Grade Update: Play Reviews

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)

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!

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 ;)

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

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. =)