Director Spotlight: Kristin Clippard directs “The Luckiest People”

“People” is the title of the 1964 song from the Broadway musical, Funny Girl, which starred Barbara Streisand. The lyrics say “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” Playwright Meridith Friedman encapsulates her touching family dramedy in that title, The Luckiest People, reminding us of how fortunate some of us are to actually like the people we grew up with. As the director, I take a cue from the title in focusing in on the character of Richard and how his journey moves as the play progresses.

In middle age, family roles begin to reverse (thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenge!). Children become parents to their parents as they grapple with aging bodies and minds. It’s a life transition that is fraught with challenges. And yet this is the heart of Friedman’s poignant play. How does, Richard, a middle aged son open his heart and home to his dismissive father, Oscar, once his mother is gone? And how does he keep his partner happy when he isn’t ready to adopt a boy into that same home? Just as no one is ever ready to be a parent, no son or daughter is ever fully prepared to become a caretaker for a parent. Getting older is hard enough without being a caregiver, but when your people are in need, you take up the mantle. Richard moves his parents from Great Neck, NY to the California coast so he can help take care of them. He chooses assisted living as the right option for them, although Oscar never seems to get used to the place (calling it a nursing home).

Rehearsal photo by Lexie Hoag features Suzanne O’Donnell, Alexander Mrazek, and Kristin Clippard.

A person who reared you is also a person who can crush you with their words. Richard and his younger sister, Laura, make jokes about Oscar or “Pop” and his harsh demeanor, but underneath it lies love complexly mixed with bitterness. Painful memories from the past and a lifetime of strained interactions have the potential to affect their choices in handling his future care. When the family connector (aka mom) is no longer there to smooth the rough edges of turbulent relationships, how does the family continue on? Luckily, this family was blessed with a sharp wit and extreme sarcasm that cut through the tougher moments (and the overly sentimental ones, too). Friedman has crafted buoyant and lively dialogue that keeps us smiling in the midst of grief, taking note of the words that go unspoken. For a family that never says, “I love you,” we understand their deep and enduring kinship.

As one might guess, we shared a lot of our own personal stories of loss in rehearsal. Part of the process is gaining an understanding of what experience the actors are bringing to these characters and also using my own point of view on the topics at hand. I lost my own mother a couple years ago and remember the stark shift in decision-making based on how it might affect my father. Those personal stories and sharing help inform our interpretations of these characters and the actors bring a wealth of understanding and imagination to these characters. They make their humanity relatable.

Grief counselors say one should never make big life decisions in the wake of a major loss. But Richard has no choice. Plans must be altered and arrangements made. His emotional response to these changes is what guides the play and affects my directing choices. From the soundscape, to the set decoration of his condo kitchen, to the clothes he wears, I am considering his lifestyle and behavior to work with my design team on these elements. Richard’s reactions to Oscar, Laura and to his love, David, all come with consequences, and that plays into how we chose to stage important moments. I want the actors to feel free to experience the scene anew each night, but I also have to be an eye for the audience and make sure the story is being told in a clear and meaningful way every night.

Richard is faced with loss, blame, guilt and outside pressures that mount until things can’t continue as they stand. But throughout this phase, he is realizing how much he desperately needs the people in his life. Despite Oscar’s stubbornness, there is a chance for reconciliation, for hope in a better relationship between father and son because he needs Richard now more than ever. We all need to love on our people a little more. I hope Friedman’s play will move you to call your folks or grandparents and tell them how much they mean to you.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kristin Clippard holds a BFA from Wright State University and an MFA from the University of Iowa. Selected directing credits include God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, ​Loyalty and Betrayal (a community collaboration based on Julius Caesar), Landless by Andrew Saito, and Champagne Gods by Emily Dendinger. Favorite classic play projects include The Merry Wives of Windsor (Richmond Shakespeare),​ The ​Imaginary Invalid and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Annapolis Shakespeare), The Taming of the Shrew (Arclight Repertory), Measure for Measure and Pericles (San Francisco Shakespeare).

Kristin has taught theatre to all ages for Valencia College, Anne Arundel Community College, University of Iowa, University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, California Shakespeare Theatre, TheatreWorks, Marin Theatre Company, and more. Kristin has taught, administered, acted, assisted or directed with over a dozen Shakespeare producing theatre companies across the country, as well as many other theaters, universities and schools​. www.kristinclippard.com