The Flick at Dramashop

Friday, Mar. 29

The Flick would probably run about 16 reels long. If you're curious to know what that means, one of the characters might be able to answer that for you. While it may be epic in length, it celebrates the minutiae of everyday life. This story isn't something that's being projected on a screen; it's being performed on the stage. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play is directed by Jessica Annunziata with Alaina Manchester assistant directing. The former has immense respect for the latter, quickly citing that "she's brilliant."

While it's Annunziata's first time directing a full production, she's no stranger to the Dramashop stage, having starred in productions such as Dorian Grey, The Humans, and Heisenberg. Written by Annie Baker (who Dramashop regulars may be familiar with for penning Circle Mirror Transformation), the play premiered off-Broadway in 2013. The following year, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama, notably besting Fun Home, which coincidentally will close out this year's season at Dramashop. On its surface, it's the tale of three movie theater employees and the interactions they have working at a New England venue with one of the last working 35mm projectors. While it was widely praised, it also drew a fair deal of criticism for its running length, coming in at around three hours. Annunziata explains that "the text of the play itself is not super long, but it is written in a way that it incorporates the natural pauses in any interaction and fully embraces them." Celebrating naturalistic interactions, and metered comedy, Annunziata notes that "it's a tricky device, but we have a great team of incredibly talented people who are committed to telling this story and celebrating its nuance."

One of those people is Zach Flock, who plays Sam, who in Flock's words "is a character who, other than age, I don't have much in common with on the surface." He elaborated, explaining that Sam "feels dissatisfied, with life, with love, with his career and family. I'm sure everyone can relate to one, or more, of those things." The show will be stage managed by Pamela Perron and stars Flock, Pat Washington, Megan Hamm, and Teddy Buchanan. — Nick Warren

8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays through April 13 (final performance Sunday, April 14) // 1001 State St. Ste. 210 // $12 // dramashop.org