Spotlight! E-news from Theatrefolk

Issue 31 - Shout! An A Cappella Musical

Welcome!

After many days, months and years, much blood, sweat and tears, (hey that rhymed!) high notes and low notes, much joy and excitement, Shout! the musical is now available! Let's Shout it out!

In This Issue

• THEATREFOLK BLOG
  Theatrefolk talks.
• HOW FAR WE'VE COME...
  A look back.
• THE FIRST DIRECTOR
  An interview with Roxane Caravan.
• MIDDLE SCHOOL SHOUT OUT
  How does Shout! work in a middle school?
• MY STUDENT WILL NEVER SING A CAPPELLA
  Why Shout! is more than just the notes.
• TESTIMONIALS
  What do students think of the musical?
• THE DETAILS
  Questions and answers.
• DOWNLOADS OF THE MONTH
  Read the first act of Shout! and listen to sample songs!
• RINGTONES
  Get your favourite literary quote on your phone.
• MRS. MERRITT'S BIG BOOK OF HOLIDAY SKITS
  Holiday plays for the whole calendar.
• CONFERENCE ALERT
  Meet us in person.
• IN THE NEXT ISSUE
  What you can expect next.
• FACEBOOK/MYSPACE
  More places to reach Theatrefolk.
• STAY IN TOUCH
  Contact Info/Read Our Blog.

Theatrefolk Blog

Keep up with the comings and goings of Theatrefolk on our blog. Read about Lindsay's recent new play workshops; get a sneak peak at the process behind upcoming plays for Theatrefolk.

Check it out!

How Far We've Come...

I have a little worn green notebook where Shout! was first created. There are some lyrics, and some character notes, and some dialogue that has never seen the light of day. It's amazing how a few scraps of thought can turn into a living breathing piece of theatre. Shout! is now finally, and officially finished. Our baby is ready to go out in the world on its own. How much she's grown....

Shout! has been in the works for more than two years. I remember sitting in my living room in Toronto, pointing at my little green notebook and telling Kristin, "We're going to write an a cappella musical." We started with the book and lyrics and then spent a year on the music.

Ignorance sometimes truly is bliss. While we worked previously together on a short play with some music (...And A Groundhog in a Pear Tree) neither Kristin nor I had written a full blown, full length musical. I'm sure we broke many, many rules of how to write a musical.

There was no "The opening number has to be this..." or "This song needs that..." or "The conflict song goes here..." We never said, "There has to be this type of song in the show." We never said, "We're missing that type of song in Act Two." There are so many programs and classes and schools for writing a musical. I think about how long it takes musicals to get to Broadway and how many of them fail. I think about the stories I've heard about musicals where the opening number changed four times, how many songs are re-written, how many problems.

Don't get me wrong, we're no amateurs. Kristin and I know what we're doing. I never ever worried about that! In fact, I never doubted Shout! would come together. I may have been the only one, but there's that whole "Ignorance is bliss" thing again.

In retrospect it seems achingly simple. As we worked on the show, we focused on the characters and the story and when the emotional moment became intense, the characters sang. In every song, the lyrics and music had to relate directly back to the characters and their particular emotional moment.

That's it. Does it seem overly simple? Maybe that's good. I sometimes think that if you don't know how you're supposed to do something, when you don't know the rules, the process is more organic, more natural, and less fraught.

You don't worry about the formula that everybody follows; you worry about the characters and what makes them sing.

I love this show. I love the music. I love the characters. I love the story. I'm overwhelmed with how it's all turned out. I'm terrified to let it go and yet extremely proud. It's ready to go out into the world.

In this newsletter we're offering subscribers the chance to read the first act of Shout! and sample some of the songs. Enjoy.

The First Director

Roxane Caravan of Lakewood Ranch High School in Florida directed the first production of Shout! I asked her in April 2007 if she'd be interesting testing out the show for us; little did she know what she was getting into. Now that everything is said and done, I asked her some questions about the process.

How long have you been directing musicals?

I have been directing musicals for over ten years, but I have been involved in musical theatre all of my life. I consider myself to be a musical theatre junky.

Do you have a favourite?

