30 Days of NYMF on BroadwayWorld Day 12: Coming Full-Cycle by David Southerland

COMING "FULL-CYCLE"
by David Southerland (Exec. Dir. of AWOL Theatre Project) with special thanks to Matthew Trombetta

"Every story has a beginning, a middle, and an end." The beginning of The Mistress Cycle was a poem written by author Beth Blatt years ago "on a bitter Saturday morning," which became the song "Death By A Thousand Cuts." Composer Jenny Giering says "the poem resonated with me so strongly that it was instantly a song in my head." The two were fascinated with the notion of what it means to come second in a relationship and began writing a song cycle about five mistresses.

As the show developed, the pair tested a few versions with full-blown books. Not finding a satisfying structure, they decided it was time to begin again. With the help of a Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Grant, the mentorship of Stephen Schwartz, and the guidance of director Joe Calarco, they took what they had learned of the characters and "shed the shackles of previous drafts," as Jenny puts it, to get back to the song cycle structure they first employed. Last fall, AWOL Theatre Project produced a reading of this version, allowing the creative team to assess the stories they really wanted to tell.

Coming "full-cycle" clearly illuminated the next steps on the path to making this now "song-cycle-plus," as Beth refers to it, a real piece of theatre, not just a collection of beautiful songs. "NYMF is an invaluable experience for the development and growth of the piece," says Calarco. Stephanie Bast (Nine) adds, "I love change and I really trust Joe's vision." Lisa Brescia (Aida) agrees: "I thoroughly enjoy the collaborative process." Lynne Wintersteller (Closer than Ever) notes how rare a piece like The Mistress Cycle is: "It's fascinating to work on a piece with five strong female roles. Not only have they written for the female voice, but also for the female spirit. This is an incredible piece of art."

The NYMF rehearsal process has been especially potent. Assistant Director Matthew Trombetta says "they've managed to make some cuts, rewrite songs and experiment with the order of the show" to bring the focus back to the contemporary character of Tess. All five actresses, including Broadway's Mary Bond Davis (Hairspray) and Sally Wilfert (Assassins) are "feeling good," and as the piece takes shape and the buzz around the show and the festival mounts, "the energy in the rehearsal room is electric," adds Trombetta. Though we're ultimately working toward some "end" of this musical's story, it's extremely exciting to be part of the middle of its story.