the royal family opened tonight. it went well! a few flubbed lines here and there, an overturned coffee urn well-played comedically, a very appreciative audience (i counted 64 ticket stubs)... not bad for halloween.
i was very proud of them, and i am thoroughly exhausted.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
the monster show
who would have known that such a souffle of a show, such a lighthearted, airy romantic comedy, would be so much work?!?
i have been yelling at the kids a lot. but on wednesday we had our first four-hour rehearsal and they finally started stepping it up a bit. thursday was good too. on friday, two students left the theatre for unexplained reasons and i had to yell about that ("what do i have to do-- cut my arms off and throw them at you?!?!?"), but at the beginning of the week i decided to start giving it all up to jesus, and that was a good decision. it's their show. let them do what they will.
fortunately, i have my brother-in-law danny, who is a home builder, and he has been the channel through which a lot of the immense set has been built. today we had a tech day in which we got all the remaining flats put up and painted, doors hung, trim glued on, stencil designs painted on flats, chairs and tables acquired, props organized, tickets printed, portraits gathered, sound cues solidified, hats made, hairstyles agreed upon, makeup bought and experimented with, more painting, painting, painting, and the list goes on...
it's been really satisfying work. the dedicated kids break my heart, just a little bit more than the undedicated ones who suddenly show an interest when they realize "hey-- this might be something after all!"
and once again, i'm thrilled for opening night.
they open on wednesday. more to come.
i have been yelling at the kids a lot. but on wednesday we had our first four-hour rehearsal and they finally started stepping it up a bit. thursday was good too. on friday, two students left the theatre for unexplained reasons and i had to yell about that ("what do i have to do-- cut my arms off and throw them at you?!?!?"), but at the beginning of the week i decided to start giving it all up to jesus, and that was a good decision. it's their show. let them do what they will.
fortunately, i have my brother-in-law danny, who is a home builder, and he has been the channel through which a lot of the immense set has been built. today we had a tech day in which we got all the remaining flats put up and painted, doors hung, trim glued on, stencil designs painted on flats, chairs and tables acquired, props organized, tickets printed, portraits gathered, sound cues solidified, hats made, hairstyles agreed upon, makeup bought and experimented with, more painting, painting, painting, and the list goes on...
it's been really satisfying work. the dedicated kids break my heart, just a little bit more than the undedicated ones who suddenly show an interest when they realize "hey-- this might be something after all!"
and once again, i'm thrilled for opening night.
they open on wednesday. more to come.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
more small steps
yesterday i bought 5 gallons of rose-colored paint, 2 gallons of red mahogany stain, a stencil to do wallpaper designs with, exacto blades, tape, and a few other items. in the evening we got started painting the flats. i also got a golden brownish paint for the floor.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
mind-numbingly delicious
i just glutted myself on reality tv shows.
first i watched two episodes of 'queer eye' back to back (the first one made me cringe, the second sappier one made me cry-- but just a little). then the season finale of 'top chef.' i had missed the first half of it last week when it aired, so i got to see it tonight.
when it was all over my brain had melted out my ears. it took me a minute to get up. no, i mean a full minute. try it, it's a long time.
i'm worried about our play. the kids are so exhausted. school is too intense. we have so much to do in such a short time. in brief moments i'm comforted by the thought that we pulled under milk wood out in eight short hours... but royal family has so many demands that we haven't even thought of yet.
small steps: today we began using the actual sound effects for the doorbell, buzzer, and two phones. also, we got some plywood cut for the siding on the stairs.
first i watched two episodes of 'queer eye' back to back (the first one made me cringe, the second sappier one made me cry-- but just a little). then the season finale of 'top chef.' i had missed the first half of it last week when it aired, so i got to see it tonight.
when it was all over my brain had melted out my ears. it took me a minute to get up. no, i mean a full minute. try it, it's a long time.
i'm worried about our play. the kids are so exhausted. school is too intense. we have so much to do in such a short time. in brief moments i'm comforted by the thought that we pulled under milk wood out in eight short hours... but royal family has so many demands that we haven't even thought of yet.
small steps: today we began using the actual sound effects for the doorbell, buzzer, and two phones. also, we got some plywood cut for the siding on the stairs.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
hooray for fall, hooray for theatre
cool mornings... october is here!
my theatre arts two class did a staged reading performance of dylan thomas's play for voices, under milk wood, the past two evenings. we had only four class periods and one evening rehearsal to put it together, which amounts to a grand total of eight hours, and considering that shortness of preparation time, i think it turned out pretty well. the students were focused, enthusiastic, and for me, a delight to watch. with the exception of one student who actually removed her cell phone onstage and texted something into it, everyone took the performance seriously and brought something unique to his or her parts. it was moving to watch them, and it came at the end of a somewhat stressful week.
students are stressed right now in my world. too much work, too many activities, too many deadlines, just too many expectations being piled on them in general.
our play is coming up and we only have a handful or two of rehearsals to get everything done. today we are going up to school for a saturday work day, in which i hope to accomplish a lot. my brother-in-law, one of the kindest people i've ever met, will be there to help us, so that's a real cool thing. we need to get two nine-foot platforms up, build and set up two staircases, and frame and face several wall units. if we do those things, these things will be icing on the cake: paint the walls, stencil, paint the floor, create the fireplace, create the doors, and figure out a way to make styrofoam look like molding.
hooray for the theatre!
my theatre arts two class did a staged reading performance of dylan thomas's play for voices, under milk wood, the past two evenings. we had only four class periods and one evening rehearsal to put it together, which amounts to a grand total of eight hours, and considering that shortness of preparation time, i think it turned out pretty well. the students were focused, enthusiastic, and for me, a delight to watch. with the exception of one student who actually removed her cell phone onstage and texted something into it, everyone took the performance seriously and brought something unique to his or her parts. it was moving to watch them, and it came at the end of a somewhat stressful week.
students are stressed right now in my world. too much work, too many activities, too many deadlines, just too many expectations being piled on them in general.
our play is coming up and we only have a handful or two of rehearsals to get everything done. today we are going up to school for a saturday work day, in which i hope to accomplish a lot. my brother-in-law, one of the kindest people i've ever met, will be there to help us, so that's a real cool thing. we need to get two nine-foot platforms up, build and set up two staircases, and frame and face several wall units. if we do those things, these things will be icing on the cake: paint the walls, stencil, paint the floor, create the fireplace, create the doors, and figure out a way to make styrofoam look like molding.
hooray for the theatre!
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