Songs for a New World Dramaturgy

Learn More about the Show with Dramaturgy

Over the past three decades, the role of the dramaturg and literary manager has expanded in the United States and Canada alongside the increasing importance of contemporary playwriting.

Dramaturgy for Songs for a New World is supported in part by

A Note from the Director

A New World of Songs for 2022

I was fortunate to have been invited to the very first reading of Songs for a New World at Nola Studios in midtown Manhattan in the early 90s. The space was small, dank, and gritty, but I was immediately transported by Jason’s glorious score. I was a young 20-year-old actor and the show resonated with me deeply, even through much more innocent eyes. All these years later, I have seen how audiences have responded to this material, and how their reactions have evolved as well. It has been produced all over the world, and now, nearly three decades later… the show has taken on a completely different meaning for me. Just as potent. I have spent my entire adult life listening to these songs and following the journey of this show, so I am even more excited to direct it now… as a grown up… but most importantly, as someone whose story in this nation continues to evolve!

Traditionally, the show is done as a rather abstract song cycle. We have decided to approach this piece as 15 mini-musicals, with each song treated as its own sort of short story– a beautiful patchwork of tales only connected by the thematic and emotional strings that weave the piece together.

Thematically, I am intrigued by who the recipients of these stories might be, which begs the question… who do we feel comfortable opening up to, especially in times of crises and change? A family member? A friend? A therapist? A bartender? An old lover? A complete stranger? A higher power? How does the listener shape our stories?

These songs speak to our vulnerabilities, our imperfections, and our humanity, exploring those moments in life when everything seems perfect and then suddenly disaster strikes. When we are thrust into uncharted territory, what do we do? How do we move forward? It’s about the way we regroup and figure out how to survive in a new set of circumstances – a new world – even against seemingly overwhelming odds.

I am honored to be collaborating with the incredible team at Village Theatre and this extraordinary and diverse group of local artists. I am so excited to have a completely BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) cast to weave this tapestry of stories from each of our unique perspectives, breathing new life into what has become a modern musical theatre classic, putting our own definitive spin on this material in these tempestuous times.

These stories are cathartic. They are a rollercoaster of experiences and emotions, both funny and challenging, and in the end, we are left with hope. We are challenged to listen to that part of our hearts that we take with us every day– to the song that no one can take away. These are the melodies that will shape this world generation after generation. And perhaps…by truly listening to each other and trusting each other…we’ll be fine.

Enjoy the show!
Devanand

Thematic Exploration

Deeper Meaning Behind “A New World”

What Do We Mean When We Say “A New World?”
(Some) Dramaturgy Notes and Research on Learning and Unlearning

By Ana Marίa Campoy, Dramaturg

When I hear the phrase “a new world”, two things come to mind. The first being, colonization—the assumption that settlers had (and continue to have) the land we preside on as not inhabited; invalidating the Indigenous Nations, whose people, languages, cultures, and practices existed across this continent for thousands of years. The invitation to learn and unlearn the stories and history of “the new world” expands our view of the land we walk, but also grows our hearts and empathy. The following are a few resources the Village Theatre artistic team explored while discussing this topic:

Documentary Film: Gather (available on Netflix). From the website, “Gather is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political, and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.”

TedTalk, Nikki Sanchez, Decolonization Is for Everyone

TedTalk, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story

Interpedence: Global Solidarity and Local Actions, What is Decolonization, Why is it Important, and How can we Practice It?

After colonization, the other thought that comes to mind after hearing the phrase “a new world” is Grace Lee Boggs and her speech, ‘Reimagine Everything’. In both her activism and her philosophy, she challenges us to believe that our imaginations are capable of not only addressing our current issues, but revitalizing ourselves, our communities, and our work.

From ‘Reimagine Everything’:

“The time has come for us to reimagine everything. We have to reimagine work and go away from labor. We have to reimagine revolution and get beyond protest. We have to think not only about change in our institutions, but changes in ourselves. We are at the stage where the people in charge of the government and industry are running around like chickens with their heads cut off. It’s up to us to reimagine the alternatives and not just protest against them and expect them to do better.

We are at the point of a cultural revolution in ourselves and in our institutions that is as far-reaching as the transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture 11,000 years ago, and from agriculture to industry a few hundred years ago. How do we reimagine education? How do we reimagine community? How do we reimagine family? How do we reimagine sexual identity? How do we reimagine everything in the light of a change that is so far reaching and is our responsibility to make? We have to think beyond capitalist categories. We can’t expect them to make it. We have to do the reimagining ourselves.”