I tend to be drawn to classical musicals that seem to speak to people of all ages and have stood the test of time. I love Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein, the Busby Berkley musicals and movies, but I also appreciate Sondheim, Lippa, Jason Robert Brown, and some of the contemporary works as well. I could never pick a favorite, but I could probably come up with a top 10 (maybe!).

What level of musical experience are the Lakewood Ranch students? 

We have students on all levels. I always tell my students in the beginning of the year in our musical theatre class that some of you are here because you have well trained voices, some of you are trained dancers, and some of you are strong actors eager to expand your theatrical spectrum, and we will utilize all of your strengths and work on improving your weaknesses to make you all more well-rounded performers.

How did you deal with the a cappella music?

The first thing I did was hold the most untraditional audition for a musical by telling the students to prepare an a cappella audition piece, and I also taught the opening number to the show and had the students sing it in SATB to hear if they were able to keep a pitch while singing harmony. Once we cast the show, I had CD's created for every song and every part so that each student had a rehearsal CD to work on their individual part. We also spend alot of time working separately in groups learning parts and would then come together.

Was there ever a point when you thought, "We're not going to make it?"

About two weeks before our show went up, the kids came in for a marathon weekend. They shuffled into the drama room and had the 'deer in the headlights' look and were very down. We still had a fair amount of music to cover that weekend, but what we had was very solid; however, they were still feeling overwhelmed. So, we decided to have some circle time to regroup both personally and as a cast and crew, and then it all came together.

How did that feel?

It was magical! I've never worked with a more cohesive cast of students, and I feel that the book and the music lead the way. The music is so beautiful and the message is so universal.

What was the audience response?

The response was overwhelming. Our audiences are very diverse ranging from high school students coming to see the show for extra credit to retired couples in our community hoping to see a classic musical. Everyone came and found something to relate to in this production both young and old. It was one of the most well received shows by our student body, and the community members loved it too!

What would your advice be to another school producing Shout?

Go for it! It was a very unique and rewarding experience for both my students and myself. If you have any reservations, contact me.

Middle School Shout Out

When I told Kristin(the composer of Shout!) how successful the one act version of Shout! had been in Florida, she decided to try it out with her own middle school students. It was a great test for us because I know we're going to get the question from our customers: "Is Shout! suitable for Middle Schools?"

Clearly the show is written for high schools, but we have many middle schools who produce our plays. Middle School is such a difficult age and we hear time and time again from teachers how hard it is to find plays; either the characters and stories are too young or they're too old!

But the real question with Shout! lies with the singing. How can such young singers handle the difficulties of a cappella?

The first thing Kristin did was to simplify the harmony: she went from four parts to two. Secondly she worked on making the students comfortable with the music – if they were able to do something a cappella great, if not, it wasn't a big deal.

Kristin stayed at the piano throughout the show, throwing out starting notes, helping out students when they got lost in a song, playing underneath for support. It was very important for the students to have her close by.

She also had 'Eight' Buzzy Bees instead of four. This again, provided more support within the group. These singers have the hardest part in the show and it helped to have more singers to rely on!

The entire cast stayed on stage on risers at the back of the stage – this worked very well; Kristin could cast everyone who tried out into the Vocal Orchestra and they could be seen by the audience for the whole show.

I caught Kristin right before the show to ask her a few questions:

Now that you're an official director of Shout!, what advice would you give a future director?

Start early. Make sure you have time. What worked really well for us was we spent a lot of time on the music first. Once the kids were comfortable with the singing and being on stage, the scenes just fed into place.

You've told me in the past that you have strong memories of doing theatre in middle school.

The only thing I really remember from Grade Eight was doing a play at the end of the year. It has always stayed with me.

And that's what you wanted to give them.

It's one of the reasons I went into teaching in the first place, so I could give kids the same kind of memory I had.

Give them that experience.

Exactly.

And how do you feel now that we've had a chance to test out Shout! in a middle school?

I feel excited, proud... so many things. This proves that Middle Schools can do the show. It's a big project to do an a cappella musical and by simplifying the music a bit and having the piano as back up, it's perfectly accessible.

After watching the show, I couldn't believe how impressed I was. It was quite good! The story still works even though the actors are so young. The students reacted to the story instinctually, which meant a lot to me. It means the script speaks for itself whatever the age of the actors. One of the students talked about how great it was to do a play with such a 'real' story, that the events could actually happen. The music was very moving, and I still cried at the end. I've seen the show now a bunch of times and I was captivated from start to finish.

