We Are the Benjamin Harrison High School Horse Girls!
Music by Joanna Burns
Lyrics by Lisa Mongillo
Book by Joanna Burns and Lisa Mongillo
A dry, absurd comedy set in the suburban Indiana of 1993, where a teenage recluse must embrace her horse girl past in order to help a group of fellow horse enthusiasts finally meet a real horse.
Tonally, think Napoleon Dynamite meets The Craft. It’s a story for anyone who’s felt like they’re the only one to love the thing they love. (Even if that thing isn’t horses.)
As a theatrical piece, the show was selected to have two developmental readings by Out of the Box Theatrics as part of their New Works series. It was also featured in the In The Works series at The Duplex.
The script has since been reworked as a screenplay and is repped at WME for further development.
As a duo, Joanna and Lisa have been showcased by the BMI Workshop at the Deane Little Theater and by Ring of Keys at Joe’s Pub. They also make comedy music videos under the duo name Doll Camp.
demos
the writers
Joanna Burns (Music, Co-Book) s a composer/singer-songwriter and member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Workshop where she was the winner of the Harrington Award for Creative Excellence. Some composer/arranger credits include: the web series CITY OF DREAMS (NY Times, USA Today), the web pilot CAROL’S A DEMON (NYTV Fest), the short film WHALE HELLO THERE (Buffer Festival Invitee), the opening number for the CBS DIVERSITY SHOWCASE, and the new musicals A HALLOWEEN SHIVA, WE ARE THE BENJAMIN HARRISON HIGH SCHOOL HORSE GIRLS, and WELCOME TO SHOOFLY (ASCAP Dreamworks Musical Theater Workshop, Los Angeles). She has also toured the U.S. performing as a singer-songwriter. Her LP The Green Year, features 11 self-produced tracks and 2 produced by Dan Romer (Shawn Mendes, Ingrid Michaelson).
Lisa Mongillo (Lyrics, Co-Book) is a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Advanced Workshop, an alumna of William & Mary, and a humor writer for Reductress. Selected credits: lyrics/book for THE RADIUM GIRLS (directed by Tony Award winner Marissa Jaret Winokur, produced by High Octave, NAMT Finalist); script for PARTY PEOPLE (Samuel French Off-Off-Broadway Festival); lyrics for A NEVER-ENDING LINE (Off-Broadway, album released by Broadway Records); lyrics/book for WE ARE THE BENJAMIN HARRISON HIGH SCHOOL HORSE GIRLS (Out of the Box Theatrics’ New Works). Her shows were selected for incubator programs with Western Connecticut State University, Pendragon Theater, The Phoenix Theater, and the Johnny Mercer Foundation. Her work has been performed on stages from LA to Paris – including Joe’s Pub, Feinstein’s/54 Below, and Lincoln Center; produced in various festivals; and showcased in Playbill’s Songwriter Series. She studied comedy at The Second City and The Annoyance, and worked on Comedy Central’s THE PRESIDENT SHOW.