Good Advice

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

My advice for surviving this week:

1. 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.
2. 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.
   
3. 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 :)

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

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.

=)

Excelsior: Ever Higher!

Ah, I heard enough whining about that long post down there. ;)
Shall I simplify it?

--Use your head.
--Help the littler kids use theirs.
--Don't miss your cues, talk too loud, run around before the performance, act like an idiot, or damage your costume / props.
--Be WHERE you're supposed to be WHEN you're supposed to be there.

Better? ;)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please do your 25 word "blurb" about yourself for the program and give it to me as soon as you can. I honestly won't remember to chase you down -- please take responsibility for this yourself. You can always post your blurb here as a comment. But a paper version will do just fine.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All right, it's time for the "half-time pep talk"....

We're perched on the edge of our final week of rehearsal. You guys have made great progress and several scenes look good at this point. I appreciate your hard work, your willingness to put in hours after school, your good attitude. It's been a lot of fun.... and I'm proud of your work. To be honest, you've accomplished what I wanted to see by this point in the process.


But now I need to give you a "kick in the pants":
The play is coming together, but it's not there yet. Much of the acting is good, but not all of it. Many of the scenes are solid, but not as good as they should be.

And -- scary thought -- there are only 4 rehearsals left to get this accomplished. I don't want you to panic, but I do want you to buckle down.... because it's going to take real effort to get the play ready for performance.


Bono (of U2) said, "Good is the enemy of the best."

He's right.

You must not let yourself be satisfied with what we've got so far, because although it's good for our first try, it's not our best. Put simply, you haven't yet reached your full potential as an actor in this production.

There are worlds of character emotions yet to be discovered ... new ways to react to the other actors onstage ... little touches of humor that will make scenes sparkle ... a deeper understanding of the person you're portraying to make him/her a unique individual (how you walk, what you do with your hands, your posture, your facial expresions--just to name the physical aspects...)


The word "Excelsior" means "Ever higher." That's our theme for these next two weeks (including performance nights).

Try your hardest to take every rehearsal & performance to the next level.
--It's not accomplished by stressing yourself out.
--It happens by focusing your mind on the work of acting -- a very mental activity -- and forcing yourself not to break that concentration no matter what happens.


Ideas that Might Help:

• Go back through your script and review your objectives for each scene. Are you thinking about what you need to accomplish at that moment and going for it with all you've got?
• Rethink your tactics for accomplishing that objective. If a scene seems "dull" to you, find a more interesting tactic! Your creativity is what energizes the scene.
  
• Nail down your cues.
  
• And your lines. At this point, you sink or swim. No more "line!" calls to the bookkeeper -- if you forget a speech or get tangled, you gotta recover and keep going.
  
• Explore what you (in character) are doing just before you walk onstage (at any point). Do you know what you were just thinking about? doing? feeling? Be specific and use your imagination.
• Don't let your lines fall apart over the next several days. I'm a little worried that we've got a full week between rehearsals and the first full run. Please open your script once in a while. ;)
  

Last thing:
--LOUDER and SLOWER.
Crowds make noises. Bodies absorb sound. Between the two, most of the audience will miss the bulk of EVERYONE's lines if we all don't slow down and speak up.

Don't worry about being "too loud" -- that's pretty much impossible.
I'm gonna ride your tails on this one. =)




Now, lest anyone feel demoralized..... ;)

I don't push people unless I believe they can do what I'm asking.
You guys are amazing -- most of you don't realize how good you can be at the skill of acting.
Yes, it takes work.... you aren't just "born with it."
Yes, it's worth it.

Let's push past "good" to do the BEST we can.

... because Midsummer is gonna be the hottest ticket in town next week. ;)


praying for you all

Random Collection of Odd Information

Didn't know what else to call this post ;)

*****
Many thanks for your hard work on MND and your good attitude about it. It seems like you guys are really enjoying the rehearsals even though they require work. Now, if only the rest of school were this entertaining. ;)

*****
I've set Thursday, Feb 23 as the date for cast photos. That means we'll need a longer rehearsal to fit everything in (full run/dress rehearsal + photographs).

Plan on being at school till 6pm on that day. We'll need to hit the dressing rooms right after school. I'll check into organizing a parent brigade to provide food.

I'll also email the teachers and ask them to give you much grace (i.e.: less homework) that night.


PS. I'll be glad to burn you a CD of the cast photos for $2. That covers the cost of the CD plus the time spent making them.

*****
Please invite everyone you know to attend the performances!

For one thing, I expect the play to turn out really well.

For another, those tickets provide the money we need to pay for set construction, lighting, costumes, and *drummroll please* maybe even some funds for next year's drama expenses. (Oh yes, I've begun thinking about next year already!)

