Class Notes: Eljon Wardally and “Blooming in Dry Season”

Summary

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Podcast Summary: BroadwayRadio – Class Notes: Eljon Wardally and “Blooming in Dry Season”

Episode Date: June 22, 2026
Host: Lauren Class Schneider
Guest: Eljon Wardally, playwright
Main Theme: A deep dive into the inspiration, development, and staging of Wardally’s play “Blooming in Dry Season,” exploring Caribbean legacy, family dynamics, and representation in theater.

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Episode Overview

This episode of Class Notes on BroadwayRadio features an interview with Eljon Wardally, the playwright behind Blooming in Dry Season, currently staged at the WP Theater in partnership with the Woody King Jr. New Federal Theatre and the North Carolina Black Repertory Company. The conversation unpacks the play’s origins, its heartfelt ties to Grenadian and Caribbean cultures, family influences, collaboration with acclaimed musician Etienne Charles, and the significance of representation on stage.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Inspiration and Origins of the Play

• Blooming in Dry Season is a lyrical, intimate play set in a rum shop on Grenada, focusing on legacy, liberation, and intergenerational dreams.
• Personal Motivation:
  • “I actually wrote it as a tribute to my aunt when I found out that she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. And I really wanted to ... have that as a focal point for the story as well, because I don’t think that we talk about, you know, Alzheimer’s and dementia enough.” – Eljon Wardally [00:57]
• Originally, the play wasn’t about brain injury or illness, but shifted to include these themes as they touched her personally.

2. Family and Character Influences

• Characters are composites of real family members, especially relating to gender roles and nontraditional dreams.
  • “All of these characters have facets of my family members in them, for sure... You could take them out of a rum shop and put them anywhere else ... and you could know, you know these people.” – Wardally [02:00]
• The universality of these characters shines, resonating far beyond her personal experience.

3. Representation and West Indian Storytelling

• The play is deeply rooted in Caribbean culture, using language and music to evoke a sense of place and tradition.
  • “There’s a musicality to the way that West Indians speak. So ... in my writing ... there is a very musical way of speaking in the language.” – Wardally [04:44]
• Discusses the broader tradition of storytelling in Grenadan and Italian households and how this shapes her narrative style.

4. Collaboration with Etienne Charles (Composer)

• The play features original calypso compositions by Trinidadian musician Etienne Charles.
  • “Music is definitely a very strong character in the play, and I’m just so grateful and happy that he was able to compose something so beautiful for it.” – Wardally [03:18]
• Longstanding friendship and creative partnership enabled a seamless collaboration for this project.

5. Working with Director Jackie Alexander

• Jackie Alexander championed the play from its virtual reading debut (over Facebook Live during the COVID-19 shutdown) through to its current staging.
• Their creative relationship thrived despite pandemic obstacles, leading to a fruitful in-person collaboration for this premiere. [05:19]

6. Cultural Reception: North Carolina vs. New York Audiences

• New York’s large West Indian population brings a special resonance and familiarity to the play, but all audiences report being moved by the story.
  • “The one constant and the similarity is everybody leaves having been touched. ... And when I was in North Carolina ... I did see a peppering of West Indians in the audience and it was just such a beautiful thing to watch ... when they would first come in and see this gorgeous rum shop set and smile because of the familiarity that they had with it.” – Wardally [06:38]

7. Casting Choices and Connections

• Casting involved actors familiar with the material from virtual readings, like Melanie Matthews as Rose, and new discoveries, like Brian as Fitz.
  • “As soon as [Brian] read the first two lines, both of us looked at each other and we just immediately knew he was Fitz.” – Wardally [08:04]

8. Wardally’s MFA Journey and Personal Breakthrough

• Her pursuit of playwriting professionally was sparked by surviving a stroke at age 29. Afterwards, she committed whole-heartedly to her craft, joining an inaugural MFA playwriting class at Fordham.
  • “I made a promise ... that if I was able to write after I recovered, I would pursue playwriting, screenwriting full force.” – Wardally [09:05]
  • The intimate class size (just two students) yielded an immersive, hands-on experience.

