We’re Only Alive
for a Short Amount of Time
The Public Theater
June 15, 2019
 |
| Photo courtesy of The Public Theater |
Playwright/Performer
David Cale’s We’re Only Alive for a Short Amount of Time is an intimate
and personal story of the continuity of life.
David tells the story of growing up in Luton, England, when a family
tragedy set his life on an unexpected trajectory. His writing is touching and honest. His performance is vulnerable and heartfelt. His lyrics are simple and effective. The music, co-written by Matthew Dean Marsh,
is emotional and tender.
 |
| Photo courtesy of The Public Theater |
The
story starts with David telling how, when a young boy, he transformed the shed
in his backyard into an animal hospital, merely by painting the sign “animal
hospital” above its doorway. Over a
short period of time he built it into an aviary where he raised hundreds of
tropical birds. He often stopped in his
tracks to watch a flock of geese fly over his yard in a V-formation. David goes on to tell about his alcoholic
father, his strict and emotionally abusive grandfather, and his mother, who
felt as if she sold her soul when she married into the unknown darkness of her
husband’s family. David’s brother,
Simon, also found solace in flight, only his was through building model
airplanes and hanging them from the ceiling of his bedroom. One morning, when he was sixteen, David’s
life flew into confusion and uncertainty when his father brutally and
unexpectedly beat his mother to death with a hammer. His grandfather’s hammer, which David
borrowed to build his aviary. The spirit
of his mother soared inside David, as he traveled to America to fulfill his
dreams to become everything she was unable to achieve.
 |
| Photo courtesy of The Public Theater |
We’re
Only Alive for a Short Amount of Time is a life-affirming tale of hope,
brilliantly structured and stunningly shared.
David Cale is genuine. His skills
are so fine-tuned that he makes everything look easy and comfortable. This is a show that MUST be experienced firsthand. It is running at the Public Theater through
July 14. Get you tickets right away!
Domenick Danza
