All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. This one gives us the best combination of strong ensemble work, humor balanced with seriousness, some vocal work but not too much, and community name recognition. It will take some work on our part to sculpt it out in our own way, but the result will be a very memorable show, I think.
The show is based on the writings of best-selling essayist Robert Fulghum, whose short piece ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN became a pop culture phenomenon. While the Kindergarten essay is easily the most known (millions of posters were sold), each of his short essays offers a clever, cut-to-the-truth observation on modern life and how we fit in to it.
The style of the play is storytelling - the ensemble members take turns as narrators, monologuists, supporting players, mime artists, lead singers, backup singers, you name it. There are on average 18 stories to tell in the course of the evening (there are more in the book, and it's possible to exchange certain sections out for certain others), and the pieces range from hilarious to heartbreaking. All together they offer an uplifting and entertaining meditation on the meaning of life itself. The actors will be playing kindergarten age at some times, but old and wise at others - for some stories, certain actors will come and go between the narrator style and actually playing a character in the story.
A sampling of some of the stories -
---A shy little boy insists on playing the "pig" in his class production of Cinderella
---A man whose dream of flying carries him 11,000 feet over LA in an aluminum lawn chair lifted by 45 helium-filled surplus weather balloons (true story)
---a "mother of the bride" (MOTB) who brilliantly orchestrates the perfect wedding until the bowling ball of fate rolls down the aisle
---Ane ode to the disgusting stuff at the bottom of the sink strainer
---the story of Donnie the leaf raker, a deaf boy who challenges a suburban homeowner's sense of self
---a rhapsodic tribute to Beethoven and his immortal 9th symphony
The play was written for an ensemble of 5 actors, and we will expand that to make an ensemble of 15. Each player will have some time as the featured lead, and also as a supporting player.
Costuming will be simple and modern (a good thing as Mrs. M is preparing once again to be MOTB (mother of the bride) for a daughter's wedding in late November.
I would like to have a multi-level platform set, with perhaps the ability to do projections on at least part of it. We will need a variety of playing areas and the ability to make a number of interesting pictures. We can use all the cleverness we have at our disposal to design and build this set.
Lighting will be a major factor, as some settings will be suggested more with light than anything else. Sound will be a major force, with a lot of sfx and of course the singing.
The play calls for a live pianist - and if that pianist is also a good actor, he/she can get in on the fun in the preshow and a couple of other places. We could also use pre recorded music.
Auditions will rely heavily on stories and monologues. Many of the players will be assigned at least one fairly lengthy monologue to perform in the show.
I expect to have the initial STAGE meeting on Wednesday September 1, with auditions to begin about a week later.
I'm excited about the prospect of putting together a unique and memorable show - more info to come!