9. Day Job: Copywriting in the Beauty Industry

• Wardally is also a beauty copywriter, skillfully balancing commercial and creative storytelling.
  • “Copywriting is also part of storytelling. It’s just a different type of storytelling. ... I’m constantly writing. It’s just—it’s like breathing.” – Wardally [10:22]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “West Indians are natural storytellers. So how do your roots influence your writing?” – Lauren Class Schneider [03:59]
• “I don’t know if I can give a specific example, but that’s why everybody has to come and see the show and see it for themselves.” – Wardally, on the oral tradition and specificity of her writing [04:44]
• “It is really wonderful ... to see my, you know, people from the islands come to see a show because representation is so important and we don’t often see works from the English speaking Caribbean, particularly on stage as much.” – Wardally [06:38]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:29 – Introduction to Blooming in Dry Season and its themes
• 00:57 – Personal inspiration: Alzheimer’s and family connections
• 03:18 – Collaboration with composer Etienne Charles
• 04:44 – Influence of Caribbean and Italian roots on storytelling
• 05:19 – Partnership with director Jackie Alexander and virtual reading origins
• 06:38 – Comparison of North Carolina vs. New York audiences
• 08:04 – Casting process and selecting the ensemble
• 09:05 – Fordham MFA journey and overcoming a stroke
• 10:22 – Balancing playwriting with beauty industry copywriting

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Conclusion

This intimate episode of Class Notes offers a rich exploration of artistic legacy, resilience, and cultural storytelling. Eljon Wardally’s Blooming in Dry Season blends personal history with universal themes, animated by the rhythms and realities of Caribbean life. From nuanced casting choices and musical collaborations to reflections on professional and personal growth, Wardally’s journey embodies both the vibrancy and necessity of diverse storytelling on today’s stages.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hi, I'm Lauren Klasschider with Class Notes for Broadway Radio. I'm here with Elgin Wardale, playwright of Blooming in Dry Season, presented by The Woody King Jr. S new federal Theater in partnership with North Carolina Black Repertory Company at the WP Theater. Well, hello and welcome.

[A]

Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

[B]

Of course. Of course. This lyrical intimate rooted in Caribbean culture play explores legacy and liberation and wonders what do we owe the next generation when our own dreams have withered. It's set in a rum shop in the Spice island of Grenada and peppered with music that defines a culture. So my first question is, where did the impulse of this story come from?

[A]

Well, a lot of my work tends to focus on things that I am curious about that I feel aren't being talked about enough or just something personal that I'm going through. So when I sat down to write this play, it started out as something a little different. It did take place in a rum shop, but at first it didn't focus on brain, you know, traumatic brain injury or brain illness. And I actually wrote it as a tribute to my aunt when I found out that she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And I really wanted to focus have that as a focal point for the story as well, because I don't think that we talk about, you know, Alzheimer's and dementia enough.

[B]

So. Blooming in Dry Season tells the story of Fitz, a failed calypso musician who faces losing everything when he and his wife rose, but heads over their gifted steel pan playing daughter Garland's path in life. Now, you've mentioned some family connections to the material. Are any of these characters drawn from people that you know?

[A]

I think that all of these characters have facets of my family members in them, for sure. I've had numerous family members come to the show and comment on how Fitz reminds them of certain uncles or their own fathers. And a lot of female cousins definitely relate to the way that, you know, gender roles in the Caribbean are definitely challenged, or especially when a woman is doing better than a man or has dreams that are not really conventional dreams of that of a woman or a girl. So. But I also think that it transcends beyond my own family's, you know, recognitions in the characters. I believe that anybody who comes to see the show will see little specks and, you know, little glimmers of themselves and different family members that they know, because we all know these people. You could take them out of a rum shop and put them anywhere else in any other state, and you could know, you know these people.

[B]

But very few things are quite as interesting as a rum shot in Grenada.

[A]

That's true.

[B]

Yes. Now Blooming in Dry Season features original calypso music by Trinidadian musician Etienne Charles. What was it like for the two of you to work together and how did that collaboration come about?

[A]

Etienne and I have known each other for many, many, many years and we've always been looking for something to collaborate on when it comes to playwriting. He and I have definitely collaborated with him on some of his works, some of his shows that he's had at Lincoln center, and we were just looking for the perfect opportunity to do something with playwriting. So when I sent him this plan, I told him about the Sylvia Sprinkle Hamlin rolling world premiere award and that this was going to be done in North Carolina and in New York. We just jumped at the chance and it worked together very seamlessly. Music is definitely a very strong character in the play, and I'm just so grateful and happy that he was able to compose something so beautiful for it.

[B]

Oh, how nice. In your artist statement, you say, my writing has been shaped by my background, being from a household of both Italian and Grenadan roots. West Indians are natural storytellers. So how do your roots influence your writing?

[A]

Well, growing up, my. Well, I think that both sides of my families are natural born story. And if you ask a question to an elder, you're not going to get a straightforward answer. There's always a lesson behind what they're trying to. So it was pretty easy for me to kind of lean into that when telling this story. Can you give some examples in the play or.

[B]

Or in your writing in general?

[A]

Oh, in my writing in general, there's a musicality to the way that West Indians speak. So I think when writing there is a very musical way of speaking in the language. And I. Yeah, I. I don't know, it just seemed. It's. Nothing is ever straightforward as written. I don't know if I can give it a specific example, but that's why everybody has to come and see the show and see it for themselves.

