Accepted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Fine Arts at The Savannah College of Art and Design

Transcription

1 Accepted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Fine Arts at The Savannah College of Art and Design / / Michael Wainstein Committee Chair Date / / Mark Tymchyshyn Committee Member Date / / Vivian Majkowski Committee Member Date

2 ZOMBIE PROM An Exploration of Dance and Choreography A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Media and Performing Arts Department in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Fine Arts Savannah College of Art and Design By Ann Marie Janson Savannah, Georgia June 2011

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Thesis Abstract...1 PART 1: Discovering Dance...2 PART 2: Professional Growth at SCAD Auditioning for Vocal Careers...3 Scene Study...3 Acting for the Classics...4 Graduate Camera Acting...5 Principles of Performance...6 Choreographer Influences...6 Bob Fosse...7 Jerome Robbins...9 PART 3: ZOMBIE PROM Selecting the Work...12 Dance Audition Process...14 My Choreography Technique...15 PART 4: Professional Goals...17 PART 5: Selections of My Choreography...18 PART 6: Script Analysis: Ideas Behind Each Production Number...26 PART 7: Rehearsal Journals Preparation for the Production Numbers...36 Dance Rehearsal...37 Reflection...38 Appendices...41 Production Photographs...47 Bibliography...50

4 ZOMBIE PROM An Exploration of Dance and Choreography Ann Marie Janson June 2011 This thesis provides the written component and supplemental materials that accompany the production of John Dempsey s ZOMBIE PROM, the Musical. This thesis focuses on the creation of choreography, and the exploration of dance to help create the world of the musical. It explores the techniques of known choreographers, while relating to my own personal choreography techniques. Within this thesis are an artist statement, script analysis, and rehearsal journals which document my process as a choreographer from the auditions to the opening night of ZOMBIE PROM. The materials show my development and growth in choreography through the experience that I have received both from the production and from my education while attending the Savannah College of Art and Design. 1

5 PART 1: Discovering Dance For as long as I can remember, I have loved to dance. I grew up in a family where the performing arts were very much encouraged, and there was always a musical on the television. From a very young age, I was exposed to great movie musical dancers such as Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, etc. For me, watching their feet glide across the screen so effortlessly was like watching a magic trick. They could move from one side of the television set to the other, and I would be completely entranced with how easy they made it look. The first time I remember wanting to be a dancer was watching the number The Best Things Happen While You re Dancing from White Christmas. Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen infused a combination of ballroom, jazz, tap, and social dancing into what has become one of the most memorable numbers in the film. When I was eight years old, I had my first taste of musical theatre. I auditioned for the musical Annie Get Your Gun and was cast as Annie s little sister Nellie Oakley. That was my first experience with the rehearsal process for production numbers. Movement came very naturally to me, and I found myself picking up the dance moves quite easily. My parents also noticed that I was a quick study when it came to dance and were impressed with the fact that, at a very young age, I was already mastering the techniques of someone who could make a living in musical theatre. I would constantly practice move after move until they were as perfect as I could get them. Precision was very important to me. Along with dance came the ability to sing well, and I was encouraged to continue expressing myself in the world of musical theatre. 2

6 PART 2: Professional Growth at SCAD Auditions for Vocal Careers In my first year as a graduate student at SCAD, I enrolled in Auditions for Vocal Careers. This course was designed to prepare students for different types of auditions in the world of musical theatre, such as open casting calls, cattle calls, closed auditions, etc. The students were able to observe each other s auditions and receive valuable feedback on what aspects were good and what areas needed improvement. The professor, Michael Wainstein, also taught us what auditioners are looking for when watching someone audition. I found this class to be extremely beneficial for me as an actor, as well as a choreographer. I incorporated the skills I learned in this class into my audition process for Zombie Prom. I looked for people who entered the audition room with confidence, but appeared pleasant; who were prepared with their materials; who had dance experience and technique; and who I believed fit the criteria of what I was looking for in my dancers. The Auditions for Vocal Careers class helped me to create a check list of what I should be looking for when I am on the auditioner s side of the table. When so many people audition for you in a single day, it can get overwhelming, but by creating a list of exactly what I was looking for, I was able to narrow down the options much more quickly. Advanced Scene Study I enrolled in Advanced Scene Study with Professor Michael Wainstein in the spring quarter of my first year of graduate school. In this course, students study and perform scenes from different time periods and genres of theatre. The students are taught how to thoroughly analyze their characters as well as create a full script analysis of the play from which their scene is derived. The script analysis answers the questions what, who, why, and how regarding the 3

7 play. The what requires a full detailed outline of the plot, describing exactly what happens in each scene. What are the given circumstances? What is the back story? What is the primary motivating spark (1 st Climax)? What is the climax (2 nd Climax)? What is the resolution? What is the super-objective? What is the moral, ethical landscape within the play? What is the political structure within the society of the play? The who identifies the protagonist and antagonist, the major and minor conflicts within the play, and the major, minor, and secondary characters. The why describes the themes within the play as well as the main idea and seed of the play. The how is the dialogue choice, the mood and atmosphere, and the genre and style of the play. The script analysis gives you a full idea of what the play is about, which helps you to create your characters and the world around them. I was able to use this skill of creating a script analysis for my choreography in Zombie Prom. By breaking down all the numbers piece by piece, I was able to get a clear description of who the characters were and how they should move according to their motivations within the musical. Acting for the Classics In my second year as a graduate student at SCAD I enrolled in Acting for the Classics with Professor Sharon Ott. In this course, students were required to perform sonnets, monologues, and scenes from the Elizabethan, Jacobean, and Spanish Golden Age eras. One of the most important things that I took away from this class was how language and movement are affected by the time period in which a piece is set: someone performing in Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet moves differently than someone performing in Sam Shepard s Fool for Love. Because Zombie Prom is set in the 1950 s, the language is different from today, as is the way people use and move their bodies. Posture was something that was emphasized then more so than today, so 4

8 I worked with my dancers in creating movement that was conducive both to the action in the play, as well as the time period. Acting for the Classics gave me a great basis for learning how to control language and movement within different time periods. Graduate Camera Acting In Graduate Camera Acting with Professor Mark Tymchyshyn, students performed scenes and monologues from film or television. The work was recorded, enabling students to watch their performances and receive feedback from the professor. As a student of the musical theatre world, I was concerned that this class would be difficult for me due to the huge transition that an actor has to make when going from the stage to in front of the camera. This course helped me to gain a huge appreciation for the subtleties in acting and how something small can have a huge effect on the piece you are performing. I was able to relate the information I learned in Graduate Camera Acting to my process as a choreographer. There are many subtleties in dance necessary for a production number to be effective. Dancers with strong technique are able to create and tell a story with dancing because they have built a technique enabling them to focus on the emotions and feelings portrayed within the dance numbers. Transitions from one movement to another are subtle within dance, but they are the bridgework that helps create the piece as a whole. In Advanced Camera Acting, I was able to make myself more vulnerable by being in front of a camera, which then allowed me to transfer that vulnerability to my teaching dance. 5

9 Principles of Performance Principles of Performance, taught by Professor Laurence Ballard, is the course that most directly affected the way I work as a choreographer. In this course students working in groups, created and performed the text of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss with complete freedom of interpretation. This approach gave students an opportunity to use our imaginations and create movement and vocal choices that were conducive to the way we were choosing to tell the story. The work that I did in this class directly affected my work as a choreographer because, in creating dance for a musical, you are given the lyrics to the numbers, and then you have to devise movement that makes sense within the meaning of the song. Choreography is a personal vision. As a choreographer, you have the ability to dive into your technique and imagination and create a world for the stage by the way your dancers move and react to one another. The process I encountered with The Lorax was exactly the same as the process I encountered with Zombie Prom. For The Lorax project, I worked as part of a collaborative team, in which visions were merged to create a final product. For Zombie Prom, I collaborated with my director on our vision for the show. This course is extremely helpful for actors, directors, and choreographers because it is all about creation and making your vision come to life within a performance. Choreographer Influences Two choreographers that have influenced my dance technique throughout my years as a musical theatre dancer and choreographer are Bob Fosse and Jerome Robbins. They are two iconic choreographers who both have made major contributions to the world of musical theatre dance. 6

