TRU
"Gosz and Fotos have the start of something really great with TRU. It's a story that needs telling [...] I, for one, can't wait to see how this show grows."
- Amanda Finn
"[It was] a pretty incredible evening of music [...] it's enough to make you wonder if they'll drop a few of these songs on an EP."
- Jerald Pierce
"Gosz and Fotos's music and lyrics deftly reflect the characters' personalities in a way that surpasses some recent Broadway musicals."
- Kenjiro Lee
TRU (EP) - Trailer #1
TRU (EP) - Trailer #2
TRU (EP) - Announcement Teaser
TRU - Lullaby For Her
Synopsis
Truman, a high school English teacher, wakes up anxious, as always, and leaves for work. The effects of Truman’s mental health are portrayed through his relationship with the anthropomorphic representation of his mental illness embodied by a character called Her. Just down the street, Isla, an artist, moves into the attic above her grandmother, Gail’s, flower shop, to help Gail run the shop in her old age, while hoping to rekindle the spark she once had for her art. Truman and Isla face trigger after trigger as Isla struggles to find her purpose, leading her to question whether or not she should continue pursuing art, while Truman questions what he knows about his family and his own existence altogether.
With Gail’s encouragement, Isla begins to explore the community around her and rediscovers her creative spark. Meanwhile, Truman reconnects with his estranged father who helps him discover how his community, students, and family can impact him while he learns to live with Her.
Truman and Isla connect after Gail’s death, and the two find support in each other as they look to continue Gail’s colorful legacy. Truman and Isla learn to confide in each other and agree to be each other's shoulders to lean on.
Production History
2017 New York Musical Festival Next Link Finalist
2018 Chicago Musical Theatre Festival
2019 Official World Premiere at Stage 773 in Chicago
2021 TRU (EP) Streaming On Listening Platforms
2021-2023 TRU Story Presentations at Colleges, Universities, and Community/Mental Health Organizations
2023 TRU in Concert hosted by The Hope For Us Network
TRU Story is a presentation of the "story behind the story and songs" of our original musical, TRU.
TRU has been championed by mental health organizations such as Hope for the Day, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and The Kennedy Forum for its impactful telling of the relationship between an individual and their mental illness and the importance of community support.
This one hour presentation features several songs from TRU performed by acclaimed artists and an international orchestra, includes conversations with Gosz and Fotos as they unpack the origins of sharing their own mental health journeys through the medium of musical theater, and encourages viewers and attendees to find their own ways to tell their truths.
TRU Story has been praised as "creative, educational, and highly recommended" by Thy Nguyen, Executive Director
McCree Center for Life Success at Mary Baldwin University. "Through their narratives, personal experiences, and music, creators David Gosz and Leo Fotos fostered a space for conversations that resonated with our students in a way that I’ve rarely experienced or seen."
TRU Story Presentation Reel
Lullaby For Her (Excerpt from TRU EP)
Mom and Dad (Excerpt from TRU EP)
Now (Excerpt from TRU EP)
Presentation options are flexible and include the following options:
-
Keynote presentation accompanied by live music featuring 3+ performers and a live band with a Q&A to follow
-
Keynote presentation accompanied by live and pre-recorded music featuring 1 performer and a piano with a Q&A to follow
-
Keynote presentation accompanied by pre-recorded music with a Q&A to follow
-
Live-streamed virtual presentation with pre-recorded music and a Q&A to follow
-
Pre-recorded presentation and music with a live Q&A to follow