David Gassner, a Seattle-based actor, director and producer, will direct The BRAVO! Theatre’s final production of the season, “Tiny Beautiful Things.” Based on Cheryl Strayed’s book about her experience as an online advice columnist, the play is adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos.
It focuses on the actual letters written to Strayed in her role as “Dear Sugar,” and her heartfelt responses.
When asked why he agreed to direct “Tiny Beautiful Things,” Gassner explained, “M.A. Bruneau (who plays Sugar) brought the script to my attention. I was familiar with it from a 2019 production in Seattle, but when I read it, I had two reactions. First, it really struck me emotionally, and second, I realized audiences would love it. The second reason is always my first consideration when choosing a play.”
Gassner shared that his goal with “Tiny Beautiful Things” is to give the audience a genuine theatrical experience—something they wouldn’t encounter through television or movies. “The actors will deliver letters as the people who wrote them. For example, a single actor may portray a letter writer at ages 18, 36, or 80, male or female, from the Midwest or the Northeast. The actors will take you to the places where these letter writers lived.” He added, “Audiences tend to love the play because it’s about people struggling with issues we all face. The typical reaction is, ‘I saw myself in that.’”
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