Wordy Wednesday: CHOREOGRAPHY

Every winter, I have the pleasure of choreographing a musical for the local elementary school.  The project begins with an audition for fifth and sixth graders looking to be cast in leading roles (younger kids are in ensembles and don't have to audition).

As the choreographer, I don't cast parts, but I do have to provide the director with information on kids' dance abilities.  I have a code: N-non-dance role; C-capable & coordinated; S-solo material.  I don't like boiling down everything I see (joy, potential, eagerness, effort) into a single letter but it's got to be done, just like books, in the end, get positive or negative reviews.  It's a tough part of the artistic life.

That said, I try to make the audition fun--to help kids forget their insecurities and show me what they can do if they let themselves go and focus on dancing.  I want to share the joy of moving and help them realize how much they can express onstage without saying a word.

What does this have to do with writing?  When I find myself in a "telling-not-showing" trap, I get up and dance the scene or play-act a dialogue.  I bring my writing to a "stage" where I can reconnect physically with my characters.

I love working with young performers--watching their excitement heighten as opening night approaches and their mastery of the material strengthens.  It's a microcosm of so many experiences they'll have in their lives, be they performers or engineers, lawyers or chefs.  Their story is my story.  Our story.

KNUFFLE BUNNY -- THE MUSICAL!

You heard it. Mo Willems adapted his fantabulous picture book himself and it's onstage now at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Check out the great Washington Post review.

For decades, the Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences has been producing wonderful shows, including stage adaptations of many literary works, both through seasonal programming and their daring New Visions, New Voices festival which is only a week away!

As someone who writes novels set in the world of the performing arts, I delight in seeing such cross-disciplinary explorations: Creating movement with words; acting out illustrations; expanding narrative with songs; using text to reflect jazz rhythms; dramatizing a book like KNUFFLE BUNNY with its pre-verbal protagonist; and showing how stories can live in so many ways.

In my own work, I have found playwriting classes to be very useful in helping me refine dialogue in prose pieces. Reading aloud, giving the words sound and performance quality, is an essential part of my revision process.  It is also a key element for many good author appearances, drawing in kids who may have struggled to connect with the words on the page. Some authors with whom I work even provide a mini "script" for school appearances so that educators can better prepare their students and get excited for the fun they will be having, or bring puppets, instruments or other creative props to incorporate audiences into their presentations.

Something to consider for the weekend: What role does PERFORMANCE play in your writing process or in your approach to author appearances?