It is important to point out that directorially this production was very much a collaboration between myself, Barney O'Hanlon and Darron West. Anne Bogart spent a short amount of time with the cast at the beginning of the process, which was based on a scenario which she had conceived. The idea of Short Stories is to build a theatre work that elevates the smallest details of daily life into heroism. To look at the mundanity of common life as something inherently beautiful. This is accomplished through text which is generated by interviews with the actors and members of the local community. The questions for the interviews are:

Where were you born? (Include description)
What is your earliest memory?
What object do you remember most from your childhood?
When you were young, what is it you wanted to be when you grew up?
What does family mean to you?
Describe a ritual you perform on a daily basis-
Describe a cultural story or ritual that you were raised with that still inhabits your life-
Describe a typical day in your life -
What gets you up in the morning?
How do you get through the day? ( ie. What keeps you going?)
Describe your favorite room in your house/apartment-
What is your favorite time of day and why?
What do you love?
What do you hate?
What do you most fear?
What do you hope for?
What is your biggest regret?
What do you imagine happens to you when you die? (Body and soul)
What do you imagine will be your legacy?
What will you leave behind when you die?
How would you like to be remembered?

This production also marked my first visit to Southeast Alaska, a place which has become a favorite and important part of the world for me.