The reviews are in and we couldn't be more excited about the rave!!! We are now in our final two week mark and would love to introduce you to another cast member, BRYNNE KRAYNAK! Brynne plays the role of Missy as well as costume designer for the production, EXTINCTION by Gabe McKinley, now playing thru April 16th. We took a moment to ask Brynne a few questions during the end of rehearsals just as the cast and crew were heading into tech week.
How
did this project/play come to you?
Gabe McKinley and I were in
the same MFA class at The New School for Drama, and Extinction initially made a debut draft there in 2009. I was always a fan of Gabe’s writing. The brutal honesty of his tone is
unforgettable! We were fortunate to be blessed with a fierce
group of playwrights in our class!
Watching Extinction evolve
over time into its published version has been a true joy! Later I found my way to Lyle Kessler’s Master
Class with Eric, Sawyer, and Raye, who were in search of a comedic scene to
work on for class. Extinction was my first thought, and out of that came our fervent
mission to do the play!
Prior
to rehearsals, were you familiar with anyone or everyone in the cast? If
so, what's your history with the other actors? Do you think any prior
familiarity with the cast supports your work and the collaborative
process? If so, can you share how and why you think this might be
important to your work?
Raye, Sawyer, Eric and I
were all in Lyle’s class at the same time, and had been watching one another
work regularly week to week. Working in
a class is so vital to really exploring your instrument as an actor, and our
friendship developed out of a mutual desire to consistently push ourselves to
our individual limits. When Sawyer
approached us with the idea of producing Extinction,
he did so with a firm belief that we would thrive together as a cast, and he
was right! There is nothing better than
working with artists you know, trust, and love, because that foundation
facilitates endless possibility within your own work.
Can
you tell us a little bit about your role in Extinction? Who is the
character you're playing and how do you connect to the role?
I play Missy, a cocktail
waitress at a local casino who meets Max and plans to spend the night with him
and Finn, enlisting her friend Victoria to evenly distribute attention to both
men. Missy is ebullient with joy, delighted
to join the party, and truly thankful to be in that hotel suite! Finding her effervescence in the text has
been wonderful. I relish exploring her
warmth, her willingness to be a perfect hostess and facilitate the comfort
required for everyone to make the most of the evening, as it were!
Is
there a theme in the play that resonates with you most? If so, why?
When I heard Extinction for the first time, I was 25,
and there were so many notes in its music that I could not hear. Now it’s like a whole new song to me, and
each time I read the play it lands differently on my ear and in my heart. Good writing allows for continual discovery
that way! I read the play through, and am immediately struck by how much time
has passed for me personally since I first heard it. My sense of self has evolved. I’ve grown, and in doing so can recognize the
fight in each character to retain and fiercely protect their perceived identity. Gabe has managed to capture what happens when
we battle against life for the deliciously selfish and merited retention of who
we are. The beauty of the play breathes
in the battle each character wages singularly, even as they all converge for
one night in a hotel suite in Atlantic City.
Can
you share a little bit about your process: preparation for first day of
rehearsal as well as during performances.
That’s a tough one! I’m still discovering new elements to Missy
with each rehearsal. Rigid choices work
against you and can lead to a stagnant exploration. Maintaining a lightness, a sense of play, serves
both in rehearsal and performance to keep discoveries fluid. Leading up to rehearsals, I made a few
initial vocal choices, mostly because the voice is a tool that informs Missy’s physicality. Her laugh floats up like champagne bubbles
and is definitely what I love most about her!
At her core, she is a truly joyful, generous, bright soul!
Being
a NYC actor, what are your thoughts about working in another town, rehearsing
away from the hustle and bustle of NYC - pros, cons?
I’d wager the experience of
rehearsing a play outside of New York is entirely dependent on the location,
and we are so fortunate to be based in East Hampton for this project! It’s a
lovely place to work, and I’ve so enjoyed my time here. The benefit to working outside of where you
live day to day is that the work can receive a highly singular focus. In college, the papers I wrote at the library
were always better than the ones I wrote in my room. Creating sacrosanct rituals that keep you
connected to your home life ease the difficulty in being away from those
elements and returning to them sporadically.
My husband is also an actor, which aids in balancing the challenges of
working on projects. He respects what I
need to do good work, and wants me to be able to give my best creatively.
What do you want audiences to walk away with after attending a performance of
Extinction?
A desire to come back and
see it again! Really! The play just flies. It’s a total sensory explosion, and I’m very
excited to see how audiences react to it!
What’s
your hometown?
Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania.
When
did you arrive in NYC; and where do you call home now?
I moved to New York in 2006
to pursue my MFA in Acting at The New School for Drama. Home is now Astoria and I love it!
Favorite
theatre going experience.
My favorite theatre
experience is probably my first one. I
was three, and my parents took me to see the original Broadway production of Into The Woods. My babysitter had just seen it and
recommended they take me. We were
sitting close to the stage, and Cinderella (Kim Crosby) waved at me, and at
intermission I asked my mother if being Cinderella was her job. She answered yes, each actor plays a
character that makes the story happen for their job. That was that! There was no way I was going to do anything
else but be in a story for my job! Art wakes you up to yourself when you take it
in. Seeing that show changed my life and
defined my purpose, and I was lucky to have parents who were committed to
exposing me to art and storytelling at such a young age.
Brynne Kraynak (Missy) is an actor and teaching
artist based in New York City. She has worked with Tongue in Cheek
Theatre, Rattlestick Theater Co., Horse Trade Theater Co., and in the Samuel
French and NYC Fringe Festivals. Brynne assisted with TFANA’s education
division bringing Shakespeare to the classroom, and with Kids On Stage! Summer
program through Speranza Theatre Company. Brynne co-founded Fearless Me Films,
a production company for children that inspired storytelling through film
making. Brynne received her M.F.A. in Acting from The New School for Drama in
2009 (Malcom and Betty Smith Award for excellence and versatility in acting).
She graduated from Smith College in 2006, where she studied French Literature
and Theatre (Smith College Eliot Jr./Heflin Award for distinguished directing
and the Denton M. Snyder Acting Prize).
Guild Hall and Where Are They Going Theatre Group
in association with Barefoot Theatre Company
present EXTINCTION by Gabe McKinley
March 30 through April 16
Wednesdays – Sundays at 7pm
PLUS 2pm matinees on April 8 and April 15
Directed by Josh Gladstone
Starring Brynne Kraynak, Raye Levine, Sawyer Spielberg
and Eric Svendsen
Two college buddies’ annual outing of
male-bonding and debauchery veers precipitously off course when unmet
expectations spiral into a volatile showdown. A darkly funny drama exploring
the evolution of friendships – and the lengths to which we go to save them from
falling into extinction.
Please note that this play includes graphic
language and mature subject matter.
General Admission $25 ($23 Guild Hall Members)
$15 Students under 18
Production Team:
Set Designer – Raye Levine
Lighting Designer – Sebastian Paczynski
Stage Manager – Tyler Winthrop
Producer – Sawyer Spielberg
PR – Leah Lane
