Mason McCulley talks about his new play and the digital age

Mason McCulley. Photo Credit: Rowan Daly.

Artist Mason McCulley chatted about his new play “Carole Cook Died For My Sins” and being a part of the digital age.

What inspired you to write “Carole Cook Died For My Sins”?

Mason McCulley: I was inspired to write Carole Cook Died For My Sins in the wake of the passing of my mentor and dear friend Carole Cook as well as my mother, who both passed in 2023.

Amidst profound grief, the first I had ever experienced, I was awakening to the world. I felt like I was coming out of the closet all over again. I was newly sober from alcohol and seeing color for the first time in a long time.

When I started writing the piece I thought I was going to be solely writing about the “magic”, “light” and “epiphanies” that I had been experiencing. I realized very early on in the writing process that I had to begin my story with the darkness in order for the truth to land.

So, I started with the dark hole that I was in and went from there.

Why was Carole Cook so important to you?

I had the great fortune of knowing Carole on a very deep level. We first met in 2001 when I was 18 years old. I was mesmerized by her performance in Hello, Dolly! (that summer was the only time she revived that role since 1965).

We later became friends when I moved from Birmingham, Alabama to Los Angeles. Carole was like a fairy godmother… a Hollywood fairy godmother. We had a 60-year age difference, but we saw each other.

When my mother was diagnosed with FTD (Frontotemporal Dementia) in 2015, Carole and I got even closer. She was my north star… my something to believe in amidst great darkness.

What did this play teach you about yourself?

This play has taught me so much about myself. There is a book in here somewhere down the road, but the biggest thing it has taught me is that fear can propel instead of paralyze.

Fear is real, and it matters because it informs the importance of a situation, but you can use it to move through what you are most afraid of. I have never done anything like this – a one-man show, much less a one-man show about the most vulnerable pieces of me.

There was great fear regarding the material and then there was great fear regarding the sharing of the material and letting it out into the ether. I am fortunate to have such an incredible director and friend in Cameron Watson.

Cameron has guided me through all stages of developing this piece. He has been a sounding board and a sage to bring my story to life.

What motivates you each day as an artist and as a performer?

Truth motivates me. When we share our truth, we change ourselves and we change each other. We start conversations and we get to know each other.

The differences are easy to spot, but as we share our truths, we find that there are many more similarities among us than there are differences.

Someone recently asked, “This play isn’t going to offend anyone, is it?” My response was “If it doesn’t offend someone then I did something wrong.” To be clear, my goal is not to offend, but to start conversations.

Conversations regarding grief, sobriety, and identity, conversations regarding shame, sexuality, and humanity. Conversations about God.

Those are important subjects, so I imagine someone is going to be offended along the way.

How does it feel to be a part of the digital age? (now with streaming, technology, and social media so prevalent)

I am fortunate to be part of a generation that has lived half of our lives without social media and half of our lives with it. I’m 42, so I feel as though my peers and I are truly that dividing generation.

I remember when Facebook and MySpace first came on the scene. It was thrilling! The greatest thing about the digital age is the ability to connect with people you otherwise would have never had the opportunity to interact with.

This connection opens up channels and avenues for sharing valuable information regarding art, ideas, and identity by connecting you to others who are like you. It makes you feel less alone in your “uniqueness.”

There are going to be pitfalls and downsides every time there is new technology, but the good will always outweigh the bad if we see it in that way.

The digital age is just beginning, so how can we use it for the betterment of humanity? How can we use it to tell our stories and to reach more minds. That perspective is exciting!

What do your plans for the future include?

I hope to take Carole Cook Died For My Sins on a bit of a mini tour – San Francisco, Palm Springs, Fire Island, Provincetown, New York! I want to share my queer story with audiences that remember Carole and perhaps had a similar path to mine.

I grew up in conservative Alabama- don’t get me wrong, I love where I grew up and I am grateful for my journey, but it definitely shaped the timing of “finding myself.”

What is your advice for young and aspiring artists?

Be yourself, tell your story, and keep going. That is my greatest advice. So many young actors and artists are trying to fit into something that they are not, especially in LA. They are often trying to be what Hollywood or casting wants them to be, or what they think they want them to be.

Be yourself, be authentic and genuine, and keep going! Art as a career is a roller coaster, if it’s not then it isn’t art. The hills and valleys are what inform your voice and your story. Use them. Use the highs and lows.

What does the word success mean to you?

I am learning both creatively and spiritually, that “success” means “peace.” When you have peace of mind, peace of thought, and peace of spirit then that is success.

When you can tell your story loudly and boldly despite the noise of others, that is success.

What do you want viewers to get out of this play?

I want viewers to know that it is possible to change. Change your perspective. Change your situation. Change your path.

Despite how dark it may feel, there is always light. Find the tiniest of cracks of light and hold onto it until it gets bigger and bigger and brighter and brighter. That’s the “keep going” part.

My world felt so dark that I could not see my hand in front of my face and now I can’t believe I get to share my story.

Change is not easy; in fact, it is extremely difficult, but it is possible and it is worth it.  I promise. Keep going.

To learn more about Mason McCulley, follow him on Instagram.

For more information on this play, visit its official homepage.