SYNOPSIS
“The Complete Picture” is an original rock musical about Kira, a 36 year old photographer who has never confronted her donor-conceived identity. When she gets pregnant, she must finally reconcile with the truth of her roots in order to pass on her entire genealogy. With her dead dad constantly in her ear, together they delve into the complicated process of tracking down the donor. But digging up family secrets takes a toll on the people closest to her who want those secrets to stay buried.
Kira struggles with the battle of “nature” vs. “nurture” and how they co-exist in everyone. Stepping into one’s truth in defiance of expectations is an arduous journey, but Kira is determined to define herself. This musical explores the convoluted and often hidden world of donor-conceived people and the numerous issues many face due to our country's unregulated fertility industry. Driven by an original rock score and a father-daughter relationship, “The Complete Picture” digs into the rawness, mystery, and complex identity-crisis that is faced by anyone investigating their complete picture.
Why did I write this show?
It started with my own story.
It star
Like Kira, I am a donor-conceived person. In high school I found out that my parents used an anonymous donor to conceive me. I was blindsided by this revelation, but also curious about my roots (specifically why I looked the way I did; I always felt like "the black sheep" in my Irish family.) But as most things are, it was complicated. My father had passed away three years earlier, and I was still grieving this tremendous loss. Learning that he wasn't my biological father added to that grief, especially because I would never be able to have a conversation with him about it. It didn't change how I felt about his parental role in my life, but it did mess with my sense of trust and identity. All of a sudden, half of me felt like a question mark. Back then there were no commercial DNA tests (like 23 & Me and Ancestry) and the fertility clinic my parents used didn't keep records, so there was no information available to help me cope with this life-changing news. I was set adrift, and for the next fifteen years internalized what felt like a dirty secret. I didn't want to tell anyone because I was afraid of somehow "ruining my dad's legacy/memory".
When I turned 30, I realized how important it was to solve this mystery. Part of growing up is taking control of your own narrative, and I was tired of “hiding”. I also became keenly aware of my biological clock, and the thought of my future child inheriting these question marks activated me to find answers. So I finally took a DNA test.
I discovered that I'm 63% Spanish-Cuban.
The answer only led to more questions, and so began a six-year rollercoaster of a journey that I'm still on to this day. I found my biological father (the donor) during the pandemic, but unfortunately he was not interested in connecting. This was really disappointing, but ultimately I came to the conclusion that it's his loss. However, last year I matched with a half-sister! She and I have connected and have a lot in common; I totally adore her! I always say she was my “happy ending” in all of this.
My mom’s unconditional support has been the other “happy ending” in my experience. It means so much to me that she supports my advocacy work and encourages me to be vulnerable about sharing my own story because in some ways it’s her story, too. Her love is truly limitless. I know I am really lucky to have her “on my team” because many donor-conceived people are ostracized by their families when they speak out about their status/story.
I discovered the donor-conceived community shortly after my DNA test results, and this support system was a pillar of strength for me. Most donor-conceived people live with this secret thinking they are alone, but having a community of people with similar experiences was a game-changer. It was also inspiring. Over the past few years, I have written essays and spoken on several panels about my own experience, encouraging parents to be transparent with their kids as soon as possible. I really enjoy talking to recipient parents, other donor-conceived people, and those who are not donor-conceived about our issues; I feel the best form of advocacy I can offer to help my community is through art and communication.
I found there was very little representation of donor-conceived people’s perspective in the media and in general. Since “coming out” publicly as a donor-conceived person three years ago, I have witnessed how important it is for people to hear our stories and know that we exist. I wrote a song called “No More Waiting” for my band Erin Maya and The Reckoning about my donor-conceived journey back in 2018. We started playing it at shows, and it would spark conversations. I realized how important it was to make art about this topic to keep initiating these conversations. I started wondering: “What if this song was part of a musical?”
“The Complete Picture” began as an idea in 2019 while sitting at a diner with my friend/fellow collaborator Riley Thomas. I told him I wanted to write a show about a donor-conceived person that not only raised awareness about our issues, but also brought people together. There is so much tension between the donor-conceived community and recipient parents, and I believe this tension is the reason why conversations are often hurtful and not constructive. Someone once said “Hurt people – hurt people.” This can go both ways. I wanted to focus on the importance of having these conversations and making amends with family while there's still time. Centering the show around universal themes such as grief and identity would make the story more accessible and relatable to any audience member. I believe theatre has the ability to educate and foster empathy in a way no other medium can, and what better genre of music to express such raw, difficult emotions than rock music?
Well, they say “write what you know.”
Developmental history of the show and
my goals for this show.
In conclusion
I began to actually write the show in January 2021. It started off loosely based on my own experience, but soon it grew into its own fictional story. In December of 2021, we had our first table-read of Act One with Broadway performer/choreographer/director/producer Luis Salgado and his team. Several rewrites have been made since that read-through, and the story has evolved significantly. The first reading of the whole show took place on Zoom this February 1st, 2023. The story continues to develop.
We had an incredibly successful sold-out concert at Green Room 42 this past January 8th, 2024. Not only were we completely sold-out with in-person tickets, but the number of livestream tickets sold made the concert of the most sold-out shows in the venue's history! If that doesn't convey the excitement and demand for this show, I don't know what does!!
*If you would like to see video footage of the whole concert, email thecompletepicturemusical@gmail.com*
Since the concert, I have expanded the creative team. I have brought Riley Thomas (writer/composer of the movie-musical STUCK starring Giancarlo Esposito, Ashanti, Amy Madigan, and more) onto the team as Co-Book Writer and Nicholas James Connell (Music Supervisor/Arranger of Off-Broadway’s current hit musical TITANIQUE) as Co-Composer, Arranger, and Additional Lyricist. Dana Iannuzzi (Associate Director for “Six” the Musical for Norwegian Cruise Lines) has been working with us closely to direct a future industry reading.
