GET TO KNOW
THE TRANSLATOR
Do you feel trapped in a hopeless cycle of the same repetitive fights with your partner(s) and/or yourself? If you answered yes, it might be time to book a session with T. That’s right, T is your very own personal translator. For the low cost of $69.99 a session, you can join T in his tiny home office for a one of a kind experience. Still not sure if this is the right fit for you? Scroll down to learn more about T and see what other folks are saying!
Ethan White plays T (He/Him) aka The Translator, a “qualified” (yeah, right) couples therapist-ish (?) of sorts that utilizes a unique method to encourage honesty, transparency, and openness with his clients. He rates his services as a 10/10…obviously. Whenever Ethan isn’t staring into the infinite void of the Internet for his day-to-day gig, he can be found writing, performing, lurking, or otherwise occupying space in various dilapidated buildings in and around Worcester Mass. Once upon a time, he also channeled his love of writing and wrestling into The Federation of Belligerent Writers, an improvised writing contest/circus/bizarro masquerade that featured many incredible performers of which he was a small part. His relationship advice: Never go to bed angry, be honest but kind, and love with your whole heart.
Mary Darling (playwright/ director) and Mikey Maestaz (producer/photographer) are the creative team behind Museful Intent. They are a real married couple that works together to put Mary’s original plays up in various locations. Bits and pieces of their relationship can be found sprinkled throughout The Translator. Maybe they are biased in some ways, but they rate The Translator’s unique service as a 10/10 for anyone in need of a reality check. These days Mary is self-producing work through MI, but her full-length plays On Our Terms and Good Grief! were produced by Balefire Productions in 2021 & 2022. Mikey is responsible for production photography, boring financial stuff, and assisting with tech. M&M may or may not have done some voiceover work in this show. Their “expert” relationship advice is don't do home projects together.
Kyle Hargrove and Billy Bolster play Marty (he/him) and Joe (he/him), a couple dealing with communication, the drama of daily life, and the th8ter. Joe rates the translator's services as 10. Marty sees this as a waste of his hard-earned money and rates it a 6/10 Billy has been involved with local community productions for over 15 years (actually 16, but who’s counting), including Gateway Players Theater, Dudley Hill Players, and Pasture Prime Players. Kyle has most recently worked on Macbeth (THC Rep), The Monkey Bar Mafia ( Gateway Players Theater), and On Our Terms (Museful Intent). Their advice is: Never take for granted those that stick with you through good and bad.
Amanda Lynne and Cas Reyes (they/them) play Bianca (she/her) and Chris (they/them), a couple that struggles to find a healthy way to communicate with each other. Unlike most things, Chris and Bianca managed to agree that they rate The Translator’s services a 4/10 because T can be a jerk but gets the point across and forces them to work through their deep emotional baggage. Amanda is thrilled to be returning to the stage and to be introducing her daughter to the arts in utero. Previous credits include Vanda in David Ives’ “Venus in Fur”, Theresa in Annie Baker’s “Circle Mirror Transformation”, and Mies Julie in Yaël Farber’s “Mies Julie”. Cas is so grateful to be rediscovering their love for acting and performing in their second show as an adult; with the bonus of being able to play a character that represents their own gender identity, in this very thoughtfully written piece of art. Their first debut this summer was in Gateway Players Theater’s Production of “The Enchanted Book Shop Musical”, as Parent (they/them). Chris and Bianca’s relationship advice is: no phones in bed and be present for the little things.
Cassie Tai Tortorici and Brian Zakrajsek play Michaela (she/her) and Sean(he/him), a couple that has been through some trials and needs some assistance navigating their strained relationship. Despite their differences, they rate The Translator’s services as a 7/10. Cassie has worn many hats theatrically. Recently, she has served as Mary’s Stage Manager on Good Grief, 1/5/10 One Act Festival, and On Our Terms. She is excited about her return to the stage after a 4-year lapse and happy to have such a wonderful and giving scene partner. Brian’s recent credits include Rico in To Each Their Own and Steven in #GoPlease and he is in awe of Cassie’s intensity and skill. Michaela and Sean’s expert relationship advice is: USE PROTECTION!! Oh, and always have laughter in the house - that helps, too. And don’t let your mother-in-law move in!
Suzanne Adams and Jim Douglas play Jean (she/her) and Roger (he/him), an older couple trying to cope with life changes. Roger rates The Translator’s services as a 10/10, but Jean is unsure of her rating. Jim acts frequently throughout Central Mass and NE Conn.; his most recent credits include Dr., Rosenthal in Nuts, Abel Brown in Fireflies, and Ellsworth Snow in Into the Breeches. Sue acts, directs, stage manages, and produces, but most of all she enjoys making props. Her most fulfilling accomplishment was directing Tuesdays with Morrie. They both agree that it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with these fellow actors, director, and crew. Their advice is: With love, patience, and strawberry ice cream on hand, nothing is impossible.
