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New musicals at Human Race connect with audience
The tears started coming during the first song, and I didn’t stop crying through the entire first act of “right next to me,” one of the Human Race’s “Musicals in Development” productions staged over the July 17-19 weekend.
The touching new musical explores a series of intertwining relationships - including the marriage of an Army major serving in Iraq and his wife left behind at home.
Gregg Coffin’s music and lyrics have a real sweetness about them; four outstanding cast members played all eight characters.
If you like live theater, you’re missing a great opportunity if you don’t take advantage of these kinds of arts experiences in the Miami Valley. In this case, two of the shows were presented in the Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center, a first chance for the public to experience the intimate performance space on Jefferson Street next to the Dayton Visual Arts Center.
The discussion afterwards was fascinating as well. We learned, for example, that the script had drastically changed during the two week rehearsal period and that actors had been given 20 new pages just two days before the performance.
Coffin said the idea of his play was to explore “the distance and reality of things” and what it means to be close to someone.
It’s the kind of interaction that will also take place at Future Fest this weekend - July 24-26 - at the Dayton Playhouse when new scripts are premiered with playwrights and critics in house. Enjoy!
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By Kevin Moore
July 25, 2009 12:31 PM | Link to this
Meredith - Thank you for both attending and giving your support of these programs that have a national reputation for developing new works of theatre.