New Covenant School Drama

2009 Play Photos

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 15:04:00 -0500

Remember that all current NCS drama information is now on Xanga. We've got tons of photos on there -- check out the albums.

but in case you might be visiting from afar, here's what we've been up to this year:

Much Ado About Nothing
2009 Winter Faculty Play

Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon
2008 Fall Advanced Drama production

Some Photos from Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe, Spring 2008

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sat, 8 Mar 2008 09:50:00 -0500

WE'VE MOVED!

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:50:00 -0400

Yes, even blogs sometimes need to move.

Since just about everybody in the class has a Xanga account, we're moving the NCS Drama blog to Xanga.

NCSDrama

So mosey on over to the new Xanga and leave me some witty comment.
Better yet, subscribe!

*clinks glass*
Here's to a brand new year. I'm very excited about seeing all of us grow as actors and members of our own little artistic community. And I'm pretty darn excited about getting to be a Viking during third quarter. ;-)

Planning Time rubs hands together

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Mon, 3 Jul 2006 00:55:00 -0400

well, while all you people were out there partying & enjoying your summer vacation,
I was ... enjoying my summer vacation. ;-)

The Rameys at Arizona's "Big Ditch"

BUT all that's done now, and I'm merrily working away on plans for the upcoming year's drama class. We're kicking around a lot of exciting ideas, mulling over the choice of the "big play" (Shakespeare, of course), and having fun surfing the web for all things dramatic.

Feel free to call or email or drop by this summer.... or at least leave a comment if you happen to read this. =)

Otherwise, I'll see all you drama students when school opens in the fall.

till then: I expect you to goof off, be up to no good, and be entirely lazy.
don't even THINK about doing anything else

--Mrs. R

HAPPY SUMMER!!

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sat, 27 May 2006 01:55:00 -0400

Yesss! We made it!!!!
*dances*

As you celebrate your vacation, feel free to wander over here once in a while and tell me what you're up to.
And I'll generally keep my Xanga updated. If you're one of those barbarians who use only MySpace, well, I've got one of those too....

As things develop over the summer for the 2006-07 drama season at NCS, I'll post updates on the blog here.

Yes, yes, I realize that most of you will be happily worshipping the sun on some beach somewhere, or burying your nose in a favorite book.

But the curious shall be rewarded. ;)

Thanks so much for an AWESOME year.
Y'all were a-MA-zing.

Awesome job

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sat, 20 May 2006 09:10:00 -0400

can i say anything else?
nope.

you guys were awesome.
incredible work by the directors & ADs....
fantastic job by you actor-people.

I am *so* proud of you guys!

go forth and enjoy your summer

(but first, PLAY REVIEWS!!!)
Check TeacherEase -- if you owe me a review (or 2) I've marked it as a 0% so you can see your current grade.

Good News, I Hope :)

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Mon, 15 May 2006 23:15:00 -0400

some good words:

1. All right.... I give in.
Yes, you can review the "other" NCS play for a play review if you need one.
sheesh, I'm turning into a softie.... and y'all had a YEAR to do this. So you'd BETTER be thankful for the grace.
*winks*

praise God for grace. He gives it to me all the time.

If you choose to review the other play (the one you're not in), then please write the review honestly. I promise that the directors will never read it. And I promise if you review my play, I'd like to read honest criticism of my acting. ;-)

2. Great work today.
It was a long rehearsal session .... but y'all did a good job. You came on time, worked hard, obeyed instructions, put out your "all," got into character, and generally gave us the best performances we've seen so far.

I know it's a struggle here at the end of the year -- but please reach down into your soul and pull out your "fun" gene. These stories are little gems of human nature, irony, and (sometimes dark) comedy. Enjoy them. The audience will too.

People have told me they can't wait till Friday because Midsummer was so good. We've got a good reputation ... and I think we'll keep it. ;-)

one more week

yessssssssssssssssss

Monday 5/15 -- Important Info

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Thu, 11 May 2006 23:43:00 -0400

Monday's rehearsal will be a long one. Prepare yourself for it over the weekend.

First, I have something to say:
I am tired. You are tired. Everyone is tired.
But I've been frustrated by the number of absences, lack of preparation (aka: people don't know their lines), and the low energy & "fun" levels at the rehearsals.
Trust me -- I feel your pain. I have no mental energy left ... especially after two all-nighters for the yearbook and full days of teaching.
But folks, we have GOT to pull together for the sake of the awesome folks who are working so hard to direct these plays. Learn your lines. Do whatever you have to do to prepare yourself for rehearsals.
And, for Pete's sake, LIGHTEN UP! You're acting in a comedy! :) Enjoy it. If you don't, the audience won't either....

Come to rehearsal on Monday *ready* to work hard, be in character, have fun, and rehearse well. This is our last week -- let's give it our best shot and produce a great "last memory" of this year's drama class.

OK, end of pep talk....

Monday -- rehearsal notes:

Come with ALL costume items (including shoes, hats, appropriate jewelry or watches or belts or "wedding rings") ... everything you need.
Directors -- ALL set pieces need to be in place by Monday afternoon. (All items here, all props here.) ... who's gonna finish the coffin liner?
Directors -- plan to warm up your casts with improvs while you're waiting for hair & makeup to get done. Also use the manpower to get the stage set up for Sam's play and prepped to run Bethany's stuff onstage after Sam's play is done.
AD's -- please work out backstage details ASAP. Do you need additional backstage help? Ask them to come to rehearsal on Monday and Wednesday.

Call times for hair/makeup:
Nate/Alicia/me/Rebekah: 2pm in building C. for hair/makeup
Bettina & Sara: 3:15 (ish)
Coart: 3:30 (ish)

Dressing Rooms:
We'll use the nursery-- use the same rooms you did in MND. (Girls use the 3 yr old nursery that's beside the kitchen. Guys, take the room across the hall.)

Please leave the rooms in good order when you leave. Don't mess with the nursery items or leave your items all over the place.

You Can't Take It With You cast -- you have to change costumes (10 year difference between scenes). Girls -- go to the little room off the lobby that we used for a Green Room for MND. Boys -- change in the 4th grade classroom. Remember to put your stuff in those rooms before the play begins.

