DEC 3, 2015 - JAN 31, 2016
LIVING LEGENDS (continued)
not be the best ideas have their day because
there is a trust that together we will eventually
arrive at what is the best solution.
The main characters in the show are also pretty
young, and obviously there is a lot in the play
that younger audiences will connect to. Is there
anything that you hope those audiences will
take away with them?
Sam: I always hesitate to put a pin in it too
precisely. You know, a couple weeks ago Davis
said that the play is about courage, and that
was the first time I really thought about that,
and I think that’s so right. It’s about this big,
huge, courageous step that all three of these
people need to take. And I think on some level
I always knew that, because of the Lewis and
Clark of it all, and striking forward into the
future, but that was the first time I’d ever heard
that word assigned to it, and it feels really right
to me. I don’t really know what the takeaway
would be, but it’s something about the courage
to strike out into unknown territory, which
all three of these characters are doing at the
end of this play; that hopefully for those of
us who majored in something as esoteric as
playwriting—and do something with their lives
as esoteric as make theater—that there’s
some courage in having faith in what you’re
doing and faith that it does affect other people
and that there is forward movement and… I’m
being really general.
LGBTQ Resource Center
Facts and Information
In Clarkston, Jake and
Chris (the lead characters)
go through their own
process of self discovery.
For Chris this includes
coming to terms with his
sexuality—in contrast to
Jake, who lives his life as
an openly-gay male.
Davis: No, I agree with that. I relate to the
sense that all three of the characters have in
the play of being in this weigh station between
a life that they’re really no longer able to live
and another life that they could maybe move
toward, if they can find the courage to take that
step. I think some people can get stuck in that inbetween state and it can become their life. And
in a couple of Sam’s other plays there’s often a
young male character, although in The Whale it
was a young woman, who may have in them the
seed or the desire to be an artist or to be a writer
or to seek a more fully satisfying life some other
place, and part of the story of the play is how
they get to take the first step towards that life.
And I feel like that’s one of the really fundamental
things that’s going on in this play.
Sam, in an interview you did right after you got
the MacArthur Fellowship Grant, you talked
about how, as a playwright, you’re always
worried that people are going to find out you’re
a fraud, and I thought it was funny that you
said the Genius Grant only took some of that
fear away. Do you think that sort of “imposter
syndrome” is something artists are always
going to deal with? How do you keep creating
work in the face of those fears?
revelatory thing I could say. But there are two
ways to deal with self-doubt as an artist. It
can shut you down, where you just feel like,
“Oh, I really shouldn’t do this, I need to give
up now.” And I’ve felt this way! I mean, Davis
and I have had conversations in which I’ve
expressed, “Maybe I should just stop. Maybe
I’m doing more harm than good, maybe I’m
just sucking up production opportunities from
people who have better things to say.” I’ve felt
that black hole very acutely. But the other way
of looking at self-doubt, the more positive way,
is that it can push you forward. It never lets
you think, “Oh, I did something fucking great!
Wow! Thank God! Okay, now I can go take a
vacation.” It’s more like, “I feel good about this,
but I know I can keep going forward and I know
I can refine it and I can keep refining it and I
can shed more light on truth.” It can make you
better, self-doubt can make you do better. As a
motivator it’s actually wonderful.
Davis: I totally agree with that.
Sam: I mean, I think me having crushing
self-doubt is probably the most boring thing
you could say about being an artist, because
all artists feel that way. It’s like the least
by
For some people, “coming out” is a lifelong journey of trying to understand and acknowledge their sexual orientation
and gender identity with others. According to DoSomething.com, 42% of people who identify as LGBT report living
in an unwelcoming environment. Around 80% of gay and lesbian youth report feelings of social isolation. About
6 out of 10 students report feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. An estimated 15,000
LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning) youth live in North Texas. However, there are not
many resources available to meet their unique needs. One such program in existence in North Texas that hopes
to address the challenges experienced by LGBTQ teens is the LGBT Resource Center. Programs such as Youth
First at the John Thomas LGBT Community Resource Center help to address the challenges these youth face with
family members, peers and fellow students. Youth First equips young people with the skills they need to lead an
"open" life. Programs include HIV/STD prevention, sexual health education, guidance on coming out, tutoring and job
readiness, life skills and mentorship, discussion/support group for youth and parents, and counseling in resilience
against bullying and harassment. The Resource Center’s mission is to become a trusted leader that empowers
the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and all those affected by HIV through improving health
and wellness, strengthening families and communities and providing transformative education and advocacy.
