Q&A with Family Week’s Composer Dan Bern!
MCC Theater’s latest production, Family Week, is currently playing at the Lucille Lortel Theater and I recently sat down with the play’s composer, Dan Bern, to talk about his creative process and what it was like to work on the show!
Dan Bern is a very unique and interesting artist. The son of two Jewish artists who escaped the havoc of World War II, Bern grew up in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. In the early 90’s, guitar in hand, Bern delved into the Los Angeles neo-folk music scene where he’s since culminated a large under ground following.
Famed film director Jonathan Demme called Dan Bern and asked if he would take a look at the script from Family Week, with an eye on composing special music for the play. After reading over the script several times, Dan was inspired and his creative juices started to flow. Below follows our interview!
Laura Quackenbush: Have you ever written original music for a specific play before? If so, what play and how was the experience similar/different?
Dan Bern: A couple of years ago when there was major flooding in Iowa, where I am from [and] the community of Cedar Rapids asked me to write the music for their new play Moving Home, addressing the disaster. It was different in the sense that it was more like a musical than a straight play and my songs were cycled throughout the show in comparison to Family Week where there is “Dry Heat” at the top of the show and “Swing Set” at the end.
LQ: What was the creative process like? Did you collaborate with Family Week’s playwright Beth Henley or director Jonathan Demme?
DB: Well, it really started with Jonathan Demme leaving the door open to artistic freedom. Although we weren’t in the same room, it was like I was working with Beth Henley by reading through the script numerous times. Eventually, I started to catch the mood and emotion of the play and brought in some personal stuff of my own and little bits of “Dry Heat” started to come.
LQ: I read in your blog that you used your daughter as inspiration for “Swing Set.” What exactly made you relate your daughter to themes of the play?
DB: In the play, the mother loses her son and she is speaking about and remembering a lot of his “firsts”. At that time, my daughter was 6 months old and had just kicked a ball for the first time. I used these things to bring both personal and universal feelings to the songs.
LQ: Have you seen the show? What did you feel about the production as a whole and how your music fit in?
DB: I felt honored. Their use of the music was great and I was proud to be a part of the production.
Dan ends in his blog about Family Week:
“So that’s how it happened. Which goes to prove, you should always answer your phone on Sundays.”
For more, check out Dan Bern’s website, www.danbern.com or friend him on Facebook! I promise, you’ll be captivated by his original sound, tender lyrics, and intellectual charm.
To order High 5 tickets to Family Week, check out the show’s even page on High 5!
