The Mainstreet Players' version of Becky’s New Car was among “one of best productions” Charlie and Benita Staadecker have seen, and they have seen quite a few – 27 to be exact. The Staadeckers commissioned the play that came to fruition in 2008, written by playwright Steven Dietz, one of the top 10 most produced playwrights in the U.S. ranked right after the famed Tennessee Williams.
Becky’s New Car has been produced over 100 times throughout the U.S., and the Staadeckers have seen it enough times to recite it by heart. Various actors have given life to the characters, and each nuanced performance is in itself a new experience for the Staadeckers to witness.
“We've seen it in Minneapolis, Venice Beach, Kansas City and many others. It's a party trick, I can just perform the entire play on my own at this point,” said Benita with a smile.
Despite their commissioning the play, and their love for it, it is not an autobiographical piece. “This play is not about us," said Charlie. “People ask but no, this is not in any way about our lives.”
Charlie said in his 30 year marriage with Benita, there have only been two difficult moments – the first was when his wife insisted they see Wayne Newton in concert while visiting Las Vegas, and the second was a pumpkin carving that Charlie had no interested in attending. The latter would prove to be life-changing.
At the pumpkin carving Benita met Sandra Crowder, who had recently commissioned a tuba concerto and was concerned no one would show.
“I told her not to worry, Charlie and I would go and we would tell all our friends,” said Benita. “Turns out it was an amazing evening, and the hall was packed.”
A few months passed and Charlie was keen to give Benita a “major” gift for her upcoming 60th birthday. After consideration, Benita noted honestly that she had everything she needed and if Charlie hoped to give her a gift, any surprise would be fine. Thinking back to their experience at the tuba concerto, Charlie decided to commission a play for Benita’s gift.
The artistic directors of Act Theater in Seattle were thrilled when Charlie walked in, ready to commission. Though commissioning plays often comes with caveats, such as not being autobiographical, Charlie was not turned off to the idea.
“We tell people who are interested in doing this ‘let the professionals work in what they do best’,” said Charlie. “Our job was to write a check and get out of the way. We did just that and we believe very much that between the art director and the playwright, Steven Dietz, the play flowed very much because it was what Dietz wanted to write, not because of what anyone else had in mind.”
The only request Charlie made was that the play wouldn't be dark, as it was a birthday present.
Plays are typically commissioned by large organizations though there is a population of individuals who act as commissioners as well. Benita considers individual commission well within the reach of many people like themselves.
“People hear the word ‘commission’ and they automatically think hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Benita. “We are not wealthy. We are rich in health and we have worked hard and spent our money wisely, and the truth is you can commission a play for less than the price of a car. People in the renaissance commissioned pieces of art and plays all the time. Some of Shakespeare's plays were commissioned! Of course, those were made by the queen, but many others were made possible because of regular people.”
The Staadeckers saw the first reading of their play 18 months after Benita's birthday but it was well worth the wait. Despite giving free reign to the artistic director and the playright Dietz, the Staadeckers were not disappointed in the final product titled Becky’s New Car.
“Benita describes it best when she says that Becky’s New Car is a very serious play wrapped in the exterior of a comedy. There are important crossroads that every family faces, and Becky has some difficult choices to make but it’s done in a very easygoing way,” said Charlie.
In 2008, Becky’s New Car was ranked as one of the top 6 plays out of New York City, which led to meaningful connections for the Staadeckers and others interested in commissioning.
“We became somewhat evangelical about this,” said Charlie.
“There are no guarantees with this,” added Benita. “You may get a good play or a bad one. But if nothing else, I hope people know that it’s worth the risk. To bring another piece of theater that reflects something about our culture, that speaks to what is going on in the world, it’s absolutely worth the risk.”
In a world where the arts are the first to get cut from budgets, the Staadeckers feel responsible to spread the love of theater and art, believing that art is like “food for the soul.”
“We just feel that to be a whole person, there has to be some artistic component. You can’t just go to work, go to school, eat dinner and go to bed. There has to be something that says ‘I want to enjoy the beauty of life. It’s human, and it makes us better people,” said Benita.
“It was my birthday present,” said Benita with tenderness in her voice. “And it changed our lives. We are continually grateful. It was a great investment and we met many wonderful people through this. In your life, when is this kind of magic going to happen? Anytime someone wants to hear our story we tell it happily. You never know where the ripples will go.”
The Mainstreet Players production of Becky’s New Car is in its final weekend at the Main Street Playhouse, 6766 Main Street. The show runs through Sunday,August 17. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are available online or at the door. Adults are $25, seniors (62+) are $20 and students (with current school ID) are $18. For more information visit the website at www.mainstreetplayers.com. The show is directed by Main Street Players’ Artistic Director, Robert Coppel, with Clara Lyzniak as assistant director.