Schedule:
2pm: Early call time for a few (see above).
I hope to get the 6th & 7th periods switched on Monday so that the high schoolers (who would normally have rhetoric) will be free to go set up the stage for the plays at 2pm.
2pm (high school): Meet in C-108 to get instructions from your directors about setting up the stage for rehearsals this week and to discuss backstage stuff. Be willing to help the other play folks ...
3:15pm: Call time for everyone else to change for the play. Do NOT wander around the buildings. Stay in C-108 after you've changed.
3:45pm: Cast meetings:
Bethany -- 1st grade room
Sam -- 4th grade room
4pm: Full dress run #1
includes tech details & production photos ... so this will be kind of stop & start....
5pm: Break and supper (see below)
5:30pm: Full dress run #2
6:15pm: Done (I hope)

Plan to stay till we've done two solid run-throughs and worked out the kinks in lighting, sound, and set design. I emailed your teachers to beg for homework mercy on Monday night.... keep me informed....

Yes, it's a long afternoon. Deal with it ... we desperately need the practice. And it'll make Wednesday's rehearsal run much more smoothly....

Supper:
Unless y'all protest, please bring $2 with you on Monday. We'll order a massive amount of yummy pizza, cold drinks, and maybe even some fresh baked cookies for dessert to fill your hungry stomachs.
You'll have to eat in costume, so be careful.
Bring gum or a toothbrush or something nice like that. We don't want Uncle Basil keeling over early due to someone's onion breath. :p

I want you all to know that I have thoroughly loved working with you this year. You make me very proud. And these plays will come together this week and be awesome. Cause you guys are just that great. =)

PLEASE advertise the plays!
Get your family and friends to come!! Youth group... neighbors.... C'mon, we want to play to a full house on Friday night! But you've got to advertise it and get people to come ...

PS - please make sure you read the post below this one... and answer the question ...
PPS - don't forget to do the play reviews!!

Hang in There!!

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Wed, 10 May 2006 00:15:00 -0400

hey there
everyone's busy so just a quick post:

Talk to your director about the rehearsal schedule if you have any questions. Some of you have asked about after-school rehearsals. As far as I know, the printed schedule is correct: After school rehearsals on M W Th... Drama class rehearsals on Friday afternoons. No rehearsals on Tuesdays, unless the director calls one during recess.
Go find your costume and prop items (talk with the director and AD first). You need **everything** by Monday.
Monday 5/15 is a long rehearsal -- it's a full dress/tech run. That means full set, costumes, makeup, props, lights, sound cues, production photos -- everything. Be patient. It'll take a while to get everything worked out. Expect this rehearsal to run until at least 6pm. I'll ask faculty to lighten up your homework load that night.
Advertise! We want to play to a full house on Friday night. Invite your friends, family, church folks, youth group, neighbors, online buddies ... Let's pack the place!

Friday's performance is free, but we'll ask for donations at the door.

Please try to get a relatively "firm" yes/no from the people you invite. I want to make sure we have enough seats.

Directors & ADs, keep me informed of your needs, worries, problems, or thoughts. I specifically need to know about set design problems, backstage issues, or other snags.

Drama class on Friday, May 19th will be a celebration period.
What shall we do to celebrate an awesome year of drama class????

Field Trip Week!!

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 15:08:00 -0400

woohoo for field trip week. Even if you aren't going anywhere (oh Italy people), at least there's *less* school than usual. OK, so it's a small thing. But having Friday off is nice, no matter what else is goin' on. ;-)

I will roll this week's blog comments into next week's blog grade (instead of holding field trip week against you). So enjoy the time off ... OR take the chance to get a super-great blog grade this time around to offset any nasty ones.

Remember you need play reviews! Not having 3 reviews will drop your final letter grade by 10 percentage points -- don't get caught in that spot. You can turn in a review anytime up till the very last day of school (Tues, May 23rd). And you might be able to buy tickets at the door on Monday night's SMART performance of Twelfth Night at BJU.... if you're planning to go to that. Call to make sure. But I doubt it's sold out.

Remember that your line memorization needs to be rock-solid by Monday the 8th. Don't give your dear directors a heart-attack by showing up with lines not memorized well. Or Sam & Bethany will make you do push ups AND chin ups. And suicides. And sprints. ;-)

One last note:
Dig out your rehearsal schedule and make sure you & your parents know what's going on during the month of May. (The NCS Times also included a helpful calendar of school events during May.) Things are scheduled pretty tightly -- rehearsals after school on M, W, Th; drama class rehearsals where possible; performances on a Thursday afternoon and Friday evening. You cannot miss a rehearsal -- work to reschedule any conflicts.

Rest is coming for all you weary souls!
And until then ... at least the weather is nice.

Ciao!

Addendum

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sun, 23 Apr 2006 23:01:00 -0400

A few PS's to the post below:

PS. Make sure you comment on the question I asked down there (at the very end)... and, of course, read the post. ;) Lots of important info

PPS. The photos for "The Landlady" will have to be on Wed after the reherasal.... they shouldn't take really long. Bethany, it's up to you whether the photos are first or the rehearsal.

PPPS: 8th & 9th graders -- I hope to get you out of class during 3rd hour on Wednesday to help the 7th graders run their dress rehearsal. Otherwise, their plays are looking pretty good.
Give them a look-see on Monday if you have time.
And give them lots of encouragement.... they've taken your direction well. Now help them feel like it won't fall apart when they get up there. =)

Some advice
yeah, we're all insanely busy. Sort of a train-wreck of projects combined with general end-of-year activities.
A couple of ideas to help you out:

schedule your time ... plan to spend a certain block of time on a particular activity -- and then stick to it
make sure you get enough sleep -- sounds impossible, I know. But without rest, you'll run yourself down ... and then you'll get sick. And THEN you won't get anything done.
make time each day to do SOMETHING that's not work -- you gotta get rid of stress, so do something you enjoy
let me (and other teachers) know when you're struggling -- we can often help take the pressure off. It's not a sign of weakness to say, "Hey, this is too much." None of us wants you to be massively stressed out.

And remember -- it WILL all get done.
And it'll go just fine.
and soon, very soon, comes

summer

An Encouraging Word... Reprise

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 01:00:00 -0400

methinks we're at *that* point in the semester again -- when it's good to hear someone say,
"Yes, you're doing fine.
Yes, you're going to survive till the end.
Yes, summer is coming!"

There. Do you feel better already? :-)

A few notes, and I'll leave you to your busy weekend:

Plays

I'm really looking forward to the plays that Sam & Bethany are working on. For one thing, I've heard some of you come up with really cool ideas or hilarious character quirks. And I've already had one person -- who wasn't able to get MND tickets because she waited too long -- say she *definitely* wants to come to the plays in May. See? Your reputation preceeds you -- and it's an excellent one.

