[NoHo Arts District, CA] – A NoHo Arts theatre chat with Ronnie Marmo, artistic director and founder of Theatre 68, about the return of critically acclaimed Bill W. and Dr. Bob, written by Samuel Shem and Janet Surrey, directed by Ronnie Marmo at Theatre 68 Arts Complex.
The first time I saw Bill W. and Dr. Bob a couple of years ago at Theatre 68, I had absolutely no idea what the show was about. So it was quite a surprise when, before the show started, the audience spontaneously recited the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
It was then that I realized just how special this story is to so many people.
Bill W. and Dr. Bob, the story of the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1930, is back by popular demand at Theatre 68. And, this time, the theatre’s founder and figurehead, Ronnie Marmo, not only directs but stars as Bill W. It’s a labor of love for Ronnie and many of the cast, some of whose personal stories also include this organization.
I am definitely going to see the show during the run, I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to see Ronnie in this powerful role and I am including a link to my review from the last production. However, I wanted Ronnie to talk about why he is bringing it back to NoHo. So here is our conversation.
Samantha: Hi Ronnie, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy rehearsal schedule to talk about Bill W. and Dr. Bob. You’ve done this show nine times in the last 20 years. How did this incredible play come to you?
Ronnie: It’s wild because I’ve been sober a long time. I don’t mind anyone knowing that. I know it’s about anonymity, but I’m sober. I’ve never had a legal drink. I had a crazy teenage life, to say the least. I’ve been sober for over 34 years,
I’ve only been acting since the fall of ‘95. Wow. Thirty years. Oh my goodness. So, that’s when I started acting, and one night, someone asked me to be in this play in New Jersey. I couldn’t do it, but I always kept the script. I thought, maybe someday. When I started the theater company, which will be 24 years old this Friday, this was one of our first productions. I always wanted to do this play, it means so much to me. At first, I had trepidations because I was a little concerned because no one wants to make money on AA’s name. It doesn’t make me comfortable. So at first, I thought maybe I shouldn’t do this. But then once I saw the response and read hundreds of letters from people saying I couldn’t stay sober before, but now I can, it went from should I do it to it is my responsibility to do it. That’s why I keep revisiting it because it’s great for the community. It’s so important. It simplifies the story and 12 steppers come out in large numbers as you have seen.
Samantha: I mean, the place was full and it was a real community of people in the audience the night that I saw it, which was really interesting way to see it as well because you’re completely immersed in the whole thing at that point. And everybody seemed to know each other and I love that. It felt like a graduation or something.
Ronnie: I love that. That’s so funny. Well, what I love about it is that, obviously, 12 steppers relate to it in a big way, but it’s also a great piece of history. So, it’s a nice piece of theater. I don’t know many people who don’t know someone who could use a program of sorts, but even if you’re not, I just think it’s a cool piece of history to see how these two men met for this chance meeting and changed the world. And so it’s cool, sometimes people in the cast are sober actors, sometimes they’re not and I’ve been backstage when the entire audience breaks out in the serenity prayer before the show starts.
Samantha: There can’t be many plays. I’m trying to think of any, in fact, that’s like that. That’s as meaningful to as much of the audience as it is to the cast. And I was actually going to ask you that question, about how many people in the cast have traveled that road, essentially, and how meaningful it is to them to be a part of the play.
Ronnie: Well, in the spirit of anonymity, I can only speak about myself. But, I will say that often the play obviously attracts sober actors or actors who’ve been through Al Anon or still are current members of Al Anon, I always say to them this will be on your short list of the most important projects you’ve worked on your lifetime. But when you’re sober or affiliated somehow with the 12 steps, it goes to another level. Bill W. and Dr. Bob is the only play I have ever done that I tell the actors, I know this feels unprofessional and potentially high school-ish, but as soon as the show’s over, take your bow and go right outside. I don’t care that you’re in wardrobe. I want you to connect with these people because what you’re going to see is something unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Especially for the actors who aren’t sober, when they go outside and the people are hugging them and crying or laughing and they immediately go, “I’m sober five years. Here’s how I got sober.”
In fact, I see James Woods that way because there’s a movie called My Name is Bill W and I saw it in my teens when I was newly sober. James Woods will always be Bill Wilson to me. James Garner was Doctor Bob. Jo Beth Williams and Ebby Thatcher was played by Gary Sinise. It’s a wonderful film. So, what’s exciting about the play this time around is that I’m actually playing Bill. I usually just direct. But I’m playing Bill, and my wife, Janelle, is playing Lois. Sometimes we’ll get a whole group buy out the whole house and that happens often, actually. I hear in the audience, “It’s my 10th time,” “my eighth time.” It’s so special.
What made the program brilliant is just before they went to print on the book back in 1930, I think it was the late 30s when the book got printed. But when they went to print, there’s the third step: to turn our will and our life over to the care of God. And then just before they went to print, I think it was Doctor Bob who said we should put in there, “as we understand him,” because we don’t want to scare anybody away. We don’t want anything too religious.
Samantha: Because it’s a personal journey for you, do you try and put this up as much as you can? I mean, why have you done it so many times, do you think?
