On Friday, May 19, the Kickshaw Theatre is collaborating with the Ann Arbor District Library to put on a staged reading of Lungs, a new play by Duncan Macmillan. Lungs tells the story of a couple weighing the pros and cons of deciding whether or not to have a child in modern America, knowing all the current societal and political problems in the world.

Lungs premiered at Washington, D.C.’s Studio Theatre and has since been performed around the world. It was nominated for a Charles MacArthur Award for Best New Play or Musical and the British production won the Off West End Award for Best New Play. This reading will feature the actors Dani Cochrane and Bryan Lark.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to ask the Kickshaw Theatre’s artistic director and founder Lynn Lammers a couple of questions about the upcoming performance.

Q: What appealed to you about the story of Lungs?
A: It's so germane to the current moment. A lot of people are feeling in crisis about the state of the nation, the world. What does it mean to have a child amidst chaos? Lungs is so fast-paced, conversational, and easy that it's surprising that the language is actually very poetic. The two characters are in a verbal dance with one another. It keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Q: What do you look for when thinking about potential future shows to produce?
A: I look for a good story, told imaginatively. Kickshaw plays ask the audience to come to the theater with curiosity. We want plays that take people outside their everyday lived experience. It's also important that we're feeding our audience's appetite for an aesthetic experience. We choose plays that veer from realism and instead require creativity. I want to challenge designers and actors to create a world that will surprise audiences.

Q: What is coming up for the Kickshaw Theatre in the near future?
A: We are so excited to partner with trustArt Studios on our next production, Really by Jackie Sibbles Drury. It's a play about photography, aesthetic, and point-of-view. It explores the nature of memory and the lenses through which we view ourselves and the world. This story really begs to be told in an art gallery, so the trustArt Gallery space is a perfect setting. Performances will run June 29 through July 16. I'm so excited for people to see this play!

Toby Tieger has directed, acted in, and written plays over the last 10 years, and sees theater as often as he can. He is a building supervisor with the Ann Arbor District Library.

A staged reading of "Lungs" happens at 7 pm on Friday, May 19, at the Ann Arbor District Library West Branch. This event is free.