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Arts and Entertainment

A contemporary drama swings into Merely Underground

Zachary Chiero

What gets you up in the morning? For whom do you go to work every day? What would you consider your reason not just to live, but to thrive? To keep trying even when you want to give up?

Merely Players’ next show – “Swing State,” by Rebecca Gilman – asks these questions in profound ways, and weaves the answers through the interactions of the four characters on stage. The audience is placed in the living room of Peg Smith, a recent widow, living on a 40-acre prairie in rural Wisconsin, struggling to keep it thriving despite the progression of climate change, and unsure of how to go on. Enter Ryan, her surrogate son with a checkered past; Kris, a small town sheriff with strict interpretations of the law; and her niece, Dani, a new recruit who is trying to find her way, and the result is an explosive and beautifully drawn 90 minutes of theater.

Never afraid of a challenge, Merely Players is committed to bringing new and thought-provoking theater to the Durango community, and “Swing State” is no exception. The show had its premiere at The Goodman in Chicago in 2022, and an off-Broadway run in 2023, and Merely Players is the first regional theater in the country to gain the rights to this show. It’s an honor to present this performance in all of its timely and heartfelt complexity.

We are thrilled to announce that our Artistic Director Mona Wood-Patterson will be joining us onstage as the lead character, Peg. We are also lucky to welcome back Adam Fontana and Erika Vetter, who last appeared on Merely’s stage playing Orlando and Rosalind in “As You Like It.” Fontana and Vetter have successful performance careers in New York City, and we are very fortunate to have their skill and their hearts in the rehearsal room with us. Rounding out the cast is Cindy Laudadio-Hill, a brilliant performer and a favorite in the Four Corners. Our little group cannot wait to hold a mirror up to reality as we tell this dynamic story.

“Swing State” is a very human drama. The characters struggle with the pain of disappointment, loss and fear of the unknown. The heart of this story is watching how each of the characters connect, or fail to. What can we learn from these people, how can we empathize with them when they all seem on an inevitable path to misunderstanding, anger, despair and destruction?

In difficult times, when hope or harmony seem to evade us, we at Merely Players turn to the warmth of our community. Creating art and connecting with our audiences doesn’t simply constitute our business, but our way through life. Art is why we get up in the morning. Our community of artists and volunteers are why we go to work every day. Our connections with audiences are truly what help us to thrive.

Swing State runs Feb. 7 to 16.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.merelyplayers.org.

Zachary Chiero is the artistic associate of Merely Players.