Dead Man's Cell Phone - re-release
from Steps To The Stage Hosted by Kirk Lane
Send us Fan Mail A phone rings in a cafe. A stranger answers. And suddenly a whole life gets rewritten in real time. That’s the haunting spark behind Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl, and we can’t stop thinking about how accurately it predicts the way modern technology shapes our relationships, our attention, and even our grief. We’re joined by director Melissa Bossard and cast members Lauri Deards, Mark Agars, and Saverio Guccioni to talk about building this production for the Theater on the Edge Festival at Chino Community Theatre. We unpack the play’s central paradox: smartphones and social media can reconnect old friends and create community, yet they also train us to live at a distance from our own bodies, our tables, and the people right in front of us. Along the way, we dig into character choices for Jean, Dwight, and Gordon and the bigger question the script keeps asking: who are we when everyone only sees the version we choose to show? We also go behind the curtain on community theater craftsmanship, including black box staging, shared festival set pieces, projections, lighting, and the practical teamwork that makes experimental theater possible. One of the most exciting surprises: original music composed and arranged specifically for this production, created from the emotional world of the script. We even discuss why bringing in an intimacy and fight director matters for actor safety, trust, and better storytelling. If you care about live theater, identity in the digital age, or the real cost of always being “reachable,” hit play, then subscribe, share the episode with a theater friend, and leave us a review and a five-star rating. What’s one way your phone has changed how you connect with people? May 15th-30th www.ChinoCommunityTheatre.org Box Office 909-590-1149 Find STTS: Steps To The Stage (@stepstothestage) | Instagram Facebook Steps To The Stage (buzzsprout.com) Steps To The Stage - YouTube Please follow on your favorite podcast platform and we appreciate 5 Star ratings and positive reviews!
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What this episode covers
Send us Fan Mail A phone rings in a cafe. A stranger answers. And suddenly a whole life gets rewritten in real time. That’s the haunting spark behind Dead Man’s Cell Phone by Sarah Ruhl, and we can’t stop thinking about how accurately it predicts the way modern technology shapes our relationships, our attention, and even our grief. We’re joined by director Melissa Bossard and cast members Lauri Deards, Mark Agars, and Saverio Guccioni to talk about building this production for the Theater on...
Chapters
- 0:00 Phones At Dinner And A Welcome
- 1:30 Why Dead Man’s Cell Phone Matters
- 5:18 Jean Answers The Ringing Phone
- 8:23 Dwight And The Masks We Wear
- 11:22 Gordon Joins The Edge Festival
- 14:40 Updating The Play For Today
- 19:03 Black Box Staging And Shared Set
- 24:24 Original Music Built From The Script
- 26:29 Lights, Projections, Sound, And House
- 28:24 Intimacy Direction And Actor Trust
- 32:17 Dates, Tickets, Passes, And Support
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