Start with three girlfriends, send them on a trip to the city for a bachelorette party, mix in a lot of alcohol, stir things up with a hot guy and his friend who tap dances, put them on a set that shifts at frightening intervals and what do you have?  A really great play by Adam Bock called Drunken City, currently playing at Playwrights Horizons on 42nd Street.  Drunken City is about a trio of brides-to-be and an adventurous bar crawl that throws them all for a loop when one of the girls questions her choices after meeting an attractive new man.  Sounds fun, right?  Well it is! 

I saw Drunken City a few weeks ago and I have to agree with Joe Dziemianowicz of the NY Daily News who calls the show, "A playful and hopeful comedy. Like the best episodes of 'Sex and the City,' a little heartache always goes well with hilarity. The cast is appealing, adorable, and top-shelf. There's only one response to something as pleasing as 'The Drunken City' - another round!" I was really taken with the direction of Trip Cullman (who recently directed the successful U.S. Drag) and the wonderful sets by David Korins and the sassy costumes by Jenny Mannis.  However, I was most taken with an exceptional and hilarious cast that includes: Cassie Beck, Maria Dizzia , Sue Jean Kim (as the three friends), Alfredo Narciso, Mike Colter (aforementioned handsome stranger) and Barrett Foa (as the tap dancing friend).  I wanted to see if I could get some of the inside scoop on the show, so I reached out to cast member Maria Dizzia to see if she might give us a few details on the show.  She said yes! 

Maria is very hot actress right now.  She has been working very steadily for a few years now working with exciting companies such as; The Civilians, Keen Company and Clubbed Thumb.  Most recently she played the title role in Eurydice at Second Stage.  Charles Isherwood in the NY Times called her performance "radiant".  In Drunken City Maria plays Melissa - a soon to be bridesmaid to Marnie (whose party she is attending).  She brings warmth, humor, intellect and passion to her role.  Now let's see how she answers a bunch of random questions from me.  Check it out! (Note: I wouldn't call my reportage "hard hitting"- I tend to focus on the lighter side (drinking, costumes, hair) and Maria plays along nicely!)

Bixby:

Have you ever been as drunk as your character is in the play?  Did you do anything you regretted?
Maria:

I think I have, but I wasn't lucky enough to have Adam Bock writing jokes for me.

 

Bixby:

What is your favorite alcoholic beverage?
Maria:

Chambord and that Godiva liquor or I like things that really pack a wallop like grappa or aquavit...

 

Bixby:

In the play the girls go on a bar crawl in "the city" for a bachelorette party...have you done such a thing?  Did you have to wear a crazy prop or head gear or anything?
Maria:

I have not done that.  And I didn't see the head gear myself, but I heard when they were prop-hunting that the costume designer found one of those arrow headbands that was a penis.  That's a real commitment for an evening.  I don't know what you wear with that?  Although, I do have a penis whistle in the play, but that goes with everything.

 

Bixby:

Let's talk wardrobe.  Can you tell me about the clothes you wear in the show - they look very "specific" to the world of the play.
Maria:

They are!  Our costume designer, Jenny Mannis, was just nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for her work on the show.  I think she did an amazing job.  She did really sensitive work thinking about women who dress for each other--who have a keen sense of what is appropriate.  I like Melissa's top for the bar crawl scenes- her top is a little more revealing because she's not hitched at that point.  And it's shiny.

 

Bixby:

And let's talk hair.  How long does it take to flat iron your hair for the show?
Maria:

It takes like 5 minutes, but it looks fantastic doesn't it!!!  It's very administrative and professional and also totally gets in the way.  Melissa reads People Magazine (as do I), but she copies the hair better.

 

Bixby:

Seriously, what did you and the designer talk about when coming up with a costume for your character - did you have any input?
Maria:

Jenny did a lot of research going through photos that people post of  themselves partying on Flicker.com.  She bought tons of selections for all of us and it was fun to try things on and see your character emerge.  When I  put on the shirt for the second half, I thought, oh, my character is trying very hard.  Jenny let me wear brown lipstick because I think Melissa does have a flair for the dramatic and likes to do things like "play up features."

 

Bixby:

In undergrad (when I was still acting) it was very "cool" to do "drunk rehearsals" if there was drinking in a play (we were young!).  Did you and the rest of the cast ever have a "drunk rehearsal"?
Maria:

We didn't do a drunk rehearsal, but a few of us did go out to clubs one night to experience the bachelorette scene.  I joined late, but one of the actors gave me a bride-to-be a piggyback ride and then got scolded by a bartender for having too much gel in his hair.

 

Bixby:

Are the rings you wear in the show real or Cubic Zirconium? 
Maria:

I think they may not even be cubic-z.

 

Bixby:

Your character works at a bakery - is she good at her job or does she mess up and burn things all the time?
Maria:

Melissa is excellent at her job.  I think she takes things out of the oven, but she's the business manager.  She orders supplies and makes sure the till matches the books at the end of the day.

 

Bixby:

The set moves a lot during the show.  How do you manage that in those high heel shoes you wear?
Maria:

Our shoes aren't that high--they're like an inch and a half--to accommodate our movement on the tilty set.

 

Bixby:

In what way do you identify with your character in the play?  In what way are you totally different?
Maria:

It's so hard to tell.  We're both bossy and want to be loooved.  Melissa, however, carries a purse that is reasonable for her size and for the event she is attending, whereas I carry this enormous thing that is altering my skeleton and makes no sense a lot of places.

 

Bixby:

What is next for you after Drunken City?
Maria:

Monologues in the mirror!  And auditioning.

For more information on how to get tickets to see Drunken City - click HERE.  Performances end April 20th.

~ See You On The Aisle