This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:13] Eila Mell: Hello, and welcome to Behind The Awards. I'm Eila, and I'm here with Bruce.

[0:18] Bruce Gotlieb: Hello there.

[0:19] Eila Mell: It's been a bit of a rough couple of days.

[0:22] Bruce Gotlieb: It has been. At the time of recording, you know, yesterday we had the announcement of Tim Curry's passing.

[0:29] Eila Mell: The day before, the world, the entire world, I think, was shaken by the announcement of Dolly Parton's passing.

[0:37] Bruce Gotlieb: Two icons.

[0:40] Eila Mell: Icons. Literal icons.

[0:43] Bruce Gotlieb: Somebody said to me, when the Dolly Parton announcement came out, and I just think it's so true, said, but I thought she'd always be there.

[0:51] Eila Mell: You never thought she would leave.

[0:56] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, in a way, she will always be here with her music.

[1:00] Eila Mell: Yes, for sure. Now, you know a little bit about, like, what, because there's stuff happening with Dolly even still. Can you tell us about that?

[1:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, so I read yesterday this article that came out that she has recorded and all of this stuff, this blueprint kind of has been given to her team, you know, whoever's in charge of these things. But she's already recorded a song that she wrote to be released on her 100th birthday.

[1:29] Eila Mell: Wow.

[1:30] Bruce Gotlieb: And then in between there, there are these tentpoles of not only music and creative points where things are going to be happening, but on top of that, you know, she was very philanthropic and really entrenched in community and giving back and all these things. So there are also tentpoles of, you know, this is going to happen in September of this year, you know, with this organization in Tennessee. And then it just keeps going year after year of all of these things that she wanted to accomplish that were really important to her and important to see that they continue to fruition, which I think is so spectacular and feels like almost, it feels like, like you said, like she'll always be there. Like she will continue to have the goodness that she brought into the world.

[2:23] Eila Mell: Yeah. You know, forever, which gives me a warm feeling.

[2:27] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, that's what I hope she's remembered for even more than her music, how she took care of the world.

[2:32] Eila Mell: You know, she...

[2:33] Bruce Gotlieb: Literally.

[2:34] Eila Mell: She funded a vaccine for the, you know, during the pandemic.

[2:38] Bruce Gotlieb: Personally, she could have had so much more money. I mean, not to say that Dolly didn't have plenty of money, but she could have had probably 10 times the amount of money she had that she gave away so much to help other people.

[2:52] Eila Mell: And that's more important than anything that she accomplished artistically, just, you know, which was massive. You know, she had one of those really, really rare careers where she just accomplished more than anyone probably could.

[3:07] Bruce Gotlieb: I saw a video clip yesterday that apparently Elvis wanted to record "I Will Always Love You," and he loved the song so much. But when it was presented, they said he wants to record this song. And she said, great. And they said, but we want publishing. And she's like, no, I'm not giving up the publishing.

[3:29] Eila Mell: Good for her.

[3:29] Bruce Gotlieb: This was, of course, before Whitney recorded it.

[3:31] Eila Mell: Right.

[3:33] Bruce Gotlieb: But, you know, how smart and how she was really smart.

[3:38] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[3:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Some people probably would have been like, oh, my God, Elvis is going to record it, give him what he wants. But she knew how important those publishing rights were.

[3:46] Eila Mell: Not to take anything away from Elvis, because Elvis is, you know, another one once in a lifetime.

[3:52] Bruce Gotlieb: But she's Dolly. She didn't need Elvis. And I know you're going to agree with me that the right person recorded that song.

[3:59] Eila Mell: Oh, my gosh. Yes.

[4:02] Bruce Gotlieb: Also, the things that I've read that she's done with the money that she made just from that recording, she's put back into so many establishments. And she has the Imagination Library, which is still going on. And even the post of her passing said, in lieu of flowers, please donate to this organization. It's just incredible.

[4:22] Eila Mell: They literally mail books to children once a month.

[4:25] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[4:26] Eila Mell: To promote literacy. And it's just you can't ask for a better person, you know?

[4:32] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[4:33] Eila Mell: And she never got a big head on the set of Steel Magnolias. I mean, there's that famous story where people were complaining and someone turned to her and said, aren't you upset, you know, about whatever they were upset about? And she said, when I was young, I wanted two things. I wanted to be rich and famous, and I have both of them, and I never complain.

[4:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[4:54] Eila Mell: And she does. She literally never did.

[4:56] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[4:57] Eila Mell: And she's just a really, really incredible, exceptional person who, like I said, took care of the world. And, you know, it's just so sad.

[5:07] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, they did say that her musical will continue because it was something she wanted.

