FAQs

Totally. You are encouraged to recruit, audition and cast the show to reflect the whole range of gender, racial, cultural, social, ethnic and religious identities available to you. The exception being that only Favor needs to look somewhat like her mother, Joy; she definitely does NOT look like Fearagon, the father who helped raise her.

The show uses the talent of a few leads but spreads the performance opportunities to chorus voices as well. On a college or university campus, for example, support roles and Words/Café Customers can include members of vocal ensembles such as choruses, show choirs and a cappella groups.

Favor – legit; Money – belter; Bob – high baritone or tenor; Fearagon –mature character; Zero – rocker; Parts of Speech – character voices; Joy – sweet and warm; Love – pop; Freedom – rocker.

Two Bad Words and eight Parts of Speech

Eight

The tuneful songs trigger events and spin the story forward from crisis to closure. Persons auditioning for Favor, Money, Love and Freedom should be able to dance as well as sing; all other performers in the show will enjoy movement that reflects their character in the moment of the song.

The bulk of the show takes place during a dream about happenings in the World of Word’s capital city of Wordtopia. In that context there is a Café SL, a Plaza in the center, and a raised Office of the Grand Alpha SR. The Office is completely open; a large window area facing the Plaza and Café is assumed. The vignette trucks are minimal and rolled out in front of a black scrim.

Proscenium and thrust. The proscenium stage highlights the countervailing contrast between the Office of the Grand Alpha on one side and Café Emptyvia on the other. A thrust stage will give the Plaza (between the aforementioned Office and Café) more prominence and will afford space for the vignette trucks.

What’s most essential is that each Word character has their Word name appear on their apparel in large words able to be read from a distance.

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This two-act full-length show runs two-and-a-half hours.

Yes. From family to neighborhood to nation and world, we best sustain ourselves through an equitable economy and a culture empowered by love and freedom.

Since there is no Broadway version (yet!) to which your production will be compared, the artistic director can grant each department a significant amount of creative participation in mounting the production.

An entertaining exploration of which words mean the most to us, and what would happen if those words went missing in our worlds of business, education, politics and culture.