Clementine in the Lower 9
By Dan Dietz
Originally produced at TheatreWorks, Palo Alto, CA.
October 5, 2011 through October 27, 2011
About the Premiere Production: Rebuilding a house, a love, a family, and a soul is the task of this powerfully human drama set in post-Katrina New Orleans. Here the legacy of the past haunts the realities of the present. Here the bluesy sounds of an onstage jazz band accompany a musician and his wife as they struggle to reconnect the electricity, the plumbing, and the relationships devastated by the flood of a lifetime.
Artistic Statement: Clementine in the Lower 9 is a perfect fit for TheatreWorks. It resonates with the ethos of our Silicon Valley community: a commitment to innovation, an embrace of diversity, and a belief in human potential. Based on tragedies both ancient and modern, it gravitates between despair and hope in the post-Katrina ruins of a once proud New Orleans neighborhood. Its mixed race cast finds common ground in the spiritual blues of this ravaged community, and the play boldly interweaves music and drama to chronicle a family trying to rebuild in the wake of physical and personal disaster. Catastrophes both natural and man-made have become increasingly commonplace in our daily lives. This remarkable play gives them a human face, blending the metaphorical writing of Dan Dietz and the soulful songs of Justin Ellington into a powerful vision of humanity’s resilience and resolve.
–Robert Kelley, Artistic Director
Grant Statement: This Edgerton Grant will bring the entire company of dramatic and musical artists to TheatreWorks for an additional week of rehearsal. In this economy, there could be no greater gift. It is especially critical on a work in which the interplay of music and drama takes such a defining role. The actors must play instruments, the musicians deliver monologues, and the route to success is measured by time.
–Robert Kelley, Artistic Director
News
Forum Theatre Presents CLEMENTINE IN THE LOWER 9, 5/23-6/15
BroadwayWorld.com
April 29, 2013
Review: Clementine in the Lower 9
Stark Insider
October 10, 2011
Clementine in Lower 9 a study in survival at TheatreWorks
Kedar Adour Reviews
October 10, 2011
Clementine in Lower 9
Chloe Veltman
October 10, 2011