'“What happened to Whitman’s America? There is no unified song. There is no harmony of voices.”
'Andy’s experience is common to many of us; the slow accumulation of a good life: love, work, friendship, family. But unforeseen events lead him to places he never imagined… Can we ever know the exact moment when a good life turns irredeemably wrong?
'As Andy heads off to work to give the biggest presentation of his career, he wishes his teenage son Robbie goodbye. Eight hours later, everything has changed. A profound tour-de-force for one actor, played by Red Stitch ensemble member Joe Petruzzi, American Song is an intimate exploration of parenting, love, and the question: What could I have done differently?' (Production summary)
Australian premiere at Red Stitch : The Actors' Theatre, St Kilda East: 3 October – 5 November 2017.
Director: Tom Healey.
Set and Costume Designer: Darryl Cordell.
Lighting Designer: Bronwyn Pringle.
Sound Designer: Patrick Cronin.
Dialect Coach: Anna McCrossin-Owen.
Stage Manager: Alyssa Hall.
Assistant Stage Manager: Kelly Ziccone.
Cast: Joe Petruzzi.
Presented by Flying Penguin Productions in association with the Goodwood Theatre and Studios at Main Theatre, Goodwood Theatre, South Australia, 23 October - 2 November 2025.
Director: David Mealor.
Set and Costume Designer: Kathryn Sproul.
Lighting and AV Designer: Nic Mollison.
Composer and Sound Designer: Quentin Grant.
Cast: Renato Musolino.
'Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman’s humanistic, wheeling manifesto of the American destiny underpins Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith’s one-man play, American Song, and the collection of poems form the credo and frame the questioning of its central character, Andy. The poems’ exploration of a world of natural beauty, sensual delight, and the limitless possibilities of a young country imbue his optimistic take on life. With Whitmanesque wonder, Andy shares his tale of early good fortune in winning the trifecta of a gorgeous girl, an adorable baby son, and, after adventures in New York and a period as a caring house-husband looking after infant Robbie, a great job in their home town.' (Introduction)
'Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman’s humanistic, wheeling manifesto of the American destiny underpins Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith’s one-man play, American Song, and the collection of poems form the credo and frame the questioning of its central character, Andy. The poems’ exploration of a world of natural beauty, sensual delight, and the limitless possibilities of a young country imbue his optimistic take on life. With Whitmanesque wonder, Andy shares his tale of early good fortune in winning the trifecta of a gorgeous girl, an adorable baby son, and, after adventures in New York and a period as a caring house-husband looking after infant Robbie, a great job in their home town.' (Introduction)