10 Bob Fosse Bob Fosse was the creator of a unique and innovative dance technique that combined isolations of specific body parts with a sleek serious attitude. Fosse, known for his choreography for sexy dark shows such as Chicago, Cabaret, and Sweet Charity, created his dancing technique known as the Fosse Style, from the influences of vaudeville, burlesque, sex shows, and the ballets of George Balanchine. He mixed all types of dance to create a sensual technique that one could only master after hours and hours of working the same dance moves over and over. It is a vision that depends on iron discipline: the dancing Fosse body, strictly designed by technique and choreography, is the product of inexhaustible repetitions in pursuit of mastery (McWaters, 2). The emphasis in his movement on isolations of joints and appendages may recall the exuberant Charleston by dancers in films of African American revues from the 1920 s, or the high energy jazz dance of Matt Maddox from the 1950 s, or the fluently multicultural dance language of Jack Cole, the choreographer who served as the first mentor of Gwen Verdon, beloved muse to Fosse and one of Broadway s greatest musical stars. Yet these isolations and Jazz moves in Fosse s best known dances are not spontaneously expressive and ranging in space but rather constructed and confined; it s part of Fosse s dance humor that they are, and the audience is meant to be in on the joke. Frequently, the struts, shoulder undulations, pelvic rotations, and cockatoo displays of the fingers seem to be squeezed out at half the tempo of the music; the silent movie effect includes an element of the sinister, which points up the dark humor that results when theatrical illusion is harnessed to unseemly intentions, as it is, for example, in the plot of Chicago. The discrepancy between movement and music also exaggerates the shapes the body makes in profile, increasing their fascination for their own sake, outside a dramatic context (McWaters, 7). Fosse s ability to relate his dancing to situations occurring in the world at the time that his choreography was created makes it timeless. His choreography covers universal themes that even make a statement in today s world. In some of Fosse s darkest choreography from the 1970 s for his narrator in Pippin, his vamps in Chicago, his cavorting female band in the film of Cabaret one glimpses German Expressionist antecedents. Bob was influenced by Bertolt 7

11 Brecht and Kurt Weill, the Fosse muse Anne Reinking said. Fosse would say that it s important to trust silence. He very much liked the use of the tacit, or silent, count, where nothing is happening. He also liked percussion. His is a world of angular movement and mystery, quiet, semi-taciturn and percussive. Perhaps more important than the dance context, though, is the political one that was obtained in the United States when Cabaret, Pippin, and Chicago were conceived and developed. It was a period overshadowed by the Vietnam War, with its blatant governmental lying that fooled almost no one, and by the Watergate break-in, which led to the jaw-dropping, real life circus of revelations and impeachment proceedings. Audiences arrived at the theatre already cynical, and what they saw onstage in these shows mirrored that cynicism while also providing delicious entertainment. Fosse s conjunction of theatrical illusion with political hypocrisy was hardly new to him in the late 1960 s and 1970 s: in 1961, as the first choreographer hired for The Conquering Hero a musical based on the 1944 Preston Sturges film, Hailing the Conquering Hero he staged a ballet cartoon of a battle between preening, golden American Marines, played by men, and fierce, un-self regarding Japanese warriors, played by women, a concept ahead of its time and for which he was fired before the show opened. Still, the era of the Vietnam War and Watergate harmonized perfectly with Fosse s outlook on the relationship between life and show business (McWaters, 8). Fosse believed that his choreography should be performed by not just technically trained dancers, but technically trained dancers that could act. Whether a dancer is interested in pursuing musical theatre or dance as a career, or wishes to continue competing, the one who has an understanding of acting and can implement it when moving is a deeper performer who brings more meaning to the choreography (McWaters, 167). Dancers go through many steps to become performance ready. First, they study and create a technique over years of dance training. After years of this education, the choreography must be placed on the dancer, and the execution of that choreography must be accomplished at a high level (McWaters, 168). The final layer of this process that makes someone a good dancer is acting. Fosse had an image for almost every step. This image was something for the dancers to focus on. If one looks at Fosse s complete body of work, from the beginning of each number to the end, it becomes amply clear that each number is filled with imagery and, in some cases, one image guides the entire number (McWaters, 169). 8

12 I have performed in two musicals with the original Bob Fosse choreography, Chicago and Cabaret. I remember the process being very strenuous on all the muscles in my body. It is certainly choreography that can only be perfected by the continuous practice of the moves. Contorting your body over and over again into those positions helps you achieve the sensual attitude needed to perform Fosse numbers. Each move is so seductive, that the physicality of the movement alters the emotional attitude of the dancer. One Fosse number in particular that was a favorite of mine to perform was Wilkomen from Cabaret. I was one of the Kit Kat Klub female dancers, and I remember the combinations being a mixture of sultry, sexy jazz mixed with tough, almost self-abusive moves. It was also crucial to the number that the personal space of the dancers be broken into by other dancers. We had to basically dance on other dancers and feel the way their bodies move while mimicking it with our own body. The time spent learning Fosse choreography has made me want to keep educating myself about his technique. He is by far my favorite of all Broadway choreographers and has played a major role in influencing the way I choreograph. I use his technique of subtleties within my choreography, because the smallest movements make the biggest impact in a number when all the dancers are performing it exactly at the same time. I strive to make my choreography as clean and precise as Bob Fosse s work. Jerome Robbins Jerome Robbins, known as that Broadway man created the choreography for popular Broadway musicals such as West Side Story, Gypsy, Fiddler on the Roof, and The King and I. Robbins also choreographed several ballets and was trained in all areas of dance, not just one specific type. 9

13 Jerome Robbins received world renown as a choreographer of ballets created for the New York City Ballet, Ballets U.S.A., American Ballet Theatre and other international companies. He received equal kudos for his work in commercial theater -- Broadway. He was a director of musicals, plays, movies and television programs. This dual interest produced a staggering number of ballets and staging s of musical plays, notable for their diversity, brilliance, lyric beauty and humor. His work is characterized by the intensity and compactness of its expression, its wide variety of mood, whether it be rhapsodic, introspective, poignant or hilarious. He had the ability to make the most complex movement appear effortless, and totally reflective of the musical score, as if it were created spontaneously for that exact period of time (New York City Ballet, 1). Jerome Robbins technique stems from a strong classical ballet training program. He has the ability in his choreography to mix the genres of ballet and jazz without making them look different. He creates choreography that is completely specific to the characters within the musical. Even in so called light-hearted works, Robbins took his craft seriously. His underlying purpose was always serious. As early as 1948, he was considering the possibility of combining the entertainment value and wide audience appeal of the musical format, with a deeper, more personal subject matter. It was both a gift and a curse for Robbins that he never liked to repeat himself. In addition to moving back and forth between ballet and Broadway, he was always looking to extend the boundaries and possibilities within these existing values. In 1949, he had an idea for just such a show but it would take eight years for it to arrive on Broadway as West Side Story (Conrad, 115). Jerome Robbins, like Fosse, created his dance technique from the influences of different types of dance and ideas occurring during the time he was building his dance strategy. Robbins s ultimate talent was in his ability to communicate ideas in movement with his own style. In ballet and on Broadway, Robbins set a new course that was essential to the development of American dance. That point cannot be made without comparison with Europe, where ballet companies were often established under the rubric of opera companies and sustained by royal or governmental patronage. In the opera house system, ballet was taught according to a strict technique that created a specific identity with a long-standing tradition. The Paris Opera Ballet has a different style from Moscow s Bolshoi Ballet, which was trained to look quite different from the Kirov Ballet of St. Petersburg. Without these temples of tradition, American dancers pieced their training together. This intersection of different styles and techniques gave the dancers a 10

14 different instrument from their European or Russian counterparts. Robbins s early life provides a classic example (Catton, 1). A character that I find unique in West Side Story is Anybodys. She is the female character who wants to be a member of the Jets. She dances in all of the fight scenes that occur between the Sharks and the Jets, mixing tough jazz, with lyrical ballet. I believe that Jerome Robbins makes a statement with this character in which any sex has the ability to dance his choreography. It is universal to all types of bodies, and all types of bodies can tell the story through Jerome Robbins choreography. The most important thing to Jerome Robbins is to communicate the themes and ideas of the show in his dance and he does that within this musical by taking two races, and two genders, and allowing them to dance the same movement, proving that they are not all that different from one another. Jerome Robbins technique has had a major influence on my work as a choreographer, because it is important to me that my dance tells the story, and is not just a filler within the musical. Jerome Robbins was able to take his classical ballet training and incorporate it within gang fights in the streets of New York City, Russian dancers celebrating in a bar in Anatevka, and little children learning in the Orient. His movement is universal and works in the telling of all peoples stories. I strive to have the ability to make my dance work, no matter the people or the situation in which they are in. Jerome Robbins dance reflects the characters and who they really are. Jerome Robbins was an innovator on Broadway and his choreography lives on today making him one of the most popular choreographers ever to grace the Great White Way. 11

