Leading Off: 'The China Shop' playwright discovered passion later in life
In December 2001, Richard Manley and his wife finally made good on the plans they had put in motion a year prior, packed up their bags and headed to Europe.
Manley, who spent time in the ad world as a commercial writer and eventually owner of his own agency, and his wife, who worked for a consulting firm, had a beautiful home in San Francisco, a nice car, a motorcycle. But they were too busy to enjoy any of it.
"We were constantly working," Manley said. "At some point, we decided that we wanted to get off the grid and stop working (long) weeks."
So they sold the house, the car and motorcycle, and a year later, flew to Vienna, intent on staying in Europe for six months without any plans whatsoever.
Those six months turned into 10 years of wandering Europe with one suitcase each and no reservations.
And it also turned into a moment of introspection, a rethinking of what Manley really wanted to do.
"I had wanted to write since I was in college, and everybody talked me out of it," he said.
But he kept a journal over the years anyway, and, when he and his wife finally returned to the States - to New York in particular - Manley started sketching out plays.
"I used to write plays, school plays, when I was in college, and I love the format and interaction with the audience, so I just began playing with things and I slowly began to develop a style," said Manley, who is now based in southern California.
Since then, Manley has written numerous full-length plays and one-acts, which have been produced off-Broadway in New York and a dozen other cities, and has garnered numerous awards for his writing.
And his latest play, "The China Shop," will premiere at the Lincoln Community Playhouse on Friday as part of the American Association of Community Theatre's NewPlayFest, which aims to support the production of new works at community theaters around the country.
Described by Manley as a "literate comedy," the new play has roots in Manley's own life, both in the business world and as a writer. The plot involves a man named Derby, a once-famous poet who wants to get back into writing, and Mary, a copywriter for a big ad agency in New York, who, by chance, become neighbors and connect through their shared understanding of the power of words.
Manley submitted the play, which he developed by reading his journal musings, to an AACT competition a couple of years ago that narrowed down the six best entries, which were then sent across the country to be produced. Morrie Enders, the playhouse's executive director, landed on Manley's.
"I'm really impressed with the quality of the work and also the quality of the set," said Manley, who recently visited Lincoln for the first time to meet the actors and staff and to share feedback. "I don't see that in community theater very often."
Those who take in "The China Stop," which runs through Nov. 17, will also get a chance to talk to the playwright himself during so-called talkbacks, which will be held after each performance the first weekend.
"I love talk-backs," he said. "You begin to sense what the audience is feeling, what you felt when you wrote it, and you get this feedback loop that I find fascinating. And so I do it whenever I can. ... It's one of the most rewarding parts of the whole process."
IF YOU GO
What: "The China Shop."
Where: Lincoln Community Playhouse, 2500 S. 56th St.
When: Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.; Nov. 15-16, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 17 2 p.m.
Tickets: $26 for adults, $15 for students. Purchase at lincolnplayhouse.com or by calling the box office at 402-489-7529 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Show is for mature audiences.
Talkbacks: Playwright Richard Manley will participate in post-show talkbacks with the audience on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A post-show reception will be held Friday.
Contact the writer at or 402-473-7225. On Twitter Love Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly!
Night Editor
