Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (Somerville, Mass.) before J.Lo, before Winona, before that traumatic event we call "Gigli," there lived two young men on the brink of fame "Matt and Ben," Fringe theater's newest hit, is the story of two such men -- you may have heard of them -- Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. (Ring a bell?) While today, the faces of these overnight superstars are ubiquitous (People magazine just wrote a feature article because Ben decided to go to a strip club), not too long ago Matt and Ben were just your typical struggling actors trying to make their way in the world.
The play, written by and starring Dartmouth alums Mindy Kaling '01 and Brenda Withers '00, is a day in the lives of Matt and Ben circa 1995 in Ben's Boston apartment as they struggle to adapt a screenplay for J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye." Withers plays the slightly uptight, overachieving Damon and Kaling takes on the role of the arguably less brainy yet more creative Affleck. As the two girls -- er, boys -- um, I mean, girls well, you get the idea -- lounge around eating junk food and daydreaming about fame, a script for "Good Will Hunting" falls from the ceiling and right into their laps. And so the drama begins Our lovely duo must decide whether or not to abandon the Salinger adaptation and whether or not they can claim the mysterious script from the sky as their own (it does have their names on it after all). How bout dem apples?
The play, just 95 minutes long, is pithy, funny and definitely entertaining. Located in the tiny PS 122 theater, the set mimics Ben's filthy, run-down apartment and the attention to detail is incredible -- empty pizza boxes and bags of chips, old movie posters on the wall (including Damon's foot-in-the-door classic "School Ties") and a framed headshot of Mr. Affleck, future L'Oreal model and daring action hero.
Despite the fact that Withers and Kaling have little to no resemblance to the protagonists, both are very believable as characters and their unpolished yet strikingly humorous performances are a joy to watch. Their comedic timing is nearly perfect and it is clear the two women are very comfortable in their own skin (not to mention the skin of Affleck, Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow and J. D. Salinger).
In one sketch, Kaling (as Affleck) reads lines for Skyler (Minnie Driver's character) from the "Good Will Hunting" script in what she considers to be a British accent yet which comes out as a mlange of Cockney, Italian, Southern and what sounds like some freakish form of Klingon. The scene is hysterical and Kaling's subtly blas approach to comedy really completes the production.
Withers is perfect as the edgy, career-oriented Damon (she even looks like him, strangely enough) and her fits of anger display an unexpected talent in the acting department. In one sketch that flashes back to a scene at a high school dance, as Matt slowly sings "Bridge O'er Troubled Water," Ben plays the tambourine, dances spastically and gives a few shout-outs to his friends. The contrast between Kaling and Withers here is wonderfully hilarious and the two constantly keep each other in check throughout the production. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if, in ten years, "Mindy and Brenda" is playing at the PS 122. Until then, let's see what the girls have to say for themselves:
Leffler: Did the script for "Matt & Ben" fall from the ceiling? If not, how did the idea for the play come
about?
Kaling: It fell from the sky and landed on Brenda's nose.
The idea came from massive amounts of free time the summer after I graduated from school. I moved in with Bren in the city and we just read fan magazines all day long. Ben was going through rehab, so we started improvising scenarios. (I did improv in college, and we were both drama majors, plus we're both big idiots who like to waste time.)
Withers: Min probably got to this one, but the basic story involved a NYC heat wave, our interminable spirits, and a good deal of goofing around.
During many long walks around Prospect Park, Min and I worked out the plot/dialogue/themes through improv, major rewrites and the occassional game of rock-paper-scissors.
Leffler: What activities were you involved with during your time at Dartmouth and how do you think your years at Dartmouth have helped you to become so successful today?
Kaling: Improvising in Dog Day helped me with the performance, and writing Badly Drawn Girl, and a few pieces for the Drama Dept. was where I really started comedy writing.
Bren and I met doing Rockapellas together, and discovered how funny each other were through our long and vitriolic descriptions of how much we hated the Decibelles. I'm kidding. We only hated the Dodecs.
Withers: Min and I met singing about freedom and boys with the Rockapellas. Most of my other free time was spent in Shakespeare Alley, where I encountered a series of tremendous acting opportunities and challenging professors. I am eternally grateful for both.
Leffler: Have Matt or Ben seen the show? Have you been practicing your self-defense techniques for when Miss Jennifer Lopez buys her ticket?
Kaling: I don't think they've seen the show. When I see Ms. Lopez I plan on ditching the show instantly and seeing if she needs another member in her highly-paid entourage. I could, like, open her diet Cokes for her.
Leffler: Mindy, did the adventures of Badly Drawn Girl influence the script for Matt and Ben? Was Badly Drawn Girl merely a pseudonym for badly drawn Damon or badly drawn Affleck?
Kaling: Badly Drawn Girl was my attempt to get the fleeting attention of about five older guys on campus who would never have even known I existed had I not immortalized them in the D. Most of them were gay.
Matt and Ben fit right in at Dartmouth though. Matt Damon is a Psi U and Ben Affleck is an AD.
Leffler: Rumor has it that one of you broke the other's nose during a recent show? Can you tell us a little bit more about this "accident" (or so you say...)?
Kaling: Brenda had been really pissing me off before a show, jonesin' for my man and talking trash she couldn't back up, nah mean? It was the show Bruce Weber from the Times was reviewing, so I thought, I'm gonna sock this bitch back to the stone-age. And then it happened!!
Withers: Yeah, Mindy clocked me good. It was a little scary at first, but I'm coming to believe the slight alteration on my nose is actually an improvement. She's a regular Doc Hollywood, except she doesn't do anesthesia.
Leffler: What advice do you have for Dartmouth students interested in the arts/entertainment field?
Withers: I only started to truly take advantage of the great facilities and support Dartmouth has to offer towards the end of my time there.
I would advise everyone to get to the library, get into classes you think you might not need, get into the Bentley for late-night projects and start to cut your teeth in a safe, supportive environment before you have to strut your stuff in the "real world."
The lessons I learned about collaboration and self-confidence at Dartmouth are what make it possible for me grin and bear the bureacracy and politics that can sometimes poison the process out here.
Kaling: Don't do this if you get easily depressed. Work hard on being good and meeting new people, and don't burn bridges, unless you like, get punched in the face. Wait, forget that.
