By: Raymond Alonso
An upcoming dark-comedy play coming today at the Wright Theater.
Coming today at 2 pm is a dark-comedy play called “All New People” that will be taking place at Wilbur Wright College. It’s written by Zach Braff who is famous for playing the character, “J.D.” Dorian from the hit NBC/ABC TV series “Scrubs.” The play is about a man named Charlie who is depressed & it’s also his birthday; he is considering kicking the bucket, but encounters a realtor, a fireman & an escort; most are drug addicts & the 4 must do what it takes to make their day, especially Charlie’s. The play features heavy topics such as drugs, suicide, rape, & sex. The following interviewers are from the stage crew.
(Carlos Carmona & Thomas Murdock (right) directing this scene with the actress Sam Oliva (left) Photo Credit: Carlos Carmona)
Luis Ovalle, the assistant stage manager, 1st thought that this play sends a really good message. Some of these characters have bad traits, but are important to understand not everyone is perfect. This is also his 1st play he’s managing. At first it was stressful for him, but now he is happy being with the crew & is excited.
Max Arencibia, who plays Kim the sex worker, said that her character is interesting because the character is depicted as an object, but she’s more than that with effort. When she was auditioning, she was performing a monologue, & they would choose the best character that fits them. She felt kind of related to the character; she thought that this play is a dark comedy doesn’t mean it’ll be laugh-out-loud funny, there’s more to it, it’s a commentary on interactions based on 1st impressions. “Please come see it. All of us put ourselves into it. We would appreciate your acknowledgement.”
(Murdock (left) directing a scene of this play with one of the actors, Max Arencibia (right). Photo credit: Carlos Carmona)
Logan Gonzalez, playing as Myron Dunlap. His 1st thought is that this play is a bit more edgier than most plays & musicals that happened in the college; as well as it is crazy, but has high hopes for it because this is a play he hasn’t performed since Fall 2022. His thought on his character is that he is insecure, a smart-mouthed, but complex guy. He sort of relates to him from the smart-mouth, facetious attitude, & is rarely serious. The play is more than a dark comedy and the show will be great and this is quite immature for kids. He gives a shout out to the director, Thomas Murdock for being the best, he sees the potential in his students & believes they can do it. Lastly, Michael Lesko, here’s his response. “I play the role of Charlie. He is a man who has become stuck in a deep pit of depression with no obvious way out. He learns through the play that there is always hope for himself & that he can get by with a little help from his friends. Playing Charlie has become important to me as it has become synonymous with my desire to spread the necessary message that we are never alone & that we can always persevere, no matter how hard life may get. My initial reaction when receiving the role was excitement. I have never acted in a full production & was excited that I finally had the opportunity. I do relate to Charlie, & I feel like a lot of our audience will as well. We have all been in a place where life becomes so overwhelming, so hard that it is near impossible to find relief. It is always important to remember that life can & will get better as long as we keep moving forward day by day. As we approach our premiere date, I am becoming more & more excited to bring this show to an audience. I feel a special rush of energy every day leading up to it. I am so excited for everyone to see it!”
Carlos Carmona, the stage manager, said that this play connects to lonely people; this play is fun, full of obstacles, something that all of us relate to. You can watch the play today at 2PM. If you missed it, they’re showing it again tomorrow, 4/11 at 2 pm, 4/12 at 11 am & 7:30 pm, & on 4/13 at 7:30 pm.
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