SHAME: A New Musical
From the pages to the stage
High school juniors across the United States read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, but in October the University of Indianapolis will bring those characters to life in the form of a musical theatre production. “Shame,” a musical written by UIndy faculty members Associate Professor of Music Pete Schmutte and Associate Professor of Theatre Brad Wright, is an original interpretation of the 160-year-old story.
It is a musical rendition of the classic American literary tale of Hester Prynne, a woman shunned by her Puritan New England community when she has a baby out of wedlock.
Working on an original show has been a new experience for many who are involved. It has provided new challenges and opportunities for UIndy students.
“We were all a little nervous at first,” said junior Arianne Villareal, who plays Hester Prynne. “This is the largest part I’ve ever had and the opportunity to originate a role is amazing.”
Associate Adjunct Professor Jen Alexander will direct the show. She describes the experience as very valuable for the students involved.
“They can create these characters with no preconception of how they should play the roles,” Alexander said. “They can really own what they are doing.”
Normally, when the university does a theatre production, the writer and composer aren’t present to guide and make suggestions as they are in this instance. Both Alexander and Villareal described Schmutte and Wright’s presence in the process as valuable.
“Well, there is a lot more pressure to get things exactly right because I know they want their work to be represented well,” Villareal said. “But we really get to know the intention behind the words and songs with them there, and that’s really helpful.”
Alexander had similar thoughts on the experience.
“How Brad, Pete and I all envision the show is totally different,” Alexander said. “I think we are finding that it’s a lot about compromise and cooperation to make this a great show.”
Alexander also explained that the ability to tailor the show to their needs as the cast develops has been an asset to them.
“Usually, when you take on a script, it is pretty set in stone,” Alexander said. “With this, we have the ability to make cuts and changes to make it work for us.”
“Shame” opens in Ransburg Auditorium on Oct. 22 with shows on Oct. 23, 24, 29 and 30. There will be a preview on Oct. 21 followed by a discussion of the show. L/P credit is available.
The men behind the show
Peter Schmutte, David Blomquist and Doug Benge began work on a musical version of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter in the early 1980s. After a short run at a local Indianapolis theatre, the project was left on a forgotten shelf for more than 20 years.
Last fall, Schmutte, an associate professor of music at the University of Indianapolis, in conjunction with Brad Wright, associate professor in the UIndy theatre department, began to breathe new life into the project. Now, under the direction of Associate Adjunct Professor Jen Alexander, UIndy will present “Shame,” a new musical later this month.
Wright and Schmutte have taken the original script and music and reworked them almost completely. Wright tackled the rewrite of the script, while Schmutte focused on the musical composition.
“I really have my wife to thank for renewing my interests in the script. She mentioned it in a conversation with Jen [Alexander] and really lit the fire for the project,” Schmutte said.
Alexander was interested in pursuing “Shame” as this year’s theatre department musical, and Schmutte set out to rewrite the musical score.
“The music just sounded really dated. We wrote this in the 1980s, and we used music that was popular at that time. It never really fit,” Schmutte said.
From left to right: Sophomore Alex Pierson, freshman Hannah Holmes, junior Arianne Villareal, sophomore Zach Cardwell and freshman Katelyn Smith rehearse songs for “Shame,” an original musical. Photo by Chris Hartley.
Schmutte wanted to use a more traditional music style that would help carry the plot along, mesh well with the period in which the story is set and not seem dated.
“My goal was to write a score that makes the audience leave whistling a tune,” Schmutte said. “It has to be music that the audience wants and enjoys hearing.”
Juniors Arianne Villareal and Andy Gipson rehearse lines for the upcoming debut of “Shame,” written by University of Indianapolis Associate Professor of Theatre Brad Wright and Associate Professor of Music Peter Schmutte. The musical’s preview is on Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. Photo by Chris Hartley.
Benge and Blomquist did not get involved in this renewed attempt to write the show, but in their stead, Wright took up the reigns and began to work on lengthening and reworking the script.
“It’s been a challenge making the imagery, and sentences that go on forever, theatrically viable,” Wright said. “We had to make what was conveyed in the novel through a narrative voice into speakable dialogue.”
However, Wright said that as he read The Scarlet Letter to create the script, Hawthorne really captured him.
“There is a reason this novel is an American classic,” Wright said. “Hawthorne really hooked me as I started to read between the lines.”
In back, sophomore Zach Cardwell and freshman Katelyn Smith sing an excerpt from “Shame.” Junior Arianne Villareal, front, plays the lead female role, Hester Prynne. Photo by Chris Hartley.
Wright has expanded some of the minor characters in the novel into pivotal roles to advance the story.
“I created characters in the script that have become extremely important, showing the changing attitudes of the town,” Wright said. “We have to see the town react to Hester to understand the hypocrisy of her situation and to chart reactions to her.”
Schmutte and Wright agree that working together has had its challenges but has gone extremely smoothly overall.
“It’s been a joy working with both Brad [Wright] and Jen [Alexander],” Schmutte said. “We have all had to make concessions, but it’s been a really good experience for us all so far.”
