Pay the Writer – 21 September 2023

Following the story of literary agent Bruston Fischer through the tricky navigation of the impending death of his best friend (and best client, all rolled into one), Pay the Writer explores finding fulfillment vicariously through others, not just in the professional role of a literary agent, but also in a personal capacity. The story weaves together scenes of connection and disconnect, asking poignant questions about why we excuse hurtful behavior in some but not others, particularly regarding artists who beautifully capture humanity yet seem to lack it themselves.

The novelist, Cyrus, is a Vietnam veteran who is deeply dialed into the feelings of strangers, like a homeless man in the park, but misses the mark with his children and his many ex wives, and, occasionally, Bruston, who Cyrus somehow frees from oppression while also crafting a cage of his own to keep Bruston within his reach. At the end, Bruston is empowered to discover that he is not just a vessel for Cyrus’s work, he is also an inspiration. Analogous to the job of a literary agent, Pay the Writer uses Bruston to tell Cyrus’s story, which ultimately is enough to fulfill both characters emotionally.

The play struggled with wrapping up all the loose ends. Playwright Tawni O’Dell seemed to be exploring multiple ideas for the end. There were many scenes that would have been an insightful ending– the powerful scene with the homeless veteran that provided Cyrus’s peace, the funeral where Cyrus’s children try to make sense of what happened, the scene between Bruston and Cyrus’s ex wife Lana seeing eye to eye about what it meant to love Cyrus, and the return to the opening scene of Bruston alone on the door step wanting recognition of his worth. But stringing all of those ideas together, showing scene after scene of resolution, and resolving every plot point? That was the least realistic part of this journey. And, frankly, for me, my engagement with the work started to unravel as each subplot was brought to a heartfelt moment and the audience was shown where each and every character would be going after the show’s conclusion. It felt less and less meaningful as there was less and less for me to think about. When I exited the theatre, there was nothing left open for me to grapple with internally and keep mulling over. It was a fun show, but by the end I was fully able to leave it behind.

I attended this performance on a free ticket from Show-Score.