Lydia Stryk opens Lady Lay in Atlanta
Lydia Stryk, the playwright behind 7 Stages newest show Lady Lay, talks about the influence of Bob Dylan, his impassioned fans, and pivotal moments of revolitionary change. 7 Stages opens this U.S. premiere of Stryk’s Berlin set play this weekend and runs till May 19.
Q. Your play Lady Lay is opening at 7 Stages in Atlanta, Ga. this week. In three words, how would you describe this play?
A. I can’t! It’s a fun idea but all the three word lines I come up with sound like inspirational slogans. Or how about:
Change Your Life Or how about two words instead of three: Why Wait?
Q. Lady Lay focuses a lot on the influence of music, especially Bob Dylan’s. Did Dylan inspire this play? If so, was there a certain song?
A. This play is based on a real person I met in Berlin. She inspired it and much of what she told me about her relationship to Dylan (and it is a relationship) is in the play. Her feelings for Dylan and what Dylan did for her and does for maybe millions of fans! There must be millions of Dylan fans, don’t you think? The first song she heard of Dylan’s was Lay Lady Lay.
Q. The play is set in Berlin during the pivotal moment of the Berlin Wall falling. The music though influential even though it is barely understood by the listener from a different culture. What is it that MariAnne grasps so tightly during this moment?
A. A generation of Berliners and I am sure folks elsewhere learned English through rock and roll and in order to understand it better. MariAnne learns English so she can understand the lyrics of Bob Dylan, a tall order. Of course, Dylan’s lyrics are not simple English constructions which is part of the fun: imagining the struggle to make sense of lines that don’t really make sense. For her, Dylan represented freedom.
Q. What was the writing experience like while writing Lady Lay, did you listen to the music while you wrote? Did it have the same impact that it had on your character MariAnne?
A. Yes, I listened and listened to Dylan. The play is written almost as if it is one long song, has a rhythm to it. But no, Dylan’s music doesn’t and never did have quite that impact on me. I am an observer of the power of Dylan on his extreme fans. My partner happens to be one. She goes into a kind of trance when she hears his voice or even sees a photo or a reference to him. But I have to say he has grown on me and I see him whenever he passes through Berlin which is quite often. He is on a never-ending tour, after all.
Q. There is a theme of power and approval, and the strength and fear that comes with revolution in this play. Even in today’s world do you find these ideas still hold the same amount of relevance? Is this what prompted you to write a piece like this?
A. Oh, well revolution seems to have more power than ever around the world—the impulse, anyway, despite some of the crushing resistance. Risking even the smallest things when your life is secure, though, is very rare. The play was written in a kind of rush—with all kinds of influences filtering in without pre-thought. MariAnne, the employment office, Dylan, revolution, the wall.
