Generations of Westporters know and love Lloyd Allen.
The eponymous owner of Double L Market (get it?) serves extra-fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, bread, meat, fish, baked goods, soups, salads and flowers — and plenty of wisdom, about all of those and everything else — from his down-home store on Post Road East, next to Calise’s Deli.
Lloyd Allen, outside his Double L Market.
Some of his many customers/friends may know about Lloyd’s artistic side. When he moved from Texas in the early 1970s, he worked in the Metropolitan Opera’s millinery department.
He later designed and produced women’s clothing. When MTV launched, he wrote and produced their first fashion video.
And — hey, this is Westport!— Lloyd wrote “Being Martha,” a fan bio about you-know-who.
Now he’s got another project. Soon, we’ll see the fruits of his labor. “Screen Time” — a new musical Lloyd wrote — debuts at the Westport Library July 20.
It tells the story of Angie (a bookeworm) who meets Marshall (a coder) building Angela (an AI chatbot).
The humans fall in love. Marshall introduces Angie to his influencer friends. Cautious at first, she acquiesces. With Angela’s guidance, she becomes a viral influencer.
The cast includes many well known locals (and influencers). Among them: leads Emily Hall and Jayden Saenze, plus Zac Mathias, Stephanie Webster, Nina Clark, Megan Shinella, Meghan Hedge and Genie Morris. Eric Kupper is the musical director.
Emily Hall rocks “Screen Time.”
“Screen Time”‘s plot is as modern as it gets. But it’s been 20 years in the making.
Lloyd started on a musical 2 decades ago. He finally dusted it off, got past writer’s block (with help from Stephanie), and reworked it.
The original romcom was “20 years too early,” Lloyd says. The theme still works, though: “How do you stay in love while dealing with the good and bad sides of technology?”
The show is already on Instagram (@ScreenTimetheMusical). Fans can follow the production, as it builds to the Library launch.
“We’re adding to it all the time,” he says. “The whole thing is very organic.”
And organic is something Lloyd Allen — as a playwright and fresh produce store owner — knows very, very well.
(To learn more about “Screen Time: The Musical” — and score free tickets — click here.)
Lloyd Allen, playwright.
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