryll Adler from New York. When I came to California, we met again and she was part of this theater company which was having a reading series. She asked me to participate with the company and chose ‘Something Happened’ as one she would like to have read,” said Wilson. “I don’t think she considered the play as one they would be producing. But what happened was the response from the audience, plus her own response and that of Brendon Fox, the artistic director, was such that they decided they wanted to do it.
“From what I understand, the space once was a video store. It had the popcorn-type ceiling… Interestingly enough, they’ve done a great job in turning it into a theater space.”
The freshly-painted, modern alcove that has become Pacific Stages (99 seats) is tucked away in the ground floor of a corporate office complex, between a Pacific Theatres multiplex, a P.F. Changs, and a golf accessories warehouse. The company’s first production this year was the critically acclaimed “Local Hero” by Kenneth Lonergan.
Evolution of a play
“Even during the readings, it was finished, but every time we read it, I’d learn something new. And now, in our rehearsal process, I’ve done some more editing,” said Wilson.
“I performed as an actor in ‘Six Degrees of Separation.’ I originally saw it on Broadway with Stockard Channing and loved the piece so much, and then was fortunate enough to perform it. It inspired me to create a piece that had similar components in terms of the style of the piece. That’s my personal attachment, not necessarily the content, but the structure and style.”
Future plans for the show after Pacific Stages?
“Yes: To run in every city in every part of the world. Hopefully, as long as ‘The Fantastics’ ran off-Broadway.”
Wilson is humble in terms of his own survival.
“Anyone who will pay me for anything I do, I’m pretty much accepting these days. I spend time with ‘The Unusual Suspects,’ which is a theater company here in L.A. that does work similar to the Manhattan Theatre Club’s ‘Right on the Edge.’ We take actors and writers and directors to different facilities, probational and others, to create plays… I love L.A., I’m so glad I’m here. Anything above 50 degrees, I’m fine with.”
Wilson is also a certified tennis instructor who taught in New York, but “not so much since I’ve been here. I love the outdoors, I love being on the tennis court.”
The weather is not the only draw for L. Trey Wilson in Southern California. “People make the mistaken presumption that there’s no theater in L.A., and that’s just not the case. I’ve seen some fantastic theater here.”
Something Happened plays tonight through Sunday, May 16. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 3 and Sundays at 5. Pacific Stages, 2041 Rosecrans Ave. #170, El Segundo (at the Beach City Plaza in the Continental Development building immediately adjacent to the Pacific Theatres Beach Cities Cinema). Tickets: (310) 868-2631 or www.pacificstages.org. Prices: $34.99; students: $25; season pass: $50. Saturday, April 10 Opening Reception and show ticket $50. ER