[5:12] Eila Mell: Yes. Very important to her.

[5:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. So we do have Dolly the Musical to look forward to, and it's, you know.

[5:18] Eila Mell: Absolutely. It's not the actual Dolly, but it is her story, and she was part of creating it.

[5:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, she did the book and the music. So it'll be, you know, I'm sure at least at this moment, people are going to be clamoring for it.

[5:35] Eila Mell: I think they would have before, but now it just takes on a different.

[5:38] Bruce Gotlieb: It's different, yeah. And also, you know, and let's give some attention to Tim Curry, too. I mean, an absolute legend, icon.

[5:49] Eila Mell: I mean, of course, Rocky Horror, but Grooster and Annie, it, you know.

[5:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. So many.

[5:56] Eila Mell: What about Mr. Body and Clue?

[5:59] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. And, you know, since Broadway is our thing, he was the original Mozart in Amadeus on Broadway.

[6:07] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[6:08] Bruce Gotlieb: You know.

[6:09] Eila Mell: Both of them, their careers, it just touched so many people, you know, the breadth of their work.

[6:14] Bruce Gotlieb: And they paid tribute to him last night at Rocky Horror, which is wonderful.

[6:20] Eila Mell: They did, which was lovely. I mean, he was also one of a kind in the way that he was able to be a chameleon and change himself into all these characters.

[6:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[6:30] Eila Mell: You know, it's a real talent.

[6:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely.

[6:32] Eila Mell: Yeah. Have you ever seen his movie Times Square, where he plays a DJ?

[6:35] Bruce Gotlieb: No.

[6:36] Eila Mell: Oh, it's so good. I mean, it's not, but it's so, you know, there's something really fun about it. These two runaways, one rich girl and one not rich girl.

[6:45] Bruce Gotlieb: Of course.

[6:46] Eila Mell: 1980s Times Square, really cool.

[6:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, perfect.

[6:50] Eila Mell: Yes, yes, yes.

[6:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Before it got Disney-fied.

[6:53] Eila Mell: Yes, that's right. Before we had Elmos and Batmans and all kinds of things walking around.

[6:58] Bruce Gotlieb: In very sad costumes, let me say.

[7:00] Eila Mell: Sometimes without a head.

[7:01] Bruce Gotlieb: I know.

[7:03] Eila Mell: That's a no-no if you go to Disney.

[7:06] Bruce Gotlieb: It's a big no-no.

[7:07] Eila Mell: Yeah. All right. Well, now that we've had a chance to celebrate these wonderful people, let's move to something a little happier.

[7:17] Bruce Gotlieb: Our guests today, and we're really excited to have them. They're three wonderful actors, and one is a playwright, and they're all working on this great new show, To Have and To Hold.

[7:29] Eila Mell: Yes, and they come from years of knowing one another, from college through now adulthood, and you could just see how much fun a night watching them perform must be just to see them interact with one another.

[7:43] Bruce Gotlieb: So let's bring them out. Let's welcome playwright and actor Laura Lapidus, other cast members Tedra Millan and Yuriy Sardarov.

[7:55] Laura Lapidus: Hello, everyone. Welcome.

[7:57] Tedra Millan: We're so happy to be here.

[7:59] Yuriy Sardarov: Thank you for having us.

[8:00] Laura Lapidus: This is very fun. We're so thrilled. We know how busy you guys are, so we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come and chat about this new play with us.

[8:08] Tedra Millan: So To Have and To Hold, now it's based on Taming of the Shrew. Is that right?

[8:12] Laura Lapidus: Yes. It's funny, like, the whole adaptation idea is, like, a little bit, like, cringy to me. I like to say, like, it's not really an adaptation, but with, like, dashes, you know, like it's not really an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, but it takes the sisters from The Taming of the Shrew, and it takes sort of the central issue of The Taming of the Shrew, which is this idea that women must get married in order to count as people. So in that way, yes.

[8:52] Tedra Millan: And we do borrow some of Shakespeare's texts because I'm a loser.

[8:57] Laura Lapidus: And I think that, I think it's worth, you know, as frustrating as it is and, like, archaic and outdated and all of these things, it's a real part of the fabric of theater and us, whether we like it or not.

[9:17] Tedra Millan: Is it more that it's the story that you want to tell and you kind of retrofit Taming of the Shrew?

