ANATOMY OF A ROAD SHOW
BY
FRANCES COLLINWOOD
Week 1
I wrote and directed our ward's road show and it all started with a fifteen year old boy.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
My fifteen year old son came and plopped down on my bed Sunday morning after returning from BYC (a youth meeting to discuss what activities the youth will be doing).
"We have to do road shows. I don't want to do road shows. It's going to be sooooo boring," he said.
"I know it will be soooooo much fun," I replied in my most upbeat voice. I had heard road shows were coming and I knew I had to be positive for him.
Besides, I had absolutely loved doing road shows when I was a kid.
Groan from the kid. "I don't want to do it. It's going to be sooooo dumb. The theme is "Meet the Mormons" and what are we going to do with that. There were no good ideas today. I don't want to do the road show."
I started wishing there was something I could do.
"Well, it won't be that bad," I reply.
"It's going to take the next six weeks of activities. I don't want to do it."
I'm thinking, I don't want to hear about how bad the road show is for six more weeks. I really have to do something but what. I'm not in the YW program and no one has asked for volunteers so what can I do. My brain started percolating (a dangerous past time I know - name that movie).
"Well, it's going to be fine, kiddo. Let's just wait and see," I said.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
And I did wait. I waited two whole days while my brain percolated. I hemmed and hawed and then I realized I had to get involved. I emailed the Bishop (ecclesiastical leader for our church's congregation) at 10:30pm Tuesday night and volunteered to write the road show. I'm not sure what I was thinking at the time. I'm not sure my husband knew what I was thinking but he gave me his full support.
I had no real experience writing scripts. I had never directed a road show . It had been over twenty years since I had last been in a road show and eight years since I'd last seen a road show. BUT, I had such fond memories of doing road shows that I wanted that for my kids plus, I'd have no one but myself to blame if I didn't get involved.
Bishop emailed me back twenty minutes later but I didn't check my email again until almost midnight. I was afraid of what he might say. I never expected his email to be quite like this.
Email from Bishop:
Can you please take your temperature now? Also, can you have Brian check to make sure you are not delirious. :) Either you are not feeling well or you are ready to get translated….
We would love your help...
And that's how it all began.
We had one week to get a script together, figure out the songs and words, do the choreography and get the right people helping. I read these two article that made all the difference in helping me figure out what to do and how to write a road show script. I would strongly recommend them if you are planning a road show of your own.
"Road Show -- How to Write a Winner"
https://www.lds.org/new-era/1983/08/road-show-how-to-write-a-winner?lang=eng
"Let's Get This Show on the Road"
http://www.sugardoodle.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2561
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Wednesday we got all the youth who were interested in contributing to the script together for a brainstorming session. They threw out all kinds of wonderful, crazy, hilarious and funny ideas of things to put in a story but had no real story ideas. It was a new concept for them. I told them a couple of ideas for stories I had and they seemed to like them all. We brainstormed some more so they could give me ideas that might fit into these storylines. We also brainstormed songs. The only thing I vetoed in the brainstorming session was Frozen songs. I told them I thought they would be used by other groups so we were going to avoid them. (Someone did end up using one of the songs from Frozen.)
Here's the list of brainstorming ideas the kids had:
Intro, scenes 1-3 and Conclusion
Opposites
Spoof on some scripture story or movie, can't use mirrors,
Dream
Mom naming children scripture names
Myths: horns and tales,
All mormon scrap book
Jello
Vegetables
Lots of kids
Canning
Office style vignettes
No gaming, talented,
Dr. Who meets the Mormons
Girl getting picked up for a date
A day in the life of a Mormon
Couldn't go to the activity because it was Sunday
Teen dance
Date scene
Come meet the Mormon Youth
Parents tell things, go back in time, and verify their stories,
True life enactments
Scouts
Seminary
Youth Dances
EFY
cows - crush or the week
Pioneer Day
JS gets the plates
2000 striping warriors
Seagulls
Samuel the Lamanite
Ammon
Songs
Wicked
76 Trombones
let it go
It's a hard knock life
For the first time in
Cotton eyed joe
We like the party
Macarena
The bunny hop
YMCA
As I was leaving, Bishop asked me if I would be willing to direct the road show since I was going to write it and seemed to have a vision of what was going to happen.
I said, "Yes, of course I would," without really considering what that entailed and without consulting my husband, but it was a blissful moment. This was going to be fun!
And it was a fun night, until I had to go home and actually start writing the road show. I had one week to come up with a working script. I knew it didn't have to be perfect. We could change words here and there but we had to have the basic script written and that was a daunting task.
I started Wednesday night and wrote until I came up with a script by late Friday night. I emailed the script to the Bishop on Saturday. By Sunday night I had people working on three of the musical numbers by coming up with words and choreography.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Things were going swimmingly until the Bishop finally read the script. He emailed me a list of "ideas" that I might add and he called me at lunchtime. He expressed his concerns that it didn't seem to follow the format I had talked about at the brainstorming session of presenting a problem, showing some conflict and then a clear resolution of the conflict. I thought it most certainly did but if I had to explain how it did, than it must not. I let that information stew for a bit. I tried working on the script I had. We were due to meet with all the adult leaders that night to assign them all different support roles in the road show and Wednesday we had our first practice with the youth scheduled. What was I going to do? I did the only thing I could do. I wrote a new script. Since I already had people working on musical numbers and choreography, I used all of the previous songs and many of the scenes from my previous script to write the new script. I wrote the second script in about two hours. The kids fended for themselves that afternoon. They did a good job letting me write. It helped that I had a lot of the elements already fleshed out when I started the second script.
That night, I took both scripts to the meeting with the adult leaders and told them I had two scripts and I needed their help to figure out which one to pick. We read through both of them and then I had each leader vote on which one they wanted to do. It turned out it was a dead tie. Absolutely no help. I had no idea which one to pick. It was a little like picking between your children and I didn't want to do that. I also did not want to take both scripts to the kids and have them read them and pick because I was worried I would hear all along how some of them wished we were doing the other script. I had to choose.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
It was late afternoon before I knew which script I was going to choose. It turned out to be the second script. The one I'd written in a couple of hours. I surprised myself. I was more attached to the first script because I had spent more time thinking about it and envisioning it than the second script but the second script felt right. I quickly typed up a list of characters for that script since we would be casting the road show that night. At 7:00, I had the scripts hot off the presses (they were literally still warm from the copy machine) and in the hands of the leaders. The adult leaders read through it for the youth for the first read. It was thrilling, but there was still that nagging bit of doubt in me wondering if I had picked the right script.
