When people pick up and move, generally there’s a U-Haul involved and stops along the way include gas, bathroom breaks, food and maybe a hotel for the night.
For actor, writer and musician Riley Samuel Merritt, his move from Santa Fe to Chicago will also include stops to perform “TRUNK,” his one-man show.
Merritt will perform “TRUNK” on Sunday night at The Powerhouse in Durango. He’s also staging the show in Las Cruces, New Mexico; Santa Fe, Pagosa Springs, Salt Lake City, Denver and Chicago.
If you go
WHAT: “TRUNK,” a one-man show by Riley Samuel Merritt.
WHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday.
WHERE: The Powerhouse, 1333 Camino del Rio.
TICKETS: Admission is pay what you will. Cash/Venmo at the door.
MORE INFORMATION: Visit https://rileysamuelmerritt.com.
Merritt grew up in Aztec and started participating in theater in high school. He went to New Mexico State University to study musical theater, and has worked in professional theater in Santa Fe since graduating.
“TRUNK” is a one-man show for a couple of reasons, he said.
“That is one of the bucket-list items for us performers, I think. It’s a turning point in my life, and it felt like a good time to do it,” he said. “I had auditioned for something that I didn’t get, and so it was sort of a vengeful thing as well – like, OK, if I’m not gonna do that, then I’m just gonna make my own show.”
Merritt said he used the 15th century morality play, “Everyman,” as the structure of the story – it deals with themes of connection, identity and ambition and grapples with the morality of artists, especially young artists in the modern world. While not autobiographical, he uses personal journals from the past 10 years as a means of storytelling.
“With the journaling, I had realized along the way that I was writing for an audience, and so I decided, OK, if I’m writing for an audience, I might as well make that audience a reality,” Merritt said, adding that along with acting, the show includes music and audience participation.
And the trunk in “TRUNK”?
“The trunk is this steamer trunk, this vintage, military green steamer trunk that I have filled with my journals from the past 10 years,” he said. “It’s kind of the center point of the of the play, and it represents all the people who I’ve met throughout my life (and) all of my ambitions.”
While “TRUNK” may have its serious moments, Merritt said that not only does he have a lot of fun performing it, he has fun with the audience as well – and sharing humor and all the rest work to achieve his goal of uniting people.
“I really want ‘TRUNK’ to bring people together, to foster community and to make people think about their neighbor a little bit more, and extend a hand,” he said. “We live in really divisive times right now, and I pride myself on the fact that I’m not really political with this show in any way. Instead, it’s just an opportunity to bring people together, no matter what their ideologies might be. If I could have the audience take away one thing from it, it’s just to genuinely connect and share time and love with the people around them.”
katie@durangoherald.com
