O for a muse of fire that would ascend The brightest heaven of Invention A kingdom for a stage, princes to act And monarchs to behold the swelling scene Shakespeare s Henry V Act 1, Scene 1 What we are doing with The Muse of Fire Project is not just playwriting: it s about listening to kids, giving them a voice and letting them know that what they have to say is important, and has artistic value. Stevie Ray Dallimore, Director, The Muse of Fire Project The Muse of Fire Project at the Chattanooga Public Library is one of those programs any library, any city, would be thrilled to create a home for. The road to success is partnerships in libraryland, and this is a premium example. It s hard to go wrong with award-winning professional film and stage actors producing meaningful public programs in your library. Corinne Hill, Director, Chattanooga Public Library 2
Allow us to set the stage The Muse of Fire Project is a one-of-a-kind after-school program that provides children from all over Chattanooga the opportunity to write their own plays and work with professional actors and musicians to create live theater productions. The performances are presented to audiences at the Chattanooga Library each Spring and Fall. Students ranging from ages 10-12 develop original short plays and learn the fundamentals of acting and communicating through the written and spoken word. Now in its fifth year, The Muse of Fire Project is an extraordinary opportunity for children, often from under-served neighborhoods, to experience their value as individuals and attain a sense of efficacy. The glorious result for participants and audiences alike is an evening of remarkably wonderful, unique stories dramatized in a way that illustrates how children see the world! The Muse of Fire Project is an exciting and positive collaboration between children and adults that connects communities through the power of storytelling in the theater. 3
Our Story Maria is the child of divorced parents. Deon s mom is critically ill. Jane is a successful student, preparing to start at a new school. Keith attends a struggling public school. These kids are strangers to each other and may think they have nothing in common. However, when they come together in The Muse of Fire Project, they quickly learn there is strength in sharing. What they share is laughter, time, and ultimately, the experience of seeing their own, individual play performed by professional actors, in front of an audience made up of friends, family and complete strangers. The goal of the project is to ensure that each child gains confidence and realizes the value of their ideas, their stories, and their voice. The Muse of Fire gives kids a reason to stand up a little taller as a result of their accomplishments. We believe the affirmation and applause each of them receives in recognition of their hard work empowers them for future endeavors. The Experience Every Monday for ten weeks leading up to the performances, Musers meet for two hours at the Chattanooga Library. This is where the magic happens. During these precious hours, they work with staff to develop characters, brainstorm ideas, acknowledge feelings, solve hypothetical problems and launch what they will come to know as their creative vision. Not only do they share the experience of belonging to a team of artists, they also receive one-on-one coaching from Project veterans who encourage, guide and nurture them as budding playwrights. Through the academic exercise of playwriting, including construction of plot, dialogue writing, and storytelling through action, kids learn critical thinking skills, time management, cooperation, how to collaborate with their peers, and the value of expression. The Muse of Fire Pro- 4
ject helps its young playwrights realize that their views belong to them and them alone, and cannot be taken away. Once the Musers have completed their masterworks, the staff works quickly and brilliantly to cast local adult professional actors for each play plays full of characters like: Hipster Granny, a lonely tree, PAC-man and PAC-boy, an evil spider queen, rocks, a taxi-loving Zombie, an evil Lion Prince, a dragon layer, God, sad zebra girl, an alien looking for donuts, Super Spoon, the President of the United States, Fireman John, an angel who blows on the world to keep it spinning, and of course, Mom! These captivating productions may require original songs and music to be created by the cast and guest composers, unusual props to be built, and outrageous costumes to be created! The performances involve full sound and audio, technicians, lighting design, and hours of rehearsal, to produce 10 original works of theater. The Directors Stevie Ray Dallimore and Kate Forbes Dallimore are co-artistic directors behind The Muse of Fire Project. Both are professional actors who have years of experience in film, on television, and on the stage. KATE FORBES DALLIMORE, a native of Chattanooga, is a classically trained actress known for her work in Shakespeare. Since moving to Chattanooga, she has performed once a year, at her artistic home, the Tony-winning Hartford Stage, in Hamlet, The Crucible and MacBeth. Kate won a Theater World Award for Outstanding Broadway debut in The School For Scandal