I'm pulling double-duty as both an actor and head makeup artist. (Not sure which one I like better -- they're both a lot of fun!) Please be patient if I pull you aside to work on hair or makeup details. This magic doesn't just happen without some planning, and "making someone look old" isn' a skill I use on a daily basis.

Therefore, let me just remind you all to be on time for rehearsals ... especially if you have a special call time due to costume/hair/makeup

Thursday's schedule (4/27) is as follows

12 noon: Call time for 7th grade actors
12:30: Cast meeting for the 7th grade plays. You need to attend 5th hour classes on Thursday UNLESS you hear otherwise from me. It depends on your backstage duties.
1pm: 7th play performances. No drama class!
2pm: Most of you go to chapel. Rebekah -- come for makeup
2:15pm: Nate, Alicia--come for hair/makeup
2:45pm: Check with your director about your call time for rehearsal or changing into costume. **Do NOT wander around the building causing trouble....
3:00pm: Bettina & Sara -- come for makeup stuff
3:30pm: Probably a rehearsal
4:00pm: Simple cast photos and costume parade.

Anyone wearing stage makeup MUST wash it off before leaving the building. Sorry, folks. No sharing the surprise until opening night. :)
If you're "old" or "middle aged" you need to bring a washcloth, facial cleanser, shampoo. Anyone who needs/wants to come to my house to wash up or shower is welcome.... keep that in mind over the next several weeks.

Don't whine about (or during) the photo shoot or about the photographer.
This is part of theater productions -- without good photos, we have no great posters, no great publicity.
And you don't want to do all this work just to act in front of an empty hall.
Suck it up. =)
_____________________________
Twelfth Night
People interested in attending BJU's Twelfth Night (runs during "field trip week") need to buy tickets NOW or you won't get them. The BJ students probably started picking up their tickets today ... they're grabbing up the rest of the good seats.

The Wed night and Friday afternoon performances are a good bet if you are trying to get decent seats this late in the game. Also consider the $3 SMART performance on Monday night if you don't mind a rowdy crowd.

____________________________________________________

Remember that I'm still grading you for blog participation. This is pretty much the only place I can make announcements so everyone hears them ... you've GOT to keep up with the blog.

____________________________________________________
7th grade plays
Keep up with your 7th graders. They appreciate your help very much.

Are you keeping a log? Dude, that's an easy part of the grade -- don't screw it up. :)

YOU are supposed to help them figure out backstage stuff-- props, costumes, signs, staging. Next week, we'll have dress rehearsals on Wednesday. Expect to work with the 7th graders during recess on both Monday and Wednesday.

Hey ... come to the formal on May 9th, OK?
Please.
We want lotsa folks so everyone has a good time dancing with friends, laughing at the dancers, or generally just enjoying a spring event -- the first ever at NCS.

and that's all folks!! =)

What do you most like about the character you're playing (or the job you're doing) for the drama plays?
What do you like least?

Play to Review

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 17:43:00 -0400

**Make sure you read the post below this one**

Couple of plays for your reviewing pleasure. If you still need play reviews, buy tickets NOW.... don't wait till the last minute.

The Living Gallery at BJU this weekend counts as a theater performance if you want to review it.

________________________________________
BJU
Twelfth Night
Monday, 5/1--SMART performance
Full performances on Wed, Thurs, and Friday of that week (which is also "field trip week").

Student tickets are $10

_________________________________________
Oconee Community Theater
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Directed by Warren Sampson
May 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 26, & 27, 2006

Tickets are $8 for students.
___________________________________

Cast List & Notes

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 01:07:00 -0400

All right . . . looks like we've finally gotten the ball rolling on the 7th grade play projects as well as the short plays.

A couple of notes, and then I'll leave you in peace for your weekend off. :-D

7th grade play project

Yes, you are being graded on your assistance to the 7th graders. You know far more than they do about acting, and they definitely need your help. ;) Take them under your wing and give of yourself . . . you'll be amazed at what they can do!
I've told the 7th graders to treat you with respect and to listen to what you have to say. Now you need to earn that respect by treating them professionally. Don't ever belittle one of your young actors
Take it slow, but be insistant that the 7th graders actually improve. They just got off-book a day or two ago, and they can't work on lines and acting at the same time. Give them a chance to grow into character . . . but don't let them continue in bad habits (or boring acting).
Keep a log of your work with the 7th graders. I'll give you a sheet . . . keep one per group. This log should describe the work you do with the 7th grade plays. It's a major chunk of your grade. Don't forget it, lose it, or pretend it doesn't matter. ;)

Your responsibilities:
--help the 7th graders improve their acting and characterization
--make blocking suggestions. (They'll need lots of advice here.)
--push them to get off book and get their lines down
--run warm ups (vocal, character)
--demand that they speak up and slow down
--keep the book for them when they rehearse
--work out backstage details
--be the backstage crew for their dress rehearsals and performance the last week of April

Requirements
You *must* meet with your 7th graders. ;-) Yes, it's a requirement.

I hope you watched your group rehearse once already. Write it on your log sheet if you did and be happy that your grade, so far, is a good one.

Next week, watch the 7th graders rehearse on at least two different days. Try to space them out (like a Tuesday and a Friday).

The following week is dress rehearsal & performance week. Expct to be at their dress rehearsal to work backstage and help out. You can sit in the audience for the performance if you aren't actually working backstage (and you'll work backstage for only one of the three plays, so plan on watching the other two from the audience).

Performance day is Thursday, April 27th, at 1pm. I'll talk to your teachers about getting you out of class as needed.

Short Plays

**Cast List!!**

The Landlady (Directed by Bethany)
Assistant Director: Alicia
Billy: Aaron
Landlady: Mrs. R
Station Attendant: Casey
*****
You Can't Take It With You (Directed by Sam)
Assistant Director: Claire
Uncle Basil: Nate
Maud: Sara
Percival: Ryan
Letitia: Taylor
Clotilda: Rebekah
Verner: Christian
Carpenter: Mr. R
Lawyer: Abigail
Housekeeper: Bettina

The student directors will run the show here. I'll assist them in any way that they request, but ultimately, I'm letting them fly "solo" as much as possible.
Scripts will be in your hands early next week, Lord willing. I'll finish them up this weekend and let the directors edit them before they're finalized.
You'll get a rehearsal schedule from your director soon. Expect some after-school rehearsals in May (if not before). Also expect basic reading rehearsals and blocking rehearsals next week wherever your director can fit them in.
It's going to be interesting to juggle yearbook and play rehearsals, but I think we can bump along with a lighter schedule for the next two weeks while everyone memorizes lines . . . and then hit it hard after field trip week (and yearbook is over).
Expect your off-book date to fall in late April, but ultimately it's up to your director. As actors, you're also responsible for doing character research and thinking through the objectives and subtext. Do that as soon as you get your script.
Help your director find costumes, set items, and props.
Your grade for these comes primarily from 1) effort; 2) analysis (of the script and subtext); and 3) characterization.
HAVE FUN! These two stories are real gems.