15 PART 3: Zombie Prom Selecting the Work Every year, Third Act, the student Performing Arts organization at SCAD, selects shows that are fully realized and produced in the department by student directors, choreographers, actors, and designers. In the fall quarter of 2010, Third Act chose Zombie Prom as its inaugural musical production for the 2010/2011 season. A fellow graduate student, Derek T. Pickens, was invited to direct the show, and he asked me if I would be willing to create the choreography. I was excited to be a part of the project having worked with Third Act in the past. The following is a summary of Zombie Prom: It's just another day at "Enrico Fermi High." However, the school's tyrannical principal, Miss Delilah Strict, senses trouble in the shape of transfer student Jonny Warner. In addition to taking the "H" out of his name as a sign of rebellion, Jonny (an orphan from the wrong side of the tracks) has taken up with Miss Strict's star pupil, Toffee. Jonny and Toffee's friends are abuzz with this hallway romance ("Ain't No Goin' Back"). But Miss Strict, with the help of Toffee's parents, bullies the girl into leaving Jonny. Despondent, Jonny hurls himself into the main waste treatment silo of the local nuclear plant. His charred and radioactive body is buried at sea in a lead-lined coffin. Toffee mourns ("Jonny Don't Go"). Three weeks later, Toffee is still haunted by the memory of her dead boyfriend ("Good as it Gets/The C Word"). Miss Strict admonishes the girl to get her mind out of the graveyard and on to more important matters ("Rules, Regulations and Respect"), but the child is obsessed. So imagine her surprise when Jonny reappears at school, a genuine nuclear zombie ("Blast from the Past"). Her reaction, unfortunately, leaves a little to be desired, and she flees in terror. Meanwhile, word of this toxic teenager finds its way to the offices of the notorious scandal sheet, Exposé Magazine, and straight to the desk of seedy ace reporter Eddie Flagrante ("That's the Beat for Me"). Smelling a hot story, Eddie heads to EFHS. Jonny pleads with Toffee to take him back despite his advanced state of decomposition, and accompany him to the prom. He even confesses that it was her love that brought him back from his watery grave to begin with ("The Voice in the Ocean"). Toffee is unsure of what to do, but the same can't be said for Miss Strict. She steadfastly refuses Jonny's request to return to school and finish his senior year ("It's Alive"). While the student body argues the pros and cons of Toffee's relationship with her gangrenous beau ("Where Do We Go From Here?"), Eddie charges in. Even the sight of a rotting teenager pales in comparison with the shock Eddie gets when he sees Miss Strict. Obviously, the 12

16 two share a rather juicy history, but Miss Strict stonewalls on the subject. Eddie settles for arguing Jonny's right to come back, a classic case of civil rights. Miss Strict will not budge, though. The cadaver can't return. End of story ("Trio (Case Closed)"). Or so Strict thinks. With Eddie working round the clock to stir up trouble, Jonny becomes a cause célèbre, even as the school is thrown into turmoil ("Then Came Jonny"). Eddie drags Jonny onto television, where amidst the singing Ramona Merengue and the Motorwise Guys ("Come Join Us"), Jonny gets to plead with his true love to take him back ("How Can I Say Good-Bye"). In her bedroom, Toffee watches her undead beloved on television. And with the help of her friends, she comes to a decision regarding prom night ("Easy To Say"). On prom night, Miss Strict is caught unawares by Eddie, who teases her with hints of their torrid romance back when they were in high school. For a while, it seems to be working. Delilah melts at these scorching memories ("Exposé"). But the school bell shocks her back to reality, and she runs screaming into the hallways. The kids all enter the decorated gymnasium, a veritable Shangri-La of paper maché and toilet paper ("Isn't It?"). Toffee enters, looking for Jonny, and sure enough he's there -- a handsome corpse in a cutaway, corsage in hand. They are crowned King and Queen of the prom ("Forbidden Love"). But their joy is short-lived (no pun intended) as Miss Strict enters, attempting to end the prom right then and there ("The Lid's Been Blown"). With Eddie and the kids all rebelling against her, she cracks. Eddie chides her into telling everyone the real reason for her actions. Distraught and defeated, Miss Strict tells the whole student body of her own dreadful senior prom night ("Delilah's Confession").Grounded on the night of her prom for dating a boy from the wrong side of the tracks (Eddie, of course), Delilah ran away with him. Parked off the side of the old highway three, nature took its course that night, and Delilah and Eddie conceived a child! Well, Eddie was being shipped off to the Navy the next day and never learned of the consequences of their sweaty, sordid (if embarrassingly brief) tryst. Delilah's parents promptly sent her to an out-of-state orphanage to have the baby, and things were never the same after that. Yes, Delilah Strict knows a thing or two about the trouble that comes of boys, and she is determined not to let Toffee make the same mistakes! But the story doesn't end there. Oh, no. For you see, Eddie has been doing a little digging. And his fact finding mission has uncovered a little something of interest to everyone at the prom. (And if you don't see this one coming, kids, I weep for you.) Yes, it turns out that Delilah and Eddie's illegitimate child is none other than -- Jonny! Mother and son are reunited. All is forgiven. Jonny has Toffee. And Delilah even gets to go to the prom at long last, with Eddie, her one true love. All is happiness and music. This, truly, is a Zombie Prom to remember ("Zombie Prom") (Snyder, 1). The show was chosen for several reasons. It takes place in the doo-wop era of the 1950 s, so the music, in the vein of the Grease sound, is catchy and an automatic crowd pleaser. It also contains a cast of ten characters; therefore, we were able to give more opportunity to 13

17 students. Finally, although Zombie Prom is campy, it sends a great message about not judging a book by its cover. Acceptance is a big part of high school, but it also travels to college as well, and I think this musical is all about accepting people for who they are on the inside, not on the outside. Dance Audition Process The Zombie Prom dance auditions were held the day after the students had their initial monologue and song auditions. I held the dance auditions in the dance studio of SCAD s Crites Hall. Because Zombie Prom takes place in the 1950 s and has several up-tempo dance production numbers, I wanted the dance audition combination to involve music in the same genre as the music from the show. I chose a combination to Ladies Choice from Hairspray because the rhythm and music quality of the song are similar to numbers like Blast from the Past and It s Alive from Zombie Prom. The combination consisted of eight eight-counts of dance and included moves that I then incorporated into the choreography for the show. Because the musical is very campy, I was looking for which performers brought energy to the number. Facial expression is one of the biggest things I look at when casting because I believe that you don t have to be a great dancer to sell a number. If you have energy, strong facial expressions, and somewhat of a grasp on the choreography, I am more likely to cast you in my musical over a trained dancer who does not feel the emotions of his or her movement. I have seen too many trained dancers perform a number with blank expressions on their faces. What s important to remember when dancing is that it is not just about your feet. It is an expression of your whole body. 14

18 For the dance audition, I broke down the combination for the actors one eight count at a time. After I would teach the next eight count, we would go back and run all the previous eight counts together. This gave me the opportunity to see who was able to pick up the choreography quickly. Once the entire combination was taught, I had the dancers as a group run the full combination, once with me in front assisting, and once with them alone. After that, I broke them up into groups of three within their same gender. The females danced first followed by the males. Throughout the dance audition, I graded the dancers on a scale from one to five, one being the lowest and five being the highest. If the auditionee had little to no dance experience, and a hard time picking up the moves to the combination, I gave a score of one or two. If the actor was somewhat skilled in learning the choreography, and seemed able to be molded into a dancer, I gave a score of three. If the actor exhibited a strong performance quality and good dance technique, I gave a score of four or five. Once the dance auditions were complete, my scores were given to director Derek T. Pickens who then made the final decision in casting the musical. My Choreography Technique When I approach the choreography of a musical, I perform research on the background of the musical, the creators of the musical, and the time period in which the musical is set. Zombie Prom was written by John Dempsey and Hugh Murphy, with music by Dana P. Rowe and lyrics by John Dempsey. Zombie Prom was first produced at the Red Barn Theatre in Key West, Florida in It was then produced off-broadway in New York City s Variety Arts Theatre in

19 Zombie Prom takes place at a time in the 1950 s when teenagers became more independent and began to engage in the new music of the decade: rock and roll. The television and radio were huge hits for this generation, allowing teenagers to experience a whole new way of life separate from their parents. In the 1950 s, teenagers where more inclined and encouraged to attend college, find a skill, and seek a successful career. Their parents had more than likely gone through the Depression and a number of wars, and now wanted something more for their children. This resulted in teenagers receiving spending money and having more time to socialize with other teenagers. Of course, this newly found independence would often result in conflict between the parents and the child. The media played on these emotions and often portrayed teenagers as juvenile delinquents. Peers easily influence teenagers, often at that stage in life what peers think and do becomes more important than what parents think and say. Perhaps, some would say looking at society in general that the first indication or act of teenage rebellion began in the 1950 s (6x6 Design, 1). We can see much of this occurring in Zombie Prom. We see the socialization of the teenagers in full force throughout the musical as they are preparing for the biggest night of their young lives: the senior prom. We also see the rebellions of the teenagers through Toffee s conflict with her parents and Principal Delilah Strict, Johnny Warner s conflict with Principal Strict, and the Enrico Fermi High teenager s conflict against any sort of discipline. We also see how Jonny Warner is portrayed as a juvenile delinquent by the way he dresses, and the way he carries himself. There is a huge peer influence as well when Jonny and Toffee convince the other teenagers to rebel against Principal Strict s decision not to allow Jonny to graduate. I reinforced Jonny s influence as a leader though choreography by having him start to dance with others joining in after watching him. I wanted his movement to have an effect on their way of thinking. My choreography was created to reflect the dances of the 1950 s and the social mood. 16

