Thursday, November 18, 2010

Interview With Peter Turo of All Fall Down

By Byrne Harrison

Peter Turo is the writer and director of All Fall Down, a new play, and Equity showcase, premiering November 30th at The Tank. All Fall Down is his first NYC production.

I understand All Fall Down is your first full-length play. What's your theatre background?

I’ve been acting for about 13 years; I started doing shows in high school and then continued in college. I’ve also done some community theater. In terms of writing, this is my first full-length work outside of something I had to write for school.

The play centers on a group of former friends and lovers who come together for the first time in years. Reunions are always fertile ground for drama. What inspired you to tell this story?

I’ve always been a fan of stories that take place all in one night, and I was feeling pretty inspired one night after re-reading Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. I developed the plot around the characters, so once their relationships were defined, I knew what was going to/had to happen. The original title was “Perspective” which is an idea I really wanted to be front and center with this show: how does the way you look at yourself conflict with how others look at you, and what do you do to resolve those conflicts?

Tell me a little bit about your collaborators on this project? How did you pull the cast and crew together?

I’m lucky enough to have worked with all of them before in some variety. The entire cast (and myself) went to Manhattanville College in Westchester and I’ve done at least one show with not only my actors but also my tech staff. They’re magicians, dancers, stage managers, retail workers, teachers, students… all people involved in some type of performance. And they’re great at it.

In addition to writing All Fall Down, you're directing this production. How has directing been?

It’s my first time, so definitely a challenge. It’s a learning experience—I talked to a few directors I know beforehand and tried to remember things directors I’ve worked with have done that I liked and things I didn’t like. I respect my actors and their choices, so we worked from there but there were definite moments where I went “no no no…do this instead…” You learn. Definitely a challenge, but I’ve had a lot of fun.

If you could say anything to your potential audience, what would it be?

I hope you enjoy it? What I’d ask is to listen/watch closely—the story is told out of sequence, so following what plays out is pretty important. And also the “enjoying themselves” thing.

What's next for you after this production?

I’ll be trying to market All Fall Down to some other theaters and some festivals. I have a few more plays in my head, but I really want to see where this one can go first. This is most definitely not the last time this show will be presented.



All Fall Down opens November 30th at The Tank in NYC at 354 West 45th Street. It runs three performances - 11/30, 12/1, 12/2 at 9:30pm.

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