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Adele Oliver

Professor Bradley

ENC 2135

3 February 2016

“The Lovewell Community”

The Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts organizes workshops throughout the year in

which full-length musicals are crafted. Given only three weeks, the students in Lovewell, with

help from a team of staff, brainstorm ideas, create characters, write lyrics, compose melodies,

and then merge them all into one script. The Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts community

uses genre throughout the forms of communication that it utilizes. In the Bedford Book of

Genres, the author’s define genre as “a composition’s kind, category, or sort” (Braziller and

Kleinfeld, pg. 5). The Lovewell student is a “kind”; their show fits within a category, but their

process is that sort of thing that describes the community for what it is and what a society ought

to be. Their communication informs, persuades, and talks to the audience it connects to.

Communication throughout Lovewell is interpreted throughout the process, the performance

aspect, the idea of keeping in touch, and the ways to keep this non-for-profit organization on its

feet.

The idea of the process acting as a form of communication associates with the idea that

kids need to be heard, need to collaborate, need to have a voice, and need to feel satisfied with

themselves. The process remains persuasive. It begins when everyone sits in a circle, specifically

known as the brainstorming circle. One by one, a student communicates and has their time to

contribute their thoughts. There are many rounds to brainstorming and it culminates once

everyone is on board with what the show is going to be about. (MAKE THIS SHORTER)

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In the circle, the first couple of go-arounds can be completely random. For example, one

Lovewell-lite might say that they want to create a show based on Nikola Tesla, and then another

might say that they want to include the human brain. Once only a few ideas are liked and

continued to be brought up, the students form groups that help narrow down and specify the

ideas. When correlations are found between all of the groups, a skeleton of the show is put on the

board!

The next step is to write the show. The writing refers to writing the scenes, writing the

transitions, writing the songs, and even “writing” the dance steps. Although the show has been

written and the skeleton now has its muscle, the skin has yet to appear. The final chapter within

this process takes place when the Lovewell staff helps the student’s block the show, learn the

dances, and sing their songs. The skeleton is now complete. (REDUCE; TALK ABOUT HOW

WRITING THE SHOW CAN BE NARRATIVE)

The bones that keep the Lovewell skeleton in tact deserve credit as well. Throughout the

process, it is important to remember why every individual is there and why each and every

workshop is extraordinary. Therefore, affirmations are incorporated. Affirmations are sentences

precisely structured to feed someone’s brain with positive thoughts and additional love. There

are seven affirmations. The first affirmation being “Within me there is boundless creative

power,” and the last being “And now let me in silence reaffirm why I am here.” In between

affirmation one and seven there is personal content, pure energy, awareness, and kind thoughts.

These words are spoken and then repeated every day of the three weeks. They convey the

Lovewell methodology and stand as an exclusive factor to this philosophy. According to the

Lovewell website, “The mission of Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts is to provide

interdisciplinary arts based programs that empower people from all cultures and economic

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backgrounds to find their authentic voice through the collaborative creation and performance of

an original work of theatre” (The Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts). The bones are now

thriving and the process has been completed.

Within the process, ideas and affirmations are presented, but so is progress.

Consequently, an audience appears. There are only three weeks to begin and complete the show,

so when writing it, individuals divide and conquer in order to remain on schedule. Although

there is division and there are many people working on different parts of the show, it’s important

to uphold unity and not have the students remain clueless about the scenes or songs they didn’t

personally partake in writing. Therefore, everyday of the second week, the Lovewell staff and

students adjourn and perform their work for one another. Each participant serves as an audience

member, which makes the show very vulnerable, but, also very important to the kids’

experiences.

Throughout the process, Lovewell-lites appeal to each other using ethos and pathos. The

staff translates ethos while standing as the figures of authority. However, the students use pathos

in order to gain attention on thoughts and ideas. If a particular student has a character or an idea

that they devastatingly want in the show, they would have to back their persuasion up with why

the show would benefit from it. Using pathos helps the students achieve what they want

incorporated and because all ideas in Lovewell are accepted, their ideas will most likely be

integrated into the show.

During the brainstorming stage, the students need to come up with ideas. Those ideas are

rooted from real life events, knowledge, books, movies, social media, and “what if’s?” The staff

members instruct the students to search for these sources and study them. This is recommended

in order to create a one of a kind idea.

