Know Theatre in Binghamton is bringing back Ken Davenport’s play My First Time, a collection of stories about first experiences that range from funny and awkward to poignant and heartbreaking.
Know Theatre artistic director Tim Gleason says the play seems particularly appropriate at a time when society can feel increasingly divided.
“We all have had a first time,” Gleason says. “We all have a story, good, bad, or indifferent, that every other person has.”
The play grew out of a website created in 1996 by Peter Foldy and Craig Stewart, who invited people to anonymously submit stories about their first experiences. Davenport later selected stories from the site and turned them into an Off-Broadway play, which premiered in New York in 2007.
Gleason says the stories remain remarkably relatable.
“Every first time is not wonderful,” he says. “So we cover the gamut from funny to silly to poignant and heartbreaking.”
The production features four actors: Qiana Watson, Carinne Vizvary, Richard Aton and Lawrence De Weaver. Gleason says the largely monologue-based play gives the actors an unusual challenge, requiring them to create a wide variety of characters.
De Weaver, a member of Know Theatre’s board, had not appeared on stage in 30 years before auditioning for the production. Gleason says he gave such a strong audition that “I had no choice but to put him in the show.”
The audience also becomes part of the production. Before the performance, audience members will be invited to anonymously answer questions about their own first experiences. Their responses become part of the show.
Gleason says directing a play built around so many personal stories is less about controlling the actors than encouraging them to take risks.
“Give yourself permission to fall flat,” he says. “We block ourselves so much as actors, and nothing really bad ever happens. Just take that chance, go out on that thin branch.”
Some of the stories can be difficult for both the actors and the audience, Gleason says, but the cast supports one another through the more emotional moments.
“Along with being an actor, you're also a person,” he says. “So, yeah, it’s a challenge, and we just surround each other and keep each other safe.”
Know Theatre is presenting My First Time September 11th through the 27th. Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m., at Know Theatre, 74 Carroll Street in Binghamton. The Thursday, September 17th performance is pay-what-you-can, including free admission for those who cannot afford a ticket. More information is available at KnowTheatre.org.