The Resource Center’s Youth First office is located at 3918 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas TX 75219. You can also call
(214) 879-0400 or email [email protected].
Clarkston was developed as part of a 2013 Residency with
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.
WYLY THEATRE • STUDIO THEATRE
Clarkston, written by 2014 MacArthur Foundation Fellow Samuel D.
Hunter and directed by Davis McCallum, makes its world premiere at
Dallas Theater Center this year. The play is a story of two men on one
journey. Jake, who is a descendant of the explorer William Clark, has
recently been diagnosed with Huntington’s disease and is searching
for a way to use his degree in Post-Colonial Gender studies to make a
discernible contribution in society. His counterpart, Chris, is an aspiring
writer and native of Lewiston. Against the backdrop of an increasingly
corporatized and dehumanized American West, these two young
men attempt to join together to forge ahead into an uncertain future.
Leavened with humor and compassion, Clarkston juxtaposes day-today existence with historical allusions and larger themes of faith and
doubt. The play takes the classic ideal of the Lewis and Clark trail
and pairs it to the Costco driven world of televisions, cheese puffs and
monotonous routine. Jake and Chris embark towards an uncertain and
unpredictable future while realizing that sometimes the most important
journey you can take is the one between two people.
DallasTheaterCenter.org
PIER 1 IMPORTS NEIMAN MARCUS
Ernst & Young LLP ExxonMobil
National Corporate Theatre Fund
t. howard + associates
Theodore & Beulah Beasley Foundation
Samuel D. Hunter directed by Davis McCallum
Sam Lilja, Heidi Armbruster and Taylor Trensch. photos: Karen Almond
Dallas Theater Center
2015
the StudyGuide 2016
Season
DEC 3, 2015 - JAN 31, 2016
LIVING LEGENDS (continued)
not be the best ideas have their day because
there is a trust that together we will eventually
arrive at what is the best solution.
The main characters in the show are also pretty
young, and obviously there is a lot in the play
that younger audiences will connect to. Is there
anything that you hope those audiences will
take away with them?
Sam: I always hesitate to put a pin in it too
precisely. You know, a couple weeks ago Davis
said that the play is about courage, and that
was the first time I really thought about that,
and I think that’s so right. It’s about this big,
huge, courageous step that all three of these
people need to take. And I think on some level
I always knew that, because of the Lewis and
Clark of it all, and striking forward into the
future, but that was the first time I’d ever heard
that word assigned to it, and it feels really right
to me. I don’t really know what the takeaway
would be, but it’s something about the courage
to strike out into unknown territory, which
all three of these characters are doing at the
end of this play; that hopefully for those of
us who majored in something as esoteric as
playwriting—and do something with their lives
as esoteric as make theater—that there’s
some courage in having faith in what you’re
doing and faith that it does affect other people
and that there is forward movement and… I’m
being really general.
LGBTQ Resource Center
Facts and Information
In Clarkston, Jake and
Chris (the lead characters)
go through their own
process of self discovery.
For Chris this includes
coming to terms with his
sexuality—in contrast to
Jake, who lives his life as
an openly-gay male.
Davis: No, I agree with that. I relate to the
sense that all three of the characters have in
the play of being in this weigh station between
a life that they’re really no longer able to live
and another life that they could maybe move
toward, if they can find the courage to take that
step. I think some people can get stuck in that inbetween state and it can become their life. And
in a couple of Sam’s other plays there’s often a
young male character, although in The Whale it
was a young woman, who may have in them the
seed or the desire to be an artist or to be a writer
or to seek a more fully satisfying life some other
place, and part of the story of the play is how
they get to take the first step towards that life.
And I feel like that’s one of the really fundamental
things that’s going on in this play.
