Now here is something refreshingly different.

Directed with energizing flair by Sam Plattus, innovative sound design by Gage Baker and cleverly written and performed by Jay Eddy, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presents Driving in Circles live and in person at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, April 6.  This new, deeply personal concert-style work is 100 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Infusing storytelling, relatable humor, and a fascinating blend of hard hitting and uplifting original music, Everett-born Jay Eddy as Jill/Bill is a witty individual who has faced a daunting set of physical and emotional challenges at a young age.  Eddy is raw, honest, funny, and self deprecating tackling trauma at its core as well as the aftershocks of these events demonstrated in a catchy opening number that explains how to survive an earthquake.  Eddy counts backwards in time at the prevalent ages in which Eddy endured these hardships.

Scenic designer Danielle DelaFuente with set construction by Carly Stegall has fittingly set up a highway rest stop with a dart board, colorful vintage license plates and vinyl records.  A hanging pink bathrobe is just one of the significant Easter eggs shown on Eddy’s reflective journey.  Wearing red eye shadow and white boots, Jay Eddy, keyboardist Jordan Palmer, and guitarist Zach Fontanez sport similar blue uniforms by costume designer Eric Tran as they perform on a staged road while lighting designer Kevin Fulton sets an atmospheric vibe including twinkling lights and multicolored linear array lights that illumine each performer’s space.

Driving in Circles is essentially an emotionally-charged concert road trip through a variety of beautiful and traumatic events that have shaped Eddy’s life.  It is powerful, sad, and disturbing at times, but is also hopeful, charming and lighthearted on this unpredictable road to healing.  This is not lighthearted fare and the material is a bit too serious to be considered standup, but Eddy’s enthusiasm and interactive style is relatable, warm, sincere, and funny.  Sharing home movies creatively projected by Maria Servellón, Eddy is not limited to the stage and engages the audience in a compelling manner that makes you feel a part of her journey brimming with detours, twists and turns on past road trips and misadventures that include destinations such as Seattle, Nashville, Vermont and Maine.  Driving in Circles contains plenty of local references and Eddy shares a compelling and relatable tale getting lost on the road in what should have been a simple trip to the dentist.

Eddy’s original electronic music is performed on the spot as lead vocals in a three piece band.  Eddy is a master on the audio board expertly delivering vocals and sound effects while keyboardist Jordan Palmer and guitarist Zach Fontanez enhance this dynamic blend of lively songs.  Eddy is a powerful, edgy and expressive singer and it is amazing to listen to it navigated through the audio board, but Eddy’s bare vocals are also incredibly affective.  Shrill Woman, Time Traveler, Another Day, the soothing You’ll Feel Better with Fontanez delivering a notable guitar solo, uplifting The Dog Days of Summertime and hopeful The World is Ending Anyway are just a few highlights.

A perceptive work with plenty of heart, Driving in Circles is a powerful and original work about resilience and hope even through harrowing events.  Eddy demonstrates music’s healing power through art as well as the music that helped Eddy cope from artists such as Simon and Garfunkel and Tom Petty.   After all, Driving in Circles can still lead to beautiful destinations.

Directed with energizing flair by Sam Plattus, innovative sound design by Gage Baker and cleverly written and performed by Jay Eddy, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presents Driving in Circles live and in person at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, April 6.  This new, deeply personal concert-style work is 100 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.