[9:22] Laura Lapidus: So I started very much with the question of, like, how does Kate from The Taming of the Shrew, this, you know, sort of iconic, even in pop culture in a way because of, you know, we have like 10 Things I Hate About You, even, like, Kiss Me Kate. Like, I really wanted to understand in terms that I felt connected to and not just like, oh, in, like, Shakespeare's world or in, with these changes. Like, I want to, I wanted to understand how she comes to this, all these things that she says at the end that's like, I'm ashamed that women are so simple. Basically, like, I give up trying to go toe-to-toe with men because I realize, like, I'm meant to be soft and weak and smooth. And they're the ones who are meant to, you know, toil in trouble in the world.

And I'm meant to be at home as a helper. And it just struck me that I think that that's still, like, that still happens to a lot of women, that that's like, you know, people, like, that's not actually this super old idea. And I think we get really confused by The Taming of the Shrew because of that because nobody knows how to handle it. And I was like, I think we know exactly how to handle it, unfortunately. So I wanted to sort of write Kate and Bianca and Peter in a way that was more recognizable to us while still coming to terms with this kind of loss that we face at the end of the play.

[11:15] Tedra Millan: Yeah. And does any of it come from your actual life?

[11:20] Laura Lapidus: Luckily, I mean, of course, many. So the play ends up very much being about we really get to understand Kate and this journey through Bianca and Peter and the sisterhood. I don't have a sister. But the sisterhood is very much a stand-in for female friendship and close friendships and, you know, lifelong friendships. And these connections that we have in life that are so informative and so precious and tender and fragile. And Teddy, very luckily, is one of those people to me in real life. So, you know, in that way, it's, like, pulled from little things. And it's also, the play also tries to understand in The Taming of the Shrew, Kate and Bianca don't have a mom. Like, she's just, like, not there and it's never spoken about.

So it tries to figure that out. And I'm very lucky my mom is alive. But she was very sick with breast cancer for much of my childhood. So there's things, you know, there are little things everywhere that come from my life. But I am married and I don't feel that I had to sacrifice myself in order to get married. So that's good.

[12:43] Tedra Millan: Clearly, you're, you know, a busy working playwright actor. In creating this piece, I guess, really for your co-stars then, were they people that you envisioned being part of this project initially? Or what was the process, I guess, for you guys to get involved in it?

[13:03] Laura Lapidus: Well, we all, you said you don't have a sister, but you kind of do. And she's this square right now. Well, we all went to college together.

[13:12] Tedra Millan: And we were 18 years old when we first met.

[13:15] Laura Lapidus: At the University of Michigan?

[13:17] Tedra Millan: The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

[13:19] Laura Lapidus: Great program.

[13:20] Tedra Millan: Great program.

[13:24] Laura Lapidus: We were only eight of us for four years. So we took care of each other very well.

[13:28] Tedra Millan: Too well.

[13:29] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah. I think, Teddy, you've been part of the process pretty much from the beginning, right?

[13:35] Tedra Millan: I've been. Now, Laura started writing it around 2020, although she will tell you that it was not a COVID project.

[13:42] Yuriy Sardarov: You're taking her talking point, Ted.

[13:47] Tedra Millan: See, well, I did the very first reading of it. We did a Zoom reading over COVID. And I've been I've done a few readings. My husband used to read the Peter part. So I've seen the play grow, which has been really cool. And yeah, so I've been kind of part of it from the beginning.

[14:10] Tedra Millan: I'm very lucky. But yeah, Laura is my I mean, we went to college together, but we're also best friends. And I have a three-year-old, she's a four-year-old. We're like, yeah, we're family. We're sisters. No, because we both don't have sisters. So this has been fun. And then Yuri is, yeah, we just know each other. And Laura, like reached out to me last minute because somebody had dropped out and was, oh, I don't know. We were I didn't know we were, we over, we'll edit this part out. Let me speak my truth. I can't ask you a fifth year. Well, what happened was, we were just we were just texting. And I was like, so is summer doing the play? And she's like, No. And then Josh Altman, who is Laura's husband is producing this, I guess was just like, just ask Yuri if he wants to do it.

And this is like, four weeks out from rehearsal. And I was like, Are you kidding? I would die to come in with you guys in New York. I would love to. It's horrifying, because I don't want to necessarily remember everything from when I was 18 or 19. But at the same time, like, what a healing opportunity. Right? So yes, you're in I live in LA. Yeah, I'm here. I'm here doing the show. Yeah.

[15:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, is it hard though? Because, you know, you both are very busy working actors. You're a big TV star now, Yuri. And Tedra, you've been in beautiful plays like Leopoldstadt and Marcel on the Train. So you know, you can't leave your schedule open if you don't know when this is going to happen. So was that an issue for you?

[15:45] Yuriy Sardarov: I, as much work as it seems that I do, I think we all know no actor is all that busy. So I had time. And this was a very easy thing to say yes to. Very easy. Teddy.

