Podcast Summary: "Brooklyn Laundry" Stars Cecily Strong and David Zayas and Playwright John Patrick Shanley

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Matt Katz (filling in for Alison Stewart)
Date: March 1, 2024
Guests: John Patrick Shanley (playwright), Cecily Strong (actor), David Zayas (actor)
Episode Theme:
A deep-dive conversation with the creative team and cast of the new Off-Broadway play, Brooklyn Laundry, exploring the show's inspiration, characters, themes of connection, grief, and humor, as well as its distinctive New York setting.

Episode Overview

Matt Katz sits down with playwright John Patrick Shanley and actors Cecily Strong and David Zayas to discuss Brooklyn Laundry, which follows the budding relationship between laundromat owner Owen (Zayas) and customer Fran (Strong) as they navigate personal histories, family responsibilities, and unexpected emotional journeys. The conversation explores the unique intimacy of laundromats, the interplay between humor and grief, the richness of Shanley's writing, and how live performances create new revelations each night.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Laundromat as a Setting

• Intentionally Chosen Locale: Shanley discusses his "deep attachment" to New York’s drop-off laundromats, describing them as mythological spaces where everyday interactions are loaded with meaning and ritual.

  • Quote [03:43]:
    "I'm deeply attached to drop off laundromats in New York City... I have washer, dryer in my apartment, which I keep unplugged because I don't want to get dependent on it." — John Patrick Shanley

• The Ritual of Laundry: Shanley finds the brief judgment from the person behind the counter ("a woman behind the counter basically judges my life based on the weight") both a "provocation" and a "source of strange joy" [04:20–04:42].

2. Character Journeys & Emotional Landscape

• Introduction to Fran: Cecily Strong explains Fran is introduced in a moment of arrested development, feeling lost and cared for, but unfulfilled.

  • Quote [04:57]:
    "She's in a rut... the baby in her family... she doesn't feel [her place in life]."

• Owen’s Emotional Core: David Zayas describes Owen as both hopeful and broken, always seeking connection to "lighten up whatever's going on in his life" [06:15–07:11].

  • Impactful Moment [06:50]:
    "Trying to be impressive... there's something about people being attracted to a kind of a broken... attitude that they may have." — David Zayas

• Onstage Chemistry: Both actors emphasize the authenticity of their nightly repartee, a collaboration built on energy exchange as much as on Shanley’s script.

3. Writing & Performance: The Dance Between Script and Actor

• Shanley’s Perspective: Shanley notes his delight in watching Strong and Zayas embody and expand his characters beyond the page, especially enjoying Fran's "crankiness" and Owen's "groundedness" [07:30–08:34].

  • Quote [07:30]:
    "They really understood what I was doing, and they were able to take something... and turn it into something that actually causes joy in the people who are watching it." — John Patrick Shanley

• Easy Yes for Strong: Cecily Strong was drawn to both the humor and the "devastating" elements, highlighting the rich and realistic writing for women [08:55–09:34].

4. The Psychedelic Scene & The "Other Conversation"

• Surprise on Stage: A "psychedelic experience" becomes a turning point for Owen and Fran, introducing sincerity and vulnerability.

  • Quote [10:32]:
    "It's a magical scene... you can't help but be sincere and authentic. Which, you know, I guess the kids would say is cringe these days..." — Cecily Strong

• The Playwright’s Motivation: Shanley wanted to create a moment when, fueled by psychedelics, characters finally access the kind of true, "other" conversation we all yearn to have but rarely reach in daily life [11:14–11:55].

  • Quote [11:14]:
    "In this scene... they have that other conversation, the one that I think a lot of us want to have and don't know how to access or how to begin." — John Patrick Shanley

5. Exploring Grief, Loneliness, and Joy

• No Walls Between Emotions: Shanley contends that in life, as in his play, grief, joy, nostalgia, and love co-mingle, and art should reflect this complexity [12:34–13:33].

