Meet Me Behind The Mall: A Musical Adaptation of Folklore and Evermore by Taylor Swift
Publication Date
2025
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Department
English, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
SPARK Category
Knowledge
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Kacie Hittel
SPARK Session
Text to Screen: Adapting Stories to Visual Narratives
Presentation Type
Talk/Oral
Summary
Meet Me Behind the Mall is a musical exploration of the narratives presented in folklore and evermore, the critically acclaimed sister albums by pop sensation Taylor Swift. The musical tells the story of Betty Gardener and Dorothea Steele, two young women in their senior year at Woodvale High. Betty - everyone's favorite girl next door -finds herself caught in a love triangle with bad boy James and a mystery girl who later turns out to be her best friend, August. Meanwhile, Dorothea - Woodvale's resident wallflower - is willing to risk it all to follow her dreams of escaping Woodvale to find stardom, and her best friend Leo doesn't know how to ask her to stay. On prom night, both girls are faced with a difficult choice, one that will change the course of their lives. Ten years later at their high school reunion, Betty and Dorothea are confronted with their past mistakes and must decide: Do we confront them? Or do we continue to run from them? Meet Me Behind The Mall invites audiences into the musical world of folklore and evermore to explore the complexities of youth and reflect on the moments that define us as we reconcile with the realities of growing up and learning to let go.
Recommended Citation
Alderdice, Zachary J., "Meet Me Behind The Mall: A Musical Adaptation of Folklore and Evermore by Taylor Swift" (2025). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 156.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/156