Naomi Wallace is an Obie-award-winning playwright whose latest play, “The War Boys,” will be making its New York debut at the Access Theatre in New York City from March 25 to April 15, 2017. The 75-minute play, which was written in 1993, follows the story of three childhood friends who pride themselves on being vigilantes who patrol the border between the United States and Mexico. Joshua Morgan, the show’s producer, recently discussed the play and his career in theatrical entertainment.
Play
Blasting News (BN): How did you get into producing theater?
Joshua Morgan (JM): I've been performing since I was a little boy. I graduated as an actor but knew that I didn't want to leave with "nothing." I wanted to be creating right away, so I started doing my own work, and that turned into a theater company I ran for six years.
BN: How did you get involved with "The War Boys"?
JM: Our director, James Will McBride, and I were having dinner, and he was excitedly talking about this play he wished he could produce for theater one day and I simply said... "why don't we?" Most don't realize what's at their disposal.
BN: Can you tell us a bit about the show? What can audiences expect?
JM: Audiences can expect a 75-minute rollercoaster of the fight, passion, and fear among three very different men coming to terms with how their pasts have shaped them today.
BN: This show was written in 1993. Why do you think it still resonates so strongly today?
JM: It feels as though this play could have been written yesterday. We live in a world where the conversation about immigrants is more important than ever and what we're watching in this play could be happening in our own backyard.
Producing
BN: What was the process of getting this work staged? What were the most challenging aspects of creating the production?
JM: Producing is all about problem-solving. You have a mini-staff of thirty or so for a few months, and it's about helping them all manifest what they've hoped for the show. The theater is a very DIY field which requires patience and creativity on all fronts all the way down to fundraising and painting.
Personalities are varied, and emotions are often high.
BN: What kinds of projects do you hope to be involved with in the future?
JM: As a producer, I love giving artists opportunities. I love fostering plays, writers, directors, designers and actors and giving them a platform to create. I'm interested in projects that have the context to our world today and have yet to be shared. I like working with positive, forward thinking artists.
BN: Are there are upcoming events that you want to discuss?
JM: A mentor of mine once said that "bad theater promotes bad show" and it's always stuck with me. My goal is to produce good work for the betterment of all theater.
