LOS ANGELES — The original play “Unplugged Electric Guitar,” written and directed by internationally produced playwright Danny Rocco, is concluding its inaugural run at the Hollywood Fringe Festival with two final performances on June 20 and 21 at Thymele Arts. The emotionally tender show, inspired by a real conversation Rocco had with his father, examines the ways people change when they let go of their dreams.
The two-act play centers on two pivotal, intimate conversations. Over breakfast, Tom (played by David Gueriera) convinces Danny (played by Rocco) to give up his pursuit of writing. Years later, Danny is given the chance to mentor a young artist and confronts the decision to pass down inspiration or the fear that was bestowed upon him. Rocco describes the play as “the closest thing to a horror story I could imagine,” highlighting the slow, subtle cuts that drain artists of their higher purpose and the rationalizations that lead them to abandon their dreams.
Director Chivonne Michelle, an award-winning film and theater director who returned to theater after a decade working as a television actor, was drawn to the play’s complex question of what it means to be a successful working artist today. “What excited me was exploring a queer man who's been on the journey of accepting himself and how the world accepts him, who then chose a career that society also doesn't understand,” she said. “We all—not just artists—have deep moments of sadness when it comes to our work, trying to understand how it fits into our identities. It's a universal experience to ask yourself if you're less than because of the work you do.”
Rocco began writing “Unplugged Electric Guitar” ten years ago as a way to better understand his relationship with his father, art, and middle age. With the show now live, he says he hasn’t found concrete answers but gained more empathy for his father and confirmation that he is on the right path. “For me, an artist who has not given up, to write a play about giving up is both spiritually important and dangerous,” he noted. “I felt very exposed taking on the role because there are so many personal details about my life in this character and in the first act.” To separate himself from his real-life relationship with his father, Rocco and Michelle revisited the acting techniques they learned together in school.
The play features Danny Rocco, David Gueriera, Nathan Norrington-Herr, and Jack Little. Tickets are $20 (plus a $3 service fee) and are available through the Hollywood Fringe Festival website. Remaining performances are Saturday, June 20 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 21 at 3 p.m. The run time is 90 minutes, including intermission, at Thymele Arts (California Room), 5481 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90029.
The play examines the universal experience of questioning one’s identity through work and the heartbreaking decision to leave dreams behind. Rocco hopes audiences leave with more compassion for the complexity of being a working artist and for those who make that choice. “Unplugged Electric Guitar” is a production that resonates beyond the theater, offering a poignant reflection on the sacrifices people make and the fears they confront in pursuit of a meaningful life.
