John Patrick Shanley (b. 1950), American playwright, director, and screenwriter, is creator of nearly two dozen plays that have been performed worldwide. One of his best known, Doubt: A Parable (2005), ran on Broadway for nearly a year, winning four Tony Awards (including Best Play) and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding play in 2005, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He also directed and wrote the screenplay for the film of the same name (2008), which featured Meryl Streep, Viola Davis, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Another major play, Outside Mullingar, set in the Irish countryside, was produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2008, and also by The Stagecrafters in 2018. Rogues’ Gallery showcases ten suspenseful monologues, delivered by a group of assorted individuals who tell us, each in his/her own unique way, about their loves, disappointments, transgressions, and the perturbing circumstances that life seems to be tossing their way.

Shanley wrote Rogues’ Gallery (2020) in response to the lockdown of the performing arts world during the pandemic, and its productions have been received with conspicuous praise: “…This is brilliant writing for so many reasons. … it emotes the time we are living [in]. …” (saginawartmuseum.org); “…The stories are bizarre at times, … the characters … [often] charming, electrifying, real people you want to know more about. …” (eriereader.com); “…We’ve all dealt with the rogue, the person who has treated us poorly. … And, sometimes, if we’re able to admit it, the rogue is us…” (eatmoreartvegas.com).

For a year and a half theater artists tried to figure out how to keep their art alive while staying away from audiences and other actors. A lot of “theater” took place online, sometimes successfully, and sometimes not. Then playwrights started doing something really interesting. They started writing for the medium of performing to a webcam, or camera phone, and that changed everything. Suddenly there was new material that was specifically designed to be done on camera, but could also be translated to the stage when the time came. John Patrick Shanley was one of these writers. He wrote Rogues’ Gallery to be filmed by each actor, in their own homes, and streamed online to help raise money for The Actors Fund, while theaters were dark. When I read it this past February, I knew right away I would love to do this show. Filmed, or on stage, either way, I was in! I was so excited to be asked to do this show for The Stagecrafters as their first production after over a year being dark. Even better, I would get to film it to be streamed AND to stage it for the theater - best of both worlds … and I could put my film directing and editing skills to work again too. Each character in this show has such a unique voice, and such an interesting story to tell, and I am moved by every one. Told with humor, sincerity, and eloquently crafted language, I think this play is really something special you don’t get to see very often. Whether you are watching on a screen or on a stage, I hope you find this show as entertaining as I do. Thank you for touring the Rogues’ Gallery with me.

-- Mariangela Saavedra