So I’ve been roped into teach a weeklong workshop down at Newnan Theatre Company—thanks, Robbie Kirkland—for middle schoolers.  The ostensible topic is “character development,” and the theme is “Villains.”  Bwahaha, and all that.

Actually, not bwahaha at all.  It’s “character development,” and I’m not spending a week teaching kids how to twirl their mustaches.  Just the opposite in fact.  We’re going to develop two villains each, one Disney-esque/cartoony, the other “real life,” e.g., the mean girl at school, the snotty boy down the street, etc.

Mainly we’re going to learn that none of these people think they’re evil.  They just want certain things and they have their own ways to go about getting them.

Anyway, we spend Monday through Thursday working on material, and then on Friday is the obligatory show for the parents.  It will be interesting to see what we come up with.  (Panel discussion about public misperceptions? The Dating Game?  The mind boggles.)

I got home from our meeting at the theatre, and for some reason the idea of an opening number just seized me.

Presenting, “Not Really Bad: a song for villains,” words and music by Dale Lyles | score (pdf) | mp3

It is totally adorable, you guys.  (And yes, 3 hours start to finish—how kind of you to ask.)