[16:03] Tedra Millan: Um, I wanted to do it with all my heart. And thank God I am doing it. There were a few question marks of things that could have derailed the process. And I was really scared to sign on that, like ruin everything. And luckily, things have worked out in a perfect game of Tetris. So that's wonderful. Now, Laura, you and Yuri, you're both in that Chicago world on TV. Um, have you seen a lot of fans of the show coming to this play?

[16:33] Laura Lapidus: So we had Chicago Fire night. Two nights ago, three nights ago. I've, yeah, three nights ago. Yeah. Um, and yeah, there were some true fans there. Right, Yuri?

[16:46] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Every show, you know, and sometimes they don't say hi. And then they just like post a photo and they're like, I was too nervous. Come on up, man. You came to see live theater. I'd love to. I'd love to get to know you.

[17:01] Bruce Gotlieb: So was it just kismet then that you guys happened to both be? Obviously, now that we know that you went to college together, but the Chicago universe just kind of happened.

[17:13] Yuriy Sardarov: Well, I was only on one episode, to be clear, but it was a crossover episode between PD fire and wait, so you know, someone when was that? Do you remember that episode?

[17:23] Laura Lapidus: Well, that so that was when I still live in Chicago. So I moved to New York in 2016. But then I spent like 2018 and 2019 in London. So I'm like a sort of like delayed arrival to New York. But that must have been in 2015. So did you get to work together when you were on the show?

[17:46] Yuriy Sardarov: No, too bad. No. But every person who I was on set with, I was like,

[17:58] Bruce Gotlieb: I would imagine though, the fans that come through, because your character on Chicago Fire obviously was very well loved. I guess those that do come up to you. Is it weird? Like do you wind up having to spend the whole evening talking about, you know, Otis and Chicago Fire?

[18:14] Yuriy Sardarov: I mean, yeah, yeah. But you know, what a gift, you know, for people to come up and say, like, you know, you ruined my week when you die. It's correct. I'm like, well, that's, you know, that's kind of the point. You know, we want you to feel those things and to be connected to these characters. So I'm always grateful. Uh, you know, I'll talk about Otis till the day I die.

[18:40] Tedra Millan: I wept. I wept when that did you? Yes. Well, Bruce, you know, it's funny, because they were they, you know, they let you know ahead of time. And, and, and I knew the showrunners and they obviously I knew all those guys. I was like, well, okay, if you're gonna do it, can we not like break it on TV Guide or whatever? Can we just like, let it truly be a surprise? And they were like, well, we'll talk and we'll figure it out. But I think it was like, really traumatized. Because I there was no press for it, you know, just kind of nobody saw it coming at all. Nobody saw it coming, which is the way it should. But that's the best because I mean, you guys won't remember this, but I'm still not over Gary's death on 30 Something because nobody's knew about it.

Nobody saw it coming. And it was like, it made such an impact that it still sticks with me. It's like, one of those like on M*A*S*H when you know, McLean Stevenson's character died. No one saw it coming. You know, it's like this seminal moment of television, right?

[19:38] Yuriy Sardarov: It's kind of weird to think that because I remember I was in Ann Arbor, visiting with my now wife, when that episode premiered. So I was at my alma mater. And, and then I died on TV. And I was getting like, people were like, we loved you. Like, we're so sad to see you go. It was like living through a funeral for myself. And I was in the Arb, which is the Arboretum, which is beautiful. And I was walking through it. And, and like having this moment of like, my whole life is coming full circle. And it's like living through your own death. It's so...

[20:17] Tedra Millan: The same thing happened with Claiborne Elder when his character died on The Gilded Age. It was like, people were acting like he actually died.

[20:25] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah, yeah.

[20:28] Bruce Gotlieb: Because that's how connected people are to the characters they see on TV.

[20:32] Tedra Millan: Yeah. Wait, who's Claiborne Elder?

[20:35] Laura Lapidus: John Adams. Oh, wow.

[20:36] Yuriy Sardarov: Oh, yeah.

[20:40] Tedra Millan: I freaking love The Gilded Age.

[20:42] Laura Lapidus: I know. I can't wait for it to come back.

[20:43] Yuriy Sardarov: Nevers?

[20:45] Tedra Millan: Oh, you must. Everyone I know is Zondre.

[20:48] Yuriy Sardarov: It's literally like, it's Real Housewives of the Gilded Age.

[20:52] Tedra Millan: But yet every single cast member has at least one Tony.

[20:56] Yuriy Sardarov: Right.

[20:57] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. Exactly.

[21:00] Tedra Millan: All right, but let's get back to To Have and To Hold. We've gone way off the rails here, but in the best possible way. So when you were in college, did you all do a lot of theater together? Were you in shows together?

