a conversation with Sasha Wilson, the author and star of BURY THE HATCHET

Sasha Wilson

By Gil Benbrook

It's always nice to see a new piece of theatre and Southwest Shakespeare Company, in coordination with Out Of The Forest Theatre, is presenting the Arizona and US debut of Bury the Hatchet.

Written by Sasha Wilson, this is a new play, which just debuted last year, that uses period music to portray the infamous story of Lizzie Borden and the double murder of her father and step mother.

I had the chance to see a performance of the musical last night and found it an intriguing journey to the past and the always fascinating story of Lizzie and the murders, as Wilson, along with her cast mates Sam Jenkins-Shaw, Drew Leatham and Mario Yniguez, narrate the story and lay out the facts of the inquiry and the court case.

The play also incorporates folk songs from the period which the talented quartet sing and provide musical accompaniment with guitars and other instruments. That musical addition effectively grounds the production with a feeling of the late 1800s setting of the story.  It also features a lot of humor along with clearing up a few details of the case, the most important being that it was a hatchet and not an ax that it was believed was used as the murder weapon.

Wilson premiered the show last year in the UK, as well as earlier this year performed the play at the Vault Festival in London, where it won the "People's Choice" award. The show officially makes its US premiere tonight at Taliesin West for a two weekend run, along with two performances on May 3rd that will take place in the attic of the Rosson House in downtown Phoenix.

After the performance last night, I had the chance to ask Wilson some questions about how the show came to life, the catalyst to include music in it, as well as if Wilson believes Borden was guilty or innocent of the murders.

How did the idea of doing a show about Lizzie Borden come about?

"I grew up in Massachusetts so she has always been on the periphery of my imagination since as long as I can remember. I also tend to be cast as villains quite often, which is fine by me because bad behavior is way more fun to play onstage. But what became really important to me quite quickly was to portray Lizzie in all her complexity. By many accounts she was a lovely lady. She also may have murdered two people. Both of those things can be true. What I was hoping for in writing the show is that the audience walks away with their own personal 'verdict' on her guilt or innocence. "

Well, while I'm still not certain if she was guilty or not I did really like how you present all of the facts of the case and the way the entire group narrates the story and guides us through the timeline. The show also includes a collection of folk songs from the past that are interwoven into the piece. What made you decide to incorporate music into the show and not just have it be a straight play?

"Knowing that it was originally going to be performed in a pub with an incredibly limited budget I know the only visual indication of period was going to come from costume and we needed the audience to believe that they were watching events taking place in 1892. We quickly realized that music serves as an incredible vehicle to emotionally transport the listener. You hear people say quite often 'that song brought me back.' "

That makes perfect sense, but how did you decide to use these types of songs instead of going with either an original score or some other genre of music?

"Because we wanted the show to be rooted in history and be as accurate as possible, we decided to use songs from the period and folks songs that would evoke the era faithfully to serve as a musical counterpoint to the inquest transcripts and news reports from the time. The more research we did the more we stumbled across a wealth of murder ballads and old folk tunes that linked thematically to the different issues in the play and served as link between the past and present "

How has the show changed since it debuted last summer?

"The show hasn't changed much in terms of style. We had great feedback from our first audience that layering the narrative, the actors rehearsing the narrative and me the playwright commenting on the research was actually a model that worked. What has continued to change and shift has been which clues or plot points we highlight or include. We have been very careful to try to focus on using only that research that propels the narrative along. Also, each track has been tailored to suit whatever actor I've had working in it. Since its beginning we've now had five different voices cycle through what is usually a three person piece. It has been great fun to adapt bits to suit Drew and Mario specifically. "

Wilson, center, and the cast at the Vault Festival performance

It is nice how you were able to incorporate both Drew and Mario, two local Phoenix actors and musicians, into the piece, along with you and Sam, who I know appeared in previous versions of the show. Speaking of the past productions, the show played the Vault Festival where it won the “People’s Choice” award. What was the experience like having the show win that distinction? 

"It was truly unbelievable. The Vaults is simply full to the rafters of talent and innovation and marvelous storytelling, so to be selected from that bunch means the world."

I know that you recently visited the actual house where the murder took place. What is the house like now and what was that experience like?

"Honestly, a lot less magical than I would have imagined. Everything about it is very ordinary. It's just a bed and breakfast, down to the fact that the barn, (that figures as rather a key location in the inquest) has been turned into a gift shop. Which was a nice reminder that the act of storytelling is magical. Those events and that place aren't extraordinary in and of themselves. Performing this story is our attempt to find meaning in what is otherwise senseless violence. "

It still amazes me that someone turned the house into a bed and breakfast and that you can actually sleep in the house where the murders took place. Is this the first show you’ve written? If not, what other plays have you written and how did that experience help in creating this show?

"No, this is my second. I wrote Siren with my partner Joseph Cullen. It's a black comedy about a serial killer couple on their weekend away in Wales. It made me realize how important comedy is. Bury The Hatchet is quite funny despite being about fundamentally very grisly subject matter. I think it's incredibly helpful to use comedy as a tool to keep the audience from feeling like they know what to expect out of the show."

I thought the comedy works really well. I also liked how you add in some modern references to help link the past with the present. What are your future plans for the show?

"The show is going on to run for three weeks at the Hope Theatre in London this summer. We are also doing a site-specific performance on Thursday May 3rd here in Phoenix at Rosson House. The house was built in 1895 in what is now Heritage Square and has been restored to how it would have been during the period. We're performing in the attic, which we have been told is absolutely not haunted. But that has sparked the idea that it would be very cool to perform in period houses around the UK somewhere down the line."

That sounds like a perfect idea and one that would work really well for this show, since it has a small cast with a minimal setup required. With all of the research you did for this show, do you believe that Lizzie was guilty or not guilty of committing the murders?

"I think the simplest answer is usually the correct one. If she and Maggie were the only ones in the house, it seems quite unlikely to me that neither one of them heard two vicious murders taking place. Ultimately, even if she wasn't the person who actually swung the hatchet, I believe she was most certainly involved somehow."

CLICK HERE for more information on Bury the Hatchet, presented by Southwest Shakespeare Company and Out of the Forest Theatre, at Taliesin West

and CLICK HERE for information on the two performances of the show at Rosson House on May 3rd