Concept
ACT I Rock is a story of a young man’s first year out of high school trying to live his dream. Most of the play is about him daydreaming about becoming a rock and roller. Joel gets out of High School, loses his first job, fights with his father, and leaves for some place where he can find himself. But Joel has some problems to deal with. He must leave his High School sweetheart behind. Unknown to Joel, his sweetheart has other plans.
ACT II Joel finds what he thinks is the Promised Land, only it is filled with questionable characters. He gets into a Hippie band that plays in a bar. Then, he goes through a breakup with his sweetheart and his best friend. Trusting the wrong people, he ends up taking a psychedelic drug to the point of overdose. This looks like the end for our hero.
ACT III Joel is totally overcome by the situation. He is having a bad trip. Then he remembered words from home, things his mother had told him. He has a revelation in which he learns the true meaning of the word Rock, the Rock of Ages. During the climax, the audience is drawn to the performance.
It’s 1969, during the Hippie movement. We follow Joel through one afternoon of daydreaming about his home in Michigan. He travels in his mind across America to Anytown, USA. He dreams about doing things his way, but that turns out to be a nightmare.