Interview: THE WORRIES OF WESLEY at Riffe Center

When Jessica Moss was coming out of college, she pictured herself in Broadway plays, movie roles, and television appearances.

When that didn’t happen, Moss picked up her pen and started writing. The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio will be presenting the debut of the Canadian playwright’s quirky play, THE WORRIES OF WESLEY (OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP HAVING ANXIETY, OR NOT REALLY, BUT I AM TRYING) Jan. 26-Feb. 4 in Studio Two in the Vern Riffe Center (77 S. High Street in downtown Columbus).
“I’ve always loved writing and thought I’d be a novelist,” Moss said in a telephone interview from Toronto. “But at school I fell in love with theater.

“Honestly, coming out of school and auditioning for plays is a tough racket. You start seeing yourself the way other people want to pigeonhole you. That can be very frustrating and demoralizing.”

Moss decided if roles weren’t out there for actors like herself, she would create them.

“I started writing for myself and creating things I wanted to see and be in,” she said.

According to Leda Hoffmann, the Artistic Director of The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio, THE WORRIES OF WESLEY was picked out of hundreds of plays to have a staged reading at The Contemporary’s 2022 New Works Festival for Young Audiences. Based on audience feedback, The Contemporary chose to do a full production of this play this season.

“One of the things we do best is listen to the residents of Columbus and curate plays and experiences based on feedback,” Hoffmann said. “The response to the reading of this play was so overwhelmingly positive about its relevance to the current moment and impact for young audiences, that we decided to produce it as soon as possible. “Columbus parents and kids at the reading provided their feedback, and Jessica made several changes based on their valuable input. When this play takes off nationally, which we believe it will, we can all be proud that it got its start here in Columbus.”

THE WORRIES OF WESLEY tells the story of an 8-year-old girl who becomes fascinated by the inner workings of her brain and wants to become a neuroscientist when she becomes older.

“Wesley starts thinking of her brain as her best friend,” Moss explained. “But lots of things start happening around her. Her parents are arguing about things which sound scary. Additionally, they are going to have a lock down drill at school and she's feeling a little distant from her friends.”

The stress leads to a host of physical problems for Wesley, including insomnia and pains in her limbs. She jots down her feelings to figure out what is happening inside her brain.

“It feels as if her brain has turned on her,” Moss said.

Alan Tyson directs the debut of Moss’s work and Simone Dean plays the title role of Wesley. Zeke Moses, (Cameron), Anisah Aziz (Parker), Brian C. Gray, (Parent 1) and Justin King (Parent 2) round out the cast.

Christy Farnbauch, the Executive Director of The Contemporary, sees the play as “a conversation starter and helps people talk about mental health and anxiety, especially in young children.”

“We live in an anxiety-provoking world. Helping children to understand their feelings is important so they know they’re not alone and that there are coping skills they can use,” Farnbauch said. “I love that this play leaves everyone in the audience – children and parents alike - feeling empowered and ready to tackle life’s challenges with confidence.”

While her computer is overflowing with different plays and short skits she has written, Moss feels a deep and personal connection to THE WORRIES OF WESLEY.

The lead character often reflects Moss’s childhood and the fears she had growing up.

“I always feel like I'm cutting pieces of myself out when I'm writing,” she said. “Wesley is everything I admire and everything that was annoying about my younger self.

 “She's bossy, selfish, and impatient but I really, really love and respect her, even her detrimental qualities.”

One of Moss’s challenges in writing for a younger audience is not to have Wesley’s problems get “magically solved” by themselves or worked out when the adults step in to help.

“It's important to give kids a sense of the things they can do (to deal with their anxiety),” she said. “I don't think we experience problems that are ‘magicked’ away. I allow Wesley to take ownership of it in an 8-year-old way.”

Tickets for The Worries of Wesley are $25 for adults and $15 for children under 16, and can be purchased online at https://www.thecontemporaryohio.org/2023-24/wesley.

The theatre offers a Pay-What-You-Want (PWYW) ticket option for the Jan. 26 preview and $20 student rush tickets to every performance. Patrons may purchase PWYW tickets made in advance by telephone (614-469-0939), in-person at the CBUSArts ticket office, 55 E. State St., or at the venue starting two hours before showtime.

Jessica Moss picture: Denise Gray

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