Earworm is my first stage play script; it comes from the culmination of what I love and what I am going through in my life at this moment: music and depression. I use music as a tool to help manage these feelings. However, I find myself always listening to the same songs over and over, day after day. A wise man once said, “Insanity is the act of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results” ; the same could be said about depression.

 

Music has always been a huge part of my life. Music brings out so many emotions and gives the listener an escape into a personal dreamscape. No one hears a song in the same way as anyone else. When I listen to a song I love, I have a scene play out in my head and with this play, I want to share what I see.

 

The events in Earworm are based on my past relationships and all the characters are based on either myself or people in my past: An awkward nerd, a hopeless romantic introvert, an intellectual that cares too much, a nervous man with father issues, a girlfriend with sass and restless legs, and a depressed lover. The six characters are six parts of myself and my life. I wanted to give all my characters a flaw, a believable personality, and an earned conclusion. I hope this allows the audience to connect to at least one of them and go through this journey with them.

 

Overall, I am putting myself on stage through my characters, spotlighting the good and the bad, and showcasing what I love. I have never seen depression tackled in the way I am trying to present it: by having a song stuck in your head for no clear reason. I hope that Earworm sticks with the audience in the same way these songs are stuck with my characters.