Artists & Projects Directory
Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell
Words by Spalding Gray; Concept by Kathleen Russo; Directed by Lucy Sexton
Performed by a four-person ensemble, along with a different guest reader from the local community every show
Spalding Gray, one of the most revered and irreverent storytellers of our time, became an indelible image: sitting alone at a desk on a bare stage, delivering hilarious and moving monologues. But what made Gray's performances so memorable and timeless was the universal way his words-the observations, neuroses, fears and joys they expressed-resonate so deeply with audiences. His work lives on in the funny, poignant, and ultimately life-affirming Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell.
The show appeals to longtime Gray fans as well as newcomers to his work. It is co-conceived by Kathleen Russo, Gray's widow, and Lucy Sexton, who have assembled excerpts from both renowned and never-before-seen work to span the artist's extraordinary life and career. The piece unfolds chronologically, from recollections of childhood swimming trips with his mother and tales of awkward adolescent sexual encounters, to the joy Gray took in being a father himself.
The five-person cast, speaking directly to the audience, makes each step of Gray's journey engaging. Their speeches have been divided into categories, so that one actor covers "adventure" while another tackles "love," "career," "family" or private journal entries. The conceit lets us focus more intently on the words, clarifying that Gray could write in multiple voices while continuing to explore his singular--and often incredibly humorous--quest for self-understanding.
In addition to diary extracts and other unpublished writing, Stories Left to Tell includes excerpts from Sex and Death to Age 14, Terrors of Pleasure, Swimming to Cambodia, Impossible Vacation, Gray's Anatomy, Monster in a Box, It's a Slippery Slope, Morning Noon and Night, and Life Interrupted.