[21:13] Laura Lapidus: We were, yes. I mean, we were literally in every class every day together.

[21:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Is this show kind of like going back to school?

[21:22] Tedra Millan: I mean, absolutely. Twilight Zone kind of way. We were commenting on how little we've changed and how much we've changed and how freaky and amazing it is to be professionals now together.

[21:36] Yuriy Sardarov: And that is amazing. And the odds are so against that happening.

[21:40] Tedra Millan: I know. I've personally never really created, besides like tiny things, like done a show with friends, like done it really. And it's it's amazing. It's so special to be in this context together.

[21:57] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Laura, when you were writing this, did you have Teddy's voice in your mind when you were creating Bianca?

[22:04] Laura Lapidus: Yeah, for sure. And there were like, you know, Teddy went in, like we got a shout out Maddie Weinstein, who also contributed a ton to Bianca universe. But Teddy was like, you know, like she said, she was like the first the first sort of like thing in my head. And yeah, Teddy brings this really beautiful balance between like sort of like neurotic and like type A, but also totally like a dream and, you know, eccentric and kooky. And like that's that's also like not saying that at all.

[22:47] Tedra Millan: Well, no, but you can get that. You get there for Bianca.

[22:50] Laura Lapidus: Oh yeah, you are. Teddy, you're you would you say you're neurotic?

[22:54] Tedra Millan: Oh, well, it's really funny because I mean, the show really is kind of a two-hander and watching these two. I mean, because we get this a lot. Did you add how much did you add? That's a huge compliment. And the answer, none of it. It's all very specifically kind of rhythmically written to be what it sounds like. And it's these two that I've known them for 20 years. You too, Yuri.

[23:22] Yuriy Sardarov: I know I know me.

[23:23] Tedra Millan: I know me, but I get to watch you guys. And it's like, you know, because I'm playing characters very different, I think, than myself. But I think watching the two of you go at it, it's like it's like I've said this before, but it's almost like performance art and theater. It's like two friends that have known each other their whole lives are getting to do this play. It's really special. I don't I don't know if something like it exists right now on off-Broadway at the moment.

[23:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Do a lot of best friends come to the show together?

[23:54] Tedra Millan: We have best friend night. I think, yeah, we just put our best friend, our best friend. Amazing. So, yeah, we will be the photo. The photos from college. Oh, really? Oh boy. But not any scary.

[24:07] Yuriy Sardarov: No, no, no scary ones. All very cute.

[24:08] Tedra Millan: A lot of sisters have also come because it's oh, that's nice. Yeah. And we've had people who have lost moms, too. You know, and it's like I think the play, it's sensitive to it. But it also is just it makes you laugh. You know, you're not going to agree as a major character. I mean, it is, of course.

[24:27] Bruce Gotlieb: What's it like for you, Teddy, to that? I guess the reveal of now your character is getting married to on, I guess, unleash all of that on the play. How is that for you as an actress and, you know, within your character?

[24:43] Tedra Millan: It's really technically really challenging because in the first scene, I'm trying on wedding dresses and I'm going back and forth behind this curtain when I, you know, we've done so many readings of it. I never really actually clocked that part of it. But physically doing that, it's really challenging. I'm just kind of like we have so many costume changes in the show and I'm like back and forth, like changing the entire show, which is really fun. There was one time there's been a few times where there's like a big like I do. I'm prepared for it. And I'm I've gone back to you. Well, Zoe Adams, our amazing director, was like, make it alive back there. Like, you're really changing. We've got a lot of comments on the transitions, too, which I've never seen.

So I don't know what's going on. That's a lot of there's some jumps in time in the play. And so there are a lot of there's a lot of storytelling within. But I also wanted to say, as far as like the wedding question goes, Laura and I are both married, which, you know, marriage is archaic and weird. But also we both did it. Yuri is also married. The three of us are married. But but hey, but Laura and I. So like the whole thing is the chain is the shopping for wedding dresses. Laura and I actually went shopping together for both the wedding. That's what I'm saying. It's performance art. Yeah. Right. Just like so there's so many things just built in that we didn't have to do any of this work of like, right, what's our relationship?

It's all really over there. And looking into her eyes every night, Yuri and I only have like a crossover moment for one second. But so I'm so Yuri's acting with Laura the whole time. I'm acting with Laura the whole time. And just I'm sure somebody got the celebrity casting and got me out. I really like looking into her eyes every night. It's just we know we're just like, really. It feels like we can be so present with each other. There's so much in there. We're like really making each other laugh, really making each other cry. And it does kind of feel like performance art. It feels very meta to just be in that circumstance. And I have to say, honestly, for me, it feels like a total like masterclass in acting.

