The Typist at Hudson Theatre
The production reunites Bitterman with producer Danna Hyams, who previously collaborated on "The Civil Twilight." Plays With People and Danna Hyams Productions are presenting the show, which features Noah James of "The Chosen" and Evangeline Edwards of "Heroes of the Fourth Turning" in the lead roles. Jeremy Wechsler, Artistic Director of Chicago's Theatre Wit, will direct, with production design by Joel Daavid and live music directed and composed by Emmy-nominated Roger Bellon. MK Viakley will join Hyams as producer.The play takes audiences to a basement apartment in Greenwich Village during the summer of 1961, where a bourbon-drinking novelist desperately trying to finish his manuscript hires a typist to transcribe his words. What starts as a straightforward professional relationship—dictation, typing, coffee, and repeat—evolves into something far more complex and volatile.
The inspiration for the play came from an unexpected source. Bitterman explains: "I got this idea when I learned that the sister of a friend of my mother's typed Richard Yates' seminal 60s masterpiece, 'Revolutionary Road.' Apparently, for the duration of the job, he and she were lovers, then, once it was over, never saw each other again. Both died alone. Yates, nearly forgotten, yet still working. Mom's sister's friend in a bungalow in Florida, leaving all her money to her cats. I wondered what it would be like if these two lonely souls somehow found their way to love."
For director Wechsler, the script's exploration of human connection provides the heart of the story. "What draws me to Bitterman's script is how humanely it lets two people fumble toward each other across all the obstacles—gender, class, and the gulf between ambition and talent," Wechsler says. "'The Typist' asks what we owe each other as humans in terms of honesty, exposure and support."
James sees the relationship at the play's center as an examination of vulnerability and recognition. "The relationship between the two characters is a beautiful look at two souls in trouble, in desperate need of someone who can truly see them for what they are," James notes.
The production brings together a creative team with impressive credentials across theatre, film, and television. With its intimate two-character setup, live jazz elements, and period setting, "The Typist" promises to offer LA audiences a glimpse into the creative and romantic entanglements of the early 1960s literary scene when the play opens at the Hudson Guild Theatre in late January.