Sam, in an interview you did right after you got
the MacArthur Fellowship Grant, you talked
about how, as a playwright, you’re always
worried that people are going to find out you’re
a fraud, and I thought it was funny that you
said the Genius Grant only took some of that
fear away. Do you think that sort of “imposter
syndrome” is something artists are always
going to deal with? How do you keep creating
work in the face of those fears?
revelatory thing I could say. But there are two
ways to deal with self-doubt as an artist. It
can shut you down, where you just feel like,
“Oh, I really shouldn’t do this, I need to give
up now.” And I’ve felt this way! I mean, Davis
and I have had conversations in which I’ve
expressed, “Maybe I should just stop. Maybe
I’m doing more harm than good, maybe I’m
just sucking up production opportunities from
people who have better things to say.” I’ve felt
that black hole very acutely. But the other way
of looking at self-doubt, the more positive way,
is that it can push you forward. It never lets
you think, “Oh, I did something fucking great!
Wow! Thank God! Okay, now I can go take a
vacation.” It’s more like, “I feel good about this,
but I know I can keep going forward and I know
I can refine it and I can keep refining it and I
can shed more light on truth.” It can make you
better, self-doubt can make you do better. As a
motivator it’s actually wonderful.
Davis: I totally agree with that.
Sam: I mean, I think me having crushing
self-doubt is probably the most boring thing
you could say about being an artist, because
all artists feel that way. It’s like the least
by
For some people, “coming out” is a lifelong journey of trying to understand and acknowledge their sexual orientation
and gender identity with others. According to DoSomething.com, 42% of people who identify as LGBT report living
in an unwelcoming environment. Around 80% of gay and lesbian youth report feelings of social isolation. About
6 out of 10 students report feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation. An estimated 15,000
LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning) youth live in North Texas. However, there are not
many resources available to meet their unique needs. One such program in existence in North Texas that hopes
to address the challenges experienced by LGBTQ teens is the LGBT Resource Center. Programs such as Youth
First at the John Thomas LGBT Community Resource Center help to address the challenges these youth face with
family members, peers and fellow students. Youth First equips young people with the skills they need to lead an
"open" life. Programs include HIV/STD prevention, sexual health education, guidance on coming out, tutoring and job
readiness, life skills and mentorship, discussion/support group for youth and parents, and counseling in resilience
against bullying and harassment. The Resource Center’s mission is to become a trusted leader that empowers
the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and all those affected by HIV through improving health
and wellness, strengthening families and communities and providing transformative education and advocacy.
The Resource Center’s Youth First office is located at 3918 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas TX 75219. You can also call
(214) 879-0400 or email [email protected].
Clarkston was developed as part of a 2013 Residency with
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater.
WYLY THEATRE • STUDIO THEATRE
Clarkston, written by 2014 MacArthur Foundation Fellow Samuel D.
Hunter and directed by Davis McCallum, makes its world premiere at
Dallas Theater Center this year. The play is a story of two men on one
journey. Jake, who is a descendant of the explorer William Clark, has
recently been diagnosed with Huntington’s disease and is searching
for a way to use his degree in Post-Colonial Gender studies to make a
discernible contribution in society. His counterpart, Chris, is an aspiring
writer and native of Lewiston. Against the backdrop of an increasingly
corporatized and dehumanized American West, these two young
men attempt to join together to forge ahead into an uncertain future.
Leavened with humor and compassion, Clarkston juxtaposes day-today existence with historical allusions and larger themes of faith and
doubt. The play takes the classic ideal of the Lewis and Clark trail
and pairs it to the Costco driven world of televisions, cheese puffs and
monotonous routine. Jake and Chris embark towards an uncertain and
unpredictable future while realizing that sometimes the most important
journey you can take is the one between two people.
DallasTheaterCenter.org
PIER 1 IMPORTS NEIMAN MARCUS
Ernst & Young LLP ExxonMobil
National Corporate Theatre Fund
t. howard + associates
Theodore & Beulah Beasley Foundation
Samuel D. Hunter directed by Davis McCallum
Sam Lilja, Heidi Armbruster and Taylor Trensch. photos: Karen Almond
Dallas Theater Center
2015
the StudyGuide 2016
Season
LIVING LEGENDS: TWO
MODERN MASTERS OF THE
AMERICAN THEATER ON THEIR
COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS
LEWIS & CLARK:
A TALE OF
“UNDAUNTED
COURAGE” IN THE
AMERICAN WEST
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson acquired
what is now known as the Louisiana Purchase—
although looking at it today, we see not only Louisiana
but an entire third of the country. The nation was rapidly
expanding westward in pursuit of its “manifest destiny,” but all of this
new territory was as yet uncharted—and therefore extremely dangerous for
civilians to settle. Which is why, in 1804, President Jefferson sent two brave men,
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, to explore the unknown, map the path of the river,
and report back to the Eastern half of the nation.
