A NEW PLAY IN DEVELOPMENT
LOGLINE:
A white-bearded, vagabond poet is rudely woken from his dreams under an ominous, hanging unicycle. He struggles to overcome stage fright and a faulty memory, so he can conquer his mono-wheeled nemesis and reclaim the lost magic of his dreams.
PROJECT STATUS:
First draft of script completed. Seeking development support.
DESCRIPTION:
FALLING FORWARD is an entertaining, tour-de-force SoLowe show, exploring fear, memory, aging, and loss, through comedy, drama, poetry, magic, and a brief, bewildering Unicycle ride.
A bitter, round, white-bearded, vagabond sleeps in a mound of old blankets. A Unicycle hangs ominously from a hangman’s rope over a dusty, lifetime of clutter. He’s woken up from his fitful dreams of magic and reluctantly starts the show. He shares amusing stories and poems, and struggles to perform magic and songs. He’s plagued by stage fright, failing memory, and a deathly fear of his Unicycle. He finally summons the courage to ride his mono-wheeled nemesis and discovers the theatrical magic he’s been seeking all his life.
THE CHARACTER: He/Him
He’s a bitter round, bald, white-bearded, vagabond poet with stage fright. A charming curmudgeon, an engaging raconteur, & clumsy magician. His charm, talent & intelligence are hindered by fear and self-doubt. He’s distracted by his failing memory and his past failures, and he’s deathly afraid of the Unicycle that hangs over him.
INSPIRATION
I’ve been a professional actor for many years. I’ve performed on stages across Canada and acted in numerous films and TV shows. Like many performing artists, the isolation of the pandemic helped me reevaluate many things. I’m hungry to return to the stage and I want to create original theatre that’s personal, challenging, creative and entertaining.
I’m fascinated by the relationship between performers and the audience. It’s tangible and magical. Traditional theatre creates an imaginary world behind a “fourth wall” but I’m impressed how musicians, stand-up comedians, magicians, and podcasters connect directly with their audience. They move us deeply, without hiding behind an imagined barrier. They make us laugh, cry, sense wonder and think deeply by making direct contact. They’re exposed, vulnerable, open and honest. It’s simultaneously public and intimate.
I want FALLING FORWARD to connect with the audience directly and openly, like that.
TONE & STYLE
FALLING FORWARD is a SoLowe Cabaret that includes dramatic and comical stories, slam poetry, stand-up comedy, physical comedy, stage magic and music. It’s a personal & intimate performance that breaks the theatrical fourth wall. It’s moving, funny, chaotic, fragile, dangerous, crude, sensitive, surprising & entertaining.