The final performances are Thursday afternoon, May 18, and Friday night, May 19. Start telling people now so they mark their calendars. Your friends and family are welcome to attend either performance. We might use tickets for the Friday night performance just to get an idea of how many people are coming, but admission (if we charge at all) would be only $1.

I love the excitement of embarking on a new play.
I realize you guys are tired (of school and in general).... believe me, SO AM I.

But don't let the weariness rob you of the joy of working with this cast one last time. Some people are moving on next year to new adventures. Relish this opportunity to work with such awesome follks!

PS> I'll be getting those drama CDs and posters done ASAP. Just had to get myself dug out from under a massive pile of work first ... and I'm still digging. But I'm not quite as buried as I was earlier... not quite.

Happy Easter!
He is risen indeed.

7th Grade Plays

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sun, 9 Apr 2006 22:02:00 -0400

Greetings, earthlings.

THIS earthling is weary of the school year, of the workload, and of her stress level. I'm glad Friday of this week is a day off ... although in my case it will be absorbed by doing taxes. yippee

I am also quite tired of being "absent" from school due to the masters' degree stuff. I hope my experience hasn't terrified any of you out of going to college. ;) [It's a lot easier if you're not working a full time job at the same time as you're trying to carry a full course load.]

I feel like I owe you guys an apology for how loose & unstructured this quarter in drama has been so far. I would have rather handed you scripts in mid-March and gotten the student directors rolling a month ago. That's not the way it turned out. *sighs* Failure is always a bitter pill to swallow, no matter how old you are.

So two things, before I bury myself in a thesis project for (hopefully) the last major workday:

Short Plays
Being an eternal optimist (although my optimism has come under severe attack in recent days and has retreated somewhat) ... this is still on the table. I have asked Coart to bail me out by heading up some of the details at the moment ... we're definitely tag-teaming the drama class right now. He'll be talking to directors about potential scripts on Monday ... that's the last hurdle before auditions.

We'll have auditions for the roles on either Wed or Thurs. If you are leaving early on Thursday, I need to know that NOW. I have to schedule the auditions for when everyone is here... and they need to happen this week.

7th Grade Plays
I am assigning most of you to a particular 7th grade play to help out with. I've left the 11th graders off this list for 2 reasons: They are the prime candidates for directing and assistant directing the short plays. They're also trying to plan the spring formal, which is a chunk of work.

Of course, any 11th graders who want to help out with the 7th grade plays are more than welcome to volunteer. But I'm not demanding it of you.

For the rest of you:
Helping the 7th graders won't take much of your time ... possibly one or two recess sessions in the next few weeks just to check in on their rehearsal progress, then some work with them during their dress rehearsal/ performance week.
If you want to help out more than that, please do. You are all more than qualified to coach them as they try to act out these stories.

What you should help the 7th graders with:

Work on characterization, projection, and general acting skills. Some of them are better naturally than others. Work with all kinds, both the ones who love acting and the ones who struggle.
Be an encourager. Always point out something they did well before moving on to stuff they need to fix.
But be honest ... NONE of these students are so good that you can't give them something to work on!
Make suggestions about blocking. They don't know how to block a scene. ;)
Get them to think about what kinds of gestures or stage movement is suggested by the script. Don't let them just sit/stand there during the scene.
Remind them that acting is REACTING... no one can passively exist on stage; you're always acting.
Don't tell them a specific way to read a line if you can help it. Ask them questions instead or get them to imagine how they would feel in that circumstance....
Hound them about being LOUD ENOUGH and SLOWING DOWN.

Your official responsibilities:

Get together with the others in your play group to watch the play all the way through as soon as you can this week. You drama students need to give unified advice to the 7th graders, not a mishmash of conflicting opinions. So watch the play and put your heads together to decide how it should go.
Divide up the actors in your group among yourselves. Pick a particular 7th grader to "coach" that day. Feel free to switch around from day to day so you work with different kids. Don't forget to coach for volume, body movement, gestures, acting . . .
Watch at least one rehearsal of your assigned play this week and one or two rehearsals next week. The more you watch, the easier your life will be -- you won't have to make them un-learn bad habits that they picked up by rehearsing when you weren't around. ;)
Stay through the entire rehearsal when you watch.
Coach the actors in building a believable, well-rounded character on stage. It's OK if the kids don't act a role the way YOU would act it ... as long as they are creating a believable, consistent character
Take the lead in figuring out staging, set design (mostly chairs or small tables -- no backdrops), prop lists, costumes, makeup, etc.
Keep a group log of your work with the play. That will form part of your grade for this assignment, so don't forget to do it. Assign a group secretary if you have to....

When we get to the last week of April, you'll serve as backstage crew as needed for their dress rehearsals and performances. These plays are REALLY short, so don't get stressed -- not a big demand on your time.

I expect the final performance to be in C-108 (where we did Midsummer) on Thursday, April 27th. They'll do one performance of all 3 plays in the same day, with the upper school and interested parents in attendance. Might invite the 4th grade too ... we'll see.

Play Assignments:
If you have an allergic reaction to where I assign you, find someone who's willing to switch with you AND ask me about it first.

In the Fog
Nate
Aaron
Sara

When the Rattlesnake Sounds
Ryan
Casey
Abigail

The Governess
Bettina
Taylor

I hope your week goes well.
The end of all burdens is near.
Hang in there!

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Thu, 6 Apr 2006 08:47:00 -0400

OK, I've been just shelled by this week, as Coart would say.

give me a day or two to catch up ... we'll move the auditions to early next week. I need to catch up with the directors and talk script stuff with them first anyway.

... I'll keep you posted.

Until then, a question for y'all to answer (so you can keep your blog grade high & happy):

Anyone planning on doing any theater stuff over the summer? (Drama camps, audition for a local theater's play, write your own script of a favorite short story, direct VBS skits for your church ... ?)

In case you're interested, summer drama camps in our area:

Christian Youth Theater (Anderson)
Greenville Little Theatre -- several camps, different focus and ages for each
BJU
Furman U (focuses on how to design theater lighting)
SC Children's Theater -- you'll have to call for information; they don't have their summer class list up yet... but they offer satellite classes at the Anderson Arts Center

PS
CYT is running "Narnia" at Anderson U in late April if you need a play to review.

