Theatrefolk Featured Play – The Art of Rejection: Two One-Act Plays by Christian Kiley

This week we spread the love for The Art of Rejection by Christian Kiley. Filmed live on location at the 2010 Texas Educational Theatre Association (TETA) conference in Dallas, Texas.

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Chemo Girl and Other Playsby Christian Kiley is an incredible dramatic collection of plays that can be performed as a full night of theatre or as a cutting for competition. A collection of plays that examine the impact of cancer as seen through the eyes of teenagers. Characters deal with the difficulty of saying the word cancer out loud, the difficulty of admitting a friend or family member has the disease, and the difficulty of finding the energy and the attitude needed to fight. Why did we publish this play? We are incredibly proud to publish Chemo Girl and Other Plays. Not only do we respect Christian Kiley as a writer, we love that he trusted us with this particular work as it comes out of his own fight against cancer. Christian has fully theatricalized “the C word” and examines the impact of cancer through the eyes of teenagers – that’s a perspective we don’t often see with this disease. Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? In May of 2012, I got really sick and was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I wanted to do something meaningful, powerful even, while I was undergoing chemotherapy. I started writing “Red Rover” and I realized that I had a story to tell. One that I hoped would give people insight into the experience of battling cancer and maybe even inspire people to fight. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Chemo Girl and Other Plays is a look at the resiliency people, particularly young people, have in fighting cancer. We are strong, stronger that we know, and we have to dig deep to find the courage to overcome life’s biggest challenges. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? I have been amazed with the artwork, photographs, and moments in productions that I have seen of Chemo Girl and Other Plays. I love this question because my answer can change based on a production I have not seen yet (a version of the play that has yet to be produced). My favorite image in the collection of plays is when Camille swims down to attempt to cut the red wire. This is an image that exemplifies the bravery and resiliency required to overcome one of life’s biggest challenges. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? I know this is true for Theatre in general too, but, push the limits, explore your imagination. Experiment, explore, and say yes to creative ideas! One of the things I am most proud of with this play is that it relies almost entirely on the actors individually and as an ensemble to create the world of the play. It is a great challenge for a group of dynamically talented actors to rely on themselves. Embrace the challenge! 5. Why is this play great for student performers? It hands the issue, the fight, over to talented young people. They are the ones that very soon will have their hands on the wheel that guides the direction of our future, our planet. For me, Jasmine Hamming (the very talented student director) guided the production of Chemo Girl (2012) so beautifully when I was out, not at school, receiving treatment, and returned to see the product, I honestly said what I honestly felt, that I could not have done a better job. I was honored and humbled that a student could convey such love and respect to a mentor/teacher in such a profound way. In the handful of productions of Chemo Girl and Other Plays that I have seen in Southern California (and they have been high-quality productions), I have been struck by how much the experience has meant to the students. Our young people want to fight for noble causes, they want to make the world better. This play is my small contribution to the myriad of possibilities available for artist-students to fight the good fight.

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Virtual Family by Christian Kiley examines our relationship with and dependence on technology. Who needs to go outside when you’ve got a screen to show you what outside should look like? Who needs to do chores when laundry can be folded at the push of a button? And who needs a real family, anyway? Isn’t it better to talk through text messages and receive preprogrammed communications from your parents? Sure it is. Live safe and sound in the Virtual Family, a soothing world where complete dependence on technology is the name of the game. When technology takes away all your ills, conflicts, and concerns, you become a happier human being. Right? Virtual Family has three endings to choose from. Why did we publish this play? If you’re a fan of Black Mirror, this is the play for you. Virtual Family explores the potential of our future relationship with technology. We love plays that take place in a completely different world. It’s not the present, it’s the possible. In the theatre, you can create any place, any time, and have your characters be anything. As long as you explain the rules of the world, your audience will be engaged. This play is all about future technology and isolation from the “outside world.” It would make perfect sense to stage this play on a virtual platform! Let’s hear from the author!1. Why did you write this play? It was over ten years ago but I think it had to do with my genuine fear that technology was becoming a bigger and bigger part of our lives. I still remember, as a kid, having to actually stand up and walk to the television to change the channels and hearing the click, click, click of the dial. To that younger version of myself, a cell phone would basically be a PAD. I continue to be fascinated by technology and the benefits and challenges that it presents to human beings. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Virtual Family investigates the potential dependence human beings have on technology. Can something with such upside potential, actually cause more harm than good? 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The way the actors playing the PADs interact with the human characters. There are great opportunities for dynamic interaction. One moment that comes to mind is when PAD and PAD 2 “Initiate sleep sequence.” And the PADs try to get the children ready for bed like a parent (but a robot-parent). 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Experiment with physicality. It might be easy to become complacent with the blocking. Push the limits and give the PADs power to create a world that would be hard to leave (that is the dilemma at the end (with three possible endings for the cast to choose from). Creating a world that is inviting and ultimately hard to walk away from is essential. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? This is a very relevant issue for current student-artists. Young Theatre artists are actually taking time and investing in moments of sans technology connection. I strongly believe that they can lead the way in illustrating that people don’t need to be reliant on technology. 6. Do you have any advice for people looking to perform this play online or socially distanced? Virtual Family would be fun and engaging to produce via video conference in that it would really play up the isolation that can be caused by technology. It brings a whole new meaning to “going outside” and this is very relatable, particularly with the circumstances of the play as it relates to social distancing and quarantine. Get your copy of Virtual Family right here, right now!Not right for your group right now? Search our play catalogue to find one that your performers will love!