20 PART 4: Professional Goals Upon graduating from SCAD in Spring of 2011, I will be spending the summer in Bigfork, Montana at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse where I will be performing in Guys and Dolls, Happy Days, the Musical, The Wedding Singer, SHOUT!, and My Fair Lady. I will also be the choreographer for My Fair Lady. Once my Bigfork Summer Playhouse contract is completed, I will be directing/choreographing Annie, Jr. for the Bigfork Playhouse Children s Theatre. In the fall of 2011, I plan to move to Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in musical theatre, choreography, and film acting. Because I have training in all these areas, I think that Los Angeles is an ideal place for me to pursue my career. While in Los Angeles, I will audition for all facets of theatre and film performance, as well as become acquainted with the dance and choreography classes and workshops that are available. Throughout the next fifteen years of my life, I would like to have as much onstage or onscreen experience as I can. Eventually, I would like to be on the artistic staff of a professional theatre company, serving as the resident choreographer or the artistic manager. I enjoy making my visions reality and such positions would enable me to accomplish this goal. I am not concerned with making a lot of money or reaching any high level of fame. When I am seventy years old, I want to wake up every day knowing that I spent my life doing what I love to do with no regrets. I have had the performer gene since the day I was born, and if I can impact lives by offering great entertainment that has or can bring about a social message of change, then I will have considered my life a success. Theatre and dance are powerful tools that can change the way our world acts and thinks. As an actor and dancer, I have the ability to shape the world for the better and introduce people to thoughts they have never conceived. 17

21 PART 5: Selections of My Choreography JONNY DON T GO TOFFEE: THREE WEEKS AGO I TOLD HIM WE WERE THROUGH. I DID WHAT MY PARENTS SAID TO DO. THEY SAID "ENOUGH," SAID HE WAS NO GOOD. HE WASN'T BAD. HE WAS JUST MISUNDERSTOOD. Girls stand in an v-shape to the right of Toffee. Order: Ginger, Cocoa, Candy TOFFEE: THREE WEEKS AGO WE SAID OUR GOOD-BYES Girls do 4 shoulder pumps on R. I SAW THERE WERE TEARS IN HIS EYES. Girls do 4 shoulder pumps on L DEEP DOWN I WISHED Girls raise right hand-palm up HE'D MAKE THINGS ALL RIGHT. Girls drop right hand palm down BUT HE SHOOK HIS HEAD, Girls sway R, L, R&R AND HE DROVE INTO THE NIGHT... Girls sway L, R, L&L And I screamed... JONNY DON'T GO TO THE NUCLEAR PLANT! JONNY DON'T GO TO THE NUCLEAR PLANT! I WISH I COULD STOP YOU BUT YOU KNOW I CAN'T. JONNY DON'T GO, JONNY DON'T GO... Girls to R: shimmy front touch back touch, front touch, step x2 Repeat to the L Girls face profile to L and punch arms down S,S, QQQQ-alter. Girls raise arms and stop in Dreamgirls pose TOFFEE: TO THE NUCLEAR PLANT! THREE WEEKS AGO THEY TOOK MY GUY FROM ME. AND BURIED HIS BODY DEEP AT SEA. AS HE SAILED OFF, I KNEW MY DREAMS WERE THROUGH. THE SUN, IT SET, UPON MY OCEAN BLUE... JONNY DON'T GO TO THE NUCLEAR PLANT! JONNY DON'T GO TO THE NUCLEAR PLANT! I WISH I COULD STOP YOU BUT YOU KNOW I CAN'T. JONNY DON'T GO... TO THE NUCLEAR PLANT Shoulder pumps-r Hand on heart- look out Shoulder pumps-l R-tabletop hand pushing down Sways Sways Girls ripple off to front Shimmy F, B head right-left Shimmy F,B, head left-right Step forward, pivot turn Step back, pivot turn Girls ripple arms up Arms come down 18

22 JONNY DON'T GO... JONNY DON'T GO... JONNY DON'T GO... JONNY DON'T GO... JONNY DON'T GO... JONNY DON'T GO... JONNY DON'T GO... JONNY DON'T GO..., WHOA, NO! TO THE NUCLEAR PLANT! Girls raise R arm up palm up Turn to R, and push R palm out Girls raise L arm up palm up Turn to L, and push L palm out Girls shimmy step F, step B Pump chest to R then L Girls shimmy step F, step B Pump chest to L then R Girls ripple; raise arms On button girls pose arms up RULES, REGULATIONS, AND RESPECT MISS STRICT: And remember, Toffee; one day, you will thank me for this. BLESSED ARE WE WHO TOIL AND LABOR, STRIVE TO BEAR THE WEIGHT. BLESSED ARE WE WHO HEED THE CALLING, REACHING OUT TO ED-U-CATE! PRAISE THE R'S OF EDUCATION. KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS, AND RESPECT! MISS STRICT: WORDS ON WHICH WE BUILT OUR NATION. KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS, AND RESPECT! MISS STRICT: READING, 'RITING, 'RITHMETIC, ROTE AND RHYME AND RHETORIC, HELP IN LIFE BUT THEY DON'T STICK LIKE KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS, AND RESPECT! Kids march to semi-circle around Strict. Kids slowly raise arms up and end in prayer hands Raise arms up palms down Turn palms up and reach Clap up R, L, R, L Arms low V Clap L, R, L, R Arms high V Arm pumps down stepping to R Arm pumps down stepping to L Step clap pivots front,back x2 Arm poses: prayer hands MISS STRICT: Snap to it, Toffee. SHOUT IT LOUD SO THEY CAN HEAR YA. KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS, AND RESPECT! MISS STRICT: PREACH IT IN THE CAFETER'A. Arm pumps up to R then L Freeze Arm pumps up to L then R KIDS: 19

23 RULES, REGULATIONS AND RESPECT! Freeze MISS STRICT: WHEN THE KID GOES OFF THE TRACK, D- R Knee, U-L Knee,U-R, U-L WHEN THAT HOODLUM SASSES BACK, Chase back R, then L LET THE SOUND AND FURY CRACK WITH Step claps forward x 4 MISS STRICT AND KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS, AND RESPECT! MISS STRICT: LET'S DEFINE THE ROLES WE GET TO PLAY; I SET THE RULES, AND YOU OBEY! DAY TO DAY THE BOSS IS YOU-KNOW-WHO. SO DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD WHEN YOU'RE TOLD WHAT TO DO! MISS STRICT: LEAD YOUR FORCES INTO BATTLE! KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS AND RESPECT! MISS STRICT: PRAISE THE LORD AND SEIZE THE PADDLE! KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS AND RESPECT! MISS STRICT: WIELD THE SWORD TO TEACH THE PEN. SCULPT THE MODEL CITIZEN. JUST EMPLOY THIS REGIMEN OF MISS STRICT AND KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS AND RESPECT! MISS STRICT: EV'RY SOUL FROM A TO Z... KIDS: FROM K THROUGH 12 TO PHD. MISS STRICT: IS SHAPED BY THIS PHILOSOPHY, KIDS: THE WATCHWORDS OF CONFORMITY. MISS STRICT: TEACH 'EM WELL. Arm poses Kids vert, line- heads R then L Lay flat back on person in front Shimmy arms up Every other spin R and then L Arm pumps to straight line Straight arm shimmy over head Arm pumps RR, LL Clap R, L, R, L Praise arms up then down Clap L, R, L, R Kids form diagonal line S passes- raise arms Step clap to straight line Arm poses Step Claps Clap R, Clap L, Heigh Ho Step Claps Clap R, Clap L, Heigh Ho Freeze KIDS: SPREAD THE NEWS, 20

