"Returning to the Theater With Fresh Eyes"
Crystal Skillman on her play Open
A few months ago, an old playwright friend Crystal Skillman called and asked how I raised the money to make Ramona at Midlife. It’s one of my favorite things to talk about.
I’d been in development with another film, Polly Freed, for eight years prior and my producing partner (the divine Ro Reddick) and I did everything short of raising the money. We believed, like many independent artists, that if we put together “the package” some magical, mythical “business person” would come along and do the rest. When that didn’t happen, I vowed to do it on my own with my next project.
So I was delighted to hear from Crystal and share what I’d learned. I told her about the steps I took, the Film Fatales webinars I attended, the mentors and friends who advised me, my fundraising emails, etc. Because now more than ever, I think artists need to learn how to do these things.
After our drinks date, Crystal launched a successful fundraising campaign for the commercial run of her lauded Off Broadway play Open, a queer love story told by an amateur magician, which “re-opened” at the WP Theater this week!
One very cool thing about Crystal: she has also written for animation and writes graphic novels, a fact that gave me cultural cred when I was teaching undergraduates at NYU. (Princess Bubblegum, anyone?) Crystal has a great story and a big heart.
And here she is!
BB: You work in so many mediums! Tell our readers about your trajectory.
CS: Yes! I was always doing community theater, but I knew, even at a young age, that I wasn’t an actor. But I was a very strong visual artist. My passion was photography. When I chose what was in the frame, I was a creator. I had no idea that playwriting was possible, as I had never met a living playwright or had access to hearing them speak, etc. So I chose to double down as a visual artist.
I am so grateful for my time at both the Hartford Art School and Parsons School of Design. While at both schools, I had a minor in theater. The two forms began to merge. I drew, I painted, I did graphic design and sculpture, and I began to create installations where photography could tell a story.
I was an intern at Circle Rep and Ensemble Studio Theater, when a theater critic from the New Yorker saw my work—Carpe Diem is Not a Japanese Fish, a piece in which I played a traumatized woman mindlessly eating cookies while the audience hears the love story rom-com going on in her head. This critic grabbed me and said, “You’re a playwright!” I was like, “Great! What’s a playwright?”
BB: Where did your play Open come from and how did you bring the story to life? How has magic influenced you and the structure of your play?
CS: I was stunned that even in 2014, when the idea of this play developed, that there was still a lack of acceptance for gay marriage. At the same time, the idea of a deep love story told by a lover who uses magic to keep their soulmate alive came to me, first in a short play I explored at Rattlestick [a downtown theater where many of us, myself included, cut our playwright teeth—BB.] and later, when people were struck by the power and poetry, I realized I wanted to explore these themes further.
After some initial workshops with Megan Hill and Jessi D. Hill, I began to craft the opening. I closed my eyes, and The Magician (aka, Kristen) was there. She spoke, and I channelled. Not every part of the process was like that, but it is the only time this has happened to me on this level. My connection to the character emboldened me as I spoke to producers, and artistic directors. This story had to be told. In a way I feel like an ambassador to the story and to Kristen and Jenny’s journey.
BB: What inspires you now?
CS: We are returning to theater with fresh eyes. After our lockdown years, we’re telling stories that use elements of fantasy, and that is what I gravitate to. There are electric stories finding life now in film and TV (Andor is a masterpiece). And despite (necessary) strikes, a post-pandemic world, rising fascism, the fires, the fight for equality, civil rights, and the power of free will in the face of AI…I do believe stories can teach.
I believe our stories can reach people and create conversation and that the power of storytelling can save us. Jordan Harrison’s recent play The Antiquities explores this. I am endlessly inspired by Chisa Hutchinson’s work (Amerikins). Strong storytelling and an intergenerational focus on what real leadership looks like (not just the tired notion that young people will save us—and if they are going to save anyone, we really should give them tools and support) makes us stronger than the forces currently in charge. Not unlike the characters in my play, I believe it will happen.
Open is running at WP Theater (76th & Broadway in New York City) until July 27th. The play is performed by a luminous Megan Hill, directed by Jessi Hill.
On July 16th, Crystal is hosting a benefit performance; ten percent of proceeds will go to The Center in the West Village. The Center is a safe and affirming community center for LGBTQ+ New Yorkers to access lifesaving services and make meaningful connections.
You can find Open at: @opentheplay on insta and Facebook. And on TikTok @opentheplay4
Ramona’s Substack anniversary quickly approaches, and I’m publishing a little extra this month. Stay tuned next week for a piece on Marisa Fox-Bevilacqua’s incredible doc My Underground Mother, quickly followed by Ramona’s Anniversary post. Thank you so much for being part of this venture (I can no longer hear the word journey without gagging unless we’re talking about the band)!
Love,
Brooke