"Take Five" with Director Jeremy Johnson

Jeremy Johnson, who recently helmed SpeakEasy Stage's acclaimed Swept Away, is the director of Umbrella Arts' upcoming production of BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL, playing September 25 - November 8 in Concord. We "took five" with him between rehearsals and tech week preparations to learn what audiences can expect from this beloved cult hit. To learn even more, check out star Johnny Shea's interview with Theater Mirror! Tickets to Bat Boy are on sale now.

1. If you had to boil BAT BOY down to three words, what would they be?

 I would say silly, shocking, and sincere.

2. Tell us about the style of the show?

 This show has a really interesting personality. It is a mix of sincere tragedy, ridiculous over-the-top comedy, and horror. We've been calling it the three-legged stool, and we bounce back and forth between these three genres throughout the night. Our hope is that the audience is always a little bit on their toes, and not sure what's going to happen next. Just as soon as you feel like you've settled into knowing what the feeling and mood of the production is, we hope to quickly move you somewhere else, so that you're constantly being taken by surprise throughout the evening. 

3. This show is unlike any other. What can audience members expect?

Audiences can expect blood, thrills, chills, and an exciting evening at the theater! But I hope that when they leave the theater, they take with them a story that is deeper and more thoughtful than they expected when they first walked into the show. I'm excited to explore this show in a really fun and exciting and engaging way, and to have a deeper message that's delivered as they're walking out the door; something they can think and talk about on their walk back to the car or at drinks after the show to process what they've seen. 

4. Tell us about the influences you bring to this production?

This production is heavily influenced by both the famous Universal monster movies of the 1930s and '40s, like Frankenstein and Dracula, and also borrowing from the sci-fi and B horror movies of the 1950s and '60s, like The Fly and Invasions of the Body Snatchers. In a lot of our design meetings, we've talked about how to pull some of the visual language and style from those movies and incorporate that into the design of the show and the overall tone that the actors are taking to approach the material.

5. What themes and human experiences at the heart of BAT BOY most resonate with you?

 Edgar has a line in the show, "I know you hate me, but if you could only see me the way that I see all of you, you would understand." I think this is an important message for the show. We're living in a time where the national conversation has gotten really complicated, and we're not seeing each other, and we're not hearing each other. We're talking past one another. I think this show does what all good theater does, which is that it asks us to be empathetic and think about the person that's sitting across from us at that moment. Can we identify with them and what they are going through, and possibly find a connection with that person? Theater's always been about connection, and it's always been about empathy, and I think this show does this in a really funny, unique, quirky, and engaging way. The final message of the production is ‘don't deny your beast inside,’ which I think is a really interesting examination of the animal and the human parts of ourselves. The musical asks if you can find a balance between the two; can you make peace with this sort of darker animal part of yourself – your anger, your fear, and your desires – and not repress them, but also not allow them to take over and potentially cause disaster? Can you find that way to balance both the human and the animal?