So seriously -- invite your friends, your neighbors, your youth group, your pastor ... even if they come just to mock you.
JUST KIDDING! ;)

I'll keep you posted on which nights have the most tickets available.

*****
OK, last thing we need to discuss
Read this, store the info, and come back to it often ...


GROUND RULES for final rehearsals
1. Please ask me before inviting anyone to sit in on rehearsals.
I've got enough going on with 30+ cast members plus backstage personnel-- I do NOT need extra people underfoot.

Also, I don't want people coming to watch dress rehearsals so they can avoid paying to see the show. Hey, that's the way theater works. If you don't pay, you don't get to see it.

If you have a special situation (close family with unavoidable conflicts for all 3 performances) then I'll grant some leeway -- but please talk to me first.


2. Please take care of your costume.
Leave your MND costume at school (even if it's something you personally own) once we start into the full-run & dress rehearsals. I'll dredge up some hangers and we'll find an "official" spot to store stuff. Mrs Broles & Sara are the official wardrobers for this production.

After every dress rehearsal or performance, YOU are responsible for hanging up your clothing, storing any borrowed jewelry in the bags provided, and returning your costume to the appointed spot.

If I find your costume items lying around or on the floor, you will incur my wrath. With 30 people's clothes to think about, neither I nor the wardrobers can be your mother. Take care of your own stuff!

Dressing room locations will be announced shortly. Expect your dressing room to be located in building C somewhere. ;)

Get used to this:
--Before you leave the dressing room to head to our cast meeting (before any full run or performance; times TBA), the costume folks or I need to look you over to make sure you're properly dressed. We'll keep track of who we've seen.

--After each dress rehearsal or performance, do NOT leave the dressing room without checking in with the person in charge in your dressing room. (I'll post a list somewhere, but it'll be the oldest actor in your room.) That person will make sure you've taken care of your costume before you go home.

--If you tear your costume or get it dirty, please say something to the costume people ... don't just quietly hang it back up and leave it for one of us to discover an hour before curtain time.


3. Stay put.
In the early full-run rehearsals, I want you sitting in the audience (on the front rows on all 3 sides) so the actors get used to working right under people's noses. ... plus you want to see the show. =)

In our final runs on Monday, I'll ask you to wait in the "green room" / backstage areas (probably the 1st & 4th grade classrooms) and to practice being quiet during the play (and getting in place in time for your cues).

Bring something with you to do that's QUIET. Card games work well (as long as they don't involve yelling.) ;) You're welcome to read or sleep or talk quietly. (You guys did great with this during our scene performances in December. Help the younger ones "be good.")


4. Take note of your entrance & exits and be on time for them.
We don't have a backstage PA system like real theaters have ... so our stage manager (Bethany) can't quietly remind you to get in your place for your cue. She'll be wandering about back there, but it's quite possible she won't be able to catch everybody. So it's YOUR job to be where you need to be at the right time.

If you get distracted by what's going on in the Green Room and miss a cue, you're going to feel pretty stupid. Pay attention.


5. Be careful when eating or drinking in costume.
I'm asking for parents to provide snacks & drinks for the performances. Please avoid stuff that's messy -- sticky, drippy, greasy, or RED. =)

And remember -- water is GOOD. (Stay hydrated)
But cramming yourself full of food is a fast track to nausea once you get nervous.


6. Preserve the illusion.
The magic of drama is in its illusion of reality -- for 90 minutes, C-108 really is a forest inhabited by fairies ... or the ancient city of Athens in all of its Greek splendor.

There's no faster way to spoil that illusion than by showing yourself off to guests before the performance. Your parents, grandparents, best friends, and other admirers shouldn't see you until you step out on stage. The time for photos, reunions, etc is AFTER the performance.

Once the building doors open (probably 6:15ish), you need to stay out of public view.


7. Call times for the performances are 5:45 on Tues & Thurs and 12:45 on Saturday.

BE ON TIME. Period.
Anderson people, if you're willing to give Clemson people a place to hang out between school and the performances on Tues & Thurs, let them know that... I'm sure it would be appreciated.

Please eat before you come. Avoid bringing your food with you "on the fly." It'll just invite spills and costume damage.

Eat lightly, but DO eat sometime between 3pm and 6pm. Try to avoid soda or milk products (soda makes you burp; milk coats your throat).


Whew. =) That was a lot of info.

Yes, you'll hear it again in meetings. Repetition aids the memory.



I dunno 'bout you, but I'm pumped about MND. Everything I've seen so far says this is going to be a fun show. I'm very proud of you guys!

MND Blurbs
Please write a 25 word (sentences, not fragments) description of yourself to go in the MND program. Sort of an actor's bio.

