Forest Theater Guild, Inc.

We are honored to receive the Carmel Chamber of Commerce Award of Excellence! Thank you to our incredible community for the support and inspiration—this recognition means the world! .chamber

Meet Luke Herzog, the playwright of our upcoming production Going Up the Musical!

Meet Max Afifi, the composer of our upcoming production, Going Up the Musical!

Rest in peace to the great Walt Defaria. Not only did he direct and produce many productions with FTG, he taught us all so much. He helped guide the Forest Theater Guild through many things, and selflessly gave us his wisdom and art. Here is to an amazing and talented friend who will always be remembered.

The Forest Theater Guild presents Going Up, a locally written and composed musical

Synopsis - An elevator is a strange place — awkward, claustrophobic, not usually where one would consider notions of life and death and legacy… and not normally where one would set a musical. Then again, maybe it’s perfect. Elevators lift us up, bring us down, force disparate people together. So do the best musicals. As the elevator doors open, we enter knowing our destination, but perhaps not our destiny — which also well describes the premise of Going Up. This tragicomedy, written by Luke Herzog and composed by Max Afifi, includes ten original songs — six flawed strangers find themselves trapped in an elevator and evaluating their existence. Facing the prospect of death, they wonder: Are we going up... or down?

Characters -
DICK SINCLAIR - Businessman climbing the corporate ladder. Vicious and cutthroat, ambitious but is held back by his dislike of others.

SYLVESTER ABAD - Window-cleaner. Jokester, over-exuberant, and optimistic. Badly food poisoned. He has spectrophobia — fear of his own reflection.

HELENA OUTLAND - A mother who is suspiciously unmotherly. She steers the stroller of a baby who is suspiciously silent. She experienced recent heartbreak.

JOSS BRIGGS - An aspiring artist, his father has forced upon him the life of a cook. He feels trapped, unable to pursue his dreams.

LUCY FERGUSON - An irreverent nun. She sure isn’t like the other folks at the convent, to say the least.

EILEEN SMALLS - A claustrophobe. She has a wealthy background and has achieved some success, but she is plagued by anxiety.

The Forest Theater Guild presents Going Up the Musical

Synopsis - An elevator is a strange place — awkward, claustrophobic, not usually where one would consider notions of life and death and legacy… and not normally where one would set a musical. Then again, maybe it’s perfect. Elevators lift us up, bring us down, force disparate people together. So do the best musicals. As the elevator doors open, we enter knowing our destination, but perhaps not our destiny — which also well describes the premise of Going Up. This tragicomedy, written by Luke Herzog and composed by Max Afifi, includes ten original songs — six flawed strangers find themselves trapped in an elevator and evaluating their existence. Facing the prospect of death, they wonder: Are we going up... or down?

Characters -
DICK SINCLAIR - Businessman climbing the corporate ladder. Vicious and cutthroat, ambitious but is held back by his dislike of others.

SYLVESTER ABAD - Window-cleaner. Jokester, over-exuberant, and optimistic. Badly food poisoned. He has spectrophobia — fear of his own reflection.

HELENA OUTLAND - A mother who is suspiciously unmotherly. She steers the stroller of a baby who is suspiciously silent. She experienced recent heartbreak.

JOSS BRIGGS - An aspiring artist, his father has forced upon him the life of a cook. He feels trapped, unable to pursue his dreams.

LUCY FERGUSON - An irreverent nun. She sure isn’t like the other folks at the convent, to say the least.

EILEEN SMALLS - A claustrophobe. She has a wealthy background and has achieved some success, but she is plagued by anxiety.

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