“Law Abiding People”: A song from THE DEBT COLLECTOR

Daniel Carter and I have been collaborating on a musical.  We have nineteen songs written to go with my play The Debt Collector. He composed the music and I wrote the words. But the collaborative process continues, as we recruit new singers and performers to bring the musical to life. Recently, we were very lucky to have vocalist Victoria Trestrail perform a new song for us: “Law Abiding People.”

Victoria Trestrail’s performance is robust and evocative. She sings with great gusto, and she expresses the meaning of the song not just in articulating the words or singing the notes, but in her attitude toward both music and lyrics.

The Debt Collector is a libertarian musical, in itself a rarity. Nobody in this play is a mere victim. All the characters are strong, but human. “Law Abiding People” expresses the sentiments of Lottie Lark, the welfare mother, toward the beginning of the play. She explains to her children how the system works, and like any mother, she is concerned for their well-being.

The Debt Collector is a play without villains. But unlike most modern works, it is not filled with hopelessness and despair. Instead, we see the characters evolve as they realize that way they have been treating each other is not functional, and that it is the system that needs to be discarded, not the people.

If you would like to see this play performed in your community, please drop us a line.

© 2011 Aya Katz