In the modern day, no one is certain about what the future has in store. It is a source of anxiety, fear, and stress for many people. In her play, Light the Way Back, playwright Rachel Luann Strayer aims to relieve some of this tension by introducing the idea that while the future may hold tragedy, art, particularly theatre, survives annihilation. It is a story rooted in hope and optimism, that allows us to glimpse into the future.
As a director of this piece, I would be particularly interested not only in the fact that theatre prevails but how. I would explore this through my spine, exploration illuminates lost culture. When I first read Light the Way Back, one thing that intrigued me was the fact that the play implies that at a certain point in time, theatre could go extinct. It could be lost. The dialogue mentions that the art of theatre has been abandoned for over 50 years, and it is only revived when two curious kids break into an abandoned building. The concept of exploration is based on curiosity and a desire to learn.
In the context of Light the Way Back, I believe that the character, Cam, is the curious part of the duo while Jamie is the learner. Cam is eager to touch things and open boxes while Jamie views the items found in the theatre as “precious relics” and artifacts. Cam is interested in a box of costumes and props because they are colorful. Jamie is interested in a bottle of hand sanitizer because of its historical meaning. Together, the two of them make a great band of explorers. I would work with my actors to discover what inspired the curiosity and inquisitiveness in Jamie and Cam. To me, it likely has to do with the state of government affairs, their family histories, and their spirits.
I would also want to investigate the relationship between exploration and culture. Light the Way Back covers themes of ancestry, legacy, and tradition. The character, Jamie has had stories told to them by their grandmother, about the way the world used to be (in the audience’s modern day.) On the other hand, Cam rarely mentions family and doesn’t have as much historical knowledge as Jamie. Oral tradition and storytelling are a huge part of the culture. One could argue that theatre falls into that category. If it had not been for the cultural tales passed down through generations within Jamie’s family theatre as a cultural entity would ultimately have been forgotten. It is Jamie’s curiosity and willingness to learn; exploration, that ultimately saves the art form.
In the direction of this play, I intend to use the ghost light as a symbol of hope, as well as self-discovery. It quite literally shines a light on a lost tradition, but it also inspires Cam as they discover their passion for theatre and their role switches from explorer to creator. The light also turns on almost immediately before Jamie uncovers the connection between their family and the old, abandoned theater. Allowing Jamie to learn the true emotions that correspond to their ancestry. The ghost light also represents the ghosts, the lost cultural beings, and stories, that are now illuminated.
I am particularly interested in directing this play on Bucknell’s campus and setting it at Bucknell 60 years in the future. I am drawn to this idea for many reasons. First of all, in reading a thesis by Brian Elliot, I learned that from World War I to the Vietnam war, Bucknell was used for military training. Setting a post-war story on this campus with that knowledge changes the context. Did the campus restart that program? Neither Cam nor Jamie mentions having a father or a brother. Did the men all get sent to war? Did they die? Do they live in Lewisburg because of the training? Another reason I am interested in setting my play at Bucknell is the idea that as a liberal arts institution, Bucknell encourages exploration, yet throughout history on multiple occasions and levels Bucknell as an institution, or different departments at Bucknell, have attempted to intentionally erase or lose parts of Bucknell’s cultural identity. At different points in time, this could be the heteronormative, homophobic, and transphobic ideas the percolate through campus, or the indigenous land on which the school was built on. My spine, exploration illuminates lost culture and introduces a slight paradox for the university.
Beyond that, based on the fact that Light the Way Back would be in a series of plays, if set on Bucknell’s campus, but in the future, the play could imply that both the actors and the audiences are the generation of grandparents mentioned in Cam and Jamie’s story. The play would imply that many of them could be dead, but also shows that life continues. This has the potential to create a really self-reflective, dystopian, and multi-faceted vibe within the space. I also feel that this inspiration of self-contemplation, combined with the theme of hope that the play produces, could serve as really interesting societal commentary about how we as a community at Bucknell, but also as members of global society conduct ourselves, and what kind of future we are creating for the next generation. In the case of Light the Way Back, it is a bland and violent environment full of plague and war. However, the play teaches us that through exploration, we can preserve our culture, keep it from getting lost, and create a brighter future.
Additionally, with Bucknell as my setting, it would be ideal if my cocktail were last in the series and I could allude to the cocktails before mine. My spine concentrates on lost culture. Cocktail theatre is a tradition on Bucknell’s campus, a part of our culture. I think it would resonate with the audience to see their own culture get lost.
Another thing I think would resonate with the audience is the correlation between exploration and self-discovery. In the context of the play, Jamie discovers a lot about their identity through the objects they encounter, including a video of their grandmother. Ancestry, legacy and family history do double duty as themes of culture and themes of identity. Jamie not only explores the physical theatrical space, but they also explore their own identity, helping them find their culture.
Exploration illuminates lost culture. This play will encourage audiences that if they explore themselves and their actions, as well as new experiences and environments they can preserve culture, tradition, and art.