Stop Pretending: A Review of MENTAL (Fall 2017)

“We all affect one another profoundly,” reflects actor Brandon Galford (who played Eddie Reed) during a post-show panel discussion with the writer/director Gregg D. Garner and the cast of MENTAL. We’ve all heard it said many ways before, but so often, the consequences of what we know to be true take us by surprise when we watch them unfold.

The theme of interconnectedness is disturbingly present in the play, as each scene peels back the layers to reveal how and why the Clarks came to be who and where they are. What we see in them is a reflection of what’s in many of us and in those we love - a complex blend of love and pain, a desire to be known and understood, all taking place beneath the facade of how we want others to perceive us.

The Clark siblings give consistent comic relief in the midst of their hard-to-swallow childhood experiences referenced via creative flashbacks. 

Having seen (and loved) MENTAL when it debuted in 2016, I enjoyed watching each character take form on stage in this incredible cast, some new and some returning. In the role of Amy, actress Kim Roberts owned the task of portraying this multi-dimensional character who scorns hypocrisy and secrets, but struggles to find a way to live with both.

The unapologetically human characters highlight the many, and often self-destructive, ways that we manage our own inner turmoil and navigate our interpersonal relationships. The perspectives are framed by the narrative that the Clark children inherited from their parents. In the words of the eldest daughter Amy, their mother’s “turbulent presence” and their father’s “sterile absence” became a part of who they are. One of the more haunting moments in the show is when Amy steps down to center stage and laments that she was unable to enjoy and appreciate others for who they were, because she was waiting for who they were supposed to be to arrive. She provokes the audience to evaluate whether we’re actually listening to someone, or just waiting to hear what we want them to say.

MENTAL Writer and Director Gregg Garner dialogues with audience members about the play's message.  

While the play itself doesn’t claim to have the answers, it provides an invaluable platform for dialogue, specifically concerning the issue of mental health. Although there certainly is legitimacy to mental health issues and the services of skilled mental health professionals, the idea that one person is known as “okay” or “normal,” and someone else who is labeled with a mental illness is “abnormal” or “not okay,” is a fallacy. Such a mode of thinking can even further compound damage by making others feel bad about what they’re enduring. MENTAL reminds us that not one of us is far off from losing our footing. As Gregg D. Garner wrote in the playbill, “we are all one steering wheel jerk away from crazy.” Life is too unpredictable and fragile for us to be hypocritical. What we need when we’re suffering is the loving and authentic support of others in our lives.

The four Clark siblings (left) and their various friends, significant others, detectives and neighbors share the stage, all of them affected by the "dysfunctional functionality" of family dynamics. 

As I watched MENTAL, I nearly forgot that I was an audience member in a theater, and I began to feel like I was just a guest in the Clark’s living room. Thanks to the artistic genius of this production, the story of the Clark family becomes the story of everyone’s family. Everyone who watches it could resonate with at least one character. Even if your family escaped the parts of life that make you mental, you get involved in some other way: you marry in, you befriend, you counsel, you analyze, you witness.

In the end, you wonder who is more mental, the one who grew up with an unconventional mother and absent father, or the one who has no tolerance for such a situation. Their narrative, played out with skill and in dramatic form on stage, asks us to slow down, stop judging others, and listen. It’s an invitation to be genuine and stop pretending. You’re not fooling anyone. 

Written by Heather Maute

Breaking Out of the Loop: A Review of HOMELESS

After seeing HOMELESS for the first time, I left in a state of overwhelm. The creativity with which the narrative unfolded, the character development, the themes that emerged - it was all so incredibly powerful. As I mused on all that HOMELESS had presented to me, I heard my mother’s observations in my head. “Well, what in the world was THAT all about!?” she said to me, her annoyance (and her bias toward Disney movies) thinly veiled. I had to laugh at her incredulity. The next weekend, I went back and saw HOMELESS one more time; it was then that I realized perhaps I’m not so terribly unlike the story’s main character, Nod. Portrayed impeccably by Arts at Center Street player Benjamin Reese, Nod had “absorbed” voices from throughout his life, and his inner dialogue sets the scene for the entire play.

Nod, played by Arts at Center Street Theatre Company member Benjamin Reese, "had 'absorbed' voices from throughout his life, and his inner dialogue sets the scene for the entire play." 

HOMELESS is deliciously disorienting from the moment the curtain goes up, which I believe is evidence of a trademark of playwright Gregg D. Garner. He is a multi-sensory writer; he intends for his audience to experience his productions with their whole selves. Thoughtful themes and relevant issues invoke the mind, the characters’ depth and their true humanness draw in the emotions of the audience. Before long, I was fully engulfed in the mental volleys happening onstage, feeling tears burn my eyes when the painful childhood memories played themselves out, and hoping alongside the characters that the story could possibly find a peaceful resolve.

Not a word is wasted in the wealth of dialogue that carries this production. I came expecting to receive the gift of meaning and truth and the provocation of better questions, rather than simplistic remedies, and I wasn’t disappointed. So, as I untangled the plot and got to know the characters, I was intent on what each might be offering me.

