Who are Spicer and Rose
One day Rose proposed writing a musical about an alligator to get out of an assignment but Spicer saw potential so there is now a musical about a famous alligator.
Home sick for Chicago, Rose Freeman, watched the Chance the Snapper saga unfold over the summer of 2019. That fall, Rose returned to graduate school with the assignment to propose a musical for various thesis projects. If no one liked any of Rose's proposals, Rose could go free. Fortunately, Spicer believed in Chance and started writing. by 2021, a digital workshop of Chance The Snapper was produced at Temple University.
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Spicer W. Carr (He/Him) is a Philadelphia based Composer-Lyricist, specializing in Opera, Musical Theater, and Theatre for Young Audiences. As a queer, autistic writer, Spicer seeks out similarly underrepresented voices, and uses his unique perspective to help explore their stories. Current projects include The Rocking Boy, a semi-autobiographical children’s musical about growing up with autism and learning to connect and accept others for “all of you”; Chance the Snapper, a coming of age musical based on the events surrounding the infamous 2019 Humboldt Park Lagoon gator; and U Up?, a “found text” song cycle which uses Grindr chats to explore queer loneliness. Spicer’s vocal catalogue includes song cycles (Dreams, U Up?), musicals (Downpour), operas (Sabbath and Demon), and operettas (Jack and the Beanstalk). His Instrumental work includes pieces for piano (Of no Concern), big band (Lunch Rush), and a violin concerto (Daydreams). Spicer’s work has been developed and performed by The TYE Center, Utah Valley University Chamber Symphony, Utah Valley University Jazz Orchestra, Secondary Players, MusiCoLab, St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Temple University Theater, and The Purple Crayon Players. Spicer is a graduate of Temple University, where he participated in the inaugural MFA cohort for Musical Theatre Collaboration. Spicer is also currently an adjunct professor of Music Theory at Temple University.
Spicer is a proud member of the Dramatist Guild.
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Rose Freeman (zie/zir) teaches, stage directs, writes, and produces theatrical performance in multiple performance mediums. Recent projects include development for a book on Acting Methods for Opera, writing a musical about an alligator in Chicago, directing the studio artist scenes program at Wolf Trap Opera, Stage Directing Strauss' Die Liebe Der Danae at Pittsburgh Festival Opera, directing Cendrillon fo City Lyric Opera, and directing She Kills Monsters (2021), Chance the Snapper (2020), and Men on Boats (2019) through Temple University.
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A recent recipient of an MFA in Directing at Temple University through the inaugural Music Theatre Collaboration program, Freeman has created national fine art shows for M Gallery of Fine Art, served as managing producing director for Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, and production managed a national tour for Feld Entertainment’s Monster Jam Monster Truck Show. Freeman has acted on stage in completely random projects in Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Bologna.
Freeman stage directs space generated theater, burlesque, and opera. Previous operatic productions include Juliet Palmer's Stitch, Daniel Crozier's With Blood With Ink, Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters, Mohammed Fairouz’s Sumeida’s Song, Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium (all with Third Eye), Eric McDonnell's Cosmic Ray and the Amazing Chris with Thompson Street and Forest Fantasies with Lingerie Lyrique. Notable non-operatic productions include Caroline Shaul’s The Shaulshank Redemption, Po’Chop’s Black As Eye Wanna Be, Hannah Ii Epstein’s Punk Punk, Pippi’s Lost Stockings: a Burlesque Satire, Michael Wise’s Alice, and Vic Mensa’s 2016 Lollapalooza homecoming concert. Favorite burlesque collaborations include Siren Jinx, Po’Chop, and Mia Divine. Rose is a recovering stage manager with a decade of experience.
Hailing from Columbia College Chicago, Freeman has been a teaching artist with the Chicago Vocal Arts Consortium, Columbia College Chicago, and University of the Arts. Zie has recently served as an Associate Director for Sherri Eden Barber on TL;DR Dyke Remix by Ella Rose Chary and Brandon James Gwinn at both Rhinebeck and Polyphone, Associate Director for Sam Pinkleton on Maggie Kate Coleman and Erato Kremmyda's Marie in Tomorrow Land at the Polyphone Music Festival, and for Brandon McShaffrey on Monteveri's Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria. Zie is a Founding Ensemble Member of Third Eye Theatre Ensemble, Nothing Without a Company, and Member Emeritus for the DirectorsLabChicago Steering Committee. Freeman has spoken at the National Opera Association in 2021, participated on the emerging artists panel during the 2011 Chicago Theatre Symposium, participated in the 2012 DirectorsLabChicago, and 2017 La MaMa Umbria Intl. Symposium for Directors. Zie is a recipient of the National Opera Association's 2020 JoElyn Wakefield-Wright Stage Director Fellowship. Rose Freeman is a Directing Fellow for Wolf Trap Opera's 2020, 2021, 2022 seasons.
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