24 MISS STRICT & KIDS: BY ANY MEANS YOU HAVE TO USE. MISS STRICT: SOUND OFF! Stick em up hands Sign of the cross Arms down to sides KIDS: ONE, TWO! MISS STRICT: RED, WHITE, BLUE AND HALLELOO!! KIDS: THERE'S NO WRITING ON THE LOCKERS. THERE'S NO SMOKING IN THE RESTROOMS. THERE'S NO CURSING IN THE CLASSROOM. THERE'S NO RUNNING IN THE HALL. THERE'S NO SPITTING IN THE BANDROOM. THERE'S NO FIGHTING IN THE OFFICE. THERE'S NO GROPING ON THE PLAYGROUND. Salute up down Praise hands shimmy up This section will be the gospel peel off with each kid MISS STRICT: PRAISE THOSE RULES, REGULATIONS, AND RESPECT! THERE'S NO SPITTING! THERE'S NO FIGHTING! NO MORE GROPING! MISS STRICT AND KIDS: THERE'S NO BREAKING RULES AT ALL! MISS STRICT: FROM THE ARCTIC CAP TO ROMA... Kids turn L pro, pump arms R,L KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS AND RESPECT! Claps x 4 MISS STRICT:...WHAT'S THE SEED OF EACH DIPLOMA? Kids turn R pro, pump arms R,L KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS AND RESPECT! Claps x 4 MISS STRICT: HOW ARE DECENT PEOPLE MADE? WHAT DESERVES THE ACCOLADE? NOTHING HELPS YOU MAKE THE GRADE LIKE MISS STRICT AND KIDS: RULES, REGULATIONS AND RESPECT! Opposite arm sways above Opposite arm sways above Pivot back turn to front Arm poses 21

25 BLAST FROM THE PAST KIDS: HOLEY MOLEY! JONNY: LAZARUS HAS RISEN FROM A SEA-BOUND SUNKEN CAGE! KIDS: HEAVEN HELP US! JONNY: FRESH FROM THE ATOM AND THE MODERN AGE...! I'M A BLAST FROM THE PAST. I'M A FORCE FOR THE FUTURE. A TEEN-AGE ZOMBIE, AN ACQUIRED TASTE, OXY-CLEAR AND TOXIC WASTE. I'M A BLAST, BLAST, BLAST -- FROM THE ALL TOO RECENT PAST! Step releve arms up, down Pump twist to left Right leg flick L, R, PBR Pirouette, shimmy F,B Shimmy ski step Leg pumps, kick kick PBR Arm out clasp hands spin Left leg lift leap Scissor step, pivot Three body poses Step drag combination KIDS: TALES OF TERROR! Kids pass Jonny front and back JONNY: LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE MUTANT, Pump twists x 5 I'M A LIVING PROTON BOOM! KIDS: HOUSE OF HORRORS! Kids pass Jonny front and back JONNY: BACK LIKE A DEMON Run to formation 2: staggered FROM BEYOND THE TOMB...! I'M A BLAST FROM THE PAST. I'M THE FIRE FROM THE FUSION. A TOXIC STUDENT WITH A SHOCKING TALE, SHAKING UP THE GEIGER SCALE. I'M A BLAST, BLAST, BLAST -- KIDS: FROM THE ALL TOO RECENT PAST! JONNY: DID YOU MISS YOUR BURIED BOYFRIEND? CRY YOURSELF TO SLEEP AT NIGHT? COME AND KISS YOUR MONSTER MISTER. PLUG ME IN A WATCH ME LIGHT! Leg pumps, kick kick PBR Arm out clasp hands spin Footloose pump pump spin Shimmy backsides to audience Arms up down turn face profile Kids face out on past This section is the traveling blob of people. JONNY: STEP RIGHT UP AND SEE ME LADIES; NOW APPEARING STRAIGHT FROM HADES! GET DOLLED UP AND HAUTE CUISINE ME, HOLD ME TIGHT AND CARBON FOURTEEN ME! I'M A BLAST FROM THE PAST. I'M A GHOST FROM THE GRAVEYARD. Kids surround Jonny moving like zombies. 22

26 A SENIOR RIDING THE ATOMIC TIDE OF ROOT BEER FLOATS AND FORMALDEHYDE. I'M A BLAST, BLAST, BLAST --- KIDS: (Over JONNY'S ad-libs) HE'S A BLAST FROM THE PAST. HE'S A FORCE FOR THE FUTURE. A TEENAGE ZOMBIE, AN ACQUIRED TASTE, OXY-CLEAR AND TOXIC WASTE. HE'S A BLAST, BLAST, BLAST --- AAH, AAH, AAH, AAH -- JONNY: FROM THE ALL TOO RECENT PAST! Repeat 1 st refrain sequence Form final pose around Jonny. THAT S THE BEAT FOR ME- Tap Sections SECRETARIES: Sorry. Enter and hang coats EDDIE: COLLEAGUES SOMETIMES CALL ME TRASH. Flap ball change in line x 4 HEY, SOMETIMES I AGREE. Flap ball change around GIVE ME PSYCHO KILLER MOMS Time step R, then TS L AND I'M IN ECSTASY. ALL THE DIRT THAT'S FIT TO FLING; THAT'S MY STRATEGY! SECRET DESIRES OF MAN AND WIFE, PRIVATE AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC STRIFE. TAMER THAN "PLAYBOY" BUT BIGGER THAN "LIFE" -- THAT'S THE BEAT FOR ME! 4 swivel taps on right 4 swivel taps on left 2 swivel taps on right 2 swivel taps on left Single swivel taps rotating JOSH/SECRETARIES/COPY BOYS: WARTS AND ALL, WHO'S THE MAN TO CALL WHEN A STORY REARS ITS HEAD? Flap, flap, flap shuffle step Flap, flap, flap shuffle step 2 essences JOSH/SECRETARIES/COPY BOYS: SENATORS AND PROSTITUTES AND PRISON GUARDS... Hop shuffle step x 2 EDDIE: AND NOW THE WALKING DEAD! 2 essences 23

27 JOSH/SECRETARIES/COPY BOYS: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH! EDDIE: "LOVESICK SENIOR IN THE GREEN?" JOSH/SECRETARIES/COPY BOYS: NAW! EDDIE: "THE MIRACLE OF THE TOXIC TEEN!" JOSH/SECRETARIES/COPY BOYS: YEAH! ALL: ALL IN EXPOSE' MAGAZINE -- EDDIE: THAT'S THE BEAT FOR... MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!! ALL: YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! 3 stomps Step brush toe, step brush toe Step Step brush toe, step brush toe Step 4 walks Freeze 2 time steps into 5 flaps Shimmy arms up Shimmy arms up Shimmy arms up Shimmy arms up- POSE HOW CAN I SAY GOODBYE JONNY: HOW CAN I SAY GOOD-BYE TO LOVE...? OH...OH...OH... PERISH THE VERY THOUGHT. HOW CAN I SAY GOOD-BYE TO LOVE, WHEN LOVE IS ALL I'VE GOT? TOFFEE, I'LL SEE IT THROUGH, CAUSE BABY, I FOUGHT BACK HELL FOR YOU. OH, I'LL NEVER SAY GOOD-BYE-EEII-EEII TO LOVE! MOTORWISE GUYS: HIS SKIN IS GREEN. HIS MOOD IS BLUE. HOW CAN HE SAY, SAY GOOD-BYE TO YOU-OO? JONNY: HOW CAN I SAY GOOD-BYE, MY DEAR? HOW CAN I NOT BE TRUE? HOW CAN I WIPE AWAY THIS TEAR, WHEN IT'S BEEN SHED FOR YOU? WHEN THERE'S NO GIRL FOR ME, WHAT GOOD IS AN ETERNITY? In this section, Jonny sings at the microphone while the Motorwise Boys position themselves around him. Arm pump hop R,L,R&R Arm pump hop L,R,L&L Four Seasons square arm hop 4 arm pump claps Step snap U, snap D, snap U-R Step snap U, snap D, snap U-L 24

28 OH, I'LL NEVER SAY GOOD-BYE-EEII-EEII TO LOVE! JONNY: THINK BACK ON ALL THE LOVE WE SHARED, ALL THAT OUR HEARTS POSSESSED. TELL ME IT HASN'T CHANGED FOR GOOD, SINCE I WAS LAID TO REST. TILL DEATH DO US PART, SHE TOOK RIGHT TO HEART! HOW CAN I SAY GOOD-BYE TO YOU? Half square rotation Four Seasons step pumps Four Seasons square arm hop Feet twist movement to R then L Travel back to center Point R hand down Bring it up then to heart Four Seasons step pivot form. Four Season step pumps HOW CAN I LEAVE YOU, DEAR? HOW CAN I SAY FAREWELL, WE'RE THROUGH, Four Seasons Square Arm Hop WHEN YOU'RE WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE? SAY THAT YOU'LL BE MY WIFE. SAY THAT YOU'LL SHARE MY AFTERLIFE. OH, I'LL NEVER CEASE TO TRY FOR OH! YOU, WHO I LIVE AND DIE FOR. I'LL NEVER SAY GOOD-BYE-EEII-EEII TO LOVE JONNY AND THE MOTORWISE GUYS: TO LOVE TO LOVE. TO LOVE! Arm pump hops- R,L,R&R Arm pump hops- L,R,L&L Half square rotation Four Seasons step pumps Face forward stop Chin raised up Cross right leg over left Turn full circle, R arm up, bow 25

