A contemporary re-imagining of Kafka’s
"Metamorphosis," The Trouble With Doug is
a hilarious and moving new musical about a healthy young man who transforms
inexplicably into a giant talking slug. Thrust together awkwardly under the
same roof, Doug, his family, and his fiancée all struggle to understand and
respond to this strangest of crises. Last time we checked in with you, Doug was heading to Palo Alto, CA for TheatreWorks' festival. How was that process for you and the show?
We had a great time in Palo Alto. TheatreWorks provides a unique workshopping opportunity – a chance to perform the show in front of an audience, rewrite, re-tech, perform again, and then repeat that process three times. You can really take the show into the laboratory and experiment. (There’s really no better way to see what works and what doesn't than to watch the show in front of actual people a few times!)
What changes did you make to the show while in California?
After watching the show, we felt that our titular character was under-developed — so we added several new musical moments for Doug throughout the first act to clarify his arc and round him out a bit more. We also tried out a number of new scenes for Doug’s family, and also ended up with a slightly gentler ending.
You are currently rewriting the show for a production down at Arts Garage in Florida. What are your goals with this rewrite?
