Renee Novello is the playwright of “JC Rocks the Soul” and is the writer of many scripts, short stories, songs, poems, and quotes. Renee is an employee of the School District of Philadelphia and is the Coordinator for the South Region’sAnnual Art & Music Festivals which have been held at the High School for Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) and Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP). She has also been actively involved in the creation and direction of many plays and variety shows including comedy and musical skits.
Novello, a native South Philadelphian, is happily married and has two young adult children. She recently received her degree and holds a B.A. in Applied Communication for Professional Educators from Temple University and an A.S. in Business Management from Community College of Philadelphia. Now that Renee has completed her bachelor’s degree, she jokes, “God only knows what I’m going to be when I grow-up.”
Renee is an avid seer and lover of the theatre and has been writing ever since she was a child. She said, “It helps me to collect my thoughts, see more clearly, and grow as a person.” Renee lives a life of gratitude and optimism, which she attributes to her faith. She has often said, “God is the voice in my ear, the song in my heart, and the smile on my face.”
It was that inspiration that led her to write JC Rocks the Soul. “Jesus was my first love,” she said, “When I would hear a love song, I would secretly sing it to him. And when I was a child, my brother and I used an old time tape recorder and put together the story of JC from Beatles’ songs. Later, that came back to me when my daughter was in a church play with the same theme but with songs of the time. I jumped at the chance to be part of it. It was a great success.” Since then she continued to collect songs that would fit the Jesus’ story. Renee would listen to the radio on the way to and from work during the day and in the evening to and from school. She kept a notebook in her car and at red lights would write down titles along with the matching scene. She did this for ten years. She had such a collection that one day she downloaded all the songs, put them in chronological order and made a CD. That was the beginning of JC Rocks the Soul.
“My intention is to touch young folks of all ages the way JC Superstar and Godspell touched me in my younger years. JC Rocks the Soul is just another way to tell His story in hopes of inspiring others in a new, fun, and exciting way.
I believe that if I do the natural, He’ll do the supernatural!”
Education:
B.A. in Applied Communication for Professional Educators from Temple University A.S. in Business Management from Community College of Philadelphia School of hard knocks and life.
