About the Show
"...a powerful portrait of a modern hero
in a particular place and time."
THINGS AS THEY ARE is a sweeping and epic
musical based on the extraordinary life of
documentary photographer Dorothea Lange.
 Probably best known for her depression-era
iconic photograph “Migrant Mother,” Lange’s
life-journey became a continuous tug-o-war
between the roles of wife, mother, artist, and
social crusader.
Set against the backdrop of the moving social
history of twentieth century America, THINGS AS
THEY ARE recreates the remarkable and often
tumultuous worlds in which she lived and worked;
from San Francisco’s bohemian social scene, to
the ravaged dust bowls of the Great Plains, to
the distressing reality within the Japanese
American internment camps.
Her provocative and emotional photography
brilliantly captured the integrity and humanity
of a people whose lives were often torn loose by
the turbulent world surrounding them. What
emerged is a treasury of imagery that today
reminds us how beauty can be found in the most
unlikely of places, yet can also have the power
to alter the perceptions of an entire nation.
 An enthralling and
inspiring story, THINGS AS THEY ARE exposes the
passions, the pains, and the hopes of a woman
ahead of her time, and an artist who’s private
life was as complex as the history she
documented. Dorothea Lange herself
entices us to not simply look, but to learn to
truly see what is often right in front of us.
As she once expressed:
“The camera is an
instrument that teaches people how to see
without a camera.”
The musical features over
200 photographic images; each captivating,
haunting, and unforgettable The musical score,
composed by Jonathan Comisar, depicts not only
the epic mood of the period, with suggestions of
Aaron Copland and Woody Guthrie, but finds a
glorious and moving internal voice and style for
each of the main characters and
their larger
than life personalities.
In researching the show,
author and lyricist John Dietrich, had access to
36 hours of audio interviews, (including out
takes), recorded during the filming of a
documentary about Lange just prior to her death.
These tapes combined with other invaluable
historical resources, enabled Dietrich to
understand not only her speech patterns and use
of language, but to find a personal connection
with her, as though these audio conversations
placed him right there in her studio.
Ironically, though it was
not the authors’ intention when they began the
musical over 2 years ago, for the present day
observer, the world that Dorothea Lange captured
seems oddly familiar. Yet it is through her
unwavering quest and sincere devotion to
humanity, that people today may find renewed
promise in the spirit of mankind and the belief
that ultimately each of us, will always be able
to find our way once again.
THINGS AS THEY ARE was one of five shows
nominated for the 2009 Fred Ebb Award and was
selected for the 2010 New York Musical Theatre
Festival Next Link Project, one of 12 shows
selected out of over 400 entries. It premiered
in the Theater at St. Clements to sold out
crowds, winning five awards and mentions during
the festival run.
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