Sara "Penny" Penniman plays Kat (she/her), a person struggling to cope with a recent loss. She rates The Translator’s services as a 9/10 and looks forward to every session with T. This past spring, she assumed two roles in the High Gest Play Fest, produced by Vivian Eliza Nichols. She portrayed Weird Al in Al Pals and embraced the role of Blake in To Each Their Own, a short play by Mary Darling. Her relationship advice: Embrace often, and breathe together. Appreciate the little things and acknowledge them. And, when truly in doubt, just apologize and bring the good snacks.
Vivian Eliza Nichols (Light and sound operator/ understudy) and Diane Servant (Stage Manager) are here to shed light on the situation. Vivian demands a refund and rates the Translator’s services as a 0/10, as he has done nothing to help the lady behind the curtain. Diane rates the Translator at a 9 and notes that she is unable to give a 10 because there is always room for personal improvement. The individuals and couples meeting with The Translator, require his services to translate unheard meanings in their communications. Is it needed - yes. Is it successful - watch and decide! This past spring, Vivian played the role of Two in Museful Intent’s On Our Terms and produced the first-ever High Gest Play Fest in Worcester, MA, she also regularly performs in Murder Mystery shows with American Immersion Theater and is happy to help in a technical capacity for The Translator. Diane’s most recent Stage Managing Credits at Gateway Players Theatre include Fireflies, The Monkey Bar Mafia, and Sylvia. Vivian’s only relationship advice is to run… run like the wind. Diane, on the other hand, says to listen in order to truly hear each other.
As a writer, the idea of “The Translator” has been in the works for a few years because I’m fascinated by relationship dynamics and what does and doesn’t work. I've had a bunch of failed relationships that have been excellent for research and now I'm in a wonderful long-term relationship with my husband, and guess what? We don’t get everything right (I mean obviously one person is always right and that person is always me, but that’s beside the point). We sometimes try to communicate and everything comes out wrong (and we look like fucking monsters). We sometimes forget to let the other person talk without cutting them off (I’m guilty of this one). But, we learn new things together (I’ve somehow coaxed him into voiceover work & every production job I don’t want to do). We laugh all of the time at ourselves and each other (well not at him, he hates being laughed at). We just work as a couple and that is what this play is all about- seeing the more lived-in parts of people's relationships and that includes the mundane, the difficult life situations, the date nights, and everything in between. There are also couples that maybe just aren’t working and this play explores that too because let’s face it, life isn’t always filled with fairytale endings.
During the writing process, I put out a relationship survey and got 74 responses. Some people were in monogamous relationships, some polyamorous, some happy, some not so much, but there were some clear trends. Many folks indicated that they’re attracted to kindness and a sense of humor and several found stubbornness, selfishness, leaving socks everywhere, and snoring to be some of the most annoying things about their partners. Some of the hardest things people had endured together included loss, financial troubles, and infidelity. A large number of folks indicated their recurring fights (their greatest hits) were about communication, family issues, “the fucking dishes” (as someone so eloquently put it), imbalances in the division of household labor, and- technology or social media getting in the way of their relationship. 69% of the respondents believed they have the last word in an argument and 71% considered themselves to be good listeners.
The best notable relationship advice from the survey included “DON’T GET MARRIED!” (Too late for me), “Communication is KEY!” and one of my favorites that I think underscores this play the most “Don't leave anything left unsaid.”
As a director (taking off my playwright hat) I wanted to create a show that makes you feel like you are in the middle of it. I tend to think theatre can exist anywhere and I actually prefer intimate settings that allow me to take risks and create experiences that put an emphasis on the dialogue and the performances. When I say I’m staging the play in a gallery, most people either laugh, look confused, or assume it’s impossible. However, here we all are in this “room” to experience a show that this cast and crew has put together in just 7 weeks. I think you'll find yourselves very immersed in these characters and that you’ll find a piece of yourself in all of them. Let's face it- when it comes to communicating in relationships, sometimes we have no idea what to say or do and no clue whywhy the other person doesn’t just get what we are thinking! Wouldn’t it be great if we could just like… buzz someone in to help “translate” so that nothing gets misunderstood or left unsaid?
…I think it would be.
“..a 10/10 for anyone in need of a reality check.”
- Mary Darling and Mikey Maestaz
Share your thoughts!
We’d love to hear how you feel about the show. Feel free to rate The Translator (the play, not the character) on a 1-10 scale (10 being the best) and to elaborate on your experience.