Their journey was long, difficult, and viewed through a modern lens, rather controversial. What were
held up in the early 1800s as acts of courage and patriotism can today be seen as acts of imperialism
and violence against the indigenous peoples they encountered. But for better or worse, their boldness
and perseverance in the face of such a tumultuous journey render them two of the most fascinating
figures in American history. And luckily, they kept a detailed record for us to explore and discover anew
centuries later. A selcetion of entries penned by Clark:
“Rained the fore part of the day. I determined to go as far as St. Charles, a French village 7
leagues up the Missouri, and wait at that place until Capt. Lewis could finish the business in
which he was obliged to attend to at St. Louis and join me by land from that place 24 miles.
I set out at 4 o'clock p.m., in the presence of many neighboring inhabitants, and proceeded
on under a gentle breeze up the Missouri to the upper point of the first island 4 miles and
camped on the Island which is situated close on the right side, and opposite the mouth of
a small creek called Coldwater. A heavy rain this afternoon.”
-May 14, 1804, his very first entry of the expedition.
“We all believe we are about to enter the most perilous and difficult part of our voyage,
yet I see no one repining; all appear ready to meet those difficulties which await us with
resolution and becoming fortitude.”
-June 20, 1805, as the expedition neared the Great Falls with the intention of sending a canoe down
the most treacherous parts of the river. (They didn’t.)
“Great joy in the camp as we are in view of the Ocean, this great Pacific Ocean which we
been so long anxious to see. And the roaring noise made by the waves breaking on the
rocky shores (as I supposed) may be heard distinctly.”
-November 7, 1805, as the expedition finally reached the shore of the Pacific Ocean—the first time
that a citizen of the United States ever laid eyes on it.
“I slept but little last night. However, we rose early and commenced writing our letters…
After dinner we went to a store and purchased some clothes, which we gave to a tailor and
directed to be made. Capt. Lewis in opening his trunk found all his papers wet, and some
seeds spoiled.”
-September 24, 1806, one of his final journal entries, written upon his return from the expedition.
Samuel D. Hunter is a playwright whose popularity has soared in recent years. Perhaps his most famous work, The Whale, which tells the
story of a 600-pound man attempting to reconnect with his estranged, delinquent daughter, premiered at Playwrights’ Horizons in 2012. Two
years and four new plays later, Sam was honored with one of the MacArthur Foundation’s prestigious fellowships—known popularly as a
“genius grant.” A genius is defined as someone with “exceptional intellectual or creative power”—something Sam has in spades.This very
rare, no-strings-attached grant, which he received in 2014, allows him both time and money to think and create. You may be familiar with
another popular theater artist who recently received this grant: Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer and creator of Broadway’s newest hit Hamilton.
WHAT IS LEFT
TO DISCOVER?
With one of the most famous explorers of all time a family
relation, Jake feels an enormous pressure to have his own
impact, forge his own path, and make his own discoveries.
And Chris, though not literally on a journey from coast
to coast like Jake, has a mission of his own: to write
himself out of his circumstances by applying to the Iowa
Writers’ Workshop, one of the most prestigious graduate
programs for creative writing in the country. If he were to
be accepted, he would be able to leave Clarkston, leave
Washington, leave his unfulfilling job and his dysfunctional
family, and determine his own destiny as a writer. Jake has
a Bachelor's degree in Post-Colonial Gender Studies, while
Chris has only a high school diploma, but neither feels that
they have achieved anywhere close to the greatness to
which they both aspire - and both fear they never will.
Both young men face substantial roadblocks: Chris feels an
obligation to set his own wants and needs aside to care for his
recovering mother, while Jake, who still doesn’t know exactly
what his goal even is, is up against his own ticking time bomb.
“Maybe there’s just nothing left to discover,” laments Jake
at one point in the play. At that moment, although he and
Chris come from such starkly different backgrounds, they
both find themselves equally stuck. It’s a familiar feeling
for many, many young people who grow up encouraged
to dream big, but upon entering adulthood, find that they
can’t or might not or don’t know how to turn those big
dreams into a tangible future. Will Chris and Jake, like
Lewis and Clark, find the courage to dive headfirst into the
unknown? What, if anything, will they discover?