And so, I can say with full confidence that Shout! can be performed by Middle Schools. Now that we have the full length up and running, we're going to put together a two part harmony version of the score just for middle school performers. Stay tuned!

My Students Will Never Sing A Cappella

Kristin and I stand in the hallway outside her classroom. I've never been in the eye of a hurricane but I suspect it's no different: bodies are everywhere, in the classroom, out of the classroom, talking to parents, running, walking, dancing. Excitement surrounds us, bounces off the floor, the walls, the ceiling. The noise reaches up to unknown decibels. There's a greenroom of sorts, but there's no containing the thirty plus students waiting to put on a show.

I look at Kristin and grin. "This is what Theatre should be," I say. She grins back as two eleven-year-olds dash up to show us their costumes.

For the middle school test production of Shout! the students range in age from 11 to 13. Many have never been on stage before, and certainly they've never tackled singing a cappella before. They've only been able to rehearse two afternoons a week. When they sing, they look at the floor. If they forget a note or a lyric they look toward Kristin with wide eyes. They don't know how to project. They can't hold four part harmony.

And it's a wonderful production.

As we've started to share Shout! with teachers there are two polar reactions: "That sounds amazing!" or "My students will never be able to do that." One teacher actually dropped the script with horror at the prospect of trying a cappella with her students.

But the thing is, this isn't about a script or a score. It's not about words on the page or notes on a staff. It's not about a cappella or tracks. This is about giving students an experience. And Shout! is an experience like no other.

Kristin watches as her students swirl in and out of the classroom. There's no way any of them can sit still, they're about to burst. "I love how excited they are," she says. "It makes me want to cry."

"I read all the time that theatre doesn't change lives anymore," I say, "That it doesn't have any impact."

Kristin looks right at me. "Here it does," she says. "It gives them so much. There are kids here who don't go out for anything else at school. A little bit of the spotlight, a little attention... it does amazing things for their self esteem." This is extremely clear. We're watching the evidence in action, spinning around us.

There's a girl who sings a couple of solos in the show. She looks down most of the time when she's on stage, this is how shy she is. I tell her at the end of the dress rehearsal to not worry about looking at the audience, look above them, imagine there's a smiley face high on the back wall. During the show I see her fiercely fighting her need to look down. She looks above the crowd, straight to the back wall of the gym. Her voice is clear and loud.

Another student, who throughout the process would only come on stage for the last song, asked right before the show if she could sit on stage for the whole show with everyone else.

This is what theatre should be: excitement, anticipation, fear, energy, courage, joy, pain, heart, laughter, tears.

This is what Shout! gives students. It's not about the perfect production, or "My students could never do that." It's about the theatrical experience. The experience they will remember for years to come.

Click below to hear 13 year old Kathleen sing My Brother Andy. It's amazing!

The Details

Want to know more about Shout? What's involved? What you get? Where do I get more information? Here are all the details.

Step One: The Packages

How much does the show cost?

We're offering two packages for Shout!: Basic and Deluxe.

In the Basic Package you get:

• Performance Rights for up to Three Shows.
• Scripts for your cast and crew.
• Vocal Score.
• A Photocopy License.

In the Deluxe Package you get:

• Performance Rights for up to Three Shows.
• Scripts for your cast and crew.
• Vocal Score.
• Photocopy License.
• Videotape License.
• Production Book.
• Graphics Package.
• The Official Shout! Melody Tracks.

We're very excited about the Production Book and the Melody Tracks.

The Production Book is an invaluable resource containing a history of the show, interviews, detailed character and song notes, pictures and more. Put together in a beautiful package, this book will help any school through production and be a wonderful post-show souvenir.

The Official Shout! Melody Tracks are a special online tool containing separate melody tracks for each performer! Our test school did not have a skilled piano player and needed an efficient way to hear the songs. Our online tool allows singers to hear just their parts and practice on their own.

• Basic Package starts at $375 (One Act), $749 (full length)
• Deluxe Package starts at $499 (One Act), $999 (full length)

Step Two: The Website

How do I learn more about the show?