It’s not a straightforward mission. Right away, two characters emerge as more scholarly than the others, professors perhaps. The somewhat timid, insecure young writer turns out to be quite excellent, as her manuscript is read aloud. The sultry seductress is so effective, I find myself blushing in the dark. And then, shuffling in and out of the scene, the homeless character interjects seemingly incoherent rants - but are they incoherent after all? Is each blurted, shouted, screamed interjection more like an abstraction of a  proverb or a poem?

In a flashback narrative, Nod's parents (Jason Roufs and Heather Munoz) play out their story, revealing the beginning of Nod. As the scene freezes, other players in Nod's life are able to offer their own commentary.

Indeed, as the plot unfolds, Nod’s stream of consciousness outbursts make more and more contextual sense. He is a deeply philosophical individual who began his early adult life as a promising young writer, but had over time become fragmented by the injuries sustained throughout his developmental years. There are direct connections between his homelessness and the home in which he was raised, and the proliferating effect it had on him. Despite his attempts to break free of what appears to be generational dysfunction, he finds himself unable to do so. This excerpt from the script serves as somewhat of a mantra for the voices, as they try to help Nod in this endeavor.

“Moving on can be hard to do. They say you can leave home, but home not leave you. Some people run. They run as far as they can from where they came from. Sometimes they escape. Other times they find themselves in a loop. Back where they started. A different setting, nonetheless the same.”
 

The play is a journey through the significant moments of Nod’s life, as he loops.  Moments that drastically altered who he became - a person who sleeps on park benches, wanders, mumbles, but who in many ways isn’t so different from you and me.

On a technical note, the excellence of the ensemble cast cannot be overstated. Their collective onstage chemistry was beautiful in and of itself; they interacted with each other and the material with grace and fluidity, filling the set with themselves, with rich dialogue, with the story. The simplicity of the set design juxtaposed the cast in the same way that a canvas serves an artist.

Joshua Nava and Canaan Kagay portrayed Bowman and Alfred, respectively. Their contradicting wisdom perspectives are the push and pull with which Nod grapples throughout the play. 

By the final scene, Nod is prepared to release the voices from inside his head. He has done some really difficult work to get to this point. One of the most significant offerings  of this play is the idea that we live our experiences twice. We live it the first time, and then again, in memory. The power of perspective is available to us that second time around. It’s an opportunity to “hear what people aren’t saying,” to bring mercy and forgiveness to the table when you look back on the more painful memories, times when you didn’t get what you needed, or worse. In walking back through these moments, Nod is able to do just this, and through this process, he finds a new start.

Ultimately, Homeless recognizes at once the vulnerability and the strength of the human spirit. Even as an individual fragmented by the difficulties of life, Nod is able to come to a point where he finally resolves, in his mind (where the play takes place) to change his life. To break out of the loop. To leave the bench behind. To pen a new chapter. When an individual makes that kind of determination, which can only come from within, then there is actually a chance for new life. There is hope.

This internal resolve is the critical turning point, and it has to transpire independent of external influence. As Gregg reflected during the discussion panel following closing night, “It’s more powerful than an earthquake. It shakes the universe they live in, when a person makes a quiet resolve, inside, to do something.”

Written by: Kristina Kennedy Davis

Kristina Kennedy Davis has a B.A. in English Literature and teaches at a private school in Nashville. She has worked in various sectors of editing and publishing over the years, most recently as a creative consultant to the California-based publishing house Cameron + Cameron. Kristina is also a contributing editor for a local publication, The Global Voice.

Laurie Kagay Interviews Gregg D. Garner on "HOMELESS"

Gregg D. Garner has written another play, which will take the stage at the Arts at Center Street in less than a week. I sat down with Gregg to learn more about this new work, HOMELESS. Gregg hand selected his cast without holding auditions, and is working with simple costuming and nearly spartan set design. In so doing, he is perpetuating the reputation his work is earning him, as he brings to the stage yet another play that deals with a relevant social issue with anything but a conventional approach. Therein lies his genius.

I BEGAN WITH THE OBVIOUS QUESTION: WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND WHY NOW?

“Homelessness isn’t a new issue for any society. But it is one of those issues that seems to easily blend into the milieu of other considerations that people have on the day-to-day. I would say, experientially, that it’s the image of getting off of the interstate, along with the stop you have to make before your next turn, along with the natural scenery,  you see a person soliciting some kind of help, because they’re in some kind of situation that requires them to beg. I think it’s real easy to begin to integrate that experience as a norm, and in that case, not think too deeply about it. To think too deeply is to be disturbed by it.”  

Then, he turns it personal. “For me, I find that disturbance in looking into the person’s eyes. If you can avoid eye contact, then you can kind of avoid the considerations related to the tragedy of the situation—especially in our country, where such a phenomenon shouldn’t have to exist because of the kind of infrastructure or wealth that we have. But it still does.”

“So,” he continued, “I thought it was a noteworthy social issue to be addressed, but I didn’t want to address it in some conventional manner… where it’s like, ‘Look at the homeless guy. Gosh, he’s so dirty… probably strung out on drugs. He’s conning me. He’s going to take something from me,’ and then the character takes the time to listen to him and he turns out to be some incredible sage who has tons of wisdom to offer, and gives you some insight into compassion. That’s one route to the conventional. The other would be to show the dark world of homelessness—go into one of their side-of-the-road tent communities and learn about the heroine addiction and the distinction between tweakers and hustlers—and just explore the internal world of homelessness. That would be the other conventional route.”

