Class Notes: Abby Rosebrock “Lowcountry”

Summary

BroadwayRadio Podcast Summary: Class Notes with Abby Rosebrock on “Lowcountry”

Episode Title: Class Notes: Abby Rosebrock “Lowcountry”
Release Date: July 4, 2025
Host: Lauren Klaus Schneider
Podcast: BroadwayRadio

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Introduction

In this episode of BroadwayRadio, host Lauren Klaus Schneider engages in an insightful conversation with playwright Abby Rosebrock, the creative mind behind the premiere play “Lowcountry” at the Atlantic Theatre Company. The discussion delves into the inspiration, creation process, and thematic depths of Rosebrock’s latest work, offering listeners a comprehensive look into contemporary Broadway playwriting.

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Exploring “Lowcountry”

Lauren begins by introducing “Lowcountry”, describing it as a dark, twisted romantic comedy that navigates the complexities of love in the digital age within the backdrop of South Carolina’s Low Country. She highlights the play’s unique blend of humor and psychological depth, setting the stage for a deeper exploration.

Lauren Klaus Schneider [00:36]:
“…Lowcountry is described as a dark, twisted rom com about the psychic distress of looking for love in the digital and the Carsonal state.”

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Character Development and Inspirations

Abby Rosebrock discusses her approach to character creation, emphasizing the blend of personal experiences and observational insights from her South Carolina upbringing. She clarifies that while the characters are influenced by real people she knows, they are not direct representations.

Abby Rosebrock [01:20]:
“The voices are definitely voices shaped by people I knew and grew up with and by my own way of speaking. So I can’t say there’s a one to one correspondence between each character and a real person.”

She highlights that the primary medium for developing characters in her plays is their dialogue, ensuring authenticity and relatability.

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Critical Acclaim

Lauren shares a glowing review from Theatermania, praising “Lowcountry” as a masterpiece, which underscores the play’s impact even before its official premiere.

Lauren Klaus Schneider [01:53]:
“Low country is a masterpiece. Abby Rosebruck's exhilarating new drama makes its astonishing world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company.”

Abby Rosebrock [02:12]:
“God bless whoever said that.”

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The Commission Process with Atlantic Theatre Company

Rosebrock explains how the Atlantic Theatre Company discovered her work and extended a launch commission, leading to the development of “Lowcountry”. She reflects on the support and opportunities provided by the company, especially during the challenging pandemic period.

Abby Rosebrock [02:25]:
“The Atlantic saw some early work of mine several years ago and they have early career commissions called launch commissions... I had a wonderful experience.”

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Collaboration with Director Joe Bonney

The conversation shifts to Rosebrock’s collaboration with director Joe Bonney, whom she admires for her previous work, notably on Martina Mayok's “Cost of Living.” Rosebrock expresses her gratitude and excitement in working with Bonney, citing her perfect sensibility for the play.

Abby Rosebrock [03:42]:
“I can't imagine a director with a more perfect understanding of all the things the play requires to live beautifully on stage.”

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Casting Process and Stellar Performances

Rosebrock elaborates on the casting process, highlighting the involvement of acclaimed actors Jodi Balfour (“Ted Lasso”) and Babak Tafti (“Succession”). She speaks highly of Keith Kupfer, a Chicago-based actor, praising his exceptional performance and contribution to the character development.

Abby Rosebrock [04:39]:
“Keith Kupfer... is just one of the greatest performers I've ever worked with. He's just a real genius who crafted the third character in the play to perfection.”

She emphasizes the synergy between the cast and the play, noting that the collaboration felt effortless and natural.

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Memorable Rehearsal Moments

A standout moment from the rehearsal process involves Keith Kupfer’s influence on his character, Paul. Rosebrock shares how Kupfer encouraged her to delve deeper into the darker aspects of Paul's psychology, enhancing the character's complexity beyond the initial one-dimensional portrayal.

Abby Rosebrock [06:05]:
“Keith... encouraged us... to explore the darker aspects of his psychology in a way that I think I would have been too shy to do had I not been encouraged by the actor inhabiting the role.”

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Playwriting Influences as an Actor

When asked about how her acting background influences her playwriting, Rosebrock emphasizes the importance of authentic dialogue and creating characters she would personally want to portray. She prioritizes realistic human speech, ensuring that her characters resonate with audiences on a genuine level.

Abby Rosebrock [07:14]:
“I only write characters that I'd want to play... I definitely prioritize realness and dialogue as kind of a governing value for the writing process.”

