Fame, Sanity and the Limits of the American Dream in 'Invasive Species'

Summary

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Podcast Summary: All Of It — "Fame, Sanity and the Limits of the American Dream in 'Invasive Species'"

Host: Kusha Navadar (in for Alison Stewart)
Guests: Maya Novi (playwright & actor), Michael Breslin (director)
Date: June 17, 2024
Play Discussed: Invasive Species at Vineyard's Dimson Theater (until June 30th)

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Overview

This episode of All Of It dives into Maya Novi’s darkly comedic play, Invasive Species—a poignant exploration of assimilation, identity, cultural dislocation, and the price of chasing the American Dream as an immigrant artist. Drawing heavily from Novi’s real-life experiences, especially her involuntary stay in a children's psychiatric ward during drama school, the conversation unpacks how personal narrative and sharp satire intertwine on stage, while also discussing collaboration, performance choices, audience reactions, and the healing power of art.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis of Invasive Species

• Diary as Lifeline:
  • [03:08] Maya Novi: Upon being hospitalized, Maya began writing everything she saw or heard, using diary entries as her only outlet:

    “All I can ask for is papers and a pencil. And I just wrote everything I heard or saw.”

• Context of Crisis:
  • The play is rooted in Maya’s real struggle with insomnia under the immense pressure of drama school. Her attempt to "fit in" by perfecting an American accent led to hospitalization after seeking help for sleep issues.

    “…I started to get obsessed with…my dialect coach…was, like, listen to Gwyneth Paltrow… I started listening to her over and over again, started struggling with insomnia…” ([04:21])

2. Autobiographical Line & Theatrical Transformation

• Balancing Reality and Theatricality:
  • Maya emphasizes her intent to keep relationships, especially among the psych ward kids, authentic—citing direct influence from her old diary entries—while using the theatrical form to heighten and sometimes bend reality for comic or dramatic effect.

    “Because it’s theater and everything’s a little heightened…there’s some moments where…reality bends…” ([07:55])

• Collaboration as Healing:
  • The creative team helped Maya balance the weight of retelling her trauma with humor and surrealism, preventing the work from feeling burdensome.

    “Let’s keep it fun and poppy and light and, you know, surreal at times.” ([09:03])

3. Assimilation, Identity, and Fitting In

• Navigating ‘Boxes’:
  • Maya’s struggle as an immigrant is thematically central:

    “How do you change yourself or sacrifice your truth in a way to fit in? And what's the cost that comes with that?” ([07:10])

  • The play pointedly addresses how institutional forces—from Hollywood to psychiatry—pressure people to assimilate, not always in their best interest.

    “…different institutions…can treat minoritarian subjects in similar ways…forcing someone to assimilate…” ([06:24] Michael Breslin)

4. The Role of Fantasy and Satire

• Genre Fluidity:
  • Invasive Species freely intermixes satire with real trauma:

    “It’s very dark, very comedic, looking at the truth of the situation through satire.” ([05:30] Michael Breslin)

  • Example: The "acting bug" as a literal bug—a device present since the very first draft—ushers the audience into Maya's surreal interior world.
• Comic Vignettes & Heightened Scenes:
  • Sketches like the disastrous date at a Mexican restaurant blend relatable microaggressions with comic exaggeration, addressing "what it is to be normal" from an immigrant's perspective.

    “…that date also was…a mashup of every single date I’ve had with an American bro in my life…” ([10:48] Maya Novi)

5. The Children’s Ward: Inspiration and Representation

• Portraits of the Psych Ward Kids:

  • Maya brings to life three core characters based on real children she met in the ward—Akilah (the wise advisor), Jacob (the perpetual rapper), and Eduardo (silent until the Oscars incident).

    “…this girl…was like the Tony Soprano of the psych ward…” ([12:42])

• Solidarity and Survival:

  • The formation of alliances, especially with Akilah (“if you want to get out of here, you have to pretend to be normal”), shapes the play’s emotional heart and gives practical survival advice.

• Continued Connection:

  • Maya remains in touch with several of these real-life inspirations, notably Akilah, who has attended Maya's performances post-release.

6. Language, Culture, and Misunderstanding

• Blending Spanish and English:
  • The play often features dialogue in Spanish (with no translation) to emphasize cultural identity and the inherent loss in translation—a theme tied to Maya's misunderstanding with the American psychiatric system.

