Meet Jared Sakren, Director of "The Last Five Years"
What drew you to "The Last Five Years" as a director, and what is it about the show that you believe will resonate with the audience?
I think what most drew me to The Last Five Years is that it is a challenging work of the theatre----it is not an easy musical to create. The structure is challenging in its competing and contrasting timeframes of the central couple. The music is very sophisticated, and intricate---and at the same time highly entertaining--- requiring very skilled performers.
As in any production, I wanted to create a world onstage that makes a home for the story to take place----an atmosphere, a feeling, a time and place.
I believe this show will resonate with anyone who has had a deep, but complex, relationship with someone that can change your life, where feelings occur on a deeper level, and the story is a not simple one.
Could you describe your vision for this production and how you plan to make it unique or stand out from other interpretations of the show?
As always, I try to create as unique an experience for the audience as I can, as director. I always try, first of all, to go for the heart of the story. To get under the surface and to reveal what’s truly going on. I look for details, punctuations, highlights, and underscoring that can enhance what it’s about and add my own unique production details that draw the audience in and sweep them up into the story,
As a director, what do you hope the audience takes away from this production?
This production should allow the audience to feel the depth, the highs and lows, of the story of these two people at the start of their professional lives who are striving to find meaning and to answer the call of their hearts----it’s alternatingly, passionate, infuriating, sad, but in the end full of hope.
They are young and having their dreams tested in the crucible of New York City, and a place where many young artists come to have their dreams challenged. I know, I lived and worked in NYC for twenty years. I wanted to add my unique touch to this important and innovative musical.
What is your experience with directing musicals?
I’ve been directing musicals for around 22 years now and love the collaborative nature of them. It’s always a team effort, and we have a great one---a cast of two extremely talented and skilled performers, an amazing music director, and the same with the rest of the team.
I hope you feel as we do, that The Last Five Years is a unique and powerful, and very entertaining, musical that stays with you long after the lights go down.
