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Local playwright’s debut, The Grand National, finds inspiration in tragedy
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In the winter of 2005, a young man of seemingly unbound potential, known for his remarkable intelligence and disarming wit, quietly took his own life. Family, friends, and colleagues were shocked to learn of the private depths of despair that had led to such a desperate action. Like so many suicides, this young man had managed to conceal his depression within a personality so upbeat that few would suspect his harboring of such dark sentiments.
Reeling from the loss, one of the man’s friends turned to playwriting as a means of dealing with his grief. The resultant work, The Grand National, opens Friday, October 23rd at the St. Paul Eagles Club. An ambitious character study that explores the consequences of untreated depression, The Grand National achieves an aching poignancy by depicting an all-too familiar tragedy. To gain more insight into the work, I recently met with first-time playwright Duke Geelan to discuss this very personal debut.
A lawyer by profession with an easygoing demeanor, Duke Geelan doesn’t immediately strike the profile of an aspiring playwright. Expressing remarkably little angst for a practitioner of the dramatic arts, Geelan’s background nevertheless shows early telltale signs of an artistic inclination. “In college I double-majored in economics and classical guitar,” Geelan notes, “which allowed me to explore a practical side and a more creative side.”
Playwriting might not have been on his radar, but the study of music – particularly Renaissance forms – was making a tremendous impact. Over time Geelan’s enthusiasm for the Renaissance period would lead from music to theater via a study of Shakespeare – a process which would, in turn, lead to an immersion into other dramatists.
Still the notion of creating his own work wouldn’t emerge until impacted by the grim reality of a friend’s suicide. The memory of that dark occasion is still vivid to Geelan, marking a nightmarish period that began with his friend’s sudden disappearance and only ended when Geelan himself (along with a handful of mutual friends) discovered the body. “The inspiration came in part from the intensity of our friendship,” Geelan remembers, “and also of the experience of learning that he was missing and going to look for him.”
Startled by the revelation of his friend’s secret struggle with depression, Geelan began writing as a means of making sense of the tragedy. But it was through his knowledge of classical guitar composition that Geelan found a structural approach to the storyline. Utilizing delineated movements to correspond to distinct mental states, Geelan was able to develop a rhythmic approach that flows from waking to dreaming, bridging the gap between conscious and subconscious awareness.
Influencing the play’s central mood were the Elizabethan lute compositions of John Dowland, particularly his Come, Heavy Sleep. The melancholic piece depicts sleep as a means to escape from the pain of existence, a theme further expounded upon as the basis of Nocturnal, the revered composition from 20th century maestro Benjamin Britten and collaborator Peter Pears, which also served as a heavy influence on The Grand National.
The title refers to a 1987 Buick Grand National –a car Geelan selected to both pay tribute to his friend and to serve as the play’s central metaphor. He and his friend shared a common love of cars and founded their friendship over a mutual appreciation. The Grand National proved an inspired choice. Revered by car enthusiasts for its performance, the Grand National’s turbo engine design and subsequent need for customized maintenance fell into place as an apt symbol for an ailing mental condition.
Even with the fundamentals of vision and purpose in place, however, The Grand National required a lengthy period of revisions as Geelan sought to express his story in a way that would both enlighten and entertain. Of tremendous assistance was the involvement of Bryan Bevell. Having served the local theater scene in virtually every capacity (including as a performer, producer, and director), Bevell was uniquely qualified to provide guidance to the developing playwright.
Following further refinement from the Minnesota Playwright’s Center, The Grand National grew so fine-tuned that Bryan Bevell not only signed on as director, but assisted in the acquisition of an exceptionally talented cast that includes Joel Liestman, Emily Dooley, Nathan Christopher, Cherri Macht, and Gus Lynch.
Geelan also reached out to the University of St. Thomas Guitar Studies Program, of which he is an alumnus, to provide live classical guitar to complete the mood of the play and acknowledge the influence of Dowland and Britten. After stressing the importance of classical guitar to the piece, Geelan managed to enlist the participation of a former teacher and talented young musicians.
The result is a sterling example of how contemporary theater can be used to tell stories of social importance that are both intimately personal, yet thematically universal. Though inspired by a tragic event, the story recounts moments of friendship and love, of humorous recollections amidst the heartbreak.
Above and beyond all else, the story provides a vivid reminder to the dangers of untreated depression. “There’s not a silver bullet to curing depression,” Geelan notes. “You need a support system. It can be painful to be treated, it can take time, and you might have to try different things that aren’t all going to work. But you have to have the courage to seek help.”
As The Grand National movingly denotes, chronic depression leads to places far too dark to be travelled alone.
For more info: The Grand National runs at the St. Paul Eagles Club October 23rd through November 8th. Tickets are available at the door or by calling 612-227-1822.
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