TROUPE SEVERNA

Severna Park Elementary School's Premiere Drama Troupe

FALL 2004 NOTES TBA

Weekly Notes

 Rehearsal Notes will be posted  here weekly. 

OPENING NIGHT - FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2004

20 MAY 04 - Cast and Crew - Have we mentioned yet today we think you're . . . BRILLIANT!

5 MAY 04 - Costume, Hair,& Make-up and FRIDAY 5/7 Schedule

COSTUMES, HAIR, & MAKE-UP

29 APRIL 04

20 APRIL 04

MARCH 29: 

*  REHEARSAL PARENT:   monday, march 29th - denise hofstedt  (Please arrive at the cafeteria by 3:15 so we can brief you on the day’s activities. You will be welcoming & signing in the cast, overseeing bathroom breaks, supervising audience breaks, helping with the rehearsal, signing-out cast by a parent (unless prior arrangements have been made.  Please plan to stay until all cast members are accounted for.)

 

 *  READER'S THEATRE CAST:  The RT cast did an awesome job.  So good, in fact, that we will add the second script adapted by Mr. Lohff.  You will get it next week.    Until further notice, Reader's Theatre will meet Mondays, 3:30 - 5:00.   Cast members (except Vortans) may then go home.  PARENTS:  You may pick up your cast member at 5:00.  PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SIGN OUT YOUR CAST MEMBER WITH THE REHEARSAL PARENT!!!    SACC students will be released to SACC.  Students not picked up at 5:00 will go to the CAFETERIA to do homework, read, or sit quietly and observe the rehearsal in progress until you arrive.

 

*  VORTANS:  Until further notice will rehearse Mondays, 5 - 5:30 with Miss Sarah.  (All Vortans are also in RT and so will go straight from RT to Vortan rehearsal.  They can be picked up at 5:30 as scheduled)

 

*  FAERIES:  I will be adding lines for you and some other "business" (stuff you do on stage) in the next few weeks.  For now, just become familiar with ACT II, Scene 1: page 9.   Until further notice, you will rehearse Mondays 3:30 - 4:30.  You may go home at 4:30.  PARENTS:  You may pick up your FAERIE at 4:30.  PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SIGN OUT YOUR CAST MEMBER WITH THE REHEARSAL PARENT!!!    SACC students will be released to SACC.  Students not picked up at 4:30 stay in the CAFETERIA to do homework, read, or sit quietly and observe the rehearsal in progress until you arrive.

 

                                                                          *************

*  CHORUS:  Until further notice, Please be at rehearsals on FRIDAYS 3:30 - 4:30.  You may go home at 4:30.  You will receive your music and practice disc on 3/26.  PARENTS:  You can pick-up your CHORUS member at 4:30.  PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU SIGN THEM OUT!!!    SACC students will be released to SACC.  Students not picked up at 4:30 will stay in the CAFETERIA to do homework, read, or sit quietly and observe the rehearsal in progress until you arrive.

 

*  OBTB, URCHINS, & ORPHANS:  We'll see you 3:30 - 5:30.

QUILLS UP!

AUDITIONS

MARCH 15 or 16 and maybe March 17

6 - 8  p.m. First Come First To Audition

You may leave after your audition and headshot

MARCH 10, 2004

NO WORKSHOP MARCH 15 - AUDITIONS ONLY - on STAGE!

MONDAY: MARCH 15, 6 - 8 p.m.: A - M's (by last name)

TUESDAY: MARCH 16, 6 - 8 p.m.: N - Z's (by last name)

WEDNESDAY: MARCH 17, 6 - 8 p.m.: CALL BACKS by Director request only

FRIDAY: MARCH 19, 3:30 p.m.: CAST LISTS POSTED AT SCHOOL & ON WEBSITE

    Wow, are you guys ever ready for Auditions! You had some really great questions about auditioning yesterday and we know you are ready to have fun with it and ready to take on your roles in the production!

