David's Redhaired Death

2004 OSU production of David's Redhaired Death

Where to start with this script?  So beautiful and unexpected and strong.  Really a masterpiece of sorts (if I am at all qualified to classify anything as a masterpiece).  And this play is choc-full of fantastic monologues, though problematically they're all about being a red-head so it makes it difficult for a brunette to master any of these.  I found one good monologue that doesn't refer to being a redhead but if you know any redheads this is the play for them!  One day I really want to direct this piece.  Terrifying in its off-beat staging, by which I mean it moves all over the place really quickly.  Staging is written to be very simple but it's hard to imagine this piece in my head.  I'd really need to play around with actors to make this work right.

Anyway, enough about opinions, here's the details.

Cast:
2 females, both in their 20's-30's though I guess they could even be early 40's if you want to push it.

Synopsis:
Jean recounts her relationship with Marilyn, another redhead who at times is practically an extension of Jean's own self and at times is her lover and at times is her brother's ex-girlfriend.  They go back and forth in time in their relationship as Marilyn tries to get Jean to cope with her brother's death. Eventually we learn that he committed suicide (or possibly committed suicide, the clarity of the situation is never certain) and Jean somehow feels responsible.  At the end Jean is able to somewhat accept her brother's death but also recognizes her regret at her inability to move on in her relationship with Marilyn.

Evaluation:
I really need to go back and re-read this script, I will say honestly it's been a little longer since I've read this in its entirety.  Overall though, just looking at a few scenes here and there when I skim through it I relive its power.  It is a beautiful script about death that also looks at regret and love and a feeling of being different and an outsider.  Really everything I love in a script.  And it talks about all of this in monologues and scenes that are just the perfect amount of subtle and recognizable.  Really I can't say enough about this play.

Would I direct this?
Absolutely.  I would love to, but of course like all good scripts, it's been produced at Woolly Mammoth so I'll just have to wait until I live in another city.  It was produced there 20 years ago, but still, maybe it's worth bringing to another city when I finally direct it.  Definitely a challenge, but a really good one that would stretch me artistically in all the right ways.