Interview: Playwright Jack Canfora and THE VIENNA LESSONS at NJ Rep
Canfora shared with us interesting insights into his career and the world premiere play now on the Long Branch stage
New Jersey Repertory Company (NJ Rep) is presenting world premiere of Jack Canfora’s The Vienna Lessons, directed by Evan Bergman. The play will be on the Long Branch stage through June 2026.
Set in Vienna in 1787, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is at the height of his creative powers but struggles financially. He meets a serious and supremely confident teenager who wants to hire him as a teacher, Ludwig van Beethoven. This comic-drama imagines how the relationship between two of music’s towering geniuses might have evolved. Featuring some of the great works of each composer, as well as some brilliantly imagined ‘collaborations’, The Vienna Lessons shows how these two men, separated by temperament and age, nonetheless find in each other the unique bond only true visionaries can share.
Broadwayworld had the pleasure of interviewing playwright, Jack Canfora about his career and The Vienna Lessons. He shared with us very interesting insights.
Canfora is an award-winning playwright and the Artistic Director of the online theater company New Normal Rep. His Off-Broadway plays include Poetic License (59E59 Theaters) and the New York Times "Critics’ Pick" Jericho, which was hailed by the Theater Communications Group as an important addition to the American repertory. His regional work includes Place Setting (New Jersey Repertory), Tennessee Williams: A Life, and Fellow Travelers (optioned by The Shubert Organization). A two-time Edgerton Playwriting Award recipient, Jack also won a 2016 Webby Award for his web series, The Small Time. He lives in New York.
When did you realize your penchant for playwriting?
I started out as an actor, but I’ve always been writing in one way or another. I made a few abortive attempts in my early 20s but struggled. I really started to write when I joined a sketch group and forced myself to write sketches. It was great training because we’d have a new 90-minute show every month, and getting the immediate audience feedback was instructive.
Can you share a piece of advice for aspiring writers?
My advice would be to write often; don’t wait for inspiration to strike. More times than not, it won’t. I’ve found that you need to show up and put your nose to the grindstone and whatever other cliche you want to use and just get to it. An essential skill to develop is learning how to write when you’re not in the grips of inspiration. Also, it’s essential to read as much as you can. Plays, obviously, but all kinds of writing.
Your plays have been seen far and wide! What are some of the challenges of getting a play produced?
There are a lot of challenges, especially if you find yourself agent-less, as I currently do. I try to focus on what I can control to help the odds of getting produced, e.g., focusing on stories whose tellings don't require large casts and expensive sets, etc. Establishing a network of people whom you can rely on, both artistically and pragmatically, has been essential for me.
Tell us a little about your online theatre company "New Normal Rep" and when it was established.
New Normal Rep was a response to the pandemic. We produced plays by various artists that leaned into the idea of online story-telling. Some of our work is still available on our YouTube page, including a full online production of my play Jericho, which was directed by the tremendous Marsha Mason, which I'm quite proud of.
We know you have worked with NJ Rep in the past. What makes this theatre so vital and unique?
Firstly, they have exceptionally talented people there - from designers to stage management, I've never come across anyone better. In addition, they took a chance on me with the first play I ever wrote, and I feel lucky to have a place as a writer where my work will at least get a fair shake.
What inspired you to write The Vienna Lessons?
I read that most scholars believe that a 16 year old Beethoven once met a 31 year old Mozart, albeit briefly. To me, that's a fascinating idea. I read about this during the pandemic, which was the perfect time to dive down rabbit holes, and I went down one. The more I read about their personalities - by all accounts polar opposites in many ways - the more intriguing the idea became to me. So it was fun exercise of "What if?".
Can you tell us a little about the team that is bringing the show to the Long Branch stage.
Well, like I said, the design and production team have been terrific. It's directed by Evan Bergman, who in addition to being a close friend, has also directed many of my earlier plays and there's no one I trust more. He saves me from a lot of my worst indulgences with my writing, and is endlessly patient with my aesthetic mood swings. We also have some terrific original music by Jeremiah Bornfield. There are several scenes in which Beethoven and Mozart "improvise" (which I found out was regular occurrence in Vienna - musicians would "duel" each other) which are breathtaking.
What would you like audiences to know about the show?
I would love the audiences to know that I did my best not to treat these titanic figures as icons, but as fallible, and hopefully deeply entertaining human beings. You're also going to hear some of the greatest music ever written.
Can you share with us any of your future plans?
My podcast "The Murderer Killings" - a fictional spoof of true crime podcasts won a couple of Webbys and has been really well-received. So my co-creator Michael Satow and I are currently working on a deal that will lead to a Season Two. I also have a play about Dorothy Parker and Robert Benchley that I'm hoping to get off the ground sooner rather than later, and Steven Pasquale and I working together to get a production of a play of mine that was done at Bay Street in 2018 (it was called Fellow Travelers, but the tv series of the same name may force a renaming) done, with Steven directing.
New Jersey Repertory Company is located at 179 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ 07740. There is plenty of free parking for patrons in the rear of the theater. For tickets to The Vienna Lessons, theatre information, and special events, visit www.njrep.org or call 732-229-3166.
Photo Credit: Andrew Rein
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