photo by Owen Leavey
People’s Light kicks off its 50th Anniversary season with the regional premiere of The Porch on Windy Hill, a new play with old music by David M. Lutken, Sherry Stregack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson,and Morgan Morse. The story follows a young couple who leave Brooklyn and head to the mountains of North Carolina for musical inspiration. With live performances of traditional American roots music and a variety of instruments, this story- conceived and directed by Sherry Stregack Lutken– explores the human connection.
Below, David and Sherry talk about developing this project during COVID, the message of the story, and the types of music you’ll hear in the show.
Tickets, through October 20th, are available here.
Q: Where did the idea for The Porch On Windy Hill come from? What inspired the story?
Sherry Lutken: When the idea was first forming, its inspiration came from one of my closest friends from childhood, who is biracial. She and her husband are now the parents of two amazing daughters. The ways they are raising, teaching and helping them navigate the constantly changing landscape inspires me daily. She and I have had many long discussions (since we were both 10!) about America and Americans- the wonderful strength and generosity that human beings here, and everywhere, exhibit to one another, juxtaposed with the last several years’ intensely bitter divisions and racially motivated crime under the magnifying glare of the COVID-19 epidemic.
David Lutken: The ideas came together from many discussions – usually while traveling in our car – about music and about current events, and finding an effective story to carry metaphors and messages about cultural change and our society’s ‘evolution’.
Q: Can you talk a bit about bringing this idea to the stage? What were the initial steps?
SL: The initial steps in the writing process were that the four of us – Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse, David, and I – spent a lot of time on Zoom together since we were all still hunkered down in different locations. From those conversations, we each started writing scenes, sharing them and building off of one another, finding the shape and tone of the story we were telling.
DL: Just after the height of the pandemic in ‘20/’21, the Artistic Director of The Ivoryton Playhouse asked us about bringing a smaller show to the stage there (her plans to work on a larger one had been canceled by the shutdown). The “initial steps” were really the parameters she gave us for this unusual opportunity… and a deadline!
Q: Lisa Helmi Johanson and Morgan Morse were brought on to collaborate with you and create the story. In what ways did they enhance what was already developing?
SL: In many ways the story developed as it did because Lisa and Morgan were who I was seeing when the idea was taking form. It was really exciting when they both agreed to write this play with us because, if we hadn’t all been stuck at home due to Covid, as incredibly talented as they are, I’m sure they wouldn’t have been available!
DL: We called Lisa and Morgan within hours, really, of Sherry’s framework of the story. She and I wanted very much for the play to be a collaborative effort with four equal voices in the process.
Q: What does old music mean for this production? What types of music and instruments will be in the show?
DL: The instruments in the show are: Banjo, Mandolin, Violin, Guitar, Appalachian Dulcimer, Harmonica, Tenor Banjo, and the Chinese Er-hu. The “Old” Music is comprised of predominantly 18th- and 19th-century traditional American songs. Other examples and influences further the plot and our “musical dialogue”: a bit of Haydn’s Symphony #104 and a Korean children’s song. All of the music becomes a metaphor for America!
Q: Why do you think People’s Light is a great fit for The Porch On Windy Hill?
SL: People’s Light is a wonderful place to work, and fertile ground for new work. Doing this play in their Steinbright Theatre fits beautifully because both are small and intimate environments that endeavor to capture and reveal big issues and struggles.
DL: It’s also a great room to hear some great tunes!
Q: What do you hope audiences take away from the story?
SL: Music is one of the strongest communal art forms. It brings people from different backgrounds and experiences together in a way that sparks joy, healing, and a sense of community. It is a portal through which we can see each other’s humanity. I hope the audience will experience that and, hearing these characters making music together, feel the joy of community and a sense of belonging. It’s our hope they will realize that feeling of connectedness should continue when the music stops. It is our responsibility to keep listening and to keep asking more of ourselves to ensure that we are building a world where that is not only possible but part of the fabric of our society for everyone.
DL: Hope for our future, and a couple of interesting lessons about music and change. And maybe, in our final song, a welcome earworm!
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