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Students will write with each other and create characters based on what they individually

want to be. They work off one another. Therefore, the style of each student is emphasized. In a

single Lovewell day, students can decide if they want to compose a little jingle or write the Act

Two opening scene. Usually when a student would rather learn a dance, their passion for

movement is known to be strongest. Their style within the creative process stands out and gets

even clearer as their characters develop. If the student is passionate about dance, they might

write themselves a character that taps every step or twirls around every corner. (MAKE MORE

CONCISE)

The mode and media within the Lovewell process are demonstrated continuously. Text-

based, audio, and visual are the three modes that are present in the progression. The students

write down their ideas, dialogue, lyrics, and choreography. The staff member who functions as

the script editor finalizes the script. The mediums that this text-based element consumes are print

and digital. Writing down everything in a notebook is recommended, but the script is typed up

and completed digitally. The audio and visual modes intermingle as the process is

communicated. This communication remains face-to-face.

The curtain has suddenly opened and it’s time to perform. The performance is equivalent

to a full-length show and features all aspects of a musical. A Lovewell show and a Broadway

musical do differ when it comes to the purpose of the performance. Lovewell is relevant first and

foremost to tell the students’ story, and by doing so, entertain the attending audience. The

performance is very narrative. A Broadway show is relevant because of who is telling the story.

Entertainment in a Broadway show is a huge factor mainly for the reason being, ticket sales.

The audience that attends a Lovewell performance can include anyone who buys a ticket.

Usually the theater is filled with family, friends, and the Lovewell board. When it comes to the

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rhetorical appeals that the performances utilize, they become extremely flexible. Depending on

the story being told, the appeals will vary and the show can intertwine them all.

The show has many elements that contribute to the genre conventions. The process is the

most important piece of the puzzle, but the performance is a reflection of that process. Source,

style, and design are all relevant and imperative. Sources in the show refer to the places that

costumes, sets, and props come from. Because Lovewell is a non-profit organization, it’s vital to

keep resources close. All of these designs that are necessary for the show can also be crafted if

Lovewell’s resources are lacking the needed amenities. The design mentioned, plus sound design

and lighting design, aids the show in telling its story. The set can be designed to be over-the-top

extraordinary or even minimal depending what illustration the artists want to draw in the

audience’s heads.

The character that the student develops will shine in the show due to the fact that they

had the ability to formulate their own style. The shows style is dependent on the actors. If a

student is nervous to perform, his/her style might be shaky and quiet. However, if the actor is

confident, their performance will be strong. A student’s style can also be cocky and the show can

expose that. The cockiness would become obvious when he/she adlibs during their scene. When

someone adlibs, they are speaking words that aren’t written in the script. Students might do this

to get a laugh out of the audience or to simply speak some extra lines.

The performance is all about mode and media. As the scenes and music are projected

through the speakers, audio is the main mode being operated. However, as the scenes play out in

front of us and the dances are presented, the audiences desire for visual content is answered. A

couple of years ago, the media would strictly stay within the boundaries of face-to-face, but as

technology has improved and the Lovewell community has grown, face-to-face communication

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has opened its arms to digital media. Lovewell now live streams their shows and anyone around

the world can tune in to see it. It’s an asset for the community because many Lovewell-lites live

in other countries and participate in workshops around the world.

The Lovewell workshops take place mostly throughout the summer in places such as Ft.

Lauderdale, Ohio, Sweden, to name a few. The method can also take place during the year within

schools and other communities. Because most students attend the summer workshops, social

media is vital for them to keep in touch and stay informed. Facebook is expressly used internally

throughout the community and is particularly informative. The Lovewell Facebook group serves

as a place to display what’s going on in the individual’s lives and how the Lovewell method

inspires them to conquer their obstacles. Facebook allows events to electronically be distributed

to the whole community. These events include Lovewell workshops, the Annual Lovewell

Songbook, and the little occurrences that help make Lovewell thrive. It also helps the Lovewell-

lites keep in general communication as they go back to different lives, states, and even countries,

post Lovewell workshops.

Throughout the year, the Lovewell community exploits logos. Social media is the go to

place to post the statuses, reminders, and invitations. It uses logos simply because it informs the

community on what is currently going on outside of Lovewell. The audience that the Facebook

Community page appeals to are people who have taken part in a Lovewell process. Once you

have spent a workshop practicing the Lovewell method, joining the closed group is essential. It’s

worth it to be notified about all of the things mentioned previously that the Lovewell-lites in this

group frequently use. Yet, there is a broader Facebook page for the Lovewell Institute for the

Creative Arts, which is opened for the general public. This page has somewhat of a different

audience and isn’t as intimate as the Lovewell Community group.

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Facebook allows the students to get in touch with Lovewell staff members. This is an

important tool for them because the staff has proved to be sources who are full of information.