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Literary Influences and Stylistic Comparisons

Rosebrock acknowledges the influence of playwright Martin McDonagh, noting his ability to reflect psychological shadows and intense emotional experiences. She compares his work to her own, highlighting a shared interest in exploring internal human conflicts and their social ramifications.

Abby Rosebrock [08:08]:
“I share with him an interest in the kind of violence that we all experience inside of ourselves when we grapple with emotions like that.”

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Themes of Addiction and Recovery

Addressing the recurring themes of addiction in her work, Rosebrock explains that her exploration is both personal and societal. She discusses how consumerism fosters dependency on external validations and how technological addictions, like those to smartphones, are becoming increasingly prevalent, especially among younger generations.

Abby Rosebrock [09:45]:
“I think that consumerism and consumer capitalism make addicts of all of us... as our world gets more and more volatile, I think that problem stands to increase exponentially.”

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with Lauren expressing gratitude to Rosebrock for sharing her experiences and insights. Rosebrock reciprocates the appreciation, highlighting the rewarding nature of the collaboration.

Abby Rosebrock [10:41]:
“Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to speak with you.”

Lauren Klaus Schneider [10:44]:
“I'm Lauren Klass Schneider with Abby Rosebrock, the playwright of Low country at the Atlantic Theatre Company. Thank you.”

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Key Takeaways:

• “Lowcountry” is a dark romantic comedy exploring love and psychological distress in the digital age.
• Abby Rosebrock draws from personal experiences and observations to create authentic characters.
• The Atlantic Theatre Company’s launch commission played a pivotal role in the development of the play.
• Collaboration with director Joe Bonney and actors like Jodi Balfour, Babak Tafti, and Keith Kupfer was instrumental in bringing “Lowcountry” to life.
• Themes of addiction, consumerism, and authentic human interaction are central to Rosebrock’s work.
• Influences from playwrights like Martin McDonagh shape Rosebrock’s storytelling approach.

This episode offers a deep dive into the creative process behind a modern Broadway play, highlighting the intricate interplay between playwright, director, and actors in crafting compelling narratives that resonate with contemporary audiences.

Transcript

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[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Hi, I'm Lauren Klaus Schneider with KlausNotes for Broadway radio. I with Abby Rosebrook, the playwright of Low country at the Atlantic Theatre Company. Hello.

[Abby Rosebrock]

Hi. How are you?

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Terrific and better now that we get to talk to you about this play that is about Talia. Down and out actress returning to her rural hometown. And she swipes right on. A disgraced high school teacher fresh out of an ankle bracelet. Low country is described as a dark, twisted rom com about the psychic distress of looking for love in the digital and the Carsonal state. Well, that's quite something that you bit off here. And you're from South Carolina. These characters are set in South Carolina's low country. So to create them, do you draw much from people that you know or that you've met or encountered?

[Abby Rosebrock]

The voices are definitely voices shaped by people I knew and grew up with and by my own way of speaking. So. So I can't say there's a one to one correspondence between each character and a real person, but your main medium for creating a person in a play is the language that they speak. And I'm definitely channeling remembered idioms and phrases and cadences and ways of talking listened to growing up.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

And may I have a quote from Theatermania about the play? May I read it?

[Abby Rosebrock]

Sure.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Low country is a masterpiece. Abby Rosebruck's exhilarating new drama makes its astonishing world premiere at the Atlantic Theater Company. So lovely.

[Abby Rosebrock]

God bless whoever said that.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Well, and thank you for allowing me to share it. The Atlantic commissioned the play. Will you explain how the commission works?

[Abby Rosebrock]

So I think the Atlantic saw some early work of mine several years ago and they have early career commissions called launch commissions. And I received one of those, I think, shortly before they picked up an existing play of mine to produce called Blue Ridge. So I, I set aside the onus to write a new play to work on that production and had a wonderful experience.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Oh, great.

[Abby Rosebrock]

And then that production happened. The pandemic hit and I got to work on this other play and I definitely observed stories of people I knew and people I didn't know and people I heard about secondhand going through sort of rock bottom experiences in their lives. And those experiences inform these characters. So as I said, there's not A one to one congruence between any character and any real person in the world. But I did want to render realistic portraits of people undergoing severe hardship on stage during that time.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

And Low country is directed by Joe Bonney. How did that come about, the relationship for the two of you?

