Amy Losi Interview by Jen Bush

To Feed the Roses is a new play by Amy Losi that will premiere at esteemed American Theatre of Actors.  The play will run from September 13^th-September 24^th.  In To Feed the Roses, an older couple reunite in what could be a humorous love story — if only the secrets of their past didn’t get in the way! 

When we spoke to Amy Losi last summer, she was making merry as a cast member of The Merry Wives of Windsor also at the ATA.  Now we speak to her from the perspective of a playwright which is only one of the many hats she wears.  She is also starring in the play.

Ms. Losi is a seasoned artist who has found recent success with writing plays and having them performed.  “I’m an actor, playwright, and director and I’ve been acting for the past twenty-three years. I started seriously writing plays about four years ago, and all seven of my finished plays have been produced at least once, and most more than once.” 

Inspired by a poem, Ms. Losi’s creativity comes with a beautiful intention attached to it.  “I started with the title! It comes from a favorite poem of mine, “Dirge Without Music” by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The title and other phrases from the poem echo throughout the play. My purpose for writing the play was to acknowledge that love and connection is important at any age, and especially for older people. This is the third play I’ve written that celebrates love at a “certain age.” Writing amusing and vital roles for older actors is a goal of mine. Actors over the age of 60 can be so much more than just grandparents or the old couple next door. We can be funny, interesting, and we do fall in love!”

 Every artist has a creative process which brings their work to life.  Ms. Losi’s creative process starts with the script.  “You start with the playwright’s words and build from there. You use the words and clues provided by the script and then go bigger and deeper. Sometimes I start with a style or costume that helps me visualize the character. It’s always an exciting process to see a new character develop.”

 With all that Ms. Losi has done creatively and otherwise, she finds a certain magic in the theatre.  “I’ve been passionate about theatre all my life. I saw my first Broadway show when I was a child and I’ve been going ever since. It’s always an emotional experience for me — when the lights come up I get tears in my eyes. So, to be acting on stage is a thrill and something I didn’t pursue until my late 40s even though I minored in theatre in college. Playwrighting is also a thrill — to hear actors and audiences responding to my words and to create characters that take on personalities of their own is very rewarding. I’ve spent the past 30 years in educational publishing, and my writing appears in textbooks and on reading tests. I don’t think students ever applaud!”

 The American Theatre of Actors has been a gift for artists for nearly 50 years.  Ms. Losi has had a long and satisfying relationship with them.  Her play is in very good hands with one of their talented and well-respected directors, Laurie Rae Waugh.  “I’ve been acting at ATA for the past 13 years — my first play there was directed by Laurie Rae Waugh and “To Feed the Rose” is our 10th project together. This is the first time Laurie has directed one of my plays. We need places like ATA to hone our craft and get an opportunity to do new and classic plays. It feels like home to me and having my play produced by James Jennings and ATA is humbling.”

When the run of this play is finished, Ms. Losi has more artistry in the works.  “I’m ready to start writing two new plays! One I’ve been doing research on, and it will be a comedy with dramatic undertones. The other is a comedy/farce. I wrote a successful Zoom comedy during Covid that has been in three festivals and won a few awards. I want to transfer it to the stage because the zany characters are so much fun! Other than that, I think there are one or two acting opportunities for me at ATA coming up later this year.”

Watch this theatrical rose bloom and get your tickets to:

To Feed the Roses

September 13^th-24^th

American Theatre of Actors

314 W. 54th St. New York City