MR Creative Studio presents
Play With Possibility:
Exploring Storytelling Structures in Musical Theatre
Have you ever asked…
How does our lived experience affect the structure of the stories we tell?
How can we embrace the power of storytelling and use it responsibly and effectively?
Who gets to record their unique perspective and worldview for generations to come?
In the words of Hamilton, “Who tells your story?”
You do.
Have you ever considered…
What if the Golden Age canon of musical theater was written by women?
What if the musical theater capital of the world developed in Nairobi instead of New York?
What if South Pacific was written by an Asian studies scholar?
What if Jack and Jill was a cautionary tale about water scarcity and climate change?
How does the story begin to change form?
How would these changes play out in storytelling? How would it affect the structure of the story? Would it change how audiences connect to these stories?
The Idea of the Course
Stories are powerful because they connect us to one another as human beings, and they have done so for all of human history.
Who gets to record their unique perspective and worldview for generations to come? You do! As writers, how do we embrace the power of storytelling and use it responsibly and effectively? How does our lived experience affect the structure of the stories we tell?
We’ll explore these questions and more in a new 8-week course, Play With Possibility: Exploring Storytelling Structures in Musical Theatre.
We’ll learn about a range of storytelling structures, some of which have been used in musical theater for decades and some of which have been used in other cultures and traditions for thousands of years and have only recently started to make their way into our art form.
Bring a project you’re already working on, bring a gem of an idea that you haven’t yet started to develop, or just bring yourself!
We’ll get hands-on experience working with several different story structure approaches, both as a group and through our individual projects. You’ll come out of the course with a clearer picture of how to use storytelling structure to most effectively and authentically tell your story, connect with your audience, and get your message to the people who need to hear it.
All right, that all sounds fun - but what will you get out of this course?
At the End of this Course…
You’ll have a deep understanding of many different structural storytelling approaches, knowing the strengths and challenges of each.
You’ll have new tools to help you when you get stuck in the writing process, so you can look at your project through a different lens and find a way forward.
And most importantly…
You will feel comfortable and confident in PLAYING with story structure and using it - not as a rigid box your story must fit into, but as a friend that can help guide your story forward.
The Details
Course Length & Time
The course will be 12 sessions over 8 weeks with most sessions being 90 minutes.
Class sessions for Spring 2023 will be from March 28th - May 18th.
Sessions take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:30pm - 9:00pm (EST). Below are all session dates:
Tuesday 3/28
Thursday 3/30
Tuesday 4/4
Tuesday 4/11
Thursday 4/13
Tuesday 4/18
Thursday 4/20
Thursday 4/27
Tuesday 5/2
Tuesday 5/9
Thursday 5/11 - Possible additional session date
Tuesday 5/16
Thursday 5/18
Sessions will be recorded for you if you cannot attend all dates.
What We Will Do Together
Together we will walk through the curriculum of the course in an open, discussion-style format. Since this course is live and synchronous, you will have the ability to ask questions, receive examples and demonstrations, and add to the discussion as we move through the foundations as a group.
There will be 6 assignments of varying types and complexity, and you will present each of them across your time in the course. These assignments are meant to bring you through the various stages of creating a structural frame for a musical, from log lines and synopses to musical sequences and script excerpts.
In each session we will have discussion and lecture-style learning, as well as hands-on practical elements to experience each structure as a group.
Throughout our time together, you will have the ability to grow as a community through the Musical Theatre Writing Collective, where you can seek answers to questions as well as support. Your class will have their own private space to connect, in addition to all of the resources, tools, opportunities, and semi-weekly labs available in the MTWC online hub!
Pricing
MTWC Members: $897 or 3 bi-weekly payments of $299
Non-Members: $997 or 4 bi-weekly payments of $250
Please note that a Writer Membership for the Musical Theatre Writing Collective is included for the duration of the course, and we will be housing materials for the course inside the online community hub in a private space.
Structural Elements We Will Cover
The Hero’s Journey
3-Act & 5-Act Structures
Song Placement
Concept Musicals
The Story Spine
Cyclical Structures
Emotional Journeys
Community-Driven Stories
Framing Devices
Other Topics We Will Cover
In addition to structural elements, we will also cover these heavily related topics:
The Influence of Non-Musical Media
Log Lines
Synopses
Finding Show Models
Outlining
Creating Script Excerpts
Musical Sequencing
About the Instructors
Michael Radi
In addition to being a musical theatre composer, lyricist, librettist, performer, musical director, vocal coach, and educator, I am a firm believer in life-long education of all varieties. Formally, I was trained in musical theatre writing through the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, which was a transformational experience at that time and provided a solid foundation for my knowledge.
My informal training, however, has been extensive and includes such experiences as having worked for Pasek and Paul, classes in text analysis, composition, orchestration, and history, practical experience writing multiple musicals and being produced, hands-on analysis as a performer, musical director, and vocal coach, as well as a continued practice of self-directed learning through books, seminars, and masterclasses.
Professionally, I’ve seen my work performed in venues across NYC including the Gershwin Theater and Feinstein’s/54 Below, as well as two world premiere productions at the Bristol Valley Theater - The King’s Legacy in 2019 and ‘S Wonderful: An Evening With George Gershwin in 2021. I’ve worked with an incredible array of artists, including such wonderful human beings as: Jackie Burns, Teal Wicks, Libby Servais, Betsy Struxness, Paul Staroba, and Jen Wineman, just to name a few.
From all of my artistic experiences, I have formed a set of beliefs that I feel helps all artists to create their most extraordinary work, and forms an environment that cultivates that work to become the best it can be.
These beliefs are the foundation of my coaching and educational practice: 1) The more information you have available to you, the greater your chance of success, 2) Community and support can not be overvalued in the success formula, and 3) Every person, situation, and day are unique, and therefore all constructive feedback should be individually tailored to reflect this individuality.
We all learn differently, which is beautiful. We deserve a space where we feel safe to try new things and experiment, knowing that we will be supported and celebrated as we continue to grow our work, and ourselves.
Amy Andrews
Amy Andrews is a New York City-based lyricist, librettist, and dramaturg who is passionate about intersectional feminism, storytelling, and theater as a driver of social change.
Her short musical THE AMERICAN DREAM, written with composer Isabel Gúzman, was produced at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2022 and nominated for Pick of the Fringe. Amy is the co-founder (with Hayley Goldenberg) of WOMEN & THEATRE, a project and podcast that explores the experiences of women and nonbinary people in the theater industry and aims to build community and break down barriers. Amy is a proud alumna of Scripps College and a founding member of the Musical Theatre Writing Collective.
Learn more about Amy’s work at amyandrewscreative.com.