    “…so much is lost. And I think a lot of this play is also about, like, what gets lost in translation…” ([19:06])

• Staging with Personality:
  • The translator character is given agency and comic presence, echoing real familial and cultural interactions rather than presenting language as a sterile barrier.

7. Collaboration, Directorial Choices, and Ensemble Work

• Approach to Characterization:
  • The young characters are played with sincerity; adults, with satire—highlighting the difference in how youth and adult authority are perceived in crisis.

    “The adults really found life when the cast could be more comedic, more satirical, more ridiculing…” ([17:42])

8. Impact, Audience & Evolution

• Comedy as Truth & Entry Point:
  • Satire and seriousness are intertwined, allowing the painful subject matter to be approachable while maintaining its gravity.

    “Comedy is, like, dead serious…The stakes from within it are even higher than drama and tragedy…” ([22:41] Michael Breslin)

• Audience Dynamics:
  • The energy in the theater is different every night—sometimes raucous, sometimes somber—reflecting audience backgrounds and receptivity.

    “It is a roller coaster. And you can find yourself verging from tears to laughter in a split second.” ([25:18] Maya Novi)

• Growth as a Performer:
  • Maya describes her evolution over the run—initially feeling a need to “prove” herself, then learning to relax into her role.

    “With time, I think I started [to] trust. Oh, people are receiving the play really well…So now I feel like, oh, I can just let go a little bit, be simpler and trust my, like, you know, my essence, you know, my natural charm. That’s such a Leo…thing to say.” ([25:32])

9. Family, Catharsis, and the Playwright’s Privilege

• Parental Response:
  • Maya’s father, depicted in the play, attended and offered supportive, good-humored feedback:

    “…you sort of make fun of me a little bit. The Hustle is so real, I couldn’t be mad at you.” ([21:16])

• Stage as Confessional:
  • The theater becomes a means to say things otherwise unspeakable to parents or loved ones.

    “…in 75 minutes, you’ll know what happened in the last four years of my life, which I would never be able to even remotely get to the tip of the iceberg of if I sat with them over dinner…” ([21:22])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On fitting in:

  “How do you change yourself or sacrifice your truth in a way to fit in? And what's the cost that comes with that?”
  — Maya Novi [07:10]

• On assimilation and institutions:

  “There are similar tactics and strategies at forcing someone to assimilate, whether that be, you know, racially, ethnically, psychologically, or whatever.”
  — Michael Breslin [06:24]

• On the burden of personal storytelling:

  “We don’t want you to feel the burden of carrying this backpack on your shoulders. Let’s keep it fun and poppy and light and, you know, surreal at times.”
  — Maya Novi [09:03]

• On comedy:

  “Comedy is, like, dead serious… The stakes from within it are even Higher than drama and tragedy.”
  — Michael Breslin [22:41]

• On the play’s emotional rollercoaster:

  “It is a roller coaster. And you can find yourself verging from tears to laughter in a split second.”
  — Maya Novi [25:18]

• On catharsis with family:

  “…in 75 minutes, you’ll know what happened in the last four years of my life…”
  — Maya Novi [21:22]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:01] Introduction to the play and its real-life inspiration
• [03:08] Maya describes her first days in the psych ward and starting to write
• [05:30] Michael Breslin’s first reaction to the script
• [06:24/07:10] Discussion of assimilation and its cost
• [12:42] Maya details her psych ward companions
• [14:36] Maya’s continued relationship with Akilah and other children
• [17:04] Directorial choices—how adults and children are portrayed on stage
• [18:22] Incorporating Spanish and the nuance of translation
• [21:16] Maya’s father’s reaction to his portrayal
• [22:41] Michael on comedy vs. drama in the play
• [25:18] How different audiences shape each show
• [25:32] Maya on her own growth as a performer

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Conclusion

Invasive Species is a boundary-pushing, deeply personal, and slyly satirical work—a meditation on the limits of the American dream and the psychological costs of assimilation. Through raw autobiographical material, humor, and an inventive theatrical approach, Maya Novi and Michael Breslin create a powerful, communal journey about identity, survival, and the search for belonging.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[C]

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[D]

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[B]

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[C]

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[D]

This is all of it. I'm Kusha Navadar, in for Alison Stewart, who will be returning later this summer.

