If you ask Brazilian-born Bronx-based playwright, actor, director, and circus performer Victor Vauban Júnior what he considers to be the most important qualities of a successful marriage, he will answer “love, trust, respect, loyalty” – and he’s even written an award-winning play to deliver that message.
In Leaves, which begins performances for a limited Off-Broadway engagement at Theater for the New City this Thursday, August 12, Vauban addresses such momentous issues as assimilation, color, the importance of family, and mental health – themes that, he observes, “still remain controversial subjects within the African American community” – with a goal of not only entertaining audiences, but also sparking much-needed conversations.
The moving and relatable domestic drama, which won the award for Best Play in Riant Theatre’s 32nd Strawberry One-Act Festival in 2019, tells “a love story like you never seen before” through the lens of the “normal life of a quintessential African-American middle-class family” in upstate NY, which, despite a happy and conventional appearance, holds secrets.
In addition to the shining example set by his parents – “They were together for over 40 years and it was great to see their kind of love. The way they raised their children and their relationship was the essence of love,” said Vauban – the writer found motivation for his work in the words of playwrights August Wilson and Tennessee Williams, and legendary jazz singer Nina Simone, who believed that “the artist’s duty is to reflect the times.”
Victor generously made time over the weekend before performances begin to answer my questions about the significance of the play, his thoughts on its themes, and his mission with the affecting work.
What inspired the theme of the play?
The moment we are living in now has inspired me to write this piece. The play tackles several themes present in the history of mankind since the beginning of time. Love or the lack of it is the constant theme present in all of the plays I have written and I don’t think it will change any time soon. Love is such an intricate feeling, and at the same time the easiest to succumb due to its complexity.
What do you hope people take away from it?
I hope people will be able to identify themselves with the characters and connect with them and their struggles and triumphs in a way that will spark a significant and positive change in how they interact with the world, how it influences their lives, and the impact on the lives of those they might be in contact with.
Why is it especially relevant now?
We are living in a time when relationships and virtues have been severely compromised, causing almost irreversible damage to today’s society and future generations. There is a need to refocus and to find out what and where it went wrong. Family is the nucleus of a society and it must be protected. The world must learn to embrace diversity. Leaves brings up many questions and many answers at the same time.
What’s your first creative memory that put you on the path to becoming a theater artist?
I do believe that creativity is embedded in every living creature on the face of the earth. We are all born with an immense amount of creativity and many of us are able to identify it and nurture it. As far as I can remember since I was a kid there was always the need to question facts, to understand, and communicate. It was in college that I was really able to understand ways of canalizing my memories, emotions, and ideas and put them on paper in an effective fashion.
What are the most important qualities you strive for in your work?
Creativity, relatability, and excellence. I strive for the ability of making the piece clear and relatable. From the moment I take the time to sit down and write a story, the first thing in my mind is the people I am writing about. I must write about real people and real issues, with a dash of fantasy and delusion here and there, with a strong social message.
Thank you, Victor, for sharing your compelling hopes and thoughts. I look forward to the show, and wish you much continued success with it and with all of your future endeavors.
Leaves plays August 12-29, Thursdays-Saturdays at 8:00 pm, and Sundays at 3:00 pm, at Theater for the New City, 155 First Avenue (between 9th and 10th Streets), NYC. In keeping with current safety protocol, masks and social distancing are always required. Temperatures will be taken at the door; if not vaccinated, a negative COVID-19 test result taken within the past three to five days of arrival is required. Members of the audience will need a printed version of test results or a vaccine card in hand in order to expedite prompt curtain times. For tickets, priced at $18 for General Admission, $15 for Students and Seniors, go online.
