We said goodbye to warplay this weekend. It was an exciting and fulfilling run, and in the spirit of the holiday, we want to say THANK YOU to all of you who came out and supported it! We very much hope you enjoyed the show.

But although warplay is finished, the season is far from. Last week I reached out to a special guest to get some thoughts about Azuka’s next show. Here’s what he had to say…!

“Hey there, outcasts and underdogs!

It's Michael Osinski, director of Azuka's upcoming production of Bob: A Life in Five Acts by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. It'll be my third time working with Azuka - most recently I directed Moth in 2016 - and I'm looking forward to helming the next installment in Azuka's season exploring masculinity.

Warplay looked at how we PERCEIVE masculinity. How are men expected to act? And when do those expectations become dangerous or toxic? Bob takes a different focus. In a world where men seem to be causing all the problems, how can men make a positive impact? What does it mean for a man to do good today?

When people ask me what Bob's about, I tell them it's 2 parts Forrest Gump, 2 parts Candide, and 1 part Citizen Kane. It's the story of a wide-eyed optimist who is born, abandoned, and adopted (or kidnapped) in the bathroom of a White Castle on Valentine's Day. We follow him across America - from birth to death - on his quest to get his name on a plaque and become a "great man."

Did you wince when you read that? I know I used the "G word." When the play was first produced in 2011, the word "great" wasn't as loaded as it is today. And though I know we can't help but look at theatre through a political lens right now, I'm hoping NOT to make the current political rhetoric a major component of our production. It is a comedy, after all.

By the time Bob opens, we'll have made it through 2 1/2 official months of winter, and it'll be that point in the season where the snow has lost its magic, because it's just sitting on the streets and sidewalks like loose dirt-flavored water ice, and our boots have that water stain on them from trudging through the aforementioned water ice, and our lower backs seize up at the mere sight of a snow shovel, and we keep hoping tomorrow will be the day we can put our scarves away and pull out our hoodies.

My point is, we'll be ready for a laugh. And I think Bob will deliver. It'll be an intelligent, charming, and slightly satirical laugh, but a laugh nonetheless.

I look forward to seeing you at the theater. Happy holidays!”

Bob’s all Pay What You Decide performances run February 27th through March 17th. While that still feels like a ways off right now, you can reserve your tickets early here — we hope to see you there!

We’re eager to continue sharing the season with you all. In the meantime, though, enjoy your Thanksgiving, and try to love one another. I’ll talk to you soon!

Gobble gobble,

Lucas