[E]

In.

[D]

In the play, Invasive Species, protagonist Maya gets bit by a bug, an acting bug. As a young girl from Argentina, Maya fell in love with American movies. When she sees her first American movie, Andrew Garfield's Spider Man, Maya felt an allure so strong that she makes it her mission to become that a list American actor of her dreams. She decides that attending the Yale School of Drama, one of the top acting schools in the U.S. that's her golden tick to stardom. But when Maya gets to Yale, she realizes the acting world isn't bedazzled with that glitz and glamour she saw in movies. Her peers, her teachers, her agents couldn't quite place her accent, her Persona. She was either too Latina for American roles or not Latina enough for some others. This identity crisis makes Maya desperate. She tries to perfect that American accent. She recites her lines over and over again to a point where her memory begins to fade and finds herself in a youth psychiatry ward where she was involuntarily held for 19 days. The play is called Invasive Species, and it's based on playwright and actor Maya Novi's firsthand account while she was hospitalized at a psychiatric hospital while at Yale. It's a dark, frenetic comedic play about her quest to achieve that Hollywood gold standard she glamorized as an immigrant and the lengths she takes to get there. The play is on its final stretch at the Dimson Theater in Union Square. And with us today to talk about the play Invasive Species is the creator and lead actor of the play, Maya Novy. Hi, Maya.

[E]

Hi.

[B]

Thank you for Having me.

[D]

Absolutely glad to have you here. And we also have the director, Michael Breslin, also in the studio. Hi, Michael.

[E]

Hey, how are you?

[D]

Good, thanks. I'm so happy that you guys are right across so we can really get into this together. Maya, I'd love to talk with you about the way that you developed this story. So I understand it's deeply personal. And you wrote diary entries during this period of your life. Do you remember any of those first diary entries?

[B]

Yeah, I mean. I mean, when I got there, I immediately realized, like, oh, there's nothing to do in here, and I have no idea till when I'll be here. I wasn't allowed to use the phone or make phone calls because, like, they were afraid that the outside world will be too triggering. So I couldn't tell my husband where I was. And in that state of sort of like, uncertainty and fear, I was like, okay, all I can ask for is papers and a pencil. And I just wrote everything I heard or saw.

[D]

And this was in a psych ward.

[B]

Right?

[D]

Can you give us a little bit of a context about where you were and what was happening?

[B]

So my last year of drama school, I was struggling with insomnia because of the high pressures of the school. And this showcase was coming, which showcase for Drama schools is like this presentation you make in la and agents are there and, you know, Universal Studios comes, Warner Brothers comes. It feels like this, like, epitome of, like, the four year culmination leading to that. And I was really nervous and they told me, listen, if you want to, like, find a way to, like, fit into a box and be easy to get, like, picked up by an agent, you need to sound American because you don't look Latina enough, whatever that means. And so I started to get obsessed with, like, these. My dialect coach teacher at the time was, like, listen to Gwyneth Paltrow. She's a great example of, like, has a vocal posture that will, like, be good for you. And I started listening to her over and over again, started struggling with insomnia and said, okay, if I don't sleep. You know, when you don't sleep, you're like. You feel like you're losing your mind. After, like, it. It has been, like, almost a month of not sleeping. So I went to Yale Health, asked for a sleeping pill, and they told me, okay, we're gonna keep you in observation for the night, let you go home the next day with a prescription. And then I wake up and I'm in a psychiatric hospital for children. Not even the Adult one.

[D]

And so this is the base. This is the premise of, in many ways, where the play doesn't immediately start off, but very quickly it's where we find ourselves in it, including the Gwyneth Paltrow reference, which I won't spoil for anyone who see this. But actually, there's a recording that is the key of that. And, Michael, I'm wondering for you. I understand that you read Maya's script at a theater workshop. What were your impressions when you first got your hand on the script and you got your first pass?

[E]

When Maya first sent me the script, I was just so impressed by how funny it was because I knew the story from her, you know, personal life. And then when I read her writing about it, I was like, this is exactly the kind of theater that I want to see. It's very dark, very comedic, looking at the truth of the situation through satire. And I just thought it was so brilliant. So I was mostly laughing my way through it. But then there was also this really amazing scene where that was like the seed of what the production became, which was like this scene where the psychiatrist in the psych unit and a director on an imagined film set were sort of overlapping, talking to Maya. And that was like just a little seed of an idea in that first draft. And we both, working with Amounta Firmino, who is the dramaturg, were like, oh, let's like, actually develop that overlap a little bit more.

