TNEATEB Th rime of Penning plays, directing movies-now he's writing the book for a major musical,ls there anything Craig Lucas can't do? By ilichael Giltz $hate breaking the law," moans New York-based writer Craig Lucas about talking to The Aduocate on his cellphone whlle driving to afllm premiere.</p><p> Nobody catches him in the act, though.</p><p> Lately his life is too charmed for that sort of thing.</p><p> Lucas, who tums 54 on April 30, has e4loyed wide success with plays like the recently revived Reckless and screenplays like the Oscar-nominated Longti,me Companion.</p><p> His personal life is in fine shape too, thanks to a happy six-year relatiorship.</p><p> But with all that life be- hind him, Lucas is peaking only now.</p><p> He made his fllm di- rectorial debut at Sundance wlth TLte Dyi,ng GauI, wtich he adapted from his own play.</p><p> His hugely ambitious drama Si,n ging Forest-a 2 l0-minute opLs involving Fleud, Nazis, gay love, and redemption-was a hit at the tong Wharf in New Haven, Conn His adaptation of Qhe}ltois Thtee Sisterc ts premiering this zummer at Seat- tle's Intiman Theatoe.</p><p> At the moment, all eyes arc on T'lw Light in the Piazza, Lucas's first original musical, opening April 18 at Lincoln Center.</p><p> A collaboration with lyricist- composer Adam Guettel-a New Yorkcritical favorite who also happens to be the grandson of Richard Rodgers- Piazza stands in stark contrast to this season's broad musical comedies like Spamalot and Di,rty Rotten Scoundrels.</p><p> Based on a novella by Eliza- beth Spencer, Piazza tells the delicate story of a mother and daughter vacationing in Flo- rence.</p><p> The daughter falls for a well-born local Italian boy; the mother wavers between support and resistance; afeel I've found an ideal collaborator in Adam.</p><p> He's an absolutely meticulous, almost maniacally concentrated, fo- cused, brilliant, adaptable colleague." What happens after Pi,azza opens? More theater projects, of course.</p><p> And Lucas also plans to direct another film.</p><p> Soon. "I loved it, I loved it, I loved it," says Lucas about directing. "I would do it again in a second.</p><p> I have not always taken the best care of myseH or others.</p><p> I think I've had a reckless life in a way.</p><p> But since I started directing movies, I have to take better care of myself be- cause you can't help support other peo- ple who are having crises if you're not healthy and centered.</p><p> It's like I found a whole different part of myself, and thank God-I'm 53, almost 54.</p><p> It's abouttime." I Giltz i,s a regular contributor to seaeral peri,odi.cals, including the New York Post.heartbreaking secret spins the story.</p><p> Says Lucas: "It seems the perfect paradigm for what all parents and children go through.</p><p> Letting go, accepting the otherness of who your parents are and who your children are, recognizing that you can't keep them safe and cannot live through their lives. [The story] spoke to me.</p><p> I felt like I fell into a pot ofjam." Lucas is just as enthusiastic about Guettel. "I've always wanted to write something with Stephen Sondheim; we've bounced a few ideas around but never found anything," he says. "But IRead an interview with Peter Sarg gaard, star of Craig Lucas's lhe D/ing Gaul, at www.advocate.cofii.= TttE AovocATE I O1l I APRrL 26, 2oob