After the read through, we split up into two groups so they could start practicing their first numbers. I took groups of four and had them come read for me. We needed to cast the show. This turned out to be just as hard as writing the script. There were so many options that it was hard to pick anyone. I had thought I would be sending scripts home with the kids that night so they could start memorizing their lines but instead, I told them I would call and let them know what part they got. What ended up happening was I didn't tell anyone until the next Wednesday what part they had. It was just too hard to decide. I needed the whole week to figure it out. The great thing is, everyone did an excellent job with the parts they were given! I love it when a plan comes together! (Name that TV show.)
You can check out the Road Show Rehearsal Schedule here if you're interested in how we spent our time. I came up with this schedule on Monday or Tuesday of the first week and it stayed essentially the same. We did end up meeting from 6:30 - 8:30 every Wednesday instead of 7 - 8:30 so we had more time to practice.
Weeks 2 - 6
We had six weeks to practice the road show, seven scheduled practices. All tallied, we spent 14 hours practicing all together. That equates to about one hour of practice for every minute of the road show. Of course, we had other unscheduled practices with different small groups but only 7 practices that everyone was asked to attend.
Week 2
Feb. 11 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life (Stage) and
Seize the Day(Multi-purpose room) - 25 minutes
Split up into groups - 30 minutes
50's dance -multi-purpose room (Rowes, Siscos)
Suffragettes - Primary room (Cynthia, Sarah)
Crossing the Delaware - Overflow (Tricia, Brian, Sam)
Main actors - stage (Frances)
Costumes (Kayla, Amanda)
Props (Aaron, Brendan, Bishop)
Nursery (Andrea, Taryn)
First Run through of the play - 30 minutes
We ran through the entire play the second practice. Each of the different numbers or scenes had practiced at least once but we had never practiced the finale. It took us at least half an hour to get through that first run through of the play. It was mostly about showing everyone where to be and giving them a vision of the entire play. It was exhausting but fun. The "It's a Hard Knock Life" seminary song and dance was the most put together at this point but you could see the rest of the road show coming together too. It was after this practice that we changed the starting time to 6:30. We just needed more time for everyone to practice.
Every week, yummy treats were provided for the youth by different members of the ward/church. Everyone loves a treat!
Week 3
Feb 18 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
*All props the kids are dancing with should be at this rehearsal and all future rehearsals.
6:35 - We're all in this together - 30 minutes
7:05 - Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day - 25 minutes
7:30 - Split up into groups - 25 minutes
50's dance (stage) - Rowes, Siscos, Collinwoods
Suffragettes (overflow) - Cynthia and Sarah
Crossing the Delaware (multi-purpose room) - Tricia, Julie and Bishop
Main actors - (primary room) - Andrea and Alli
Props - (gym) - Aaron and Brendan
Costumes - (gym) - Kayla and Amanda
Lights/Music/Sound- (gym) - Sam, Dion, Peter
7:55 - Run through the play twice- 30 minutes
8:40 - Short meeting with Tricia, Cynthia, Amanda, Kayla (costumes), Aaron(sets), Sam(lighting and sound) and Bishop(overseer extraordinaire) to review what has been done and what needs to be done before next week.
This was our first practice that started at 6:30. I invited the kids to show up early and play basketball from 6:00 until 6:30. This meant that almost everyone was there and ready to go at 6:30. I knew it would be hard for some of the leaders to get here this early due to work and family schedules so I planned to start practicing the finale at the beginning. It needed the least amount of leader support. We gave the kids the words to the song and told them the basic idea of the dance. The kids would sneak into the back of the gym and stand quietly and wait until the end when everyone would say the last word of the play "Together" all together and then the music would start up. The kids would come down the center aisle with a partner and right at the front, they would switch sides and go down in front of the audience chairs and stop. We had a lot of collisions that first day. Crossing, one in front of another, is a lot harder than you might think. We ran through the entire finale that day but only worked on about half of the dance moves. It was a good start.
After the finale, we split up into groups and worked on the different scenes. Everyone had a place to be and something to be doing. The leaders and girls made the Suffragette signs and started on their "Votes for Women" sashes. We ended up changing the sashes from the ones they started that day but that's how a lot of things went. If we realized it wasn't working the way we had thought it might, we revised it and did it so it was working out right.
We were supposed to get through the entire road show twice but we only got through it once before we ran out of time. We once again had some marvelous treats and the youth went home happy.
Week 4
Feb 25
6:30 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
6:35 - We're all in this together - 25 minutes - all adults should be helping with props and costumes in the gym
7:00 - Split up into groups - 25 minutes
50's dance (stage) - Trevor, Audrey 7:00 - 7:10 - stage
Crossing the Delaware (multi-purpose room) - Tricia, Brian and Bishop 7:10 - 7:20 practice on the stage
Suffragettes (overflow) - Cynthia and Sarah (those who are water and icebergs on stage from 7:10 - 7:20)
Main actors - (primary room) - Alli
Props - (gym) - Aaron, Brendan and Howie - What do we still need to make and get?
Costumes - (gym) - Kayla, Amanda and Andrea
Lights/Music/Sound- (gym) - Sam, Julie, Peter, Taryn
7:20 - Work on It's a Hard Knock Life (stage 7:20 - 7:30)
and Seize the Day (overflow then stage 7:30 - 7:40)
7:45 - Run through the play twice- 45 minutes
8:40 - Short meeting with Kayla (costumes), Aaron(sets), Sam(lighting and sound) and Bishop(overseer extraordinaire)
We once again started with basketball from 6-6:30. It helped get most of the kids there on time. This time, when we worked on the finale, we had all the kids sit down and practice the song until they pretty much knew the words and then we added the dance. This was a much better way to do it. I would definitely recommend learning the words and music before you teach the dance. Live and learn! They learned the basics of the finale by the end of the night and there were only a few collisions as we tried to have them crossover in the front.
All of the smaller groups met and most had an opportunity to practice on the stage that night. Some were definitely still struggling to figure out what to do and where to be. This night, we did manage to get through the play twice but we went overtime but I think it was worth it. (My apologies to all the parents who were waiting!) It was amazing how much better the second run through of the play was but it was a long way from fabulous yet.
We ended the night with yummy treats!
Week 5
Mar. 4 - Rehearsal Schedule
*Everyone should have costumes and props for this day.
Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
6:35 - 6:50 - Practice singing We're all in this together
6:50 7:05 - Practice singing and dancing We're all in this together
7:05-7:15 - It's a Hard Knock Life (overflow)
Seize the Day (stage)
7:15 - 7:25 - Split up into groups -
50's dance - girls take family history pics
Suffragettes - (overflow) - run through twice and then send girls who are in Crossing the Delaware scene to the stage and the rest of the girls take family history pics
Crossing the Delaware (stage)
Main actors - (primary room with Alli Walker)
7:25-7:35 - put on costumes
7:35-8:30 - run through the play twice
8:35-8:50 - Short meeting with Bishop, Amanda, Sam, Aaron, Kayla, Sarah, Audrey and Cynthia
We had only three practices left and I was a little nervous. The finale was coming together and I liked how it looked but I was still trying to figure out how we were going to project the pictures onto the screen we were supposed to have on the stage. The pictures were going to be pictures that Karen took of her and James' adventures through time intermixed with pictures of all the kids doing family history work. I knew it might be tricky but I was still hoping we could figure out how to do it. We took a lot of pictures of the kids doing family history this night but we did not have time to take pictures of all the kids. This night was a little crazier than the rest because we were trying to do the pictures as well as practice and it was too much.
All the kids practiced in their smaller groups and then we came together and I told them the plan was for them to get their costumes on and run through the play twice. I had allotted 10 minutes for them to get changed. It took them at least 20 minutes. It was a bit frustrating but we finally got them all together, in costume and started the play. This was the first time they had ever had to change costumes so we were trying to figure out the best way to do that and if there was even time for every costume change. Each of the kids had at least one costume change and some of them had two or three. It kept everyone on their toes as the adults were the ones helping backstage to make sure everyone got the right costume on for the scene that was coming up, plus they were keeping track of all the props (and we had a lot of them!). We got through the play twice and by the end of the night, I think everyone had a much better idea of where to be and where their costumes and props needed to be. We once again went a little long as the getting dressed in their costumes took so long! I told them to come in their costumes for the next practice!
We ended the night again with yummy treats!
March 7 Road Show Practice
This was our one Saturday practice and the only practice we had at the other facility. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday in the Northwest and although most of us would have rather been enjoying the great outdoors, we would be performing one week from tonight and so we had to press forward. The first half hour was spent getting everyone in costume (a few did not come wearing their costume) and practicing the finale while we waited for the stage to be available. We also spent the first half hour figuring out where to put all the sets, props and costumes changes as the off stage area was entirely different than the other stage.
We ran through the play at least three times that day. The first time we were mostly figuring out where to be on the stage and the best way to get ourselves, the sets and the props on and off the stage. We were also figuring out the lights as they were configured differently on this stage. It took a bit of time but the kids were really beginning to get their cues and where they needed to be on the stage and what they had to do to get to their next spots. It was still a bit choppy and it took us awhile to get through it that first time. We practiced the play two more times (it might have been three, I just can't remember) and it got better each time and faster. There were only a few things we tweaked that day.
We ended the night with pizza, drinks, chips, cookies and licorice. Is there any better way to end a night when you are a teenager? I went home exhausted but happy!
It was after this rehearsal that I gave up the idea of projecting pictures of the kids doing family history work interspersed with pictures that Karen took of their adventures. It was just too much but I would have loved to make it work. Perhaps the next time I do this play!
Week 6
March 11 Rehearsal Schedule
6:30 - 6:35 Opening Exercises
6:35 - 6:45 Prepare for first run through (review entering and exiting strategy)
6:45 - 7:05 First run through
Change into first costumes.
7:15 - 7:35 Second run through
Change into first costumes.
7:45 - 8:15 Third run through
Change into first costumes.
8:15 - 8:35 Fourth run through
We started the night by explaining all the information listed below. It detailed who was going to be responsible for which sets, props and costumes and in what order they would all be coming onto the stage. All this information had been emailed to the adults so this was just a reminder for them but it was new information for the kids.
Everyone had to enter the stage from the right side and exit from the left. It was quite the feat to get everyone where they needed to be and it all had to happen in less than one minute and forty five seconds. We learned in that first run through that the girls needed more time to put their second costumes down and get in position for the opening number so we switched them to come onto the stage right after the TARDIS. The first two run throughs we took everything on and off the stage. On the third run through, I had them leave the TARDIS but everything else was taken off the stage. We tweaked a few things that night but mostly it was about doing everything right over and over so when they had to perform that weekend, they would be ready. By the fourth run through of the play, I knew they had it. (They had too, practice was over!)
We ended our last road show practice with yummy treats!
Entering and Exiting the stage information
Entering the stage information
• Nothing will be on stage. Everyone and everything will come on stage left. Curtains will be closed.
• Kayla, Amanda and Trish will have the girls second costumes (Did you want these all in trash bags? If so, you should do that during the first ten minutes of practice.) and the water and icebergs and take them to the right side of the stage. When we do this at the Mill Creek building, we will set the costumes out before we even get on stage.
• Sarah will have the suffragette signs and put them where they need to be.
• Bishop, Brian, Brendan, Howie and Sam(not sure if Sam has the time with the lights?) will be carrying and assembling the TARDIS. You will have 1:45 to set it up and then the curtain will open but the TARDIS will still be behind the screen so you can finish the wiring and such with the curtain open and the girls dancing.
• Trevor and Aaron will be in charge of swords, tricorn hats and the chalkboard.
• Dale and Ethan will bring on the screen and set it up.
• Cynthia will bring the 5 chairs on stage.
• Jason will bring the boat on stage.
• Zach H. will bring on the three oars.
• Boys will have their second costumes and put them in the room to the left of the stage. When we do this at the Mill Creek building, we will set them up before we even get on stage.
• Zak T. will bring on the Family History poster and attach it to the chalkboard with Sister L's help.
• Connor and Grant will bring on the jukebox.
• The girls should all have their blankets and get on the stage and in position as quickly as possible.
• Brandon should have the sonic screwdriver in his pocket.
• Cynthia will open the curtain. Alli will start the music when the curtain is almost all the way open.
• Julie and Hyrum will be manning the spotlight
Order of entry onto the stage:
1. TARDIS crew
2. Screen
3. Jukebox
4. Chalkboard
5. Boat
6. Chairs
7. Oars, swords, tricorn hats, suffragette signs, family history signs
8. Girls and their blankets
9. Boys and their costumes (They might be able to sneak in to the side room and put their stuff down if the ward in front of us isn't using that room.)