Any Jeffrey Archer fans in the group?

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sat, 1 Apr 2006 00:03:00 -0500

just an update on the whole 4th Q script / play thing....

I'm still "fishing" for information from you guys, but I think I have enough to push us toward getting directors and scripts together this week. I hope to have enough scripts to be able to give the directors actual choices (instead of just "do you want to do THIS one?" LOL), although we work within pretty tight constraints (size of our stage, lack of technical whiz-bang effects, and ratio of guys to girls).

In addition to scripts already mentioned and some possibilities you guys thought of this afternoon, I'm also looking at Jeffrey Archer's short stories. He's famous for his "twist in the tale" endings.

Tentative Schedule

week of April 3rd: I'll talk to the potential directors and assistant directors and get them to narrow down their script choices. (Note that scripts could still be unfinished when I talk to you, but I won't stray far from the original short stories.)

Monday, April 3: I'll post the final "script options" list so everyone can read the short stories (or at least summaries). You need to be informed for auditions.

Friday, April 7: I'd like to hold basic auditions on this day during drama class. We all know each other's abilities pretty well by this point, but this will be your chance to make your interests and preferences clear. I'd like all the non-directing drama students to audition for at least one role, even if your preference is backstage work. And be prepared to audition for whatever you're asked to read, whether you would choose it or not. Sometimes auditions reveal new possibilities. =)

I'll open up the auditions to the 8th graders who are in study hall during our drama hour if we're short on actors. Mr Ramey & I are available as well if we're needed to fill roles (or if the directors think we "fit" a particular role well .. hahaha that could be a dangerous question to ask .... ) ;)

Weeks of April 10 and 17: Actors memorize lines. Directors and ADs will nail down production design and interpretation decisions.

April 20: Off-book date.
Also, we'll start using drama class entirely for rehearsal.
It's up to your director to schedule other rehearsals as needed.

Remember that the week of May 1-5 is field trip week -- no regular school, so no rehearsals.

Thursday & Friday, May 18 & 19: Tentative performance days. (Thursday afternoon, Friday evening)
Alternative performance day: Tuesday, May 16

After the massive workload of MND, these plays will seem simple. =)
We've got 6 weeks. Most acting companies take a full-length play from first reading to performance in that amount of time .... I am positive that you guys are up to this final task.

One last thing:
This is the LAST TIME I hope to request prayer for this...
Pray for us over the next week to 10 days:
If we're going to graduate from Covenant this May, we must turn in our final projects within the next few days (because professors have to turn in all grades by April 15 for us to graduate).
To me, the time I spent on MND and the Italy trip (and everything else going on this year) has been well-worth it. I wouldn't do anything differently if I had the chance to do it all over. But choices have consequences .... and right now, it means I have more to do than I have time for (not to mention my 3rd quarter grades aren't done yet).
So pray for us both to be dilligent, to work quickly and efficiently, and to get this stuff DONE and out of our hair!!!

A literature review, a research project, and a thesis.
No sweat, right?
:-D

"Now unto Him who is able to do exceeedingly above anything we can even ask or think...." (Eph 3:21)

Grade Update: Play Reviews

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 21:13:00 -0500

While it's early enough to do something about it ...

Most of you have at least one of your three play reviews done (thanks to seeing MND at Anderson Univ). But here's the updated count if you want to know where you stand.

There are a number of plays running at theaters in the upstate this spring. Dig out the Word doc I gave you at the beginning of the year and follow the links to the various playhouses.

You need to make your own arrangements to attend something before the quarter ends. I've got only one more scheduled performance field trip, and that is to take the 8th graders to see I Never Saw Another Butterfly. Some of you bought tickets to see the Living Gallery presentation at BJU on April 15th (I'll send home a note on Friday if you did)... that is also a performance and can count for a review.

OK, the "official" count of how many reviews you've turned in:

(by grade)
11th
Bethany - 1
Rebekah -3 good job! ;)
Sam -1
Alicia -1
Claire -1

9th
Abigail - 2
Sara -1
Ryan -2
Casey -0 (!)
Aaron -1

8th
Bettina -1
Taylor -1
Nate -2

If you run across any particularly interesting plays in town, let me know. I'm always up for a good theater experience ...

More Info (Updated)

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 23:27:00 -0500

Y'all seem to be asking for clarification on my 4th quarter ideas, so let me try to make things a little more specific:

I think two main opportunities are rising to the top:
1. Direct/coach the 7th graders with their plays during April

2. Participate in short one-act plays (probably with scripts written in-house) during April and May as directors, backstage folks, and actors.

To clarify ...

7th grade drama

I'm not limiting this to just the older students. Anyone in the drama class has enough acting experience to work with the 7th graders.
...but don't ask to direct unless you want to do it ... you need to be willing to dig into the script and plan times to work with the young actors.
Our class schedule is set so tightly (hard to switch classes around) that you'll have to grab time at recess and after school to work with your actors.
I honestly could use the help with this unit, so I'd love to plug you guys in if you're willing.
You could pair up with another drama student to work with the 7th graders on a particular play, but one person needs to be "in charge."

Get a 7th grade textbook and look at the plays in there.
I plan to do "When the Rattlesnake Sounds," "The Governess," and "In the Fog."

short plays

I expect the scripts to be written by me or me + anybody who wants to help or me + people I drag into helping. ;) Published plays require us to pay royalties to do public performances.... so I want to do our own stuff.
Top script ideas in my mind at the moment include adapting "The Landlady" and/or "You Can't Take It With You." I'm going to look at some other stuff too, like the Arabian Nights and Norse mythology.
Yes, we'll do public performances. I'm thinking an afternoon for the younger kids (6/7th, plus 4th) and one evening performance (maybe on a different day) for the older students and family/friends.
I think we can pull off one or two plays, depending on the size of the cast. Remember, each play needs a director, an AD and/or stage manager, and actors -- at the bare minimum. See the job list below, but I expect this needs to be a group project (not so much a ton of work for just one or two people). I'll float about to help everybody, but I'm more than willing to just plug into one of the groups as a backstage person or actor.
The other 8th graders would be available as potential actors in these plays *if* they are needed. They have a study hall when we take drama. So if we're short on manpower, that's an option. However, I need to make sure every drama student has a spot (either backstage or acting) first.

