If the title Women on Sand rings a slight bell, which may be since you’ve heard of Guys on Ice, the massively standard musical comedy by Fred Alley and James Kaplan that celebrated its twenty fifth anniversary final yr, initially joint-produced by Northern Sky Theater (then American Folklore Theatre) and Milwaukee Rep. Whereas Women on Sand—a brand new musical receiving its world premiere at Northern Sky (via Aug. 24)—isn’t linked to Guys on Ice, the brand new present’s artistic crew hopes to seize the same exploration of friendship with new characters and a recent season as they flip coastal.
“Lots of people have their escapism right here,” mentioned Lachrisa Grandberry, who co-wrote the present’s e-book and lyrics with Molly Rhode, referring to the summer season vacationers who flock to Door County, Wisc., “to search out pleasure, to refuel themselves and revel in themselves on the similar time.”
That’s exactly what Grace and Zoey, the present’s title characters, are searching for: peace and launch, an escape from the true world as they watch their troubles soften away by the water. Grandberry and the Rhode sisters (Alissa Rhode wrote the music) mentioned that the present could be very a lot primarily based on their real-life friendships, and the times Grandberry and Molly (who additionally star in Women on Sand) used to take pleasure in at Door County’s Ephraim Seashore, positioned on the way in which to and from Peninsula State Park, the place Northern Sky produces their summer season reveals.
“We frequently cease after the play and dangle on the seashore within the night when it’s empty,” Grandberry mentioned. “We sing and we dance and we give gratitude to the sky and the celebrities, and we reset and go away recharged.”
This new present comes two years after Grandberry and Alissa’s first team-up at Northern Sky, Sunflowered, for which Grandberry labored on the e-book (alongside Aidaa Peerzada), music, and lyrics. After that profitable staging, the corporate’s first with an all-female solid, the crew began on their subsequent challenge in early 2023. This time, the theatre’s affiliate inventive director, Molly Rhode, stepped exterior of her typical function of guiding new performs by others to assist to form this challenge herself.
“Lachrisa pushed me to step out of my consolation zone,” Molly mentioned. “I’m very comfy pondering of myself as an editor for different folks’s writing, and she or he gave me the chance to step into that writer function.”
Nonetheless, Molly referred to as the collaboration “logical,” contemplating that she’s seen Northern Sky’s household of writers develop and cross-pollinate over time. Their sturdy private hyperlinks behind the scenes make the present nearly metatheatrical, because it explores what it means to have a spot to flee and celebrates the buddies who can escape with you.
“I really feel honored that I get to work with Molly and Alissa, befriend them, be household with them, create with them, and proceed to do what we attempt to do collectively,” mentioned Grandberry, “which is unfold somewhat pleasure, discover the rainbow in daily, and provides that to the world.”
Jerald Raymond Pierce (he/him) is the Chicago editor for American Theatre. [email protected]
Associated
