Rattaya Nimibutr
Staff Writer
He stands a bit under six feet, with shaggy, dark hair and a goatee. In his hands are an occasional cigarette and a slice of pepperoni pizza. Recent Dulles High School grad Travis Johns doesn't ask for much. His requirements are few for an upcoming rehearsal of Beating a Dead Horse, his latest theatrical piece to be performed this weekend at Main Street Theater's Chelsea Market location.
This time, though, it's not a regular rehearsal for the 18-year-old Johns, which usually entails memorizing lines or remembering the blocking. This time, Johns steps back to watch others perform on-stage. He is not only the playwright, but the director as well.
Beating A Dead Horse, Johns' third directorial piece for theater, is a dark comedy about the lives of four people who come together at an AA meeting, only to find out it will be no ordinary engagement.
"The play pushes the imagination of ridiculousness. We have dream sequences, and as the play goes on, the characters just get drunker and drunker, and they find some sort of Utopia within their mind," said Johns during a recent rehearsal.
Shannon Riley portrays Penny, the AA instructor who tries to take over something she has no control of. At the meeting, Joe (Miles McMahon) tries to analyze the problems he is having with his wife. Then there's Albert (Lloyd Clingman), who puts himself on a pedestal, only to be thought of as the group's biggest loser by the others. Lastly, Vicky (Dorcus Sowummi) is a girl with a facade who doesn't think she has a problem.
While that may sound like a big load for a group of young actors, it's simply the tip of the iceberg.
"The four characters are also playing other roles as well. It shows the versatility of the actors," Johns said.
"These guys can play just about anything. I'd rather like to focus on a small group and see what they can do with different parts. There's a kind of novelty to that."
Though his topic of choice for Horse is drunks and drinking, Johns isn't directly poking fun at alcoholism. He is simply trying to present a side of the meetings that very few people actually know about.
"Because of the subject matter of alcohol, you can classify anything in your life to how you want it, down to you. And you can finally get to the right type of mind and rationalize it more," Johns said. "People find themselves so they can do what they want. They think it's okay in their head when they know it's not, so they can enjoy themselves."
As Johns dealt with the technicalities of theater lights being programmed and lines being rehearsed, he managed to stress that the one thing he wants is to let people know it's okay to take things less seriously and laugh about them.
"I think my kind of humor is a little different. I put amusement on things you're not supposed to really laugh at," Johns said. "It's a laugh-in kind of humor that we don't see enough of anymore. I just want people to come here and laugh their asses off for two hours."
So far, Johns seems pretty well set on what's happening on stage. He knows what the stage will look like, and the music has been completed by himself and McMahon. Johns' only problems are his horrifyingly brief two-week rehearsals. They're enough to make a Broadway vet call for curtain.
"It's really hectic because we haven't had a lot of time. We're in a crunch, and we're working with everyone's schedules," said Johns. "It's going to be a lot of work until we get there. With all this work for a run of three nights, I believe it's completely worth it."
Amid all the banter and jokes, the setting seems more like a class reunion than a serious rehearsal. Everyone knows everyone else, and they're simply trying to do their best.
"A lot of these people in this play aren't going to be actors and actresses. This is what they like to do, what they are good at, but they honestly want real-life jobs," Johns admitted. "I think getting an old group of friends back together, there's something to be said about that."
For Johns himself, Beating a Dead Horse may very well be just the beginning. He also directed the comedy Bathroom Humor in May and won the Texas Educators Theater Association award for script writing for The Book Club.
To some, Johns motivation may seem to stem more from age-motivation than fostered talent, but it's not something that seems to bother him.
"It's an immediate and feasible thing for people to do at my age right now. I mean, I can write all the film scripts I want, but to get them made is a different story," Johns said. "This way I can write it, find a place (for it), and I can direct it."
"This is definitely what I want to do for the rest of my life, and I want to get a jump start on it now. Hopefully I won't run out of time."
Johns has many, many years ahead of him to sharpen his already-impressive talent, but it's something he seems willing to reach for.
"I like to write a lot. I do this like a kind of therapy, or I will go insane. I make myself crazy so I won't go super-crazy. If I can do this, if I enjoy this and if I am working with the people that are also loving it, it helps me get through what I want to do."
Performances of Beating A Dead Horse are at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at Main Street Theater's Chelsea Market location, 4617 Montrose. Tickets are $10. Call (713) 524-3622 for more information.