Interview: Playwright James Hindman of MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLING at NJ Rep

The World Premiere of Multiple Family Dwelling will be produced by New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) from March 9th to April 9th. Written by James Hindman, and directed by Alan Souza, it stars Dana Brooke, Dustin Charles, Maria Couch and Jared Michael Delaney.

In Multiple Family Dwelling, secrets from long ago that are best left buried are revealed when Kelly's friend from childhood rent the upstairs apartment that is owned by she and her husband. The two couples find themselves entangled in multiple deceits and betrayals, past and present and no one is truly innocent.

Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing playwright James Hindman about his career and Multiple Family Dwelling at NJ Rep.

Hindman's writing credits include POPCORN FALLS (Theatre Nova) Off Broadway; PETE 'N' KEELY (Outer Critics Award nomination, two Drama Desk nominations, Pub. Samuel French); A CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL GUIDE (Pub. Samuel French); THE AUDIENCE (Transport Group, Drama Desk nomination); BEING AUDREY (Transport Group, NEA Grant recipient) and THE GORGES MOTEL (NYFringe Festival 2016, Pub. Dramatist Play Service), THE Drama Department (Terrence McNally Award finalist, Pub. DPC), THE BIKINIS! (Goodspeed Musicals, Meadowbrook Theatre), HEAVEN HELP US (Denver Center, Carbonell Award nomination). He is a member of the Dramatist Guild of America. As an actor his credits include B'way and tours: MARY POPPINS, The Scarlet Pimpernel, 1776, City of Angels, A Grand Night for Singing, Once Upon a Mattress, Falsettos, Dancing at Lughnasa. In television and film Hindman has had recurring roles on "Public Morals", "Madam Secretary", "Forever", "Believe", "Person of Interest", "Hostages", "House Of Cards", "Unforgettable", "Henry's Crime", "The Sopranos", "Law and Order, SVU, CI", "Rescue Me", "The Blacklist" and the upcoming "Iron Fist".

Broadwayword.com interviewed James Hindman about his fascinating career and Multiple Family Dwelling at NJ Rep.

When did you first realize your penchant for writing and acting?

I actually got into theatre by accident. I was fifteen. I missed the bus home from high school and a friend said she would give me a ride if I would help her paint the set for a play. While I was covering a plywood gravestone with gray paint, the drama teacher asked if I wanted to be a toy soldier in The Nutcracker. That's all it took. The next summer I was Don Quixote in the community theatre production of Man Of La Mancha and I haven't stopped working since! As I writer, the first show I wrote was called PETE 'N' KEELY. I wrote it as a showcase for myself and my friend, Ann Brown. Ann and I never ended up doing the show, but a couple years later it moved Off Broadway with costumes by Bob Mackie and got some great reviews. Now PETE 'N' KEELY gets done around the country and will soon be opening in London!

Do you have a favorite playwright/author that has inspired you?

This is so funny, I was just wondering that myself...who inspires me. The answer I came up with...I am inspired every time I see a good play! There is nothing better than sitting back and watching a good story. So, I guess the answer is...I am inspired by everyone!

What advice do you have for young people who are interested in the theatre arts?

Do well in school!!! So many students say, 'I don't care about history...or chemistry... I want to be an actor!' I'm here to tell you, you use ALL that knowledge when you enter the theatre! You need to know a little bit about everything so study hard! I've never met a successful actor who is not smart! Another huge lesson... be yourself. That's a hard one when we are so programed to fit in. But that is what is going to make you interesting on stage - the more you can be your own person.

How does being both an actor and a playwright compliment your work?

When I act, I try to think 'What was the writer going for? What is the tempo they wanted? How does this character fit in the larger picture?' If I can figure that out, it helps with the choices I make as an actor.

When I write, I'm just letting the characters act in my head. They improv in my imagination and I write down what they say. Being an actor helps me write because I've learned what will make people laugh or how long a character needs to be off stage in order to change their costume. All sorts of stuff.

What was your inspiration for Multiple Family Dwelling?

The play takes place in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, a town I grew up in that is very much like Asbury Park, NJ. I have a house in Bradley Beach and have watched Asbury Park transform over the last fifteen years the same way Mt. Clemens did a few years earlier. I am fascinated by the gentrification of an area and how that affects the people who live there. Good and bad. That is the backdrop for the play. For the plot itself, the play is about the lies we tell ourselves and each other in order to move forward in life. Do we ever really tell the whole truth? Do we always really want to know the entire truth? We can only take in as much truth as we think we can handle.

Tell us a little about working with NJ Rep.

Working with NJ Rep has been an amazing experience. What SuzAnne and Gabe do is nothing short of astonishing. There are so few theatres interested in doing new plays....and that's all NJ Rep does! I don't think there is another theatre like them in the country. And because they've worked on so many plays, they really have a great instinct about what works. Their input has been tremendously helpful. Alan Souza, the director has worked there a lot and he has been a godsend!

Anything else, absolutely anything you want BWW readers to know.

The first show I had produced in the Long Branch area was called THE BIKINIS and was produced in Asbury Park at the old carousel building on the beach. That show has gone on to have many productions around the country and we hope to bring it back this summer!

I also have two other shows in the works. I'm excited to say LOVELAND SKI LODGE will have a reading at New Jersey Rep on Monday, March 13th. I'm really excited about this one because we've never heard it before and I think the audience will really enjoy the comedy. The other play, POPCORN FALLS, I wrote with my friend Christian Borle, just had a production in Ann Arbor, Michigan and will have a reading in New York this June.

For more information on James Hindman and Miracle or 2 Theatrical Licensing visit www.miracleor2.com.

Multiple Family Dwelling will be performed at New Jersey Repertory Company from March 9th to April 9th. The theatre is located at 179 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ.

For ticketing, call 732.229.3166 or visit www.njrep@njrep.org.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of James Hindman