A Casual Gathering – Dream up Festival

A Casual Gathering is a musical written by Daniel Schwartzman (book, music, lyrics) and directed by James Martinelli that explores the evolution of human relationships and the desire we all have to relive the past and use our memories to rewrite the present.

The musical traces the intimate reunion of six high school friends in a Manhattan bar who have not seen each other for decades. After the initial joy at seeing each other again, the realities of their lives and what they have failed to achieve come to the surface.

A Casual Gathering is about ordinary life and ordinary people. The reunion forces the characters to confront being in their fifties, failed relationships, unrequited loves and unfulfilling jobs.