Company: Spotlight Musical Theatre @ Pomona College
Venue: Center for Student Performance
Playwright & Composer: Devon Tao
Director & Dramaturg: Aelin Nyx
Lighting: Sandy Gottfried
Costumes: Cass Baca
Scenic & Props: Zyaire Davis
Music Direction: Devon Tao & Sage Wong-Davies
Fight Choreography: Joshua Mercer
Intimacy Direction: Arden DeForest
Synopsis: Val, a former professional pianist, struggles to find meaning in their life after losing their job to climate-change-related pressures. Together with their AI assistant IVANA, Val explores the past, present, and future in order to rediscover their “reason to be.”
Director's Note:
“The more that I write, I realize that this piece is not really about climate change at all and it's more of a love letter to music.” -Devon Tao
How do we find joy amidst dire circumstances? How do we stand steadfast against immeasurable odds? How do we reconnect to the parts of ourselves we lose during times of great stress? These are the questions that are the crux of Reason To Be.
When Devon first brought the concept of Reason To Be to the Spotlight board. I was immediately enthralled. Directing this piece has been eye-opening for me as a director, an artist, and someone who often feels drained by the current political and physical state of the world. It’s easy to lose your joy; to allow the external to become internalized. It takes an immense amount of work to choose joy. To recognize that reality is what it is, and to choose not to drown in it. To “play a small part” as Val so graciously puts it. Life wouldn’t be life if there wasn’t some challenge, but there’s beauty in choosing to live anyway.
Enjoy this clip from the number "The Pianist"
Background: Val has just smashed their AI assistant IVANA, and is now reflecting on various moments of their life.