Masquers Playhouse Announces Opening Of ROCKET MAN

Masquers Playhouse announces opening of ROCKET MAN. ROCKET MAN is a serious comedy about the road not taken. Danny Rowan has placed everything he owns on his front lawn, along with a sign that reads: "Here's my life. Make an offer," He has cut a skylight into his attic and placed his E-Z Boy recliner underneath -where he can sit, staring at the stars.

Somewhere in the universe, Donny believes, is a place where all the roads we never choose converge. Rocket Man explores one man's obsessive desire to find this "parallel world"-- and the profound effect of his decision on his family and friends. This wonderfully profound and thought-provoking play is brought to life by the very talented cast members including David Ghilardi, Vanessa Melendrez, Shay Oglesby-Smith, Emily Steelhammer and Bruce Kaplan.

Director Jacquie Duckworth said of the piece, "What is important in life? How do we find meaning? Is it through our work or a hobby that we are passionate about? Is it through our relationships and connections with people we love? Maybe it is in the search for a higher power. Or perhaps it is in living authentically and being fully present.

Each of the characters in Rocket Man is finding their own way to answer those questions, but Donny is stuck. He's failed at his marriage, his relationship with his daughter is in shambles, and he never pursued his "great work" to become a celebrated landscape architect. Donny wants a "do-over"; a chance to put his regrets in the rear view mirror and live his life over. He is cleaning out his attic and putting everything he owns on the front lawn with a sign that says "Here's my life. Make an offer." He has a plan. Rocket Man poses this central question - Are we "who we are" or would different choices lead us to different results?

I don't know about you, but life has changed so drastically that sometimes I can't help but feel I'm in a parallel universe. In a way, aren't we all getting a bit of a do-over ourselves?

Record numbers of people are making the decision to quit unfulfilling jobs. The isolation and separation forced upon us by Covid has necessitated that we take stock of the people most important to us and find ways to stay connected. Many of us no longer have a commute, and are finding that we have more time to examine who we are and to ask ourselves what is most essential to living a life with purpose.

Rocket Man allows us to see our own struggles played out on stage with humor and poignancy and perhaps helps us begin to ponder the question of what to abandon and what to save.

Regrets. I think it's safe to say we all have them. We regret things we have said, things we have done and perhaps the most pernicious regrets are the things we never completed or were afraid to attempt. The "What Ifs" are the mental ghosts that continue to follow and haunt us when we ruminate about the past or wish our lives were different than they are. Rocket Man explores the question that many of us have asked ourselves. What if we had a second chance to do it over?

One thing I don't regret is casting the talented actors and recruiting the highly skilled stage crew that has worked tirelessly to bring Rocket Man to life. It hasn't been without its struggles. This show is complicated. There are more than 50 props called for in the script (not including the many items used to bring a sense of reality to our attic set.). The playwright weaves philosophical concepts and scientific theories into the story which frankly at times seemed confusing. We made it our mission to tell the simple story that we can all relate to. This is a story of humans struggling with the choices they make and the consequences of those choices on the people they love. We hope this resonates with you and that you find your own meaning in this story."

Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm. from March 25, 2022 through April 23, 2022 with a special Pay-what-you-can performance on Thursday, March 31. Tickets are $30 (seniors and students save 10%) and all seats are general admission. Tickets can be purchased online at www.masquers.org or by calling (510) 232-4031. The playhouse is located at 105 Park Place, Point Richmond, CA, 94801, across from the historic Hotel Mac.

To post a comment, you must register and login.