Oliver 1

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 authors define genre as a compositions 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 students 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 someones 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 backgrounds to find

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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, its important
to uphold unity and not have the students remain clueless about the scenes or songs they didnt
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 ifs? 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. Textbased, 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 its 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, its vital to
keep resources close. All of these designs that are necessary for the show can also be crafted if
Lovewells 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
audiences 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 students 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 arent 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. Its 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 whats going on in the individuals 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 Lovewelllites 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. Its
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 isnt 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 Lovewells 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 doesnt end before
this final form of communication. The money aspect of the organization merges all three in order
to gain whats 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, Lovewells 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 students 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 communitys 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 theyve 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. Martins, 2014. Print