By Liz Eichler
American Legacy Theatre is developing another new play, and judging by the audience reaction at readings this weekend, people are already looking forward to its next installment.
The “Playwrights for Change” program, produced by Matthew David Gellin, takes on topics important to communities. Past subjects have included the opioid epidemic and housing displacement. Rather than moving directly into a full production, the company develops the work over the course of two years, regularly inviting audiences to respond and offer feedback along the way.
The Playwright and the Concept
Playwright Terry Tocantins greeted the audience and described the piece as “a play within a play within a podcast within a puppet show.” We got a glimpse of how all of that unfolds, puppet concept included. At its center is a group of unique characters from a rehab center attempting to put together a musical about “The History of Alcohol in America.” But this isn’t a straightforward historical progression. Each character brings personal baggage to the project, and those issues inevitably spill onto the stage.
For example, Doug (Rory Sheridan) moves in and out of various roles, including that of a person in recovery and a conquistador. As the conquistador recounts the search for gold in the “New World” Doug has an epiphany, connecting the conquistador’s desire for gold with his own desire for alcohol. Which scares him–and he runs off stage.
Throughout the reading, the dialogue offers some genuine laughs alongside topical references. In the talkback, Tocantins also introduced the idea of the “smudge,” the place where two ideas meet and collide. That’s where, he suggests, the most interesting things happen, much like searching for gold and sobriety.
Audience Feedback is Key
But this reading was about more than simply presenting the work. Tocantins and composer Eric Knechtges were looking for audience feedback on the play’s structure, how the characters are introduced, and the first-act cliffhanger. They even posed questions about smaller details, including whether audiences were comfortable with the actors swearing. The goal was to learn what was working, what wasn’t, and where the piece might go next.
The first person to respond during the post-reading talkback was a man who shared that he had been sober for 25 years. With considerable emotion, he praised how accurately playwright Terry Tocantins captured some of the nuances of being in recovery. It was a powerful response, and an indication of the potential impact of a play exploring a subject not often addressed onstage, much less in a musical.
The performers included Roux Bedrosian, Ariana Hodes, Jovanni Candia, and Rory Sheridan. Stage Manager Colton Wolf read the stage directions, while Knechtges accompanied the team on keyboard. The staging made use of the entire theatre space, including the audience area, the stage, and even the space behind the curtain.
The company presented the same material the previous day in a very different space, generating some similar and some different audience reactions. That’s part of the value of this process: hearing how different audiences respond and using those responses to inform the next stage of development.
There is clearly promise here, both in the subject matter and in the unconventional approach to telling the story. The company plans to return in April with the complete play in another staged reading, giving audiences another opportunity to see how the work has evolved.
For more information about American Legacy Theatre and their initiatives explore their website HERE.
