“Because if you learn how to observe, you will see who people really are.”

- Roger

The Missionary Position, by Keith Reddin

• Director: Patrick Konesko

• Artistic Director: Leigh Selting

• Lighting Design: Greg Owen

• Sound/Projecton supervisor: Greg Owen

• Costume Designer: Sarah Varca

• Scenic Designer: Scott Tedmon-Jones

• Production Stage Manager: Kat Demith

• Photography: Don Turner/DP Turner Photography

Approach:

The Missionary Position centers around the conflict between three key members of a conservative presidential campaign. One is the pragmatic, aggressive, non-believing campaign manager. The second is the candidate’s religious advisor. The third is a big-money donor with political aspirations of her own. Though we never actually meet the candidate, we watch as the infighting between the three bring the campaign to its knees.

When I selected this play, the 2016 campaign season had yet to “kick off” in any real way, and I was interested in exploring “behind the scenes” dynamics as we moved toward the election. In particular, I was fascinated by the balance between cohesive, unified, performative campaign unity on the one hand and all of the interests that are fighting for control of that message that we don’t generally get to see, on the other. In the months between selection and rehearsal, however, the political landscape changed dramatically, with Donald Trump going from being an outsider/long-shot candidate to the presumptive nominee. Concurrently, primary politics became more “splashy” and mired in scandal, controversy, and hearings of various sorts. As the discussion deteriorated at the national level, the comedy in The Missionary Position became … more difficult. As a result, many of the rehearsals focused on talking about the humanity of these characters, their situations, and how both of those related to our current political moment.