    You were all given an Audition Packet that contained an Audition Form, Audition Procedures, a synopsis of Oliver Bigglestone Theodorus Bly, Dreaming Blanket, and Rabbits & Frogs and a character breakdown of each piece. Make sure you read through all the info as it will help you prepare and help you choose specific roles to audition for if you want to choose. Remember, you don't have to specify a particular role - you can check the box for "will accept any role."

    Decisions of the judges are final and non-negotiable. You may not get your first choice role, but each TS cast member will get cast. All the roles are real characters (no trees or ovens) and are good roles.

           VERY IMPORTANT INFO that didn't get included in the Audition Packet

AUDITION DATES are by LAST NAME. A - M on Monday nights. N - Z on Tuesday night. Call back will Wednesday only if necessary to see specific actors again. You will be notified by e-mail Tuesday night and by phone Wednesday.

AUDITION AVAILABILITY: If because of family emergency, illness, or an impossible to reschedule big event you cannot make your audition, call Beverly or Rebecca ASAP to reschedule.

REHEARSAL DAYS: MONDAYS - "Dreaming Blanket" & "Reader's Theatre. FRIDAYS - "Consider Yourself," "Hard Knock Life," & "Oliver Bigglestone."

MASTER OF CEREMONY: This is a role for an older actor with an outgoing personality. The MC is the official host of the show and will introduce all the numbers with a scripted monologue/dialogue.

HEADSHOTS: Black & White photos of each cast member will be taken immediately following each cast member's audition. NO CHARGE - included in registration fee.

AGE REQUIREMENTS: General age requirements are listed on the cast lists, however these ages are suggested ages only. We will consider all actors for any part they desire.

"CONSIDER YOURSELF" needs 12 singer/dancer urchin leads and an urchin chorus (number unlimited). All parts open to male/female.

"HARD KNOCK LIFE" needs 12 singer/dancer orphan leads, orphan chorus (number unlimited) and Annie. All parts open to male/female. Older actress for Miss Hannigan.

"TOMORROW" will be sung by the entire cast, with a lead off by the musical cast.

ARABELLA and BRONTE from Dreaming Blanket have specific requirements. ARABELLA must be a trained ballerina able to switch to hip hop. BRONTE must be a stong vocalist able to perform a solo. We will consider all ages.

GENDER: ALL ROLES CAN BE ADAPTED FOR BOYS OR GIRLS with the exception of Annie, Arabella & Bronte.

CHALLENGE:
Your challenge for this week is to practice the songs, dance steps, and the script excerpts that you plan to audition with.

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PARENT CREW
TUTORING: Ms. Beverly will be available on Thursday, 3/11 and Friday, 3/12, from 3:30 to 4 p.m. in the cafeteria to work with any cast member who wants some extra audition help

REHEARSAL PARENTS: We need one rehearsal parent for March 26 & March 29.

E-MAIL: Beverly is having issues with her new DSL hook-up and the e-mail. If you send a message and I don't respond by at least the next day - the message didn't come through so either call me at (410) 315-9458 or e-mail Ms. Rebecca: addielynne@aol.com

                                 QUILLS UP!

                         AUDITION SONG/DANCE/SCRIPTS:

SONG: You may sing the first verses & chorus of any of our show songs, a favorite Disney song, folk song, Broadway song, Twinkle Twinkle, or Happy Birthday. No pop songs. You will be singing a capella (without music).

DANCE: You may dance to Consider Yourself , use your own choreography, or you may just do a few dance steps as suggested by the Audition Judges.

SCRIPT:
If you are auditioning for an acting role, you may use any of the following excerpts from the scripts or you may prepare your own 1 minute piece.

OBTB - all: Oliver Biggleston Theodorus Bly, scooch over! I'm half a booty out of bed!

DREAMING BLANKET:

ARABELLA: Bronte is silly and childish. Now, close your eyes, Meredith, and go to sleep. Sweet dreams.

