At 9 p.m. Thursday, the curtain will open on “Daybreak” at TADA! Theater in New York City. The show – about a single mom who works in the coal mines of West Virginia – was co-written and produced by 2013 Bridgeport High School alumna Maggie Ludwig.

 

Like her home state, the musical – which, of course features original tunes of the folk/country genre – is gritty, but hopeful.

 

“It’s about working hard so that family can lead a better life,” Ludwig said.

 

In addition to bringing women to the forefront, the show deals with sexual harassment in the workplace. Though that is a hot issue nationally, Ludwig and her collaborator began writing this show in 2017, before the viral spread of the “Me Too” movement.

 

“One of my classmates and I wanted to write a musical during our last semester of college as a capstone-type project and that’s how it got started,” said Ludwig, a veteran actor who was quite active in BHS Theater and Thespian Troupe. “We wrote the first act our senior year and got really good feedback.”

 

After graduating from Ball State University in Indiana, Ludwig and her co-writer Kristina Bryan both moved to New York City where they began pursuit of a career in the performing arts. The women decided to finish writing their show and eventually Ludwig began submitting it to various film festivals. She described the submission process:

 

“We do a couple demos of what the songs sound like, as well as a quick blurb about the piece and a reviewing committee looks over it and decides if it should be part of their festival or not,” she said.

 

The Emerging Artists Theatre New Work Series – which features various works, including musicals, plays, dance pieces and one-person shows - gave the show a thumbs up.

 

“They liked our piece and reached out to us to be part of their festival,” Ludwig said.

 

As it was a self-produced festival, Ludwig and Bryan were provided a platform for performance, but the rest of the work was up to them. They called in a third friend from Ball State - director and stage manager Carson Crow – to assist.

 

“The three of us reviewed actor submissions and sent out offers,” Ludwig said. “We obviously have a lot of actor friends, so we asked a couple who we thought were good for the piece to be part of the show. We had to find a guitarist for accompaniment and from there, the rehearsal process started once everyone was on board.”

 

The production is a stage reading, but it is hoped that it will evolve into a full production if received well by the festival audience.

 

“There is a full cast on stage with music stands in front of them. It’s a lot to memorize and there are still little tweaks to be done on the show. They will be fully performing and singing the show, but there will be no actual blocking or staging,” Ludwig said. “The next step would be getting it on stage with lights and a full orchestra.”

 

Ludwig and Bryan even had to write their own sheet music for their show tunes, which include opening number “Sweet Sunshine” -  setting the show's tone - to “You Could be the President,” a song of encouragement featured in a mother-daughter scene in the show.

 

“The mom is talking to her teen daughter, telling her that when she grows up, she can be whatever she wants to be – telling her she is strong and amazing,” Ludwig said.

 

The song is an ode to her relationship with her own mom and she is grateful for that encouragement. Ludwig said the education and theater experience she received at Bridgeport schools has also played a major role in her career to date.

 

“I wouldn’t have gotten into the college I went to if it weren’t for the Bridgeport High School Theater program. Jason Young was my director all through high school and he was also my audition coach,” she said. “I was also able to go to the International Thespian Festival three years of high school where there are thespians from around the world – who, at all places, meet at Lincoln, Nebraska – to attend so many workshops to learn from college professors about all different types of acting and music.”

 

Even her Bridgeport Middle School West Virginia History class has been instrumental in the penning of “Daybreak.” That’s perhaps where she first learned about the state’s rich coal mining history.

 

Her love for West Virginia and desire to create a state-based work of art was one of the components in her inspiration to write “Daybreak.” The other was a desire to make the piece female-centered, which is not often seen on the stage or screen, Ludwig said.

 

Her collaborator in the project was on board with both components and was enthusiastic to delve into research with her; research that included a visit to the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mines to learn about the coal mining culture and the influence he had on West Virginia.

 

Though she does not appear in the show, Ludwig serves as musical director and she will be performing some numbers at a separate event the following week. She is one of the featured performers at the March 21 “Songbird, A Songwriter Session.”

 

Ludwig is happy with her New York City Life and the windows of opportunity that are opening for her.

 

"It's been about two years and I'm super excited. Obviously, living here is amazing. There is lots of energy and you might get rejected a million times, but it's all about persistence," she said. "This show came at the right time for me."

 

 

"There aren't a lot of us from West Virginia here in New York City, but the few who are here all agree: Whether we like it or not, we are advocates for our state," Ludwig said.

 

Editor's Note: Among pictures of Ludwig is one taken during the Ball State University's produciton of "Oklahoma!"