RAG DOLL
A classical Broadway style new way musical
THEME: courage.
Courage to never give up in what you believe.
LOG LINE: In a magical realism world a singer-songwriter on the verge of realizing her lifelong dream
is forced by her promoter to give up the rights to her music or have her childhood sexual
abuse exposed.
ELEVATOR PITCH: Imagine a world where your survival is only as certain as your courage to survive
which is measured by the distance between good and evil that resides in you and in order
to survive you must choose between two evils.
My musical is called RAG DOLL and tells the story of a musical realism world where lives a
a singer-songwriter who is blackmailed by her promoter to give up her rights to him or he
will kill her life-long dream of a world-wide tour by exposing her childhood sexual abuse
to the world. Her greatest fear. It all builds to a final moment when her promoter uses her
lyrics to accuse her of child sexual abuse and turns the world against her. To survive she
must win back her dream and to do that she must fight revenge born of childhood sexual
abuse that comes in the form of a life-or-death decision between two evils.
THINK the angel meets the devil.
Book: Barbara J. Wells
Lyrics: Barbara J. Wells
Music: Renard Thomas
Arranger: Roy Freeman
RAG DOLL acknowledges support from the Illinois Art Council Agency. This program is partially supported
by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency through federal funds provided by the National Endowment
for the Arts.
RECENT PRODUCTIONS
"OUR FIRST X-MAS" ten-minute play and lyrics: "THE OTHER SIDE OF CHRISTMAS". Three Cat Productions. Director, Jason Smith. Berger House Theatre. 2016
"DEATH IN A BEULAH BOX", full-length play with music, "JUMP ON IT", "SPEAK OF THE DEVIL", lyrics by Barbara J. Wells, music, Joe Plummer. Director, Jason Smith, Three Cat Productions, Berger House Theatre. 2015
- "DEATH IN A BEULAH BOX", full-length play, reading. Director, Pat Henderson, Three Cat Productions, Three Cat Productions. 2015
- "DEATH IN A BEULAH BOX", full-length play, workshop. Director, Pat Henderson, Three Cat Productions, Berger House Theatre. 2015
- "10,000 YEARS FROM THE YEAR 2000", full-length play. Director, Emily Nash. Art Meets Science at the Theater (World's First Science Fiction New Play Festival), Chicago Dramatist Theatre. 2014
- "10,000 YEARS FROM THE YEAR 2000", full-length play, workshop. Director, Emily Nash. Art Meets Science at the Theater, Bughouse Theater. 2014
- "TV PEOPLE", Chicago Dramatists Theatre, instant play, Reginald Edmund, curator. Director, Barbara J. Wells. Chicago Dramatist Theatre. 2013
PRESENTLY WORKING ON THESE PROJECTS
- "RAG DOLL", original musical, libretto and lyrics, and reduction of score to piano
- "WHAT TIME IS IT?", full-length play
- "JOHNNIE, DON'T EAT YOUR SISTER", full-length play
- "KNIFE IN THE SUGAR", screenplay adaptation to stage play
I Am Also A
A. LIBRETTIST. "RAG DOLL", an original musical
B. LYRICIST. "RAG DOLL". Wells' Lyric Collection Catalogue. "KNIFE IN THE SUGAR", lyrics for screenplay. Lyrics for plays "THE AWARD", "DEATH IN A BEULAH BOX",
"OUR FIRST X-MAS"
C. SCREENWRITER. Feature films, "KNIFE IN THE SUGAR", "ACQUAINTANCES"
D. NOVELIST. "BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU WISH 4"
E. PRODUCER. Commissioned by The United Negro College Association to produce and wear all hats for a play written by me, McCormick Place. .
PRODUCER. ART MEETS SCIENCE AT THE THEATER. New Play sci-fi festival, Rag Doll through all its stages. PUNK GRANDPA, 90 minute play by Laura Force Scruggs, Jas Dav Theatre.
