McKenna Deen, our Digital Content and Communication Manager at ACT, talked with Maggie Lee about the upcoming production of The Sunless Scar — the world premiere written specifically for the Young Core Company and ACT’s Allen arena stage. Learn more about The Sunless Scar here.
Deen: The Sunless Scar delves into a post-apocalyptic world where environmental damage has transformed society. What drew you to explore such a dystopian setting?
Lee: I always try to tell stories that I would enjoy watching myself, and I’ve always loved genres like science fiction, fantasy, and horror, which can create these epic new worlds outside of our everyday existence. Sadly in this case, the world of The Sunless Scar is not too terribly far off from where our real world is headed. But I feel like sharing our problems with the audience like it’s an adventure we are exploring together helps them to open up in a way that they might not if it was more like a lecture.
Deen: Could you share some insights into the process of writing The Sunless Scar specifically for ACT’s Allen Arena stage? What unique challenges or opportunities did the venue present, and how did this influence your creative decisions during the production?
Lee: When Shana and I first started talking about this project, she mentioned we would be using the Allen for the show, but that we would be performing without the usual full stage lighting and sound. I found that to be incredibly inspiring and it made me wonder how we could embrace the stage’s natural shape as part of the storytelling. We couldn’t “hide” it with the usual stage magic, so why not showcase it? Since it looks very much like a crater, I came up with this idea of a deep dark hole, and the mysteries surrounding it. As the production has moved forward, I have been so amazing and thrilled by the incredibly creative solutions that our design team has come up with to overcome the challenges of the space. This will be such a uniquely beautiful show that never would have existed if we hadn’t had to think “outside the box,” and I am so excited to see how it unfolds.
Deen: The concept of safety, community, and light being found in unexpected places, like the depths of the Sunless Scar, is intriguing. What inspired you to create this contrasting dynamic, and what do you hope audience members take away from it?
Lee: I’m obsessed with secrets and hidden agendas in stories, I always want to know what’s happening underneath what we think we know. I’m the kind of person who likes to open all the cabinets and poke around in the back of the drawers to see what’s lurking back there with the dust bunnies. So it was really appealing to me to create this very scary, foreboding place like the Scar and then turn that expectation on its head and make it a place of safety. Even in everlasting darkness deep underground, you can always create light and warmth with the people around you, as long as you work together. But is it really true harmony, or just survival? We’ll find out!
Deen: Your play premieres with a cast of Young Core Company members. How do you see the themes of The Sunless Scar resonating with young audiences, and what discussions or reflections do you hope it sparks among them?
Lee: I hope it gives them the courage and curiosity to ask why about everything, especially when it comes to our inherited culture and tradition. It’s far too easy to sit back and just go through the motions because “it’s the way we’ve always done it.” But the world is constantly changing and growing, and we need to remember it’s healthy and natural to adapt with it. I’m not saying we should flat-out reject everything that’s come before us; there are many traditions that are lovely and meaningful, but there are also just as many that are harmful and cruel. It’s up to each new generation to choose what to carry forward with them. I feel that this openness to change is something that we lose as we get older, so I’d love for our young theatre artists and audiences to be the role models for the adults in always asking why.
Deen: Environmental issues loom large in your narrative. How do you hope your play contributes to broader conversations about climate change and our responsibility to the planet?
Lee: I feel that so many environmental catastrophes are happening these days because people are unable or just unwilling to change their lifestyles or their ways of thinking. It can feel hopeless because the problems are so overwhelming, so it’s easier to feel like nothing you do matters and just give up. But there’s not going to be a flashy magic machine that solves everything, it’s going to be tiny changes that are so frustratingly small, but that’s the only way we can even start to fix things. And I feel that is true not just for the environment, but also many of the other conflicts and struggles our society is currently dealing with. Please don’t keep throwing your (metaphorical) kids down a hole in the ground because that’s the way it’s always been! There’s got to be another way, and I know we can find it.