Ronnie: Because well, first of all, there are two things going on at the same time here. One is that I care so much about the content. And like I said, hundreds and hundreds of letters over the years of, ”How I can now stay sober.” I see it on their faces and all the hugs out in the lobby. I’m not sure I’ve ever put on a more meaningful show. But the other reason is I’m trying to keep the theatre alive, and people come and buy tickets – and that’s a tough racket. So, I care about those two things. I wouldn’t say equally. My sobriety comes first, but I’m a theatre nerd and I want us to get back to the love of theatre. I care so much about keeping that going. And the theater’s changed so much since the pandemic.
Samantha: That’s a good point. I mean, do something that has an audience already. It probably has a cult following at this point. But I’m not sure how many times this gets produced. It can’t be that often.
Ronnie: Well, it was produced quite a bit here and there, little pop ups. But I now have the sole rights to the play in the world. We are in casting now for New York, and we’re also rolling out a national tour. So those are the pop-up productions that I’m self producing. But we’re also setting up a tour where a theatre will bring us in for an engagement. We just played Klamath Falls, Oregon. We did two performances in a beautiful 1,000-seat theatre.
Samantha: And do you take the same cast? Are you are you touring with it?
Ronnie: Well, I am touring with it and I’ve been playing Bill because I can’t help myself. But, I have four full casts of the show between LA and Chicago and now we’re in casting for a New York cast as well. The dream is to have it up on the East Coast, Midwest, and West Coast all at the same time so we’re working towards that. Now when people want to do the show, if it’s some AA group or theatre group out in wherever, then we say yes. They still ask for our blessing. We say yes. But we now have the rights to say no in a city where we have something actively that we’re working on.
I do it because I just care so much about it. And, sadly or actually not sadly at all, there are constantly new people coming in the program. So, there’s people coming to the show. I’ve seen this play done -and I’ll leave out where and who. But I’ve seen this play done by someone else who wasn’t affiliated with the program. The director had no idea about the program and none of the cast mates knew anything about it. The show, the same exact script, ran an hour longer. Imagine how indulgent that was. They didn’t understand the magic of all the stuff they were talking about. And so, it was really frustrating for me to watch. I was pacing all over the theatre. I was going crazy. I couldn’t sit in my chair. So, now I feel a real responsibility to not only present it but present it in a way where it’s in the hands of somebody who knows and cares. There’s so much going on between the lines. That only somebody who’s been through it understands.
A big responsibility to get it right and not make it commercialized, to do it justice, I suppose. Not just the story but the characters in it because they are very meaningful. A lot of the sober folks who come say it was the greatest meeting they’ve ever been to because it’s with Bill and Bob, and these are the two guys who started the program. They feel like they’re sitting in a meeting. The big book of AA is amazing, but in a lot of ways, it’s old language and so this is a very simple pop-up version of the big book, where they go, “oh, I got it.”
Samantha: It’s a refresher.
Ronnie: And it simplifies it in a good way. And like me, I like reading, but I really do way better when things come to life for me. I’m very visual. But it’s very exciting. We’re excited. We plan on running as long as people come. We have no end date in sight.
Samantha: That’s great because NoHo needs shows to run longer. I mean, a lot of the shows that do go up in NoHo right now are for maybe three weeks.
Ronnie: It’s a new world now. Shows are running a weekend or two weeks, that’s really what you’re dealing with. So this is going to run as long as it can. I’m very excited about that. We’re currently setting up a national tour. We’ve been to 10 theatre conferences. It’s such a blessing to get to play Lenny Bruce and Bill W. Some people go through their whole career, and I’m playing two people who mean so much to me.
Samantha: You’re not just playing Macbeth or something. You’re actually playing real people who really had an impact on the world. Lenny Bruce on a whole entire industry of comedians and of how people relate to comedy.
Ronnie: And the law. First Amendment speech.
Samantha: He sacrificed. He threw himself on his own sword.
Ronnie: And then this, too. I mean, it’s just life changing.
Ronnie: I’m such a blessed actor to get to do both of those things. And, in fact, I don’t know if you know, but on March 21, I’m playing Lenny Bruce at the La Mirada Performing Arts Center. Just one night, Friday night, March 21. Tickets>>
Samantha: I’ll put it in my calendar! Thanks so much, Ronnie, and the best of luck to you all on this incredible journey. Theatre 68’s Bill W. and Dr. Bob opened on February 15 and runs hopefully forever, but at least until April 13.
Here is the link to my Bill W. and Dr. Bob review:
When:
February 15 – April 13
Every Saturday at 2:30pm and 8pm
Sundays at 2:30pm.
Tickets:
https://theatresixtyeightco.stagey.net/projects/11584
Where:
Theatre 68 Arts Complex
5112 Lankershim Blvd, NoHo Arts District, CA 91601
The Bill W. and Dr. Bob Team
Playwrights – Samuel Shem and Janet Surrey
Producer and Director – Ronnie Marmo
Assistant Director – Janelle Marmo
Stage Manager – Eleanor Conniff
Set Design – Joey Mataratz
Lighting Designer – Cortney Roles
The Bill W. and Dr. Bob Cast
Ronnie Marmo, Steve Gelder, Janelle Marmo, Joyce Fidler, Kimberly Demarse, Paul Ian Stanley, Jon Luke Thomas (Sundays only).