29 PART 6: Script Analysis- The Ideas Behind Each Production Number Zombie Prom is described as a campy musical. A musical is described as a play in which the story line is interspersed with or developed by songs, dances, and the like. (Dictionary.com, 1) Campy means consciously artificial, exaggerated, vulgar, or mannered; self-parodying, especially when in dubious taste (Dictionary.com, 1). Zombie Prom absolutely pushes the limits of a campy musical purely for the fact that the lead male, Jonny Warner, becomes a zombie after committing suicide in a nuclear power plant. The idea that the lead is a zombie that comes back to life after killing himself because his girlfriend Toffee says they cannot be together definitely hinges on a very artificial and exaggerated world that is created within this musical. The campiness of the musical is what makes the story not a scary nightmare, but a sweet love story. It plays on the universal theme of forbidden love and we see that with two sets of characters: Jonny and Toffee, and Flagrante and Strict. The only way that Zombie Prom can be created and told properly is if it is as largely exaggerated and overly dramatic all at the same time. John Dempsey takes the time period of the 1950 s, a time in which family, discipline, and belief in self and country are at its highest and throws in the crazy idea of a zombie boy that comes back to life for the love of his life. The characters all seemed to be patterned by prototypes of the fifties. Jonny Warner has that very cool sly James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause appearance and attitude with the influence of an Elvis Presley on the teenagers at Enrico Fermi High. Toffee is patterned around the same type of character as Sandy in Grease. At first she is sweet, holding the highest regard for authority, but then changes into a rebel by being with Jonny even though her parents and Principal Strict forbid it. The three girls, Cocoa, Candy, and Ginger, and the three boys, Josh, Jake, and Joey, all have the same stereotypes of children in the fifties. The girls represent the easy girl, the airhead, and 26

30 the goody-two shoes, while the boys represent the ladies man, the jock, and the nerd. Mrs. Strict is the quintessential disciplinarian, while Eddie Flagrante is the quick witted, mysterious reporter. Putting these Flagrante and Strict together adds to mystery and suspense of their forbidden love relationship because they are so completely different. It also helps in the developing of their characters when we start to find out the secret of their past romance in act two linking them together as the parents of Jonny Warner. All these characters are the perfect recipe for a campy musical because, although we often see these character types in other musicals, the situation that they are put in, fighting for the rights of zombie boy Jonny Warner, combined with the context within the musical numbers and dialogue is what makes this show unique. The way I approached the dance style of Zombie Prom was to have the intensity of the moves match the intensity of the subject matter. Everything had to be as big and exaggerated as possible because although we are in the stylistic world of the 1950 s, it is a fictional place in which a person can come back from the dead as a zombie and win back their significant other no matter what the cost. I wanted the audience to get comfy and feel familiar with the time, and then be completely thrown by something definitely out of the ordinary. My impetus for incorporating so many different genres of dance was because the campiness of the show would not be able to progress if the characters stayed in the same dance style the entire time. The reason the show is campy is because it takes these ridiculous twists and turns that could never really happen in reality. You perform the show in the most corny, almost obnoxious way imaginable because then it s easier to put that campiness aside and look at the show for what it is: a love story. 27

31 PLOT OF MUSICAL NUMBERS Enrico Fermi High Toffee, Candy, Cocoa, and Ginger sing about their studies of the day at Enrico Fermi High. These include History, Latin verbs, Habitat, and Principles of Bacon Fat. The girls say that it s just another ordinary day at Enrico Fermi High. Principal Strict approaches the girls and critiques their home economics project. Principal Strict tells the girls that a nuclear attack is no excuse for a runny egg. Joey, Josh, and Jake are working on their gun racks. Principal Strict approaches the boys and critiques their gun racks. Principal Strict tells the boys that a nuclear war is no excuse for a sloppy buttress. Principal Strict approaches Jonny Warner, the new transfer student. Principal Strict asks to see his gun rack, and he has made book ends instead. Principal Strict tells Jonny he is going to have to make an effort to fit in. Josh, Jake, and Joey sing about what they are discussing during the day at Enrico Fermi High. This includes strategies from foreign wars, algebra, baseball scores, PI-R squared and two-by-fours. The boys say it s just another day at Enrico Fermi High. The girls discuss their physics exam. The girls discuss Toffee s past relationship with Chuck. Toffee tells the girls she has not found real love yet. All the girls and boys sing about the day s routine: student council, teacher s pets, marching bands and clarinets, minor keys and majorettes. They all sing that it s just another day at Enrico Fermi High. Principal Strict approaches Jonny because the H is missing from his name on his jacket. Jonny tells Principal Strict that that is how he is going to spell his name now- Jon without an H Warner. Principal Strict tells him to change his name back. Jonny tells Principal Strict that he is going to keep the H out. Principal Strict calls Jonny a hoodlum. Jake sings that Jonny is a rebel without an H. They all sing about the age old scene at school at school. This includes crossing guards, hallway pets, sloppy joes, English tests, saddle shoes, and padded chests. They all sing that. They all sing that it is just another day at Enrico Fermi High. It is just another day at Enrico Fermi High. Genre of Dance in this Number: Stylized Movement Influence for the Dance Choice: As this is the opening number, it sets up the exposition for the musical. There was not a specific genre of dance for this number, but instead stylized movements mimicking what the characters are singing about in the music. The girls start off 28

32 with movement as if they are whisking something in a bowl in home economics class. The boys are playing with their gun racks as if they have real guns and they are off fighting in a war. At the climax of the number, when they all sing about Jonny being a rebel without an H, they rush the lip of the stage in a straight line allowing the audience to see the characters up close and personal and distinguish what type of person they are by the way they are moving and gesturing. I wanted all the characters to move as their type whether they were the nerd, the goody- two shoes, the airhead, the jock, etc. Ain t No Going Back An alarm rings and the kids go into the drill for a nuclear bomb. Jonny and Toffee run into each other and it is love at first sight. Toffee tells Jonny a single moment with him has made her realize the difference one moment can make in her life. Jonny tells Toffee that now all he sees is her no matter what is happening around them. Jonny and Toffee sing about the magic that surrounds them and how they are destined to be. Toffee brings up the homecoming dance that is coming up, and Jonny says he is nervous because he s never been to a dance before and he wouldn t know how to dance. Toffee says that she just wants everyone to know that Jonny and her are together. Toffee sings about how time passes going from weeks to months, and then from summer to fall. Jonny sings about how they pour their hearts out to each other at school. Jonny and Toffee again sing about how they are surrounded by magic and are meant to be together. Jonny gives Toffee his Jonny without an H jacket. Toffee asks Jonny if he is asking her to go steady. Jonny tells Toffee that he grew up an orphan and that he had no mom or dad or fancy birthday cakes. Jonny tells Toffee that she is the first person who ever really loved him and that it would kill him to know they weren t forever. Toffee says that she will go steady with Jonny and that she loves him and nothing will change that. Jonny and Toffee sing about how their souls are one and that there ain t no going back. Candy talks to Toffee about how they only have one more quarter left at school. Toffee s mother tells Toffee that she does not approve of Jonny s motorcycles or leather jackets and that Jonny is not the girl for her. She tells Toffee to break it off with Jonny. Toffee s father says that he and her mother are putting their foot down and forbidding Toffee to see Jonny again. Principal Strict tells Toffee that Jonny has juvenile delinquent written all over his face and that he is trouble. She tells Toffee that she should not be associating with a hoodlum, especially with college right around the corner. Toffee s mother, father, and Principal Strict all tell Toffee to break up with Jonny. 29

33 Toffee tells Jonny that she has to break up with him because her parents won t allow her to see him anymore. Jonny gets upset and says that Toffee s love for him was just a lie and that she never really loved him. Jonny runs away and commits suicide in the nuclear power plant. Genre of Dance in this Number: Stylized Movement/Hip Hop Jazz Influence for the Dance Choice: I chose to do more simple stylized movement for the ensemble in this number. When Jonny and Toffee talk about the days turning to weeks, I had the ensemble do a wedding march onstage and throw snow bits to signify the seasonal changes. Then when Jonny and Toffee talk about the summer turning to fall, the ensemble walked out again and threw fall leaves in the air to signify that seasonal change. Jonny and Toffee are in more embracing poses when they are singing about how they are destined to be but then it turns into a dramatic hip hop dance when they sing about how there ain t no going back. I chose to do this to show the rebellious side of Jonny and Toffee who are together even though people are discouraging it. Jonny Don t Go to the Nuclear Plant Toffee is in mourning over the death of Jonny. Toffee sings about her breakup with Jonny. She says three weeks ago she told them they were through, and she did what her parents said to do. Toffee says her parents said Jonny was no good and Toffee says she was just misunderstood. Toffee said three weeks ago she and Jonny said their goodbyes and she saw there were tears in his eyes. Toffee said deep down she wishes Jonny would make it alright, but he got upset and just ran away into the night. Toffee sings about how she wishes she had told Jonny not to go to the nuclear plant. Ginger says they had a funeral at sea. Cocoa says they buried Jonny along with all the other nuclear waste. Toffee says her parents would not let her go to Jonny s funeral and she wonders if she will ever get over him. Jonny and the girls sing Jonny don t go to the nuclear plant. Toffee says three weeks ago they took Jonny from her and buried him in the ocean. Toffee says as Jonny s body sailed off, she knew her dreams were through. Toffee and the girls sing several times Jonny don t go to the nuclear plant and Toffee says things would be better if only she could have stopped him. Genre of Dance in this Number: Motown movement mimicking the Supremes Influence for the Dance Choice: I chose to base this number upon the influence of Motown female groups, specifically the Supremes. It was important for me to make Toffee the Diana Ross role with the females in sequence behind her doing all their moves in unison. 30

