Hello, you talented fool! I’m hoping you might be interested in participating in a fun little creative project. As you know, I’ve been working on writing a musical, and I think it is ready for a little sunlight! I am planning to facilitate a “table read” via Zoom! A table read just means the lines, songs, and stage directions are read/sung by various actors in real time. Would you like to play one of the characters? My main goals with this are:

• To have fun! Playing make believe together is fun! Let’s not take this too seriously.

• To get a feel for what the show is actually like! Reading it on paper is not the same as hearing it happen in real time with different voices getting into the characters’ minds. I am hoping to gather feedback from you and others on the Zoom call about what edits would make the show better

• To “build the buzz”. There are currently no plans for this show to be produced. While I am not attached to the show being produced, I do think it would be super fucking cool. To that end, I hope to get potential actors, instrumentalists, crew members, directors, and producers within the Cheq Bay arts community excited about jumping in and helping to make it happen.

Some logistical tips as we prepare for an online table read of a musical!

• Please practice your lines beforehand! You can print a copy of the script, or just read the PDF on your computer.

• Someone will be designated to read the stage directions in the script (the text in parentheses and italics). If the stage direction is short and falls within the line you are reading (or your song), it will not be read out loud so just keep going. If there is a longer stage direction or something that would not be obvious to someone from just listening (like an action), wait for those stage directions to be read aloud before continuing

• You can learn the songs by listening to the soundtrack video at the top of the web page. Sheet music for some of the songs (not all) is available! If you’d find that helpful, let me know.

• When singing songs on Zoom, singing a cappella is the simplest, go-to option. It’s more important to sing the song in time and with feeling than it is to get all the notes right or have accompaniment.

• Having multiple people sing on Zoom at the same time is not a good option. If multiple people are singing at the same time, the singing will be done by the “main person” singing the line or the person who has already been singing.

• If you’d like to sing with the accompaniment track for a song, you can use the links at the bottom of this web page. Please have the video pulled up and ready to play ahead of time on your phone (not the device you are zooming with). If you decide to start a song with accompaniment but then other singers start singing in the middle of the song, just stop the accompaniment track when other people start singing, and the rest of the song can be a cappella as different actors take turns singing. If you’d like to have an accompaniment track in a different key, I can totally provide that!

One last thing!

I’ve asked you to do this because of your talent, dependability, and good vibes. And I totally see you being able to play this role onstage. That said, to be transparent, if the show is eventually produced, the roles will be auditioned, and there’s no guarantee if you decide to audition that you’ll be cast in this role.