Now in its third year, the New Play Workshop Program in the Department
of Drama at
Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) will present a public
workshop performance of "Falling to Earth," a new musical by alumni Tom Gualtieri '90
(B.F.A. in musical theater) and David Sisco '97 (B.A. in vocal performance).
"Falling to Earth" will run Feb. 6-15 at 936 E. Genesee St. Performances are free and open
to the public, and seating can be reserved by contacting Marie Kemp, assistant professor in
the Department of Drama, at mckemp@syr.edu.
This year's workshop has been made possible through the financial support of Broadway's
Araca Group, founded by drama alumni Hank Unger '90 (B.F.A. in drama) and Michael
Rego '90 (B.F.A. in musical theater). Writers Gualtieri and Sisco spearheaded the grassroots
campaign for funding, which includes additional support from various drama alumni and
friends of the writers.
Kemp began the New Play Workshop Program three years ago, fulfilling a need to
contribute to the future of theater while giving students a unique educational opportunity.
"Playwrights need safe places to develop their work, and our students need the experience of
creating a role from the ground up from which they have no footprint," says Kemp. "To me,
it is obvious that our schools and universities are the places to nurture this work. We are
reaching out to the theater community and shaping its future. Professional writers,
composers and directors are hearing about SU Drama in a new way."
This year marks the first time that the writers will be in residence throughout the entire
workshop process. Rehearsals began Jan. 13, and there has been significant writing and
rewriting in preparation for the public workshop performances.
Gualtieri believes workshops are essential to the writing process. "It would be a rare genius
who brought a piece to the stage without rewrites," he notes. "The benefit of the SU
program is that we get away from the stresses of New York City and can focus almost
exclusively on the work itself, with the added bonus of having a wonderful cast from the
University who are enthusiastic, talented and playful. For me that's very exciting-to share
this experience and mentor the students through the process."
"Falling to Earth" is a serio-comic retelling of the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea, set in
ancient Cyprus, but filtered through a skewed, contemporary lens. The artist Pygmalion
finds himself unable to finish a statue of Venus in time for the annual feast day. Frustrated
by interference from both his lusty friend and a mysterious serving girl, Pygmalion turns his
attention toward the statue and soon discovers that his creation has a life and story of her
own. The appearance of a beautiful but neurotic goddess further complicates matters when
she brings the statue to life. Soon all the characters, including the artists' creation, are forced
to look deeper into themselves and let go of their once-secure notions of life, love and self.
