Seeking a creative team for "Walk in the Day"

[bnewman]

I'd like to get my Quaker science fiction action/adventure musical, Walk in the Day, into shape to be actually performed at various events in the next year or so. I'll need several different kinds of help from a lot of people, including of course a complete (and most likely distinct) cast for each event.

Here's the plan.

I'd like to arrange productions of Walk in the Day at any combination of the following events:

• Conflikt (January — Seattle, WA)
• Boskone (February — Boston, MA)
• Swarthmore Alumni Weekend (June — Swarthmore, PA)
• Contata (July — Parsippany, NJ)
• Renovation (August — Reno, NE)
• OVFF (October — Columbus, OH)
• Philcon (November — Cherry Hill, NJ)

For most of these events I have not yet made any kind of contact with the organizers to see if Walk in the Day can be part of the official program. For Conflikt and Boskone, I have made inquiries, and it seems rather likely that I'll be able to do it at those cons if it's ready in time. Each of these productions will need someone (besides me) to manage the production and make sure everything gets done.

Each production will need a cast. Performers will need to be able to sing and read dramatically, but (for reasons discussed below) don't need to be stage actors. Most songs feature multiple characters trading lines back and forth conversationally, each following the same melody in the same key. We'll also need instruments, which could be guitar/melody instrument/percussion, or a piano, or any other arrangement that can provide a soundscape of about that level of richness.

The script I have is a very rough draft. I'm looking for some readers to look over it (and subsequent drafts) and help me polish it. I'm particularly looking for people who can help with characters incongruously speaking in the author's voice, with plot logic, and with cultural sensitivity/appropriation issues.

Right now, the music for Walk in the Day exists in my head, as scratch MP3s, and as fakebook leadsheets with chords. I remember more or less where to put the capo for each song when I'm singing it. I'll need help arranging and transcribing the music for the cast's various voices, as well as orchestrating a few inter-scene instrumental bits.

I'd love to see Walk in the Day really staged, someday, but staging it right would involve a lot of costuming and effects and OMG the lighting design... anyway, no. The first round of performances will be produced as recitations, in a concert format, rather than staged. I am considering a visual component that could be presented as a slideshow or simple animation — this could be part of, or prelude to, my eventual plan to publish the book of the musical as a graphic novel with CD insert. I'm looking for an illustrator. The style I have in mind is a stark chiaroscuro reminiscent of Ursula Vernon's Digger.

I'm also looking for someone who can remind me of any important assistance I should be looking for but have neglected to mention above.

If you're interested in helping out in any of these capacities, please comment here. This is for real this time. I'm really looking forward to making Walk in the Day happen with your help.

Comments

[emp42ress.livejournal.com]

I'd be happy to sing or play fiddle at Boskone, as long as you don't want too much in the way of rehearsing before Arisia. I'm a mezzo, happiest in the alto/high tenor range. I also have a band (Stranger Ways) consisting of fiddle, guitar and drums, along with singers (one of whom is not playing) that might be recruitable if that's a useful arrangement. I'd have to talk to them, of course.