N.Y. playwright brings premiere to Calgary
Many new plays have off-Broadway and even off-off-Broadway productions to help hone them for a New York run.
But it’s Calgary that’s helping to develop a new work from New York playwright, screenwriter and teacher Stephan Cedars. The Old Sad Songs will have its world premiere at the Pumphouse’s Joyce Doolittle Theatre May 18-26.
Like hundreds of playwrights, Cedars submitted his new play to Scorpio Theatre and it was selected to close the company ’s 18th season.
The Sad Old Songs is the story of Don Cygall, an aging country singer who kidnaps his biggest fan, a young woman named Valerie.
Directing duties for this drama went to Nathan Iles, who admits it was a little scary but also exciting to be given the world premiere. They are setting the tone for how people will see it progressing.
Iles says it’s particularly exciting for him because he is "passionate about new works. It’s such a different process than when you are working on an established script. This is someone’s baby and they are entrusting it to you.
“Stephan has been a real collaborator with us on this production. I sent him an e-mail in March to introduce myself and talk a little about how I saw the play. We’ve had ongoing e-mail correspondence ever since. It was vital to have him in the loop.”
Music is important to the story and Cedars provided the lyrics for songs. He also sent recordings of how he saw the music, which was very close to what Scorpio Theatre was thinking. Iles said it was particularly rewarding to realize they were on the same track.
“Stephan is exploring the idea of authenticity and honesty through these two characters in his play.”
I les says Don( Duane Jones) is a country singer of the ilk of Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline.
“These were such authentic voices in country music. They sang about things they knew and lived like heartbreak, loss, regret and alcoholism. There was no putting on a character when they sang. It’s who they were and that’s how Don and Valerie (Emma Gallaher) connected in the first place.”
In the play, Valerie is going through a difficult time in her life and is looking for an honest voice. She finds it in Don’s music. They forge a connection but things get too personal and she ends it."
Iles says the obsession Valerie had with Don Cygall’s music, and especially his lyrics, became unhealthy but she didn’t realize what she was doing to him when she ended their correspondence.
“Three years after their final correspondence, Don is facing the prospect of his own mortality and, in an act of desperation, he kidnaps Valerie. It’s a powerful dynamic and makes for great drama.”
Cedars plans to fly to Calgary to see the final performance of The Old Sad Songs on May 26.
Tickets, $23 adults and $19 students/seniors, are available in advance at scorpio.ca/ tickets/ or at the door. Check the Pumphouse website for performance times as they vary.