ASHES, ASHES, WE ALL FALL DOWN Comes to As If Theatre

As If Theatre Company will present Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down by Gretchen Douma, the first production from the company's new play development program, The Works. In its commitment to extend creative opportunities to local artists, As If developed The Works, a multi-month program in which a local playwright can develop an unpublished script through feedback from a director, actors, readers, and the public.

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down is a dark comedy about what happens when the skeletons in the closet meet the ashes in the jar. Technically, Mom has been sitting in a very sensible urn for months, waiting for her three children to agree on her final resting place. But for the Miller siblings—two sisters, one brother, and a lifetime of baggage—agreeing on anything is a tall order. As they finally come together to scatter the ashes, the ghosts of their past come calling and the meeting becomes less about the destination and more about the bumpy road they've traveled together. Amidst the bickering and the tears, they discover something surprising: family. It's a dark comedy about saying goodbye to the woman who raised them, so they can finally learn how to hold on to each other.

As the first playwright to participate in The Works, Gretchen Douma says. "A play isn't really alive until someone decides to put it on its feet. Doing that takes time, resources, patience, tenacity, and a willingness to take risks. I am incredibly grateful that As If decided to take that risk with me. I have learned so much about myself as a writer through the process of table reads and rehearsals. Getting feedback from the director and the actors has been invaluable.”