Anatomy of a Road Show - 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
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.)
A special thank you to my writing group the 6 Chicks and my sisters, Karen and Melissa and my mom, Susan, for helping with constructive feedback and some good lines. The script could never have made it out of my laptop and onto the stage without you!
Here's the Road Show Rehearsal Schedule. I came up with this schedule on Monday or Tuesday of this week. It stayed essentially the same. After the first two weeks, we did end up meeting from 6:30 - 8:30 every Wednesday instead of 7 - 8:30 so we had more time to practice.
Roadshow Rehearsal Schedule
Feb. 4 - Read through script with leaders.
Do try-outs and assign parts.
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day lyrics and choreography.
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)
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
Feb 18 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
*All props the kids are dancing with should be at this rehearsal and all future rehearsals.
We're all in this together - 30 minutes
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day - 25 minutes
Split up into groups - 20 minutes
50's dance (stage) - Rowes and Siscos
Suffragettes (overflow) - Cynthia and Sarah
Crossing the Delaware (multi-purpose room) - Julie and Bishop
Main actors - (primary room)
Run through the play twice- 30 minutes
Feb. 25 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
We're all in this together - 20 minutes
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day - 20 minutes
Split up into groups - 50's dance, Suffragettes, Crossing the Delaware, Main actors - 20 minutes
Run through the play twice- 30 minutes
Mar. 4 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
*Everyone should have costumes and props for this day.
We're all in this together - 20 minutes
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day - 20 minutes
Split up into groups - 50's dance, Suffragettes, Crossing the Delaware, Main actors - 20 minutes
Run through the play twice- 30 minutes
Mar. 7 - Practice at the Mill Creek Building 3-5pm
Mar. 11 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
Dress rehearsal - Run through the play
Mar. 13 - Dress rehearsal in front of everyone.
Mar. 14 - Performance
Mar. 14 - Cast Party 10:00 -11:00 at Barker's home - Watch taping of the show and the making of the show.
Check back tomorrow to read more of what happened in rehearsals and how our roadshow came together. At the end of the week, I will post both scripts and a video of our roadshow. Thanks for reading!
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
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.)
A special thank you to my writing group the 6 Chicks and my sisters, Karen and Melissa and my mom, Susan, for helping with constructive feedback and some good lines. The script could never have made it out of my laptop and onto the stage without you!
Here's the Road Show Rehearsal Schedule. I came up with this schedule on Monday or Tuesday of this week. It stayed essentially the same. After the first two weeks, we did end up meeting from 6:30 - 8:30 every Wednesday instead of 7 - 8:30 so we had more time to practice.
Roadshow Rehearsal Schedule
Feb. 4 - Read through script with leaders.
Do try-outs and assign parts.
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day lyrics and choreography.
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)
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
Feb 18 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
*All props the kids are dancing with should be at this rehearsal and all future rehearsals.
We're all in this together - 30 minutes
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day - 25 minutes
Split up into groups - 20 minutes
50's dance (stage) - Rowes and Siscos
Suffragettes (overflow) - Cynthia and Sarah
Crossing the Delaware (multi-purpose room) - Julie and Bishop
Main actors - (primary room)
Run through the play twice- 30 minutes
Feb. 25 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
We're all in this together - 20 minutes
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day - 20 minutes
Split up into groups - 50's dance, Suffragettes, Crossing the Delaware, Main actors - 20 minutes
Run through the play twice- 30 minutes
Mar. 4 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
*Everyone should have costumes and props for this day.
We're all in this together - 20 minutes
Work on It's a Hard Knock Life and Seize the Day - 20 minutes
Split up into groups - 50's dance, Suffragettes, Crossing the Delaware, Main actors - 20 minutes
Run through the play twice- 30 minutes
Mar. 7 - Practice at the Mill Creek Building 3-5pm
Mar. 11 - Opening Exercises - 5 minutes
Dress rehearsal - Run through the play
Mar. 13 - Dress rehearsal in front of everyone.
Mar. 14 - Performance
Mar. 14 - Cast Party 10:00 -11:00 at Barker's home - Watch taping of the show and the making of the show.
Check back tomorrow to read more of what happened in rehearsals and how our roadshow came together. At the end of the week, I will post both scripts and a video of our roadshow. Thanks for reading!