playing opposite Tony Randall, and is the recipient of a Calloway Award from the Actors Equity Association for her outstanding performance in Theater For A New Audience s production of Othello. She has played major roles on-and off-broadway, in major regional theaters around the country, acting opposite George C. Scott, Julie Harris, Liev Schrieber, Tony Randall, Jean Stapleton, Kelsey Grammar and many more renowned artists. One of her favorites was playing Portia in The Merchant of Venice, with F. Murray Abraham as Shylock, for The Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, England. Film includes: The Sacrament, Term Life (2015) with Vince Vaughn, The Longest Ride (2015) and The Substance of Fire. Forbes is an experienced teacher and has taught acting at NYU s graduate and undergraduate programs, Fordham University at Lincoln Center, The Public Theater s Shakespeare Intensive for Professionals and the Conservatory Program at The Studio/NY. She is an award-winning 5
narrator of audio books and has recorded more than 100 titles. Kate continues to work as a narrator for audio-books, recording at local studio Sound Resources. She graduated with a BA from Sarah Lawrence College in New York and received her MFA in Acting from NYU, with continued study with Dame Cisely Berry of the RSC and Slava Dolgachev of the Moscow Arts Theater. STEVIE RAY DALLIMORE is a professional theater, television and screen actor. His most recent film roles include Quentin's father in the forthcoming Paper Towns by John Green, D 13 Systems Operator in The Hunger Games and Ender's father in Ender s Game. Other film work includes Need for Speed, American Reunion, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Messenger, and Far From Heaven. He has been featured in guest appearances on numerous television shows, including Hindsight, Necessary Roughness, Nashville, Law and Order, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Gossip Girls, and Drop Dead Diva. Dallimore has also worked on- and off-broadway, performing in Doubt with Ilene Atkins, Henry IV with Kevin Kline, and Ethan Hawke; and Stones in His Pockets. Stevie Ray graduated from the University of Utah s Actor Training Program and completed his internship with The Shakespeare Theater in Washington, D.C.; he and Kate met touring with The Acting Company, the prestigious national touring company founded by John Houseman in 1972. He currently teaches Drama at The McCallie School and directs the school s plays in addition to acting and managing The Muse of Fire Project. The Inspiration The Muse of Fire Project is based on the renowned 52 nd Street Project in the Hell s Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, a program known for its dead on trailblazing to reach kids under life's radar. The programs there offer a chance for 9-18 year olds to use the platform of live theater to engage their imaginations, broaden their means of expression, and increase their sense of self worth, their literacy skills and their appreciation for the arts. Strategic plans for The Muse of Fire Project call for similar expansion into additional age groups and new programming for complimentary interest groups. 6
Facts The 2015 Spring Season Muse of Fire Project Performances will take place Friday, April 17 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 18 th at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Chattanooga Public Library Theater located on the first floor at 1001 Broad Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee The Muse of Fire Project holds two Workshop & Production Series per Year Spring and Fall The productions feature ten 10-minute plays created by local youth, performed by professional actors; the performance venue seats 110 people per performance The Muse of Fire Project workshop is housed in and supported by the Chattanooga Public Library downtown Chattanooga; The Muse of Fire Project's fiscal sponsor is the Friends of the Library, a non-profit 501c3 organization. TMOFP is fully funded by sponsorships, ticket donations, private contributions and grants. It is managed by a Board of Directors and operated by volunteers, all of whom donate their time and talents, and share the love of kids and theater. 7
Fun! Since 2011, over 1600 children, parents, grandparents, students, college kids, teachers, and theater-lovers have been enchanted by The Muse of Fire Project s performances Additionally, over 80 children from Chattanooga, far and wide, have participated in the program More than 60 Chattanooga actors have performed in plays since its inception In total, the Musers have devoured dozens of Mellow Mushroom pizzas, gobbled hundreds of homemade cookies, enjoyed several pounds and mounds of fruit, and guzzled Gallons of healthy (well, sometimes Sugary) drinks. The craziest costumes ever created are: the Spider Queen, a Zombie, a Skunk, a Money Tree, the Jamaican Polar Bear, and A Piece of Toast! The funniest thing to happen during a performance might be: While Stevie Ray was playing a Jamaican polar bear wearing a straw hula-skirt as a wig reminiscent of dreadlocks and a crazy Jamaican cap, he ran into a post, and was knocked over, sending his dreadlocks flying into the audience, who loved it! 8