A unique ScripTease musical offering, featuring live musicians!

Jack Gillette’s original musical, Immanuel: The Human Story of Mary and Joseph, is the next work in the Raven Players’ ScripTease pipeline. Gillette, who composes concert works and film scores, was “[R]aised by the Texas hill country, college educated by Southern California, toughened up by the East Coast, and [is] currently being delighted by the San Francisco Bay Area.” Inspired by many kinds of stories, he started music as a kid drumming in church and has since worked with professional orchestras, commercial studios, and award-winning filmmakers.

Immanuel takes place during a revolutionary boiling point in occupied ancient Israel, where a young woman dreams she is miraculously pregnant with the long-prophesied Messiah. But since she is unmarried and blaming God for her pregnancy, her community turns against her, putting her life in danger. This is the story of the real – and rebellious – Mary and Joseph.

The Raven Players’ ScripTease program supports playwrights in the development of their projects. New works are the lifeblood of live theater, and the Players are committed to producing at least one original play every season. New play submissions are accepted from March 1 through May 31 each year; from these submissions, scripts are accepted for regular public readings, featuring actors and directors who regularly work with the Raven Players. The goal is to then select one of those plays for a fully staged production.

The reading for Immanuel takes place on December 7th at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center. Join some of your favorite Raven Players actors and live musicians as we share this critical step in creating an original musical! Admission is free, but tickets are required. Visit the event page for more information and tickets.