Interview: For the Creators of The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts' World Premiere Musical, THE KIDS' TABLE isn't Such a Bad Place to Be.

When arts in education institutions produce musicals, they tend to stick with titles that everyone is likely to recognize. For the past 25 years DC's very own The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts has produced musicals that fall into this category - for example, Pippin and Jesus Christ Superstar with their Musical Theatre Institute for Teens, as well as other lesser known shows like Side Show - but what other teen program has embarked on the journey of premiering a new show? None that I know of, which is why I keep on singing The Theatre Lab's praises.

This week, Theatre Lab goes where it hasn't gone before as it presents the world premiere of The Kids' Table, a new musical written by Theatre Lab's co-founder Buzz Mauro (music, lyrics, and co-director with Theatre Lab's other co-founder Deb Gottesman) and esteemed local playwright Renee Calarco (book and lyrics). The production runs for four performances only starting this Thursday, July 20th and going through Saturday, July 22nd. Performances are at 7:30 PM with an additional 2:00 PM matinee on the 22nd.

As you read this interview with the show's creators, you will see this is no ordinary musical.

Avid DC theatergoers most likely know playwright Renee Calarco's name as the writer of such as The Religion Thing, G-d's Honest Truth, and The 12 Days of Christmas. Her plays have been produced at such prestigious local and regional theatres as Theater J, Adventure Theatre, Pinky Swear Productions, and The Welders (founding member). She also teaches playwriting and comedy improv for the Theatre Lab.

If you've been around DC theatre for awhile then you know that besides being a passionate arts educator, Buzz Mauro is an accomplished performer. His credits include Sweeney Todd and Saturday Night at Signature Theatre, A Man of No Importance at Keegan Theatre, and 1776 at Ford's Theatre. At Theatre Lab he's co- directed and or musical directed such productions as Jane Eyre, The Secret Garden, Violet, Bat Boy, and most recently, Chess. You can see him on Netflix in your very own living room or on your personal electronic devices in the documentary How I Got Over which is about Life Stories, one of Theatre Lab's signature programs.

For 25 years The Theatre Lab has been kicking things up a notch in the arts in education game. The Kids' Table is a prime example of why the organization continues to flourish. Deb Gottesman once said to me something like "There's nothing wrong with Annie, but we want to challenge our performers with material that might not be as familiar to them."

There are plenty of theatrical choices in DC over the summer, but if you want to say you were there at the premiere of a new work that was presented by all teens, consider getting your seats to sit at The Kids' Table at The Theatre Lab. You've got an established and revered playwright teaming up with a champion of challenging arts in education programming and a director whose passion for the best possible end product is awe inspiring. I'd say that's a darn good sales pitch, wouldn't you?

Where did the idea for The Kids' Table come from and who brought the idea to whom?

Renee: Buzz approached me, asking if I'd want to collaborate with him on a new musical for the Musical Theatre Institute for Teens. I said yes immediately; I love the Theatre Lab and have taught there for years. And I love Buzz and Deb. After I said yes, the panic set in-not only had I never written a musical, but I don't read music.

It was important for us to set the show in a location that believably could accommodate a whole bunch of teens. We thought about setting it at a summer camp, on an overseas volunteer program, and a few other locations that escape me at the moment. I thought it might be fun to set the story around a dinner table because inevitably the most awful, hilarious, and heartbreaking things happen there. Or maybe I've just revealed too much about my personal life.

Buzz: I've been wanting to write a full-length musical for a long time, and The Theatre Lab's 25th anniversary seemed like a good opportunity to do something special in our Musical Theatre Institute for Teens. So, I approached Renee, whose work I've always admired, and she signed on in the first phone call! At that point, I just knew I wanted it to be something that would give kids lots to do, hopefully playing characters their own age, and I wanted it to have lots of casting flexibility, including the possibility of "gender-blind" casting.

How long was it between the initial idea to final production?

Renee: Eighteen months?

Buzz: Yes, a year and a half.

Buzz, when putting on a production The Theatre Lab prides itself on giving its participants an experience that is as close to what they would encounter in a professional setting. Because The Kids' Table is a new musical was the process even more intense than usual?

Absolutely. We tried to have the script and score in the best possible shape by the time we began with the kids, but there's really no way to do a brand new show without wanting to do rewrites after you get into rehearsals, and we didn't stop ourselves. So, the kids have had to deal with text and music changes in addition to all the usual challenges of mounting a complex and difficult show. And we didn't "write down" to the kids in the least. The show is quite sophisticated and makes unusual demands of the performers, in both the acting and the singing, but we knew our kids would be able to handle it, and they're doing a spectacular job.

Renee, can you please give us a short synopsis of The Kids' Table?

It's Thanksgiving. An elusive, wisecracking, great-grandma has summoned her enormous brood of great-grandkids to make a big announcement. Seated around an endlessly long "kids' table," cousins clash with cousins and siblings with siblings as they vie to find their rightful places in the family--and in the world.

Buzz- How do you best describe your musical scoring for The Kids' Table?

I basically tried to write music that seemed to me appropriate for the characters and the situations, so most of it is what you would probably just call contemporary musical theatre stuff, maybe a little 'Sondheim-y'. A few of the songs have an old-fashioned swing feel to them because the influence of the kids' great-grandmother is an important element of the show

The Kids' Table has the unique quality of being possibly the first musical where the roles are not gender-specific. Was this a conscious choice when you started to create the piece?

Renee: Absolutely. We knew this right from the beginning.

Buzz: It was important from the beginning, for a couple of reasons. We're always looking for shows that can provide good opportunities for lots of girls, because like most teen programs, we tend to get more girls than boys. And such shows can be hard to find. So, one option would be to write a show that would require a lot of girls, but another solution would be a show that could be cast without reference to gender. And I've always been drawn to that somewhat radical idea, because it would force the show away from any possible tendency to perpetuate the gender stereotypes that are still so prevalent in our society and in musicals in particular. So, we wanted a show where we could cast the best people who came out, and where the people would not be defined first and foremost by their gender. I knew it would present certain challenges in the composition - not knowing if I was writing for a boy or a girl - but key changes are easy to do nowadays, so it hasn't been that bad, and it's been an interesting part of the puzzle.

Buzz, this year, Theatre Lab is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Was presenting a world premiere musical something that was planned for this occasion?

Yes. We've been putting a special emphasis this year on celebrating what we think is best about The Theatre Lab, and inclusivity and professionalism are two of our most important values. So, in some ways the perfect anniversary project would be to give kids a chance to work on a brand new musical - something only professionals usually get a chance to do, and not often - and one with an especially inclusive casting philosophy.

Renee, do you find writing specifically for teens is harder than writing for adults and was it one of the big reasons you wanted to become part of this project?

Renee: I wouldn't say it's harder, but my biggest concern was making sure that the teens actually sounded like teens---that the characters spoke like real, live people. We had a couple of table reads over the course of the year and the cast was enormously generous and helpful. (And patient when answering my questions about texting lingo.)

What has been the most rewarding about creating The Kids' Table?

Renee: Working with Buzz and being continually blown away by his musicianship. Working with Deb and seeing the cast bring this script to life. The cast's enthusiasm.

Buzz: The collaborative process with Renee, whose ideas inspired me to come up with way more than I ever could have on my own.

Where do you hope to see The Kids' Table go after this premiere production?

Renee: If high schools across the country did this show, it'd be wonderful.

Buzz: Because it's kids playing kids and the cast is so large (18 roles plus ensemble) and flexible, I think it could be something high schools will want to do. Hope so!

Special thanks to Theatre Lab's Marketing and Events Manager Dane Petersen for his assistance in coordinating this interview.

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