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? ;)
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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.

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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