Today we’d like to introduce you to Oliver Mayer.
Oliver, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
MEMBERS ONLY is the long-awaited sequel to my play BLADE TO THE HEAT, which played at the Mark Taper Forum in 1996. We are beginning performances on October 25 at LATC, 514 S. Spring St, LA, through November 18. Here is a synopsis of the play:
In MEMBERS ONLY, the long-awaited sequel to the groundbreaking BLADE TO THE HEAT, 20 years have passed. It is 1982 in New York City: the golden age of boxing, the dying gasp of disco, and the flowering of identity politics. Pedro Quinn is well past 40 and still fighting, not only for championships but for the right to be himself, on his own terms. He even has a protege, a young female boxer who reminds him of his own youthful fights in and out of the ring. But when a detached retina threatens to end the only life he knows, and when old frenemies Vinal and Sarita want to make a movie about the champion he killed in the ring 20 years ago, Quinn can no longer hide from the ghosts of his past. Nor can protect those he loves from the specter of hatred, much less the oncoming onslaught of what will soon be named the AIDS virus. He can hide in plain sight no more, and his biggest fight is yet to come. MEMBERS ONLY is a play about an America of color forging racial and sexual identities to the pulsating beat of Willie Colon and Blondie, on the cusp of discovery, at the edge of a plague.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been a labor of love. I’ve been working on this play for nearly seven years. I’ve also worked with several directors before finding Jose Luis Valenzuela, the artistic director of The Latino Theater Company. We work so well together that I’m happy I was patient all these years. We have assembled the right team, at the right time. We are really excited to show the city our play.
Members Only – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a playwright with a career of over 30 years and more than 30 plays. I am also a professor and associate dean at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. I have spent my life writing and teaching writing for the stage. It’s how I met my wife, and where I’ve been able to find my voice.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is having love in your life, and having the ability to play and be curious about your work. I love money, but money is not one of the markers that I use to define success. Rather, I’d say freedom to write and speak. Also, the quality of friends and colleagues. Theatre has taught me that you can’t do it alone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thelatc.org/members-only
- Phone: Tickets: 866-811-4111
Image Credit:
Giovanni Solis
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