Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage and director Kate Whoriskey (Ruined, Sweat) make up the team behind Clyde’s, which takes place at a truck stop sandwich shop. Here, the kitchen staff, all formerly incarcerated, strive to concoct the perfect sandwich and reclaim their lives. Political, funny and moving, the play features Emmy winners Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black) and Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us).
How would you describe the process from writing this script to bringing it to life onstage?
Lynn Nottage: The writing of a play is a solitary process, which involves rumination, frustration, revelation and a perpetual state of uncertainty and discovery. For me, the rehearsal process is the magical part of play development; it is the moment when characters that have been existing in isolation on the page become animated by my collaborators. It is the breath of the multitudes that gives life to the final iteration of the play, and it is exhilarating to surrender my words to an imaginative director, bold actors, inventive designers and, finally, an engaged audience.
What do you hope people take away from your play? How do you hope the audience will feel?
LN: Clyde’s is a comic play about creativity, hope, resilience, mindfulness and food. If people leave the play thinking about how they can bring more intentionality, empathy and joy to how they move through the world, then I’ll be one happy playwright.
What does it feel like to return to Broadway?
LN: After 18 long, hard months away from the theater, I’m so excited and relieved to be making art and connecting with audiences. This is an unprecedented moment, and I feel actually quite honored and proud to be bringing live theater back in a way that is safe, welcoming, inclusive and infused with love.
In-Theater Information
Clyde’s is in previews; opening night takes place November 22, at Hayes Theater (240 W. 44th St.).
Connect with Lynn Nottage at @lynnnottage