Job List
Director--Responsible for interpretation of the story and major character decisions, auditions and casting, and coaching actors as needed to achieve the best characterization and blocking.

Assistant Director -- Helps the director by keeping the book during rehearsals, doing odd jobs, reading for people who miss rehearsal (hey, it happens), and being generally useful. Depending on the director, the AD might give input on creative/interpretation decisions.

Stage Manager -- Works during the performance to keep things running smoothly, manage props, prepare the stage before the shows, and help actors make their cues.

Actors -- You know this one well by now. ;)

A couple other thoughts ....

I think you can participate in both projects (work with the 7th graders and help with the short plays) if you want to. The 7th grade unit won't overlap our drama class time at all.

However, I think it's impossible to work on more than one of the short plays at a time ... You can't be in two places at once to act in one play and direct a second one, for example.

--------------------------------------------
Can you think of any other short stories that would be easily adapted to the stage?

What are your current interests? (Any of those stories sound interesting to you? Any particular job appeal to you?)

PS (Sunday, 6:45pm)

Summaries of the possible short plays....

"The Landlady"
3 person play, 1m + 2f, with the bulk of the dialogue resting on Billy & the landlady.

Roald Dahl's story about a naive 19 yr old British clerk who decides to stay at a bed & breakfast intead of a pub because it would be cheaper. He doesn't pick up on the multitude of clues that his middle-aged landlady is a bit ... off. Like, her hobby is taxidermy. "I stuff all my pets."
... Billy is about to become a pet. *grins*
[I *love* that story.]
Nice mix of suspense for the audience, interesting dialogue, and light humor.

"You Can't Take It With You"
minimum cast: 6 people -- with at least 2 guys (preferably 3)

This is a short story that's quite different from the play that exists by the same name (also a movie). I like the short story much better:
Cranky, ancient Uncle Basil gets irritated by all his mooching relatives who want him to die so they can inherit (and waste) his massive fortune. As I recall, the relatives include a spoiled son-in-law, a whiny aunt, and a pouty granddaughter. Basil, fed up with their nagging, promises them that he WILL "take it all with him" when he dies, but they don't believe him. They don't realize that Basil's dimwitted & loyal handyman Verner is lining Basil's plain wood coffin with thick envelopes from the bank.
hehehehehe
... this one has great comic potential, but it will demand more work to adapt the story for stage. I think it would be worth it though ... and I know who I'd cast as Basil if it were up to me. ;)

Norse Myths
If you're familiar with Norse mythology, I think the best stage possibilities include The Lay of Thrym (where Thor has to dress like a bride to get his hammer back) and the Death of Balder (where Loki tricks blind Hoder into throwing the mistletoe dart that kills the unkillable Balder).

The Lay of Thrym is absolutely hilarious, but two guys have to be *very* good sports to dress like women (but Thor's uncomfortableness in female dress is apparent and part of the humor ... he does a very bad job ... thankfully, giants are pretty stupid). And the third guy needs to be a good imitation of a giant. Well, Thor is pretty massive too -- this is not a play for short people. ;)

Probably 3m and at least 2f for this story, although the scene in Thrym's hall needs some walkons.

We could probably switch the character genders in the Death of Balder if necessary to create more female roles. Also, Loki appears in two different disguises during the course of the story, once as an old woman and once as a giantess. (Loki is male but could be played by a female in this story.)

Might be able to double up some roles, but there are 5 main characters in this story, many of which are male, plus some bit parts/walkons.

Arabian Nights
I'm going to take a look at the scripts produced by the 9th graders in my absence. ... More on this soon. :)

We're Back!

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 23:29:00 -0500

yes, indeed, Italy was a marvelous adventure and I'm sure you'll hear all about it on Friday. :-)

Until then ...

I'd like some feedback on my post down there (the next one down) about our activities in 4th quarter. I'm talking primarily about the "Looking Forward" section, but do read the entire post if you haven't yet.

Your opinions are important to me in this case ... and I need honest ones. If no one likes the ideas down there, I'll take things in a different direction. Or maybe you've got a good idea that I haven't thought of! =)

either way, please fill me in on what you're thinking

it's good to be home. =)

Aftermath ;)

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Mon, 6 Mar 2006 23:50:00 -0500

WELL
that's over.

Sad, isn't it? That something can take so much time and effort and be so... ephemeral ("short-lived"). I think the magic of the theater is partly in its temporary-ness. Once a production is over, it's gone. Yeah, we have the video... but it's just not the same as the "real thing." For three nights at New Covenant School in Anderson, SC, these characters lived and breathed on a real stage because YOU brought them to life in your own unique way. No one else will ever do a production of Midsummer quite like ours.

Loose Ends

Is anybody missing anything that you brought to school for the play? Let Bethany know. I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment ... leaving for Italy on Wed (!)
Your costume items (unless it came from your closet) belongs to the school because NCS paid for it. If you really liked something you (or someone else) wore and you want to buy it from the school, come talk to me.

Photo CDs & Poster Reprints
If you want a copy of the production photos (cast photos and stills) and the promo posters (in PDF form), I will take orders to burn CDs when I get back from Italy (right after spring break). They'll cost $2.

The photos will be in JPG form and you can upload the files to WalMart.com or SnapFish or other Internet photo printers to get your own prints made (if you want one to hang on your wall). ;)

If you want print copies of any of the posters that were hanging in the lobby, they cost $1 (to cover the cost of using the color copier and the shiny paper).

I'll post a signup sheet next to the testing calendar in the computer lab .... and I'll fill the orders when I get back.

Looking Forward
I'm kicking around a couple of ideas for 4th quarter. What do you think of these?

One-Act Plays
I'm thinking of having you guys split up into perhaps 2 groups to produce --entirely on your own -- short one-act plays. (These usually run about 10-15 minutes.)

Drama students would direct, be the assistant director, audition for & fill all the roles, and work backstage for each "production."

We might even be able to run two rounds of these, so that lots of people get a chance to both act and direct (not at the same time, of course). We could do one group in late April and another in late May.

Script-Writing
Some of you might really enjoy the process of turning a story into a script for the stage. (It's a lot of fun, if you like creative writing and theater production.) I can think of some short stories that would make wonderful one-act plays. But they need to be re-written for stage.

