INTERVIEW: For this play, pull up a seat at your local bookstore
Photo: Ed Schmidt performs in Edward, a solo play that he also wrote. Photo courtesy of Emma Callahan / Provided by Alton PR with permission.
Writer and actor Ed Schmidt has found great success with his solo play, Edward, which continues through March 12 in New York City. There are many aspects of Edward that are quite unique, not the least of which is that the solo endeavor is being performed in local bookstores around the Big Apple. In the coming days, Schmidt will take his play to Sullaluna and the Strand Bookstore in Manhattan, having previously performed in Kew & Willow, Book Club Bar, The Mysterious Bookshop and other literary locations.
The show itself follows the fictional character of Edward O’Connell, who — spoiler alert — died 13 years ago, and now he’s looking back at his life through the lens of the objects he gathered. What’s doubly unique about this premise is that the audience members select the order in which objects are talked about.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Schmidt to learn more about this unique theatrical experience, which has become an in-demand ticket. In fact, as of press time, all future performances are sold out. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
This is such a unique show. What exactly does the audience experience during a performance?
I sit on a stool at the end of a table. On the table are 27 objects, which a man named Edward O’Connell left behind when he died 13 years ago. The audience sits in a horseshoe shape around the table. Each item tells a story, and the audience chooses the order in which those stories are told, so each night Edward’s story is reconstructed and retold anew.
What do you think the piece says about literature and how it impacts our lives?
The play makes no grand statements about how literature impacts our lives. Edward O’Connell believed in “the vital role that literature plays in the development of a well-rounded life, and the importance of teaching literature, and teaching it well,” but there are ironies in the play, and in Edward’s life, that undermine that too-easy sentiment.
Are you an object-oriented person? Do you have prized possessions that are chapters in your own life?
I wrote and performed a play called My Last Play, in which I gave away all of my 2,500 beloved theater books, one to each audience member, and the run of the show ended when my bookshelves were bare. So, I suppose I prize my possessions less than most people do.
How does the bookstore add to the ambiance of the evening?
Edward was a high school English teacher, so he surrounded himself with books. When I performed the play in apartments and homes, the audience was surrounded by the residents’ personal objects. Edward also loved jazz and sports, so I suppose I could perform this play at jazz clubs and sports stadiums — or even at proper theaters.
Will there be more performances of Edward beyond this sold-out run?
When this current run ends on March 12, I will have performed Edward 80 times — in apartments, art galleries, homes and bookstores. My days of self-producing this play are probably over. I have to start writing my next play, but there has been some interest from commercial producers and from nonprofit theater companies. So I hope Edward has a longer life, and I’d love to see another actor perform the play!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Edward, written by and starring Ed Schmidt, continues through March 12 at various bookstores in Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