[B]

And the play is direct. Jackie Alexander, have you two worked together before? And what drew you to wanting to collaborate?

[A]

We have worked together before, actually. Jackie found out about this play several years ago and we actually planned on doing a reading of it in person, but then the pandemic happened. So the play over zoom on. Actually, actually on Facebook Live in 2020. And that was really something to watch, to see my work come alive in that way. Before we had Even met each other in person. So we had collaborated on that over the phone and directed other readings of my work before. So when this popped up and I won the award, we definitely knew that we wanted to work together and that he wanted to direct this piece.

[B]

What a fruitful time. I mean, in the shutdown, what did creative people do? They collaborated and they created. It's just always so refreshing to be reminded that that's what this community did when the world was shut down. So this production is part of a three part world premiere rollout between the North Carolina Black Rep, New Federal theater and the 2026 International Black Theatre Festival. Having produced the play in two of these organizations, what are the differences between the audiences in North Carolina and the audiences in New York?

[A]

Well, New York has such a large West Indian population. There is definitely a difference in the people who come to see the show. But the one constant and the similarity is everybody leaves having been touched. So no matter what background you're, you know, whatever your background, you are going to come to the show and experience and leave feeling something. And that is the common thread. But it is, I have to say it is really wonderful, especially for me as being West Indian, to see my, you know, people from the islands come to see a show because representation is so important and we don't often see works from the English speaking Caribbean, particularly on stage as much. So I recognize how important that is. And when I was in North Carolina when the show first opened last year, I did see a peppering of West Indians in the audience and it was just such a beautiful thing watch when they would first come in and see this gorgeous rum shop set and smile because of the familiarity that they had with it. And I really appreciate that. I'm at almost every show and that still remains one of my favorite things to watch when the audience comes in and looks at the set.

[B]

Oh, I bet. So that familiarity. Let's talk a moment about the casting. How did you and Jackie the director work together or not in your casting selections?

[A]

Jackie and I both have. Well, Jackie had worked with Nikhila Boxley before and Melanie Matthews actually did the reading as Rose for Blooming and Dry Season during Lockdown. So she was already very familiar with the piece. So when the opportunity presented itself, I knew that we wanted to use Melanie again. And both of us had worked with Nikyla. Well, actually Jackie had worked with Nikhila before and I had seen a performance that she was in at the International Black theatre festival in 2020. And as soon as she stepped on stage, I was like, oh, she is Garland. And thankfully, Jackie was on the same page for casting Fitz. We actually did casting in New York, and as soon as Brian read the first two lines, both of us looked at each other and we just immediately knew he was Fitz.

[B]

Oh, nice. That connection happened so instantaneously. Now, I've read that you got your BFA from Fordham. What made you decide to go there? And what's your greatest takeaway from your experience there?

[A]

Well, I had decided to pursue playwriting professionally and really lean into it after, actually, I had a stroke when I was 29 years old, and I didn't think that I was going to be able to write again. And I made a promise to God and to myself that if I was able to write after I recovered, I would pursue playwriting, screenwriting full force. And so everything. Timing is. Timing is something, because as soon as I felt ready to pursue it, Fordham announced that they were starting an MFA program in playwriting with Primary stages. And I was the inaugural class. I was part of the inaugural class. There was only two of us, so it was a wonderful education. And again, talk about having, you know, hands on experience. There were only two of us, so we really just got a wonderful, wonderful education with Fordham for the MFA in playwriting. And I'm always. I'm grateful for that.

[B]

Well, the stars really aligned, and I'm so happy about your recovery and the promise you made.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Now, last question, because I find this so fascinating. When you're not playwriting, I've read that you're also a copy editor for some of the biggest names in beauty. Now how does that work inform your playwriting?

[A]

Well, yes, I'm a copywriter in beauty, and I've been doing that for several years. And I, you know, I know that there's a story just itching to be told there, and I haven't written a play about beauty yet, but I know that that's coming. But, I mean, copywriting is also part of storytelling. It's just a different type of storytelling. So I feel like it gives me a chance to use a different part of my brain, but also, you know, keep it. Keep it active. I'm constantly writing. It's just. It's like breathing

[B]

well, to combine some of your elements together. Beauty of the people in Grenada is, to my eye, absolutely exquisite. From the moment I landed, and everybody that I interacted with in the airport, all the way through the driver to where I was staying, to the shop owners, I don't think I've ever seen such exquisite looking people in one place at one time. So this has been wonderful.

[A]

Thank you so much for having me.

[B]

I'm Lauren Clash Schneider with Elgin Wardali, playwright of Blooming and Dry Season at the WP Theater. Thank you.