“So in this play, and with any play I write, I just can’t do that. I can’t just take the conventional storyline and try to find a more interesting way to say it. I feel like there’s a lot of other people who’ve already done it, and probably better than I could. For me, I want to explore a different aspect. Rather than focus on all the ways that the homeless population is different than you or I, I wanted to show all of the ways that we’re the same.” 

Gregg went on, “I wanted to tell a story that would make these characters more relatable to us, rather than characters who are far distanced. So, people might get surprised by that. There’s a wealth of considerations to make when we think of marginalized communities and how we are similar, rather than how we’re different. That’s why I wanted to write this play.”

HAVE THERE BEEN SPECIFIC SITUATIONS THAT HAVE INFORMED YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THE MENTAL STATE OF THOSE WHO FIND THEMSELVES HOMELESS?

“Yeah… literally having travelled the world, to the different hemispheres and continents, I’ve seen a lot. But there’s a difference between, say, homelessness in Sub-Saharan Africa, and homelessness in our country. I’m not trying to address what you’d witness in an impoverished country. But I’m addressing what we witness every day here in the States. I know there are lots of programs — religious programs, secular programs, humanitarian and social programs that are available to people, so that they don’t have to live on the streets. And yet, there are so many people who are homeless… who sleep under bridges and live in makeshift tents in areas of woodland overgrowth near urban areas so they could, what they call, hustle.”  

Global issues, out.
Local issues, in.
He also brings up another outlier that doesn’t make the story.

“There’s been a trend towards certain things related to homelessness, like dumpster diving or other things… People sometimes have access to funding, access to education and jobs and yet they choose to reject conventional societal norms and in their act of resistance they find alternative ways to survive because part of their philosophy is that there’s a lot of waste in our society, and they can salvage more and not have to put themselves into the anxiety and stress related to working the nine to five and the pressure of the rat race. I guess you could call them political homeless people. But I’m not addressing them in this work either. Because I’m trying to work with the idea that people are more similar than different, this groups is also left on the outskirts.”

What is it about then? The things we begin to see as normal, as part of the landscape, so long as we don’t look it in the eyes. Though tempting to look away, Gregg hasn’t taken that approach because of his values, he explains:

“What’s informed me in writing this work is related to the values I have: to be benevolent and caring. I’ve not only given money to the guy, or food to the guy on the side of the road, but I’ve tried to give him rides. As dangerous as that is, and I definitely don’t recommend it, but being a man, I try to size up a character and whether or not they’re harmless. I’ve had conversations with them, I’ve gone with guys into their makeshift housing areas, I’ve served at rescue missions and helped people move out of their cars and into alternative housing situations. I’ve had a lot of those experiences, on the social work side of things. Then on the personal, individual exploration related to my own values and wanting to help and serve, I’ve had even more. But I’ve also had people that I’ve known personally—relatives even—who’ve gone into the homeless lifestyle. What I’ve seen is that a lot of people are in our country who are in this situation of homelessness is likely because of some sort of personal tragedy or trauma that triggered the situation.”

An example. “Last year I met a guy—his wife and four kids were killed in a car accident. Sudden death. And he, he just … couldn’t get back to who he was. Everything he did reminded him of them. He didn’t have anyone help him. He told me he even went to church group… and how he went to go see a counselor and therapist. And most people kind of listened to him, but he said that they appeared to have pity for him more than give him any sort of tools, or ways, to get through it. He was very lucid at moments when I talked to him… but he’s got a long scraggly beard and matted hair. He stinks, he’s not bathed. He’s pushing a grocery cart. I met him in the Wal-Mart parking lot. He’s not healthy. But he was very lucid in his communication along these lines. But then all of a sudden there’d be a switch, if I’d ask questions that were related to those times, and it was like…I can’t tell you exactly what was happening, but it seemed like he just reverted back to a different moment in his life where he was casting onto our current situation memories and experiences that I could no longer engage in because his context was so high. I’m not in his mind so, I could see why a lot of people would consider them mentally unstable or derogatorily say, ‘he’s crazy.’ But I felt real intensely compassionate for the guy. I don’t know how I could survive if my entire family was killed.

“I know another young man who had such a terrible upbringing with his dysfunctional parents that it caused him to fear moving into adulthood…because he feared that he would potentially screw up someone else’s life the way his life was screwed up. So he was stuck. That’s one of the themes I explore in the play—the deterioration in the human soul, the dehumanization that moves people towards this cyclic loop where they’re stuck, they can’t get past this insurmountably high wall of anxiety related to what they perceive to be their inability to integrate with the world around them.” 

The answer is yes, he’s had plenty of firsthand experience, and it’s found its way into this play.

He went on, “I think as I’ve done that kind of research and thought through it, I see how easy it would be for people to find themselves in a position where they loop back to trying to figure out what went wrong, and how to fix it, and just getting stuck. I think that’s why people enter into the homeless scene through drug abuse, to anesthetize themselves from thinking through all of it. It’s just—they want to escape it. and whatever drug of choice may be, they’re numbing themselves from something, they don’t want to face it. I try to address those things in the play, but again—it’s not a conventional approach, it’s not a direct approach.”   

