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Allison Heishman enjoys tackling the output of theatrical heavyweights such as Henrik Ibsen and William Shakespeare yet loves striving to help current writers approach the reverence afforded to the time-tested scribes.
Beginning tomorrow and lasting through Dec. 15, the 32-year-old will reflect her fascination with fresh material by directing the world premiere of “No Reservations,” a modernization of the birth of Jesus Christ that parodies individuals’ fixations with celebrities and social media.
“This is not a show for the faint of heart,” the resident of the 800 block of Emily Street said of her handling of best-selling humorist Josh Piven’s cultural examination. “It offers a new perspective on a traditional story and holds back no punches.”
The East Passyunk Crossing inhabitant learned of the comical piece earlier this year via an e-mail from its creator and loved the script’s ability to appeal to her artistic sensitivities, especially an affinity for daring work. With chances to skewer obsessions with documenting almost every element of contemporary life, she has engrossed herself in presenting a production abounding in farcical moments and offering underlying lessons.
“It could be tough to take something from a work like this, but I’d say it advises us to think twice about how we perceive famous people and ask if we’re crossing any lines in wanting to know so much,” Heishman said of Piven’s brainchild, which sets the Nativity in Pennsylvania’s Bethlehem instead of the Palestinian city of the same name that has gained renown as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. “It addresses other issues like reality television, same-sex marriage and financial worries, so in a sense, I’d say it encourages people not to look for fix-all solutions to things.”
In exploring the show’s call for resolution in managing woes, the bubbly figure is also reveling in exploring the opus’ lighter elements, with curiosity over how the present world would react to the arrival of the Son of God guiding the humorous execution.
“If we were expecting Jesus now, there would definitely be a baby bump watch, and he’d be on the cover of People,” Heishman said. “There would be no way to escape the interest, and the frenzy would build and build and engulf the news cycle.”
Set to helm an offering that includes discussions of the one whom billions proclaim their savior, the director knows not all will find the work endearing. That facet does not disturb her, as she realizes that comedy is in the eye of the beholder.
“With something like this, the more controversy, the better,” Heishman said of the Adrienne Theatre-staged composition. “It takes on large topics and can’t afford to clam up in doing so.”
Having the opportunity to contextualize a mammoth historical event provides the burgeoning director with yet another much-appreciated go at promoting and encouraging budding voices. The New Hampshire native felt an immense attraction to such presences when a student at Maryland’s Washington College, with a professor helping to educate her on Philadelphia’s theatrical identity.
“The city in general has such a vibrant creative feel,” Heishman, who also called Third and Bainbridge streets and 17th and McKean streets home before purchasing her East Passyunk Crossing abode nearly four years ago, said. “I’ve loved being a part of its artistic growth and sharing experiences with such an inspirational, creative community.”
She developed more knowledge of rising talent as the literary and casting apprentice for The Walnut Street Theatre, where she will return in March for “Pinkalicious, The Musical,” and has come to fraternize as an actor and director with eclectic performers through entities such as Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Quince Productions and The Wilma Theater. Since 2005, she has advanced the creative mission of Azuka Theatre, for which she serves as the Center City spot’s artistic associate. Lauding stories and characters as that which pulls her to a love to plays, she helps the facility to market works offering a combination of simplicity and complexity.
“We deal with stories that are off the beaten path,” Heishman said of her employer’s focus, which consists of giving a forum to “the unheard,” whom she joked as those whom “nobody would sit with at the lunch table.” “We’re exploring the power of characters and getting to the core of what makes them tick.”
The passionate purveyor of introspection has helped the 14-year-old location to attract socially conscious patrons by leading the ’11 staging of “the terrible girls,” Independence Foundation Award for Outstanding New Play nominee Jacqueline Goldfinger’s planned trilogy for which she will also direct “Skin and Bone” in March; this year’s “Failure: A Love Story”; and last year’s “Hazard County.” She also called the shots in April during the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, honoring her love for fostering the past’s contemporary relevance with “A Taste of History.”
“It’s great to captivate people with something so moving that they ponder how they relate to what’s come before them,” Heishman, who also championed the marriage of the present and the past during a four-year stint as the National Constitution Center’s theatre programs manager, said. “Anything that helps people to dig deeper is something that will appeal to me.”
As her latest adventure will give her a little more than two weeks to analyze a gigantic moment in humanity’s annals, Heishman, also set to direct Azuka’s February “I Love You, I Hate You” readings and Plays and Players’ June presentation of “Cloud Tectonics,” anticipates more occasions to address the delicate balance between public and private matters and what achieves acclaim and what should slip into oblivion.
“I love the collaborative nature of my work,” she said. “It’s about connecting, especially with audiences.” ■
For tickets, visit noreservations.brownpapertickets.com, or call 267-225-7175.
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124. Comment at southphillyreview.com/news/lifestyles.
Staff photo by Kathryn Poole
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