2018/19 Development - DIRTY DIRTY by Amy Gijsbers van Wijk


On May 7th, 2019 DVRF hosted the developmental reading of 2018/19 Playwrights Program recipient DIRTY DIRTY, by Amy Gijsbers van Wijk, in its loft space in Manhattan.

The cast included Tina Benko (Nantucket Sleigh Ride), Andrew Durand (Ink, Head Over Heels), Kyle Beltran (Blue Ridge), Mirirai Sithole (School Girls; Or, the African Mean Girls Play), and Fig Chilcott (La Mama’s Last Days of Judas Iscariot).

In DIRTY DIRTY, renowned journalist Violet Miller (Benko) sets out to write about HardBall, an adult studio with a safe, sex-positive reputation and sky-rocketing female viewership. But when Violet meets CJ (Durand), the breakout male star at the center of HardBall's success, she's caught between her professional persona and her newly awakened desires, and begins to question who's really in control.

We were pleased to match this piece with director Sarah Krohn, with whom Ms. Gijsbers van Wijk has collaborated in the past. As with previous years, the 29-hour rehearsal period was designed in conference with the writer and creative team to allow for extensive critical discussion and rewriting of the piece. This culminated in a presentation to an audience of industry professionals.

L-R: Tina Benko (Violet); Kyle Beltran (Markus); Andrew Durand (CJ); Sarah Krohn (Director); Amy Gijsbers van Wijk (writer); Mirirai Sithole (Layla); Fig Chilcott (Allison)

L-R: Tina Benko (Violet); Kyle Beltran (Markus); Andrew Durand (CJ); Sarah Krohn (Director); Amy Gijsbers van Wijk (writer); Mirirai Sithole (Layla); Fig Chilcott (Allison)