Playwriting alumnus Harrison David Rivers ’09 writes Interlude, which began performances virtually on March 1, 2021. Rivers’ play, which is a personal reflection of a gay Black man’s experience during the transformative events of 2020, is being presented virtually by New Conservatory Theater Center (NCTC).
In Interlude, Jesse Howard’s life looks nothing like it used to. Forced by a national pandemic to return to his childhood home in Kansas with his conservative parents, Jesse finds himself standing still for the first time. An audio drama that blends with a visual storyscape for a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience, Interlude is a personal and tender snapshot of one man’s search for connection.
Interlude marks the second time River’s character Jesse Howard has appeared at NCTC. Jesse was previously seen in Rivers’ play This Bitter Earth, which played NCTC in the 2017-2018 season. H. Adam Harris, who performed as Jesse in This Bitter Earth, plays Jesse once again in the critically acclaimed Interlude. Broadway World called Interlude a “beautifully written and spoken audio drama... wonderfully paired with visual graphics." The play includes a vibrant soundscape with jazz interludes, realist sound effects, and Harris’s vocal performance narrating the return to Kansas and reflection of relationships, childhood memories, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Harrison David Rivers is the winner of the 2018 Relentless Award for The Bandaged Place. His plays include When Last We Flew (GLAAD Media Award); Sweet (AUDELCO nomination); Where Storms Are Born (Berkshire Theatre Award nomination, Edgerton Foundation New Play Award); This Bitter Earth (NCTC World Premiere, MN Theatre Award for Exceptional New Work, Lavender Magazine citation for Outstanding New Playwriting); Five Points (MN Theatre Award for Exceptional New Work, Broadway World Minneapolis Award for Best New Work, Lavender Magazine citation for Outstanding New Playwriting); Broadband, Arkansas (Broadway Black’s Antonyo Award nomination, and Times Square Chronicles citation for Best New Off-Broadway Musical). Harrison was named a Runner-up for the 2018 Artist of the Year by the Star Tribune and a 2017 Artist of the Year by City Pages. He is the recipient of McKnight, Jerome, and Van Lier Fellowships and residencies with the Bogliasco Foundation, the Siena Art Institute, the Hermitage, Duke University, New York Theatre Workshop, New York Stage & Film and the Williamstown Theater Festival. Harrison is a member of the Playwrights’ Center's Board of Directors
Interlude is streaming virtually through March 24, 2021. Admission is pay-what-you-wish and can be reserved on the New Conservatory Theater Center website.
