A final thesis for my Master of Fine Arts degree should encompass every aspect of the past few years spent in the class room. Therefore, as a perfect capstone to my degree, I have decided to conceive, write, and perform a new musical with my classmate Rockford Sansom entitled The History of Musical Theatre: A 16 Bar Cut. The History of Musical Theatre: A 16 Bar Cut will be a two-man musical that will capsulate all of musical theatre history in a single evening. Starting with the Greeks and finishing in the present, the show will comedically inform the audience, while paying homage to, the astonishing art form called musical theatre, using several outrageous conventions such as a game show, spoof, mimicry, and most importantly, drag. The show will also pose the question to everyone: with all the great literature already created, where is musical theatre headed, and who is going to bring us there? Writing A 16 Bar Cut will test the training I have received and my mastery of musical theatre as an art form. The show will demonstrate my understanding and passion for several components used by authors and actors alike to create a musical. Being that the show is a capsulation of all musical theatre, A 16 Bar Cut will show my true mastery of the history and literature of musical theatre. I will be forced to hone my skills of the collaborative process at a new level, as never having to truly execute them with such intensity before. The challenges that lay ahead will be seen not only in the performance aspect, but also in the creation of A 16 Bar Cut. Since musical theatre has an immense range in genre and style, the ability to technically master these styles and genres will prove to challenge me as a performer, as well as a writer. In the performance, there will be three main challenges: vocal qualities, dance techniques, and my acting craft. The vocal styles used in A 16 Bar Cut will test my capabilities as a singer to meet the demands needed to convey the original material used as it was initially intended. As a dancer, the specific movements and "signatures" of the many choreographers will challenge me to understand and be able to re-create these "specifics" for an audience. The character building will test me as an actor, starting with one through-lined character--a heightened half-brained juvenile form of myself--along with building approximately fifty auxiliary characters throughout the show. As a writer, there are two major challenges that I foresee. The first challenge is the arc of the show--needing to keep a steady through-line that will let the audience understand what is happening and follow the history. The second obstacle is making sure the audience understands the show. I may be finishing an M.F.A. in Musical Theatre, but not everyone will be. In fact, some audience members may not know anything about musical theatre. This challenge arises trying to make the show funny to everyone, not just musical theatre dorks. The Research and Analysis portion of my monograph document will follow the course of action laid out in the M.F.A. Thesis Guidelines. The (A) Research section will include the biographical information pertaining to the composers and lyricists involved in the selected materials. Librettists of specific book shows that we choose to utilize as it pertains to our show will also be included in this section. I will also include a brief subsection of each composer, lyricist, and librettist's significance to musical theatre history. The (B) Structural Analysis section will discuss the structure and dramatic organization of how we choose to create A 16 Bar Cut. The (C) Analysis of the Role section will reveal how we employ the stock characters/ comedic duo of the straight man and funny man (i.e., Laurel & Hardy and Abbot & Costello). All other components outlined in the M.F.A. Thesis Guidelines will be included in my document.

Believing that a thesis should encompass all aspects of a conservatory training program, I will write and perform--in collaboration with my classmate Patrick John Moran--a new musical entitled A 16 Bar Cut: The History of American Musical Theatre as the capstone project for my Master of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. A 16 Bar Cut will be a two-man show that tells the entire history of American musical theatre from the ancient Greeks to today in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The goal of the project is to pay homage to an original American art form in a night of zany silliness and hilarity. The show will feature an informative perspective on the rise and current status of American musical theatre, several new songs, complete irreverence, and grown men singing, dancing, and making utter fools of themselves. Creating my thesis show will test and stretch my knowledge base of the musical theatre art form and virtually every skill that I have developed in my course of study. Since A 16 Bar Cut centers on the historical journey of musical theatre, constructing the new work will demonstrate my understanding of musical theatre history and literature. Performing the show will also challenge my ability and craftsmanship as an actor, singer, and dancer. Not only will I create a through-line character--a heightened, silly, professorial version of myself, but I will also create approximately fifty additional characters used throughout the show. The vocal and dance requirements for my track will also be numerous and demanding. And since the show travels through the major movements of musical theatre history, I will have to dance, sing, and act in the various styles and qualities of each movement and time period. Other significant challenges will center on script development. The first obstacle will be synthesizing music theatre into a single evening while maintaining an arc, storyline, and Patrick and my specific point of view about the genre. Another complexity to the show will be accessibility to the audience--how to be respectful to and informative about musical theatre, while at the same time being entertaining and funny to a wide array of audience members who will vary in musical theatre knowledge. In addition, developing a two-man thesis will require a complete collaboration with Patrick Moran. Since musical theatre is rarely--if ever--a solo art, working as a team will expand and exercise my collaborative abilities. And producing the show with Patrick will test supplementary skills such as marketing, resourcefulness, design and technical elements, etc. The Research and Analysis portion of my monograph document will be structured according to the M.F.A. Thesis Guidelines as applicable to my specific project. The (A) Research section will consist of a biographical glossary on all of the composers and lyricists referenced in A 16 Bar Cut. Librettists' information will be included when their work is pertinent. Additionally, each composer, lyricists, and librettists will be discussed in regards to their significance in musical theatre history. The (B) Structural Analysis section will describe the show's organization and construction and how the structural problems mentioned above are solved. The (C) Role Analysis section will have three sub-sections focusing on my different roles in the production as a playwright, producer, and actor.