[D]

What was it about that that really spoke to you?

[E]

I think it's really interesting, Maya's observations about, like, how different institutions be that like Hollywood or a medical institution or school sort of can treat minoritarian subjects in similar ways. Not the same way. I mean, they're not exactly the same. But there are similar tactics and strategies at forcing someone to assimilate, whether that be, you know, racially, ethnically, psychologically, or whatever.

[D]

So in many ways, like a 10,000 foot view, the play is about assimilation. Would you say that's fair, Maya?

[B]

Yeah. Yes. And sort of how do you fit in? How do you change yourself or sacrifice your truth in a way to fit in?

[D]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

And what's the cost that comes with that?

[D]

Right. We're talking listeners, if you're just joining us with Maya Novi, who's the actor and playwright, and Michael Breslin, who's the director of Invasive Species, which is a play at the Dimson Theater. It's running until June 30th. You know, Maya, when I was watching the show, it struck me how personal it was and immediately made me think about how this is semi autobiographical and where the line is kind of drawn between character and individual. Your name is Maya. The main character's name is also Maya. Can you tell me a little bit more about Maya, the character who we see in the plot play, how and if she differs from you yourself, who's a human person that created the play?

[B]

I mean, the diary entries that I wrote while being at the psych ward were based on real kids. And I was trying to keep those pieces of dialogue, as I have heard them, as accurate as I could, and that allowed the relationship of Maya with them to be real. So Maya, most of the time in the play is pretty real, but because it's theater and everything's a little heightened, there's, like, some moments where, like, reality bends, which is, I think, what Michael was sort of trying to talk about just now, of the overlap between fantasy and reality at all times. And you're sort of trying to put it together. And it wasn't until I worked with friends, which is Michael, the director, Amalta the dramaturg, Maxwell Neely Cohen and Jesse Char, the sound designers, Yijin, who was a light designer, the costume designer, Cole, who was amazing, Beth Gill, the choreographer, that they allowed me to be like, maya, this is your story, but we're gonna help you craft and find elements that allow your. We don't want you to feel the burden of carrying this backpack on your shoulders. Let's keep it fun and poppy and light and, you know, surreal at times.

[D]

So when you talk about that heightened sense, were there specific things that you could point to and where the character is now, where you say, oh, that's. That's a heightened choice that I have made separate from myself. This is the character choice that I've.

[B]

Made, or whatever's on the paper, whatever's on the actual play, let's find a way to, like, emotionally capture that rather than literally capturing that.

[D]

I see. Michael, what were some of the choices that you made to see that vision come to life for yourself? I'm thinking specifically of, like, you know, there's a big bug on stage very early on.

[B]

Yes.

[D]

Is. You know.

[E]

Yes. I mean, the first draft, that acting bug has been in my script from the first draft that I read. And it's. I think it's such a fabulous monologue and a great hook to enter into her amazing world of the Play. And Cole McCarty made that fabulous mask that he wears in this new version, which. Which was really exciting to play with, but I think a really interesting scene for what you're Asking about is the scene with Doug. She goes on this date at a Mexican restaurant. And that's a really great example of, like, you know, a scenario that may not have happened exactly in that way, but Maya wrote this fabulous comedic scene about being seen by a potential romantic partner as an ethnicity that you are not. And then how do you negotiate that? And in a date. And it's very funny, and it's. It becomes larger than life because Max and Jesse, the sound designers, have this amazing music that starts to underscore it, and it sort of becomes this. Maya transforms into this thing that's, like, bigger and greater than the real Maya sitting here, which that's possible.