 

IN NASHVILLE, HOMELESSNESS IS ON THE RISE. IT ROSE ALMOST 10% FROM 2015-2016. IN THE U.S., THERE ARE ONLY FIVE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE HAVING SUCH DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THEIR HOMELESS POPULATION, AND ONE OF THEM IS LOS ANGELES.  HAVING LIVED IN BOTH LA AND NASHVILLE, DO YOU THINK YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS GIVEN A CERTAIN FLAVOR TO THIS PRODUCTION?  

“Probably!” he replied.  “That’s so interesting to know that statistically. That’s where I’ve lived my life— LA, then Nashville—I guess it’d be a different experience living in different places. I’ve done work in Los Angeles, on Skid Row and it’s definitely impacted me. In college, I had so many conversations with people who chose—it was their choice, they could have done other things, but they chose to be homeless. Sometimes it was because of a psychological dysfunction, other times it’s like I said earlier, more of a political response. But then other people, who have addictions and their life was driven by addiction into this devastating state of existence, and then other people who just couldn’t negotiate the expectations of their life due to anxiety and stress of traumatic experiences and they’re … just stuck.  

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE CAST? WHAT IS DIFFERENT OR UNIQUE ABOUT THEM?

He laughs, “Well, a lot of them are first timers! They’re people that I know. A little background on me is that I like to help people realize things that they might not know they can do. You know, there’s just something there and you can tell they’d enjoy this. They’d enjoy the expressive activity of communicating a story, and becoming a character, and the lessons learned through that experience, and the gift of being able to offer that story to people who have open hearts and open ears. So, for this cast, a lot of them are people who have never acted before on a stage. 

“For this play, I just approached them individually… I didn’t hold any open auditions. I didn’t really have much time. I just finished BREATHE the other day,” he joked. 

“So, I just approached them…based upon the characters that I wrote and what I would consider a natural aptitude within them, I thought I could work with them to help them realize this character, and I really enjoy that.

“I think that’s why I like to write and I like to direct. In writing, I get to formulate the story, and ensure that the quality of the plot line is intact, and develop characters in the ideal. But then in directing, my ideal synthesizes with this real person who has to actualize that character, and I really like the product that comes out of that. It’s very enjoyable for me to help that person realize this thing that they didn’t know was in them. It’s wonderful.” He laughs. “I like it a lot.”  

This cast… that’s what’s different about them. It’s made rehearsals go a little slower than I’d like, sometimes I think, “Wow, we’re doing this again,” but it’s totally worth it. And I love them. I hope they don’t feel bad about me pushing them real hard, but I refuse to let them have an amateur performance. These guys are going to blow everyone’s mind. It’s going to be a professional performance, they’re talented people—it’s going to be great.

HAS THE STORYLINE BEEN AFFECTING YOUR ACTORS? WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN?

“Yeah. They are being affected—I’ve heard them talk.

“I think one of the things that’s come up is how what would seem like trivial experiences, or even normative experiences, like listening to your parents argue or figuring out roles in a family, how those things can just stick with people into the future.

“One of the questions that this play asks,  is when it comes to one generation and the next, when does one generation end and another begin? Is it fair that when the next generation comes up, even though the other generation is co-existing and living at the same time, that they should all of a sudden make their life about the next generation—so that their life ended when the other ones began? Is there room for both of them to actualize an individual identity, or is one supposed to serve the other? Should the father serve the son, or the son the father? And when does the son get to become a self, and when does the father get to become a self—did the father already get a chance? But you know, he had a father too. So it’s like this generational consideration that I think is impacting a lot of people in the cast, thinking about what part of them is a carry-over from another experience, an interaction with someone, or the way in which they grew up.

WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION?

He laughs again.

“This is my fourth major production that I’ve now been able to write and direct, outside of numerous one acts that I’ve done. I’d like to think you get better every time you do it—you learn the craft.

“For me, I try not to allow the norms of the craft to dictate how I tell a story, so I feel rather free to tell the story in the way I think is most effective. I’ve really enjoyed the creativity I’ve been able to implement into the telling of this story.

“I’m not a big costumes-and-sets person. Because, I feel like if you don’t have a good story, what’s the point? But I feel like a lot of people go to shows because the costumes and set are  so elaborate and so wonderful. They can tolerate a not-so-great story because they think, “That was a cool set, those were cool costumes.”

“I just don’t ever want that to happen with anything that I’m doing. I feel like…if the actors can’t just sit on the stage and read the script, and it not be totally engaging, then I haven’t written a good play.

“So when they start moving, and I start giving visualization and blocking choreography to the communication, it should be exponentiating the potency of the communication—those other things shouldn’t be necessary for the communication to be powerful.  

“So, I’ve enjoyed implementing creativity to enhance the communication. It’s been a lot of fun with this production, and I hope that people will enjoy it too. They’ll have to pay attention! Because there are just some fun things you can do as a director. You know, you develop these “tricks-in-a-bag.” One of my tricks is the slow-mo. I like the slow-mo, the reverse. In Mental, I did some memory revisits through the same lines and the same thing happening twice and not telling anybody. Flashbacks within a flashback…I did that in Breathe. I just like those kinds of things.  

But I think with this piece, people are going to really see that my main prop is the person—the people themselves, the actors.

