Even though the New York Jets didn’t make it to the Super Bowl XLV, I’ll be watching the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers drama unfold this Sunday along with more than 100 million viewers! In fact, years ago I was directing at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre when the Steelers won the Super Bowl and the streets below my window erupted in celebration. I’ve been a football fan all my life and a “recovering” high school jock lettering in football, hockey and baseball. So naturally I was drawn to directing The Changing Room.
David Storey’s Tony Award-winning play set inside a Northern England rugby team’s locker room will open at our theatre on February 24th. The play blew me away nearly 40 years ago when it premiered on Broadway and took me once more back to the locker room. I am honored to direct it now, and excited for New York audiences to experience it once again. The Changing Room uses sport as a metaphor for life, offering a powerful view of how people relate to one another, particularly in the stressful trenches of life.
What’s particularly fascinating about rugby is that off the field, the players – even those on opposing teams — are all mates, grabbing beers after games and joking around with each other. But, on the field, rival teams are sworn enemies. It has been a thrill to spend the past few months working on this incredible play and delving into the world of rugby.nnI’m not the only one happy to see sports explored on stage. There’s currently a docu-drama about Coach Vince Lombardi’s life on Broadway, simply titled Lombardi, and That Championship Season is coming to the Great White Way too. I’m proud that T. Schreiber can be part of the conversation, offering our own intimate view of the sports world through David Storey’s fantastic play, The Changing Room.
Now, I leave you with one of my favorite Super Bowl moments. Years ago the Dallas Cowboys competed for the Super Bowl. Prior to the game an excited announcer interviewing a Dallas running back queried, “How does it feel to be playing in the game of your lifetime? To which the player replied, “If it’s the game of a lifetime, why are they playing it again next year?”nn– Terry Schreiber