One of the things that has kept me sane when all those onstage moments of love, desire, heartbreak and loss bleed into real life – sparking memories, reflection and self-assessment (if you haven’t already, take a look at my last post and you’ll see what I mean) – has been creating a playlist of songs inspired by the themes in Age of Arousal, by Linda Griffiths (wildly inspired by The Odd Women, by George Gissing). I felt like if I could put all those feelings into the songs, I’d be both inspired and relieved. Plus, it’s fun. So far, so good. We all do what we can to take good care.
At first, the playlist started with songs about woman power and equal rights. It then quickly grew to include songs of love, desire, sex, break-ups, loss, heartbreak – including both fun pop tunes and tissue-clutching ballads. The list was curated with the characters’ points of view in mind – and some songs could apply to more than one character – spanning decades of popular music (including some pretty trippy music videos from the 80s).
I set it up on YouTube, as it seemed to be the most universally accessible platform for folks. You can give it a listen (and a watch) here:
I recommend return visits, as I seem to be constantly adding to it.
Age of Arousal runs at Alumnae Theatre, in the walk-up Studio theatre, from March 12 – 23. Visit Alumnae’s website for info and tickets.
life with more cowbell 
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