“To Protect and Serve” . . .

. . . written and directed by Danny Kane to be performed on Tuesday, June 10, at 7:00 p.m.

1. Where did you come up with the creative idea for your piece?

Actually, my play is based on a true story. I won’t disclose much, but I will say that I witnessed one police officer pull over another patrol car apparently because it had been driven erratically. I base all of my plays on as much truth as I can, and usually find that the strangest, funniest stories don’t need to be embellished or edited at all. My neighbor John Norton is one of my primary sources after the success of last year’s “Jerked,” which started with one of his “One time, a friend of mine” bits.

With regards to my play’s subject matter, I want to be clear that I have nothing against the police (or the residents of Forks, Washington, for that matter). Mr. Schraufnagel just loves finding secret double meanings in my plays that I never thought of, but “To Protect and Serve” is in no way a statement on law enforcement (although I have been meaning to give that speed trap guy on 117 a piece of my mind).

2. Where do you think your piece succeeds, and where do you see challenges for yourself as a playwright or director?

If my play makes you laugh, I’ll consider it a success. I write for entertainment first and foremost. Most of my difficulties come from trying to get theater people to loosen up and just go for laughs. All the sub-plots, character background and metaphors rampant in modern theater can really mess up a good idea. Sometimes, you just have to take things at face value. Laugh, cry, write angry letters if you want to, but whatever your first reaction is, act on it. That’s why we still perform for live audiences at all.

3. What is the greatest challenge you have found so far (writing, working with actors, tech, etc)?

For both my shows (I started directing last year), I have been blessed with great casts, amazing technicians, and (hopefully this year too) a wonderfully responsive audience. My only problem is fretting deadlines, and being a bit of a pushover when it comes to acting.

4. Why were you interested in writing and directing a piece for SpringFest?

All my life, I’ve loved writing fiction. Back in elementary and middle school, I stood out a bit for actually describing things and using correct grammar. But when I got to high school, it turned out I use too much description for traditional prose. But if you turned all the action I described into stage directions, voila! You’ve got yourself a play. I had been working as a stage technician since sixth grade, and had acted in an adaptation of “The Lorax” by Dr. Seuss, so writing was all that was left to do. Theater was still new to me, and I’ve found that after directing, you understand much more about the art as a whole. SpringFest is the reason I’m continuing theater in college, albeit without majoring in it (Carnegie Mellon is a tough theater nut to crack).

5. What other pieces, besides your own, are you looking forward to? Why?

I’m looking forward to all of them! I keep myself out of the general loop, so as to not spoil the plot, so I’m psyched to see what everyone’s been doing all this time. Oh, and I’m really excited to see “It’s What’s For Dinner.” I hear the guy playing Father is the next Ben Vereen.

6. In addition to writing and directing, are you performing any other roles, performance or technical, in SpringFest?

Well, I take an active role in tech for my own show, including a couple of trips to a junkyard in Pound Ridge for car parts and street signs. I’m also playing Father in Mike Stanton’s “It’s What’s for Dinner.”