When the power of Tchaikovsky's music forces two couples to confront their ideas about themselves and each other, what follows is a desperate struggle to hold onto the lives they have made in the face of the lies they have told. Through biting humor, an unshakeable belief in romantic love, and a jab at New Age philosophy, “Jericho” reveals not only the walls we all have built, but the fragile heart that lies just on the other side.

Friday, October 2, 2015

JOIN THE CONVERSATION!!!

Audience members are strongly encouraged to leave feedback below!

To leave comments, click on the word "comments" at the end of this blog post.

To leave anonymous feedback, click on the menu next to "Comment As:" and select "Anonymous"

Thank you for your time and consideration!

Posted by at

14 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 5, 2015 at 11:06 AM

    I wanted more elephants! No :) first of all congratulations! It was an amazing, thought-provoking play. I do have some thoughts that I hope might be helpful.

    This may be something that can be solved with direction rather than writing, but I didn't feel a huge connection between Ray and Audrey. Or at least not a strong enough connection to instigate the rest of the action. Nor did I feel like the situation was so awkward that it warranted Jimmy pointing it out which led to the whole confrontation.

    I would be very interested to see what would happen if Audrey was older, maybe in her 30s? I understand that making her younger lends itself to her being this idealistic vagabond who is also impressionable and makes her inclined to want to make herself into all of these things that Ray wants her to be. But if she was older it would make it feel more like "star-crossed lovers" and less like Ray was having a mid-life crisis. Also it would take away Shannon's ammunition to discredit her. (Although I liked what Shannon said to her) it would make it a fairer fight.

    I also had some trouble with Ray's character. I wanted to be on his side. He said he didn't want to hurt Shannon but at the same time he said some really hurtful things to her which I don't think he ever apologized for. And he made a big deal about telling the truth, but totally didn't care when Audrey was caught in a big lie. (LOVED THAT SHE WAS CAUGHT IN A LIE)

    Anyway, I hope this is helpful. Congratulations again. It was a very interesting play. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John HindmanOctober 8, 2015 at 10:42 AM

      Very helpful. Thank you so much

      Delete
  2. AnonymousOctober 5, 2015 at 7:53 PM

    My goodness, these people! I wanted to give each of them a big hug. Each individual struggle pulls on your heartstrings. The exploration of truth is daunting, but you manage to teeter the knifes edge until one person has a revelation. I love how you incorporate the music playing as Ray gives his eloquent monologue of how he felt when he heard it for the first time. Music has such a power to move us and with each note, pitch, crescendo, it can reverberate off your soul. It was in that moment, that build, where Ray goes over the edge. Yet he doesn’t fall, he soars. The music provided that and the room felt full with him.

    You’ve written such a beautiful piece. I absolutely loved every minute of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aquila Morong StudioOctober 9, 2015 at 8:15 AM

      Thank you for your comments. I feel as you do. With music I'd be lost. Thank you for coming.

      Delete
  3. AnonymousOctober 6, 2015 at 11:13 AM

    Overall, it's good. It's clever, tolerably pretentious, and surprisingly heartbreaking. All the monologues can be trimmed way down, they don't sound real. Also, maybe it was just the direction, but Ray seeming happy didn't feel right. It might be something he felt the need to say, but it probably wouldn't make him smile so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aquila Morong StudioOctober 9, 2015 at 8:20 AM

      Astute. I agree. "Tolerably pretentious" perfect!! HAHAHA

      Thanks again!

      Delete
  4. AnonymousOctober 6, 2015 at 5:51 PM

    Congratulations on a beautifully written piece. I felt thoroughly satisfied at the end of the play. That said, I have some rambling thoughts... In the beginning of the play, Ray is so detached from his loveless life with Shannon and her almost-affair -- or at least the emotional one she's courting with the chef -- that he doesn't seem to be giving up a lot in confessing his love for Audry.

    So although Ray seemed to experience a high cost in exposing his love for Audry, I didn't see or feel enough of the history with Shannon that their relationship would be worth fighting for...except maybe the numbing comfort of familiarity...which, by default, possibly leads him directly to contempt and partly explains the cruelty he shows her.

    It also seemed like Ray was having a typical mid-life crisis, making his choice feel slightly more cliche and less like the result of an exhausted and life-long process of searching and not finding.

    I love how Ray's epiphany around the lie that he was living was not fully realized or articulated until Audry started lying. By the way, that was genius.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousOctober 6, 2015 at 9:27 PM

    Overall I thought this was wonderful! Heartfelt, meaningful, and thought provoking. So congratulations for that!!!

    Some food for thought... I felt that some of the monologues were a bit long winded. I also felt that Ray's character seemed a bit indifferent about his relationship to Shannon that when he began to profess his feelings for Audry it comes off as a man who's looking for a greener pasture rather than seeking the true feeling of love.
    Otherwise I completely enjoyed it and applaud you and the cast!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousOctober 6, 2015 at 11:20 PM

    Great writing points out how pathetic we all are while charming us at the same time. Congrats on exposing the fraud lurking within each of us. I didn't like Shannon until the moment she accepted Ray, post humiliation, even going so far as to talk him off the ledge when really she could have thrown him off a steep one. She was the only adult in the room, who seemed to have reconciled the lie they were both living up until that point. I wondered if it was your intent to make her shrill in the beginning and kind of a sage in the end. A sage without observable feeling or depth, mind you. But wise enough to accept and forgive her emotionally stunted husband. I liked how you shared Ray's discovery of himself through the music, allowing us to experience it with him. The monologues did feel long.

    I would love to see it again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aquila Morong StudioOctober 9, 2015 at 8:23 AM

      I hear you on all counts. Thank you.

      Shannon is my favorite character, and yes, the only adult.

      Delete
  7. AnonymousOctober 12, 2015 at 11:04 PM

    It seems the comments above have covered a few things I was going to address, so I'll let those rest. I had the pleasure of seeing it twice and was enraptured by the themes as well as the characters. Your voice is ever present throughout this piece as well as your complexity. Overall I enjoyed it immensely and was thoroughly entertained.

    I did find the connection between Audry and Ray was stronger on Saturday however it didn't show up until they were left alone together. I did not see the connection show up at the beginning as Ray indicates either night. So these could either be acting/directing choices or perhaps sharpened in the writing process.

    The other exchange I did not understand was between Audry and Ray when they were bantering about Jimmy and Shannon getting the wine and Jesus stomping the grapes. I'm not sure if they ran over it both nights and that's why it's murky or if I just didn't get the jokes. But their enthusiasm and commitment certainly made me giggle.

    This is a beautiful piece and I am excited to see where you take it moving forward.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Aquila Morong StudioOctober 13, 2015 at 11:46 AM

    Thank you. The wine banter works on the page but doesn't translate o;n stage as I had hope. Thank you for coming twice and for your thoughtful notes.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)