Review/Interview: IT ALL COMES OUT IN THE WASH at Backlight Productions

It All Comes Out in the Wash, is a warm, humorous, and skillfully written story staged by Backlight Productions, Theater Arts for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. In this production, playwrights and songwriters from the songwriter and playwright classes collaborated to write a very moving, funny, and poignant musical about love, acceptance, reconnection, and finding your place in this world. The overarching theme is time, how we use time, and where the time goes. The songwriters shine in the great songs they wrote about time in Act 1 such as “My Time” “No Time Like the Present” and “Time Flies”.

We follow Nathan, a rambunctious teen who got into a little trouble with the law. Placed under house arrest, while his mom is away on business, Nathan is sent to his grandmother’s house. Pretty sure Grandma's house is going to be boring and monotonous; Nathan is in for the shock of his life when he discovers Grandma’s secret identity - not to mention the time machine she possesses. Soon all kinds of mystery and mayhem from the past, present, and future overtake the stage. And what’s going on with Grandma’s cat? How do Russian spies fit into this story? What is so beautifully clever about this production is that it takes us back and forth in time as the characters, in different stages of their lives, are woven into the storyline and interact with each other. There are some heartwarming touching moments you will tear up over and some great humor that will surprise you and tickle your funny bone.

Each cast member brought their own special touch to this production and skillfully brought their characters to life. This musical is a testament to the power of creativity and inclusion. The production showcases their unique perspective, voices, and stories, offering audiences an inspiring and enriching experience. It All Comes Out In the Wash is a celebration of those with special needs and the joy that comes from expressing themselves through, music, dance, and theater. Backlight Production’s approach to theater emphasizes the strengths and contributions of the creators while promoting a positive and inclusive message, and a safe space to let creative juices flow. I cannot express enough how important it is to support groups like this. Backlight Productions not only gives our friends with IDD a place to stage their talents but also offers a tremendous opportunity for awareness which fosters acceptance, understanding, and inclusion.  

Kudos the these amazingly talented people whose work I know we will continue to see for years to come.

Cast:

Nathan…………………………………..…Nathan Evans

Abigail……………………………..……….Christine Toole

Roz………………………………..………..Judy Scott

Young Roz……………………..………….Jordan Scott

Bobby…………………………..…………..DéYonté Jenkins

Jeff/Dean Martin…………………………..Teal Davis

Mr. Whiskers/Ensemble…………………..Sarah Jackson

Hank & Ivan/ Ensemble ………………….Jonah Turner

Benson & Sasha/ Ensemble …………….Joshua Waldrep

Young Abigail………………………………Aria Smith

Playwrights:

Tiffany Adams, Antonio Agholor, Danielle Agholor, Josh Ahlberg, Jack Croley, Alena Dingeldein, Tracey Griffin, Cyrus Hamidzadeh, Ethan Harrell, Chandler Matlock, Matt Moore, Zoey Tucker, Jordan Scott, Daniel Sheehan, Katie Redpath.

Songwriters:

Antonio Agholor, Danielle Agholor, Josh Ahlberg, Alex Balkon, Eli Blanks, Katie Henderson, Nelia Jose, Shannon Johnstone, Kendall Roth, Patrick Todd, Melissa Smith, Kayley Nell Walker.

Musical Collaborators/Arrangers

Always On My Mind & Interstellar Spy (Arranger) ..……………………Ming Aldrich-Gan

Time Flies (piano)……………………..……………………………………….…Tom Chester

My Time (Arranger)…………………………………………………………….…Nick Devitt

If History Repeats & Time with You (Co-Writer/Arranger)………………..…Landon Pigg

No Time Like the Present (Arranger)….……………………………………Zach & Maggie

Always On My Mind (Co-Writers)……………………………Riley Roth & Kyle Schlienger

It All Comes Out in the Wash is directed by Founder Mellisa Smith and Program Director Jordan Scott and choreographed by Elise Horecka.

Some folks graciously took the time to answer a few questions for our BroadwayWorld readers.

Melissa Smith, Founder

What is this musical about? The musical follows Nathan, a rebellious teenager who finds himself under court-ordered house arrest at the home of his estranged grandmother. While there, he uncovers many secrets including a time machine disguised as a washing machine. The story follows Nathan and his family through an intergalactic time-traveling adventure as they search for a moon rock with the power to save the world but find an even greater power in love and reconciliation.

Please walk us through how this production came together and how the songwriters and playwrights collaborated to create the storyline. This work was written in collaboration with students and instructors from Backlight Productions’ Playwriting and Songwriting classes. The Playwrights met weekly under the direction of Backlight’s Program Director, Jordan Scott, to develop the storyline, characters, and dialogue. Student playwrights contributed through various forms of communication based on their abilities. Some can contribute through writing of their own, or verbal contributions. Some students share their ideas through typing or drawing pictures. At Backlight, no idea is a “bad idea” so every playwright had their ideas represented throughout the story with instructors aiding in tying all of the ideas together into a cohesive product. Each week, the Playwrights would update their progress into a shared document for our Songwriting class. The Songwriters met weekly under my direction to determine where songs would be best suited within the story. We discussed the style of music that would be suited to the character singing the song and explored key elements of those genres. Then through rhyming exercises, role play, journaling, and discussions about the themes of the story, the songs took shape. Once scratch tracks were created for each song, we sent them to local musicians/arrangers/orchestrators who created enhanced arrangements and instrumental accompaniment tracks to be used for the final product. Finally, when the play was complete, we brought in professional actors to bring it to life in a dramatic reading for our debut performance. 

