Creators of musical will explain their process March 12

The writers and a leader actor in the upcoming "Aaron Power!", an Irish-American musical of diversity, will talk about their work at 2 p.m. March 12 at the Brunner Theatre Center on campus.

Ira Francisco, Dan Haughey and Michael Callahan will offer a presentation and Q&A on the topic of script writing. The presentation is titled "Playwriting: Germinal Idea and Script into Transformational Musical Theatre."

The event is free and open to the public. It is supported by the Ruth Anderson Playwriting Fund at Augustana.

The musical includes traditional Irish, Native American, and punk rock. The score was written by Callahan and book by Haughey. The regional premiere is set for March 17-20 at the Center for Living Arts East studio, 2008 4th Ave., Rock Island.

Francisco, an environmental activist and Native American dancer from Chicago, will explain his experiences and processes moving between Native American pow-wow performance and his role as the central character in "Aaron Power!"

Haughey is the co-author of and producer/director of "Aaron Power!" He will explain the genesis of the musical and contrast differences between writing for plays versus “book.” He is a professor emeritus of speech and theatre arts from Black Hawk College, Moline.

Co-author Callahan will explain his inspirations for the musical’s compositions, the writing process for the libretto and music, the collaborative process with Haughey, and the values of Francisco’s engagement. He is music director of Bethel Wesley United Methodist Church, Moline, and of the barbershop chorus The Chordbusters.