Daphne's Sunset
Getting ready for a three week festival lends itself to lots of preparation and busy schedules, but despite the craziness, I got the chance to talk a little bit with the writers of Daphne's Sunset, Alex Mitchell and Kevin Jaeger, through a series of email conversations.
• Tell me a little about the writing team of Jaeger & Mitchell.
AM: I am central New Jersey born and raised by two incredibly loving, blue collar, parents who have no idea what I'm doing with my life but are incredibly supportive nonetheless. I went to a conservatory in NYC for acting and then bounced around regional theaters across the country performing. In 2010 I took a summer gig at the Surflight Theatre and that’s where I met Kevin.
KJ: And I’m the third of four children in a tight-knit family and my childhood was spent in the early years in Ohio and later in Florida. I attended Florida State University where I received a degree in Music…and then I too entered the professional theatre world as an actor/singer. I took the job at Surflight in 2010 because it was on a beach and it reminded me of home in Florida.
AM: Once we became friends that summer, we found we both had an unfulfilled passion for writing—so we became the writing team Jaeger & Mitchell and haven’t looked back since.
• Is CMTF the premiere or has it played in other places before? If so, where and when?
AM: Under the working title of A Modern Myth, we premiered a 15 minute selection in the 2012 West Village Musical Theatre Festival. The project then became Spot on the Wall and was seen as a full reading in 2013 and again in the WVMTF in 2014.
KJ: Last year, the show (appearing as Spot on the Wall) was a 2015 New York Musical Festival Next Link Project and enjoyed a celebrated extended run in August.
AM: But since the premiere in NYMF in 2015, we’ve done quite a few revisions: we cut a few songs, wrote a few new ones, we cut a character, Kevin rewrote a large portion of the book—
KJ: We changed the title—again.
AM: Exactly—so we’re very much viewing this production, produced by CPA Theatricals, as the World Premiere of Daphne’s Sunset.
• What inspired you to write this show?
AM: This show was inspired by the people around us—the brilliant actors, directors, designers, and industry professionals who breathe life into the magic of the stage. We wanted to write a show that everyone could sink their teeth into and share together.
KJ: And the idea for the show started really with the setting: a museum. A place where everyone gathers together to stand, or sit, or leisurely pass by—and just look. Or stare. Or listen. And from that place, that almost sacred space where art and expression and emotion are protected and, in a way, confined—that’s where the idea for Daphne’s Sunset began.
• What do you love most about the show in its current state?
AM: In one word: balance. The balance musically, thematically, and emotionally feels like we’ve found something really special.
KJ: My favorite part is the clarity of the story. We’ve put a lot of work into the transformation from Spot on the Wall to Daphne’s Sunset and I think we’re telling the story we truly want to tell.
• Have you started rehearsals? How are they going?
KJ: Rehearsals have begun! I was fortunate enough to attend the first two weeks of rehearsals and I was truly blown away by the talent and passion of the Chicago cast and creative team assembled by the wonderful Larry Little at CPA Theatricals. Workshopping the material with the cast, the amazing Musical Director Justin LaForte, and the brilliant Director Mark Lococo helped us to make important discoveries that led to further revisions to the book and score. We’re so grateful for all of their collaboration in this process.
AJ: Since we’re based in NYC, someone had to stay and man the fort—but I’ve been in constant contact with Kevin and the creative team during the rehearsal process. It’s very surreal sitting in my apartment in NYC working on music changes knowing there is a brand new team I've never met putting so much care and emotion into our work. It almost won’t seem real until I see it on opening night.
• How is it seeing the material "on its feet" so to speak, with actors in rehearsal?
KJ: It’s been amazing to see the actors begin to embody the characters and start to discover who they are in their own eyes. Mark and Justin have both been excellent in facilitating the process of creating the world these people live in and each actor has discovered something that I didn’t expect that has brought a depth and honesty that you can’t just achieve with words and music. It’s really inspiring to watch it coming to life.
• What are your goals with the production at CMTF?
AM: Our goal for Daphne’s Sunset at CMTF is to discover the clearest, truest version of the story we want to tell that hopefully leaves the audience changed for the better.
KJ: And ideally the audience enjoys themselves along the way.
• What are you most looking forward to for the festival in the next few weeks?
AM: The audience reaction! It's the most reliable way to gauge if something works or it doesn’t. I'm counting down the seconds as we speak!
KJ: And the chance to see some of the other productions at CMTF. It’s exciting and humbling to be included in this group of talented writers all carrying the torch for new and original musicals. Oh—and I’m looking forward to seeing Daphne’s Sunset printed on a program for the first time.
AM: Unless we should change the title again—I’m sure there’s still time.
KJ: No, this one feels right. But I guess we’ll see—
AM: We’ll find out in Chicago.
Paul Hunter is only hours away from the gala opening of his exhibition of photographs chronicling his mother’s recent lost battle with cancer when the surprise, last-second addition of his most emotionally-charged piece, "Daphne's Sunset," ignites an explosion of painful memories for those closest to him. As Paul and his Father struggle to see eye to eye and face their pain on display at the museum, the truth behind Daphne's Sunset forces everyone to confront the darkness left in the wake of tragedy and find the beauty in both the light and the shadows. With a vibrant and contemporary score written for acoustic guitar and a timeless story of the bonds of love and passion, Daphne's Sunset challenges us to question how far is too far in the journey of self-expression. Music by Alex Mitchell, Book and Lyrics by Kevin Jaeger, Directed by Mark Lococo, and Music Direction by Justin LaForte. Daphne's Sunset is presented by CPA Theatricals, producer Larry Little.
Check out the Performance Dates page on the 2016 CMTF Blog to find the performance times for Daphne's Sunset, and visit cmtf.org for more information and tickets.
Image: Jaeger & Mitchell. Credit: Derek Fearon
Image: Cast, going clockwise from 1 o'clock: Gary Smiley, Cody Dericks, Colleen DeRosa, Jessica Thigpen, Gerald Richardson
