BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY

OVATION FESTIVAL

APRIL 2023

TEN FINALISTS VYING FOR ONE RECORD DEAL

THIS IS STAR MACHINE!

It's May 2002 when Jaz, a Juilliard grad who is desperately trying to break into the LA music scene, lands on an outrageous TV talent show that's about to become a national sensation (any resemblance to American Idol is purely coincidental, we swear).

But even if she outsmarts the judges and outsings her competitors, will Jaz win Star Machine and get to make the album she's been dreaming of? With an early 2000's-influenced pop-rock score, Star Machine is a comedic romp through the triumphs and rock-bottoms of one of the most ridiculous arenas of show biz. In the end, Jaz discovers that to win in the entertainment industry, you need to...

meet the creators

We’re a family of creatives who work together!

John and Hollee Temple met in a newsroom in the 1990s and have been writing together ever since. Gideon and Hank, who are students at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music, have assisted with multiple television and feature projects, including adaptations of John's non-fiction books. Star Machine is our first musical as a family writing team.

John & Hollee are represented by The Gotham Group.

John is an author, journalist, screenwriting professor, and most recently, a staff writer on Waco: The Aftermath (Showtime). He is a veteran investigative journalist whose books tell dramatic stories about significant issues in American life. John has written for the Washington Post, Daily Beast, HuffPo, and appeared on major national news outlets. He is a tenured writing professor at West Virginia University and a member of the Writers Guild of America.

Hollee is a producer, lawyer, nonfiction author, and Broadway enthusiast. In May 2021, HarperCollins released a 10th anniversary edition of her lauded parenting book, Good Enough Is the New Perfect. Fun fact: Hollee made her professional debut alongside Billy Porter in a 1991 production of Dreamgirls.

Gideon and Hank Temple are award-winning composers and filmmakers. In their early teens, the Temple Brothers began studying songwriting with Scott Simons (America’s Got Talent, Little Big Shots, X Factor). They also have studied composing for musical theater with Andrew Lippa, Bill Russell, and Michael Kooman & Chris Dimond. Their first musical comedy, You’re the Worst, debuted at Pittsburgh Musical Theater in May 2021.

They have placed in multiple Pittsburgh 48-Hour Film Projects, where they also won Best Original Song. Their shorts have screened at festivals in Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

Check out their debut EP, Kinda Sorta, on Apple Music and Spotify!

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