Feature: Interview With Nora Perone and Daniel Stevens, the Stars of WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC THEATRE'S Production of THE LAST FIVE YEARS

After a wildly successful run last year and subsequent awards for "Best Musical" and "Best Actor in a Musical" in the fan nominated and voted on Broadway World's Regional Awards, the West Virginia Public Theatre (WVPT) in Morgantown, WV has decided to bring The Last Five Years back to the stage for a second run, this time heading out on the road for two additional stops after their opening at the Tanner Theatre, located inside the Monongalia Arts Center.

For those unfamiliar with the show, The Last Five Years focuses on the pain of a failing marriage, while also examining the various aspects of a relationship from first meeting until last parting. The show focuses on up-and-coming novelist Jamie (Daniel Stevens) and struggling actress Cathy (Nora Perone) as they meet, fall in love, get married and then drift part.

The show has won numerous awards, including a Drama Desk Award in 2001 and later went on to become a movie starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan.

I spoke with Nora Perone (Cathy) and Daniel Stevens (Jamie), the stars in this two-person show, about why they feel that this production resonates with audiences and their experiences bringing these incredibly human characters to life.

Perone was not surprised by audience reaction, as she had once sat awed by the show herself. "My first experience with the show was ten years ago as an audience member and I still remember the impact it had on me back then. The writing is top notch."

Despite her reaction to seeing the show in the past, bringing The Last Five Years to life on stage - or any show for that matter - is always a bit intimidating. "When you're making theatre, there is a constant low-level fear that never, ever goes away," explained Perone. "There is a tiny part of me that will always be afraid that people aren't going to pick up what we're putting down."

Likewise, Stevens expected audiences to enjoy the show, "This is one of my favorite plays of all time, it's certainly in the running for my favorite musical, so I'm not at all surprised that people like it." He went on to explain that he was more relieved than anything that he, Nora and WVPT had been able to do justice to the show.

As for his Broadway World Regional Award for "Best Actor in a Musical" Stevens said, "The Broadway World award completely knocked me on my butt. That was an incredible way to end one year and begin another."

As for what led to the play's revival, Stevens explained, "From what I can tell, it's six parts public response, half a dozen Nora Perone. Nora did an absolutely brilliant job marketing this project and getting butts in the seats. Fortunately, once we got the butts in the seats, Jen, Nora, RJ and myself had managed to make something people really liked."

The choice to take the show on the road was easy. Perone explained, "We first did the show in Morgantown in September and other venues approached us then to bring the show down South. We were thrilled, obviously, because we love this show and we will take literally any excuse to perform it!"

"I can't speak to precedent, but I think that WVPT made a good call putting this show on the

road," said Stevens. Notwithstanding it's relatively low production costs due to minimal set and small cast/crew/orchestra," (RJ Nester performs the show as a one-man orchestra), "this is the kind of story people are always going to be hungry to see."

Stevens is excited to take the show on the road and believes that this is a natural progression for WVPT, "bringing it to communities that are hungry for new faces doing theater they might not have seen before is exactly the kind of thing a company like WVPT should be doing to increase their regional influence, as well as to give back to the community that keeps us fed."

As for why the show seems to resonate with audiences, Perone explained, "This show is much more intimate that traditional musicals. It's just the three of us (Stevens, Perone and RJ - their pianist) in a small studio theater with 50 audience members at most. Every song is like looking through a window into a private moment in someone's life. That isn't an experience that you get with big flashy Broadway shows!"

Stevens agrees, and speaks about the relatability of the show's themes. "Everyone in their lives has been, or will be, on either side of this relationship. You can't help but empathize with both of them simultaneously. That, and Brown's genius for stream of consciousness musical ranting, is on full display here. Marry the music and the mania and you've got a heartbreak fit for the whole family."

Preparing for such a draining role is hard, both Stevens and Perone explained. The show covers a wide spectrum of emotions - from hopelessly in love to endlessly heartbroken, requiring the actors to jump between emotions throughout the show.

"It was hard to imagine because I've never been married," explained Perone. I can't imagine having that kind of intimacy and joy with another person and then feeling it crumble around me. But I have been in love and had my heart broken in a thousand tiny ways over the years, so I had a solid starting point to work from."

Stevens has never been married either, but that didn't stop him from understanding his character's emotional arc. "I have definitely been one of the people in a burning house trying to put out the fires with a squirt gun in one hand and a can of kerosene in the other."

As for challenges while preparing, Perone stated that, "the range of emotions the show covers is very extreme. We see Cathy at her most ecstatic, her most heartbroken, her most enraged, her most determined. Because of the unique way the show is structured, I start at the end of the story and tell it in reverse, while Dan (Stevens) as Jamie tells his side of the story in chronological order. It always makes me think of ballroom dancing; I'm doing everything my partner is doing, but backwards and in heels!"

"I was, as a singer, rather out of practice when Nora (Perone) offered me the role," explained Stevens. "I had to put a great deal of focus into getting my voice back into something approximating my tip top shape."

Throughout the show the characters make some questionable decisions toe the line of how one should act while in a relationship. I asked both Perone and Stevens if they identified with their characters and if they agreed with their actions throughout the show.

"Identify? Yes. Regrettably," said Stevens, adding, "agree with his actions? I do not."

"It is very easy for me to identify with Cathy because she and I are at very similar places in our careers - kind of waiting for that break," said Perone. "I have a huge amount of empathy for her when she's struggling. She and I also have the same self-deprecating sense of humor, which is fun to play."

While Perone may identify with her character, there are a few traits that differentiate her from Cathy. "She's a little more passive aggressive than I am. I try to be more straightforward than I think Cathy feels comfortable being. She spends a lot of time trying to make herself smaller and more palatable and I don't think I do that - although maybe I should every now and then!"

Both Perone and Stevens spoke about the show and its message to audiences. Stevens enjoys that the show leads audiences to debate amongst their selves. "I appreciate that we leave the show with people arguing over who made the big mistake to end the relationship. I'm glad that it asks more questions than it answers regarding how people can treat each other and should treat each other. Also, as a portrait of the artist as a young man, I like seeing it as a milestone in JRB's life and growth as a human."

Perone added, "to me, the message is really just that there are two sides to every story. No matter how things look from the outside, it is never black and white."

As for audiences attending a performance of The Last Five Years, Perone said, "I always tell people to be prepared to laugh and cry in equal measure. The show packs an emotional punch, but it does it with wit and energy and sensitivity. It's quite a ride for 90 minutes."

"It's a very playful musical," said Stevens. "The lyrical and musical choices are always looking for a joke, so even when we're telling you about how much we're still hurting, there will always be a clever turn of phrase to drive the tragedy home with a laugh."

In closing Stevens said, "It has been an absolute joy working on this show and I really hope that shows in people's viewing of it."

Perone said, "As an audience member, I enjoy myself so much more when I feel that the performers are having fun. Dan and I are having the time of our lives up there - and we want everyone to come along for the ride."

Show: The Last Five Years

Performance Dates: February 14th - 17th, 2019 in Morgantown, WV at the Tanner Theatre, February 22nd and 23rd, 2019 at Tamarack and a matinee show on February 24th, 2019 at a new arts and culture center in Welch.

Ticket Information: You can visit West Virginia Public Theatre's website and Facebook for more information.

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