Playwrights

Instead of a play, why was this made into a musical?  Where did you get the idea for the storyline?

Zoey Tucker Because it combined the efforts of the songwriters and the playwriters, we thought it would be a fun way to tell the story. Someone had the idea of exploring the plot line that was like “Anything can happen at grandma’s house”. there is a lot of crazy stuff that happens. Another idea was the outer space and secret agent idea to add that in.

Tiffany Adams Because we wanted to make a Broadway musical! We wanted to tell a story about how supportive parents are for their kids.

Songwriters

What song was your favorite and why? What does it mean to you to be a part of this production?

Shannon Johnstone “Interstellar Spy” because it was very fun and very spy-like. it captured the character. It was very fun to collaborate with different people and see it all come together on stage. I was honored to see our creation come to life. I can’t wait to do more songwriting next season!

Kendall Roth “My Time” - because I love the melody. To have fun with friends and get to be a songwriter.

Patrick Todd I can create something new with my peers that everyone can enjoy.

Tracey Griffin I like the relationships I have built and the friends I have made. It was so neat to come up with ideas and collaborate with everyone.

Melissa

Please share how Backlight Productions was created. Backlight Productions began in 2011 at a thrift store where I worked as an aide to employees with intellectual and developmental disabilities while simultaneously teaching music and directing musicals on the side. I would hear from my friends at the store about how much they would love to be on the stage but the only opportunities they received were very small, without hope of ever getting to play the parts they dreamed of playing someday. In response to this, I decided to write a little rendition of the fairytale “Cinderella” for my friends at the store to star in. I added a little piano score, we pulled props and costumes from around the store, practiced when we got off work, and performed it for about 40 people in a classroom at a local church. The music played from the speakers in my laptop and Cinderella was taken to the ball in a little red wagon but, at the end of it, people were in tears. After this I told everyone to invite their friends and that we would do it again and use the store to rehearse when it was closed. From this point, the concept began to snowball, becoming a non-profit organization in 2013 and now a full arts program with upwards of 70 artists of all ages with IDD in the program at a given time, performing at some of the most acclaimed theaters in town alongside arts professionals using their gifts to put someone else in the spotlight.

What types of shows do you do? Backlight currently offers the following performance opportunities: Theater, Musical Theater, Improv Comedy, Dance, Music/Songwriting, Glee Club (song & dance), and Playwriting.

How important are these programs to those with IDD?  I believe the power of the arts is that it reveals the unseen potential of what something/someone could be. Too often are individuals with disabilities limited to diagnoses, stereotypes, and expectations. Art provides a form of communication for everyone at even the most basic level. Through theater, music, and dance, we can create opportunities for individuals of every ability level and provide them with a safe and supportive environment to grow in skills, confidence, purpose, and joy that translates into every other area of their lives. At Backlight, individuals with IDD are given opportunities to prove to themselves and the world that they are capable and, through repeated periods of hard work and success, with a community of consistent friends and mentors by their side, their overall quality of life is drastically improved.

How can people with IDD get involved? People with disabilities can get involved by signing up for classes at backlightproductions.org. Currently, classes are held in Brentwood, TN, but we have just opened our first class in Nashville to begin building the student base for another chapter. We are also in the initial phases of franchising in hopes of spreading the model of the organization so that these opportunities can be made available to artists across the country.

How can the public help? Everything we do at Backlight, we seek to do in partnership with our community. We involve professional actors, musicians, and dancers in every performance we have. We are always in need of full production teams and countless volunteers working backstage and onstage to support our actors during productions. We involve classroom volunteers working as 1:1 aides, running lines with actors, teaching workshops, giving speech therapy, and more. We have volunteer carpenters who help build our sets and both individuals and companies whose employees work together to build props. We also partner with local schools and youth theaters to involve them in our productions and create new experiences that allow kids to practice kindness and empathy through working with our Backlight artists. Finally, we need business professionals to advise and guide the company through growth and make the public aware of its existence so it can reach the people who need it. Any volunteer inquiries can be sent to info@backlightproductions.org.

What do you see for the future of this program? Our vision is for others across the country to be able to create a Backlight Productions chapter where they are at, utilizing the model and learning from the years of experience we have from creating it. In this way, we would love for Backlight Productions to be available on a larger scale to expand opportunities for both artists with IDD and the arts community as a whole.

What is on your wish list? We need a space. Our program is growing quickly, and we have grown out of our current space where we sub-lease. Our long-term dream is to be the resident theater company at a 500-seat theater in a central location. It is extremely difficult for our students to rehearse at one location for 8 months and then rehearse only one time on the actual performance stage before the show. Ideally, our rehearsal space would be connected to the theater at which we perform. But our short-term goal is for simply a large and accommodating rehearsal space of our very own to house the consistent increase in class offerings and sizes.

Is there anything else you would like to add? Backlight makes a tremendous difference in the lives of individuals with IDD, but it also is life-changing for the professional artists who come through our doors. As a performing artist, you become accustomed to hearing that you “aren’t good enough”, you “don’t have what it takes” or something of the like. Many times artists come through our doors and you can sense the wounds that they carry from a lifetime of this. But, at Backlight, they find a place of respite and healing as they are immersed in a culture where your performance in comparison to others does not define your value. At Backlight, everyone gives everything they can from what they have to offer and that is enough to be used for great and wonderful things. I love how Backlight affirms people to be confident in who they are and whatever they have to give and reminds artists of why they fell in love with the arts in the first place - no competition, no overwhelming pressure, just beauty, and joy.

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