Warren Kliewer called his theatre poems “a glimpse into the private lives of a public art form.” This exuberant spoken-word performance also glimpses into the private and public lives of the author, who grew up in rural Minnesota—in a community of German-speaking Mennonites whose values and traditions condemned frivolous secular pursuits.

Kliewer was a much-published poet and essayist before he ran away to join the theatre as actor, director, playwright, and producer. The conflicting pulls of those dramatic talents and his heritage inform these offerings. From a nightmare-ridden scenic designer to a day-dreaming gardener, from a bewildered New York playwright to a stubborn Kansas farm wife: these poems are tiny one-acts of compelling drama and insightful comedy.

The 35 poems in Places, Please, Act One call upon Michèle to portray 41 characters. One hour long, the performance is simply staged and adaptable to most spaces. An optional talk back explores theatre and/or the poems’ origins.

AUDIENCE APPEAL
General theatre audiences, high school and up; poetry and spoken-word venues, conferences, and festivals; college/university theatre, literature, and religion departments; libraries.

PRODUCTION HISTORY
Warren Kliewer (1931–1998) wrote, taught, and/or published poetry for five decades. Selections in Places, Please, Act One come from an unpublished manuscript of that name, and from two published volumes: Liturgies, Games, Farewells; and Red Rose and Grey Cowl.

In 2002, Michèle was asked to read a few of the theatre poems for an evening of verse produced by the East Lynne Theater Company (Cape May, New Jersey). Their enthusiastic reception led to Michèle’s expanded presentation, which she premiered a year later at Cornelia Street Café, a popular New York City performance venue. Following that evening’s success, Michèle collaborated with director-dramaturge Cliff Goodwin to hone the script for presentation by New York's selective New Dramatists, of which Kliewer had been a member.

Kliewer’s Places, Please, Act One: poems around and about theatres will be published in book form, in October 2024. In celebration, Michèle will be touring this production in the spring of 2025.

REVIEWS 

“For anyone who cherishes theatre, the poems in Places Please, Act One are a delightful discovery. Brimming with insider wit and wisdom, they are also immediately accessible to all. Michèle LaRue’s skillful and vibrant interpretation of multiple characters captures with humorous affection, all the charm of this truly original material.”                                          — Karl Levett, critic, Back Stage weekly

“Places Please abounds with Kliewer’s intimate knowledge of and love for the stage, for actors, for acting itself. LaRue’s voice is so intimate and emotional, yet controlled and completely in character.”                                                                                                        — Angelo Verga, Curator of Poetry & Spoken Word, Cornelia Street Café, N.Y.C.

“A fine poet, Warren Kliewer had a genuinely warm feeling toward flawed human beings, and a sense of humor. He also had a sharp, steely eye for human foibles and idiocies.”          — Allen Davis III, Director, Playwrights Unit, The Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre, N.Y.C.

“They're great!!!  And absolutely right on!” — Carrie Robbins, Broadway Costume Designer; playwright

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