Story Songs - Blank Show request for players

Wesley · Post by **Wesley** » November 1st, 2006, 2:18 pm

Needs:
4-6 players
1 good lighter

Idea:
I will pre-select a 45-50 minute playlist of heavily story-based songs. Players will then play out the story of the song onstage. Play will most likely be mostly silent due to the music. I do not know how much active direction I will do in the show. Songs will cover a range of pace and emotional tone.

Goal:
To free up players from having to think about some things so that they may focus on others.
They won't have to think about what to say (since there will be little talking) and they don't have to think about story arc because that will already be contained in the song. This will hopefully free them up to hyperfocus on the story's imagery: the emotional expressions, body movements, and actions that work with the song to make the song even more powerful. Players will take a story from one medium and breathe life into it via another...on the fly.

Example:
Think of a classic story-based song like "Cat's in the Cradle."
We all know the story: a boy who's father is too busy for him grows up to be too busy for the father.
The song is very powerful, but how much more so to see it? Imagine the last line where the father says "And as I hung up the phone it occured to me, he'd grown up just like me. My boy was just like me."
Now imagine hearing that while the players on stage do a split screen phone call. The father hangs up the phone and you see that realization wash over him. Understanding of essentially what he has done to his kid dawns on him and overtakes him as he slowly begins to breakdown and sob into his hands. On the other side of the stage, the son hangs up the phone as his own son enters with a ball and glove (in reference to the previous verse). You see what the song only implies...and what you fear. The circle is continued as the son shoos the grandson away because he is too busy.
Wow! What a powerful stage scene! It's all in the song, too, but not directly stated. We'd take the subtext and add layers and visuals to make the punch twice as powerful.

Other:
We would be doing the theatrical stories of the songs, not a literal word interpretation. And we will be doing songs on the fly that you may never have heard before (though I'll make sure they all have clear, easy to understand lyrics for audience and players). So it may be a little more challenging than it sounds like on the surface.
I want to do this toward the end of January and hold at least two rehearsals (probably one in late December and one in January).

Anyone interested?

deroosisonfire · Post by **deroosisonfire** » November 1st, 2006, 2:50 pm

Wesley · Post by **Wesley** » November 1st, 2006, 2:52 pm

Also, I will try to get a coach for one rehearsal to work on transitions since some stories may require quick scene changes, character fades, etc for dramatic effect, so if you play you may get a free coaching session on that (my treat)!

The lighter needs to be a part of the show, too, so I want them to play with the onstage cast in rehearsals and call out possible lighting effects they'd pull. I want lighting to contribute just as much to the story as the actors. This may be a good chance to stretch your lighting muscle and creativity if you've wanted to contribute more to a show from that arena.

If you aren't playing but have good ideas for story songs, please PM them to me. I will need lots so that we have different songs to rehearse and play with. The requirements are simple, the song needs to tell a clear and complete story. Many songs contain stories, but don't really tell a story. Also, the song needs to be easy to understand on first listen (there are many good story songs I wouldn't expect people to follow and react to on the fly).

vine311 · Post by **vine311** » November 1st, 2006, 2:55 pm

I want in.

kristin · Post by **kristin** » November 1st, 2006, 3:05 pm

very interested in this

Asaf · Post by **Asaf** » November 1st, 2006, 3:10 pm

Story Songs:

Run Joey Run
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
American Pie
At Seventeen
I've Never Been to Me
Rocky Raccoon

DollarBill · Post by **DollarBill** » November 1st, 2006, 4:05 pm

Twenty minute long story songs:
2112

Asaf · Post by **Asaf** » November 1st, 2006, 4:29 pm

That reminds me of:

In the Year 2525

Marc Majcher · Post by **Marc Majcher** » November 1st, 2006, 4:42 pm

I'm in.

nadine · Post by **nadine** » November 1st, 2006, 5:56 pm

Jack and Diane -- John Mellencamp
Return to Pooh Corner -- Kenny Loggins
Mystery -- Indigo Girls
Ghost -- Indigo Girls
Bohemian Rhapsody -- Queen

Matt · Post by **Matt** » November 1st, 2006, 10:17 pm

I'm down for this.

Song ideas:
Tribute, Tenacious D
We Didn't Start The Fire (super-dense history montage)
Devil Went Down to Georgia

arthursimone · Post by **arthursimone** » November 1st, 2006, 10:41 pm

right now I happen to be listening to Richard Marx's "Hazard."

I understood what you felt for Mary, Richard.

acrouch · Post by **acrouch** » November 2nd, 2006, 4:43 pm

In the Year 2525 by Zager and Evans
Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash

Mike · Post by **Mike** » November 2nd, 2006, 5:43 pm

If you have room, I'm in.

Brian Boyko · Post by **Brian Boyko** » November 2nd, 2006, 8:26 pm

Psycho Joe - Blues Traveler

He took a rifle/And killed a disciple/So that those nagging thoughts Would leave him in peace
He'd drown a puppy/Or shive-shank a yuppie/Just to make thevoices cease
Goes on a bender/Then he surrenders/Taken into custody
So satisfying I would be lying/If I didn't want to hear the plea

And so we gather round Psycho Joe
The quiet loners always blow
Strap him in the chair
And killing bad guys is such fun
Too bad we only captured one
Are there any more out there
Are there any more out there
And in the weirdest way it sets him free
He's finally rid of you and me
Joe and his electric chair

He worshiped Satan/And liked Iron Maiden/And now he's in the cold cold ground
For more exciting/Staging and lighting/We waited till the sun went down
Killed someone's daughter/With the chain that they bought her/What's a daddy gonna do
But the most annoyed/Were the talk show tabloids/Because they couldn't get an interview

And so we gather round Psycho Joe
The quiet loners always blow
Strap him in the chair
And killing bad guys is such fun
Too bad we only captured one
Are there any more out there
Are there any more out there?

You've got your heroes/Caesars and Neros/Men of infamy and fame
Now we've got Jo Jo/Have we sunk so low/Guess I've got myself to blame
An eye for an eye/Won't get you by/Good book says that it's asin
But the ratings war/Says that if we kill more/Psychopaths then we will win

And so we gather round Psycho Joe
The quiet loners always blow
Strap him in the chair
And killing bad guys is such fun
Too bad we only captured one
Are there any more out there
Are there any more out there
And in the weirdest way it sets him free
He's finally rid of you and me
Joe and his electric
Joe and his electric
Joe and his electrical chair