TIME ELECTRICITY CHOICE
RISK GROWTH FALL
HEARTBREAK MOMENT HOPE
SPARK UNIVERSE SUSPENDED PURPOSE
SHORT SYNOPSIS
Falling Forward is a dark, contemporary song cycle that navigates it’s way through the lives of a group of 6 people over 6 months. Exploring personal limits by risking everything to move forward within these interrelationships - our characters deal with contemporary heartache, love, freedom, depression, infidelity, suicide, hope and intrinsic connectedness.
“Sometimes you have to fall to move forward. Sometimes you have to hurt to even know you’re alive”.
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN
SARAH
- Lead, age 25-35, strong contemporary pop/rock singer who is an excellent actor, belter (F3-F5)
- Sarah is an ambitious dreamer. Sarah is at a crossroads with her relationship with Scott and the pursuit of her dreams.
SCOTT
- Lead, age 30s, strong contemporary pop/rock singer who is an excellent actor, (C3-G4)
- Strong, handsome, in control. Loves Sarah but questions his failing connection to her.
ADAM
- Lead, age 25-35, strong contemporary pop/rock singer who is an excellent actor, belter (< B4)
- Sarah's brother. Has just come out and is self-assured. Adam is in pursuit of the man of his dreams.
JOSH
- Supporting, 25-35, unique contemporary pop/rock singer with gorgeous falsetto, who is an
excellent actor (< A4 belt, C5 falsetto)
- A happy dreamer hiding depression on the inside. Adam's love interest.
DANIEL
- Supporting, age 25-40, strong contemporary pop/rock singer who is an excellent actor (<A4 belt)
- Sarah's work colleague and Josh's older brother. Has a crush on Sarah.
AMY
- Supporting, age 25-35, strong contemporary pop/rock singer who is an excellent actor, (<D5)
- Kind and confident. Scott's "other woman" and Josh's friend.
FULL SYNOPSIS
At present, there is a very basic full synopsis written for Falling Forward. Being a song cycle, the narrative synopsis was manifested in the form of a song map or timeline table. There is no script at present, just the songs, the characters who sing them, their interrelationships and how they are affected by the moments in each song and - the song map. The below synopsis is definitely not set in stone, with plenty of room for development. At the moment, each "scene" is a song. Each song acts as a marker in the synopsise; a kind of window flash into the storyline of our characters. The audience is presented with these windows of a timeline to decipher and connect the dots with.
Please note: The character names on this original song map have since changed to the names listed in the above character breakdown. The below synopsis deciphering of this map will use the updated names.
(c) 2017 Katie Weston Music
DECIPHERING THE SONG MAP - Synopsis
FAR LEFT COLUMN: Characters
BOTTOM ROW: Months 1-6 of the storyline
PROLOGUE:
All characters are on stage in some kind of limbo. They sing FALLING FORWARD as a kind of anthem to that moment when time freezes at a single decision point that will change the course of one's future. FALLING FORWARD could be the voices in the heads of our characters as their life flashes before their eyes in an attempt to rationalise the fear of falling down.
MONTH 1:
Adam has just come out and is now ready to find the man of his dreams. No more hiding. He knows who he is and he's owning every piece of it. Now all he needs is his prince...HE'S OUT THERE.
Sarah feels trapped. She loves Scott but wasn't put on this earth to be mediocre. She needs SOMETHING MORE.
Scott confronts Sarah about her new plans travel. He loves her but is losing connection...IF I CAN FOLLOW.
MONTH 2:
Josh and Amy are catching up at a bar. They tell each other about their respective NEW GUY . Josh tells Amy that his new guy has just come out (Adam) and Amy tells Josh that her guy is perfect, she just can't figure out what he's hiding (Scott).
MONTH 3:
Daniel has decided to take the risk and write Sarah a text message to tel her how he feels about her. He begins the message as casually he can with HEY THERE.
One night, Josh shows Adam the most amazing things and makes him feel alive. Although questioning glimpses of Josh's darker side, Adam falls in love...LAST NIGHT.
Scott and Sarah reunite, promise to TRY AGAIN and find compromise and trust to save the relationship. However, Scott still keeps his secret about Amy.
MONTH 4:
Time has passed. Amy convinces herself that Scott is the one...THIS IS REAL.
Adam and Josh are so happy, or so it seems. They elope to a hilltop at midnight and sing to the universe...STARDUST.
MONTH 5:
A figment of Josh sings about his darkness...EULOGY (Part 1). Daniel and Amy give eulogies at Josh's funeral...EULOGY (Part 2). Adam confronts that fact that Josh has committed suicide...EULOGY (Part 3).
Sarah knows about Amy. She confronts Scott at the edge of the their relationship falling apart...THE EDGE OF US.
Scott admits his mistakes but declares his relationship with Sarah over and that self preservation wins....(#13)
MONTH 6:
Broken, Sarah is in a dark place. Adam has been there to. They reassure each other that it's okay not to feel okay, that there is a light, a hope that connects us all...ONE SMALL SPARK.
FINALE:
All characters return to the stage to find hope again.
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