On a basic level, “Curtain Call” is a documentary focusing on a Philadelphia non-profit organization that provides kids the opportunity to write and stage their own musical. Working in conjunction with artists and teachers from the city, the kids come together to mount the whodunit 'Murder at Manchester Mansion' for an audience. But on another level, “Curtain Call” is reflective of the personal “curtain calls” of the subjects that director James Doolittle chose to focus on, primarily the program’s two leaders; Ms. Mullin - the ambitious head of the program one year out from removing herself from the classroom environment where she’s spent her entire life as both a student and teacher – and Mr. Brock, the exuberant director who’s torn between the craft of teaching and pursuing his own career as a singer/songwriter. But as a lyric in one of the songs written by the kids states, “money and power makes the world go ‘round,” and this simple observation of the current environment in which they live is mirrored in the reality of running such a program. As this ragtag family unit of kids, parents and artists pour their heart and soul into the production of the play, the anxiety of whether they can financially keep this non-profit afloat is constant; the exhilaration of a curtain call matched with a cold, harsh fiscal reality.

Forms: Documentary, Feature
Genres: Family, Drama, Children Live Action, Coming of Age , Dance, Independent, Reality, Culture
Niches: African American, Black, Women, Student, Youth/Teen, Children