Michigan Arts & Culture

Detroit theater gave acclaimed playwright an unprecedented blank slate to create new work

Michigan Public | By Stateside Staff

Published May 14, 2018 at 5:45 PM EDT

Haidle said the commission was a chance to create a "script tailored to the actors and the space that we have."

Stateside's conversation with Noah Haidle, the playwright of "Birthday Candles."

The Detroit Public Theatre is wrapping up its third season with a new play that it commissioned: "Birthday Candles." It's written by Noah Haidle, a Grand Rapids native. His work has been produced in New York, regionally, and around the world, and his original screenplay for the film Stand Up Guys stars Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, and Christopher Walken.

Haidle joined Stateside to discuss the new show. Listen above to hear where the idea came from, how the work is tailored to this particular theater and set of actors, and what it's like for Anderson to watch the play as its playwright.

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