[B]

Which. That date also was like, the culmination, like, a mashup of every single date I've had with an American bro in my life. Like, sort of melt into one. So, like, again, like, a lot of these scenes, the acting bug, the date with the bro in the Mexican restaurant, these, like, weird psychiatrist, British film director Evita scenes, they're all trying to tackle this question, or more of a, like, seed that was planted into my brain, which was one of the little kids, because, again, this was a psychiatric hospital for children. So the age range of these kids was from 13 to 16. They were really young. And this one girl called Akilah, who, sort of like the heart of the play in a way, she told me, maya, if you want to get out of here. Because she had been hospitalized and discharged 12 times, and she was 16 and she lived in New Haven, she said, if you want to get out of here, you have to pretend to be normal. And I was like, what does it mean? Like, yes, I've pretended my whole life, but what does it mean to pretend to be normal? And that's what also, I was sort of like, okay, let's write an essay of 10 vignettes trying to respond to this question. What is it to be normal? And then I was like, oh. I sort of asked myself that in the Date with a Bro, where I was like, maya, give them the basic version of yourself that they want. And sort of Michael saw that essay and was like, let's sculpt this into a play.

[D]

Can you talk a little bit more about those characters in the. In the children's psych ward that we see? Because you chose three of them, and I thought that was interesting. Can you talk about the three? Why you chose those characters specifically?

[B]

I mean, immediately when I got there, there was this girl who was like the Tony Soprano of the psych ward. She was, like, sitting in the couch. She had a lot of status in there. People I could tell. I almost felt she was older than me because I was like, she magnetized this sort of like boom, right? And there was this kid, Jacob, who was constantly rapping non stop walking in circles through the perimeter of the recreation area, which side courts have rooms, showers, and then a tiny like recreation living room area that's like really small. So he was just pacing in circles. And then there was this kid, Eduardo, who didn't speak ever until we saw the Oscars that year, which we screened at the psych ward where the slap happens in the Oscars. And he released a scream in that moment, which I thought was very interesting. But these three kids had a squad and they were walking, always together, sitting in the table. And there were sort of like the enemies of the psych ward, which were the like bully kids who like, were always sort of. There was this kid, malik, who was 15 and you know, he was leaving weird threat letters in my room and in the bathroom everywhere. And we sort of started building alliances and these three kids sort of took me in. It took a second because they didn't trust me at first. But they took me in because they were like, oh, she's funny and she's charismatic and she can act so like entertain us, right? But Akilah specifically, who's a 16 year old, she. I knew she had the key out and I. And we both helped each other because she was like, make me laugh and I'll help you to get out.

[D]

So with Akilah, for instance, are you still in touch with any of these folks on the other side? And have they seen it?

[B]

Yes. So after I basically, I was the first one to get discharged and they were like wrote in little paper their phone numbers and Instagrams and they were like, make a group chat and as soon as we start getting discharged, we'll start joining the group. And they started joining one by one. And Akilah actually came after I got discharged to see me act at Yale in my final presentation in school. And she stayed at my place at night. And then she texted me back. We stayed in touch for a while and she texted me back one day being like, hey, I'm getting back, I'm getting hospitalized again, I might disappear for a bit. And she got discharged and we are in touch. I sent them the play, the very first one, and they loved it. And they had all these questions. I want them to come see this version of the play before the closest to June 30th. I really want to. We'll see if we can make it happen.

[D]

Well, that play that we're talking about is Invasive Species. It's. It's a play at Vineyards dimson Theater until June 30th. As you mentioned, Maya, we're here with Maya Novi, the actor and playwright and the director, Michael Breslin. We have to take a quick break, but, but when we come back, we're going to have more. I want to dive in a little bit more about the, the psych ward, and we're going to talk a little bit about working with your cast. Stay with us. This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Kusha Navadar, and we're here with Maya Novi, the actor and playwright, and Michael Breslin, the director of the play Invasive Species, which is a play at the Vineyards dimson theater until June 30th. We're here talking about the play and how Maya's personal experience was the beginning, the seed for this story. And, you know, we had talked in the first part of this interview before the break, Maya, about the psych ward, the children's psych ward experience. How personal and how evocative. Your experience was there for 19 days. And we were able to read the script for this play, Invasive Species, and in the notes section, you include a brief note about the children in the story. And it says the children in this play should be taken seriously. The adults, not so much. And I'm wondering for both of you, Michael, let's start with you. What made you want to write this specifically?