What did you dream of when you were little?
Do you still have the same dreams? What do you
think your life will look like as an adult? What will
you discover?
Sam’s plays tell the stories of very unlikely protagonists—Olive Garden branch managers, Hobby Lobby employees, Costco stockboys—
people most of us wouldn’t think twice about when in search of an exciting story. But Sam’s compassionate, humorous writing and his interest
in small-town central U.S. life (Sam himself grew up in Idaho) force audiences to consider the rich and vibrant lives and the need for human
connection that exist within all of us.
One human connection that has proved particularly important for Sam Hunter has been his relationship with director Davis McCallum. Davis
has directed four of Sam’s world premiere plays, with a fifth and sixth on the horizon with the opening of Clarkston at Dallas Theater Center
and its companion piece, Lewiston, at the Long Wharf Theater. Davis and Sam have been collaborators for years, and their combined artistic
brilliance has brought each of them enormous success in the American theater. What is the secret to their dynamic and lasting partnership?
HOW CLARKSTON,
WASHINGTON GOT
ITS NAME
Clarkston, Washington, where our play takes place, was
incorporated on August 4, 1902. Prior that it had once been
known as Jawbone Flat. This was primarily because the
outline created by the Snake River, which runs along the flat,
mirrored that of a jawbone. This name was created by the
Nez Perce tribe, who had built a village and camping site
there. In the Nez Perce language Clarkston is translated as
Simiinekem negeey, or "the other side of the confluence."
Many residents also believed that due to the land being a
deserted area of waste, littered with the decomposing
skeletons of cattle and other animals, that it reflected the
western meaning for “jawbone” being “without means.”
As irrigation systems in the area were developed, the
name of the city went through a number of changes. It first
became Lewiston on August 10, 1896, named after the
Lewiston Water and Power Company. But the U.S. Postal
Service saw that this would cause conflict with a city nearby
that bore the same name. So, when the city's first post office
was established on May 1, 1897 the name was changed to
Concord after the city Concord, Massachusetts. However,
many residents disliked the name and chose to create a
petition for change. Residents raised 264 signatures to send
to the postmaster general in Washington, D.C. in hopes of
changing the name to Clarkston. The city’s name was
incorporated in August 1902 after 45 out of 76 votes were
tallied in favor of Clarkston becoming the official name.
Steady working relationships between a director and a playwright are not
entirely uncommon. What do you guys like about having such a partnership?
What are the benefits of working with someone you’ve worked with on other
projects?
Sam: You know, I think at this point—this is the sixth play we’ve done
together—it’s become a kind of marriage. I think that there is a kind of
shorthand that has evolved between us, and also—Davis has said this before
and I really think he’s right—our roles have become a little porous throughout
the years. I feel comfortable with Davis suggesting a line in the same way
that I feel comfortable going up to him and being like, “What if this happened
in the transition instead of…” It feels like we’re co-captaining a ship, rather
than when you’re working with a director for the first time and so much of it
is just the dance of figuring out how each other works, how that then changes
and evolves from table work to staging to tech… So even though it changes
a little bit every time we do it, we always find new things. As I continue to
write these plays, they all kind of bleed into one another in certain ways, and
to have somebody who knows pretty much all of them and has worked really
intimately on most of them gives us a vocabulary that is just so much larger
than just the one play we’re working on. So often when we’re working on a
play, Davis will say something like, “Oh, that’s like the moment in The Few,” or,
“This reminds me of that circumstance in A Bright New Boise,” or something
like that, and I think it sheds light on the play in a greater way. And I think it also
makes me feel like I’m working on a larger project than just the one play.
Sam: Yeah.
Davis: And there’s something about the trust of it. I feel empowered to try some
stuff, and I think that in the end Sam knows I’m not going to do something that
he’s just going to hate, and vice versa. I extend to him a sort of credit of, “If his
instinct is to go in this direction, let’s go in this direction.” So, ideas that might
read more
LIVING LEGENDS: TWO
MODERN MASTERS OF THE
AMERICAN THEATER ON THEIR
COLLABORATIVE SUCCESS
LEWIS & CLARK:
A TALE OF
“UNDAUNTED
COURAGE” IN THE
AMERICAN WEST
In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson acquired
what is now known as the Louisiana Purchase—
although looking at it today, we see not only Louisiana
but an entire third of the country. The nation was rapidly
expanding westward in pursuit of its “manifest destiny,” but all of this
new territory was as yet uncharted—and therefore extremely dangerous for
civilians to settle. Which is why, in 1804, President Jefferson sent two brave men,
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, to explore the unknown, map the path of the river,
and report back to the Eastern half of the nation.
