Duo to see if play’s the thing for Vegas

By Jerry Fink

Monday, June 9, 2008 | 2 a.m.

Comedian Rita Rudner and producer Martin Bergman sound like a team.

They finish each other’s sentences, complete each other’s thoughts.

Perhaps that’s because they’ve been married for 19 years and they’ve worked together on books, movies, specials and Rudner’s stand-up comedy shows, which Bergman produces.

They chat about their first collaboration on a play — “Room 776,” a romantic comedy about a man and woman forced to share a Las Vegas hotel room because of a room shortage. It debuts Friday at the Las Vegas Little Theatre.

Bergman and Rudner are excited about the cast of local actors — Nancy Denton, Scott Ast, Brian Scott, Lisa Illia, Todd Simmonds and Rob Kastil. Sue Thornton is the stage manager.

Bergman is directing, but Rudner will be busy performing her stand-up comedy act at Harrah’s.

From their home in Southern California, they sound like equals, neither overpowering the other, although Bergman is the more talkative. Their mutual respect comes through the telephone.

After the interview, they say, they are going to go back outside to watch the dolphins play off Dana Point.

Q: Why write a play together?

Rudner: We always collaborate.

Bergman: We’ve been collaborating for 20 years so we know how to do that. A few people told us to write a play. We never had done one. But our film scripts always read like plays. Actually, it coincided with a small coincidence. I went to see a production of a Tennessee Williams play at the Las Vegas Little Theatre ...

RR: “Orpheus Descending” ...

MB: “Orpheus Descending,” that was the play. And I loved it. And I loved the Little Theatre. Have you ever been there? Isn’t it great?

It’s a hidden jewel.

MB: Exactly. That’s what I thought. So I thought it would be a very, very good idea to collaborate with them, which is what we did. So we began by writing a play, which took a couple of months. Then we did a reading of it with Bobby Slayton (the comedian who has a regular gig at Hooters). People seemed to like it. So the next step was to mount a production, which is what we are doing. I was thrilled with the level of talent that was in the local amateur acting community in Las Vegas. They’re really good. I’m thrilled with the cast we got.

RR: The woman lead, Nancy (Denton), is much better than I was.

You make it sound so easy: Just write a play and stage it. But wasn’t it a difficult process?

MB: You have to have an idea.

RR: Once we had the idea, we knew it was good.

MB: We have an idea about once every five years. Then when we have the idea, the actual doing of it is OK. I wanted to write something that was Las Vegas-centric and Rita agreed with me.

We thought the idea of two people who had to share a hotel room in Las Vegas because the hotel was sold out was a good idea. Two strangers, one hotel room. Anything could happen. We wanted to write a comedy, because that’s what we do. We wanted to write a romantic comedy. Once we had that idea that’s kind of where we went from.

We’re very pleased with the reaction so far, given that nobody’s actually seen it yet. Quite a few places in the country have expressed an interest in it so I’m very hopeful that it might have legs, I think. If this one works we’d love to do another one.

Do you have an idea for another one?

RR: A kind of one.

MB: We kind of, sort of do.

RR: But we don’t know yet. We don’t know till we start writing it and see where it goes.

MB: If everyone thinks this one is stinky, maybe we should put the computer away.

What’s your writing technique? Do you take turns typing?

RR: We don’t have any set way. Whoever has the best idea for that particular scene does it then when they get stuck the other one does it.

MB: Sort of tag-team writing.

RR: Yeah, a tag team. But I like Martin to be at the computer because he spells so much better than I do. It’s very hard to decipher what exactly it is I’m trying to say.

Was it a pleasant experience?

RR: Yes.

MB: It’s always pleasant, else we wouldn’t do it.

RR: We’re not into doing anything unpleasant.

Society is dominated by film and video. Is there a place for plays, especially in Las Vegas?

MB: We’re about to find out.

RR: That’s a good question.

MB: It is a good question. I think there’s always room for a live experience. I think within the Las Vegas community, offering something a little bit different could work quite well. I even have a feeling on the Strip a play could work. I used to have big successes when I was living in Australia. One of our recipes for success was to take something and cast with known names. It was a very successful formula, people you knew from television. I wonder if that would work in Las Vegas? The Strip has now become such a flavor for performers, but any performers who perform there have to be able to sing or be comedians and that’s about it. So any actor who says “I wouldn’t mind having a little go at Vegas,” for the moment are excluded.

You’re talking to people about putting the play on the Strip?

MB: Yes. Absolutely. People are always very kind and interested in things Rita and I do. We’ve got quite a good track record. We’ll see.

I think there’s a recipe there. I’m muddling my way toward it. But I think there is some sort of recipe that isn’t necessarily the big Broadway musical being transferred over to Las Vegas. Obviously Cirque du Soleil has found a formula. Obviously the comedians have found a formula that works here. I think Donny & Marie are going to do well at the Flamingo. But I wonder if there is a market for, let’s say — and I’m just plucking a name out of the air — let’s say someone like Sharon Stone. Would people go and see Sharon Stone in some sort of light play on the Strip? I don’t know. I have a suspicion that stars work.