Edited by Randi Bjornstad
Side Man, which opens at The Very Little Theatre on Nov. 8 and runs through Nov. 24, tells the story of Clifford, a young, trained musician who takes gigs with jazz groups or playing solo but does not have a permanent spot with a band.
His father, Gene, is described as “an almost famous trumpet player,” and his mother, Terry, on the fringes of the music scene, has gotten caught up in the drug and alcohol downside of that world.
The plot follows Clifford’s narration of the ups and downs of his broken family as he tries to make sense of their lives, where they’ve been and where they’re headed.
The scenes in the play move back and forth between 1953 and 1983, as Clifford relives his past, hearing the voices of people in his life and reliving sights and sounds that he remembers.
This all happens via a set that includes the rooms where everything happened as well as using visual and sound projections that recreate streets, basements, and backrooms as well as the sounds of New York City, the jazz clubs where his father performed, and the sounds of physical and vocal conflict that the family experienced.
Carol Dennis directs the play, presenting it as a multimedia radio drama that encourages the audience to experience Side Man‘s story of lost souls all searching to find their own place in the world and how they belong in it.
The cast of VLT’s Side Man includes Keach Siriani-Madden as Clifford; Seth Wayne and Nina Soldati as his parents; Kali Kardas as Patsy; Larry Fried as Al (and standby for Gene); Larry Leverone as Ziggy; Kevin Allen Kerber as Jonesy; and Aaron Smart as standby for Clifford and the Sidemen.
Side Man at The Very Little Theatre
When: Evening performances at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 8-9, 15-16, 21-23; and matinees at 2 p.m. on Nov. 10, 17, and 24, with seating beginning 30 minutes before showtime
Where: The Very Little Theatre, 2350 Hilyard St., Eugene
Tickets: $26, available by telephone at 541-344-7751 or online at thevlt.com
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