Minor Keys (The)

For David Belke, writing plays took a new direction when he began thinking about smaller characters—ones with modest dreams and quiet ambitions. Inspiration struck on a trip to Disney World at an out-of-the-way jazz club—atmosphere; smooth, calming music; dim lights; musicians lost in their music; staff floating amidst tables; patrons. Jazz has never been mainstream. It would suit a cast of modest characters with small dreams and quiet ambitions. Somebody should write a play—Quickly Belke scribbled down his ideas on a Pleasure Island doodle pad. Characters were born in that moment. Like an instrument in a jazz combo, each character would have an opportunity to contribute to the whole. One character’s story would take the lead for a while, then slide back to support another. And like a jazz composition, there would be no breaks in the play—scenes smoothly crossfade, sometimes with a remark, sometimes by a character moving, sometimes because a character simply demands attention. And throughout the play there would be music—sometimes in the background, sometimes in a live performance. Jazz rhythms would shape the play. Minor key music for minor key people!