Homestead

The selection of Chatterbox shows is sometimes a hunt for opposites. Especially at this early stage, one of our goals is to include as much variety in our productions as possible — which often means searching out shows that are in some way antithetical to the show we’ve just produced.

After recording the technically complex Cupid and Psyche, we decided to put together a much smaller, simpler kind of show. Andrew needed a break from all the knob turning and the complicated effects work, and I was looking for a chance to feature several strong actors who were itching to perform.

The result is Homestead, a quiet drama about growing up, looking back, and making peace. It’s often said that people don’t change. But really I think we just don’t expect people to change, and because of that we tend not to notice it when it happens. In saying goodbye to their childhood home, the characters in this piece all have to face up — sometimes painfully — to the people they were and the people they’ve become.

So, as it turns out, you can go home again. But there’s no guarantee of what you’ll find when you get there.

—Robert Arnold