Boldly imagined and urgently relevant, don’t miss Fools’ Paradise Thursday-Saturday
Just 25 minutes from downtown Ridgefield, experience the world premiere of Fools’ Paradise, a compelling new play by Ridgefield resident and Thrown Stone co-founder Jonathan Winn. Running May 1–10 at The Crystal Theatre in Norwalk, this dark comedy explores love, friendship, and survival when an idyllic Caribbean vacation takes an unexpected turn.
Directed by James Dean Palmer, Fool’s Paradise delves into themes of privilege, wishful thinking, and the human desire for control amidst chaos. The story follows two couples whose luxurious getaway spirals into crisis, challenging their bonds and self-perceptions.
Here, we sit down with Winn to learn more about this boldly imagined and urgently relevant production that raises the stakes on friendship, privilege, and survival in a world that’s coming undone.
Q: What inspired you to write Fool’s Paradise? Was there a specific moment or experience that sparked the story?
A: I drafted the first scenes on the plane home from a family vacation in Puerto Rico. My wife had treated us to a stay at the El Conquistador resort in Fajardo — beautiful, luxurious, unforgettable. And yet, I couldn’t shake a nagging sense of dread. Why, in a place designed for comfort, was I so uneasy? I leaned into that feeling and wrote toward the worst-case scenario I could imagine. What came out was absurd, funny, and unexpectedly human.
Q: The play tackles privilege, control, and survival—why do these themes feel urgent right now?
I don’t think I’m alone in carrying a low-grade existential dread these days. The news is overwhelming, and most of us are just trying to hold it together. While I was writing the play, I heard a podcast that described the Hobbes vs. Rousseau dynamic: Hobbes believed people were selfish and brutal, Rousseau thought we were cooperative and good. Fools’ Paradise plays those worldviews against each other in crisis. Are we generous under pressure, or are we hostile? I know which side I want to be on — but lately it feels like that’s swimming upstream.
A: Like they’ve been through something. The play’s a ride — low comedy, high emotion, big swings — and I hope it prompts people to ask what they’d do in a situation like that. Hopefully none of us ever find out. I hope the play makes us realize that on balance, civilization has been very good to us humans. It’d be a shame if something happened to it.
Q: The play is described as ‘darkly funny.’ How do you balance humor with the play’s deeper emotional undercurrents?
A: When the stakes are high, absurdity tends to follow close behind. I took cues from Beckett, Sartre, and Kubrick — but this is my own take on existentialism. It’s maybe more profane, more
juvenile, but also more loving. The play definitely explores the three classic Greek loves: Eros, Philia, and Agape — romance, friendship, and sacrifice. There’s humor in the first two, and depth in the third. Agape gives the story its spine.
Q: What was it like collaborating with director James Dean Palmer on bringing your vision to life?
A: James made the play better. He asked hard questions and gently pushed me to face things I was avoiding. There’s an art to gently prodding someone out of their comfort zone — and James is a master at that. I’m deeply grateful.
Q: Anything else you want our readers to know?
A: The Crystal Theatre is a gem. If you know, you know — and if you don’t, you’re in for a surprise. It’s just 25 minutes from Ridgefield, with free parking and great restaurants around the corner on Washington Street. Like catching an Off-Broadway show without crossing a bridge or paying a toll.
Appropriate for ages 14 and up, performances take place at The Crystal Theatre, 66 Bayview Ave, Norwalk, CT. Don't miss this opportunity to support local talent and enjoy a thought-provoking theatrical experience.