From thin air : the creation of a new American musical

Abstract

During the fall of 2011 and spring of 2012, each MFA candidate began work on solo theatre projects ranging in a wide array of topics and genres. The goal was not to present a complete piece of theatre necessarily, but begin work on a project that could continue as we left LSU. Instead of constructing a solo piece, the faculty and I agreed that I could begin work on a multi-actor script based on the concept of setting a collection of country songs close friends of mine wrote as a new musical. I would create the story, write as much of the script as I could, explore character development, and set and edit the songs. I would then summarize the story and character struggles, using my solo performance as an audience introduction to my work, telling the story, playing guitar and singing the songs of what I titled, Lonesome Time. This thesis will serve as a diary of sorts for my project and examine the connection and influence writing had on my acting