"What Happened" in Performance

Karthik TMK

This, from a review in nytheatre.com in August 2004.

"As a play, I don't know ['I Hate This (a play without the baby)'] would work on its own, with an actor other than Hansen performing it, but maybe that is the nature of the autobiographical, non-fiction, one-person-show genre."

Two others have performed the entire script, as a reading in Manchester, England and as an undergraduate thesis in upstate New York.

Last Saturday, March 6, the play received a unique production (under the alternate title What Happened) in Chennai, India, directed by Denver Anthony Nicholas. For the first time the roles were divided between two performers, Karthik TMK and Mrittika Chatterje.

It was, by all accounts, a remarkable production. There were two performances on a single day, and each were sold out. 

Mrittika Chatterjee

Many of the local theater community was in attendance, showing support for the first live play in the area for over a year. The matinee crowd was younger, and less emotional about the subject matter, which could be expected. The evening crowd was older, and much more affected by the work, many openly sobbing at the end.

I was particularly touched to learn how emotional folks became when Mrittika recited the letter from “Becky” near the close of the show. Performed by a woman I can see how much more sympathetic she would appear, more sympathetic than when, for example, a man would perform it, as I traditionally have.

On further reflection, that nytheatre.com review may have gotten it entirely wrong, and I may have as well. This piece may work much more effectively when it is interpreted by someone other than myself.

Which is exactly what someone new will be doing very soon.

"I Hate This (a play without the baby)" is available at Amazon as paperback or ebook.