  • Quote [12:34]:
    "There is no real walls between these things and growth. Grief spills into joy and joy spills into nostalgia... Why not have the whole thing?" — John Patrick Shanley

• Truth and Catharsis in Performance: For Zayas, the goal is always honesty—"truth comes out" when genuinely present in conversation. For Strong, laughter on stage is a gateway; it lets the audience access deeper emotions, sometimes freeing them to finally cry [13:49–15:46].

6. Crafting Plot and Surprise

• Twists Mapped by Discovery: Shanley describes writing as an act of discovery, where plot developments often surprise even him [16:18–17:13].
  • Quote [16:18]:
    "When I wrote this play, there were moments in it where I found out what was going to happen when it happened, not before. And as a result, the audience doesn't see it coming, because I didn't." — John Patrick Shanley

7. Family Dynamics and Representation

• Three Sisters Dynamic: Strong elaborates on the relationship between Fran and her two sisters, describing the distinct personalities and real-life parallels among the cast, mirroring family comfort and hierarchy [21:36–23:03].
  • Quote [23:00]:
    "I make sure both of them are kind of touching my head at one point. Like, that must have been a comfort as a kid..." — Cecily Strong

8. Reflections on "Doubt"

• Relevance of Revival: Shanley shares why his Pulitzer-winning play Doubt is especially timely today, highlighting a new audience receptivity born from cultural uncertainty and lack of "complacency" [23:33–24:45].
  • Quote [23:33]:
    "Now the audience that comes in, I think almost takes some comfort in the play because... I'm not sure what the hell I think or what the hell about anything right now." — John Patrick Shanley

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Character Chemistry
  [07:30] Shanley: "Cecily brings crankiness to a high, and David...brings a groundedness, a genuineness...and I have to confess that I am cracked up by people who are really difficult and really just not having it."

• On Vulnerability in Psychedelic Scene
  [10:32] Strong: "Once you're on a drug, you can't help but be sincere and authentic. Which...these days [is] cringe...to just be so open and vulnerable."

• On Emotional Release in Theater
  [15:46] Strong: "Once...people can hold things in until that moment, they laugh, which sort of then frees them up to cry."

• On the Power of Plot
  [16:18] Shanley: "Plot is really something happening in front of you, not you hearing about it...There were moments...where I found out what was going to happen when it happened, not before."

• On Sibling Dynamics
  [23:00] Strong: "...it's very special to me that...I make sure both of them [her on-stage sisters] are kind of touching my head at one point. Like, that must have been a comfort as a kid..."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:17 — Introduction to Brooklyn Laundry and the cast
• 03:43–04:42 — The laundromat as inspiration and setting
• 04:57 — Where the characters are emotionally when the play begins
• 06:15–07:11 — Building onstage chemistry and authentic banter
• 08:55 — Cecily Strong on why she accepted the role
• 09:55–11:55 — Discussion of the play’s psychedelic scene and its purpose
• 12:34–13:33 — Interplay of grief and joy in the play and in life
• 13:49–15:46 — Lessons about truth, laughter, and emotional release in performance
• 16:18–17:13 — Shanley’s writing process and how plot surprises even him
• 21:36–23:03 — The family dynamic between Fran and her sisters
• 23:33–24:45 — The relevance and impact of reviving Doubt today

Conclusion

The episode offers a rich behind-the-scenes perspective on Brooklyn Laundry, unveiling how Shanley’s affection for laundromats inspired the setting and led to a story about brokenness, hope, vulnerability, and the ever-present mingling of humor and grief. Actors Cecily Strong and David Zayas discuss the nightly discoveries they make on stage, the freedom of honest storytelling, and the ways that theater can break down emotional barriers for both performers and audience. Shanley’s reflections on the meaning of the play, as well as on his classic Doubt, emphasize the enduring power of theater to mirror life’s dizzying, unpredictable mix of joy, loss, and connection.