Possibilities
Wuorio's "You Can't Take it With You" (there's a play out by the same name, but it's NOT the same story)--cranky old Uncle Basil gets sick & tired of his whiny, pansy, money-grubbing relatives calling him names behind his back because they think he's deaf. They want his money. He finds a way to truly "take it with him." hehehe

Dahl's "The Landlady." One of my favorite short stories ever which I read to the 7th graders. Creepy middle-aged woman lures a naive young man into her home so she can ... add him to her collection. The suspense is wonderful. And if we do this one, I demand the right to at least audition for the lady.... cuz she's just delightfully disturbing. ;)

I dunno if there's any way to make "The Most Dangerous Game" into a full play. I think you'd have to skim through the action scenes in the woods and finish with the scene in Zaroff's bedroom. But this is a fantastic story with fascinating characters.

Stockton's "The Lady or the Tiger" requires imaginative re-writing since there's little dialogue. And you'd have to decide -- since Stockton leaves you hanging at the end, how can you pull that same thing on the audience.

Finally, many of the Norse myths are ripe for theater -- including the story about Thor dressing up like a bride to get his hammer back from the giants (hahahahahahahaha) as well as the tale of the death of Balder (that one has lots of intrigue, cool disguises for Loki, and rich irony).

Oh, and the 9th graders are working through the Arabian Nights tales. I think those have definite potential. ;)

Directing Seventh Grade Drama
the 7th graders will begin their drama unit for English class in late March. (If you were here last year, you might recall seeing A Sunny Morning, In the Fog, The Governess, and When the Rattlesnake Sounds in late April).

If I can work it out, I'd like to have at least some of you mentor the 7th graders as they go from auditions to full performance in about a month. This would open up opportunities for you to direct, help with costume and stage design, and coach young actors in characterization skills. And this allows more of you to act as "directors" without stretching our small drama class too thin.

Obviously, those three ideas up there could end up working together.
For example, we could divide April between working with the 7th graders, writing our own scripts, and casting student productions.... which would be performed during the last full week of school. (Sort of a last dramatic hurrah for the school year.)

and if you hate all three of those ideas, feel free to offer one of your own! ;)

*****
Did you see the post below this one?
... just checking ....

*****
we would appreciate your prayers for us as we take the juniors & seniors to Italy. Pray for safety, wisdom, good health, no disasters, and a great time. We will certainly miss the rest of you guys -- I truly love being with my students and sense a "gap" in my life when you're not around.

Cindy Udall will be teaching the drama class while I'm gone. I plan to be back in the classroom on Friday the 24th.

If I can get online at any time in Italy, I'll update my Xanga.

take care.
I can honestly say that I teach the most wonderful, incredible, and amazing group of students on the planet, hands down.
I *dare* anyone to prove me wrong. ;)

blessings

Congrats on a job well done

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sat, 4 Mar 2006 20:24:00 -0500

Bravi!

[did you know that you should say "Bravo" to a man, "Brava" to a lady, and "Bravi" to a crowd? Well, now you do. :) ]

Excellent work, all of you.
I am so proud of you guys and your accomplishments in MND.

I'm not being "nice" or "biased" when I say that people were (rightly) impressed with the quality of your acting. Thursday night's performance was the best one overall, and the lines were coming across to the audience with an adult level of subtlety. People were amazed that teenagers could do so well ... and I didn't even point out the fact that half the cast were in 8th grade or below.

In those moments of greatness,
You pushed objectives and invented new tactics to keep things interesting
You communicated a subtext instead of just a flat character
You reacted to what happened on stage instead of just spouting memorized lines
You thought of unique ways to flesh out your character, to make that person "yours"

We have set a very high standard for ourselves to live up to. ;)

Photos online at my Xanga

_____________________________

Some random comments I remember from what people said to me....

"Your costumes looked better than anything I've ever gotten to work with!" (That's from Phillip Brawner, who's done drama at his high school as well as the Clemson Little Theater... !)

"I couldn't believe those were high schoolers."

"I just about fell out of my chair when the fairies started singing that Beatles song!"

"I'm amazed you found that much acting talent in such a small school."

"Wow. High schoolers really CAN understand Shakespeare."

"I thought this was going to be boring ... but it wasn't at all."

"This isn't just a 'good job' for a first play [as if we weren't expecting much]. It's an outstanding job for any play."

"I haven't laughed that hard in three months!"

"We were thoroughly impressed by the work, talent, and charm displayed by the students and teachers. Never have we seen Shakespeare done in a more enjoyable fashion!"

So there you go ... proof that you really DID do an outstanding job.

Be Prepared
I'm sure you're relieved to have your lives back (and your afternoons & your sleep at night). But in a few days, the glow will wear off and you'll actually miss MND. It's called "post-performance blues" and all performers have to deal with them.

Depending on how deeply you delved into your character, you might find yourself really missing the creative outlet ... you might feel kind of empty and listless for a little while ... like there's a "hole" in your life. Truly, there is -- you carved out a big space for MND in the past 4 months, and now it's gone.

Realize the blues will hit, recognize the "down feeling" when it comes, and be patient -- you'll get over it soon. And some new adventure is just around the corner (not to mention Spring Break!).

---------------------------
I'd be interested in reading your comments here about what was different about each night's performance (audience, acting, your performance, etc). It's time for some analysis.

i am very proud of you all

-----------------------------
Special Thanks to:

Bethany, the awesomest stage manager a person could ask for
Nate, an incredible assistant director who helped me in numerous ways
Sara, who came up with wonderful fairy costumes and took care of your stuff
Mallie, who took her time to watch the book when Nate was onstage
the Mr, who had my back the whole time and gave me many good ideas
The multitudes of you who volunteered to come early, stay late, or do extra work so the play could be as good as it was
All of you, for being patient with my inexperience at directing

If I forgot anybody ... I *am* thankful. =)

Good Advice

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Sun, 26 Feb 2006 14:27:00 -0500

well, it's here.
Performance week.
All that hard work is gonna pay off in ... like... 48 hours.
^.^

My advice for surviving this week:

Drink lots of water all week. You're using your voice 2 hours a night (on top of regular talking) -- keep hydrated and you'll be less likely to suffer from a sore throat. Bring a water bottle to school and drain it once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
Get plenty of sleep. Cut whatever else you have to cut out to get the rest you need -- ask teachers nicely about giving you grace for incomplete homework assignments if you had to go to bed early ... I'll help you with that whenever I can.
Take a nap on performance days. I'm not kidding. If I could force you to do it, I would. ;) You are going to be exhausted by the end of a performance night. Give yourself a rest in the afternoon

A few other wise words

Every night's audience will be different. They won't laugh in the same places each night, they won't respond the same way to your lines. Some audiences are really "live" and interactive; others are more passive. Some crowds will energize you; others seem to suck energy out of you. Don't let that throw you.
Don't try to talk over a roar of laughter. Part of comedy is timing. You can't anticipate the jokes (or you'll crack yourself up... which is tacky), but you can't just try to shout down the audience's responses. Work hard to maintain your concentration so you don't lose your lines.
Cover for one another. Mistakes WILL happen. Someone will forget a line. Someone will trip. Something will fall off. A prop could go missing. (hopefully not! *knocks on wood*) Part of acting is being so involved in what's going on around you (instead of just spouting off your lines) that you can work with whatever happens. If somebody skips 37 lines .... you'll have to drag the scene back on track or shove your lines in somewhere else. Make it work. You all know each other's cues by now ... cover for each other.
You won't do it the same way twice (or thrice). Not only is the audience different each night, but you won't perform the same each night. Realize that acting is a mental and physical skill that demands a lot of concentration and energy. No one can hit a home run on every pitch. Do your best. Shake off any mistakes you make and don't let them get you down. And then enjoy it.

