SHOUT IS AVAILABLE!!!!!!!
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They look at the floor when they sing. They’ve only been practicing two afternoons a week since March Break. They can’t fully sing a capella yet, they still need the piano and occasionally look at their teacher with wide eyes.
But it was wonderful.
Kristin, the composer for SHOUT!, has been working at a Middle School this year. When I told her what a success the one act version had been in Florida, she decided to try it out with her own students. She divided the four part harmony down to two and stayed at the piano throughout throwing out starting notes, playing underneath for support.
It’s great for us to have this test show because we know we’ll get the question ‘is SHOUT suitable for Middle Schools?’ Can they do it?
It was fascinating to see the show with such young actors. The story still works. I’ve seen the show a million times now and I still cried at the end. The music is still moving. Everything is raw and instinctual, which makes me very happy because it means the students were connecting to the play unconsciously. It works, it works! Yes they can do it!
They all had fun with the songs, even if they were too shy to sing out fully. But you could see their confidence growing. There was a huge difference in the show from the dress rehearsal in the morning to the performance at night. The girl who sang ‘My Brother Andy’ sang simply and with sincerity (AND a capella!!). It was heartbreaking. There were eight Buzzy Bees instead of four, and they had just as much fun onstage. One girl, who would only come on stage for the last song, asked at the last minute if she could sit on the stage for the whole show with the others.
They were excited and pleased and proud of what they had accomplished. To see that just makes me want to explode with pride. It’s the kind of experience that Theatre should always be.
Bravo!
Lakewood Ranch High School performed Shout! at the Florida State Thespian Festival this past Wednesday. This is the end of the journey for them, and they ended with a bang. The cast completely rose to the occasion with a spectacular performance after a shaky final dress on Monday night, and a decision to change the end of the show on Tuesday.
SIDE NOTE ON.
I love the fearlessness of teens. After hearing a new version of one of the songs on Monday, I realized the new version was the end of the play and the subsequent last scene was unnecessary. It was the kind of realization that only happens when you see the show in action, as opposed to just reading words on a page. I was just going to make this change after the fact (you know, seeing as the cast wasn’t scheduled for any further rehearsals….) but the director thought the students were up to the task. ‘Are you sure?’ I asked, ‘Really sure?’ ‘Absolutely’ she said. Ok……We rehearsed the new end twice and it’s perfect.
SIDE NOTE OFF.
It’s been exactly one year since I asked the director if she’d be interested in workshopping a new musical. I don’t think either she or I knew what we were getting into.
Singing a cappella is no easy feat, and it’s been interesting to see people cringe at the concept. I interviewed the Lakewood Ranch cast and every one of them thought their director was crazy for making them do it. ‘But,’ one student commented, ‘We trust Mrs. Caravan. And we know she has faith in us. So there’s no way we wouldn’t do it.’
And at the end of the process, every one of those students wants to do another a cappella musical!
This venture has been such a wonderful success and this week I’ve been a mess of emotion. This journey has been a long one for me. It was my idea, my concept, and thus my failure if it didn’t work. I could barely watch the big show on Wednesday, I was wound so tight. Some students I recently worked with were sitting nearby. They wanted to come talk to me, but I looked a little bit tense and, ah, A LOT scared. Yep that’s about it exactly. I shook throughout the whole adjudication afterward.
Shout! has been a long time in the works and it just feels unbelievable that this part of the process is coming to fruition. A concept is one thing. An actual product is a completely different matter. Something to hold in my hands. Words in print. Sheet music. Sight. Sound. Everything.
It was interesting to hear the response at our exhibitor table on Friday and Saturday. We were listening very hard to see what the buzz would be. We had a huge Shout! banner, one act versions for sale and CD’s. The Lakewood Ranch students were so excited to see themselves on the video and kept staring at the CD’s.
A lot of students came up to tell us how much they enjoyed it. A retired teacher who I have a lot of respect for complimented the show - the type of person who never gives lip service. That meant a lot to me. The cast kept coming up to me and marveling how other students were accosting them! We had customers buy the script and CD, not because they had seen the show but because they had heard it was good. It was interesting to see which song the students searched for, to make sure was on the CD, one we never would have figured.
It was interesting to see teachers leap forward at the concept, excited at the idea or coil away from the table declaring their students unable to ever learn a cappella.
But you see, I know now (after much sweat and many tears) that this musical is doable. For any group. Is it challenging? Of course. But is it rewarding? Amazingly so. I’ve seen it now first hand. And I can saw with confidence this is a great musical for students.
The buzz is exciting. The interest is good. The journey is just beginning.
The full length version of Shout is available June 2008.
See here for a whole lot more: theatrefolk.com/shout
In this playwriting issue, we’re going to take a look at how you write the perfect monologue. Exercises galore!
In This Issue
* SHOUT CONTEST
Film a scene and win a great prize!
* PODCAST & VIDEOS
Theatrefolk publishers record their adventures.
* INTRO
An introduction to the newsletter.
* WARM UPS
Get the creative juices flowing.
* SECTION ONE
The Story.
* SECTION TWO
The Character.
* SECTION THREE
The Emotion.
* SECTION FOUR
Language Structure.
* SECTION FIVE
Descriptive Writing.
* SECTION SIX
The Unexpected.
* SECTION SEVEN
Efficient Writing.
* SECTION EIGHT
Put it All Together.
* SECTION NINE
Answering Questions.
* SECTION TEN
Bonus.
* SHOUT BLOG
Lindsay and Kristin talk about the song My Brother Andy.
* RINGTONES
Get your favourite literary quote on your phone!
* MRS. MERRITT’S BIG BOOK OF HOLIDAY SKITS
Holiday plays for the whole calendar.
* WHAT’S NEW?
We have new scripts coming out!
* 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.
Read it here:
http://www.theatrefolk.com/spotlight
The submission window for our student film contest opens today!
Film a video based on a scene or song from our upcoming musical SHOUT and you could win $500!
Details posted here.
The Florida State Thespian Conference was the very first conference I attended six years ago. Theatrefolk was very green, we did pretty horribly, but it was a start. We got our feet wet, we grew, we changed. Every year we gladly return.
For the past four years, Theatrefolk has had a play at the State level. We’ve met so many wonderful teachers and students, and have formed a lot of lovely relationships. I have vivid memories of seeing the shows, talking to the actors, learning about their rehearsal process.
I remember the first time I met the Lakewood Ranch students. I remember the Bayside students who lived through two hurricanes, lived in their cars and went on to State to receive their very first Superiors. I remember how I felt when Karen Loftus told me her students were losing their fear of writing because they met a playwright.
Florida more than anywhere else makes me thrilled and proud to be a playwright.
Florida is almost like a second home where we sell stuff. 
And again this year I have so many reasons to be thrilled and proud. New Smyrna Beach High School received straight Superiors at the District Level with Emotional Baggage. They can’t perform officially at State, but the teacher so wanted her students to perform she figured out a way for her students to perform un-officially. I can’t wait to see another school perform one of my favourite plays.
And, (and, and, and) I just found out that the one act version of my brand new musical SHOUT (performed by Lakewood Ranch High School) won their district and will be performing at State. Not only that, they received the opening night slot of the festival - 7:00pm in Ferguson Hall. A thousand seat theatre. That’s certainly the biggest theatre my work has ever been in. Very, very exciting.
‘m so proud of SHOUT. Kristin and I have worked really hard on it. We believe in the show. We can’t wait to get it out into the world and the Florida State performance will be a wonderful coming out for it.
Now I just have to wait three months for the festival…..
It’s after the show. Lindsay and Kristin mingle with the cast.
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