Trees Like Nails draws you in from the very beginning, with an eerie interlude of shadows and gritty rap. Two figures appear by the flickering light of a lantern held by Robbie, who wants to show his brother Frank a very “pretty” discovery. By the time you find out exactly what the discovery is, you will be completely engrossed in this dark drama!
Trees Like Nails delves into the lives of seven suburban kids dealing with secrets. These kids hold nothing back – drugs, drinking, jealousy, desire, and even death only scratch the surface of this production. Although the young people in Trees Like Nails are dealing with slightly
different issues than myself (for example, I have never found a dead body in the woods), I was still able to relate easily to the characters and situations.I had the privilege of interviewing many of the actors after the performance. When I asked how they developed their characters, they had many different answers. Jack Moore, who plays Robbie, spoke about creating his character with high school classmate and Trees Like Nails playwright Will Snider. Working with someone that he knew as a teenager added more levels to his role. Cally Robertson pulled from memories of her past to relate to the character of curious but naïve Tracy.
I asked actor Josh Breslow, who played Frank, what it was like to inhabit such an intense role. “To not be myself is a new thing,” he said with a grin. He explained that his characters in the past have always been relatable to some degree, but in order to play Frank, he had to “play dark.” Breslow also mentioned what a help it was that everyone working on the production got along and supported each other.
Knowing that they all enjoyed what they do and had fun in the process is definitely one of the reasons why this play is such a hit. I highly recommend checking out this show!
Trees Like Nails written by Will Snider and directed by Deanna Weiner. Presented as part of FringeNYC. For more information visit www.treeslikenails.com
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