Murphy Funkhouser Capps breaks down the wild ride of 2020
Wortham center PerFormAnce to reflect collective and individual trials of tumultuous year
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
October 20, 2020
Murphy Funkhouser Capps will perform her latest show, “The 2020 Breakdown” at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 23. Courtesy photo
Like most people, Murphy Funkhouser Capps was cruising along on the highway of life when the year began. The Black Mountain resident fluidly navigated between lanes, as a successful business owner, performing artist and mother.
Then, the wheels fell off.
The humorist and storyteller will pick up the pieces and offer some roadside assistance with her latest performance, “The 2020 Breakdown,” which she is bringing to the stage in the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 23.
The inspiration for the show was derived from a year that has proven challenging on many levels, according to Capps.
“The title is a triple entendre,” she said. “It’s a breakdown, in the sense that it will break down everything that’s gone on in 2020. Then there is the mental breakdown that so many people have had to deal with this year. Plus, the entire show is a metaphor about going down the road of life in a car, and having a sudden breakdown.”
Set in the midst of scattered car parts, and filmed in an empty theater, the performance will recap a year that has been tumultuous, both personally and collectively. The show opens with Capps walking upon the scene of an auto accident, where she reflects on the mess in front of her.
“That theme is pulled throughout,” she said. “Collectively, as a society, we have to pick up the pieces from this wreck that we’ve been in. The idea is that the car turned upside down and we’re all crawling out into this ‘new normal.’”
The wild ride of 2020 has forced the world to deal with the universal reality of a global pandemic amid a contentious political climate, while individuals face the monumental task of adjusting to new ways of life.
“I believe within this shared breakdown that we’ve all had, there have been many micro moments that have forced everybody to take a look at their lives,” Capps said. “We’re all considering if we like this slower pace, and wondering, now that things have fallen apart, how do we want to put it back together and carry on.”
Capps, who has been comfortable in the spotlight since playing Peppermint Patty in a pre-school production of Charlie Brown long before she studied theater at Brevard College, will put a humorous spin on her own personal trials this year.
“I was in the fast lane of life for so long, and moving at such a fast speed,” Capps said. “The doors of my own car blew off, which is a parallel to what the world is going through. I had to figure out what kind of life I want, post-pandemic. I decided that I don’t want one that’s so stressful and adrenaline-fueled.”
Capps, the co-owner of Kudzu Brands, is currently studying storytelling at East Tennessee State University and sits on the board of the Asheville Community Theatre. She has written numerous plays and shows throughout her performing career. When the year began, she was scheduled to perform this month at the Wortham Center, which has temporarily closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She approached the theater about performing a virtual show in place of her previously scheduled appearance.
“I felt like now, more than ever, people need to stay connected,” said Capps, who starred in a virtual show in June to benefit the Asheville Community Theatre. “The closing of theaters these past few months has resonated with me deeply.”
Tickets for “The Breakdown 2020” can be purchased at worthamarts.org for $10 in advance and $15 on the day of the show.
“This show will help support artists and crews who are among the many people hurting during this time,” she said. “It’s also a chance for us to come together and share some laughs over just how crazy 2020 has been for all of us.”