Their journey was long, difficult, and viewed through a modern lens, rather controversial. What were
held up in the early 1800s as acts of courage and patriotism can today be seen as acts of imperialism
and violence against the indigenous peoples they encountered. But for better or worse, their boldness
and perseverance in the face of such a tumultuous journey render them two of the most fascinating
figures in American history. And luckily, they kept a detailed record for us to explore and discover anew
centuries later. A selcetion of entries penned by Clark:
“Rained the fore part of the day. I determined to go as far as St. Charles, a French village 7
leagues up the Missouri, and wait at that place until Capt. Lewis could finish the business in
which he was obliged to attend to at St. Louis and join me by land from that place 24 miles.
I set out at 4 o'clock p.m., in the presence of many neighboring inhabitants, and proceeded
on under a gentle breeze up the Missouri to the upper point of the first island 4 miles and
camped on the Island which is situated close on the right side, and opposite the mouth of
a small creek called Coldwater. A heavy rain this afternoon.”
-May 14, 1804, his very first entry of the expedition.
“We all believe we are about to enter the most perilous and difficult part of our voyage,
yet I see no one repining; all appear ready to meet those difficulties which await us with
resolution and becoming fortitude.”
-June 20, 1805, as the expedition neared the Great Falls with the intention of sending a canoe down
the most treacherous parts of the river. (They didn’t.)
“Great joy in the camp as we are in view of the Ocean, this great Pacific Ocean which we
been so long anxious to see. And the roaring noise made by the waves breaking on the
rocky shores (as I supposed) may be heard distinctly.”
-November 7, 1805, as the expedition finally reached the shore of the Pacific Ocean—the first time
that a citizen of the United States ever laid eyes on it.
“I slept but little last night. However, we rose early and commenced writing our letters…
After dinner we went to a store and purchased some clothes, which we gave to a tailor and
directed to be made. Capt. Lewis in opening his trunk found all his papers wet, and some
seeds spoiled.”
-September 24, 1806, one of his final journal entries, written upon his return from the expedition.
Samuel D. Hunter is a playwright whose popularity has soared in recent years. Perhaps his most famous work, The Whale, which tells the
story of a 600-pound man attempting to reconnect with his estranged, delinquent daughter, premiered at Playwrights’ Horizons in 2012. Two
years and four new plays later, Sam was honored with one of the MacArthur Foundation’s prestigious fellowships—known popularly as a
“genius grant.” A genius is defined as someone with “exceptional intellectual or creative power”—something Sam has in spades.This very
rare, no-strings-attached grant, which he received in 2014, allows him both time and money to think and create. You may be familiar with
another popular theater artist who recently received this grant: Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer and creator of Broadway’s newest hit Hamilton.
WHAT IS LEFT
TO DISCOVER?
With one of the most famous explorers of all time a family
relation, Jake feels an enormous pressure to have his own
impact, forge his own path, and make his own discoveries.
And Chris, though not literally on a journey from coast
to coast like Jake, has a mission of his own: to write
himself out of his circumstances by applying to the Iowa
Writers’ Workshop, one of the most prestigious graduate
programs for creative writing in the country. If he were to
be accepted, he would be able to leave Clarkston, leave
Washington, leave his unfulfilling job and his dysfunctional
family, and determine his own destiny as a writer. Jake has
a Bachelor's degree in Post-Colonial Gender Studies, while
Chris has only a high school diploma, but neither feels that
they have achieved anywhere close to the greatness to
which they both aspire - and both fear they never will.
Both young men face substantial roadblocks: Chris feels an
obligation to set his own wants and needs aside to care for his
recovering mother, while Jake, who still doesn’t know exactly
what his goal even is, is up against his own ticking time bomb.
