I Know

"I Know" from Backstage, performed by Alyssa Lucero & Analise Rosario at the Composer/Lyricist Cabaret at Phoenix Theatre, May 13th, 2017

Behind the scenes with the tech crew of a high school drama club, it quickly becomes clear that not all the drama happens on the stage.

This musical is the ultimate backstage pass! Take a look behind the curtain during the production of a high school show. From the first rehearsal til when the show ends, the technical crews, design crews, and stage hands (aka Techies) work tirelessly- and anonymously- to make everything perfect for the audience. And sometimes what happens behind the scenes- the stuff you never see- is better than the show itself! See for yourself as you watch the goofiness, the works-in-progress, the blow-ups and the melt-downs. In this comedy rich with intertwined personal situations, you’ll find that not all the drama takes place on the stage.

Backstage is a comedy in two acts.

 

PRODUCTIONS/RECOGNITION:

Full Production mounted in 2012 at the Hard Rock Café in Phoenix, AZ (Book No Book Productions)

Full Production mounted in 2013 at Desert Rose Theatre in Phoenix, AZ (Skilderverse Productions)

Special Assembly show in 2013 at Marcos De Niza High School in Tempe, AZ (Skilderverse Productions)

Encore Performance in 2013 at Canyon Moon Theatre in Sedona, AZ (Skilderverse Productions)

 

REVIEWS/TESTIMONIALS:

 

"I remember after going through the first round of music as a group, everything pieced together seamlessly and the lyrics and overlaps were genius! She has a vision to her productions and it's a vision that when well executed, is a production that never fails to impress the crowd." (Lyn D., "Backstage" cast member) 

"The cast was delightful, the writing was refeshing and relatable, the acting was heart warming, dancing was exciting, and the musical numbers were worth encore. We LOVED it." ("Backstage" audience member) 

Break Down

Cast/Set Requirements and Production Details

Backstage is in two acts and lasts approximately two hours. 


CAST SIZE: 11-16


PRINCIPALS
4 Women
3 Men

FEATURED
1 Woman
2 Men

ENSEMBLE
Becky, Lisette, Sarah, Joe, Actors


CHARACTERS

CHARLIE: A sweet, earnest techie with low self-esteem

DEX: The strong, thick-skinned props master and Charlie's sister. She is five months pregnant.

KAT: The free-spirited, mischievous costume designer.

MICHELLE: The judgmental, religious set designer. She never holds back from saying what she thinks.

SHANE: The lighting designer and Charlie's best friend. He is a bit insensitive and tends to make the wrong choices. 

CODY: The endearingly awkward sound designer. He is usually quiet, because he tends to babble/say the wrong thing when he talks.

TRISTAN: In charge of hair and make-up and some choreography. He is friendly, caring, and very observant. He acts as the 'listening ear' for everyone in the drama club.

BECKY: The blunt, no-nonsense stage manager.

ARIANNA: Shane's egotistical, rude ex-girlfriend.

PIKE: Tristan's boyfriend and the lead actor in the 'musical'.

GABE: A popular jock who is not in the drama club. 

LISETTE/SARAH/JOE: Actors who interact with the techies/crew.

 

Set Requirements

SPECIFIC LOCATIONS
Backstage
Costume/Scene shop
Green Room
Outside


Minimum Production Requirements

MINIMUM CAST REQUIREMENTS
 
7 WOMEN
Charlie
Dex
Kat
Michelle
Arianna
Becky/Lisette
Sarah
 
4 MEN
Shane/Joe
Cody
Tristan
Pike/Gabe

*  MINIMUM SET REQUIREMENTS
Backstage
Costume/Scene shop
Green Room

 

Requesting Rights

The Perusal Packet is free, and it contains a full synopsis, script excerpt and sheet music excerpt. Email jamie.maletz@gmail.com to request one.

Jamie Elizabeth Maletz is a composer/lyricist, bookwriter, and producer of new works of musical theater. In New York, her works have been featured at Lincoln Center, Feinstein's/54 Below, NYU, Dixon Place, Under St Marks Theater, and Broadway Night at Prohibition. She received her MFA from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU Tisch. Maletz has written 12 full-length original musicals, most of which have received workshops/readings or productions in New York and Arizona. As a composer/lyricist, Jamie has studied with Mindi Dickstein, William Finn, Rachel Sheinkin, Michael John LaChiusa, Steven Lutvak and Sybille Pearson. Jamie is the Administrative Assistant for Maestra Music Organization, and she writes the Women Who Wow Us series for the Maestra blog. She is also the Events Coordinator for Ring of Keys and the Technical Director for the American Popular Song Society. Jamie has worked as an intern with Tom Viertel/The Commercial Theater Institute and Ken Davenport.

She is a member of The Off-Broadway League, Maestra, ASCAP, The Dramatists Guild of America, and Fractured Atlas.

Maletz received her BA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2011, where she designed her own major: Creative Writing and Composition for the Performing Arts. She spent her high school years at Boston Arts Academy, a performing arts high school from which she graduated as Valedictorian.

She is a monster enthusiast & mythology nerd, she loves board games, and she is a photographer/videographer whose favorite models are her two cats, Artemis and Batman. 

 

 

No pressure, but please consider donating to support Jamie's ongoing projects:

  • The New Works Choir 
  • Semi-regular concerts presenting new works of musical theater
  • Development of the full-length musical The Valley, written by Jamie Maletz and Eric Fegan

Every little bit helps!

 

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