I hope it’s compelling. I think that there is no greater case study than the human being. People are fascinating. When I was younger, I used to think that people were problems you could solve. Like, “Oh yeah, that’s his problem. That’s what needs to be done for him to fix it. Oh yeah, she’s doing great, she just needs some help here, this is what she needs to do.” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that people are too fascinating and they’re not problems to be solved. They’re very live beings that just need loved, cared for, listened to, discovered, enjoyed.

“That’s going to find it’s way into this play. It finds a way into a lot of my plays. As I write more, I’m also finding that certain themes resurface. From what I’ve heard, that’s what happens with writers. You can’t go too far from where your heart is anchored.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW?

“I hope everyone comes out. It’s totally worth it. I think it will leave people spinning. I try to write so that people are like, “I’ve gotta see that again.” I hear that a lot from people who come to my shows, so hopefully this will have that same impact. Bring your friends—it’s going to be a great evening of storytelling.”

He didn’t have to ask me twice. I’ll be there.  

Kaytek the Wizard is Performed at The Arts at Center Street

Last month, The Arts at Center Street joined with Brian Hull and his team of artists, as well as NAZA (Nashville After Zone Alliance) to bring to The Arts at Center Street an original puppet show arrangement of the 1933 children's story, Kaytek the Wizard, written by Janusz Korczak. 

Two showings of Kaytek the Wizard were donated to NAZA as an opportunity for after-school programs to bring their students to an arts event that is beyond the scope of their normal exposure. C.A.S.E. after-school program lead, Craig Duffy, heard about the puppet show and immediately claimed one show for his site location in Old Hickory. After doing so, he reached out to the Arts at Center Street to sponsor the event by donating the use of our facilities, technical director and hospitality staff to put on a show for these kids that they would not soon forget. 

Two after-school programs and children from a largely low-income neighborhood were invited to attend. Nearly 100 kids were present to experience the story of Kaytek through beautiful original music, professional acting, and detailed artistry. 

BREATHE, A New Musical. A Review by Laurie Kagay

A few months ago, I was standing in the dentist office with my three kids. I began filling out the routine paperwork. After marking “none of the above” for the litany of potential health issues children encounter, for each of my three children, something happened in me. I was filled with a deep weightiness. Three times, I thought. I just marked that my kids have no health issues three times. None. Over the years, at doctors and dentists, I’d filled out the very same paperwork without considering its significance, but on this particular day, I stood crying in the dentist office. I wasn’t sure if I felt thankful, or indebted, or something else entirely. I just know that this moment was a rare gift.

I thought of the many mothers who cannot mark “no health issues,” even once. The mothers that suffer through even the most routine visits, having to explain why their child can’t talk yet, or explain  a rare condition, or list surgeries their baby had bravely endured. The inconvenience of changing physicians, only to have to go through the whole story all over again. The long days of driving to see experts. I’ve never had to do any of it. And while I’m thankful to God for that, it also makes me want to do better to serve those who do have to do it, all the time.

Last weekend I saw BREATHE: A New Musical, written by Gregg D. Garner and performed at the Arts at Center Street. This musical did to audiences what that moment in the dentist office did to me, and more. It took viewers out of their often comfortable experiences, and into a world where kids get sick (really sick). In the play program, Garner writes that the musical is a response to his greatest fear. “The mortal blows of life experience chip away at the fortitude of youthful optimism, and as a husband of 18 years, and a father to five kids (one is due this month), I have six powerful reasons to be afraid.” Cue tears, already.

Garner, with his family of 6, pictured left to right: Xavier Qodesh, Genesis Nicole, Malayah Alexia Karise, Gregg, Tara, Bonus Baby, and Justice Tsedeq. 

The opening song, Breathe, takes viewers on a journey from the most optimistic (and normal) morning, where everyone is hustling to get ready for work, with their concerns being where they placed their phone or coffee, to the kind of disruption no one predicts--where a child jumping rope is suddenly rushed to the ER. As a mom and visitor to the ER a time or two, it’s never the day you expect. Even with the most basic injuries (or freak accidents, in the case of my children), you’re thrown off course. Rudely reminded: life is more fragile than we realize.

Garner’s play incorporates a wide variety of characters: kids, their parents, a janitor, a teacher, a mom, a CEO, and a variety of hospital personnel. Each of them are touched by the same mortal blow: they don’t have control, not even the doctors... even the most talented doctor,  Morten Walker. Different characters reach for that control in different ways: vying for position, choosing sensible “realism,” or my favorite outlook, typified in Charity Walker, played by Tori Roufs. “Cher” chooses faith against the odds, even in the midst of other people telling her she needs to be more realistic with the chances. Cher is a great mom who teaches us a profound lesson: in the midst of a very complicated world, worrying will get you nowhere. Dance parties will help.

BREATHE was like that, constantly moving you from light hearted laughable moments to tears, with more speed than you could predict. For me, most effectively in the “Dream Song,” which was a heartbreaking look into the effect of illness on the lives of children, but sung to a quite upbeat tune with perfect dramatic touches and choreography.

BREATHE, A New Musical has a cast of 14 children, who bring a vibrant energy to the stage. Their youthful enthusiasm and joy give needed moments of comedy and rest amidst a story that is constantly compelling you to feel deeply. 

