Project Inception                                        
In December 2024, Jodi Walder trained a group of seven volunteers to conduct and record interviews at GG’s House. We interviewed 50 people and recorded over 70 hours of stories. Jodi then worked with a volunteer team consisting of Violeta Basenko, Alyssa Hicks, and Jessie Walder-Biesanz to turn the stories into a series of themed monologues and dialogues. Renowned off-Broadway composer Noel Katz joined the project in January 2025 to write the melodies and lyrics for the show.
Gg's House
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Gg’s House is a Forest Grove-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a simple yet profound mission: to extend a helping hand to those facing tough times in our community. We provide a variety of essential services, from clothing and meals to hygiene items, medical equipment, and school supplies. We believe in inclusivity, offering our assistance to anyone in need, irrespective of their backgrounds, circumstances, race, or religion. Our beneficiaries include schools, nursing homes, home health agencies, individuals without homes, families, veterans, hospitals, and many others. Each week, we assist between 200-450 individuals and donate 2000 pounds of food to local food banks and families. https://www.ggshousegivinggrace.org/
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Interviews

Alyssa Hicks, Jessie Walder-Biesanz, Violeta Basenko, Caralynn West, Bruce Collins, Shriya Marla and Jodi Walder audio recorded over 70 hours of interviews with Gg's House clients and volunteers.

Script and Songs

.The interviews were transcripted and then changed to monolgue format. The monolgues were organized thematically. The distinct voices of the clients were retained. Songs were written to capture the  personalities and diversity of the clients and to shed light on the history of the social safety net.

Workshops

Volunteer actors attended a 4-day workshop in July 2025 to read the script, learn three production numbers and perform some monolgues. Particpant and audience feedback was taken into account to revise the script and songs. Additional table reads ocurred in September and November 2025. The story was re-imagined as a docudrama with a story arc, rather than a series of monologues.