In Tandem Theatre co-founder and Artistic Director Chris Flieller has become a fixture in Milwaukee Theatre over the years. In the ten years since it was founded by he and his wife Jane, In Tandem has produced some really impressive studio productions. On the precipice of breaking free from its first decade, In Tandem has come to live at a brand new venue in the side entrance of a church on Tenth and Wisconsin. Chris Flieller directs their penultimate production of the year: Bill C. Davis’ Mass Appeal. It’s a comedy about a clash of ideals between an old priest and a young seminarian. Flieller answered a few questions about the upcoming production.
Mass Appeal is set at a church. Your theatre is also at a church. Clever. Was this the inspiration behind staging the play?
Mass Appeal was chosen before we knew where we were going to produce it. We chose this play because of its strong writing and current relevance -- raising issues of human needs and weaknesses and choices that test one’s moral fiber. This play is set in the context of the Catholic Church but the choices the characters must make could be found in any industry.
I’m not familiar with the politics of the church your theatre resides in. Have you had any dialogue with it regarding the play?
There was a discrepancy as to how to pronounce the word “ecumenism”, so we asked the Pastor one day while he was making his lunch and he helped us out. Other than that, they’re just coming to see it.
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Seriously, when we first came to this site, we met with the church Board of Directors and it was agreed that In Tandem Theatre would produce material in line with our mission and that Calvary Presbyterian Church would not attempt censure. This is incorporated in our lease agreement. In Tandem maintains its own entrance and through the construction of the new theatre, the two entities really only share the building.
Mass Appeal has been criticized for being centered around stereotypes. The young iconoclast challenges the older traditionalist. Father Farley has been accused of being drawn from a series of Irish Catholic stereotypes. How do you address these concerns in your production?
The author, Bill C. Davis, though half-Jewish, was brought up through twelve years of Catholic school, using that knowledge as a backdrop for what is ultimately a story about courage and conviction. The core of the play is not concerned with dogma or stereotypes (it is not mentioned that Father Farley is Irish, for example). The play’s message is about human nature and the reminder that in any story involving the Church, we are still working with inherent human strengths and weaknesses.
The plot has also been criticized of addressing issues that have become well worn in the quarter century since the play was written. How do you address the ongoing issues explored in the play with a fresh perspective on an old script?
A play that is still produced as regularly as Mass Appeal, though twenty-five years after it was originally penned, speaks volumes to its continued relevance. In directing this piece, I look at it from the perspective that you have two men in the same field: the older priest nears the end of his career having fallen into comfortable complacency, while the young seminarian attacks to force salvation. They both want the same thing and want the other to be the best at what they do. They risk losing that which they desire most if they don’t adhere to the advice of the other. The issues addressed in this play concern the human heart and those things, as in all good plays, never lose their relevance: courage, character, love, forgiveness.
I’ve seen Michael Duncan before (even saw something he wrote for the last Bunny Gumbo show) and can attest to his talent. I’m not as familiar with Michael Perez. What’s the dynamic like between Duncan and Perez?
I am thrilled to be working with my dear friend (and former PTTP classmate), Michael Duncan, on this production. Michael Perez, now located out of Chicago, was an intern at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre two seasons ago. He has since gone on to work at American Players Theatre the past two summers. Mr. Perez is a very hard-working, honest young actor and feels he’s learning a great deal about his craft by working with a veteran actor such as Mr. Duncan on this project.
