Q&A with Emily Ezzo director of Glass: A New Musical

The Creative Team at Dry Time loves to see other amazing women making strides in the entertainment industry. We were lucky enough to sit down with Emily Ezzo, the director of Glass: A New Musical by Casey Keenan and discussed it’s up and coming premiere at the NYC Women’s Work Festival tomorrow night at The Play Room Theater.

AD: It’s great to get to talk to you about Glass: A New Musical that has been making ripples and waves in NYC since it’s conception a few years ago. Is this your directorial debut?

EE: I've directed half a dozen theatre productions in New Jersey, but Glass is my New York directorial debut!

AD: First times are always memorable and significant in one’s career development. What moved you to work on Glass: A New Musical.

EE: Last year, I heard Casey's music for the first time. It was the song "Loose Ends" that I heard first. After I heard it, I thought to myself, "This is the perfect combination of contemporary music and traditional musical theatre." From just that one song, I knew: Casey's music is going to make it to Broadway. So, when she approached me a few months ago, I was instantly thrilled to join her creative process!

AD: It’s amazing to see new work coming from strong women like yourself and Casey Keenan. How do you feel about the aesthetic and nature of the entertainment industry currently? How does Glass fit into this?

EE: Glass is perfect for the current aesthetic of theatre-- or, rather, the consistently shifting aesthetic standard of theatre! Glass toys with the idea of nostalgic triggers and human memory; it's a perfect show for visual aid. If we had a larger budget, I would have wanted translucent walls and a mirroring floor. Glass is certainly a show that lighting designers and set designers would be able to play around with! But what's even greater about Glass is that it can also be done simplistically, because the heart of the show is in the characters rather than in the spectacle of what's surrounding them. I'm excited to see what designs will arise after this performance; there's a lot of possibility there.

AD: You mentioned the characters are the heart of the show. What is the show about- without spoiling the ending for those of us who are rushing to get tickets here before they sell out (ME!)?

EE: Glass is about a young woman named Kate who is remembering the events leading up to her friends' wedding. It's a story that centers around the challenges of emerging adulthood.

AD: Wow! We’ve all been there. A lot of my friends are getting married and growing up and sometimes I think I’m going to get whiplash! When did we get old enough to get married?! Can you relate to Kate’s journey? I definitely think a lot of audience members will.

EE: That's a great question! Actually, one time, fairly early on in the rehearsal process, Casey asked me who I would want to play, if I could pick one character. My response was immediately "Kate." And, at that point, Kate wasn't even the protagonist! At that point, the story was fairly different, and Kate wasn't the focus like she is now; but even at the start, through Kate's song "Tightrope," I saw how much heart she has, and I connected with the fact that she was walking this fine line between reality and memory. I wanted to centralize the story around Kate for that reason; I think pretty much everyone can relate to her: how she has to deal with the memory of the past while trying to find meaning within it.

AD: That’s certainly something everyone struggles with no matter how old or what background they come from. It seems like you had the liberty of really molding this piece especially since you worked so closely with the writer/composer. Can you give us some insight into how you and the cast worked to bring these characters to life?

EE: Creating characters for any production-- whether it be theatre, film, or television-- is focused around three things: the workable text, the plot, and the actors playing the roles. Because this is the first time Glass is being shown, we are creating these characters for the first time as well! It's been a combination of analyzing Casey's material and making decisions based on what works for the actors and the story we are telling. A different cast or a different director analyzing and playing with Casey's libretto would have created different characters. I love the characters we have created!

AD: Thank you so much for your time Emily! I’m so excited to see Glass tomorrow night. Get your tickets before they sell out!

http://m.bpt.me/event/2541235

Glass: A New Musical premieres tomorrow night at The Play Room Theater. Music, lyrics, and book by Casey Keenan, directed by Emily Ezzo. See a list of the entire team below:

Casey Keenan- Music, lyrics, and book.

Emily Ezzo- Director

Piera Calabro- Costumes, Choreography

Sarah Godwin- Stage Manager

Lucy Freyer- Casting Director

Cast:

Jenna Marcello

Erica Bridge

Caleb Adams

Ally Barrale

Dan Kiernan

Matias Polar

Brekken Baker

Jack Martin