Play By Play
Still( 2023)
Play By Play
Jayne Atkinson and Tim Daly in Still
Still( 2023)
Written By: Lia Romeo Directed by: Adrienne Campbell-Holt Starring: Tim Daly and Jayne Atkinson
Lia Romeo’ s acclaimed two-character play, Still, made its debut at Dorset Theatre Festival in 2023, exemplifying the Festival’ s role as a nurturing ground for meaningful theatrical explorations. From its initial development to its Off-Broadway success with Colt Coeur, Still vividly demonstrates Dorset’ s ability to cultivate powerful storytelling through deep creative collaboration.
Romeo recalls her initial involvement with Dorset as a seamless result of her creative partnership with director Adrienne Campbell-Holt.“ Adrienne had directed at Dorset several times and was looking for a project specifically for Tim Daly. She read Still and immediately thought it was a perfect fit,” Romeo explains. Excited by the prospect, Romeo adds,“ I was eager to work with them, having heard such wonderful things about Dorset.”
The collaborative environment at Dorset significantly shaped the early stages of Still. Romeo vividly remembers,“ From the first read-through in their basement, we knew we had something special. The environment was friendly and collaborative, and the quality was incredibly high yet low-pressure. This combination is ideal for developing new work— you get top-notch talent without constraints or fear of failure.”
Tim Daly was deeply moved by the script’ s emotional resonance.“ I was floored by this little play the first time I read it,” Daly shares, highlighting the depth and timeliness of Romeo’ s writing.“ At its essential level, it’ s about love— about people who’ ve been in love and who have had heartbreak. It was beautiful, clever, funny, and incredibly moving.” Daly further emphasizes the distinctiveness of the play’ s themes:“ We do plays about young love all the time, but this is about people in their 60s. These are basic human themes, but rarely explored in such a profound and honest way.”
Daly was joined by fellow acclaimed actor Jayne Atkinson, whose partnership with Daly brought significant depth to the production. Romeo credits Daly and Atkinson’ s seasoned artistry as vital to her creative process.“ Tim and Jayne are total professionals— their craft is impeccable,” Romeo notes.“ Because my play deals with characters significantly older than me, their perspectives and lived experiences profoundly influenced the text. Our conversations during rehearsals became integral script changes, adding layers of realism and emotional depth.” Romeo highlights their adaptability as crucial:“ Their willingness to continuously learn new pages and script changes right up to opening night elevated the emotional impact of the play significantly.”
Director Adrienne Campbell-Holt recognized Still’ s potential immediately. She adds:“ Within two hours of reading it, I knew I wanted Tim Daly involved and that it belonged at Dorset … To have a two-character play hold so much emotional depth is exceptional. It’ s rare to produce a play written in 2022 and premiere it in 2023— such responsiveness is almost unheard of in theater.” She credits Dorset’ s artistic courage and openness as vital factors in the play’ s successful transition
66 manchester life | manchesterlifemagazine. com