“Maybe there’s just nothing left to discover,” laments Jake
at one point in the play. At that moment, although he and
Chris come from such starkly different backgrounds, they
both find themselves equally stuck. It’s a familiar feeling
for many, many young people who grow up encouraged
to dream big, but upon entering adulthood, find that they
can’t or might not or don’t know how to turn those big
dreams into a tangible future. Will Chris and Jake, like
Lewis and Clark, find the courage to dive headfirst into the
unknown? What, if anything, will they discover?
What did you dream of when you were little?
Do you still have the same dreams? What do you
think your life will look like as an adult? What will
you discover?
Sam’s plays tell the stories of very unlikely protagonists—Olive Garden branch managers, Hobby Lobby employees, Costco stockboys—
people most of us wouldn’t think twice about when in search of an exciting story. But Sam’s compassionate, humorous writing and his interest
in small-town central U.S. life (Sam himself grew up in Idaho) force audiences to consider the rich and vibrant lives and the need for human
connection that exist within all of us.
One human connection that has proved particularly important for Sam Hunter has been his relationship with director Davis McCallum. Davis
has directed four of Sam’s world premiere plays, with a fifth and sixth on the horizon with the opening of Clarkston at Dallas Theater Center
and its companion piece, Lewiston, at the Long Wharf Theater. Davis and Sam have been collaborators for years, and their combined artistic
brilliance has brought each of them enormous success in the American theater. What is the secret to their dynamic and lasting partnership?
HOW CLARKSTON,
WASHINGTON GOT
ITS NAME
Clarkston, Washington, where our play takes place, was
incorporated on August 4, 1902. Prior that it had once been
known as Jawbone Flat. This was primarily because the
outline created by the Snake River, which runs along the flat,
mirrored that of a jawbone. This name was created by the
Nez Perce tribe, who had built a village and camping site
there. In the Nez Perce language Clarkston is translated as
Simiinekem negeey, or "the other side of the confluence."
Many residents also believed that due to the land being a
deserted area of waste, littered with the decomposing
skeletons of cattle and other animals, that it reflected the
western meaning for “jawbone” being “without means.”
As irrigation systems in the area were developed, the
name of the city went through a number of changes. It first
became Lewiston on August 10, 1896, named after the
Lewiston Water and Power Company. But the U.S. Postal
Service saw that this would cause conflict with a city nearby
that bore the same name. So, when the city's first post office
was established on May 1, 1897 the name was changed to
Concord after the city Concord, Massachusetts. However,
many residents disliked the name and chose to create a
petition for change. Residents raised 264 signatures to send
to the postmaster general in Washington, D.C. in hopes of
changing the name to Clarkston. The city’s name was
incorporated in August 1902 after 45 out of 76 votes were
tallied in favor of Clarkston becoming the official name.
Steady working relationships between a director and a playwright are not
entirely uncommon. What do you guys like about having such a partnership?
What are the benefits of working with someone you’ve worked with on other
projects?
Sam: You know, I think at this point—this is the sixth play we’ve done
together—it’s become a kind of marriage. I think that there is a kind of
shorthand that has evolved between us, and also—Davis has said this before
and I really think he’s right—our roles have become a little porous throughout
the years. I feel comfortable with Davis suggesting a line in the same way
that I feel comfortable going up to him and being like, “What if this happened
in the transition instead of…” It feels like we’re co-captaining a ship, rather
than when you’re working with a director for the first time and so much of it
is just the dance of figuring out how each other works, how that then changes
and evolves from table work to staging to tech… So even though it changes
a little bit every time we do it, we always find new things. As I continue to
write these plays, they all kind of bleed into one another in certain ways, and
to have somebody who knows pretty much all of them and has worked really
intimately on most of them gives us a vocabulary that is just so much larger
than just the one play we’re working on. So often when we’re working on a
play, Davis will say something like, “Oh, that’s like the moment in The Few,” or,
“This reminds me of that circumstance in A Bright New Boise,” or something
like that, and I think it sheds light on the play in a greater way. And I think it also
makes me feel like I’m working on a larger project than just the one play.
Sam: Yeah.
Davis: And there’s something about the trust of it. I feel empowered to try some
stuff, and I think that in the end Sam knows I’m not going to do something that
he’s just going to hate, and vice versa. I extend to him a sort of credit of, “If his
instinct is to go in this direction, let’s go in this direction.” So, ideas that might
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