About Solstice
A Note from the Writer
Solstice is a show that aims to capture the journey of grief, loss, and self-discovery through the lens of a small group of young adults living in a time of pain and transition.
In a childhood home lies a baby whose father is grieving the loss of his Mom - an anchor, guide, and mentor to him and many. The father is a writer who tries to make sense of his pain on the page of his journal, distracted from the life around him. The baby’s mother tries to hold the house together, living with her boyfriend in his house, a weighted task - the loss of his Mom just as painful.
Upstairs lies the father’s older brother, dejected and caught between the real world and what once was. Living in the past, he spends his life half-asleep, not knowing how to move on. His girlfriend, a partner since high school, is trying to grow up and move forward with her life, caught in between her boyfriend’s grief and her own.
On the journey of life that recedes in and out of this house, we learn of the stories that created the realms of uncertainty and sadness that pervade the living room and kitchen, the childhood backyard and garden: a best friend pushed aside, a loved one ghosted, people reaching out trying to be supportive, to no response. A community they once had, now left in the darkness of loneliness.
When these brothers learn that they have missed a deadline to prove to their uncle’s lawyers that they are capable of financially maintaining their Mom’s house, they are forced to reckon with what has undone them — their relationship, their brotherhood, their family— and find a way to move on, this time, for good.
— Ben Rowley, Writer & Composer
JOIN US AT THE CHARLES R. WOOD THEATER THIS MAY
In Solstice: A New Musical, two brothers struggle to find their path forward in the wake of their mother’s passing. A story of loss, resilience, and self-discovery, Solstice follows the brothers alongside their girlfriends and friends as they navigate grief and search for what comes next in their lives.
Featuring a book and score by Glens Falls native Ben Rowley, Solstice returns to the Wood Theater after a sold-out staged reading in 2023—this time making its debut on the Main Stage. Directed by Brittany Martel, this premiere developmental production features a cast and creative team from across the Glens Falls region.
