BHS Thespians' Original Production of “Deep Thoughts, Dark Skies, Tough City" Gets Published
By Chris Johnson on October 10, 2024
Bridgeport High School Thespian Troupe #7549 is always up for a challenge when it comes to one act performances.
Their one-acts have been successful at the regional, state and national levels and have featured some heavy subject matters through the years challenging the casts and crews every step of the way.
For its 2023-24 one act, the BHS Thespians tried their hand at something completely different – putting on a performance of a play that had never been performed before - “Deep Thoughts, Dark Skies, Tough City.”
It hadn’t been performed yet because it didn’t exist yet.
The BHS Thespians had an original design concept and writing prompt that sparked an interest with renowned playwright Alan Haehnal, who has written more than 100 plays and had several produced. The BHS Thespians collaborated with and workshopped the script and production with Haehnal to develop a show that merged the worlds of film noir, comic books and cartoons among other genres.
BHS won the regional thespian festival with the play and placed in the Top 5 at states.
The next time any theatre group performs the play, they will be performing a play that is now officially published as Haehnal was able to get the script published with Theatrefolk.
It has a slightly different title in “Tough City, Prone to Rain” but the BHS Thespian Troupe is listed in the published script as the original cast and crew of the production.
“They knew they were doing something new but whether or not its going to finish out and become published and be something that is out there you never know if that is going to happen,” said Jared St. Martin Brown, the Theatre Instructor at BHS and producer of, “Deep Thoughts, Dark Skies, Tough City.”
“So it was a real delight to see that happen this summer. We’re really proud to have our names as cast as crew in the script. We get to be the example for this production.
“The idea came from Trina Byard (the director). Her and her husband, David Byard (the tech director on the play) came across this playwright in New England (Haehnal). He wanted to write it. He kind of put it out there asking if anybody had any ideas. Trina had an idea and he liked it.”
Theatrefolk’s website has a link to the performance of the original play by the BHS Thespians on its “Tough City, Prone to Rain” and that can be viewed HERE
Another exciting aspect is that somebody, somewhere will be performing a play that BHS had an important role in getting published.
“We’ll keep our eyes peeled to see if anybody is gong to produce it in the next couple of years,” St. Martin Brown said. “If they are close, we’ll go. If they are on the other side of the country, we will be satisfied looking at the pictures.”
Editor's Note:Photos of the BHS Thespians' performance of “Deep Thoughts, Dark Skies, Tough City." last spring by Joe LaRocca.
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