PEACE BY PIECE: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL
ABOUT PEACE BY PIECE: AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL
Creator's Note
I started writing this show in 2017 as a way to deal with my identity and relationships. At first, I was writing the songs for pleasure, without any real purpose. After discovering my love for composing and hopes to write music professionally, I decided to combine these songs and make a musical. Four years and a thousand rewrites later, I can truly say this show has changed me more than I changed it. I want to thank everyone who believed in me and encouraged me to keep writing. First, I want to thank my sister, Sara, for always supporting me, both in my musical endeavors and in life. This show would never have happened if not for all the summer mornings writing on the string light decorated deck or nighttime phone calls for reassurance. Thank you for being my biggest fan, and helping me find creativity. I want to also thank everyone who has helped this show come to life over the summer and this semester. A special shoutout goes to my Artistic Staff and cast who would show up to rehearsals at egregiously early times, help me workshop dialogue when it ever so clearly did not fit, and still want to come back the next day. We talk about this show being my baby, but I truly believe this project belongs to all of us, and while I had many self-doubts, I never once doubted any of you. Thank you for helping me bring this world to life. I love you all.
Vaheed Talebian
Director's Note
Hello and thank you for supporting Peace by Piece and the Virginia Players Lab Series. For many of us this is our in person return to theatre and we are so excited to share this with you. When I was asked to join this project, at the beginning of the semester, I knew that this was going to be different than anything I had experienced. This process has been special in many ways. For one, we were able to workshop the script and make live edits in rehearsals. We got to play with songs, lyrics, and develop original characters. Every single cast member is originating a role which is arguably one of the most exciting things that can happen to an actor. And the characters that Vaheed has written are wonderfully complex and extremely human. Many late nights have been spent tweaking the script, writing orchestrations, and filling out character sheets and song charts. From writing a song together in two hours in B006 on a Saturday morning accompanied by Bodos, to reworking the order of the scenes, to changing the structure of songs, to writing entirely new scenes just over a month ago…this script has been a living and breathing entity that welcomes the energy of an audience today. To be able to workshop and experiment with a script in rehearsal can be both daunting and exhilarating and everyone has stepped up to the plate, ready for discovery and play. The cast and crew have worked extremely hard this semester to bring this story to life. To be able to rehearse and perform for the first time in person has been a true pleasure and honor. Thank you for joining us today and thank you again for supporting Peace by Piece, and the Virginia Players Lab Series.
DONATE TO SIDE BY SIDE, A VIRGINIA ORGANIZATION THAT UPLIFTS LGBTQ+ PEOPLE!
You can donate by venmo-ing to @peacebypieceuva or directly to their website at https://www.sidebysideva.org/donate.