My developmental goals for “The Complete Picture” are as follows:
- We will be workshopping the show at one of the most-lauded musical theatre programs in the country, Texas State University, this September. A presentation will take place following the workshop on September 21st at the university campus.
After the workshop, the show will be in a great place to be shopped for a commercial venture.
-At a date TBD in 2024/2025, we want to do an Equity showcase reading of the entire show in NYC. So at this stage our goal is to find someone (or a group of people) to join our team and produce that industry reading in NYC .
- The overall goal being a commercial run of the show in NYC.
Anyone who knows me knows that if I am passionate about something, I am relentless - and
I truly believe this show has the power to start much-needed conversations about donor conception, and how it affects ALL of those involved.
Ultimately, I wanted to write a show about family. A family can take form in many ways; love is not a limited source. But our time on this earth IS limited, and I wanted to write this story as a reminder to cherish the time we have with our families. Have the conversations that need to be had while you still can. I didn’t get to have that conversation with my Dad, but I honor his legacy through this show with the hope that other families CAN. I hope he would be proud of me.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my journey and this show, and if you have any questions at all about donor-conception, my experience, the musical, and/or how to support this musical....I am an open book, please reach out and ask!
Erin Maya
BOOK-WRITER, COMPOSER & LYRICIST
Erin Maya (she/her) is a queer, Cuban-Irish donor-conceived professional writer/performer. She is a member of AEA, and has worked closely with the organizations US Donor-Conceived Council, We Are Donor-Conceived, and Right To Know doing advocacy work. She has performed at venues all over NYC as well as overseas. She has worked as an actress in NYC and regionally for years - Her most notable theatre credit is starring as Helen/Vinnie in the original Boston cast of THE DONKEY SHOW at American Repertory Theatre, directed by Tony-Winning Best Director Diane Paulus.
Erin Maya has worked alongside notable artists such as American Idol’s Ace Young and Constantine Maroulis, Mary Bridget Davies, Mel Johnson Jr., and Daphne Guinness.
Erin’s creative history as a writer is a rich, interdisciplinary tapestry with several notable highlights. She is the founder, songwriter, and frontwoman of the alternative rock band ERIN MAYA AND THE RECKONING, which regularly plays throughout the Tri-State area. Their first self-produced EP “Suburban Anxiety” was released on all digital streaming platforms, as well as their latest singles “The Fearless One” and “No More Waiting” (a donor-conceived anthem featured in The Complete Picture.) She is the creator and producer of a Hamilton “My Shot” parody video called “We Birth the Nation” that achieved thousands of views on
YouTube. It was referenced in “Music for Women (Survivors of Violence): A Feminist Music Therapy Interactive EBook” by Sandra L. Curtis as a positive example of parody used as a vehicle for activism. Erin has penned articles for several donor-conceived and MPE
(misattributed parentage experiences) organizations. Most notably, she authored an article called “Waiting Is the Hardest Part” for the organization We Are Donor Conceived
(www.wearedonorconceived.com), which garnered upwards of 10,000 engagements. Her donorconceived story “Between Two Worlds” was featured in their first magazine, which debuted in 2020.
For more information regarding Erin’s career and band, visit her websites at www.erinmaya.com and www.erinmayaandthereckoning. You can also follow her on Facebook and on Instagram @theerinmaya. Her band’s Instagram handle is @erinmayaandthereckoning and her musical THE COMPLETE PICTURE’s IG is @thecompletepicturemusical
Nicholas Connell
COMPOSER/ARRANGER/
ADDITIONAL LYRICIST
Nicholas Connell (he/him) is a singer/songwriter, music director, producer, and arranger. He has a B.M. in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music and is currently on senior faculty at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). Nicholas is Co-Creator and Music Supervisor of the hit musical TITANIQUE. MD credits: Brent Spiner’s In Search of Lost Time, For The Record: The Brat Pack (NCL), The Color Purple (2015 IRNE Award for Best Music Direction), In The Heights (2014 IRNE), Xanadu, Next To Normal (Speakeasy Stage). Nicholas can be seen playing piano on ENCORE! (Disney+), at Duplex in NYC, and on his Youtube Channel which has garnered 15,000+ subscribers and 9.9 million views. @nicholasconnell
Riley Thomas
BOOK WRITER
Riley Thomas (he/him) is a writer/composer for the stage and screen. Notable projects include the nationwide theatrical release of the feature film "Stuck" starring Giancarlo Esposito, Amy Madigan and Ashanti. Collectively his musicals have garnered 7 accolades at the New York Musical Theater Festival (NYMF) including recognition for book, music and lyrics. On the international film festival circuit, his short films "Beast or Raven" and "Trigger" have achieved over a dozen awards and nominations including Best Screenplay, Best Film, and Audience Choice Award. Riley is the Creative Director of Dark Prophet Productions LLC, as well as a member of ASCAP and the Dramatists Guild. He is a proud queer, neurodivergent multi-ethnic adoptee. @RileyThomasWriter
CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES
Dana Iannuzzi
DIRECTOR
DANA IANNUZZI (Director) is a New York-based Actor/Director. Dana serves as the Associate Director for “Six” the Musical for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Other Directing Credits Include: Steel Magnolias (Greenbrier Valley Theatre), Monty Python’s Spamalot (Forestburgh Playhouse), Murder for Two (Greenbrier Valley Theatre), On Your Feet (John W. Engeman Theatre) A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (Timberlake Playhouse), Cursed: The Musical (Virtual Event), Freedom Summer (NYMF), Beehive: The 60s Musical (Timberlake Playhouse), and The Vagina Monologues (The Players Theatre). www.danaiannuzzi.com @thedanaiannuzzi