PRODUCER. To date all stages of Rag Doll, a musical, which includes: finding composer, staff support talent, recording of 32 piece orchestra of four songs; workshop and recording of vocal tracks of those songs; MIDI recording of musical's orchestral hot licks and melody line of all 60 songs; workshop: fifteen songs, reading; two scenes, Zebra Crossing Theatre; "RAG DOLL", workshop vocals, vocals recording tracks; workshop scenes and culminating reading performances, Malcolm X College; readings. And subsequent readings. Arrangements completed 10/30/21, by Roy Freeman.
F. ARTIST. See Below
NOVEL ON SALE NOW
"BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU WISH 4", a sci-fi supernatural mystery about
a Chicago African-American lesbian who, because of a haunting childhood
memory, is caught up in catching a serial killer. To catch him she is forced to
experience re-incarnation several times. A great book to read on Halloween.
Available in all formats and on Amazon. com. In Chicago
buy it at City News Cafe, 4018 N. Cicero Av, 773-545-7377.
ENJOY ART FROM SEVERAL OF MY PROJECTS
I believe art is a must for every writer's project. It's always there but rarely dug out and presented as art. I was the Art director for my novel, "Be Careful of What You Wish 4". Check out the cover carefully for it contains a mystery. See bottom of page. You're gonna need a bigger image, you know like if you had the book.
Mass head. See image at bottom of page. The art celebrates the first science fiction new play festival in the world. Science fiction and theater fans might want to celebrate that, too, with art to remember. I worked closely with graphic artist, Jeff Stanley. [email protected]. See another mass head at artmeetsscienceatthetheater.weebly.com.
Leather Artiste. Not craft. Hand sewn one-of-a kind leather bags (messenger, cross body, handbags) made from designer leather. If interested contact me. My bags have been sold by Turley Road Boutique in Andersonville Chicago, Turleyroad.com. Who likes my bags? During Irangate Kissinger saw one at National Security Adviser, Robert McFarlane's home and said, 'Great bag. That person is doubly talented', per Melissa McFarlane; Dr Dan Ivankovich, orthopedic surgeon, voted 2015 TOP 10 CNN HERO and also known as Chicago Slim who fronts one hell of a great blues band; Jeff nominated director, Jason Smith, Three Cat Productions; bags auctioned by Chicago Fringe Festival, Chicago Dramatists Theatre, and TallGrass Writer's Guild. Stories I write inspire the designs.
NOTE: art from my musical "Rag Doll", characterized logo and gobo cannot be displayed yet, on Internet.
I believe art is a must for every writer's project. It's always there but rarely dug out and presented as art. I was the Art director for my novel, "Be Careful of What You Wish 4". Check out the cover carefully for it contains a mystery. See bottom of page. You're gonna need a bigger image, you know like if you had the book.
Mass head. See image at bottom of page. The art celebrates the first science fiction new play festival in the world. Science fiction and theater fans might want to celebrate that, too, with art to remember. I worked closely with graphic artist, Jeff Stanley. [email protected]. See another mass head at artmeetsscienceatthetheater.weebly.com.
Leather Artiste. Not craft. Hand sewn one-of-a kind leather bags (messenger, cross body, handbags) made from designer leather. If interested contact me. My bags have been sold by Turley Road Boutique in Andersonville Chicago, Turleyroad.com. Who likes my bags? During Irangate Kissinger saw one at National Security Adviser, Robert McFarlane's home and said, 'Great bag. That person is doubly talented', per Melissa McFarlane; Dr Dan Ivankovich, orthopedic surgeon, voted 2015 TOP 10 CNN HERO and also known as Chicago Slim who fronts one hell of a great blues band; Jeff nominated director, Jason Smith, Three Cat Productions; bags auctioned by Chicago Fringe Festival, Chicago Dramatists Theatre, and TallGrass Writer's Guild. Stories I write inspire the designs.
NOTE: art from my musical "Rag Doll", characterized logo and gobo cannot be displayed yet, on Internet.