Program Notes

Tomahawk, a musical play by James Domine, mixes elements of tragedy and comedy in a realistic treatment of contemporary life in suburban Los Angeles.  Based on the novel The Naked Man, it is written in a pithy vernacular, the characters act out a true-to-life millennial drama that is both philosophical and farcical in equal measure.  Episodes, of love, war, lust, and betrayal are woven into a counterpoint of governmental conspiracy, police brutality, missing beer, and drunken buffoonery as the conflicting emotions of youth evolve into the delusional quandary of middle-age.  The main theme of Tomahawk is a quest for truth, and what happens as a result of its absence, obscurity, and elusiveness.

The stories that form the basis of the play are all true in the sense that they really happened.  The scenes depicted are real places, and as of tonight's performance you could visit them if you knew where to go.

The author has been very careful to change names and blend personalities of the characters so that any resemblance to living people will be obscured in the interest of privacy.  Anecdotes regarding police officers are taken from events reported in the Los Angeles Times and are a matter of public record.  If there is any offense given or taken by depictions of personages used in the novel, they must be judged in accordance with their actions in real life.  The same disclaimer is made for the language used, which might seem a bit rough, but that is how it is spoken in its pristine form, unabashed, raw and authentic in its unvarnished lack of eloquence.

The music by the Screaming Clams is essential to the environment surrounding the story, and is presently available online at cdbaby.com, under the title of Tomahawk.  The novel from which these stories are derived is available online for purchase at LuLu.com keyword "Naked Man."