[Abby Rosebrock]

I'd seen and admired her work for a long time. I especially loved her production of Martina Mayok's Cost of Living. And when the Atlantic said they wanted to produce this play, they suggested she would have a perfect sensibility for it. And boy, were they spot on. It was really. I'm still pinching myself that I got to work with Jo in bringing this to life. And I can't imagine a director with a more perfect understanding of all the things the play requires to live beautifully on stage.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

How incredible. Now you also have incredible actors in Lowcountry, including Jodi Balfour, known from Ted Lasso, Babak Tafti, known from Succession. What was the casting process like for you and Joe and actors coming in?

[Abby Rosebrock]

I think Joe had worked with Bobak before and I'd seen a lot of his work. I thought his. His work on succession was really cool. And Jody was just so enthusiastic about the script and perfect for the role. That. That felt like a perfect marriage of character and actor. We saw a lot of people for the role that Keith Kupfer, a Chicago based actor and just one of the greatest performers I've ever worked with. He's just a real genius who crafted the third character in the play to perfection. And he really stood out among the many people we saw and considered.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Were there any conflicts or did it always. Did it just seem like, oh, this is a no brainer, this is how.

[Abby Rosebrock]

We want to proceed in casting. I mean, the whole cast feels no brainer to me. Yeah, great. Yeah, that's been one of the greatest aspects of working on the play has been getting to know these performers and hearing their input and collaborating to create something really vital on stage.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Now, could you share any memorable moments from rehearsal where you were influenced by what they brought into the rehearsal room?

[Abby Rosebrock]

Yeah, actually, Keith Kupfer, again, who plays a character named Paul, really pushed me to get kind of nasty with. With that character. I had always been afraid that no one would want to take on a character who was so kind of casually irresponsible towards another character in the play. I was coming off as one dimensional, knowing intellectually that that would never be my intention. And I could see on the page that the character was working. But I worried that actors wouldn't want to take on this character. And not only did Keith read the role to perfection, he also encouraged us, as we were kind of crafting, especially the end of the play, to explore the. The darker aspects of his psychology in a way that I think I would have been too shy to do had I not been encouraged by the actor inhabiting the role.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Now you're also an actor. How does that influence your work as a playwright?

[Abby Rosebrock]

I just only write characters that I'd want to play, and I. I know I feel allergic to dialogue that doesn't sound like real human speech. So I definitely prioritize realness and dialogue as kind of a. A governing value for the writing process. There. There are many skills and priorities that inform how you go about writing a play, but the one that I'm most obsessive about is that people sound like real human beings.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Mm. Well, the LA Times describes your work as Beth Henley, infused with a few drops of Martin McDonagh's deranged fierceness. Do either of them have an influence on you as playwrights?

[Abby Rosebrock]

I definitely think about Martin McDonagh a lot. Sure. Anyone I read is a part of my education, and that'll be true till I die. So any comparison is. Is very flattering and is probably accurate on some level, because my brain is just a file cabinet of the thousands and thousands of pages that I've read in the course of my life. But McDonough especially, is really invested in holding a mirror to psychological shadows or dark emotional experiences. And I think he's not American, but that's important to me as an American because I feel like we have a culture of distracting ourselves with shiny objects and suppressing some of the most fundamental aspects of being human, which include some really annihilating emotions like anger and terror and grief. And so I'd say I share with him an interest in the kind of violence that we all experience inside of ourselves when we grapple with emotions like that. And sadly, that violence can bleed out into our social lives when we're not responsible or educated about how to manage those internal experiences.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Well, last question. You sometimes deal with the topics of addiction and recovery. What draws you to the topics and the characters that would be experiencing those?

[Abby Rosebrock]

I actually didn't. I'm sort of surprised by how frequently I write about addiction. I do have a fair amount of alcoholism in my family background, but I don't think any more than the average American. I come from a place where alcohol and drugs are rampant and a huge source of social destruction. But I think that consumerism and consumer capitalism make addicts of all of us. We're always acquiring objects and relying on, like, external forms of security and validation to heal or. Or to mask pain. And as our world gets more and more volatile, I think that problem stands to increase exponentially, especially as younger generations are addicted to their phones.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

Abby, I thank you.

[Abby Rosebrock]

Thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to speak with you.

[Lauren Klaus Schneider]

I'm Lauren Klass Schneider with Abby Rosebrock, the playwright of Low country at the Atlantic Theatre Company. Thank you.