Dear Supporters of New Theater,
Thank you for joining us for the New York City premiere of Monsters of the Villa Diodati.
I was first exposed to the music of Matt Conner back in 2008 when I directed another one of his shows, Nevermore. Based on the writings and life of Edgar Allan Poe, Nevermore remains one of my favorite productions to this day. When Ryan and I were thinking about what musical we wanted to produce as the third mainstage Emergent production, Nevermore popped into my head. After speaking with Matt about the possibility of bringing Nevermore to NYC, we began discussing some of the other shows he had written with his husband, Stephen Gregory Smith.
After perusing some of the other shows, I was immediately drawn to Monsters of the Villa Diodati. I was intrigued by the historical basis of the show, but also by the dark, ghostly elements that imbue the story. As I read more about the summer that Mary and Percy Shelley spent on Lake Geneva with Lord Byron, Claire Claremont and Dr. John Polidori, I knew it was the show I wanted to direct. And that was before I heard the score! After listening to the recording of the original production, the choice was clear.
Working on this production with the cast and production team has been such a pleasure, and the show you are about to see is the result of the hard work and dedication of some of the most talented theater artists I’ve had the pleasure of working with in my twenty-two years as a director.
I want to extend a special thank you Stephen Gregory Smith, Matt Conner and Warren Freeman for trusting me and Emergent to bring this show that is so very dear to them to life here in New York City. Much the way Mary Shelley felt about her creation of the monster Frankenstein, I know this is only the beginning of a very special life for Monsters of the Villa Diodati, and am honored to have played a small part in its creation.
Joey DeMita
Artistic Director, Co-Founder
Emergent TheatreWorks
