From Thursday, Nov. 14, to Saturday, Nov. 16, Branson witnessed the premiere of “The Devil’s Dating Service,” a musical written by Branson’s own Director of Theater Maura Vaughn and Alexander Eccles ‘00. The production was not only a testament to a year of creative collaboration but also an incredible leap of faith for everyone involved.
The story of “The Devil’s Dating Service” began in 2018 when Eccles approached Vaughn for help writing a musical. What Vaughn initially assumed would be another session editing and doing dramaturgical work, as she had done countless times previously, turned into a much larger endeavor. When she showed up to the meeting spot she realized “this invitation was to write a script with [him],” not help him edit an almost finished product, Vaughn said, reflecting on the project’s ambitious start.
The musical’s concept was born during an early brainstorming session when Eccles received a notification from a dating app. Upon seeing the notification, Vaughn said, “This is literally an esoteric form of self-harm,” a line that eventually made its way into the final script. This interaction sparked a deeper exploration of modern dating culture and the ways technology shapes human connection.
To refine their work, Vaughn and Eccles attended numerous readings and collaborated to shape the narrative. However, bringing the musical to life at Branson presented its own set of challenges. Vaughn recalled the moment when students expressed interest in performing the show.
“I told them we didn’t have an orchestration for [it] and they said, ‘Try,’” she said. With just six months to prepare, Eccles devoted two months in Sun Valley solely to composing the orchestration.
Music teacher Kindra Scharich’s commitment was equally courageous. Agreeing to helm the production with only a piano score and minimal time to prepare, she took a leap of faith alongside the cast and crew.
“She didn’t know how it would sound until three weeks before the show,” Vaughn said. “It was unbelievably brave and courageous, I mean of all of us. It could easily have not all come together.”
The musical also pushed students in new directions, which Vaughn said was her favorite part about the musical versus the many others she has put on at Branson. Unlike recreations of well-known productions, this one allowed for complete creative interpretation of characters and scenes. For Vaughn, hearing the students perform the songs for the first time was emotional and brought tears to her eyes. “That was six years of our lives,” she said, “and it was all coming to life.”
Tom Lardner ‘25 played the role of the bartender. Reflecting on his experience, he said, “One great part about the musical was how we could take risks. No one has ever really heard of ‘The Devil’s Dating Service,’ so it was our job to create the character ourselves. Sure, there were some traits the character had to follow, but other than that, we could really make the character whatever we wanted them to be.”
The play challenged students to take creative liberties, allowing them to stretch themselves in a multitude of directions.
“Johnny Traina [‘25] and I even had an improv scene. It was a great way to disregard the lines and just act. It was a really amazing experience,” Lardner said.
At its core, in addition to being entertaining, “The Devil’s Dating Service” delivers a universal message about love and authenticity. “The play is trying to find connection — whether it’s a life partner or just a partner for a moment,” Vaughn said. “The message really is about being true to yourself. You are wonderful and it’s going to be OK.”
Despite its success, Vaughn emphasized that the play is still a work in progress. “Parts of the show are brilliant, and parts of the show aren’t brilliant,” she said. “But I’m here to teach people and help them grow, and I will grow with them.”
For Vaughn, who has directed nearly 200 productions in her 29 years at Branson, this musical called upon her willingness and eagerness to take risks. She didn’t think about the what-ifs of it not being successful.
“I think it’s just in my nature to jump,” she said. “I believe there will be something underneath me.”
