Grief and Humor Intertwine in Abe Koogler's 'Deep Blue Sound'
Rewritten Article:
"Life's fragility and the ache of losing something dear hit home for playwright Abe Koogler," he shares. This sentiment echoes throughout the gripping, poignant, and humorous deep dive into loss known as Deep Blue Sound, currently gracing The Public Theater's Shiva Theater. First staged at Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks festival in 2023, this play, a tapestry of interlacing vignettes with a hint of Our Town, charts the journey of a tight-knit island community grappling with both personal and environmental tumult.
Hailing from a picturesque island in the Pacific Northwest teeming with peculiar characters and breathtaking wilderness, Koogler remembers nostalgically, "Our ferry boat often glided gently to avoid disturbing the orcas." Even as the looming environmental crisis hangs ominously over the play, it is the characters' personal lives that consume them. "They're left pondering the meaning of their lives, past and present," Koogler muses.
The script, essentially unaltered since its premiere, has been subtly enhanced by the shift to a larger venue. "Some plays simply fall into place; this was one of them," Koogler muses. However, the transition to The Public has ushered in a fuller sensory experience. "The play's world now embraces the weather more vividly and allows for a more intimate portrayal of the natural environment," he explains.
One narrative thread that resonates deeply follows Ella, a woman grappling with the realities of a terminal illness, her decision to seek an assisted suicide via the Death with Dignity Act making for a poignant exploration of life's complexities. "I've known individuals who chose this path," Koogler reveals. "It's a period laden with joy, anger, absurdity, fear, connection-in short, it encapsulates the human experience."
Tony Award winner Maryann Plunkett reprises her critically-acclaimed portrayal of Ella, a role Koogler describes as, "one of the greats." "Watching her onstage feels utterly genuine, never fake. Her humor is also top-notch-it's incredible to see how she refines her performance, constantly discovering new nuances and dimensions," he enthuses.
While the play tackles weighty themes, comedy plays a vital role: an ineffectual mayor (Crystal Finn) and a enigmatic chainsaw-wielding figure (Ryan King) offer moments of sidesplitting laughter. "Plays need to make you laugh first, before they can be anything else," Koogler asserts.
His previous work, the uproariously absurd Staff Meal at Playwrights Horizons, likewise examined themes of change and uncertainty. "In Staff Meal, a restaurant was the focus of their struggle; in Deep Blue Sound, it's the whales," Koogler clarifies. "My characters are flustered by the changing world-they see it happening and don't know what to do. I believe everyone can connect with that confusion and that sense of loss in today's world."
"Like all my plays, Deep Blue Sound is about the lonely trying to find connection. My characters seek their place within broader systems-political, economic, ecological-that they struggle to comprehend," Koogler concludes.
The surreal and poignant play, 'Deep Blue Sound', penned by playwright Abe Koogler, permeates themes of personal and environmental tumult, intersecting with the narrative of an island community. The script, originally from Clubbed Thumb's Summerworks festival in 2023, offers a humorous yet profound exploration of life's complexities, as demonstrated in the character of Ella, a woman confronting terminal illness. This gripping production, currently at The Public Theater's Shiva Theater, features a critically-acclaimed performance by Tony Award winner Maryann Plunkett, who brings a striking authenticity that encapsulates the surreal, genuine, and complex human experience.
