Music from Down the Hill
by John Ford Noonan
October 4 through 20 at 7:30pm
Starring Samantha Butts & Suzie Branch
Directed by Tim Boles
The setting is a psychiatric clinic atop a hill in the beautiful country town of Woodstock, New York. Claire Granick, a young schizophrenic who loves Bruce Springsteen to death and cannot for the life of her tell the truth, regularly drives out new roommates with terror tactics and Springsteen songs played too loud. Enter Margot Yossarian, a middle aged hysteric with a huge heart and a frightened body who also loves rock n roll, especially the music of the 60s Hendrix, Joplin, The Doors, Cream. Claire's usually effective tactics don't undermine Margot, but rather release her stiffened body and send her to a soaring state of health dreamed of but never expected by the head of the hospital. In Act II, Margot attempts to help Claire break through her problems. Is she successful? Is rock n roll truly deep and loud enough to heal the mentally disturbed? Can the concept of rock penetrate the disturbed heart and create a miracle of mental health? Do people this disturbed ever successfully get back to the outside?
"Music from Down the Hill" is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French Inc.