Interview: Director George Seylaz of PERFECT ARRANGEMENT at Nutley Little Theatre

As an actress, I have the pleasure of of performing in Perfect Arrangement at Nutley Little Theatre directed by George Seylaz who sat down with me for an interview.

Perfect Arrangement, written by Topher Payne, takes place in 1950 when new colors are being added to the Red Scare. Two US State Department employees, Bob and Norma, have been tasked with identifying sexual deviants within their ranks. There's just one problem, both Bob and Norma are gay and have married each other's partners as a carefully constructed cover. Inspired by the true story of the earliest stirrings of the American gay rights movement, madcap classic sitcom-style laughs give way to provocative drama as two "All-American" couples are forced to stare down the closet door.

•Please tell us about yourself.

I was raised by feral Gays on a strict diet of Bewitched, Dynasty and classic Hollywood films. Oh and I'm still single, hmmmm...

•Please tell us about your involvement in theater.

It's a long and sordid tale but I suspect the feral gays brainwashed me and I've been doing theatre ever since in one capacity or another.

•What inspired you to direct this piece?

I saw it at Primary Stages in NYC several years ago and loved it. Loved it's serious and historical plot line wrapped up in a sitcom like comedy presentation. It talks about an overlooked aspect of U.S. history that I felt needed to be shared with our NLT audiences.

•What do you want your audiences to take away from this show?

The Lavender Scare within The Red Scare, was real. It destroyed lives and ended more then a few The systematic rooting out of anyone even suspected of being gay quickly overtook the fear of communism in our government starting in the late 1940s/ early 1950s. This bigotry quickly spread throughout the country into the private sector and remained in force for decades - well into the 1990s. Where people could be fired, evicted, ostracized, simply on a suspicion, until finally laws protecting lgbt+ citizens as EQUAL citizens began to be passed. We've come a long way, but the bigotry and hatred towards the lgbt+ community is still alive and well. I dedicate this production in honor of Frank Kameny, Harry Hay and all the individuals who have persevered in the face of such hatred. To those no longer with us thank you for lighting the way for those to come.

The cast and crew includes:

Bob Martindale - Arthur Carlson

Millie Martindale - Gina Sarno

Jimmy Baxter - Peter Vaiknoras

Norma Baxter - Tiffany Faulkner

Ted Sunderson - Mead Winters

Kitty Sunderson - Ginny Crooks

Barbara Grant - Chimera Thompson

Stage Manager - L.A. Mars

Assistant Stage Manager - Erin Sabat

Set by Alex Oleksij and Joe Thayer

Performances are April 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23 at 8:00 PM & April 10, 23 at 2:00 PM. (There is no performance on Easter Sunday)

Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/61316

**This show is not suitable for children.**

**Please note all patrons of Nutley Little Theatre must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test taken within 48 hours of the performance date. Masks are optional. All cast and crew members are vaccinated.*

Photo credit: George Seylaz

For more information, please visit NutleyLittleTheatre.com or follow them on Facebook: @NutleyLittleTheatre and Instagram: @NutleyLittleTheatreNJ

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