I can’t say too much without giving away the story (I know the production is finished, but I’m subtly hinting that it should be picked back up, perhaps in a bigger theater since all their shows were sold out). What I can say is that it was wonderful. I was truly impressed with the talent of the cast, and most notably the lead: Skylar Aaseby, a triple threat. His relationship to his friends, his wife, and the medical professionals he works with every day was so honest and relatable, you couldn’t help but laugh. But the story is just as notable a feat as its execution, or perhaps moreso.

BREATHE was able to take me back to that moment in the dentist office and attribute even more significance to it. I was no longer just able to say “I’ve been so protected from my greatest fear.” Instead, I was given a window into families who deal with illness every day, as well as the notable second families (compassionate health care providers) who care for them. I gained far more than an awareness of their journey, I gained their soundtrack, their heart’s cry.

But there were other members of the audience much stronger than I. Mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers who know those hospital rooms too well. The cast themselves were so moved by the story that they offered personal invitations to friends and family members who’ve had to brave this journey. On any given night, there were audience members present who were able to watch their own stories play out before them on the stage: the mother of a toddler leukemia survivor, a mother of an infant with a rare genetic condition, others with chronic illness, and still more who’ve won, or lost, the battle to live. From what I witnessed, this production was a gift to them as well. As one mother told me, “When this is your everyday, there are only so many moments you can process. Most of the time, you’re just holding your breath, you’re surviving.” Garner gave these precious families a gift as well--he gave them words they may not have formed yet, he gave the world a window into their struggle. He reminded them that they have to breathe, and also to dance.

BREATHE, A New Musical celebrates the possibility for life and joy even amidst trials and suffering. The story gives voice to the stories of many who deal with very difficult situations. 

BREATHE was an invitation to do more than watch and think, “What if it was me?” but instead to do good on behalf of those who struggle to be well.

“I’m gonna do good.

I’m gonna excel.

Not for myself,

But for others to be well.”

We’re not all doctors, but we’re all people, capable of a compassionate touch, or a listening ear. We’re capable of walking that short journey down the hall, or down our street, or downtown, to give company to those who are dreaming of a world without pain.

Choosing to BREATHE

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH GREGG D. GARNER, WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF BREATHE, A NEW MUSICAL

The premiere of an original 3-act musical is an event.  There is hardly a more demanding, collaborative medium of artistic expression, so the appearance of an original work of this scale makes us wonder: What impelled a group to take this on? What artistic idea was so precious that it needed to be explored and questioned and presented with all the gusto that the musical format provides?

I sat down with the director, Gregg Garner, to explore this question. I met him in the theater, days before the performance, and he was gracious enough to answer my questions in between directing the lighting technicians on how the lighting of the stage should be done. That's right. Along with writing the script and all the songs for BREATHE, along with directing the musical from start to finish, he is also the lighting designer.

"What originally inspired you to start writing this musical--was there an idea or experience?" I ask in the darkness of the theater. "Well, nothing was really coming to mind, and I don't really like to force that stuff. I like to sit and wait. But as I was waiting, nothing was really hitting me."

Gregg tells me that he had even tried to start a musical, but it had ended up in some kind of dystopian future, and it turned out to be not what he was looking for at all. That's when he decided to take a different approach. "I started to ask myself hard questions," Gregg says, "And the question I decided to ask was: What are you most afraid of?"

Three of Garner's four children are in the BREATHE cast. His daughter, Genesis, wrote on the Arts at Center Street Instagram, "Something really special about me in relation to BREATHE is that my daddy is the writer and director. I LOVVVE watching my dad direct. It's cool to watch him lead people in making BREATHE come to life. Leading has always been something my dad is really good at. And I hope with all my heart to be like him when I'm older."

"I thought about it, and what I am most afraid of is watching people I love suffer and die. More specifically, my children." The fear was far from an abstraction for Gregg. Life had already forced the issue. Physicians had told him and his wife that his son was going to be born with a hole in his heart, and that he would live a life of immediate decline and suffering.

The BREATHE children's cast
"There are fourteen of us, ages 6-14. BREATHE has been a whole other way to continue to build our friendships. We all really enjoy hanging out with each other and singing songs together on our free time. You all are going to absolutely LOVE watching us perform and act on behalf of sick kids all around the world." (Genesis Garner)

"I thank God Justice was born a healthy, thriving boy."

"But when he turned 8 years old," Gregg continued, "he'd have these crazy palpitations, running into the 250s for no reason. You're so helpless in those moments."  The search for diagnosis and a solution led him back to the hospital, where he encountered other children who faced their own threatening challenges. "In the end, with Justice's situation, he ended up being part of a very low percentage of kids that could actually live with his condition."

The whole experience made Gregg confront the fear of facing something you have no power to overcome. "For me, I'm a problem solver. I look for creative alternatives for how to do the things I want to do, and I typically don't allow a 'no,' or someone's statement of impossibility, to stop me. But when it comes to mortality, that's a whole other opponent. And it doesn't matter how gifted you are: you can't skirt the power of death."

In BREATHE, Gregg created a character who faces their professional limits in a very personal way. "I decided to create a story universe where a person handles major problems with the body for his profession. And he is quite brilliant. His name is Dr. Walker. He is a well-known, world-class physician. "

"Then what happens," Gregg continued, "is that his only daughter becomes sick.  She goes from being someone who he never wanted to bring to the hospital, to someone who is now coming for treatment."

