“What’s a ‘Modern Classic’?”
As we sat enjoying a Mother’s Day meal with my in-laws, and they looked over my new business cards, my father-in-law asked with a quizzical smirk, “What’s a Modern Classic, one of your plays?”
“Not necessarily… but it’s not going to be anything political, or based on a movie, or anything that people can’t relate to in 50 years.”
Here, friends, I’ll offer a deeper explanation:
A Modern Classic endures… more than mere commentary or a sign of the times, it is a reflection of where we’ve been and where we are headed. Though it may have an off-hand reference that might date the time it was written, or produced, it’s far from dated material. Themes that are universal, experiences that are essential to the human experience, these are at the heart of a Modern Classic. Real people populate its world — people we all know and recognize as ourselves, or others who have been a part of our lives, no matter how big or small a part they played.
I tend to focus on family because I see family, those we’re born into and those we choose, as dynamic and organic… a perfectly natural place to start, because against the backdrop of these relationships, we grow the most.
Theatre-goers, and people in general, want stories they can hold on to, stories whose value is apparent not only because of their production values, but because of their inherent quality… because it’s obvious time and care were taken to tell these stories.
Some may think I’m crazy to take months or even years to write and produce stories, especially since the final product is seen and heard in a matter of minutes or hours, but I know it’s worth it, because an epiphany that happens in a moment can change a whole life — or even many lives… and even lifetimes to come.
–Sue
Add comment May 11th, 2009
