Playwright Douglas Lyons, photographed on the Atwater Village Theatre, the place his play “Don’t Touch My Hair” might be carried out this month.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Instances)
Douglas Lyons stays booked and busy. The seasoned stage actor, additionally a musical composer-lyricist and a author on Apple TV+’s “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” is at present in Los Angeles for IAMA Theatre’s workshop manufacturing of “Don’t Touch My Hair,” the ultimate installment of what he’s titled “The Deep Breath Trilogy, New Plays for Black Women.”
Every play is a celebration of its respective genres — thus far, to famous success. The primary, the funeral-centric household comedy “Chicken & Biscuits,” debuted on Broadway in 2021 and subsequently grew to become one of many most-produced performs in America. The second, the restaurant-set romantic comedy “Table 17,” made its world premiere off-Broadway final 12 months in a twice-extended run.
This third piece, Lyons acknowledges, is an even bigger swing: The time-traveling buddy comedy follows two associates who, after smoking a uniquely potent blunt, get transported again to an lively plantation. Nonetheless, every entry in Lyons’ trilogy facilities Black ladies as not merely survivors of painful experiences, however brokers of joyous, bountiful lives — a choice that’s each an inventive mission and a enterprise technique.
“Growing up with so many Black women … they’re all strong and vibrant and have real personalities, and I rarely see those depictions in the American theater,” he defined. “The actor in me is like, why not write some different offerings for my peers so they can have more work?”
Forward of the nine-performance run of “Don’t Touch My Hair,” which opens Thursday and runs by means of Feb. 24, Lyons tells The Instances about lastly making an attempt playwriting, creating stage work in L.A. and creating texts of levity as a type of protest. This dialog has been edited for size and readability.
How did you come to write down this trilogy of performs?
Once I began, I didn’t know if I may do one play, not to mention three, as a result of I wasn’t a author. I don’t have a writing diploma, I’ve a BFA in musical theater from the Hartt College, and I had solely written music and lyrics earlier than, that’s the place I felt secure. After which, throughout my 45-minute breaks in “Beautiful, the Carole King Musical” on Broadway, I began writing about my family relationships. I’d write 10 pages at a time backstage, stroll a number of blocks down the road to the Administrators Firm to do a studying of it, after which head again to do the present.
That grew to become “Chicken & Biscuits,” which received blended opinions in New York, however folks thought it was humorous, and since then, there have been 37 productions carried out and one other 10 or so on deck. And it simply grew to become evident to me — perhaps I’m not writing for New York. I’m not writing for critics, I’m writing for audiences. I’m writing for Black ladies. And if that’s what I’m doing, then there’s extra to mine.
Playwright Douglas Lyons in preview for his play “Don’t Touch My Hair” on the Atwater Village Theatre.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Instances)
What do you imply by that?
Trying on the theatrical panorama and canon, there aren’t a variety of performs that heart Black ladies with out hurt. They’re not programmed, they’re not seen as a result of there’s this obsession with Black ache — oh my God, they’re crying, and did you see the snot? And the Black actresses I do know all the time have to try this work to be thought-about good, as if our laughter just isn’t thought-about good. Y’all are too comfy with that being our commonplace; don’t let the American theater idiot you into pondering these are the one sides of Black of us!
Even musical theater-wise, it’s like, we gotta do “Dreamgirls,” we gotta be the Dynamites in “Hairspray” or Becky in “Waitress.” Sure, these are roles that aren’t all on ache, however they’re not juicy and up to date and vibrant and highly effective, like the ladies I do know in actual life. Rising up with so many Black ladies — my mom is one in every of seven, my father is one in every of eight, I’ve so many cousins — they’re all sturdy and vibrant and have actual personalities, and I hardly ever see these depictions within the American theater. So the actor in me is like, why not write some completely different choices for my friends to allow them to have extra work?
“There aren’t a lot of plays that center Black women without harm,” stated playwright Lyons.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Instances)
I’ve seen this influence in actual time: Ebony Marshall-Oliver, who performed [the central matriarch] in “Chicken & Biscuits” on Broadway, got here into the audition room and understood each single a part of it. There are actors on the market who’ve all of the property to be able to main a present and have simply by no means been given a possibility. That’s been occurring in a variety of regional productions too. So if I can whip up work that pulls artists who’re hardly ever seen as a result of they’re perhaps not the industrial or typical factor, and places them heart stage, that’s so thrilling to me.
