The Seagull
Written by Anton Chekhov
Directed by Damon Keiley
A group of friends and relations gather at a country estate to see the first performance of an experimental play, written and staged by the young man of the house, Konstantin. Among the audience are Konstantin's mother, the actress Arkadina, and her lover, the famous novelist Trigorin. Their glamorous presence not only disrupts the performance but soon takes on a more profound significance for the lives of all those present.
In this small modern staging of The Seagull, the director and I settled on the concept that all of the transitions should be Konstantin playing the piano (as this skill of his is referenced in Act 4 of the play). Since we chose to do a modern staging, I pulled modern songs that matched the theme of unrequited love that pervades throughout the text. I arranged these songs and had someone I knew record them on an old, untuned piano to match the one that would be at the hot summer lakehouse the show takes place at.
The arranged and recorded songs are now presented in show order.