Lili Horine, as “Carmen,” forms the front of the Tree of Knowledge in a vignette from ETC upcoming play “future perfect tense.” Photo: Ryan lely/Sonoma Valley Sun
What happens when seven wise-beyond-their-years teenagers are drawn together in a safe place and begin to wax poetic on what it means to be them? Does an emotional group therapy session form during which more skeletons tumble out of closets than circus clowns emerge from that tiny car. Or do the kids’ creative juices start to flow like lava and an engaging musical is given birth during which more skeletons tumble out of closets than offloading clowns under the big top. The answer is both. Mix seven hugely talented young people with ETC! (The Experimental Theater Company) and the latter creates the former. That very thought-provoking work, “future perfect tense,” will premiere June 29 – 30 and July 1 at Sonoma Community Center’s Andrews Hall.
“future perfect tense” is written and performed by Ashley Anderson, Lili Horine, Hunter MacNair, Brady Morphy, Athen Ross, Maxime Simonet and Niko Skuljan. Their ages range from 16 to 18. Under the inspired direction of Cat Austin, ETC!’s founder and artistic director, the six-phase creative process started two years ago. In the beginning, a video camera was used to determine how safe the initial 12 participants would feel. They found that the presence of a camera helped them to be honest. From that point on the cast was self-selected. Some have stepped into the fray mid-process; some have mysteriously opted out; and one had returned to reclaim the character he created, but surrendered to another actor/writer.
“’future perfect tense’ is not about a bunch of kids ranting and raving about what’s wrong with their lives; this is about kids speaking their truths,” said Cat Austin. “As we researched, wrote and created characters, we knew what we were doing was precious. It was sacred ground we were treading upon,” she went on to say.
The magic, and perhaps the madness, is in the methodology. “future perfect tense” is “Hair”-meets-independent filmmaking. Up until a certain point in theater history, the creation of a play was a lofty, almost ethereal ‘experience. A master writer – like that Shakespeare guy – receives his characters monologues, scenes and structure from a seemingly mystical source. Then a theater producer with the necessary capital and the desire to make huge profits steps into the picture. Next a talented director is hired, who in turn selects actors he believes can fill those seats. “Hair,” which celebrates its 40th birthday this year, changed all that when it gathered a talented tribe of actors and allowed them to shape and mold a book that served more as a blueprint.
“Originally, all writing was based on stream-of-consciousness,” explained actor Maxime Simonet. “To create the context of character we went from everyone talking to allowing some sort of structure to form,” he said.
“future perfect tense” is as cinematic as it is theatrical. Digital video footage, shot by Simonet, is used both as a background source and as intricate segments of the play. When young people are doing the creating, it is inevitable that all aspects of their daily lives, including the latest technological gadgets, seep into any exploration of their post-modern essence. Reality TV, slasher movies, therapeutic psycho-babble, a bungled “War on Terror” and first love/loss/reconciliation all contribute to their emotional composition. It’s truly astounding when they emerge relatively unscathed.
“There is something so raw about breaking open and healing back up,” sang actress Athen Ross, as the journal-scribbling introvert Lake, during a scene in which her secret is revealed.
There are plenty of emotional land mines that are detonated during the rapid-flowing 90-minute show. This process, like the creation of this show, is a cathartic experience. One flows into the other and it’s not altogether necessary to separate the two. The storytellers worked extensively with the notion of stereotypes and how one overcomes those applied to him or her.
These are composite characters created by analytical young folks with much to express. In some cases, the characters are autobiographical; in other circumstances, the story-lines are what happened to friends or family; and in still other situations dreams and fantasies and reality meld into a tumultuous stew. The characters find that their feeling can lead to problems, but that those problems can lead to resolutions. The path to maturity may be a rocky one, but the journey is best taken with wide-eyed wonder.
Musical director John Simon brings his years of experience to “future perfect tense.” Working with the seven stars, he wrote songs with lyrics that emphasize each character’s unique life lessons. Simon has shared the stage with the likes of Spyrogyra, Little Anthony and The Coasters. He has also been musical director for other ETC! productions. He owns a recording studio, J Dog Studio, in Sonoma.
Choreographer Kate Leland and Light and Sound Director Nat Aslaksen round out the show’s creators. Movement plays an important part in any musical, but here it stirringly captures the awkwardness of adolescence.
The musical’s characters come to realize there’s a certain camaraderie in commiseration. They balk at the therapist’s diatribe on respect in a manner expected of rebellious youth, but they quickly move beyond the cliche. These are well-spoken, self-actualized characters who refuse to be labeled, despite their troubles. In learning to accept their comrades, they learn to accept themselves. They reach mature self-awareness during a towering finale that rings true and satisfies on every level.
“Carmen is very much a social butterfly and she’s confused about why she’s there,” said actress Lili Horine about her character. “She matures during the course of the play. Carmen comes in an immature young girl and leaves a lady.” she added.
Cat Austin, who also appears in the play in its sole adult role, formed ETC! in 2002 in response to the horrific Columbine shootings. The native Texan felt that it was high time to make a commitment to teen-age evolution and moved to bring her experience in the theater into the lives of young people. One of the main objectives of the company is to give the young actor a chance to shine in a role in a quality musical theater production. The term “experiential” is employed in the sense that audiences can expect the unexpected with quality theater coming from an unlikely age group with universal things to say.
ETC! has produced three previous musicals: “A Chorus Line” in 2003; “Godspell” in 2005; “Pippin” in 2006. The company has also entertained audiences with productions of songs from shows, like “Chicago.” “Cabaret” will be staged in the fall of this year. Teens who would like to get involved can contact ETC! for audition dates in August. Call 707.935.6675 for more information. Learn more about ETC!, its talented performers and more at its website ETCworld.org.
The show will play one weekend only, Friday and Saturday June 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 1 at 2 p.m. at Andrews Hall, Sonoma Community Center, 276 East Napa St. Sonoma. Tickets at $15 adults; $5 students (ages 15 – 18) and are available at Pharmaca, Readers Books and Sonoma Valley Music. For more information or the purchase tickets by credit card, call 707.935.6675. Due to the mature content of this show, no one under 15 will be admitted.