34 There were a lot of synchronized hand movements as well as peel offs that the three girls, excluding Toffee, performed. I chose the Supremes because they sing about themes of young love, but they also have a very womanly appeal to them. I wanted there to be a distinct change in the demeanor of the females prior to Jonny s death as opposed to after. Good As it Gets The kids sing about how great to be young, seniors going steady. The kids talk about how easy it is to be a kid with no hassles or regrets. They believe that this is as good as it gets. The kids spot Toffee who is dressed in all black because she is in mourning over the death of Jonny. They sing about how she wishes that Jonny comes back again. They sing about how Toffee is a teenager in mourning. They say that once Toffee was effervescent, but now she is a poster child depressant. She is a teenager in hell. Genre of Dance in this Number: 50 s Sock Hop Partner Dancing Influence for the Dance Choice: I chose partner dancing for this number because they are discussing how great it is to be young, going steady, and being in love. I partnered the boys and girls together, and I wanted each boy to be with a girl so that when Toffee walked out alone, you could see how lonely she was since everyone else is paired off. For the teenager in mourning section, I had the group of kids surround Toffee so that she would be surrounded by the obnoxiousness of all the couples. Rules, Regulations, and Respect Principal Strict sees Toffee in mourning and tells her to snap out of it. She tells Toffee to forget about Jonny and praise the R s of education: rules, regulations, and respect. She tells Toffee that things like reading, rhyming, and rithmetic are good but nothing sticks like rules, regulations, and respect. Strict tells Toffee to shout the rules aloud and preach it in the cafeteria. Strict says that when kids go off the track, and a hoodlum sasses back, nothing puts them back on track like rules, regulations, and respect. Strict says she makes the rules, and the children are to obey. Strict says that day to day she is the boss, so you should do what your told when you are told what to do. Strict says to lead the forces into battle to ensure that everyone follows the rules, regulations, and has respect. The kids say that there is no breaking the rules. Strict says nothing helps a student make the grade like rules, regulations, and respect. Genre of the Dance in this Number: Gospel 31

35 Influence for the Dance Choice: I chose Gospel for this number because I felt that the musical styling of the number lent itself perfectly to the gospel church setting. When reading the lyrics, I chose phrases like preach it in the cafeteria and blessed are we who toil and labor, which I believed were in the vein of language that would be spoken by a preacher. I wanted to put Strict in the role of a preacher, because I wanted to give her another side as opposed to just a disciplinarian. For the dance, I had the ensemble moving in unison as if they were a dancing choir, with Strict in front with Toffee preaching her word. Blast from the Past The kids surround Toffee as if they are now zombies being controlled by Jonny. Jonny bursts out of the lockers and he is now a zombie come back to life. Jonny says he is a teenage zombie- a blast from the all too recent past. Toffee is terrified of Jonny. The kids, now as zombies, dance around Jonny while he sings. Jonny says he is a mutant, a living proton boom. Jonny says he is back like a demon from beyond the tomb. Jonny says he is back as a toxic student with a shocking tale- a blast from the all too recent past. Jonny asks Toffee if she missed her buried boyfriend. Jonny asks Toffee if she cries herself to sleep at night. Jonny tells Toffee to come kiss her monster mister. Jonny says he is a blast from the all too recent past. Toffee runs away and refuses to get back together with Jonny. Jonny is heartbroken. Genre of Dance in this Number: Pop Jazz- Based Off the Music Video Thriller by Michael Jackson Influence for the Dance Choice: I chose pop jazz dancing for this number giving it a feeling of Michael Jackson s Thriller music video. Because the kid s bodies are taken over by the force of Jonny Warner, I had the kids move like possessed mutant zombies around Toffee. The first part of the dance is very tough with hits on the floor and stomping foot movements. When Jonny breaks through the lockers, the kids went straight into a Jazz routine, with jazz pirouettes, leg lifts and kicks, and funky arm movements to keep the feel of the zombie atmosphere. When the music slows in the middle of the number, I had all the kids surround Jonny and advance towards Toffee together doing different movements. This gave off the appearance of Toffee being attacked by mutant zombies. That s the Beat for Me Eddie Flagrante is looking for a hit story for Expose Magazine. 32

36 Eddie starts describing some of the stories that he has printed in Expose. Eddies says his colleagues sometimes call him trash and sometimes he agrees. Eddie says he wants stories that are tamer than Playboy but bigger than Life - that s the beat for him. Josh enters and is working for Eddie as an assistant. Eddie thanks Josh for the story about Jonny Warner committing suicide. Josh tells Eddie that Jonny is now back from the dead as a nuclear zombie, and that Principal Strict will not allow him to graduate or attend the prom. Eddie says that he is now going to try to break the story. Genre of Dance in this Number: Tap Influence for the Dance Choice: I chose tap for this number because I thought that the musical styling of the song lent itself perfectly to tap rhythms, and I thought the idea of tapping secretaries and mail boys added an exciting element to a number that could just be blasé otherwise. Eddie did not tap, but the ensemble tapped all throughout the offices of Expose. Tap dancing is a great way to build the excitement of a number, and I knew I wanted to add it somewhere in the show, so this was a great place to do so. How Can I Say Goodbye Jonny is taken to the national television station to be interviewed by Eddie Flagrante on the air. Eddie is trying to get Jonny accepted back into school so that he can graduate. Eddie interviews Jonny live on the air, but Jonny starts to freeze up on camera. Eddie asks Jonny is he should follow his dreams or just say goodbye to love. Jonny goes to the microphone and sings how can I say goodbye to love? Jonny starts to sing his love for Toffee on national television. Jonny says that he could never say goodbye to his love for Toffee. Jonny says he will see it through to be with Toffee because he fought back hell for her. The Motorwise television guys jump in and act as Jonny s backup singers. Jonny says that Toffee is the only girl for her and he will never say goodbye to her love. Jonny tells toffee to think back on all the love they shared and tell him that it isn t over between them. Jonny tells Toffee to say that she ll be his wife, and that she will share his afterlife because he will never say goodbye to his love. Genre of the Dance in this Number: Doo-wop Dancing Based on Movements of the Four Seasons Influence for the Dance Choice: This number is the quintessential Four Seasons number. All the moves in this number were taken from the Four Season s songs Sherry, Walk Like a Man, Oh, What a Night, and Big Girls Don t Cry. The set-up is so perfect for this number with Jonny taking the role of the lead singer (Frankie Valli) and the Motorwise boys 33

37 taking the role of the backup singers. I also wanted this number to mimic the ladies taking the role of the Supremes in Jonny Don t Go. Expose Eddie Flagrante and Principal Strict meet in the hall of Enrico Fermi High on Prom night. Eddie makes an advance at Strict and she slaps him in the face. Flagrante asks Strict if she remembers when they were young and had an affair kissing in French class. Flagrante now brings up the fling that they had in glee club. Flagrante remembers when they were in high school together, having a rapturous love affair. Strict says Eddie tore him apart. Eddie says Strict stomped on his heart. They both say each other cast them away. Eddie then brings up the affair they had in art class. Strict says that Eddie liked to neck during football games, and that he would score a touchdown. Strict and Flagrante remember how exciting and thrilling it was to be together. They both remember how wonderful their affair was until the other cast them away. Genre of the Dance in this Number: Cha Cha Influence for the Dance Choice: I chose cha cha dancing for this number because it is very sensual and steamy, and with the number being all about the forbidden love between Eddie Flagrante and Principal Strict, I wanted something that would evoke the hidden passion between them. It was also a good chance to see sides of both of these characters that we have never witnessed before. I created the moves from a mixture of cha cha dance routines that I learned in my Social Dance class at Valdosta State University. Zombie Prom Jonny comes to the prom to be with Toffee even though he is forbidden. Principal Strict tries to throw Jonny out, but is stopped by Eddie Flagrante, who reveals that Jonny is the love child of Flagrante and Strict. Principal Strict confesses that she was in love with Flagrante and had a child out of wedlock whom she gave away. Principal Strict has a change in heart and now wants to be the mother of Jonny, and allow him back into school. The whole company sings about the magic that surrounds them with all the love in the room. They all say that the love between Jonny and Toffee was destined to be. The company says that they have made their life worth living for and here s to their zombie prom. 34

