Past and present collide in the upcoming third season of the acclaimed audio drama anthology series “Around the Sun,” which was written and created by playwright, actor, and Ithaca denizen Brad Forenza.
Although previous episodes stood alone as individual plays, this season, subtitled “Pinecones,” sees Forenza guiding his characters through a single, interconnected story arc that pays loving homage to “It’s a Wonderful Life” and its Seneca Falls mythology.
Developed in the wake of covid quarantine as a means of making art at a distance, “Around the Sun” allows Forenza to explore the many questions that arise when mortality takes hold of our collective consciousness. For example, “Xmas Past” (Season 3, Episode 5) examines the concept of home and its many definitions: Is it a person? A place? A thing? A moment in time? Can you reclaim it once you’ve lost it?
Forenza explains: “I remember a relative once telling my younger self, ‘You can’t go home.’ Back then, part of me thought, ‘Why can’t you?’ But, as an adult, I don’t perceive the sentiment so literally. Even the most protected childhood can seem different with the passing of time and the gaining of perspective. And sometimes ‘home’ is an aura or an atmosphere, like the internal calm I feel whenever I conjure a visit to the Finger Lakes. I think our stars Robert Funaro and Cady McClain expertly and stirringly explore this notion in our ‘Xmas Past’ episode.”
A poignant standout in a moving series of vignettes, “Xmas Past” features three-time Emmy winning actor and two-time Emmy-nominated director McClain alongside celebrated film star and “Sopranos” alum Funaro. The two play erstwhile friends and proverbial ships in the night who have an impromptu encounter on Christmas Eve. Ghosts of holidays past and specters of Christmas present loom large as their conversation unfolds, leading to unexpected moments of discovery — much like those in Capra’s existential classic.
With her self-professed “eye for social impact-type of material,” McClain was a natural fit for “Around the Sun: Pinecones,” which includes themes of spiritual and physical transition, marital strain, communal responsibility, cultural evolution, alcoholism, and more. As such, “ATS” occupies a similar space to one of McClain’s recent theatrical endeavors: her new post as artistic director of the Axial Theatre, which is based in Pleasantville, Westchester County, where she specializes in timely, provocative dramas.
“I am so excited to have worked on ‘Around the Sun,’ ” professed McClain, who assumes the role of Grace, a struggling corporate VIP who feels the incessant pull of her idyllic hometown in the Northeast mountains. “I’ve been hoping Brad would ask me, as I really love his writing and what he’s done combining the worlds of theatre and podcasting. It was a true pleasure to explore this complex and heartbreaking character, and getting to work with Robert Funaro was an absolute delight. I can’t wait for (everyone) to hear this very special podcast!”
McClain’s attraction to impactful stories brought her instantly to mind as Forenza considered casting for the third-orbit “Around the Sun.” But it was Funaro’s easy manner and familial, raconteur-esque style that made Forenza seek him out for the role of Max, the savvy owner of a local restaurant who watches generations of familial dynamics play out from behind his bar.
It’s no surprise, then, that Funaro, whose storied resume includes Scorsese’s “The Irishman” and whose love for interpersonal connection drove him to host an online pandemic-era cooking class, steps seamlessly into the shoes of his wise and welcoming “ATS” character.
Funaro, on the subject of human connection: ”We are all in this together, and Brad’s writing offers a cornucopia of what could be our past and how it shapes our future. He is an honest writer, unafraid to tackle the adversities we all face. I was truly moved, and also honored, to be working with Cady McClain, who brought to her role as ‘Grace’ what every actor hopes for: simply the truth.”
Still, when it came time to pinpoint a location for “ATS: Pinecones,” Forenza turned to the Finger Lakes region. Having felt curiously drawn to the tragic story of Seneca Falls’ Antonio Varacalli (his daring aquatic rescue and death in the Cayuga-Seneca Canal more than 100 years ago may have informed much of the famous George Bailey character), the series creator decided to move Season 3 to an unnamed Finger Lakes village.
Although references to “It’s a Wonderful Life” abound throughout the season, it’s the darker side of Capra’s masterpiece that underscores much of Episode 5.
A longtime believer in the power of chiaroscuro storytelling, Forenza imbues his “Xmas Past” figures with traces of what he regards as George Bailey’s “unspoken depression,” which makes for a haunting subtext, despite occasional nods to the film’s legendary dose of holiday cheer. As Episode 5 progresses, Grace and Max grapple with missed opportunities, functional substance abuse, and family members who sometimes demand a little more than the two wayward souls are able to give.
And, just like George in “Wonderful Life’s” beloved climactic scene, both “ATS” characters come to realize a happy home is merely a state of mind — elusive and problematic though it may be. Turns out, you can go home again. Especially if you live upstate.