Like it is so, so cool and special and fun to always any second, like be able to just like anchor in my scene partner in a way that is like 100 percent reliable. Like both of them are just so present. And like we all know, like we all know we're always there. And it really is an amazing thing to, you know, there's like this funny thing that happens where you can't like you. We can give each other like these weird, tiny glimpses. And like we can we can talk to each other in these like very tiny, like micro milliseconds, like in the scene work that we're doing, like when we need each other, really.

[27:45] Tedra Millan: And I know exactly what you know what I mean. Yeah. And it's like it's very, very it's very special. And yeah, it's almost like there's some things about it that I'm like, should we even talk about that? Like should we even name that? And we've been having a lot more friends come to the show, obviously, but some of them have come that we haven't seen from college. And they're all like, oh my God, this is crazy that you guys are out here doing this because you guys know each other so well. And there's probably even jokes and things that aren't on page. Are there moments where you have to?

[28:20] Laura Lapidus: Fight to like not break one another or do you just give in to the abandon of it?

[28:25] Tedra Millan: Oh, yeah, this happened in our last thing yesterday or two days ago. We're Laura. There's something completely different.

[28:33] Yuriy Sardarov: And we just we just laughed on stage because I was like, well I could not laugh and so Peter laughing. It just happens but like we trust each other innately. It's like we're gonna get back on track, you know.

[28:45] Laura Lapidus: So every show I'm sure I mean between the two of you you guys must be having inside jokes on inside jokes.

[28:52] Tedra Millan: Out there we're just using everything we've got but that's what that's the beauty of theater and that's honestly what I love is that it's like you can't pretend you can't pretend like if somebody is unwrapping a lollipop in the theater. You can't pretend that that sounds right?

[29:10] Yuriy Sardarov: I mean you can't mind if there's like a loud thud or like someone farts, you know like you have just you you have to just be present in it in the moment and just use what you've got if you're feeling sad, you're sad up there. You know, it's like always shifting and no one's ever getting the same performance. It's pretty beautiful that it's just happening this one time in this one way.

[29:26] Laura Lapidus: Yeah, every audience gets something unique.

[29:33] Yuriy Sardarov: Totally Yuri. Do you feel like your character has to represent men in general?

[29:41] Tedra Millan: Interesting question.

[29:41] Yuriy Sardarov: You know, I don't know if he represents men in general. I think he represents a very specific kind of male. And I think that it's I don't I'm like I'm trying to gauge how much I want to say because it really there is a tension in the play as far as I've been told and as far as I've kind of read on the page of like with this guy, when does he turn into Petruchio like when does he give his falconry speech? When is he gonna starve her? When is he gonna tell her what to wear? When is that other shoe gonna drop?

[30:21] Tedra Millan: I don't want to tell people whether it does or it doesn't but you know, how like you're you'll be doing a play and then you'll see a line for the first time like truly understand like what it means because now it's embodied. There are things that people are telling me about this that I was not cognizant of whatsoever about the tension innate to some of these scenes.

[30:46] Yuriy Sardarov: There's a moment where Laura leaves the stage and I'm alone and everyone's like what's he about? You know, he's alone. What's he about to do in private? Who is this guy? And what I think what we've discovered is so I'm excited for people to see it. It's really interesting to hear people's opinions about Peter. I and I very much enjoyed playing him just from what I'm hearing and from what I saw last season.

[31:14] Laura Lapidus: It sounds like a great double feature day would be this show and Liberation because there are a lot of the same themes and it sounds like you know handled in very different ways, but it's interesting to me. Did that play did you recognize that there might be some similarities when Liberation came out huge compliments, first of all, thank you.

[31:36] Tedra Millan: Yeah, also Teddy and I saw Liberation on Broadway together I'd figure yeah, um yes, I I think definitely there are also some similarities between Liberation and Liberation.

[31:43] Yuriy Sardarov: Yes, I I think definitely there are also some kind of like style parallels in a way I think in terms of the theatricality of both of them. I mean Liberation is a freaking Pulitzer prize winning play so you know, I feel silly in some ways comparing our play to that but it's very much in line, I think with yeah a lot of the questions we ask about like what I think I said like at the beginning of this conversation like why does it how?

[32:30] Laura Lapidus: And what does it look like now? We still live in this world today where in order to sort of be really considered a person a woman must get married. Um and I think that's that's what happens in Liberation too like, you know, the narrator is Susanna Flood's character is and the sort of like best will stand and she's trying to figure out like what happened to my mom?

