Play combines ‘Naked’ drama, laughter

When playwright Lynda Martens began writing her first full-length play, she said she had little hope of it ever receiving a professional production. Despite the odds, Martens’ “Naked in the Kitchen” had its premiere Nov. 5 at the Bloomington Playwrights Project.

The play will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday from Nov. 19 through Nov. 21 at the BPP.

“Naked in the Kitchen” showcases the discord that erupts around Beth and Charlie Campbell when their son leaves for college. Charlie, who might have a devastating illness, uses their newfound solitude as an excuse to confess his illness. When their other son Michael returns home from school to make a confession of his own, the family tensions boil over.

The play, winner of the 2009-10 Reva Shiner Full Length Play Contest, was selected from more than 200 applicants, said BPP Producing Artistic Director Chad Rabinovitz. Its mix of comedy and tragedy rang true with Rabinovitz.

“As people, we find comedy in the most trying of times. Just look at ‘The Daily Show’ as an example,” he said. “We try to laugh at the things that hurt us the most simply because it helps us get by. To me, a good play always uses that fact to its advantage and takes the audience on an emotional roller coaster.”

Reva Shiner, in whose name the play competition is held, was among the audience at the premiere.

“I thought they did an excellent job,” she said. “I even cried at times. It was very honest and true.”

The minimalist cast featured Jeff Stone and Meredith Mills as Charlie and Beth Campbell, as well as Gabriel Wallace as their son Michael and Kyle Hendricks as Michael’s friend Kevin. The show was directed by Holly Holbrook.

Martens, who lives in Ontario, Canada, had written multiple short plays before developing her first into the full-length “Naked in the Kitchen.” She said she wrote the play with little influence from other playwrights.

“It was much more organic than that,” she said. “When I started writing I didn’t know anything.”

Rabinovitz said the success of the final product was in part due to the collaboration with Martens.

“A new play is a lot like a manuscript of a novel that gets looked over by editors and is rewritten many times before it is published,” he said. “As theater artists, we do the same thing, except we have the luxury of having actors and a director stage the scenes and give the playwright feedback based on that.”

Although her work as a couple and family therapist provided inspiration for the marital conflicts of her play, Martens said she does not consider herself chained to reality.
“I don’t believe in reality,” she said, “only perspectives.”