10. Kayla, Amanda and Trish will go on stage right after the other ward is completely off the stage with the girls second costumes.
Removed from the stage during the play:
• Abbie and Gretchen take off the boat. Set it against the wall across from the stairs.
• Samantha takes off the three oars. Set them against the wall across from the stairs.
• Blankets should be taken off the stage when the girls go to get in line in the back of the gym. They should be dropped to the left in the hallway.
• Boys swords should be carried off the stage by the boys and put to the left in the hallway.
Curtains close
Everything goes off stage right
• Kayla, Trish, Gretchen and Hannah will remove the girls first costumes and the water and icebergs and take them off the stage and hand them to the kids waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
• Sarah will take the suffragette signs off.
• Bishop, Brian, Brendan, Howie and Sam will remove the TARDIS. I would like to begin doing this during the closing song. If possible, get all the wiring removed by the end of the song and then when the curtains close, pull it apart.
• Trevor and Aaron will take off the men's swords, the chalkboard and the family history poster. Kids should be at the bottom of the stairs to help with this.
• Dale will remove the screen.
• Cynthia will take off the boys first costume pieces - ties, white church shirts. Is there a way you can think of to keep them straight or is there time for the boys to throw them in their bags?
• Jacob and Tyler will pick up the boys Crossing the Delaware coats and tricorn hats and take them off the stage.
• Brandon and Connor will remove the jukebox.
• Brandon should have the sonic screwdriver in his pocket.
• Sadie and Jenny will take off the 5 chairs.
• Everything should be off the stage. The kids should be on the stage right side at the bottom of the stairs and Amanda will be there to hand them things to take back to our assigned room.
March 13 - Dress Rehearsal
Dress rehearsal was the day all of the youth who were performing in the various road shows got to watch each other perform their shows. The shows were to begin at 6:00 so we had everyone arrive at 5:00. They were all supposed to be in their costumes and ready to go. We got the props and sets arranged and everyone got their stage make-up on. I did not make any of the boys wear any make-up but they were more than welcome to do so. They all chose not to wear any make-up which was perfectly fine with me. We ran through the entire play one last time in our "green" room and then had everyone come in for a Eastmont Road Show cheer. Since we were the last ones to perform that night, we had the opportunity to watch each of the shows before ours was performed. I think that was really beneficial as they saw all their friends up there hamming it up and having fun so when it was our turn, they did an amazing job. Of course, it also helped that there was an audience. There was a lot of acting and exaggeration that I had tried to get from them before that they now did.
The kids also said to me, "I understand why you keep telling us to be louder". Yes, it's really hard to understand what's happening in a show if you can't hear what they are saying. They did an amazing job! Now, we just had to do it all over again tomorrow!
March 14 - Final Performances
We had two performances that night at two different locations. Our first location we were the fourth show to perform. The kids got there early and got make-up on and while we waited for our turn to perform, we practiced the show one last time. The kids were still wanting to add things to the performance. At one point, the main character girl, Karen, is scared by a screaming Indian with a big axe. They thought it would be fun if she jumped into the arms of her brother. It sounded like a great idea. I told them to practice and then show me what it looked like and then we would decide if we could add it. They did a great job so we added it. We also made sure everyone knew whose car they were supposed to be in to get them to the next performance. We all came in for a big Eastmont Roadshow cheer and headed out to wait in the hall.
The only glitch we had with that first show was that the sound did not work for the first thirty seconds or so. We followed a group that had used electric guitars. They had turned off the microphones on the stage and forgot to turn them back on. They figured out the glitch and turned them on shortly after the girls started singing. It was so much fun to see all the work coming to fruition. I got to watch the show from the front because everyone knew where they needed to be. It was fun and exciting and exhilarating. The kids looked like they were having a good time too!
As soon as it was over, we met back in our "green" room. The kids all went with the adults they had been assigned to and the sets and props were all loaded up and we left. We were out of there in less than 10 minutes which was good since the next group was already there waiting to get in the green room.
By the time we got over to the next performance location, we only had about fifteen minutes until our last performance. There were a lot of excited voices when I walked into our "green" room. The kids had had a blast performing and they were excited for our last performance. We made sure everyone had their costumes and props and came in for a big Eastmont Roadshow cheer before we went and stood in the hall to wait for the show in front of us to end. Once they were all on the stage, I went and watched it from the audience. It was amazing.
There was one surprise. Dr. Who changed two of the words and got a big laugh from the audience. He had wanted to say Grandmummy and Grandpoppers instead of Grandmother and Grandfather and I had emphatically told him no but I'm glad he did it. Everyone loved it and I have since gone in and changed the script to reflect the new words. The play was always changing.
We won five different awards. We won awards for Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Screenplay, Outstanding Props, Outstanding Costumes and Outstanding Overall Show. The boys all thought the awards were nice but the last one we got was the one they thought mattered the most! We had a party afterwards to celebrate but our real cast party was the following Wednesday. We watched a slideshow of pictures taken during the practices, watched a "making of" video that Roadshow Ralphy put together for us. He pretty much had his video camera running for the six weeks we were practicing. We finished out the night watching one of the performances of our road show. And then it was over.
And I am so lucky to have been a part of it.
A very special thank-you to my husband who gave advice, watched the kids, dealt with a stressful wife, ate frozen food and was the best cheerleader I could have asked for. I couldn't have done the roadshow without all the adult help so another special thank-you to my two wonderful assistants, Roadshow Rhonda (married to Roadshow Ralphy) and Roadshow Rhoda who were such a support and help with everything, our music and dance coordinators, our YM and YW Presidents, the countless youth leaders and parents who helped out and especially to the youth of the Eastmont Ward who not only went along on this adventure but embraced it and made it as wonderful as it was. I had a blast and can't wait to help with another one!
A tale of two scripts...
Below are the two different scripts I wrote. The first one was my first attempt and the one I totally fell in love with and worked tirelessly on for four days before I quickly wrote the second one in a matter of hours. I had the adults involved in the play, read both plays and then we voted on which one they would like to see the youth perform. It was a tie. I was surprised and was also left to make the decision. It was a little like picking which of your children you like the best. It's not possible. It was about 3:00 the afternoon of the first practice before I was sure which play we were going to do. We went with the second one and I know it was the right one for us but I was still doubting myself most of that first week!
You'll see a lot of the same elements in the second script because I already had people working on the musical numbers from the first script. I needed to use those same songs and music so I wrote a script that did just that! Enjoy!
