I’ve mentioned the project affectionately called Asplode many times now but I’ve never really told you anything about it. In fact, the #1 most asked question I got throughout both this and last year’s NaNoWriMo was, “No, seriously, what’s your book about?” because I could never give a good answer. So, to anyone who’s curious what this project is about, I’m going to try to explain. This could be long.

You’re going to find it funny that I rarely talk about this book on the blog after you read this because it’s an overwhelming majority of the writing I’ve done this year and pretty much all I think about. You see, guys… this book is the bane of my existence. I’m hoping to help you understand why by giving you a little history.  Continue Reading »

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It’s pretty darn cold out there right now so it’s hard to remember that Spring is right around the corner. For schools, this means you’ll need to start thinking about your next musical. But money is tight everywhere and musicals can be so expensive… if only you had something that could showcase a large number of students and a wide variety of talent without all the extra costs of a musical.

Have you considered The Love of Three Oranges? It’s not a musical but it has many of the same elements of the usual staples and it’s less than half the cost to perform! Let me explain why ditching the show tunes for the trio citrus can not only save your school big bucks… it may actually be a better fit for your student cast.

1. Emphasis on the ensemble instead of a single male and female lead. Wouldn’t it be nice not to have the tears and drama when you post the cast list? There are not only up to 16 major roles, the play is written so that each character gets their moment to steal the scene and take the spotlight. Instead of having to turn away budding talent, you’ll be able to showcase as many students as possible to nurture your drama program for years to come.
2. Flexible cast size and gender ratio. You can’t really predict your audition turn out. Need more female roles? Less? No problem! Most of the roles are written to easily be played by either gender. Need to increase or decrease the cast size? Not only can several of the speaking roles be played by the same actors if need be, the ensemble (think of it as a non-singing chorus) can be as large or as small as you need to include everyone you want to include.
3. Opportunity to showcase a variety of talents including puppetry, dance, juggling and, yes… music and singing. One of the best things about the show is that there are multiple scenes that leave room for you and your cast to get creative. Many schools have inserted musical moments in past productions so the opportunity is there if you want to highlight a particular vocal talent without having to pay for a whole score. But beyond music, it’s a great chance to highlight unusual skills your students don’t normally get to show off.  Have a tumbler in your ranks? A gymnast? How about a ventriloquist, song writer or musician? The extra flexibility lets you play to the strengths of your cast, instead of trying to cram them into a show they may not be a good fit for.
4. Teenager (not to mention curriculum) friendly. I was a student actor. The old standards like Rogers and Hammerstein et al are… dated. Sure, I have the same affection for those old shows as any theatre alumni but, when I was actually in them as a teen? They felt like ancient history even then. Three Oranges gives you the opportunity to update the show as much as you want so your cast can relate more closely to the material they are putting on. Even better? Think of the lesson plan tie-ins! Commedia dell’arte, puppetry, comedy, Italian theatre… A wide variety of teachers can require their classes to attend for the educational tie-in giving you even more audience. You won’t get that with yet another production of Carousel!

In short, Three Oranges gives you many of the things you love about a musical… while eliminating many of the things you don’t. You aren’t just being thrifty with your budget without sacrificing that musical feel… you’re giving your actors meatier material to work with and a show your audience hasn’t already seen hundreds of times.

Still not sold? You can read the play for free on the Playscripts website and decide for yourself if it’ll be a good fit.

Looking for something to do with your NaNoWriMo novel? What about that novel you wrote years ago that’s just been taking up space in a drawer?

The Amazon 2012 Breakthrough Novel Award Contest (good grief, what a redundant name) is now open for entries! This contest is free to enter and open to adult and YA, unpublished and self-published novels. The deadline to enter is midnight on February 5th, though they only take the first 5,000 entrants in each category so you’ll want to get your entry in as soon as possible to make sure that you don’t miss out. The prize is not only a large cash advance but a publishing deal with Penguin so it’s a great opportunity to get your book in front of a variety of editors and publishers.

If you decide to enter, let us know below so we can keep our fingers crossed for you!