Interview: Playwright Paul Webb of WARSAW at International City Theatre

International City Theatre is presenting the world premiere of Warsaw, a haunting new drama by British playwright and screenwriter Paul Webb, directed by ICT artistic director caryn desai [sic]. A moving meditation on survival, forgiveness, and the invisible threads that bind our lives together, the play centers around a woman fighting for her life after a devastating accident draws four very different visitors to her bedside - a doctor, the doctor’s estranged fiancé, a truck driver, and a hospital volunteer who believes he once knew her long ago. As the four keep vigil, they realize that the comatose patient holds vital pieces missing from their own lives.

I decided to speak with playwright Paul Webb (pictured, courtesy of the artist) on the creation of Warsaw, why he decided to set it in a hospital room, how its story joins reality with dreams, and   his vision about the survival of love against all odds.

Thanks for speaking with me, Paul. What first inspired the story of a comatose woman whose life connects four seemingly unrelated people?

I don’t really know. I never really know. It could be an image, a character, a situation, a phrase – anything which makes you wonder ‘what happens next?’

Anna Van Valin. All show photos by John Freeland, Jr.

Is the story based on real people or a similar experience from your own life?

No. Apart from the real historical context, it’s the most fictional thing I’ve ever written.

I know you live in England. What first brought you to America? And how did it affect your career trajectory?

Curiosity. I first came here with a friend when I was eighteen. We hitch-hiked around the entire country. The beauty, variety, energy and generosity we encountered was unforgettable.

Suzanne Ford and Anna Van Valin

When did you decide to focus on writing for the stage again?

When I found that my ideas required more language and less action.

What is it about American politicians that keeps you writing plays about them?

They’re the most important people on Earth. You get a Lincoln, a Roosevelt, and the most powerful country in the world is a better place. And so is the world.

Anna Van Valin and Bruce Nozick

Having written for both stage and screen, how does your playwriting process differ when creating a work like this for theater?

You’re more reliant on the power of character and language. In some ways, there’s greater discipline and economy required. Which is demanding, but very satisfying if you get it right. Basically it’s about that first idea. Does it need stage or screen?

After a career that began later in your life, what continues to drive you to tell stories like Warsaw at this stage in your creative journey?

In this case, loyalty to a character who entered my imagination many years ago.

Anna Van Valin, Elias Scoufaras, Bruce Nozick

Let’s talk about your new play, Warsaw, which differs since it unfolds largely at a hospital bedside. What drew you to such an intimate setting for a story with broader emotional and thematic reach?

That need for discipline, economy and focus.

Elias Scoufaras, Anna Van Valin, Bruce Nozick

Why is the play called Warsaw? Does it take place there? If so, why did you decide to set it there?

The play is set in the lounge-section of a private hospital suite in New York in 2001. It’s called Warsaw because what took place there in 1945 has shaped the central character Krystyna’s entire life. Something which is finally resolved a lifetime later, in that room in New York.

Your work often bridges personal stories with larger historical or cultural resonance. How does Warsaw reflect that balance?

Honestly? Perfectly!

Spencer Del Carmen and Suzanne Ford

How and/or why did you decide to present Warsaw’s world premiere at ICT in Long Beach?

My agent sent it to caryn desai at ICT and to my great good fortune she totally got it. So much so that her insights have made it a significantly better play.

Thanks so much!

Thank You!