Review Fix chats with Playwright Adrian Miranda, who discusses his new production “A Chronic Line,†which is set for a run at this year’s Midtown International Theatre Festival.
For more on this production, click here.

A CHRONIC LINE written, directed, and performed by Adrian Miranda. Physical Therapist Adrian Miranda brings us A CHRONIC LINE: Theatre RX: Music & Medicine.Wed 8/03 @ 6:00pm; Sat 8/06 @ 7:00pm
Review Fix: What was the inspiration for this project?
Adrian Miranda: A few years into working as a physical therapist a patient of mine started crying after her back went out while in front of me as she started collapsing grabbed onto me and she hugged me. I realized how much she was struggling. I never thought physical pain could cause so much heartache. Then I kept hearing more personal stories from my patients. I realized maybe I can share these stories and motivate people to get over their pain. I was driven and inspired by Hamilton, Hedwig, and Jersey Boys. These shows all taught us something about people and incredible things they went through and the music to me is amazing.
Â
Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?
Miranda: Usually it just happens. I’m in the clinic and I am listening to a patient give their story. When the day is over I think “wait a minute that is powerful†and I start writing. In regards to the music, I am trying to take from all genres and then convey the emotional part of a patient’s story and tell it through song.
Â
Review Fix: What makes this different or special?
Miranda: I don’t think there is a show out there that discusses chronic pain. Currently it is special because of the media coverage on NFL concussions, and the use of opioids.
Â
Review Fix: What did you learn about yourself through this process?
Miranda: That I am more creative than I thought. I also learned about writing music, I also learned that I had been influenced so much from my childhood growing up in Washington heights where there was always (literally always) someone blasting music for the whole neighborhood to hear. It was salsa, merengue, bachata, rap, R&B. I also learned that my father’s love of music may have been passed down to me. He sang and played the organ but I was never interested in that. He sang way too loud and the organ was boring. He passed away when I was 12. Then I picked up guitar at 15, piano at 23, singing at 28. I learned that I have more in common with my dad then I thought.
Â
Review Fix: How does it feel to be a part of something like this?
Miranda: The first time I sang my song “Imagine your son†I had chills and realized what a rush it is to write and perform your own song.
Â
Review Fix: What are your ultimate goals for this production and for the future?
Miranda: I hope to have a full cast that can play the characters. Approximately 10, similar to chorus line. I also see it as being a full production where people can send us their stories and we write a character based on their experience with chronic pain. We write their story and we write a song for them. It will be a revolving door and the show will be ever changing and continuous.
Â
Review Fix: What do you think your audiences will enjoy the most?
Miranda: The personal stories. I really hope that the audience is able to relate with some part of the show. If not themselves maybe they know someone who may have gone through a similar experience as one of my characters.
Â
Review Fix: What’s next?
Miranda: Hopefully finding a place willing to produce it for an extended run. And begin the process to change this from a solo show to a full cast show. However, if a solo show is what is better received, then I am ok with that too.
Leave a Reply