Columbus playwright hopes to inspire change with premiere of 'Abundant Life'
Original Productions Theatre (OPT) is dedicated to giving life to new works.
After producing 10 new works in six years, the semi-professional company will present the world premiere of “Abundant Life,” opening March 3 at the Abbey Theater of Dublin.
“We want to give voice to artists who might have less opportunity than more-established writers, especially local writers,” said Alyssa Ryan, OPT executive director.
The 90-minute one-act, by Columbus playwright Cory Skurdal, revolves around an agnostic baby boomer and a millennial Christian who meet by chance on a park bench and develop an unexpected friendship over a year or so.
“I was drawn to these two very different individuals, Bruce and Alex, coming together, being able to have positive interactions and learning from one another,” Ryan said.
“Especially now, because there’s so much divisiveness in our society, it’s important for people to keep an open mind and have conversations with each other,” she said.
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Skurdal borrowed the play’s title from the Bible, specifically John 10:10.
“Christ said: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly,” Skurdal said.
How does the director rate the playwright?
Director Joe Bishara, who also runs the Abbey Theater, praised Skurdal as one of Columbus’ best playwrights.
“He does a brilliant job encapsulating the world we live in,” said Bishara, who has directed three Skurdal plays, including OPT’s 2022 regional premiere of his murder mystery “Catspaw.”
A North Dakota native who moved to Columbus in 1989, Skurdal has written 25 plays, including nine full-length works, and won the CATCO/Greater Columbus Arts Council fellowship in 2014 for “Sticks and Stones,” co-produced in 2016 by CATCO and Evolution Theatre Company.
“Cory has a great way with dialogue. His plays make us think and feel,” Bishara said.
“’Abundant Life’ shows the world that’s on fire today and says cancel culture is a scary thing, but we should take a breath before making that part of our lives,” he said.
What sparked Skurdal's play?
Skurdal first conceived the core idea for “Abundant Life” a decade ago, imagining three gay men from different generations “trying to see each other as human beings.”
But he didn’t begin writing until after the U.S. political upheavals of 2016.
“Politics became a driving force as I reduced the play to a 60-year-old and a 20-year-old of different politics and faiths,” said Skurdal, 60.
Although both Bruce and Alex are gay, significant differences over religion and politics divide them, making it difficult for them to reach mutual understanding and respect.
“The young man, an activist, is very upset about the political situation in the country and how things are going, while the older man has stepped back, jaded by his brushes with politics,” Skurdal said.
Even so, politics remain secondary to religion in the drama.
“What’s crucial is the two men’s conversations about faith and the importance of recognizing humanity in one another,” he said.
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How does a lead actor view his senior role?
Jaimie Schwartz, 60, plays 60-year-old Bruce.
“Bruce is a damaged human being, bordering on a recluse, who spends more time home alone after suffering significant tragedy. It’s made him sarcastic and hostile,” Schwartz said.
Although he enjoys playing curmudgeons, Schwartz aims to make Bruce understandable.
“It’s a challenge to humanize him, but Cory has given him a heart underneath his exterior. There’s a flower of a human being, hidden for a long time, that blossoms from exposure to the currents of a powerful new friendship,” Schwartz said.
When Bruce meets Alex (Jeff White), he’s especially mystified by Alex’s faith.
“Bruce, who rejected Christianity early on, faces an existential crisis about how a gay man can be a Christian," Schwartz said. “Alex has wisdom beyond Bruce, so he learns from someone he has no expectation of learning anything from."
Will the drama inspire people to change?
Rounding out the 12-member cast are five men and five women playing multiple roles, revealing wider-world turmoil as the men navigate their differences.
“It’s almost a play-within-the-play as the two men meet throughout four seasons. You see flashbacks, violent incidents, a mob of disenfranchised and angry people, a young woman who just moved into the neighborhood and two neighbors who don’t want her there,” Skurdal said.
Ultimately, Skurdal believes his drama may inspire theatergoers to reexamine their lives, including rejecting extreme conflicts and rethinking relationships cut short because of politics or religion.
“I hope people will say: ‘I can do better.’ ... We don’t have to treat people as 'others.' We can be welcoming, kind and open,” he said. “We need more of that in this country.”
@mgrossberg1
At a glance
Original Productions Theatre will present “Abundant Life” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and March 9-11; and 1:30 p.m. March 5 and March 12 at Abbey Theater of Dublin, 5600 Post Road. Tickets, recommended for ages 14 and up, cost $20. (OPTheatre.org, dublinohiousa.gov/abbey-theater)
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Original Productions Theatre presents Abundant Life at Abbey Theater
