FROM THE CREATIVE STAFF

Death, it’s been said, is serious business. In 1834 author David Garrick wrote “But comedy is a serious thing”. Combining the two – death and humor – is a challenging endeavor. Many have tried, few have succeeded. Why are we all so drawn to the idea of death, like a moth to a flame, but unlike the oblivious moth, so afraid? The awareness of our mortality is the obvious answer. Still belief is a powerful ally that reassures us, in some form, we will remain who we are with the ones we love for eternity.

In Dead Certain, the idea of death for our character Boyd is much simpler. As Boyd explains, “See death’s just like birth. It’s just a part of life – the end part – but a part”. His hero’s journey in our story leads him to a life path he could not have imagined when he stepped off a bus in Denver. We humans share so many things, not the least is our fear of the unknown, when we will die, and what happens after we finally pass. No one truly knows so why not laugh while we are waiting!

In May 2015 we set out on an artistic journey culminating in our first rock musical collaboration, A Wall Apart. We were fortunate that it was a featured production in the New York Musical Festival in 2017. Of our production the New York Times wrote: “A Wall Apart is a smart, high-energy exercise in idealism, a rock musical with love and politics on its mind”.

We staged A Wall Apart to sold out audiences at The Grand Theatre in 2019. Dead Certain is our third work for the stage and our first musical comedy. What better themes to begin with than death and humor? And what better time to confront death than when we were – and are – challenged by a world-wide pandemic?

Art provides a perfect opportunity to explore and question our fears and differences. In addition, the stage offers a laboratory for understanding and even affirmative change. Words convey different meanings for each of us. Music evokes our emotions. And perhaps most importantly, together, words and music can, and do, give voice to important lessons. We must choose to listen. It is our responsibility to learn from the events of the past three years. We encourage you to experience our words and music, to immerse yourselves in our story and embrace your emotions. And, most importantly, laugh and cry with us.

We invite you to join with us as we try to chart a path towards a better understanding of one another, as we endeavor to learn from our past, as we all strive to shape a better future for ourselves and our families.

Sam Goldstein Craig Clyde Graham Russell