New Jersey Stage reached out to Stahlhuth to learn more about the play and the process undertaken to bring it to fruition .
What inspired you to present “ Nothing Matters ”? Back in April , I started thinking about a one-person play for James Rana . Not knowing the future , I thought I should be prepared for the fact that I wouldn ’ t be able to bring actors to Cape May - most actors we hire live in the NYC area and need housing in Cape May . We do have access to a three-bedroom house , but still need more housing . During a pandemic , would actors want to travel , even if the play was going to be safely produced ? Would actors want to live in the same house with other actors ? These questions were occurring to me . In 2000 , I produced Dave Geible ’ s two-person play about Ambrose Bierce . Dave , an old college friend who lives in Lander , WY , was thrilled that I wanted to produce it again , and we set to work to rework the script with James and me . James liked the script , too . I was hoping to be able to produce it live , in the fall , but now it will be filmed for YouTube .
Tell us a little about the story of Nothing Matters . After dealing with the Central Pacific Railroad as a reporter , he stayed in Washington D . C . for awhile , still working for William Randolph Hearst . A would-be writer , the fictitious Mrs . Wentworth , seeks him out because she ’ d like him to look at her work . Over tea , much is discussed , and Bierce reveals his life as a Civil War soldier and journalist . There are light moments and sad , like in everyone ’ s life . For more info , click here . When the set was up and we started blocking , I stopped , because I was about to cry , from joy .