You revised “Table 17” whereas performing in “Parade” on Broadway. How have been you capable of create such a joyous textual content whereas appearing in a devastating musical?
It was very laborious. I can rewrite shortly; it’s more durable once you’re formulating concepts for a brand new play. For me proper now, as soon as the orange Cheeto received into the presidency once more, I advised myself, I’m going to make use of my pen, my web page, my cursor as my sword. As a result of if I don’t, and I simply scroll on social media the place there’ll solely be despair, I simply can’t survive in that place, I’ll actually crumble.
Phrases outlast life, so I’m simply decided to seek out my pleasure by means of the web page, and convey as a lot mild and levity to this burning world. That’s why it’s known as “The Deep Breath Trilogy” — towards the tip of “Chicken & Biscuits,” everybody takes these deep breaths. I believed, I can’t make the characters overlap throughout these performs, however I can put in a second in every one the place a Black lady stands heart stage and takes a deep breath. On this planet we stay in proper now, that’s revolutionary.
“Don’t Touch My Hair” is a hallucinogenic, time-traveling journey to an lively plantation. The place did the thought come from?
I began writing it throughout the pandemic. I’ll or could not partake within the edibles of life, as we are going to name them, and I used to be impressed after seeing “A Strange Loop” — as in, as a author, you’ll be able to go a lot additional together with your creativeness. Can I actually give them superpowers? I wished to be wild and wacky, just like the buddy comedies we see a variety of in Hollywood.
Additionally, after seeing “Slave Play,” I wished to write down one thing that handled race however didn’t hurt Black ladies. This isn’t a direct response, but it surely impressed me and made me marvel if there’s one other strategy to do it, in my voice. I truthfully would like to see each performs back-to-back and have a dialog on how they have been acquired and the way one impressed the opposite.
“I am going to use my pen, my page, my cursor as my sword,” stated Lyons.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Instances)
This being a workshop manufacturing — as in, not a fully-staged world premiere — what have been the developmental priorities?
An enormous a part of the rehearsal course of has been about tone and intimacy. I feel this play scares folks a bit of bit, and so they’re brave sufficient to go for it and see what occurs. It actually goes to some locations — sure, by means of a comedic lens, however like, there’s a whip onstage and it’s used. And there’s additionally sensual moments in it. So, it’s been a dialog of getting a collective understanding of, we acknowledge that we’re asking you to do some loopy issues, tell us once you’re secure. It’s additionally been a variety of laughter and pleasure, which we’d like proper now.
Design-wise, hair and costume received extra budgetary love. It would seem like a world, perhaps not as laid out in set as you’ll see at a premiere [production], however what this does is it actually focuses on the relationships earlier than you. And in case you may be cackling laughing with out a full set twirling in automation, that proves that the bones of the play are strong. If we’ve achieved it proper, which I feel we’ve, your creativeness will go on the journey, despite the fact that all of the strains aren’t coloured in.
I’m so excited that L.A. would be the first to see this play. There’s this mentality that New York theater is the definition, and that’s such a lie. Theater is turning into much more industrial in New York — as in, I don’t know that we’re as within the tales that we’re telling as we’re in making the cash from them. Sure, I’m gonna get my coin, however that’s not why I used to be interested in the theater. So I’m going to the communities that perceive my work, snigger with them, cry with them and develop this with them. And in case you don’t get it, that doesn’t imply I don’t deserve house.
Having ventured into playwriting, what recommendation would you give to others debating a equally daunting inventive leap?
So many artists I do know are afraid to wager on themselves for concern of failure, as was I for a very long time. “Chicken & Biscuits” began as an experiment, but it surely was my writing pattern for “Fraggle Rock” and it received me my first TV deal, and now I’m creating tv with Ryan Reynolds’ firm and Skydance.
So in 2025 in Beyonce’s America, you owe it to your self to strive it, as a result of it might be the factor that catapults you to your subsequent path. Should you don’t do it, who’s going to do it for you? Interval.
“If you don’t get it, that doesn’t mean I don’t deserve space,” stated Lyons.
(Carlin Stiehl / For The Instances)
‘Do not Contact My Hair’
The place: Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave, L.A.When: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Mondays (besides Feb. 17). By way of Feb. 24.Tickets: $35 (together with charges)Information: iamatheatre.com
