Adulthood possesses plenty of perks, but what about its penchant for perplexing people who crave constant comfort? What happens when maturation causes vexation, particularly with respect to finding acceptance and cultivating passion? Such questions and many other existential inquiries drive the action in “Smoke,” a provocative play making its Philadelphia premiere with Deborah Block, of the 1500 block of South 13th Street, helming the happenings.
“As we become older, many of us often fall prey to the supposition that we have to have all the answers,” the 50-year-old said from Theatre Exile, 1340 S. 13th St., which is staging playwright Kim Davies’ brainchild through March 13. “There’s some difficult psychology to address when we notice the big fat difference between what we want to happen and what ends up occurring, and that’s what we’re after with this show.”
The Passyunk Square inhabitant is helping Merci Lyons-Cox and Matteo Scammell to ponder the uncertainties of adulthood through her role as Theatre Exile’s producing artistic director. In her ninth year with the entity based only two blocks from her residence, she loves that “Smoke” continues her connection to pieces that present vulnerability as a means to consider the degree of one’s strength and resolve. The work finds the actors portraying Julie and John, attendees at a New York City kink party who court each other in what Block, through a promotional release, tabs “an intimate exploration of morality, power dynamics, and the danger that we sometimes seek.” At ages 20 and 31, the characters find themselves at vastly different stages of their evolution, yet neither number guarantees that its owner has an advantage, with Block noting they must navigate their individual precipices extremely carefully.
“Audiences have to open certain doors to take everything in,” the director said. “When they do, they’ll see we’re tackling many issues that we leave bloody on the ground. In other words, we’re not aiming for total resolution of these topics, so that definitely makes this one of the more dangerous and scary plays I’ve worked on. It’s also one of the most evocative, and I think it’s a work, like a few others we’ve done, that you will think about years from now.”
To ensure that durable identity, Block is fostering strong bonds with the hires, eagerly guiding them through a process that helps her to intensify her love affair with realizing visions and goals. Also enamored with helping a new play “to be its best self,” she respects “Smoke” for its commentary on contemporary attraction and its relentless treatment of the depth of self-deception and one’s attempts to understand the roots and consequences of urges.
“I’m enthusiastic about every project, particularly those with so many elements that all but beg us to wonder what we’re doing with our lives,” she said. “It’s a point of pride for me to be involved with ‘Smoke.’ I see it as a perfect vehicle for considering all of the obstacles in our way, including the ones we erect ourselves.”
Maturing in Merion, Block developed an immediate attraction to theater, with science, math, and social psychology keeping her curiosity from growing dormant. Vacillating on her ultimate pursuit, even drawing a laugh from yours truly when mentioning “the major of the month club,” she enrolled at The University of Massachusetts Amherst, with a directing class doubling as the provider of a cherished Eureka moment.
“I’d been in plays since elementary school, but directing spoke to me more,” Block said. “There are difference muscles involved, and I’ve loved being able to build mine by stepping outside of the action and crafting a world where I get at the psychology of the characters and engage in the task of taking actors and actresses on the roller-coaster that will bring them to their destination.”
The holder of a master of fine arts degree from Temple University has become a local staple over the years, with a role in the founding of the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, now FringeArts, for which she served as program director for a decade, standing out as a chief contributor to area theater’s vastly popular identity as a source of solace. A recipient of the Independence Fellowship in the Arts and the Albert Benzwie Award for playwriting, she has proven a consistent and considerate advocate for stage-based revelations and feels grateful to make and present observations before crowds, especially for those who venture into her neighborhood for an education.
“I feel so fortunate to interact with everyone here because (founding artistic director) Joe (Canuso) pulls such great people in,” Block said. “He’s such a great gatherer, and we work well on so many levels, with new play development really key because we love the whole idea of nurturing new talent.”
Theatre Exile, she noted, recently became affiliated with the National New Play Network, making its decision to stage “Smoke” a wonderful component of its 19th season. Analyzing the perils of young adulthood via action that, according to the New York Theatre Review, “builds moments that feel both repellent and enticing, captivating the audience in collective voyeurism,” the play tackles tenaciously the fear that comes with novelty and the potential wisdom lurking within moments of abject failure and indecisiveness. For Block, each instance of ruminating over questions of culpability and deliberating on the dynamics of sexual politics yields for patrons the opportunity to consider their own desires, the degree to which they can control them, and the extent to which sating or refusing them will alter their lives.
“We all want answers, but what about when we have to settle for doubt and adapt?” Block asked. “What happens when, even with moments of levity, which this play has, we’re still left wondering? That’s adulthood, and, frankly, that’s exciting no matter what sort of setbacks we have.” ■
■
Call 215-218-4022, or visit theatreexile.org.
Contact Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
