Hairspray

PLOT
Hairspray is a musical about Baltimore during the Civil Rights Movement in the
1960s. Tracy Turnblad is an overweight teen who dreams of getting on her favorite
television show, The Corny Collins Show. At the audition she is immediately denied
because of her weight and her belief in integration. However, Corny Collins sees
Tracy dancing at her high school dance and makes sure she gets on the show. She
meets Seaweed and other black kids who like to dance in detention and she fights
to get them on The Corny Collins show every day, rather than the one day a month
they were previously allowed to.

CONCEPT
Race, segregation, integration, Tracy, weight, judgement, hope, fight, hairspray,
picture, masks, television, dreams, Baltimore, love, law, rules, protest, standing up,
white, black, bystanders, clothes, dancing, singing, popularity, credit, morals,
waking up, jail, breaking out, big, blonde, beautiful, contest, equality, freedom,
rights, laughs, joke shop, special ed., dodgeball, picket, police, show, grit, tenacity,
streets, city, school, fate, moves, parents, mothers, fathers, knowledge, fame,
fortune, big break, culture, inclusion, bars, record shop, 45s, pageant, winners,
heart, soul, colored, afro-tastic, coming together, rising up, front door, oppression,
unfairness, fairness, minority, radio, gel, comb, Penny, seaweed, authority, surprise,

lights, cameras, fans, corruption, understanding, learning, growing, achieving,

dreams, reality, harshness, change, music, 60s, revolution, epiphany, detention,
price, risk, trends, fashion, society, standards, finding, ring, happiness, sharing,
enjoying, surviving, living, courage
Race, segregation, integration, judgement, hope, fight, masks, dreams, love, rules,
standing up, bystanders, popularity, credit, morals, contest, equality, freedom,
rights, grit, tenacity, fate, parents, knowledge, fame, fortune, culture, inclusion,
winners, heart, soul, colored, coming together, rising up, front door, oppression,
unfairness, fairness, minority, radio, authority, surprise, understanding, learning,
growing, achieving, dreams, change, risk, society, standards, happiness, sharing,
enjoying, surviving, living, courage

Integration, judgement, hope, fight, dreams, love, standing up, equality, freedom,
grit, tenacity, culture, inclusion, winners, soul, rising up, oppression, fairness,
authority, understanding, dreams, change, society, standards, happiness, sharing,
living, courage

Integration, judgement, dreams, love, tenacity, inclusion, fairness, authority,

dreams, change, society, courage

Dreams, love, courage, change, society

If you surround yourself with people you love, and have the courage to do it, you
can change society.
In fact, its the only way.

REFLECTION
As an actor, this play helped me see how hard you have to work to put out a
great production. I could see the hard work in the sweat of the performers. Its
important to give it everything youve got because itd really suck to have a great
production with a meh ending. As a designer, the show made me think about the
way you have to mix vocals on top of the instruments in order for us to understand
them. I know from personal experience that this is easier said than done, but its
obviously an essential skill I need to work on if I plan to become a sound designer.
Hairspray is an amazing show that preaches the principles of human rights
and equality for all. I think the most important thing for people to take away from
this show is that this is applicable universally, and not just with race. Of course race
is an extremely relevant issue but the thing about theatre is that it always has
multiple stories within it. The struggle the black people in Hairspray have with being
treated like the rest is the same struggle we all face as a result of our differences.