"It is rare to find a creative process that works as well as the one that Harrison has developed at Next Rung Productions. His deep insight into the craft of playwriting, his established and effective system for developing new work with the playwright, as well as his keen ability to tailor that system to meet the needs of the individual, made working with him one of the most rewarding and productive experiences of my 20+ years writing for the stage. I encourage anyone at any level of experience to work with Next Rung if you can."
JP Schuffman (NRP's 2024 playwright and creator of ALAS AJAX)
FEEDBACK HIGHLIGHTS
The table reading for ALAS AJAX received the following comments in its talkback session:
“Dynamic, engaging, and a good look at how human nature is right and wrong at the same time.”
“JP did a really good job of highlighting workplace resentment. I think we’ve all experienced that at some point. [...] Good job, that was great.”
“I work for a manufacturer, and I have [Ulysses’s] role but I feel like [Ajax]. I thought you nailed a lot of the dynamics. We’re taking a deep dive emotionally with these characters. [...] You get the natural rivalry between sales and ops.”
“The majority of [ALAS AJAX], the vernacular is spectacular.”
“Like a Paul Bunyan Succession-vibe.”
“There are so few roles for women between 45-60 that make a woman want to get up on a stage and chew the furniture, and [Agatha] made me want to chew the furniture. The stuff that she said, I feel like it would resonate with every woman. On top of that, I was like ‘this is a male playwright and he knows how to write women.’ [...] She was great. I don’t know any actress between 45-60 who would not just chomp at the ability to play this.”
“[Theresa’s] whole speech of ‘that’s your man and the marriage that you have’ [...] I actually leaned over and said ‘I feel like I should stand up and clap.’ That was spot on.”
JP Schuffman's holistic approach to stagecraft over the last twenty years has allowed him to explore much of what theatre has to offer both vocationally and spiritually. In that time he has worked on over 100 shows in Knoxville, Nashville, Dallas, and New York, and has served variously as producer, director, playwright, designer, technical director, combat choreographer, and occasionally actor. He still works a steady job to pay the bills, and he probably always will. But he loves the theatre anyway, because so much of what is good about his life - and what is good about him - has come from his long relationship with it. He especially loves writing, directing and designing for the stage because there is nothing like the rough magic of telling a really great story without the audience ever knowing you were there.
ALAS AJAX
by JP Schuffman
ALAS AJAX: A Southern Gothic Greek Tragedy. An unbearable offense on the job drives a working class man and his wife into a desperate conflict between dignity, family, and justice.
**Due to adult language and acts of violence, this is recommended for mature audiences only.**