What: “Concrete Clouds”
When: 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Cave Theatre
Tickets: $6, can be bought online or at the box office
Mental health issues are often ignored, but the selection for this year’s New Play Project puts them in the spotlight.
“Concrete Clouds” is the Cave Theatre’s latest production. The story focuses on two girls who visit the same therapist.
Devon Hayakawa, a sophomore musical theater major, wrote the show for her playwriting class during the Fall 2016 semester. Hayakawa describes the show as a story about healing.
“Mental health issues are so frequently swept under the rug in our society, and learning how to deal with them is something that isn't addressed as often as it should be,” Hayakawa said. “That being said, ‘Concrete Clouds’ doesn't hold the perfect formula for healing, it's just a show about two girls putting their lives back together however they can.”
Rehearsals started in February, though there were changes for much of the process because of the continuous editing, said Emily Fischer, who is directing the show. The junior theater directing and video production major said the scheduling process has been very hectic.
“Specifically near the end, it felt like we were running out of time by the time we locked the script and it was incredibly stressful to feel opening approaching,” Fischer said. “Overall it was an exhilarating process that pushed everyone involved and in the end we were able to create something together that we can all be proud of.”
Locking the script means deciding not to make any additional changes. The original script Hayakawa submitted was 42 pages long, but after seven rewrites, the work is 61 pages.
Directing “Concrete Clouds” was Fischer’s first experience with a new work.
“I feel that this play really helped all of us learn what it is to be artists,” she said. “It helped us to explore new territory and to build a story worth telling from the ground up.”
Watching her work come to life has been a bizarre experience, Hayakawa said.
“I'm really proud of the work the cast and creative team has done. They're all incredibly talented, and I can't imagine a better group to bring ‘Concrete Clouds’ to life,” she said. “I really hope people leave this play knowing that whatever they're going through, it's valid.”
“Concrete Clouds” will be at the Cave Studio Theatre. Tickets cost $6 and can be purchased at the box office or online.
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