As we gear up for our last Artist Series concert of the season, Flower & Ash: A Post-American Concert, we sat down with creator, composer, and lyricist, Mike Descoteaux about why he decided to write a musical, and how the subject matter of a post-apocalyptic America and the musical idiom of folk music inspired this new work. Read on to learn about Flower & Ash!
Q 1: What prompted you to write a musical?
A 1: Sometimes a story moves around in your brain and your soul, knocking at the door to be let out. This story, with its superpowers, larger-than-life characters, and troubadour heart was calling out for music. The shape, though, didn’t want to be a typical musical. I needed a new structure, one that could reflect the grit of dystopian survival and the power of authentic folk music. And what’s come out is not so much a musical but an epic play with a river of music running through it.
Q 2: Have you written music previously?
A 2: I’ve been writing music since I was 6 years old–40 years ago, if you’re counting (I’m not?). I write songs on commission, songs for me, songs for my friends, and I write musicals for theaters around the country. I also love to challenge the definition of “written.” For 20 years, I made my living improvising songs and musicals at the piano with casts, bands, and audiences, even running some of these improvised musicals Off-Broadway. While all the music of “Flower & Ash” is written, the improvisational spirit and the life of LIVE music is in the DNA of these folk songs. And in the DNA of our ridiculously talented band.
Q 3: What are the artistic influences on your musical styling, writing, and storytelling of Flower & Ash?
A 3: Apocalyptic stories are my jam. There’s something about stripping away the entitlements of modern living to reveal the essence of our humanity. When all the screens, cars, and institutions are gone, who are we? From Mad Max to The Last of Us or even a post-earth read like Emily Tesh’s Some Desperate Glory, the immediacy of survival exposes our capacity for compassion or our drive for power.
Musically, I grew up on folk songs with the soulful storytelling of songwriters like Harry Chapin, Tracy Chapman, Dar Williams, Ani DiFranco, the Indigo Girls, and the Chicks. When I think about what music will survive after the power is gone (electrical and governmental), it’s the music of the people–unplugged, gritty, and real. That’s the world this show lives in.
Q 4: Why does this story seem so prescient right now?
A 4: Our story is set in a Post-American dystopia after the collapse of the country due to violent political differences. Doesn’t take much imagination to see the path from our present state to the one where it all falls apart. But rather than focus on darkness, this journey centers on 4 characters finding the light and love beyond simply surviving. Exploring Queer themes, the intersection of destruction and healing, and what it means to be truly American, “Flower & Ash” feels to me like part cautionary tale, sure, but the bigger part celebrates the emerging superpowers of today’s marginalized voices.
Join us on April 16th to see this new work in its entirety for the first time!
You can purchase tickets HERE!