Dr. Walker has that necessary drive to overcome, to solve, but there are limits to what a human being can do. Gregg explains, "A big question I wanted to ask was: As gifted as someone can be, will they be able to identify their limits enough to recognize that to give someone their presence--to sit with someone who is suffering at the end--may be more of a gift, than the exercises of what, as with many gifted people, comes very easy."

The lead will be played by Skylar Aaseby. Because BREATHE is being put on by a theater troupe, Gregg already knew some of the talent he had to draw form.  "When I write my characters, because of the theater company, and knowing the people in it, I can write my characters to fit certain personalities."

This was true of Dr. Walker's character, "I knew Skylar Aaseby could play Dr. Walker because he's quite an innovative guy himself. He doesn't let circumstances stop him from accomplishing what he wants to do. So he knows that sensation of coming up against a wall and finding a way around it. But he's also a tender-hearted guy."

Dr. Walker, a man split between being an insuperable physician and loving father, faces a fundamental human dilemma. There is such a drive in human beings to gain mastery over life, and so much innovation has come from it, but how do we keep ourselves from losing life amidst that drive--the life that is so precious and that we ultimately, despite our best efforts, can't hold onto.

I asked Gregg what question he wants people to be discussing after seeing BREATHE. After thinking a little bit -- "Wow. I have to narrow it down to one? That's tough," he tells me. He settles on this question:  "How are we spending our time?" 

Gregg continues:  "Am I building up my knowledge base, and expending my energy, because I anticipate this moment in time when I can exert it, and overcome the obstacles and challenges that hit us in life, that challenge our well being? Or, am I going to be able to concentrate on what life is in front of me?"

"In simple terms, it’s like the decision between, Are you going to work overtime or are you going to get to your kid's baseball game? And I'm biased. I'm telling you. My bias is: get to the baseball game. And I hope this play helps more people get to the game."

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BREATHE, A New Musical runs March 2nd-12th at the Arts at Center Street, with 7pm shows on Thursday-Sunday evenings, 2pm matinees on both Saturdays and 3pm on Sundays. 

Press Release: New Work from Gregg D. Garner Opens at The Arts at Center Street

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For Immediate Release 

The Arts at Center Street Presents BREATHE, A New Musical

Nashville, TN (March 3, 2017)

BREATHE, A New Musical is the story of a gifted doctor’s ambition to save those he loves by overcoming the limitations set in place by the administrative powers bent on making money at the hospital, while coming to the sobering realization that he can’t save everyone. Can he confront the power of death, the constraints of time, and surrender his ambitions to be present with those he loves? Or will he risk losing those last moments in order to work and possibly save them from dying?

BREATHE is the latest original work by Gregg D. Garner, writer and director of the recent play MENTAL and the award-winning ALIEN: Musical. BREATHE features 28 original songs and a cast of 31 actors, including members of the Center Street Theatre Co. 

Tickets are available for purchase at The Arts at Center Street website: www.theartsatcenterstreet.com

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Announcing OPEN MIC NIGHT featuring Benjamin Reese

The Arts at Center Street is happy to present our Fall open mic night, featuring only local poets!

Hosted by: The Arts at Center Street
401 Center Street, Nashville, TN 37138

$5 cover charge
Sign-ups begin at 8:00pm
Event begins at 8:30pm
Performers must be 18 years or older
In order to perform, you must submit a summary of your act and/or lyrics in advance to: info@theartsatcenterstreet.com. 

For more information, call the Arts at Center Street Box Office at: (615) 541-9716

MENTAL Receives Glowing Reviews in its 2-Weekend Run

MENTAL was met with high praise from audiences over the course of its 2-week run. The Arts at Center Street modified its venue to allow for a personal and comfortable vibe in which to view the show. Members of the Center Street Theatre Co. performed for sold-out shows, with stunning and memorable performances that left a resounding impact on viewers, who are already asking for a return of this memorable play to the Arts at Center Street stage. 

The Arts at Center Street presents MENTAL, written and directed by Gregg D. Garner and funded in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission

MENTAL is an original work by Gregg D. Garner, funded in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission, and performed by members of the Center Street Theatre Co. 

Press Release: ALIEN: The Musical is invited to Vanderbilt University

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For Immediate Release 

December 2015

ALIEN: The Musical will be featured in the Chancellor of Vanderbilt's 2015/2016 lecture series as the first event of 2016. The performance will take place January 26. The musical will be performed at Ingram Hall in the Blair School of Music, Vanderbilt Campus, Nashville, TN. There is no charge for admission. 

ALIEN: The Musical, written and directed by Gregg D. Garner, was performed in 2015 at The Arts at Center Street in Nashville, TN, in Columbus Ohio, and at TPAC's Polk Theater. The show continues to receive praise as a deeply impactful communication that resonates in a unique moment in history. 

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ALIEN: The Musical Video Podcasts

The Arts at Center Street Hosts its Second Open Mic Night

The Arts at Center Street will host its second open mic event Saturday, May 30, 2015. The first, titled “Odes & Odysseys,” which debuted in Spring 2014, featured our very own artist in residence, Benjamin Reese. 

When asked about his motivation as a poet, Reese said, “I write poetry because I want to use language in surprising, inventive, and meaningful ways. I want to speak something that doesn’t just communicate facts, but moves, challenges, and awakens the listener.” 