[E]

You know, as we were developing the play, we worked in deep collaboration with the cast members, with all five cast members, including Maya. And we were trying to find the right acting approach for each of the characters. And the scenes with Jacob Aquila, Eduardo and Maya in the psych ward, those are the three young people in the psych ward. And Maya just played so much more beautifully when they were played straight and very truthful and emotional and, and these inner lives of these kids just popped and were so beautiful and, and gorgeous. And then the scenes with the adults really found life when the cast could be more comedic, more satirical, more ridiculing of these adults in their lives who don't pay the attention that they need to, to these young people with mental health concerns in their own lives.

[D]

And, you know, you bring up the comedic elements and where you found the joy for me watching it, at least the Spanish language and English language juxtaposition were some of my favorite parts of the play. And I'm curious how you used the Spanish language and Argentinian culture to bring out your character's story and background. There's some dialogue that's in Spanish that it goes without being translated. Can you just tell us about that choice?

[B]

Yes. So. And that was honestly, Michael reassuring me and being like, don't worry about American audiences getting bored if they can't understand the Spanish sections. And then, you know, I wanted to have a translator. But what was interesting was you have the performer, this Sam Gonzalez, who plays both my mom and dad with these gigantic costumes that were beautifully designed by Cole. And then you have this translator translating in English. And what Michael said was like, let's create an actual interesting relationship between the translator and your parents. So, not to spoil it, but the play closes in two weeks, so it's fine if I give you a little appetizer? I don't know. My dad is playing tennis on stage while he's having this phone call with me. And the translator, Alexandre Maurice is sort of like, interacting and throwing the balls at him and like, playing tennis. And they're both like these, like, tennis tennis friends that are older and what are. So the translator has a personality. And that's interesting to me because it's like, let's not make. Let's not make stuff that we hear in another language, either on screen or on stage. This, like, thing that feels sterile or sanitized or like, subtitles can be so sort of demeanoring of the language and so much is lost. And I think a lot of this play is also about, like, what gets lost in translation, which is I ended up in the psych ward because ultimately what I was trying to explain to the psychiatrist, which is like, what's going on in my head and what he interpreted did not match up. And a lot of the play is about misunderstanding. Misunderstanding, yeah.

[D]

I understand that your parents saw the play, right?

[B]

My dad saw it.

[D]

I see you smiling really wide right now. I don't know if that's a good smile or a bad smile.

[B]

He liked it. I mean, he saw himself on stage and he was like, ha, ha, that's me. Like, he loved it. But he also, you know, he was like, I respect the Hustle because we started this, me. And I mean, we did it at a reading at La Mama with no budget, then took it at the tank last year, did a production with no money. We fundraised in donations. Michael, like, literally did with nothing. This, like, sharp edged machine that moves like thunder with literally just an empty stage, five chairs, jeans and white shirts, no costumes. Sound design from Max and Jesse, and lighting design from Yijin. And that Hustle was something my. And then all the way to Adam Ratner, Danielle Perlman, Eric Kuhn, like, okay, let's do a commercial production at the Vineyard. He was like, I respect the Hustle, even if I'm in the play, and you sort of make fun of me a little bit. The Hustle is so real, I couldn't be mad at you.

[D]

Did it act as a gateway for you to have some frank conversations about this period of your life with your dad?

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

Because also, the thing about. The thing about theater, and I don't know if you feel this way, Michael, with your own parents, with Sir Goldberg and the work you've done, it's like you get to say things on stage that you wouldn't be able to say. I was basically like, hey, in 75 minutes, you'll know what happened in the last four years of my life, which I would never be able to even remotely get to the tip of the iceberg of if I sat with them over dinner and was like, let's small talk about where I'm at.

[D]

And I think that what you've both been talking about with the juxtaposition of, like, somber tones and comedy maybe is an entryway into having some of those discussions. I'm reminded of how your show weaves in comedy and those somber tones. You know, we spoke with Julia Louis Dreyfuss on the show last week about her role in that new dramatic film Tuesday, and I asked her if there are any similarities between performing in drama and performing in comedy, and she said yes, both actually get to the right real sense of the truth. And, Michael, I'm wondering for you, you've directed comedies in the past. How is it for you? What do you love about comedy? What do you love about drama? That I guess both of these come into the focus for you in this play? What's the truth between both of them? How are they for you? Tools to express things you might not otherwise be able to.

