baby with the bathwater, by christopher durang​
Baby With the Bathwater is a dark comedy about society's failure to raise a child. The first half of the play, which originally stood alone as a one act, follows John and Helen, new parents freshly returned from the hospital. They initially seem competent enough, until John makes the mistake of calling the baby, "Daddy's baked potato," which prompts Helen to begin screaming at him.
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The rest of the play follows Daisy, the titular “Baby,” through his insane childhood, difficult adolescence, and eventually the birth of his own kid at age thirty. Along the way, the core family members are joined by a colorful cast including: a demented nursemaid, a bloodthirsty dog, a drugged out mother, and a Satanist principal, amongst others.
I was 17 when I directed this play. At the time, I had just encountered Grotowski's work through his book Towards a Poor Theater, and I was enraptured with the idea of exploring the live elements of theater that could not be found in film.
Another major inspiration was the Jan Svankmajer's film Alice, which I found hilarious, beautiful, and terrifying. I saw all of those same elements in Durang's writing, and I'm still fascinated by them today.
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