The Robert Frost Society presents ‘This Verse Business’ at North Coast Rep

The Robert Frost Society is bringing poetry to life in its debut West Coast premiere of This Verse Business, outlining the life, work and teaching of Frost throughout the years.

Written by A. M. Dolan, the play stars Emmy Award-winning actor Gordon Clapp, and will run at the North Coast Rep Theatre in Solana Beach on Nov. 3 and 4.

Rooted and raised in California, Frost’s legacy is ever present, extending deep meaning to this play, explained Associate Director Jim Hurley.

“We understand Robert Frost as a poet, many of us were maybe exposed to him in school. You have a body of poetry that was widely embraced, by poets, critics and the whole population of American and Europe alike. The best feature of this play, though, is illuminating the man behind the poetry,” Hurley explained. “This is not a play that offers restorations of Robert Frost’s poetry though. There are certainly poems, but we cannot do justice to his genius through just his poems alone.”

With a team of individuals dedicated to honoring and preserving the spirit of Frost, the Robert Frost Society’s work establishing a robust bank of information began many years before the play’s creation. With headquarters at the San Diego Central Library, the society lent a helping hand to Dolan and Clapp as the pair brought the play to life, embodying Frost’s work from a social and education lens.

“We all know Frost at one level or another, but we are not coming to the play for a standard repetition of his poetry, instead it gives us Robert Frost’s personality and his razor-sharp humor and capacity for love, joy and sorrow. When we see Clapp in this role, we understand Frost even more clearly than simply through his poems,” said Hurley. “We begin to love Frost even more.”

Understanding Frost as an individual is invaluable and something playwright Dolan put at the forefront when writing. With a combination of his most notable pieces and interpersonal aspects of Frost’s life like family, political beliefs, scientific thoughts and religious views, the story cohesively weaves together poetry, speeches and conversations.

“Clapp captures a very interesting aspect of his personality. While he was a very reserved figure, and he never spoke publicly about his personal life or family, there is a certain point in which I thought ‘I needed to involve many of the tragic stories that he and his family suffered.’ I think we did a great job of adding this element,” said Dolan. “He went through several horrible events in his life, from losing many children to losing his wife. This play has both a fascinating public figure persona but also a chance to watch him open up as a person.”

For Clapp, playing Frost serves as a lifelong accomplishment. As an award decorated actor, his draw to Frost came at an early age, and the chance to bring Frost’s genuine character to light has been rewarding.

“As I was getting ready to write a play myself, I stumbled upon this one, and it was perfect. Frost’s voice has been in my head for quite some time. Ultimately, I did not have to do so much training for this because I truly grew up with his voice around me. This is the fulfillment of everything I have ever wanted as an actor,” said Clapp.

As quickly as Clapp fell in love with the plot of the play, Dolan grew excited about the prospect of someone so close to Frost portraying him, thus forming a unique work of art.

“There is something about a New Englander playing a New Englander, like Frost. It was quickly apparent that Clapp really picked up on the history and experiences Frost had. It comes effortlessly for him,” said Dolan.

Leaning into the character, Clapp captured Frost’s essence in all aspects, from humor to sorrow and everything in between, while simultaneously dismantling the persona Frost has become to so many.

“Through accounts of Frost from others, I was used to seeing him vilified in a sense. I saw him painted as a dark entity. What became clear to me after learning more is that the struggles he went through as an artist, a parent, a husband, there was so much that he had to overcome. Playing that aspect of him is the central part of his story, for me,” said Clapp. “There is a charm within his personality, and in a way it helps to sell the poems.”

Coupled with charm is intrigue, and for Dolan, drawing viewers in and offering a glimpse into the interworking’s of Frost’s life is all part of that.

“People question art, why art? That is something a lot of people ask. In this case, this play, has something to add to that conversation of why arts are important. Being in the presence of a great artist, and hearing them speak about their work, that is what this play is about,” Dolan said.

For cast and crew of This Verse Business, the West Coast premiere means a chance for viewers to understand Frost with a new, local eye.

“This is the West Coast premiere of a play that’s been staged in the east since 2010. Robert Frost was a native Californian and the presenter, The Robert Frost Society, has been in San Diego since 2019,” Hurley said, noting the society’s deep authority and understanding of Frost.

“The essential ingredients of a poem are kindling, a spark and then fire. These are the same ingredients of love, which is the center of Frost’s poems and poetic experience,” said Hurley.

This Verse Business will run Monday, Nov. 3 and Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at The North Coast Rep, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr. Suite D, Solana Beach.

Tickets are available now at https://northcoastrep.org/variety/robert-frost-this-verse-business/