If you want to read some script, learn more details about the packages, hear students talk about their experience, see video, pictures, and much more, GO TO THE WEBSITE.

ShoutTheMusical.com

We've tried to put as much information as possible on the site to allow customers to determine if the show's for them. We want schools to be as informed as possible.

Step Three: Questions

I don't understand! Who do I talk to if I have questions?

Call us! 1-866-245-9138

Email us!

This adventure is new for us too. Shout! is Theatrefolk's first musical. We're excited and thrilled, but it's a new game for us. We want you to ask questions so that we can work toward making our information clear, concise and thorough.

We can also put you in touch with Roxane Caravan, the first director of Shout! She's been through it and is happy to help.

Testimonials

I asked the students in the high school and middle school productions to share their thoughts on being in Shout! Here's what they said.

On Shout! being a non-traditional musical.

Tali: I thought it was cool; a great experience. I really like Shout. It's really fresh.

Natalie: I thought, I sing in the shower without a track, how different could this be?

Hannah: I didn't know if we had the ability to pull this off; can we do this? But I found it so appealing to take on, to take on that vocal challenge.

Nate: It was a blast. I want to do another one. It takes awhile to get the first couple of songs, but once they're under your belt it just gets easier and easier. When you realize you have it all, you know you can do it. That's amazing.

On the Book and Lyrics.

Rachel: I never thought I would get so connected to a show. The lyrics, they're inside of me when I perform. You're so in character because that's who we are. That's what's great about the writing.

Kasey: I never saw Shout as a character piece because I could relate to it so well. And it's not just us, it's not just teens, that connect to the show - it's everybody. Teachers, everybody.

Hannah: When we were first learning 'Seventeen,' I was reading the lyrics and I was just blown away. I knew that these lyrics had to be heard. They're so important. They add truth to the song

On the Music and Singing.

Emily: I like the songs, they are so meaningful. 'Shout what you want to shout.' Stand up for yourself.

Hannah: Any of the songs, pick any of them and there are so many lines in the show that just mirror my life!

Natalie: A cappella is hard. It's very challenging, but the rewards are huge. It's fun to do something different.

Rachel: It is the most relate-able music I've ever seen in a musical.

Kasey:I thought it was going to be a lot harder than it ended up being. Doing group numbers like 'Shout' and 'Your Head Will Explode' were great because there were so many other people to rely on, there were ALL the Altos and not just myself.

What advice would you give to the next school?

Sean: Keep at it. Don't stop reading through the script, look over the music, it may seem hard at first, but when you get it, it clicks. And once you do, you'll be so happy and you'll love this show.

Kristin: Don't think you're magically going to sound beautiful. It's a lot of work and don't put it off till the end. From the time you get cast, start working. But as soon as you get it you'll never forget it.

Lucas: Don't be afraid to fail. I have never done a musical, never done a show and coming into Shout was really intense. Don't be afraid to go at it full force, let your cast members help you. Put yourself out there.

Nate: Relax. And Breathe. And give it your all.

DOWNLOADS OF THE MONTH

Click here to read the first act of Shout!

Listen to samples of the songs!

Ringtones

Theatrefolk is going multi-media! Haven't you always wanted your favourite Shakespeare quote as your ringtone? Are you in a Theatrefolk play and want a quote to play when your fellow castmates call? Check out www.literaryringtones.com for more info!

Mrs. Merritt's Big Book of Holiday Skits

We're proud to be connected to this project. Especially for elementary schools, this book is bursting with plays, scenes, skits, sketches and poems for holidays throughout the year. See www.mrsmerritt.com for details.

Conference Alert

Here's our upcoming conference schedule. If you're attending, please drop by and say hi!

In the Next Issue

We're taking a break! See you in August.

Facebook/Myspace

Another way to keep in touch with us! If you're doing one of my shows, join my Facebook or MySpace. Easy contact for questions or comments!

• Lindsay on MySpace
• Lindsay on Facebook

Stay in Touch

Future issues will be guided by your suggestions. Email stories, tips, suggestions, and questions to us. This newsletter belongs to you!

Some of our playwrights post to the Theatrefolk Blog. Check it out for insights into what's happening with Theatrefolk.