Caught in a Global Game

by Kimberly Colburn

It’s 1989 and hotshot young architect Andrew Hackett is just about to hit it big. A few years ago he was featured in a major book about promising young architects, and he has a full slate of international projects in the works. He’s taking meetings in Dubai already, so an invitation to meet with the Minister of Culture in neighboring Aqaat is easy to accept. Howard Korder’s In a Garden opens at this initial meeting between the hopeful architect and the enigmatic Othman, Minister of Culture of the fictional nation of Aqaat. Othman dangles ideas for various major commissions in front of the ambitious Hackett, launching them into a battle of wills that will last far longer than Hackett expects.

After making him wait for three days, Othman finally reveals that he’s not offering Hackett a commission for an airport or a museum, but a private summerhouse for the Minister of Culture. Hackett is eager to actually get one of his designs built, and he grasps at this chance to see his dreams realized. Othman, on the other hand, sees himself as a patron of the arts and wants the process to be languorously thorough.

Swirling around them are hints of the tumultuous Middle Eastern world outside their meeting space. Hackett seemingly ignores the complicated political landscape and focuses on the small commission. Without tipping his hand, Othman subtly tries to guide Hackett toward Othman’s idea of collaboration and artistry. Othman is also navigating his own political minefield under the oppressive regime of Brother Najid. When Brother Najid makes an appearance, Hackett is forced to finally recognize the depth of the politics he has gotten himself into.

Korder is clear that the fictional Aqaat is more an amalgamation of Middle Eastern nations than a clear reference to any specific country. Although the tyrannical regime of Brother Najid naturally brings to mind Saddam Hussein, the play is about more than the conflicts of the region. Korder’s decision to set the play in the Middle East, an area with a rich history in art and architecture in addition to its political turmoil adds many layers of complexity to the play’s questions about the process of creation and the ephemeral nature of art. Hackett’s unrealized ambitions, Othman’s machinations, and the search for legacy drive this deceptively simple tale.

Last year, SCR presented a staged reading of In A Garden as part of the Pacific Playwrights Festival. The audience responded enthusiastically; for although In A Garden first engages the intellect, the play ultimately connects to our deepest fears and delivers a surprisingly emotional journey. Is it Hackett’s dreams that motivate him? Or is it his fear of failure? Othman’s mysterious methods push Hackett to collaborate in a way he never imagined.

A Tangled Web of Artists

The artists involved in Howard Korder’s In A Garden have histories that intertwine—both with each other and with SCR.

Korder has a long history with SCR, stretching back to his play Boys’ Life, which inaugurated SCR’s NewSCRipts reading series in 1985. Among his other work, SCR produced the world premiere of his play Search and Destroy, which went on to a Broadway production and was made into a feature film. Search and Destroy featured two In A Garden actors—Mark Harelik and Jarion Monroe. The set designer from Search and Destroy, Chris Barreca, designed the set for In a Garden. Harelik was also featured in SCR’s world premiere of Korder’s The Hollow Lands, and performed in last year’s PPF reading of In A Garden. Director David Warren helmed the PPF reading of In A Garden and has returned to direct the production. The last SCR production he directed was Hurrah at Last in 1998.

Last seen on SCR stages in the PPF reading for The Language Archive and the production of What They Have, actor Matt Letscher joins Korder veterans Harelik and Monroe. Rounding out the cast is Phillip Vaden, a graduate of SCR’s Professional Conservatory who has appeared in several SCR productions, most recently Habeas Corpus. Lighting Designer Lap Chi Chu and Sound Designer Vincent Olivieri have both been involved in multiple SCR productions. Costume designer David Kay Mickelson is new to SCR audiences, but has designed more than 250 productions at theatres around the country.

Like the play itself, the relationships of the cast and creative team have a long history and are filled with complicated connections. Unlike the play, there are no hidden agendas—they’re all here to create the best production possible of this mesmerizing new work.

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