38 Toffee says that when she was a little girl, she used to fantasize about being at prom with a man she loves, and now she is. Jonny says that when he was a little boy he had big dreams of racing cars and chasing hopes, but after he died, his dreams changed and his dream now is to be with Toffee. Jonny tells Toffee that it is a tough world out there and he doesn t know if everyone will accept them as a couple. Toffee tells Jonny that she does not care what other people think of their relationship, and that as long as they are together, they can overcome anything. The kids sing about living every moment possible and thanking the lord that they have their dreams. All the kids sing to the years ahead and to their zombie prom. Genre of the Dance in this Number: Jazz Influence for the Dance Choice: For this number, I chose jazz dance moves. As the finale, this tune had to be filled with a huge energy leaving the audience full of excitement at the end of the show. This was the one number in the show that was danced by the entire cast. Performed in the Mondanaro Theatre, I needed to ensure that everyone would be able to do the dance moves to the largest of their ability while not looking cramped on the small stage. My influence for this number was You re the One that I Want from Grease. Toffee and Jonny mimicked the style of the Sandy and Danny moves, while the ensemble kids in Zombie Prom reflected the ensemble kids in Grease. There was a lot of synchronized dancing in this number as well as peel-offs between the guys and girls. Some dance moves included pirouettes, kick-ball changes, drag steps, the twist, the mashed potato, and grapevines. 35

39 PART 7: Rehearsal Journals Preparation for the Production Numbers An exciting element of Zombie Prom is that it can be looked at objectively and contain as many genres of dance as a choreographer would want to include. The first time I read the script, I had a number of ideas about linking several types of dance together under the styled umbrella of the 1950 s. When listening to each musical number, I create images in my head of how they should look. I also choose a specific image, color, or emotion as my model for the production number. When choreographing Rules, Regulations, and Respect, my image was of a large Baptist church gospel revival. Instead of Miss Strict being a principal singing, I wanted her to exude the appearance of a preacher spreading the good word. For Blast from the Past, I used Michael Jackson s Thriller music video as my inspiration for the choreography. All the moves were very tight with a jagged energy. I worked for a long time with the actors on their zombie body movements and facial expressions. I wanted the number to be as eerie as possible and Toffee s reaction to the number as horrifying as the girl in the Thriller music video. I chose to make That s the Beat for Me a tap number because the musical styling is a very jazzy fifties sound. It worked perfectly having the tap beats go side by side or in between these sounds. I felt including the secretaries tapping behind Eddie Flagrante would add swiftness to the number that is really not experienced otherwise. My vision for How Can I Say Goodbye was to make it as similar to the Four Season s choreography as possible. The Four Seasons were flawless at moving together at the same time, while giving off a sexy doo-wop style. I watched several video performances of the group and incorporated several of its moves into the number. For Expose I chose to do cha cha choreography. Salsa elicits strong sensuality that fits hand in 36

40 hand with the forbidden love theme between Strict and Flagrante. I chose the color red for this number as it symbolizes fire, heat, and passion. The finale, Zombie Prom, was based upon the film Psycho Beach Party. The film takes place in the 1950 s and has that rebellious teenager feel that Zombie Prom must have. I wanted the number to be as big and exciting as possible, capped off with an energy that would make the audience rise out of its seats. I choreographed the majority of the musical numbers before starting the rehearsal process. There were some sections that I had to adjust throughout, but for the most part, my original vision was fully realized in this production. Dance Rehearsal The first week and a half of the rehearsal process, the actors worked strictly on music, learning all their harmonies, solos, and duets. I wanted the actors to get a feel for the music before I got them on their feet to dance it. After the music rehearsals, we progressed strictly into the dance rehearsals for the next week and a half. The first two numbers I taught were Rules, Regulations, and Respect, and Blast from the Past, because they are the largest production pieces in Zombie Prom. Those two numbers alone entailed the entire the first week. Most of the actors were not trained dancers, so it took time to break down all the steps and ensure they stayed on the beat throughout the number. Upon completion of the two numbers, we started to intermix the rehearsal week with music, blocking, and dance rehearsals. This gave me the opportunity to work with smaller groups and address specific issues that were relevant to the choreography. We rehearsed the show over an eight week period, and by week six, we started having preliminary run-throughs of each act, and eventually full run-throughs. After running the acts or full show, Derek and I would give our notes, and then I would run any numbers that needed work. Week 37

41 eight was our tech week moving from the rehearsal classrooms into the theatre space proper. We spent the first two days spacing numbers onstage while doing a technical cue to cue for lights and sound. On the third day, we ran the show for spacing. Day four added costumes, hair, and makeup for the first dress rehearsal. On day five, the final dress rehearsal was run during the day, and the show opened that evening. Zombie Prom premiered on October 28, 2010 with a three day run through October 30. The show was performed in the Modanaro Theatre in Crites Hall at SCAD. All three performances were sold out and received a very strong and positive audience response. Reflection Having the opportunity to choreograph Zombie Prom at the Savannah College of Art and Design was a rewarding experience for me. It was certainly a challenge to choreograph this high energy musical in such a small space. Yet, through continuous work with the actors and the dedication of the technical crew, the audience was magically transported back in time to the 1950 s where the biggest dilemma facing any teenager was what to wear to prom. It is an understatement to say that Zombie Prom was a success. With capacity audiences each night, the cast received standing ovations for all three performances. At times it was certainly overwhelming, and seemed as if some numbers would not successfully work in the show. However, the entire cast and crew had the privilege of having two faculty advisors, Michael Wainstein and Kevin Wallace, sit in on and critique two rehearsals. Each was open to receiving any questions we had, and suggesting solutions to problems encountered with acting, spacing, and blocking. 38

42 An amazing crew of designers worked extremely hard to ensure that Derek s and my vision for the show was realized. The set captured the essential look of a 1950 s school hallway, and, in addition, other marvelous set pieces were created for location changes throughout the story. The makeup and costumes were exact replicas of 1950 s fashion, and the orchestrations played by Derek T. Pickens and Ronald King were masterful renditions of the Zombie Prom score. Now that Zombie Prom is over, I am able to look back and see the uniqueness of my thesis. Not many students have choreographed a musical for their graduate thesis project, so I was embarking on new waters, and creating a format that I believed could inspire as well as educate people regarding the process of choreographing a musical. Zombie Prom is not performed often, so it was wonderful to bring a musical to SCAD that not many people are familiar with. I love the 1950 s, a decade that I often wish I had experienced firsthand. It was important for me, therefore, to recreate the simplicity of that time which our world today sorely lacks. I wanted the audience to return to a world when a strong pride in family, country, and love really mattered, and the threat of shootings, terrorist attacks, and political ambushes were rarely an issue. I feel that when the audience members experienced Zombie Prom, they were able to enjoy a relaxing night at the theatre by way of a fun, and campy musical that teaches us to love and embrace people for their differences. Something I can take away from Zombie Prom is the experience of choreographing a musical in an academic setting. The time restrictions are much different when compared to choreographing a professional music theatre company. As a result, this exercise definitely helped refine my time management and scheduling skills. It was also wonderful to work with a full staff 39

43 of students on the production. It certainly is a testament to the talent of the student body at SCAD to produce a fully realized production on its own. I wish to thank SCAD and Third Act for giving students the opportunity to partake in such a venture. This experience was important to me as one of my career goals is to choreograph for professional musical theatre companies. Having the opportunity of working with actors and creating choreography is invaluable to my success as a choreographer. I am able to learn as much as the actors do about my dance technique throughout the process. This is yet another building block towards my personal exploration and subsequent development as a dancer and a creator of choreography. 40

44 Appendicies 41

45 Journal I 42

46 Journal II 43

47 Rehearsal Notes I 44

48 Rehearsal Notes II 45

49 Rehearsal Notes III 46

50 Production Photographs Rules, Regulations, and Respect ZOMBIE PROM Photo Credit: Jessi Gilbert Blast from the Past ZOMBIE PROM Photo Credit: Jessi Gilbert 47

51 That s the Beat for Me ZOMBIE PROM Photo Credit: Jessi Gilbert Jonny Don t Go ZOMBIE PROM Photo Credit: Jessi Gilbert 48

52 Isn t It Great ZOMBIE PROM Photo Credit: Jessi Gilbert Zombie Prom ZOMBIE PROM Photo Credit: Jessi Gilbert 49