Central Conflict: A coming-of-age story, Elfs central conflict follows Buddys struggle to

come to terms with who he was raised to be and the contrast that comes from who he was
born to be. An inner argument of nature vs nurture follows our protagonist as he navigates
a world of revelations throughout this piece. His success, ultimately, comes from being
loved and accepted by his human family, the Hobbs. Walter serves as our initial
antagonist, looking to keep his familial and personal life separated from his work life,
something that we can physicalize frequently through out the piece. Our secondary conflict
centers on the people of New York as a whole, a people who have lost the ability to
believe in the unseen. Buddy finds this has plagued many people he loves, from his father
to his little brother and even Jovie, his new love interest. Buddy finds that this lack of
belief is his biggest obstacle in being truly loved and accepted by those he cares for.

- We need to be aware when worlds collide in the piece. Walter should be

uncomfortable and potentially separated from his family when they enter his
workspace.
- Buddy must exude a confidence and connection with those he encounters at the
North Pole. The shift to New York will need to be recognized by the actor as
well as the directing team. Buddys interactions in the city must start out as
alienating, leading to his ultimate loneliness at the end of act one. He must
begun alone in a sea of people.
- Belief has to be the uniting factor for the people in our story. Michael and
Emilys connection must grow from their half-hearted letter to Santa Claus to
their sighting of him and finally meeting him in Central Park. We surely cannot
see a finished family picture with the Hobbs until Walter believes. It is that
belief that allows him to accept Buddy for who he is and that is what unites the
family.

Metaphor: A snow globe / Aside from the called for prop of a snow globe, which serves
as Buddys map to New York City, the imagery of a snow globe is an all too appropriate
piece for Buddys work in the people of New York City. Like Buddy, a snow globe first
needs a catalyst. When a snow globe is flipped, swished or shaken, it is chaotic and
swirling. The flurries, while safely contained in their glass bulb, are unpredictable and the
pandemonium within the globe is almost immediate. But, as the confusion settles, the
granules become aware of one another and begin to fall, resulting in an atmosphere for
more picturesque than before. A snow globe is made better by disturbance.

Audience and Cast: First off, audiences should love Spotlight Auroras production of Elf
the Musical having escaped for a bit. Elf is largely a story for the sake of escapism. The
jokes should make them laugh and the music should make them dance in their seats.
Smiling is Buddys favorite and it needs to be contagious. Secondly, audiences should
leave Elf empowered to be passionate about what makes them who they are. As
Christians, our belief in Christ is innately part of our identity. As artists and storytellers and
dancers and singers, these things are innately part of our identity. Both the cast and the
audience should leave this experience, be it an eight week process or a two hour
production, with more confidence to love whatever it is they love, and do so with bells on.

Show Verse: Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not
see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy
1 Peter 1:8