What would happen if all the bees abandoned the queen? A group of best friends investigate the collapse of bee colonies around the world in the high-stakes environmental drama “Queen,” opening at TheaterWorks Silicon Valley in March. . When research reveals flaws and ecological disaster looms, should we retract our findings or compromise to save the planet? Queen Miriam A. Laub The director shares her thoughts on this timely subject and explains how her life led to this fascinating work.
DJ: Tell us a little about yourself.
ML: My mother was born and raised in the southern Indian state of Kerela. My father was born and raised in Germany. My mother received a scholarship to do postgraduate studies at the University of Frankfurt. So my parents met there. Eventually they moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I was born and raised. I'm proud to be a Steelers fan. Although I currently live in New York with my husband, I spent 17 seasons in Ashland, Oregon as a member of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
DJ: How did you first get involved in the world of theater?
ML: I grew up across the street from a synagogue. When I was five years old, the synagogue moved in and the community theater moved in. The first show performed at this community theater was “Man of La Mancha.” And then the gentleman who played Don Quixote knocked on our door, asked if we had the requisite lemon in our voices, and invited us to the show. My parents took us (me and my brother) to the show. I couldn't understand everything that was going on. But what I remember was feeling like I was inside the music, inside the story. I have been involved in theater in one way or another ever since.
DJ: How did you start directing?
ML: Bill Rausch, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, once told me that he thought I had a director's eye. So I asked him to help me with his project. It was an amazing and eye-opening experience. He then asked me if I could help him again. A few years later, Mike Ryan, the artistic director of Shakespeare's Santa Cruz (who currently plays Dr. Phillip Hayes in Theater Works Silicon Valley's Queen), recommended the actress and director: I was asked to direct at the theater. Laura Gordon. And Tim Bond, who I worked with many years ago at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, gave me this experience. Therefore, I have been blessed with many mentors and guides along the way.
DJ: When did you first hear about Queen?
ML: I first heard about Queen at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where there was a sort of new theater incubator called Black Swan Lab run by Lou Doucitt. She brought Madhuri Shekhar to Ashland to work on her play, but she chose to work on Queen. I wasn't in the lab, but I remember the actors talking about this interesting piece. I met Madhuri at that time and have followed all her work closely since then. I am a big fan of Madhuri and her plays.
DJ: Do you usually discuss the play with the author in preparation for directing?
ML: Well, I mainly direct Shakespeare and I have conversations with him in my head, but he doesn't really answer my questions. In fact, I spoke to Madhuri about this play. What stuck with me was that she was imagining the worst that could happen between her dear friends who are also her colleagues. And the answer for her was whether her friend said, “You're not a writer.” That stayed with me.
DJ: Do you and the cast work with dramaturgs and beekeepers?
ML: I came here with no knowledge of bees. Talk to beekeepers and gain real-world experience.
DJ: What would you say about Queen to someone who doesn't know anything about bees?
ML: I would say that bees are about the “what” and not the “why.” The heart of the play is about the friendship between two women who are not only dear friends but also colleagues. They work together and share each other's lives. Then comes the moment when we have to answer for ourselves, “Are the ends worth the means?” This question threatens both their professional and personal integrity, as well as their friendship. Bees are what this community, this “hive” is studying. So along the way we learn a little about colony collapse disorder. And we can examine the beautiful workings of a beehive as a metaphor for this community.
Play details: Theater Works Silicon Valley presents Queen at the Lucy Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road. Palo Alto from March 6th to 31st. Written by Madhuri Shekhar. Directed by Miriam A. Laube. For tickets, showtimes, pre-show discussions with the cast, and information about performances with audio description, performances with open captions, performances with ASL interpretation, and performances that require masks, visit theaterworks.org or 877 Please call -662-8978 or email boxoffice@theatreworks.org. .