I wrote and directed our ward's road show and it all started with a fifteen year old boy.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
My fifteen year old son came and plopped down on my bed Sunday morning after returning from BYC (a youth meeting to discuss what activities the youth will be doing).
"We have to do road shows. I don't want to do road shows. It's going to be sooooo boring," he said.
"I know it will be soooooo much fun," I replied in my most upbeat voice. I had heard road shows were coming and I knew I had to be positive for him.
Besides, I had absolutely loved doing road shows when I was a kid.
Groan from the kid. "I don't want to do it. It's going to be sooooo dumb. The theme is "Meet the Mormons" and what are we going to do with that. There were no good ideas today. I don't want to do the road show."
I started wishing there was something I could do.
"Well, it won't be that bad," I reply.
"It's going to take the next six weeks of activities. I don't want to do it."
I'm thinking, I don't want to hear about how bad the road show is for six more weeks. I really have to do something but what. I'm not in the YW program and no one has asked for volunteers so what can I do. My brain started percolating (a dangerous past time I know - name that movie).
"Well, it's going to be fine, kiddo. Let's just wait and see," I said.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
And I did wait. I waited two whole days while my brain percolated. I hemmed and hawed and then I realized I had to get involved. I emailed the Bishop (ecclesiastical leader for our church's congregation) at 10:30pm Tuesday night and volunteered to write the road show. I'm not sure what I was thinking at the time. I'm not sure my husband knew what I was thinking but he gave me his full support.
I had no real experience writing scripts. I had never directed a road show . It had been over twenty years since I had last been in a road show and eight years since I'd last seen a road show. BUT, I had such fond memories of doing road shows that I wanted that for my kids plus, I'd have no one but myself to blame if I didn't get involved.
Bishop emailed me back twenty minutes later but I didn't check my email again until almost midnight. I was afraid of what he might say. I never expected his email to be quite like this.
Email from Bishop:
Can you please take your temperature now? Also, can you have Brian check to make sure you are not delirious. :) Either you are not feeling well or you are ready to get translated….
We would love your help...
And that's how it all began.
We had one week to get a script together, figure out the songs and words, do the choreography and get the right people helping. I read these two article that made all the difference in helping me figure out what to do and how to write a road show script. I would strongly recommend them if you are planning a road show of your own.
"Road Show -- How to Write a Winner"
https://www.lds.org/new-era/1983/08/road-show-how-to-write-a-winner?lang=eng
"Let's Get This Show on the Road"
http://www.sugardoodle.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2561
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Wednesday we got all the youth who were interested in contributing to the script together for a brainstorming session. They threw out all kinds of wonderful, crazy, hilarious and funny ideas of things to put in a story but had no real story ideas. It was a new concept for them. I told them a couple of ideas for stories I had and they seemed to like them all. We brainstormed some more so they could give me ideas that might fit into these storylines. We also brainstormed songs. The only thing I vetoed in the brainstorming session was Frozen songs. I told them I thought they would be used by other groups so we were going to avoid them. (Someone did end up using one of the songs from Frozen.)
Here's the list of brainstorming ideas the kids had:
Intro, scenes 1-3 and Conclusion
Opposites
Spoof on some scripture story or movie, can't use mirrors,
Dream
Mom naming children scripture names
Myths: horns and tales,
All mormon scrap book
Jello
Vegetables
Lots of kids
Canning
Office style vignettes
No gaming, talented,
Dr. Who meets the Mormons
Girl getting picked up for a date
A day in the life of a Mormon
Couldn't go to the activity because it was Sunday
Teen dance
Date scene
Come meet the Mormon Youth
Parents tell things, go back in time, and verify their stories,
True life enactments
Scouts
Seminary
Youth Dances
EFY
cows - crush or the week
Pioneer Day
JS gets the plates
2000 striping warriors
Seagulls
Samuel the Lamanite
Ammon
Songs
Wicked
76 Trombones
let it go
It's a hard knock life
For the first time in
Cotton eyed joe
We like the party
Macarena
The bunny hop
YMCA
As I was leaving, Bishop asked me if I would be willing to direct the road show since I was going to write it and seemed to have a vision of what was going to happen.
I said, "Yes, of course I would," without really considering what that entailed and without consulting my husband, but it was a blissful moment. This was going to be fun!
And it was a fun night, until I had to go home and actually start writing the road show. I had one week to come up with a working script. I knew it didn't have to be perfect. We could change words here and there but we had to have the basic script written and that was a daunting task.
I started Wednesday night and wrote until I came up with a script by late Friday night. I emailed the script to the Bishop on Saturday. By Sunday night I had people working on three of the musical numbers by coming up with words and choreography.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Things were going swimmingly until the Bishop finally read the script. He emailed me a list of "ideas" that I might add and he called me at lunchtime. He expressed his concerns that it didn't seem to follow the format I had talked about at the brainstorming session of presenting a problem, showing some conflict and then a clear resolution of the conflict. I thought it most certainly did but if I had to explain how it did, than it must not. I let that information stew for a bit. I tried working on the script I had. We were due to meet with all the adult leaders that night to assign them all different support roles in the road show and Wednesday we had our first practice with the youth scheduled. What was I going to do? I did the only thing I could do. I wrote a new script. Since I already had people working on musical numbers and choreography, I used all of the previous songs and many of the scenes from my previous script to write the new script. I wrote the second script in about two hours. The kids fended for themselves that afternoon. They did a good job letting me write. It helped that I had a lot of the elements already fleshed out when I started the second script.
That night, I took both scripts to the meeting with the adult leaders and told them I had two scripts and I needed their help to figure out which one to pick. We read through both of them and then I had each leader vote on which one they wanted to do. It turned out it was a dead tie. Absolutely no help. I had no idea which one to pick. It was a little like picking between your children and I didn't want to do that. I also did not want to take both scripts to the kids and have them read them and pick because I was worried I would hear all along how some of them wished we were doing the other script. I had to choose.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
It was late afternoon before I knew which script I was going to choose. It turned out to be the second script. The one I'd written in a couple of hours. I surprised myself. I was more attached to the first script because I had spent more time thinking about it and envisioning it than the second script but the second script felt right. I quickly typed up a list of characters for that script since we would be casting the road show that night. At 7:00, I had the scripts hot off the presses (they were literally still warm from the copy machine) and in the hands of the leaders. The adult leaders read through it for the youth for the first read. It was thrilling, but there was still that nagging bit of doubt in me wondering if I had picked the right script.
