Who We Are Now is an original, sung-through rock musical written by Thaddeus Buttrey. It follows the story of young musicians who are shadowed by the physical manifestation of mental illness as they pursue their art. An exploration of mental illness, projected trauma, and learning to be better, Who We Are Now is a poignant and relatable piece that, much like all of us, is ready to be workshopped into the best version of itself.
Who We Are Now will be showing at Bedlam Theatre in Edinburgh from March 4th-March 5th. Buy your tickets here.
To start, could you share more about the genesis of “Who We Are Now”? What inspired director Thaddeus Buttrey to create this original rock musical?
I began writing “Who We Are Now,” in its earliest form, back in 2018: I was freshly out of undergrad, living in New York City, and I was NOT doing well. To make a long story short, I was quickly learning the hard way that the life of a starving artist may not be a good fit for me, and I was spiralling into a deep depression. So I did what I always did when I was unhappy and emotionally vulnerable: I started writing music. Initially, I was just writing songs as a coping mechanism, and they weren’t necessarily meant to be heard by anyone other than myself. Over time, however, I noticed that most of these songs shared some common themes, and a few of them weren’t half bad. I initially thought of maybe doing a concept album or a song-cycle, but after several drafts and some heartbreaking cuts, I thought the most effective way to tell this story was through a musical, ultimately combining my love of musical theatre with my love of classic dad-rock I heard on the radio as a kid.
Could you give us an overview of the storyline and the central themes explored in “Who We Are Now”?
The basic narrative follows young musicians pursued by the physical manifestation of mental illness. They want to move on from their lowest moments, but struggle to get there. Thematically, while there are certainly moments and songs of levity and hope, a lot of the show does come from an angry and dark place; one of the central themes is that of internalising trauma in an unhealthy way, and projecting back onto those closest to you. However, because I want to ensure closure and a clear point to the show, it’s contrasted with the other theme – allowing yourself to learn, grow, and change. As one of the songs states: “The past does not need to define who we are now.”
The staged reading/workshop at Bedlam Theatre sounds like an exciting opportunity to refine the piece. How do you envision this process contributing to the evolution of the musical?
I see it as a first step towards sharing it with a wider audience while we refine the show into the best version of itself that we can make. It’s an opportunity for me to see which parts of the show work, which don’t, which need some tweaking, and which need to be cut out completely. It’s also a chance to get people talking about it: I want to see if this is something the general theatre-going public would be interested in seeing more of, and if it’s met with a warm reception, that to me would suggest that it may be ready for a more fully realised production.
What specific elements of the musical do you hope to fine-tune or explore further during the workshop?
Definitely vocal melodies and lyrics. First of all, my intention is for this show to be cast entirely gender-blind: as I was writing it, I realised the characters’ genders make no difference to the story, and decided that the only criteria for an actor to play a part is their ability to effectively portray the character. Because of this, I’ve had to spend some time adjusting parts so that they can work for multiple voice types. There are certain registers I associate with certain characters, but the performer effectively portraying the character is what matters most to me. Ultimately, I want to make “Who We Are Now” as welcoming a space as I can for the people involved.
Additionally, the workshop is also a chance to fine-tune the lyrics and plot: hearing these words and melodies sung in voices that aren’t my own has already been valuable in seeing what works and what doesn’t. Theatre is a collaborative artform, and now I’m finally able to get fresh pairs of ears and eyes examining the work, and the feedback from the cast and creative team, I think, have already made the show better.
Feedback from the public is crucial for any artistic endeavour. How do you plan to engage with the audience during the staged reading to gather their insights and reactions?
We absolutely want to hear from the audience. We’re still deciding what form this feedback will take, whether it be a proper talkback after the show, or if we put up a QR code that will lead to a feedback form they could fill out. And of course we’ll also stick around after each performance is over if folks want to speak to us informally as well.
Thaddeus, as the director, what is your vision for the overall experience of “Who We Are Now”? How do you aim to immerse the audience in the world of the musical?
Well, for the workshop, we’re limited by what a workshop is: in this instance, all the actors will be on stage, script in hand, performing their parts into microphones while the audience gets to imagine what the set, costumes, blocking, and choreography will look like. We’re planning to have some basic blocking and lighting to give an idea of what the intended aesthetic and visual components will be. A fully realized production, on the other hand, would be quite different. This show comes from a place of angst and pain, and that angst and pain doesn’t always know how to articulate itself, the general idea would be to fall back on abstraction where literalism is insufficient. My vision is for this show to be fairly dance-heavy, with an ensemble of dedicated dancers outside of the named characters, who would help tell the story visually, using their movement to suggest a truth evocatively that bolsters the music and acting on stage. Additionally, I want to embrace the show’s rock and roll spirit: the ensemble is only four pieces (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards), and I would want them to be on stage and as much a part of the visual tableau as the actors. I want it to be a musical with elements of an exciting rock and roll concert: like if you saw a production of “Tommy” with The Who on stage jamming alongside the other performers.
Could you tell us about the collaboration among the production team members? How do each of your roles contribute to bringing this musical to life?
First of all, Ching Zhan, our producer, has been invaluable in keeping this proverbial ship afloat. She has been taking care of most of the administrative tasks, and has been doing an excellent job of getting the word out. As Mel Brooks wrote, “you’ve got no show without your producers.” Emily Paterson, our musical supervisor, has been another great asset to have on the team: while I’m no stranger to writing music, I’ve never been a musical director before, and I’m still learning how to do that effectively. Emily has much experience in that regard (not to mention she’s an infinitely better pianist than I am), and having her along to help teach music has both been helpful for the cast to learn their material, and for me to watch someone who knows what they’re doing. Our team is rounded out with Tom Beazley and Amy Stinton as Technical Director and Stage Manager, respectively. I’ve worked with both of them before, and they are two immensely creative people who Get. Things. Done. Tom has already presented some preliminary ideas for lighting that I’m excited to see in practice, and Amy knows how to organize a damn good show. I’m extremely pleased to have such a capable and supportive group behind me!
In the context of today’s world, how do you believe “Who We Are Now” resonates with audiences? What relevance does it hold in our current cultural landscape?
I believe it does. I can only speak anecdotally, but in my personal experience, I’ve witnessed a lot of anxiety and dread among myself and my peers. I think it’s not uncommon for folks to have some sort of shadow or sword of Damocles hanging over them. Thoughts that keep them up at night, hyper-focusing on moments they regret, or worries about what might be coming. I want these people to find some sort of catharsis or solace in “Who We Are Now”: I am NOT claiming that I have all the answers as these are feelings and experiences with which I am all too familiar, but I think just the knowledge that people are not alone in feeling this way, and that they can also get better, can be powerful.
Lastly, after the staged reading/workshop, what are your hopes and aspirations for the future of “Who We Are Now”? Where do you envision the musical heading next?
I would love to see a fully realised production! Whether that be at Fringe or an amateur writer’s theatre, I want to see how “Who We Are Now” would fare with full choreography, sets, a live band, costumes, and blocking. And ideally, I want to get to the point where I would feel comfortable handing the reins off to someone else’s creative vision. I view this musical much like my own child. I love it and I’m proud of it, but I need to know when it’s time to let it go, and let it develop into its own entity.