A pair of philanderers consults the contract that binds their affair. A closed-minded church lady learns a lesson about tolerance from a rabbi. An estranged daughter turns up on her dying mother’s doorstep. And Siri – that voice of so many modern phones – turns out to be a bag lady.
Durango playwright Jeffrey Deitch’s new play examines the tensions, joys, irony and complexities of human relationships through a series of vignettes. The play – “Relationships in Durango: Can We All Get Along?” – opens Thursday and runs through Saturday at the Henry Strater Theatre.
Ten local actors play several different characters in the compilation of seven one-act pieces. The vignettes explore the emotions that give color – and sometimes hilarity – to human relationships: competition, jealously, resentment, self-doubt, boredom and empathy.
The play is a follow-up to Deitch’s “Lies, Shame & Self-Medication: A Durango Love Story,” also a series of one-act plays, which was performed in May. Deitch, a local attorney, actor and longtime theater fan, said he has always been fascinated by the dynamics of relationships, the follies and triumphs and the ways we so readily sabotage them. He has been a lifelong storyteller, he said, and the plays offered him a new outlet to give his stories life and a chance to get a few things off his chest.
“I like to think I’m a keen observer of human behavior and the lines you hear,” Deitch said. The play, he said, is what happened when he put those observations to paper and mixed in some humor.
“Also, frankly, it’s quite therapeutic,” he said.
“Relationships in Durango” touches on culture clashes and religious intolerance, of stereotypes and sexuality, of growing up and letting go and the comedy that can result from misunderstanding. The characters include new college students who are sharing a dorm, a musty church-lady whose version of Christianity lacks compassion, a woman whose marital boredom has led her astray and a pair of futuristic stoners.
Deitch said most of the pieces – with the exception of a the fantasy finale – are based on true situations that he has seen or heard, and the hope is that they will feel familiar.
“I want it to be a reflection on our own lives,” he said. “I think throughout this, there will be something that will connect with everybody.”
Many of the scenes also mirror Deitch’s biography. Deitch grew up in a family of Jewish immigrants and has worked as a trial attorney and wine professional. The play is populated by lawyer characters, wine plays a role, and Judaism gets quite a bit of the spotlight.
Deitch said that ultimately, he wants the play to get the audience thinking, talking and, perhaps, challenging their own beliefs.
“I’m trying to say a lot, 12 minutes at a time,” he said.
kklingsporn@durangoherald.com
If you go
“Relationships in Durango: Can We All Get Along?” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Henry Strater Theatre, 699 Main Ave. Tickets are $20 and are available at the Durango Welcome Center at 802 Main Ave., by calling 247-7657, online at www.henrystratertheatre.com or at the door.
