TRIXIE: A MUSICAL DRAMEDY THAT HEALS WITH LAUGHTER

INTERVIEW: EMILY DECKER

BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO

Emily Decker, musical theater veteran, and improv performer with a Master’s in Social Work, brings her original musical Trixie: The Musical to this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival. This world premiere takes therapy and mental illness to the stage in a positive light featuring a book and lyrics by Emily Decker and music co-written with critically acclaimed composer Dan Sugimoto. Decker uses her experience as a social worker and personal history with mental illness to present this absurdist show about a quirky leading lady, Trixie (played by Decker), as she goes into the comedic depths of psychotherapy. The cast also includes Sean Benedict, Kate Bowman, Adam Lau, Samantha Lawrence, Chris Smith, and Elizabeth DelloRusso, who also directs the one-act play. Decker believes that through this production audiences will discover the importance of empathy and validation when helping someone manage mental illness, and that sometimes laughter can break down barriers to acceptance and growth. In this Tin Pan L.A. exclusive Emily Decker discusses her inspiration for Trixie: The Musical and what audiences can expect from this dark comedy musical about mental illness.

Emily Decker, Chris Smith, Samantha Lawrence, Kate Bowman, Sean Benedict.

How would you describe your musical in a nutshell?

Trixie: The Musical is a dark comedy/drama about therapy and mental illness that explores the realities of living with the kinds of pain that no one can see…using sequins and jazz hands.

How did the idea for your musical come about . . .inspiration?

Trixie is a character that originated in a mash-up cabaret of Rocky Horror and Hedwig and the Angry Inch that I did with CAC Studios in 2015. For that show, we took the cigarette girl from the opening of the theater version of Rocky Horror and turned her on her head; Trixie was passing out “pills” instead of cigarettes and giving unsolicited advice to audience members before the show. Since then she’s taken on a life of her own.

What inspired you to write this show? Why tell this story?

I have fought mental illness since I was a child, which encouraged me to get a master’s in social work with a focus on mental health from USC. I then became an actress and found I was losing perspective on the values I used to draw upon daily as a social worker. I needed to create something with a message of empathy and community to honor both my own struggles and those of so many people I’ve met.

How do you work together as composers, lyricist and librettist?

Dan Sugimoto and I worked on the music together. I would send him lyrics and a chord progression or a voice memo of the bones of a melody, and he would produce magic. Watching him work is like watching someone compute advanced physics in his head; he’s a savant.

Emily Decker.

How has the director helped you shape this show?

This show wouldn’t exist without director/co-producer Elizabeth DelloRusso. I wanted to quit this show so many times because it touches on such painful territory for me, but she has been firm in her vision from the get-go. What I see in black and white, she sees in vibrant colors, and that becomes clear early on in Trixie.

What is your favorite moment in the show?

My favorite moment in the show comes when a therapy client asks Trixie if she thinks he’s crazy, and she responds, “’Crazy’ is a word cowards use to describe something they fear. I’d much sooner call you brave than crazy.” If anyone who sees the show struggles with mental illness or knows someone who does, I hope that is the message they take home.

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