For example, Aaron wrote this:

Aaron Fortune
Around 6 feet tall and known as "Squirrel" to some, Aaron hates homework most of the time. He can be called "absent-minded" without much, if any, loss of integrity.

--------------
Cast Party!
Opinions please:

Best time for MND cast party (pick the one for you):

1. Saturday night, March 4th (long enough after the play to strike the set AND take a nap)
2. Monday afternoon or evening March 6th
3. Friday night, March 3rd

Those are pretty much the only options. We leave for Italy the Wed after the play.


We'll have to either go somewhere or have the party at the school. My house isn't big enough for the 30-some people who deserve to come.

So do you wanna do something for your party (an activity like skating etc) or just eat and yak?

Couple Reminders

Ha. You can tell I'm busy when even my blogs are quiet. ;)

A couple reminders, to start off:

• Order tickets now. Saturday's seats will go fast.
  
• BUT please order only the tickets you need... I don't want empty seats in the house because people ordered one "just in case my aunt decides to come, but I'm not sure"
• Some of you never brought in an "interesting object" for drama ... that's an easy 5 points... don't lose out.
• We won't have drama class this Friday or next Friday due to the field trip & then the day off. Thursdays, of course, are normal schedule.
  

MND Announcements
If you've been asked to bring in costume items or props for yourself or someone else, please make sure those are at school by Monday (2/16).

I'd like you to wear the shoes you'll wear onstage at all rehearsals from this point on. Bring them to rehearsal and I'll show you where you can store them if you'd like to leave them at school.

The next few weeks are gonna be busy -- the show opens in three weeks! Wow!
You pretty much need to be dead to miss a full-run rehearsal. Check your calendar ... and clear it of all conflicts.

We will showcase a MND scene at Open House. I plan at the moment to have the mechanicals do the tail end of their "in the woods" scene up through Titania's falling in love w/ Bottom (but without all the fairies, for simplicity's sake). More on that soon...

Also, I'll ask a few of you to come to Open House in costume to sell tickets and be walking advertisements.



Question
What do you need help with for MND?

What part of your role is giving you trouble? What skill do you seem to lack? What stage stuff makes you uncomfortable?

Post a comment to let me know how you're doing.... if you have anything private to say, you can email me at lori@rameyweb.com or catch me at school.


Amazing that it'll all be over in 3 weeks.
Time flies....

Taking Care of Your Instrument

Have you considered the fact that, as an actor, staying healthy is one of your most important tasks?

As I sit here fighting off a sore throat, I realize that I need to say something about taking care of your BODY -- which is your "instrument." You don't leave a guitar lying out in the rain; you would never put away a violin or flute without wiping it down. Treat your body well, and it will reward you with a good performance.

Staying Healthy

Easy things to do:

• Drink lots of water! I want to see all of you with a water bottle at school ... and use it. Try to drink 16-32 oz during the school day. Water (and staying hydrated) helps your voice, your throat, and your overall health.
• Eat right. Avoid "huge meal every 6 hours" and try "small snacks a lot more often." You'll feel better overal. Are you bringing a snack to eat after school on rehearsal days?
• Get some exercise. Run around the building before rehearsal or play basketball in the gym. You'll be amazed at how it clears your head so you can focus on the next thing you have to do.
• Goof off. Yes, I mean it. Sometimes, the best thing to do -- even when you're slam-busy-- is to goof off. Your brain can't keep running the marathon when it's tired. Figure out what helps you recharge -- playing sports, playing XBox, playing an instrument, or just ... playing. But make sure you get that goof-off time.
  

Harder things to do:

• Get enough rest. Teens need 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night. (!) You probably never get it, which explains why you come dragging into school every morning. :) Do everything you can to get the rest you need -- including tearing yourself away from the computer or TV set or even your homework. Sometimes sleep is more important than a late penalty. And if you ask nicely, teachers are often pretty gracious.
  
• Try to reduce your stress level. Yeah, I know it seems hopeless, but the truth is that stress is bad for your health. At least stop worrying about everything you've got to do between now and whenever. Worrying about it won't get it done any sooner... but worry will make it hard to sleep at night ...
  

If you push yourself to hard to "get it all done," you'll get sick.
And if you get sick, you'll get NOTHING done. That's no solution to the stress problem. =)


Seriously, folks....
There are no understudies for your roles. If you let yourself get run down this month (historically the worst month of the year anyway), you're gonna get sick ... and that leaves the other 25 of us in an awful spot.

take care of your body. You're the only one who can do it.


And with that....
I head out to do some work for a while, then to bed-- no matter what's not "done" yet, I'm getting my sleep tonight!


PS> Good work in rehearsals this week! We've still got a lot of work to do, but the play is starting to take shape. Woohoo