Students who attend Lovewell are commonly members in theatre programs at their schools. The

Lovewell staff has been in their shoes, competed in the similar competitions, and performed in

the same shows. By communicating with them, it helps the students pick the write pieces to

compete with or the right songs to audition with. Not all of the staff was once in high school

drama club, but they all sit on an artistic team, enforcing creativity through the theater. They are

also always happy to help and converse with the students. The chatting, the posts, and the digital

invites are stylized to be informative yet, casual. The design embraces this style. The community

is notified once something is posted to ensure that the word gets out and the information is

disseminated. Pictures and videos can be attached to the posts in order to formulate excitement.

Facebook incorporates mode through the text-based element as the community reads

what people write as their statuses or event descriptions. It can also be very visual if a picture is

posted or a video is attached. These visual features and the text-based Facebook statuses, along

with E-Vites to events, are all presented digitally. The computer and Internet are used to access

them.

A non-profit organization generates and flourishes for reasons other than turning a profit.

The Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts fits this criterion. Lovewell operates and obtains

money from ticket sales and merchandise. The money received is placed into the scholarship

fund that helps students participate in the Lovewell process. The entire business aspect goes hand

in hand with the Lovewell board and the need to keep things running smoothly. The purpose of

communicating money is, most importantly, raising money to reach Lovewell’s goals for the

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fund. But, paying for the space being used and the salary for people who put time and effort into

running the workshops is necessary.

The Lovewell Board decides who is eligible to receive a scholarship and their goal is to

make that allotted amount as large as possible. They try their hardest to never turn away a single

student. Thus, these board members function as an audience reading scholarship applications.

The noticeable array of appeals being used in the Lovewell method doesn’t end before

this final form of communication. The money aspect of the organization merges all three in order

to gain what’s needed. It uses pathos when raising money for kids with financial disabilities.

This is brought up to make people want to donate or buy merchandise. Logos is used when

informing the community on how much money is in the fund, what the budgets for the

set/costumes are, and the amount the staff and interns will receive for pay. Finally, ethos is used

to prove that Lovewell promotes guidance, not only by the staff whom work closely with the

students, but also by the board. The board oversees the whole community and is the official team

that stands behind the name of Lovewell.

Because the Lovewell website incorporates applications for scholarships, the costs of

workshops, and job salaries, it works as an important source for people interested in those three

things. It provides them with a plethora of information and highlights why Lovewell is meant to

be a non-for-profit organization. The fact that Lovewell is a non-for-profit causes its style to

revolve around merely that. The funds run accordingly, the show is designed appropriately, the

wages are set suitably, and grants are received regularly. If the organization were not non-profit,

it would act differently and assign priorities contrarily. The merchandise crafted and purchased is

designed by staff members, at no cost, and is priced affordably for the students. In addition, all

profits are funneled back into the Lovewell scholarship fund.

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Like the other modes and medium utilized throughout the Lovewell community, the

money facet is no different here. Displays of merchandise presented at shows are very visual and

purchases are done face-to-face. Ticket stubs at the show, which include the amount for the

ticket, are text-based and presented using print. Finally, scholarships are text-based. Scholarship

letters are filled out by students and are recognized by the Lovewell board. Applications contain

questions asking why the applicant wants to participate in a Lovewell workshop. The student

fills out this question and many others, and then sends in his or her submission. The application

is offered digitally because it needs to be submitted through the Lovewell website.

Lovewell was formed in 1989 thanks to one man named, David Spangler. The original

idea sparked within him. In searching to build a creative family, he decided to turn his spark into

the Lovewell organization. It has become a worldwide community that hundreds of people

flourish in. Because of this growth and word of mouth, Lovewell’s genres of communications

have been effective. Lovewell is able to continuously distribute scholarships every summer

solely for the reason of the ability to communicate money efficiently. A few years back,

Lovewell artists recorded songs from previous shows and created the first Lovewell C-D. Today,

there are two volumes and anyone, whether you are apart of the Lovewell community or not, can

purchase them. The sales from the disks raise money for the organization as well. If these forms

of communication were not effective, Lovewell would face problems while still focusing on not

turning away students. The board would be stuck between a rock and hard place trying to figure

out how to fund a student’s tuition. This threat reinforces the fact that they will continue to raise

the money they need for the scholarship fund. They understand how important the money is and

how important it can be for a student financially. The community’s drive is what makes the

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carousel keep spinning. Lovewell continues to establish a name for themselves and they do this

through the genre they’ve decided to initiate since 1989.

Works Cited

The Lovewell Institute for the Creative Arts. Mission Statement. 2008. 3 February 2016 <blog.lovewell.org>.Braziller, Amy, and Elizabeth Kleinfeld. The Bedford Book of Genres a Guide and Reader For

Florida State University. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014. Print