Strange plays coming to Kennedy Theater

By Matthew Ulanski 

This September, a unique series of plays by four authors found their way to Kennedy Theater in “Mercury: Science Fiction Theater,” a series of four short scenes which happenedSept. 22-23 and Sept. 28-29. The play was the opening production of the Late Night slate of performances for the 2007-2008 season. The plays were themed around the idea of “The Twilight Zone meets David Lynch,” according to a press release. The director, Brett Botbyl, was unable to provide details of the plays at the time of publication, despite repeated attempts to contact him.

The plays were relatively short, estimated around 45 minutes to one hour in length. The material came from the works of four recently highlighted authors, including James Patrick Kelley, Terry Bisson and Richard A. Bracho. The title suggests that there may be a play based on one of Terry’s recent stories, the science fiction novella “Planet of Mystery,” and other short stories. The plays concerned the first manned expeditions to several planets in the solar system, including Venus and Mercury.

Unique Genre

The works of these authors are part of the recent subgenre of science fiction known as slipstream, a term coined by author Bruce Sterling in 1989 to describe writing that uses elements of both science fiction and fantasy along with realistic settings to provoke a sense of feeling “at home, strangely,” according to Kelley.

The ideas used in Bisson’s material may appeal more to those who inhale glue, drive cars and drink beer, according to his website. However, some of his recent works have been rejected for publication due to their content. Among the more potent examples is a story about Sept. 11, 2006, which was described as ‘sentimental’ when given its initial review by Playboy magazine. Bisson also wrote a eulogy essay for televangelist Billy Graham.

The writings of Kelley evoke a more disastrous tone as they tend to gear towards the mainstream science-fiction reader. Yet both authors are also humanists. Kelley and Bisson attended the Clarion writing seminar, which has turned out many of today’s better-known authors, albeit through the creation of templates for writing software that targets specific customers.

As for Bracho, his work mostly targets at-risk youth in San Francisco, where he has taught theater and creative writing workshops for certain ethnicities and sexual orientations for over a decade. Richard has also worked with prisoners at San Quentin prison for males in California.

These authors often go on to teach in various colleges around the country and speak with other artists to broaden their expertise. The plays that were slated to appear were specifically written for this venue at the director’s request.

Click here for more information.