Josh Ramos plays Tristan, the unborn child who is not sure he wants to be born, in Iris Dauterman's play The Waypoint,' which will be staged at Mass MoCA at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. The plot centers around Tristan and his mother, Shelby, who also is ambivalent about the birth of her son. (Photo by Peter Wise)

Bringing a child into the world is a decision often surrounded by fear and mystery for the parents. And what must the unborn think about its inevitable journey to this crazy place?

These elements and questions are the focus of Iris Dauterman's play "The Waypoint," which will premiere Saturday, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m. at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. The event is a collaborative effort between Bazaar Productions, the Berkshire Fringe and Mass MoCA.

"The play picked us, really," said director Sara Katzoff, a co-founder of the Berkshire Fringe. "We were mesmerized by Iris' play from the beginning. The idea of this going into a drawer and collecting dust was not acceptable."

Instead of gathering dust, the play seems to have grown legs. Last summer, Dauterman and two other young playwrights were selected to participate in the Early Stages program sponsored by the Berkshire Fringe. Under the tutelage of Emmy-award winning playwright Laura Maria Censabella ("Abandoned in Queens" and "Three Italian Women"), Dauterman was able to develop her play and take it from the page to the stage.

"I wrote the body of the play the winter before Early Stages," Dauterman said. "It was my senior project at Bennington College. That was the first incarnation. Then, at the Berkshire Fringe, we did a reading of it. I realized that a lot of the extra verbiage wasn't necessary. It was so much more just to have an actor give a look on stage."

Dauterman said the

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transformation of "The Waypoint" from "story play" to "stage play" has been nothing short of profound.

"At this point, I want to hand this play over to the actors," she said. "It's humbling to see that your words can cause someone to have emotions."

Indeed, the play represents a full range of emotions. The plot centers around Shelby, a young woman who is pregnant and contemplating what kind of a world she will bring her child into. Her trepidation and fear is matched by the voice of Tristan, her unborn child. Tristan is just as hesitant as his mother about entering into a world that is so chaotic. The play vacillates between the "real" world of Shelby and the "surreal" world (known as "The Waypoint") of Tristan and other voices.

"This is such a rich play," said Co-Artistic Director Timothy Ryan Olson, who also plays the part of Simon, Shelby's younger brother. "There are so many themes and stories that are present. It's been a long time coming. We told Iris we wanted to produce this play and we wanted to do it right."

According to Katzoff and Olson, giving "The Waypoint" the artistic attention it needed and deserved was not difficult, thanks to artist residencies at Mass MoCA.

"We applied for a residency and Mass MoCA was very generous," Katzoff said. "This residency is what makes this play even possible. The audience is the next part of the development process; that's when the biggest leap happens. We're orchestrating a post-show discussion. That's the most important part - the input and getting the audience involved."

Mass MoCA Managing Director Sue Killam said she recognizes the importance of collective support in getting a play like "The Waypoint" off the ground.

"We're a mini-factory for the arts," she said. "We usually do six to 10 residencies a year. It's a great opportunity to try out some ideas with staging, with our crew helping. This is a very good play. When the audience sees it here, they know that this is a rare snap in time in terms of where the play goes next."

According to Dauterman, Saturday's performance is both a triumph and a litmus test for "The Waypoint" and for her as a young playwright.

"I'm looking forward to friends and teachers coming out. I am showing them a part of myself that came entirely out of my head. Just ideas," she said. "It's almost absurd how lucky I've been. As a young playwright it's really difficult to get your stuff out there."

As Dauterman anticipates the big night, she also is working on two other pieces as well as writing grant applications and proposals so that "The Waypoint" will continue to thrive as a production. According to Katzoff, given the quality of the play, maintaining a stage life should not be a problem.

"We're really coming full circle with this," she said. "Iris has a really beautiful story here that needs to be told. The play is so full of all of these questions. There is trepidation in both characters. It's ultimately about embracing the mistakes we make and the imperfect nature of life."

"The Waypoint" will run Saturday, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m. at Mass MoCA, followed by a post-show discussion. Tickets are $10. For more information, call 413-662-2111 or visit massmoca.org. For more information on the Berkshire Fringe and Bazaar Productions, visit berkshirefringe.org.