Jeffrey Hatcher's 'Three Viewings' in Presidio THEATER

Sandra Ish is Mac in "The Thief of Tears," one of three short plays that comprise Jeffrey Hatcher's "Three Viewings," performed by Theatre Anew in the Presidio Chapel. 3 Photos by Michael Mingoia Sandra Ish is Mac in "The Thief of Tears," one of three short plays that comprise Jeffrey Hatcher's "Three Viewings," performed by Theatre Anew in the Presidio Chapel. 3 Photos by Michael Mingoia Photo: Photos By Michael Mingoia Photo: Photos By Michael Mingoia Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Jeffrey Hatcher's 'Three Viewings' in Presidio 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

For not being a household name, playwright Jeffrey Hatcher is an awfully popular guy. For more than a decade, major Bay Area theater companies hatch a Hatcher play every couple of years, with Marin Theatre Company and San Jose Repertory Theatre producing him most frequently.

Hatcher's next local appearance differs from all the others. His "Three Viewings," a trio of one-acts all set during a pre-funeral viewing, is being produced by Theatre Anew, an upstart San Francisco company that aims to put on plays in unique venues. Last spring, the company's first show, Tennessee Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth," was produced in Pacific Heights' Queen Anne Hotel.

"Three Viewings" can be viewed at the Presidio Chapel, a scenic spot that happens to be nestled amid rows of white gravestones.

On the phone from outside Milwaukee, where he's working on a play called "Ten Chimneys" about the summer home (also called Ten Chimneys) of legendary American actors Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne, Hatcher talked about "Three Viewings" and about doing plays in creative spaces.

Q:How often are you called upon to talk about a play you wrote 15 years ago?

A: It's been a while since I talked about "Three Viewings," but the play does pop up a lot. I like to believe it's because the play is good, but with three actors, it's very economical. I'm happy the play seems to not have worn out its welcome. In terms of my plays' popularity, I have several adaptations - "The Turn of the Screw," "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" - that are very big in the fall around Halloween. Probably the most popular is "Tuesdays with Morrie," but I'd say "Three Viewings" is in the top five.

Q:Have you ever seen your plays done outside traditional theaters?

A: I know people have done "Turn of the Screw" in mansions, but I haven't seen any of them. I did see a production of "Three Viewings" in a sort of Masonic chamber in Wisconsin in the late '90s. It was a beautiful, vaulted space that felt very much like a mausoleum.

Q:In "Three Viewings" you've created three characters who bring a lot of humor to a play that, not unexpectedly, deals with loss and despair. How did you choose this particular topic?

A: My father had died in 1993 around Christmas. I was standing around with the funeral director, and I said something to fill the time along the lines of, "Any fun stories connected to funeral homes?" Suddenly the guy just opened up. His demeanor was quite properly button down, gray and solemn. But he regaled me with stories. One of them was about a pacemaker that blew up during a service. Another one was about a woman whose bracelet was stolen off her body - he always suspected it was one of the family members. All those little shards came together in a play.

Q:Why a monologue play?

A: Because I had never done one. I'm a big fan of the really good ones and figured I'd try my hand at it. I did some more research. I talked to a funeral director in my hometown, Steubenville, Ohio. A funeral parlor in Minnesota let me see the crematorium. I went to Frank Campbell in New York to ask about the upper-echelon funeral. That was like going to the Tiffany of funeral homes. At the same time I was writing a "Columbo" TV script that involved someone getting murdered at a funeral.

Q:In your introduction, you have specific instructions to the actors about not overplaying the grief and loss. Why?

A: We all know what it's like to be at a funeral. Those are days we dread. I want the audience to be able to identify with it and bring their own experience to it. On his last movie, "Family Plot," Alfred Hitchcock was asked by the actor William Devane for some direction. Hitchcock said something like, "You're wearing a mustache. Play the mustache." That makes sense to me. It's a way of saying, "Let the subject matter take care of itself. You ride on top of the words."

Three Viewings: By Jeffrey Hatcher. 8 p.m. Fri.-Sat. through Jan. 29. Theatre Anew, Presidio Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop, S.F. $20-$30. www.theatreanew.com.