[E]

You know, it's so interesting. Invasive Species is my first big directorial credit in New York, and I am part of a theater company called Fake Friends, where I usually co write and perform comedies. So I've performed a lot of comedies. So from being inside of it, I really have learned a lot about the form and in collaboration with my. My collaborators in that group. Like, comedy is, like, dead serious. Like, when you're playing it, like, it has to be played, like, completely straight, dead serious. The stakes from within it are even Higher than drama and tragedy. Like it's life or death at all times. And that sort of intensity, I think Maya just embodies naturally. It's like just a part of her. And, you know, it's so fascinating to see the show with different audiences, because sometimes the show is like the biggest comedy you've ever seen. And sometimes it's like a real. You know, you could hear a pin drop drama. And it really changes based on who's in the house, which is really, really exciting. But I think, you know, and that's. That's Maya. Like, Maya, you don't actually know where she's gonna go next in real life and in her writing. And she's very present in that way. And. Yeah.

[D]

So there are some nights where it feels like everything is just raucous. And then others where it just feels like a total drama. Is that a fair what I just heard from you?

[E]

100%. And yeah.

[D]

Is there. Is there one more than the other? Night by night? Is there a sense that you get from the crowd beforehand? Do you feel like it's an even split? Tell me about that.

[B]

This is the thing. You can tell what kind of crowd you have in the theater based on what jokes. They laugh first. Like, immediately. I can tell if there are actors in the audience in a split second. Older audiences actually laugh a lot at moments that feel maybe not necessarily immediately comedic, but, like, there's a certain empathy that I think comes with age that, like, even the moments that I think are really satirical. I've had older audience members be like, that was kind of painful. Are you okay? And then really young audiences, because we have 10pm shows on Fridays that feel like parties. Cause people, like, I'm a little drunk. And like, we're all vibing. They are. It's. It's like a cacophony of laughter. But then by the very end of the play, when we have this sort of dramatic, heartfelt scene, scene gets boom. This is the thing about the play. It is a roller coaster. And you can find yourself verging from tears to laughter in a split second.

[E]

Yeah.

[D]

And, you know, I hear from actors all the time that they learn something new about the character the longer that they go playing it. And I wonder for you, is there something new that you've learned about Maya, the character recently?

[B]

This is the thing. I. Because I've never performed in a big stage, this is my Off Broadway debut, and it's my first real job after school. The first rounds of the play, I felt like I had to prove to the audience that I was worth watching. And so I had this pressure to be really, like, animated and like, big and clear. And I was like, I want them to understand my English. So I was like pressing, you know, and really precious about it. And with time, I think I started trust. Oh, people are receiving the play really well. This is good. The machine Michael and everyone built works. The four actors with me are iconic. Sam Gonzalez, Alexander Meliss, Julian Sanchez and Rafi Donatic have my back. So now I feel like, oh, I can just let go a little bit, be simpler and trust my, like, you know, my. My essence, you know, my. My natural charm. That's such a Leo. That's such a Leo thing to say.

[D]

But I'm like in the astrological calendar, the Leo, right?

[B]

I'm a Leo. 14th of August. And a lot of. I mean, I wrote a play about myself, but. But sometimes people are like, Maya, I read in the. I read online about your play, and it's like someone write it about themselves. I thought it was going to be so indulgent. But actually the play does not take itself seriously at all, which is what Michael helped.

[D]

Yeah, we're gonna have to pause it there just for time. But the show is invasive species. It's a play at Vineyard's Dimson Theater. It's running now until June 30th. I've been here with Maya Novi, the actor and playwright, and Michael Breslin, the director. Thank you both so much for this work and for. For coming down and hanging out with us. Really appreciate it.

[E]

Thank you. This was fun.

[C]

I'mma put you on, nephew.

[D]

All right.

[B]

Welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order, miss?

[C]

I've been hitting up McDonald's for years. Now it's back. We need snack wraps. What's a snack wrap? It's the return of something. And great. Snack wrap is back.

[F]

This is Ira Flato, host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, the science Friday team has been reporting high quality science and technology news, making science fun for curious people by covering everything from the outer reaches of space to the rapidly changing world of AI to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Audiences trust our show because they know what we're driven by. A mission to inform and serve listeners first and foremost with important news they won't get anywhere else. And our sponsors benefit from that halo effect. For more information on becoming a sponsor, visit sponsorship wnyc. Org.