This is your moment to shine.
Y'all look GREAT in your costumes.
The audience is on your side -- the room will be full of people who love you and are rooting for you.

I've been amazed at how much you all have worked together, loved one another, encouraged one another in the past three months of MND. Keep it up. Those relationships are worth far more than anything else right now.

Hold each other up -- we stand or fall together. =)

PS. I'm thinking we'll have the cast party on Saturday after the cleanup from the last performance. It just seems to make sense for the multitude of Clemson people. What do you guys think? Will you have the energy or desire to hang out & celebrate the end of a fantastic prodcution on Saturday evening?

PPS. I need your 25 word blurb!!!!!!!!!

Break a leg!

Shameless Attempt at Encouragement :)

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Fri, 24 Feb 2006 01:28:00 -0500

Y'all rock.
truly :)

I've loved watching the play come together these past couple of days. The acting is very strong overall. I think you guys will "peak" during performance week and (I hope) be quite cheered by your performances.

Like I said down there somewhere, push to "do it better" every single time. Don't let the magic evaporate -- every time the (imaginary) curtain goes up, you're leading the audience into a world they can't "see" unless you lead them through it. Enjoy being someone totally different from your "normal" self.

Oh, and y'all look good too. =)

OK, a couple of reminders:

If I don't have your 25 word blurb yet, you can count on my hounding you about it in Friday. I gotta finish the programs this weekend. (YIKES!)

*****

SLOW down
really
you've GOT to... otherwise you're nothing but a foreign-language film with no English subtitles. People will smile and nod at your gestures -- but they'll "check out" mentally.

so I'll say it again:
SLOW DOWN!!

*****
oh, and SPEAK UP.

we have GOT to be louder. It's not an issue of whether you can be louder -- I know you all have wonderful amounts of volume at your disposal. :)

It's a matter of juggling the physical aspects of acting (projection, enunciation, blocking) with the
mental ones (characterization, listening & reacting to what's happening)

I'm going to hound you during the final rehearsals to be louder. And I'll sic Bethany on your tail during the performances if you can't be heard.

There's no point in working your butt off just to have the audience say, "Hm... wonder what he/she just said ... "

Pray for each other. We are all weary, getting sick, and buried under a horrendous amount of work. But be encouraged. February doesn't last forever. In fact, it'll be gone in just four days.

Hallelujah.

;)

Getting Down to the Wire

noreply@blogger.com (lorojoro) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 22:11:00 -0500

HAMLET:
If you saw Hamlet at the Peace Center, consider reviewing it as one of your three drama class reviews. Most of you had pretty strong opinions ... remember to consider staging, characterization, interpretation, and production design.

______________________________

DRESS REHEARSALS
Well, this is it folks: Four runs to pull it all together ... four chances to get all of your questions answered, the bugs worked out, the problems fixed, and the ideas out there on the table.

And then... the fun begins. ;)

We'll start at 3pm (9am on Sat) each day. I'm sorry that you won't have much of a break between school and rehearsals. Use your "down time" in rehearsals to rest your weary head.
Thursday will be cast photos + rehearsal. Come prepared for a long session (3pm-6pm) ... cast photo days are always a bit choppy and sometimes frustrating because you wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait get a photo taken wait wait wait wait wait rehearse some wait wait wait wait wait . . .
We'll have light & sound cues in place by Saturday so we'll do a "walk-through" of the play (just blocking, no words at all) for the sake of the "crew" (stage manager, lights, sound, stage hands). After a break for some food (yay!), we'll run the play from beginning to end, straight through, as if it were "for real."
Monday is our last rehearsal. I plan for it to be relatively low-key, but a full-run.

A couple other notes:

COSTUMES
Wed & Monday are "partial-dress" rehearsals -- that means change into your costume in its basic form, but I don't care about what you do to your hair, etc. DO wear the shoes you'll wear "for real."

Please take care of your costume items. Do NOT leave items lying around!

Also, once your costume finally arrives at school, please leave all of it at school. If you have a good reason to take it home (wash it, fix something, change out a shirt), please talk to me or one of the moms helping with rehearsal first.

HAIR & MAKEUP
Thursday & Saturday are "full dress" -- you need to look EXACTLY like you'll look onstage for performances. Get your hair fixed the way it needs to be. (Guys -- just avoid looking "modern.")
Mechanicals -- work to look "redneck" in all senses of the word. "Big hair" for girls ;)

As for makeup:
Fairies: You can go "hippie" (lots of neutral colors or frosted lipstick, funky-colored eyeshadow). You can also go "fantasy" (glitter & color). Put flowers or beads in your hair ... wrap them around your arms.... use eyeliner pencil to draw designs on your arms if they're bare. Have fun. ;)

Mechanicals: Girls, you don't want to look "classy." Whether you wear any lipstick or eye makeup is up to you, but you'll need at least a little blush to avoid being washed out by the lights. Lip gloss is a nice alternative to all-out lipstick.

Thisby needs lipstick, and I think we agreed Snout would attack him with it when the mechanicals are "backstage" in Act V. Claire, do you happen to have time to get a tube of lipstick (BiLo, CVS, etc) in some LOUD red color? thanks =)

Athenians: You ladies want to look rich, glamourous, beautiful, attractive. Not in any way "overdone" ... but I want you to be able to hit the stage looking & feeling like a beautiful woman.

Philostrate -- keep your look "muted" to stay in keeping with your no-nonsense character. But definitely put on some lipstick (in a "calm" shade) and some blush to add some color to your face.

Wow.
Can you believe it's HERE?!?!

I am SO excited.

=)