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The Do List

A Play Staged Entirely Out of a Vintage Convertible

‘The Joy Ride,’ about a group of friends overcoming obstacles, comes to Oakland for one night only.
Pendarvis Harshaw
The cast of 'The Joy Ride' on set, inside of a vintage convertible car.
The cast of ‘The Joy Ride,’ on set inside a vintage convertible car.  (Courtesy Roots and Wings Project)

In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jess Bliss got an idea.

Bliss, founder of The Roots and Wings Project theatre company, wanted to stage a play for an audience in an outside venue while the actors used a parked car as a stage. And a vintage convertible car, at that.

Fast-forward a few years, and that play, The Joy Ride, is about to roll into the Bay Area on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 7th West in Oakland.

The play stars Darian Dauchan, Reginald P. Louis, Ashlee Olivia and Marlene Luna Castañeda as four adults on a trip, each metaphorically going through the learning curves that make up life’s winding road.

While one character, Rafael, deals with long-term COVID, another, Kenzi, is learning to navigate the world after three decades in prison. There’s Yasmine, who recently left a toxic relationship, and Lina, a dedicated single mother who just wants a little free time. While in the car together, they realize that time is a common thread in each of their stories.

The soundtrack for The Joy Ride is by Teao Sense, a Bay Area-raised music producer and founder of the world hip-hop collective Audiopharmacy.

Playwright Jess Bliss had originally contacted Sense for permission to use the Audiopharmacy song “Prophecies.” But after Bliss sent the full script, Sense realized the parallels between the play and the focus of his group’s music.

“It was right up our alley, content-wise and message-wise,” says Sense, who went on to produce the play’s entire soundtrack.

The Audiopharmacy Collective. (Youssif Salah/U Filmz)

Sense, whose audio cinema piece “Lose Your Mind” screens at next week’s APAture 2024 Film Showcase at San Francisco’s Roxie Theatre, says directing film is a new venture. But as a longtime music director, DJ and producer, he isn’t new to creating soundtracks for film or theatre. And in making the music for The Joy Ride, he found ease in simply letting the story’s concepts guide the sound.

“Interestingly enough,” says Sense, attempting to explain the plot of the play without giving away too much detail, “the car breaks down.”

While the characters come together for a lighthearted joy ride, they ultimately confront individual obstacles they’ve each been trying to escape. That’s the tone of the music, too, Sense says.

“It’s addressing social issues and mental health,” Sense says. “It’s really interesting and really relatable to all types of audiences… Everybody’s got challenges, and can relate.”

The Roots & Wings Project’s outdoor performance of ‘The Joy Ride’ takes place on Sunday, Oct. 20, at 7th West in Oakland. Details here.

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