Of last year's event, reviewer Brynn Buchanan wrote, “Poetry knows no borders. It crosses cultures, genders, and generations. It can be used and shared by both the literate and illiterate. It is a medium that powerful history writers cannot commandeer, for whoever can speak an honest word can tell a poem. It was in this spirit that the night of poetry was enjoyed, and, considering such, it was quite a success.” It is in this same spirit that we continue our tradition of creating a space and a moment for poets to share their words with others.

This year, The Arts at Center Street invites musicians and poets to perform. Benjamin Reese will return as resident featured poet, with the addition of local artist, Saran Thompson. A bilingual hip-hop artist, poet and music producer from Antioch, Tennessee, Thompson strives to write in such a way that promotes positivity and reinforces integrity with his listeners.

ALIEN: The Musical Official Trailer

After shows in Old Hickory, TN and Columbus Ohio, ALIEN: The Musical by Gregg D. Garner goes to TPAC's Polk Theater in July 2015. 

The Arts at Center Street Press Release: By popular demand, ALIEN: The Musical returns to the stage for 2 weekends in January 2015

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For Immediate Release

The Arts at Center Street premiered ALIEN: The Musical, an original production in three acts, written and directed by Gregg Garner, the first weekend in December, 2014.

Critical reception was overwhelming. All shows were performed to a sold out crowd and in response, The Arts at Center Street has added more shows in order to meet the demand.

Newly scheduled performance dates are as follows: January 3rd, 9th and 10th at 7:30 p.m., January 4th and 11th at 5 p.m. and a matinee on January 10th at 2:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $12 general admission, and may be obtained by calling (615) 541-9716 or by visiting www.theartsatcenterstreet.com.

ALIEN: The Musical explores, in three acts, the historical amnesia related to American immigration. The play not only examines political issues, but also the social realities connected to migration. Themes of class struggle, race, power, and generativity come to life in the intersecting stories of two families over the course of 100 years. 

Regarding the relevant matters he grapples with in ALIEN, local playwright Gregg Garner states: “These issues are too complicated to respond to outside the power of a narrative. Our societal failure to remember is our refusal to accept our vulnerable condition as human beings – that we’re all the same, and we all need a chance.”

The Arts at Center Street is a performing arts venue known for featuring local playwrights and their original works. Since opening its doors, The Arts at Center Street has hosted musical theatre, poetry readings, dance competitions and music festivals. The Arts at Center Street Theatre Co. is in its third season and has produced seven very well received productions.

The Arts at Center Street is one of the only arts organizations in the Old Hickory, Donelson and Hermitage areas of Nashville. Part of its mission is to bring beneficial conversation concerning very relevant issues related to the community within which it’s situated – which is especially well accomplished with this particular production. ALIEN tells the story of an Irish family who migrated to the United States in the late 1800s and struggled to make a home. Continuing into present day, descendants of this Irish family come into conflict with Latino immigrants whose story mirrors that of their ancestors.

ALIEN: The Musical is a heartwarming, challenging story about real people, living real life. It promises to provoke many tears, much laughter and great dialogue. Don’t miss the opportunity to see this epic production, back by popular demand!

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"ALIEN: The Musical" Rating - ATTN Parents

Hey PARENTS!  (SPOILER ALERT TO EVERYONE ELSE!)

Please read below for an important announcement concerning ticket purchases for our “Alien” Production.  (Spoilers revealed under the SPOILER ALERT heading below!).

ANNOUNCEMENT: Kids under 7 are not recommended to attend.

The storyline of this production is not appropriate for all ages. There are some elements and moments that are a little intense for some children. The story is of a caliber that it requires a certain level of understanding, so that a small child will need to have it explained to them.  An older child will be able to articulate questions about what they’ve seen and heard, and the viewing can an educational one.

For this reason, we are giving “ALIEN: The Musical” what the MPAA would call a Y-7 rating. This means no kids under 7 are recommended to attend. If you choose to bring your child, you will be responsible for their theater etiquette in addition to the effect the play will have on them.

We strive to produce stories with purpose that engage our audiences in real life, relevant issues. This means that sometimes our content is not appropriate for all ages. This particular production contains themes and messages children under 7 would have difficulty understanding.

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SPOILER ALERT:

The word “hell” is used in song.

The word “pissed” is used in song.

There are multiple references to alcohol, and scenes in a pub.

There are 2 euphemisms used for intimate relations.

A character dies from gun violence.

There will be two scenes, a total of 90 seconds worth, of physical violence, limited to some beating, and wrestling characters to the ground.

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We guarantee this production contains meaningful themes, and thought provoking moments that some kids will benefit from, but we concede, it is not for all kids, and you parents would know best.  We thank everyone for their understanding, and are so excited to share “Alien: The Musical” with you.

ALIEN Rehearsals: A Few Moments Captured

A play on paper can be a good read. You can engage a plot, learn perspectives from the characters, and be moved by the message within the text. However, when the script meets the actor, the play takes on a whole new dynamic. The character is re-written by the actor and director as they find a moving way to communicate their place in the storyline. Here are some pictures from our latest rehearsal where this synthesis of character, actor, and director are finding their place on the stage." #alienthemusical #actor #director #writing #playwright #script