[32:52] Yuriy Sardarov: Um and yeah, it's a it's a similar question and I think in some ways you know me writing this play too is also trying to figure out like what happened to my mom. So yeah, absolutely, I think there are some echoes there.

[33:09] Tedra Millan: Do you find it hard as a playwright and we've spoken to other playwrights who say you know, they just have to fight the urge to continue to evolve the piece because as it starts being performed, you know, they bring life into it. So how's that been for you?

[33:26] Laura Lapidus: Yeah, I mean we like had a joke in the rehearsal room where like we were trying to lock the script the whole time I'm like down our scripts on the first day of rehearsal and she's like here you go we're gonna change much because here you go.

[33:40] Tedra Millan: Yeah, it's really hard and you also want to like really try to discern between like things that just this production are asking for and things that like the play itself are asking for and things that these actors are asking for versus all actors. Also, it's like so important to me.

[34:00] Laura Lapidus: I mean my wish is that this play does have a bigger life in the world and um, I want these characters all of us to be able to be played by anyone like that's and I think that's also like if there's anything that we can take from the fact that everybody's still doing freaking Shakespeare plays all the time. It's that like casting can be insane. I want that for this play.

[34:20] Tedra Millan: So yeah, I definitely was trying to really stay in tune to like okay. Is this a real change or is this an us thing?

[34:29] Laura Lapidus: But yeah, I mean even like I think the like quote-unquote locked production script is from August 21st, which is the day of our first preview and like there's still it's like not like I still need to go in and fix it for actual.

[34:47] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah, you know, it's interesting to me. I feel like we made some progress but now we kind of have pulled back a little bit, you know, like five years ago I never heard the term trad wife and now that's like a big thing and you know, I don't know that that's great for everyone.

[35:03] Laura Lapidus: I mean, we should all have have you read yesteryear?

[35:07] Yuriy Sardarov: Oh, it's like the trad wife, is that the one that Anne Hathaway is doing as a movie? Okay. Yes. All right, I'll need to do that.

[35:14] Laura Lapidus: You know, I mean the whole point of feminism right is that we have the choice to do what we want, but you know, so I don't know. I don't have the answer some people some people want to be exactly and you know there's nothing wrong with that it's just it's just when things are expected and you know like the question in this play is why don't we feel whole if we're not married?

[35:34] Tedra Millan: I think that that's still a big question and I'm surprised definitely.

[35:34] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah, definitely.

[35:40] Laura Lapidus: Yeah, and it's also like why don't it's also the the pull of these things that you know, like intellectually we might know like I don't need this. I don't need to be married to feel good. I don't need but there's something there's like I Kate talks about this a little at the end of the play but there's something like primal that just like pulls us towards that and there's something beautiful about it in the same way there's something beautiful about Shakespeare, even though it's a little bit like right.

[36:11] Tedra Millan: Right.

[36:13] Laura Lapidus: So it's it's I think yeah, it's all that and it's like the same with theater like theater is a tough some would say dying.

[36:19] Yuriy Sardarov: Oh, I hope not.

[36:23] Laura Lapidus: No, no way is it dying? But um, I think that's the thing about it. Like it's it's really hard, but it's so so beautiful and the payoff is so different from any other medium and I'm sure for you too on your end. It's probably even more rewarding because you get that feedback right away as you're doing it.

[36:43] Tedra Millan: We had uh, we we had a woman in the audience the other day who had played Kate um, oh, yeah, and she was it was really interesting hearing her tell us about her personal life and you know then the play and then what she was just really engaged in our talk back and she said a few things frankly that like struck me to the bone about about herself.

[37:07] Laura Lapidus: But she said, you know, the one thing I think about is she's like well sometimes we want to be tamed, you know, love love can tame us all and it's not just one it's not one way, you know this street goes both ways.

[37:21] Yuriy Sardarov: And I was like, well, yeah, you know, I mean a lot of Shakespeare's it's a lot of stuff. That's kind of his themes are sort of unresolved, right? It's a sort of like right which way are we going to take it? And that's why I think his plays endure, you know, it's these quests the human condition that can never really be solved um, and I think it's person to person to person um, and I think this play is examining that in a very specific lens and a very funny lens and um, can I quickly just say 75 minute runtime. It's a quick 75.

[37:52] Tedra Millan: Anybody wants a quick night out in the theater something fun some cinematic come on, can I piggyback on that that tickets?

[38:02] Yuriy Sardarov: You can afford these tickets and you're gonna get a great show and all the seats are good, there's no bad seats.

[38:10] Laura Lapidus: This is no bad seats in the house and you don't have to mortgage anything to go to see great theater.

[38:16] Tedra Millan: That's right. And Teddy will take as many photos after the show with you as you want.

