"HUCK and RIP"
Based on the Classic Tales by Mark Twain and Washington Irving
FUTURE MUSICAL THEATER ARTS VOLUMES
"HUCK" based on Mark Twain"s Huckleberry Finn ~ "RIP" based on Washington Irving's Rip Van Winkle
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MARK TWAIN
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book by Mark Twain.
Respected and reviled, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has
fueled heated debate since it was first published in 1885, yet it
remains one of America's most enduring literary classics.
The work is among the first in American literature to be written in
the colloquial speech, characterize by local color regionalism. It
is told in the first person by Huck. We are currently writing and composing the book and music for the play "HUCK." We have created a character of "Mark Twain" in the play who addresses some of the issues that dominate the conversation, he points out in a poignant passage, what was going on in his day regarding slavery, especially the blind prejudice that dominated the cultural landscape of his time. Mark Twain speaks and interacts directly to the audience as does our ALICE. We also wanted to create a play with a strong boy character as in the case with ALICE. HUCK is the story of a white outcast boy. Huck, and his friend Jim, a runaway slave, flee from Missouri together in search of freedom on a raft down the Mississippi River. Huck's moral awakening to the wrong of slavery is a powerful statement against racism. What we hope to show is the blind prejudice people can fall victim to, this will thematically be driven home in the oUR hoUSe ( You are US!) segment that ties in with the theme of the play, but set in present day neighborhood.
President Ronald Reagan, commended Mark Twain's legacy, "In the decades to
come, may our schools give to our children the skills to navigate
through life as gracefully as Huck navigated the Mississippi. And
may they teach our students the same hatred of bigotry and love of
their fellow men that Huck showed on every page, and especially in
his love for his big friend Jim."
We could not agree more and that is our aim with this project.
We
are fortunate in that there are numerous resources for educating and
creating a constructive discourse on this book which we will draw
from. These racial
issues dominate many a community and
hold a ferment that we
believe need to be addressed in our culture and with a great
sensitivity. This Musical Theater Arts title will be developed using the template created with the ALICE Musical Theater Arts Volume 1. It includes an "oUR hoUSe" segment which is on ALICE " I Feel So ME Now!" Theater Arts Volume 1 - Disk 1. The theme of this segment ties in with the theme of the play, for "HUCK" it is about blind prejudice, for "ALICE," it was a young girl's finding strength in herself to confront her fears. The Musical play will be a total of 1.30 hours and broken down into 2 acts of 45 minutes each. The oUR hoUSe segment is an approx. 25 minute show which takes place in a fictional neighborhood in Anytown, USA. This phase of the project lays the foundation for the further development of this title. The end product will be a comprehensive 6 disk project and aimed for schools, organizations, camps, family's gatherings, an intergenerational activity. All the tools you'll need for a grand production! The mediums that will be used in the project are multidisciplinary, tools of video, music, audio, text and graphics. We are also seeking grant funds or an "angel" for further development of this comprehensive arts project . We are also looking to umbrella under an existing entity to apply for grants that require the 501c3 non-profit status. Should you see or know of a organization where this project would be a 'fit" we would appreciate your kind recommendations and sharing. |
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WASHINGTON IRVING
Washington Irving, American author, famed essayist, short story writer, historian, poet, travel book writer, biographer, columnist and politician. Irving has been called the father of the American short story. We will create a musical theater arts program based on his classic tale "Rip Van Winkle," about a man who falls asleep for 20 years. In this musical theater arts volume we have a twist, we will create a puppet theater with a live chorus that sings and dances on the sides of the puppet theater and interacts with the audience. We have started the book and music composition of this project.
The Scope of this Project:
This phase of the project lays the foundation for the further
development of this title. The end product will be a comprehensive 6
disk project and aimed for schools, organizations, camps, family's
gatherings, an intergenerational activity. All the tools you'll need
for a grand production! The mediums that will be used in the project
are multidisciplinary, tools of video, music, audio, text and
graphics. |