After the read through, we split up into two groups so they could start practicing their first numbers. I took groups of four and had them come read for me. We needed to cast the show. This turned out to be just as hard as writing the script. There were so many options that it was hard to pick anyone. I had thought I would be sending scripts home with the kids that night so they could start memorizing their lines but instead, I told them I would call and let them know what part they got. What ended up happening was I didn't tell anyone until the next Wednesday what part they had. It was just too hard to decide. I needed the whole week to figure it out. The great thing is, everyone did an excellent job with the parts they were given! I love it when a plan comes together! (Name that TV show.)
You can check out the Road Show Rehearsal Schedule here if you're interested in how we spent our time. I came up with this schedule on Monday or Tuesday of the first week and it stayed essentially the same. We did end up meeting from 6:30 - 8:30 every Wednesday instead of 7 - 8:30 so we had more time to practice.
Weeks 2 - 6
We had six weeks to practice the road show, seven scheduled practices. All tallied, we spent 14 hours practicing all together. That equates to about one hour of practice for every minute of the road show. Of course, we had other unscheduled practices with different small groups but only 7 practices that everyone was asked to attend.
Week 2
Feb. 11 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life (Stage) and
Seize the Day(Multi-purpose room) - 25 minutes
Split up into groups - 30 minutes
50's dance -multi-purpose room (Rowes, Siscos)
Suffragettes - Primary room (Cynthia, Sarah)
Crossing the Delaware - Overflow (Tricia, Brian, Sam)
Main actors - stage (Frances)
Costumes (Kayla, Amanda)
Props (Aaron, Brendan, Bishop)
Nursery (Andrea, Taryn)
First Run through of the play - 30 minutes
We ran through the entire play the second practice. Each of the different numbers or scenes had practiced at least once but we had never practiced the finale. It took us at least half an hour to get through that first run through of the play. It was mostly about showing everyone where to be and giving them a vision of the entire play. It was exhausting but fun. The "It's a Hard Knock Life" seminary song and dance was the most put together at this point but you could see the rest of the road show coming together too. It was after this practice that we changed the starting time to 6:30. We just needed more time for everyone to practice.
Every week, yummy treats were provided for the youth by different members of the ward/church. Everyone loves a treat!
Week 3
Feb 18 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
*All props the kids are dancing with should be at this rehearsal and all future rehearsals.
6:35 - We're all in this together - 30 minutes
7:05 - Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day - 25 minutes
7:30 - Split up into groups - 25 minutes
50's dance (stage) - Rowes, Siscos, Collinwoods
Suffragettes (overflow) - Cynthia and Sarah
Crossing the Delaware (multi-purpose room) - Tricia, Julie and Bishop
Main actors - (primary room) - Andrea and Alli
Props - (gym) - Aaron and Brendan
Costumes - (gym) - Kayla and Amanda
Lights/Music/Sound- (gym) - Sam, Dion, Peter
7:55 - Run through the play twice- 30 minutes
8:40 - Short meeting with Tricia, Cynthia, Amanda, Kayla (costumes), Aaron(sets), Sam(lighting and sound) and Bishop(overseer extraordinaire) to review what has been done and what needs to be done before next week.
This was our first practice that started at 6:30. I invited the kids to show up early and play basketball from 6:00 until 6:30. This meant that almost everyone was there and ready to go at 6:30. I knew it would be hard for some of the leaders to get here this early due to work and family schedules so I planned to start practicing the finale at the beginning. It needed the least amount of leader support. We gave the kids the words to the song and told them the basic idea of the dance. The kids would sneak into the back of the gym and stand quietly and wait until the end when everyone would say the last word of the play "Together" all together and then the music would start up. The kids would come down the center aisle with a partner and right at the front, they would switch sides and go down in front of the audience chairs and stop. We had a lot of collisions that first day. Crossing, one in front of another, is a lot harder than you might think. We ran through the entire finale that day but only worked on about half of the dance moves. It was a good start.
After the finale, we split up into groups and worked on the different scenes. Everyone had a place to be and something to be doing. The leaders and girls made the Suffragette signs and started on their "Votes for Women" sashes. We ended up changing the sashes from the ones they started that day but that's how a lot of things went. If we realized it wasn't working the way we had thought it might, we revised it and did it so it was working out right.
We were supposed to get through the entire road show twice but we only got through it once before we ran out of time. We once again had some marvelous treats and the youth went home happy.
Week 4
Feb 25
6:30 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
6:35 - We're all in this together - 25 minutes - all adults should be helping with props and costumes in the gym
7:00 - Split up into groups - 25 minutes
50's dance (stage) - Trevor, Audrey 7:00 - 7:10 - stage
Crossing the Delaware (multi-purpose room) - Tricia, Brian and Bishop 7:10 - 7:20 practice on the stage
Suffragettes (overflow) - Cynthia and Sarah (those who are water and icebergs on stage from 7:10 - 7:20)
Main actors - (primary room) - Alli
Props - (gym) - Aaron, Brendan and Howie - What do we still need to make and get?
Costumes - (gym) - Kayla, Amanda and Andrea
Lights/Music/Sound- (gym) - Sam, Julie, Peter, Taryn
7:20 - Work on It's a Hard Knock Life (stage 7:20 - 7:30)
and Seize the Day (overflow then stage 7:30 - 7:40)
7:45 - Run through the play twice- 45 minutes
8:40 - Short meeting with Kayla (costumes), Aaron(sets), Sam(lighting and sound) and Bishop(overseer extraordinaire)
We once again started with basketball from 6-6:30. It helped get most of the kids there on time. This time, when we worked on the finale, we had all the kids sit down and practice the song until they pretty much knew the words and then we added the dance. This was a much better way to do it. I would definitely recommend learning the words and music before you teach the dance. Live and learn! They learned the basics of the finale by the end of the night and there were only a few collisions as we tried to have them crossover in the front.
All of the smaller groups met and most had an opportunity to practice on the stage that night. Some were definitely still struggling to figure out what to do and where to be. This night, we did manage to get through the play twice but we went overtime but I think it was worth it. (My apologies to all the parents who were waiting!) It was amazing how much better the second run through of the play was but it was a long way from fabulous yet.
We ended the night with yummy treats!
Week 5
Mar. 4 - Rehearsal Schedule
*Everyone should have costumes and props for this day.
Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
6:35 - 6:50 - Practice singing We're all in this together
6:50 7:05 - Practice singing and dancing We're all in this together
7:05-7:15 - It's a Hard Knock Life (overflow)
Seize the Day (stage)
7:15 - 7:25 - Split up into groups -
50's dance - girls take family history pics
Suffragettes - (overflow) - run through twice and then send girls who are in Crossing the Delaware scene to the stage and the rest of the girls take family history pics
Crossing the Delaware (stage)
Main actors - (primary room with Alli Walker)
7:25-7:35 - put on costumes
7:35-8:30 - run through the play twice
8:35-8:50 - Short meeting with Bishop, Amanda, Sam, Aaron, Kayla, Sarah, Audrey and Cynthia
We had only three practices left and I was a little nervous. The finale was coming together and I liked how it looked but I was still trying to figure out how we were going to project the pictures onto the screen we were supposed to have on the stage. The pictures were going to be pictures that Karen took of her and James' adventures through time intermixed with pictures of all the kids doing family history work. I knew it might be tricky but I was still hoping we could figure out how to do it. We took a lot of pictures of the kids doing family history this night but we did not have time to take pictures of all the kids. This night was a little crazier than the rest because we were trying to do the pictures as well as practice and it was too much.
All the kids practiced in their smaller groups and then we came together and I told them the plan was for them to get their costumes on and run through the play twice. I had allotted 10 minutes for them to get changed. It took them at least 20 minutes. It was a bit frustrating but we finally got them all together, in costume and started the play. This was the first time they had ever had to change costumes so we were trying to figure out the best way to do that and if there was even time for every costume change. Each of the kids had at least one costume change and some of them had two or three. It kept everyone on their toes as the adults were the ones helping backstage to make sure everyone got the right costume on for the scene that was coming up, plus they were keeping track of all the props (and we had a lot of them!). We got through the play twice and by the end of the night, I think everyone had a much better idea of where to be and where their costumes and props needed to be. We once again went a little long as the getting dressed in their costumes took so long! I told them to come in their costumes for the next practice!
We ended the night again with yummy treats!
March 7 Road Show Practice
This was our one Saturday practice and the only practice we had at the other facility. It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday in the Northwest and although most of us would have rather been enjoying the great outdoors, we would be performing one week from tonight and so we had to press forward. The first half hour was spent getting everyone in costume (a few did not come wearing their costume) and practicing the finale while we waited for the stage to be available. We also spent the first half hour figuring out where to put all the sets, props and costumes changes as the off stage area was entirely different than the other stage.
We ran through the play at least three times that day. The first time we were mostly figuring out where to be on the stage and the best way to get ourselves, the sets and the props on and off the stage. We were also figuring out the lights as they were configured differently on this stage. It took a bit of time but the kids were really beginning to get their cues and where they needed to be on the stage and what they had to do to get to their next spots. It was still a bit choppy and it took us awhile to get through it that first time. We practiced the play two more times (it might have been three, I just can't remember) and it got better each time and faster. There were only a few things we tweaked that day.
We ended the night with pizza, drinks, chips, cookies and licorice. Is there any better way to end a night when you are a teenager? I went home exhausted but happy!
It was after this rehearsal that I gave up the idea of projecting pictures of the kids doing family history work interspersed with pictures that Karen took of their adventures. It was just too much but I would have loved to make it work. Perhaps the next time I do this play!
Week 6
March 11 Rehearsal Schedule
6:30 - 6:35 Opening Exercises
6:35 - 6:45 Prepare for first run through (review entering and exiting strategy)
6:45 - 7:05 First run through
Change into first costumes.
7:15 - 7:35 Second run through
Change into first costumes.
7:45 - 8:15 Third run through
Change into first costumes.
8:15 - 8:35 Fourth run through
We started the night by explaining all the information listed below. It detailed who was going to be responsible for which sets, props and costumes and in what order they would all be coming onto the stage. All this information had been emailed to the adults so this was just a reminder for them but it was new information for the kids.
Everyone had to enter the stage from the right side and exit from the left. It was quite the feat to get everyone where they needed to be and it all had to happen in less than one minute and forty five seconds. We learned in that first run through that the girls needed more time to put their second costumes down and get in position for the opening number so we switched them to come onto the stage right after the TARDIS. The first two run throughs we took everything on and off the stage. On the third run through, I had them leave the TARDIS but everything else was taken off the stage. We tweaked a few things that night but mostly it was about doing everything right over and over so when they had to perform that weekend, they would be ready. By the fourth run through of the play, I knew they had it. (They had too, practice was over!)
We ended our last road show practice with yummy treats!
Entering and Exiting the stage information
Entering the stage information
• Nothing will be on stage. Everyone and everything will come on stage left. Curtains will be closed.
• Kayla, Amanda and Trish will have the girls second costumes (Did you want these all in trash bags? If so, you should do that during the first ten minutes of practice.) and the water and icebergs and take them to the right side of the stage. When we do this at the Mill Creek building, we will set the costumes out before we even get on stage.
• Sarah will have the suffragette signs and put them where they need to be.
• Bishop, Brian, Brendan, Howie and Sam(not sure if Sam has the time with the lights?) will be carrying and assembling the TARDIS. You will have 1:45 to set it up and then the curtain will open but the TARDIS will still be behind the screen so you can finish the wiring and such with the curtain open and the girls dancing.
• Trevor and Aaron will be in charge of swords, tricorn hats and the chalkboard.
• Dale and Ethan will bring on the screen and set it up.
• Cynthia will bring the 5 chairs on stage.
• Jason will bring the boat on stage.
• Zach H. will bring on the three oars.
• Boys will have their second costumes and put them in the room to the left of the stage. When we do this at the Mill Creek building, we will set them up before we even get on stage.
• Zak T. will bring on the Family History poster and attach it to the chalkboard with Sister L's help.
• Connor and Grant will bring on the jukebox.
• The girls should all have their blankets and get on the stage and in position as quickly as possible.
• Brandon should have the sonic screwdriver in his pocket.
• Cynthia will open the curtain. Alli will start the music when the curtain is almost all the way open.
• Julie and Hyrum will be manning the spotlight
Order of entry onto the stage:
1. TARDIS crew
2. Screen
3. Jukebox
4. Chalkboard
5. Boat
6. Chairs
7. Oars, swords, tricorn hats, suffragette signs, family history signs
8. Girls and their blankets
9. Boys and their costumes (They might be able to sneak in to the side room and put their stuff down if the ward in front of us isn't using that room.)