[38:23] Yuriy Sardarov: Can I say that live Teddy? Is that okay?

[38:26] Tedra Millan: And you're able to sign autographs.

[38:26] Yuriy Sardarov: Oh, yeah, I mean I'll sign to whatever you want and I'll be there.

[38:33] Laura Lapidus: All right now the most important question is there a spanking in this play?

[38:38] Yuriy Sardarov: A spanking well, you know yes, yes. Yes. Yes.

[38:43] Laura Lapidus: That's a good question you'll have to come to find out you can do it in a modern fun way.

[38:49] Tedra Millan: What night are you coming? Because we'll we'll add a spanking.

[38:53] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah, that's well then tonight if that's the offer.

[38:56] Laura Lapidus: Okay, great.

[39:00] Yuriy Sardarov: It's so nice that Yuri and I are hitting it off so well.

[39:02] Tedra Millan: There'll have to be a put in rehearsal. You guys have to get to the theater immediately.

[39:06] Laura Lapidus: Yeah.

[39:08] Tedra Millan: Fight call fight call. So obviously people see that the three of you are so much fun. I mean clearly there's a ton of chemistry happening um I need to come see this show right away because it sounds like a very special night of theater.

[39:22] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah, and I hope that everyone comes to see this and I love that you have these theme nights.

[39:22] Laura Lapidus: Yeah, that's fun. Whose idea was that?

[39:30] Tedra Millan: We also have um Josh Smart um so we have tonight.

[39:35] Yuriy Sardarov: Oh tonight is Michigan night.

[39:40] Tedra Millan: Um tomorrow night this one's like slightly more I think under the radar, but um, if tomorrow night is lamb, okay.

[39:47] Yuriy Sardarov: So that that is we're gonna post this on lambda night tomorrow.

[39:52] Laura Lapidus: So correct. So really lambda night if that speaks to you go tonight.

[39:57] Tedra Millan: There'll be a link to get tickets in the show and I both went to lambda and got our masters in classical acting there.

[40:05] Yuriy Sardarov: We're legit.

[40:05] Laura Lapidus: That's right. Yes.

[40:08] Tedra Millan: And then we have we have our bestie. I don't know if besties is a night or just uh, that just seems like universally.

[40:18] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah, bring your bestie.

[40:18] Laura Lapidus: Oh, yeah, no bestie. We have a bestie bogo offer through what the rest of our run.

[40:24] Tedra Millan: Um and then we have two nights that I don't think they're announced yet, but we have two awesome playwrights coming to post to talk about are you able to what kind of public those are or those?

[40:38] Yuriy Sardarov: Stay tuned.

[40:38] Laura Lapidus: Okay, but you'll want to hear from them.

[40:42] Tedra Millan: Yeah, you will.

[40:42] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah, I do.

[40:46] Laura Lapidus: I need answers.

[40:46] Tedra Millan: Well, I'm intrigued. Thank you all so much for joining us. Please come back many more times because you're all so much fun.

[40:54] Yuriy Sardarov: Yes, thank you. And everyone click on the show notes get your tickets go see to have it to hold once twice. However time.

[41:02] Laura Lapidus: Yes, and see this run because we don't know when the next one is coming but we do know that another one is going to be coming because it's oh, yeah, I mean Laura you're not supposed to be surprised by this.

[41:10] Yuriy Sardarov: Oh.

[41:19] Laura Lapidus: I'm putting it out there in the world because it's it's too good gorgeous. We're gonna make the movie next right Laura?

[41:26] Yuriy Sardarov: Now it's all happening Chicago people. Maybe they could do a Chicago Fire to have and to hold.

[41:32] Laura Lapidus: Oh, the Chicago Fire people came and they were very impressed. Yeah, they're all over saying who but someone's the director, uh people are interested.

[41:40] Yuriy Sardarov: Laura just needs to write this like a backdoor pilot kind of thing. It could be an episode of Chicago.

[41:50] Tedra Millan: Chicago a sharp ranger.

[41:50] Yuriy Sardarov: Yeah, I'm sure Dick would love that.

[41:53] Laura Lapidus: Oh, yeah. I'm full of ideas that up.

[41:59] Tedra Millan: Yeah.

[42:01] Laura Lapidus: All right. Well, thank you.

[42:01] Yuriy Sardarov: You guys have been so lovely with your time and everyone go see the show support live theater and support these smaller shows that are really grassroots campaigns to get people out into the theater and to experience something special together.

[42:17] Tedra Millan: Absolutely.

[42:17] Laura Lapidus: Thank you. We will see everybody next time.

[42:21] Yuriy Sardarov: Thank you guys, bye.