Marie Kohler: Boswell to Broadway

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Photo by Paulius Musteikis

Marie Kohler

Marie Kohler

In September, Marie Kohler did a scene reading of her play Boswell—at, where else, Milwaukee’s Boswell Books. That play is going into rehearsals for a run of performances at 59E59 Theaters in New York City until Dec. 4. She recently spoke about that play and offered her thoughts on history and its role in her work.

What feedback did you get from Boswell the table reading that you can use to tweak the play further?

What I gained from the Boswell Books reading was two-fold.  First, thankfully, I was reminded (from the audience’s positive response) that the material remains entertaining. Second, I realized how autobiographical the perspective of the play is.

The bookstore’s environment quite recalled my family’s library when, as a girl, I opened Boswell’s Journals for the first time. I flashed-back, happily, to sitting on the back of an armchair, reaching up for a random book in the high shelves—and opening to a fascinating, bawdy narration about a London actress named Louisa, with whom Boswell was enjoying a liaison.

The bookstore audience appeared to enjoy it as much as I had … the reaction being something like: “What’s this now?!!” Then, “Tell me more!!”

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Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson

Triney Sandoval as David Hume, Brian Mani as Samuel Johnson in 'Boswell'

Triney Sandoval as David Hume and Brian Mani as Samuel Johnson in 'Boswell'

While there may not be a formula, can you talk a bit and describe how much a play can be rewritten over time?

I’m not sure how frequently other playwrights re-write their work—but I do. A play, like any other piece of writing, can be radically re-written, depending on the author’s changing perspective—and the changing tenor of the times.

In this case, as an example, Boswell, a Scot, was severely looked down upon in 18th century England. Originally, I centered the story around the perspective of young Jewish PhD student ambitiously making her way through 1950s Chicago academia. In this new iteration of the play, we are exploring the perspective of a Mexican American academic female trying to climb the ladder of success.  With the help of our director, Laura Gordon, and actor, Phoebe Gonzales, a new subplot has developed which I feel suits and enriches the play thematically.

How likely is it to be altered significantly from the original set of ideas?

That depends. I would guess not entirely; a playwright would begin again completely if that were the case. When a writer re-visits work from an earlier date, she is bound to discover things--threads to weave more tightly and concentratedly, and threads to let go of. In this piece, my reworking has meant somewhat subtle adjustments of character and emphasis.

Both Boswell and The Dig seem to pivot on history. The Dig, dealt with family history and artifacts. Boswell draws upon the 18th century—James Boswell’s lost journals and his relationship with Samuel Johnson. What draws to you use history in your work?

I am a big fan of exploring history and historic art. It’s fascinating and fun! The past holds the seeds of the present—and future—and reveals what we share from history and what has changed. I have my academic Joan say about the Boswell material she discovers, “It’s like a window to the past”. And I have Samuel Johnson quote from Shakespeare: “I feel now the future in the moment.” Both, I feel, are true.

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Photo by Hannah Jo Anderson

Phoebe González as Joan Morales, Brian Mani as Samuel Johnson in 'Boswell'

Phoebe González as Joan Morales and Brian Mani as Samuel Johnson in 'Boswell'

Do you think that having a starting point rooted in the past offers tangents for you to explore?

If I get hooked on something historical, it’s because, for me, it relates to something in our shared “now.” For example, in looking up stories from old newspapers, we can feel a jolt of recognition: “Wow, so that was our ancestors—“now!”? 

The same happens for me in reading an old journal: “So that was that particular person’s actual, daily experience? It feels so real!” It can cue differing emotional responses, of course—either wonderful or dark. We can learn from both. 

For me as a playwright, journal writings often feel innately dramatic, akin to dramatic monologues. I’ve written several plays out of journal material: Katherine Mansfield (Counting Days); Daniel Defoe’s fictional Moll Flanders (Midnight And Moll Flanders); outsider artist Mary Nohl’s notes (Maybe We’ll Fly, At The Witch House).

Daily hyper-personal entries can be building blocks for drama. Through the interstices of entries, the question arises: is the writer being honest? Is she fooling herself? And … is the journal intended to be read? 

In The Dig you connected the dots from the past to present day characters. A description for Boswell reads “An ambitious 20th century academic discovers James Boswell’s lost journals and finds she cannot resist his 18th century literary charms.” What intrigues you about placing characters in these situations?

By doing so, we get to view characters in the context of their historic eras—and what we know communally about those eras. Then history becomes a kind of character against which other characters can be viewed. On a simple level, I find Boswell’s material delightful and want to share. 

In addition, the character of Joan, a 1950s academic woman, is a kind of stand-in for me. I learned a while back that a playwright’s passion cannot automatically open an audience’s heart. That privilege must be earned. Stand-in characters, through their wants and circumstances, can allow an audience to emotionally connect.

At the end, I frequently think of myself as a bridge-builder—between so called “classic” and “popular” culture—between readers of literature and audiences in theater. Why should English lit majors have all the fun?