10. Kayla, Amanda and Trish will go on stage right after the other ward is completely off the stage with the girls second costumes.
Removed from the stage during the play:
• Abbie and Gretchen take off the boat. Set it against the wall across from the stairs.
• Samantha takes off the three oars. Set them against the wall across from the stairs.
• Blankets should be taken off the stage when the girls go to get in line in the back of the gym. They should be dropped to the left in the hallway.
• Boys swords should be carried off the stage by the boys and put to the left in the hallway.
Curtains close
Everything goes off stage right
• Kayla, Trish, Gretchen and Hannah will remove the girls first costumes and the water and icebergs and take them off the stage and hand them to the kids waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
• Sarah will take the suffragette signs off.
• Bishop, Brian, Brendan, Howie and Sam will remove the TARDIS. I would like to begin doing this during the closing song. If possible, get all the wiring removed by the end of the song and then when the curtains close, pull it apart.
• Trevor and Aaron will take off the men's swords, the chalkboard and the family history poster. Kids should be at the bottom of the stairs to help with this.
• Dale will remove the screen.
• Cynthia will take off the boys first costume pieces - ties, white church shirts. Is there a way you can think of to keep them straight or is there time for the boys to throw them in their bags?
• Jacob and Tyler will pick up the boys Crossing the Delaware coats and tricorn hats and take them off the stage.
• Brandon and Connor will remove the jukebox.
• Brandon should have the sonic screwdriver in his pocket.
• Sadie and Jenny will take off the 5 chairs.
• Everything should be off the stage. The kids should be on the stage right side at the bottom of the stairs and Amanda will be there to hand them things to take back to our assigned room.
March 13 - Dress Rehearsal
Dress rehearsal was the day all of the youth who were performing in the various road shows got to watch each other perform their shows. The shows were to begin at 6:00 so we had everyone arrive at 5:00. They were all supposed to be in their costumes and ready to go. We got the props and sets arranged and everyone got their stage make-up on. I did not make any of the boys wear any make-up but they were more than welcome to do so. They all chose not to wear any make-up which was perfectly fine with me. We ran through the entire play one last time in our "green" room and then had everyone come in for a Eastmont Road Show cheer. Since we were the last ones to perform that night, we had the opportunity to watch each of the shows before ours was performed. I think that was really beneficial as they saw all their friends up there hamming it up and having fun so when it was our turn, they did an amazing job. Of course, it also helped that there was an audience. There was a lot of acting and exaggeration that I had tried to get from them before that they now did.
The kids also said to me, "I understand why you keep telling us to be louder". Yes, it's really hard to understand what's happening in a show if you can't hear what they are saying. They did an amazing job! Now, we just had to do it all over again tomorrow!
March 14 - Final Performances
We had two performances that night at two different locations. Our first location we were the fourth show to perform. The kids got there early and got make-up on and while we waited for our turn to perform, we practiced the show one last time. The kids were still wanting to add things to the performance. At one point, the main character girl, Karen, is scared by a screaming Indian with a big axe. They thought it would be fun if she jumped into the arms of her brother. It sounded like a great idea. I told them to practice and then show me what it looked like and then we would decide if we could add it. They did a great job so we added it. We also made sure everyone knew whose car they were supposed to be in to get them to the next performance. We all came in for a big Eastmont Roadshow cheer and headed out to wait in the hall.
The only glitch we had with that first show was that the sound did not work for the first thirty seconds or so. We followed a group that had used electric guitars. They had turned off the microphones on the stage and forgot to turn them back on. They figured out the glitch and turned them on shortly after the girls started singing. It was so much fun to see all the work coming to fruition. I got to watch the show from the front because everyone knew where they needed to be. It was fun and exciting and exhilarating. The kids looked like they were having a good time too!
As soon as it was over, we met back in our "green" room. The kids all went with the adults they had been assigned to and the sets and props were all loaded up and we left. We were out of there in less than 10 minutes which was good since the next group was already there waiting to get in the green room.
By the time we got over to the next performance location, we only had about fifteen minutes until our last performance. There were a lot of excited voices when I walked into our "green" room. The kids had had a blast performing and they were excited for our last performance. We made sure everyone had their costumes and props and came in for a big Eastmont Roadshow cheer before we went and stood in the hall to wait for the show in front of us to end. Once they were all on the stage, I went and watched it from the audience. It was amazing.
There was one surprise. Dr. Who changed two of the words and got a big laugh from the audience. He had wanted to say Grandmummy and Grandpoppers instead of Grandmother and Grandfather and I had emphatically told him no but I'm glad he did it. Everyone loved it and I have since gone in and changed the script to reflect the new words. The play was always changing.
We won five different awards. We won awards for Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Screenplay, Outstanding Props, Outstanding Costumes and Outstanding Overall Show. The boys all thought the awards were nice but the last one we got was the one they thought mattered the most! We had a party afterwards to celebrate but our real cast party was the following Wednesday. We watched a slideshow of pictures taken during the practices, watched a "making of" video that Roadshow Ralphy put together for us. He pretty much had his video camera running for the six weeks we were practicing. We finished out the night watching one of the performances of our road show. And then it was over.
And I am so lucky to have been a part of it.
A very special thank-you to my husband who gave advice, watched the kids, dealt with a stressful wife, ate frozen food and was the best cheerleader I could have asked for. I couldn't have done the roadshow without all the adult help so another special thank-you to my two wonderful assistants, Roadshow Rhonda (married to Roadshow Ralphy) and Roadshow Rhoda who were such a support and help with everything, our music and dance coordinators, our YM and YW Presidents, the countless youth leaders and parents who helped out and especially to the youth of the Eastmont Ward who not only went along on this adventure but embraced it and made it as wonderful as it was. I had a blast and can't wait to help with another one!
A tale of two scripts...
Below are the two different scripts I wrote. The first one was my first attempt and the one I totally fell in love with and worked tirelessly on for four days before I quickly wrote the second one in a matter of hours. I had the adults involved in the play, read both plays and then we voted on which one they would like to see the youth perform. It was a tie. I was surprised and was also left to make the decision. It was a little like picking which of your children you like the best. It's not possible. It was about 3:00 the afternoon of the first practice before I was sure which play we were going to do. We went with the second one and I know it was the right one for us but I was still doubting myself most of that first week!
You'll see a lot of the same elements in the second script because I already had people working on the musical numbers from the first script. I needed to use those same songs and music so I wrote a script that did just that! Enjoy!
