Stage Whisper
Whisper in the Wings 629
(upbeat music) - Hello everybody and welcome back into a fantastic new Whisper in the Wings from Stage Whisper. We are continuing our coverage of a fantastic series here in New York City, one that we are so proud to be, to have been put on to be able to have the opportunity to amplify. And of course, we are talking about the Neurodivergent New Play series. And today's guest and show is already like one of the best ones you've gotten to share with you. It's so much fun. The game has begun before you even get to see the show, which is fantastic. But I'm not gonna focus much on that. That's not my place. But I will say that we have a wonderful guest, a playwright and the cultural consultant, Jay Corey Buckner joining us. He's here to speak about his new work, Yahoo Boys, which I mentioned as part of the Neurodivergent New Play series. And it's happening on September 15th at 2 p.m. Live and streaming at ART New York's South Oxford Space. You can get your tickets and more information by visiting ticketleap.events. This is such a great series, one, to get to take in. But two, the show already has me sold in just a little bit of conversation I've had. So I wanna welcome on our guests. I'm so excited to have them here. Jay, welcome in to Whisper in the Wings from Sage Whisper. - Thank you so much. I appreciate you having me. - I'm so happy you're here. I, you truly, you won me over with our conversation before and I'm so excited to learn more about this great show that you're a part of, Yahoo Boys. Could you start by telling us a little bit about what the show is about? - Sure, so the play is called Yahoo Boys. A lot of us in America are familiar with the concept of the Yahoo Boy. It's the Nigerian Scammers. The Nigerian Prince scam was pretty popular about 10 years ago. It got a lot of old folks. So yeah, it's a whole subculture of con men in Nigeria, ranging from very, very educated to, you know, folks scrapping by. It's a very, they live a very flashy lifestyle. A lot of like flashy clothes, expensive watches, really, really big houses, large flashy cars. And what I found so interesting about it is everyone, everyone knows where they get their money from, but they, many of them cultivate online personalities, like they're entrepreneurs who stumbled upon this, like brilliant business and like, if you just apply yourself, you can get as rich as them or the flashiness is very much a part of the lifestyle. - I love that. Oh my gosh. So I'm really curious to know, where did you all come up with the idea to collaborate and pen this piece? - So unfortunately I was, I fell for hopes. I had just graduated college, moved to Chicago, and I could not find a job. I was going to all kinds of interviews, applying everywhere. I took some advice from my mom and I printed out paper resumes and was like walking down the street to businesses. I tried everything and I really couldn't find a job. And then I got this email about this really flexible position. I thought it sounded kind of fishy, but he had all of these documents that looked, that looked real, that looked legitimate. He printed off a check. And so I took that and all of the documents to my bank. The bank looked it over. They said everything looks good. And then they deposited the check. And then eventually I found out that the whole thing was a scam. And I had that realization where I was sitting on the corner, kind of like looking back and everything, I just felt so silly. In hindsight, I was like, I should have seen this. I shouldn't have been so trusting. And as I was like, this feeling of obvious regret, like I made a mistake that was so obvious. It wasn't just that like I was stupid. It was like I was stupid and I knew better. There was like that, that those ideas were competing. And I had the thought, like, I'm going to make an audience feel this way one day. I love that. Wow, wow. That's an unfortunate but incredible inspiration. So along those lines, I would love to know now, what has it been like developing this piece and essentially getting the words off the page and on its feet? It has been a real challenge. It's one of them. I originally had the idea sort of jotted it down. And all I had to go with was I wanted to con the audience and I knew that I wanted to explore this subculture. And it took so many iterations of that idea. So eventually, I don't even know how I got to this draft eventually. I remember I was reading the book, The Signifying Monkey by Henry Louis Gates, which is a book about African philosophy and how those ideas have sort of been ingrained in African American arts and culture throughout history. So I was reading this book and thinking about con men and I was like, what's the worst thing that could happen to this con man? What's the worst thing that could happen? And I was iterating on that idea. And then I was like, well, what if they conned Loki and they didn't know it? And that was like the first idea that I had that I felt like that's something that I can latch onto. That's something that gets me excited. - I love (laughs) Of all the people you're gonna con, you're gonna con Loki, that's fantastic. Well, with such a relatable story and with such an unfortunate inspiration behind it, is there a message or thought that you're hoping audiences take away from the work? - Totally, the big message of the play is I want everyone to be a little bit more discerning with the messages that were given, not just from salesmen and potential cons and things like that, but from the media, from politicians, I think I see a lot of similar tactics from the media and politicians at the con menus and I just want, and also very similar tactics that we use in the theater. I just think that in the theater, the audience is in on it. They're open to having their imagination sort of taken along with, taken along in another way. And so I just want everyone to don't take everything at face value, examine the message, look for the notes beyond the note. - I love that idea. Well, that leads to my final question for this first part and that of course is who are you hoping have access to Yahoo boys? - Well, that's a great question. I think this is a play for anyone who has ever felt gullible for anybody who has ever enjoyed playing tricks or playing pranks. Everybody who has that mischievous spirit, definitely for people who have maybe West African ancestry or a connection to that region. Yeah, if any of those things sort of speak to you, I think that this play is probably for you and I hope that you will have access in some way. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Over the second part of our interviews, we love giving our listeners a chance to get to know our guests a little bit better. Pick your brains, if you will. And I want to start with our regular first question, which is what or who inspires you? What playwrights, composers or shows have inspired you in the past? Or are just some of your favorites? - Sarah Rule is a huge inspiration of mine. I just love how you'll be reading a Sarah Rule play and it seems like everything is normal. And then it says like it starts raining in the elevator. She has a note in one of her plays that just sort of exploded my like concept of what our job is as playwrights. There's a note that says she's describing all of the stage and sets. And then she starts describing what the theater should look like and what the seats should look like. And she said, what does the theater look like in the 1800s? And I was just like, you can do that? I had no idea. So I would say as far as like what I like to do in theater is exploring magic and impossible stage directions. Sarah Rule would be number one for me. - Absolutely. I'm with you right there that is a fabulous inspiration. I am a huge Sarah Rule fan. I'm curious to know I know you've been very busy getting ready for the upcoming production of "The Peace", but have you seen any great theater lately? You might be able to recommend to our listeners? - Yes, I saw English at the Guthrie Theater recently with which won the Pulitzer. So surprise, it's very good. But that is a play that I've seen popping up in lots of places. That was really awesome. I think if you can get a chance to see it, I would definitely recommend. - Tell me Jay, what is your favorite part about working in the theater? - I love working in a group towards a common goal. I know that's kind of like a state answer or whatever, but to me, like when I'm working on a play, it feels like putting together a Rubik's Cube. Like I figure out one side and then I'm like, oh, this is great. And then I turn it over and everything else is all jumbled. And I think it's that sort of logical puzzle side of my brain can take over. So when I get to be with other artists and see how their imagination works and see them play and explore and getting inspired by that and then coming back with new pages, it's just like, that's just the best. - That is a fabulous answer, I love that. And I want to snowball off of that into my favorite question to ask guests, which is, what is your favorite theater memory? - So I am definitely not a performer now. So, but back in high school, I don't think that I loved acting, but I loved theater. And I think that was my way of being around theater. So I was in a production of, oh my gosh, with it's that classic story, Boo Radley and Scout. - Tequila Mockingbird. - Yes, thank you. I was in a production of Tequila Mockingbird. And it was my first time being in a production that was age appropriate, which is like very common for theater, but it's not very common in high school. So our scout was eight years old. And I think the oldest cast member was in their 70s. So it was just a really awesome experience getting to be around so many, so much experience and also so much just like joy. And I remember I was helping one kid learn his lines. And as he was like saying his lines in response, he goes, oh, it's like they're talking to each other. And I'll say my favorite moment from that show, we were backstage before opening night, just in a circle as a cast. And the girl who was playing Scout said, it wouldn't be called to play if it wasn't supposed to be fun. - That, that's right there, yes. - That memory is amazing, amazing. Thank you for sharing that. Well, as we wrap things up, I would love to know, do you have any other projects or productions coming down the pipeline? We might be able to plug for you. - So in no theater in Cincinnati, in the spring of 25, I will have my world premiere debut of my Play Blurds. Blurds is a coming of age story set during the DC Sniper shooting. - Ooh, ooh, I am very peaked with that one. Okay, this is fantastic. And that is a great lead into my final question 'cause we need to keep tabs on you for these shows. If our listeners would like more information about Yahoo boys or about you, maybe they'd like to reach out to you. How can they do so? - I'm on NPX, that's probably my most consistent method. I'm on social media a little bit. I'm trying to be better. I'm on, you can find me a written by J Corey Buckner across social media, but NPX is probably the best way. New Play Exchange. - Perfect. Well, J, this has been so wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing the piece you're involved with. For all of your insight, that amazing story and your upcoming show, I hope we get to speak again about it. But for today, thank you so much for your time. - Absolutely, thank you. It's been a joy for me as well. - My guest today has been the amazing playwright and more importantly, cultural consultant, Jay Corey Buckner, who joined us to talk about the work he's involved in, Yahoo boys. It's part of the neurodivergent new play series and it's happening on September 15th at 2 p.m. Live in person and streaming. All of this is going down at the ART New York South Oxford Space. That's in Brooklyn, for those of you here locally. You can get your tickets and more information by visiting ticketleap.events. We also have some contact information for our guests, which will be posted on our episode description, as well as on our social media posts. But right now, get your tickets. Whether you're gonna be there in person or you're gonna stream the show. It is a fantastic work. I guarantee we'll be taking in the show as well. This is an amazing piece again. The show's Yahoo boys happening September 15th at 2 p.m. And we wanna add for our American listeners that election day is November 5th. Make sure you are registered to vote, have a plan to cast your ballot and do your democratic duty. You can find out how and where you can register to vote by visiting vote.gov. The future demands that we fight for it now. So until next time, I'm Andrew Cortez, reminding you to turn off your cell phones, unwrap your candies and keep talking about the theater in a stage whisper. Thank you. (upbeat music) - If you like what you hear, please leave a five star review like and subscribe. - You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at stagewhisperpod. - And feel free to reach out to us with your comments and personal stories at stagewhisperpod@gmail.com. - And be sure to check out our website for all things stage whisper and theater. You'll be able to find merchandise, tours, tickets and more. Simply visit stagewhisperpod.com. Our theme song is Maniac by Jazzar. Other music on this episode provided by Jazzar and Billy Murray. You can also become a patron of our show by logging on to patreon.com/stagewhisperpod. There you will find all the information about our backstage pass as well as our tip jar. Thank you so much for your generosity. We could not do this show without you. ♪ I'm way too narrow ♪ ♪ Swear I don't care ♪ ♪ Anywhere will you come ♪ ♪ Makes me down ♪