MEREDITH: Bronte wants to sing when she grows up, and I'm going to write great plays for the King!

BRONTE: The Princess is right. Without a full moon, the Enchantress is powerless. We have to go tonight.

SERAPHINA: Forgive us Winter Witch. It is I, Seraphina of Arundel with my cousins from Severna. We are traveling to ask the Wizard of Dahl for help.

CONRAD: It is I, Your Grace, Lord Conrad of Severna, with my cousins and Princess Seraphina of Arundel. We must climb this mountain. If you won't allow, I will fight you with my sword!

DRADER (Guardian of the River): Who dares think of crossing my river? Go back, or I'll feed you to my dragon!

VORTAN (Guardian of the Mountain): (in rap) Who dares to cross my mountain on this blustery night? You'd better tell me fast, or get ready to fight!

WINTER WITCH (Guardian of the Forest): Freeze! Freeze. Such a terrible breeze. Who dares to walk through my freshly fallen snow?

WIZARD: Lost her ability to dream? Good grief, of course I can help. Dreams are my specialty! Grizelda, bring me my trunk.

FROGS & RABBITS: I'm afraid of fleas in my fur. I'm afraid of getting a bur. I'm afraid of boys with rocks, I'm afraid of smelly socks!

MC:                 (Poem courtesy of Blue Heaven Players.)

 If wishes were horses,
Then beggars would ride,
On clouds of white stallions,
With bright fiery eyes.

Chasing stars into corners
Of yesterday's skies,
When wishes are horses
Then beggars will ride.

MISS HANNIGAN: ("Annie"): You in here. Get up. Get up! Put them things away. Now, because Annie thinks she can sneak away from my lovely home, you're all in trouble! Get down on your knobby little knees and clean this dump until it shines like the top of the Chrysler building!



                                        BREAK A LEG!
                                                               (In "theatre talk" that means good luck)
 

MARCH 8, 2004, 3:30 - 5 p.m.

MARCH 5, 2004

    Awesome workshop this week! You were all extremely focused and worked really hard! Now that we are beginning to introduce our production numbers, we can see that you have learned what you’ll need to know to put on a terrific show! It’s been a busy seven weeks. I know sometimes it was hard work , sometimes it seemed overwhelming, and sometimes it seemed like we’d never get on to the business of acting. But everything we’ve been doing all these workshops has prepared you to be trained actors and actresses ready to rehearse a full show. We’re very proud of you and we’re as excited about starting rehearsals as you are!

(Last week’s Notes were posted on the Website, but didn’t get e-mailed. Sorry about that. We switched our Internet to DSL and we’re having issues with the e-mail. If you haven’t already, please check on the Website to read last week’s notes.)

    The first cast member to e-mail Ms. Beverly the correct definition as it pertains to acting or the theatre will get a prize/treat next week.

• AUDITION FORMS: We will be handing out an Audition Form/Information Sheet to each cast member.  We will be also going over the audition process in detail.  Audition Information can also be found on the Website.  Parents are welcome to attend the workshop and ask questions afterwards.

• AUDITION CHOREOGRAPHY: Ms Denise W., Ms. Denise T. and Miss. Sarah our choreographers will be with us to review the audition dance routine. Those us you who will be auditioning for the musical numbers may use this routine (we will provide the music), you may use a routine of your own choosing, or you can free dance. Either way, you will be dancing to "Consider Yourself," from Oliver. Once the musical is cast we will be distributing copies of the music and steps for you to practice at home.

 

• AUDITION MUSIC: Ms. Loretta will go over the words to the first verse and chorus of "Consider Yourself." Singers - you may use this number to audition, or you may use "Tomorrow," "Hard Knock Life," choose your own Broadway or Disney song, or you may sing something as simple as "Happy Birthday" or "Twinkle, Twinkle."  You may NOT use any pop songs for the audition.  All vocalists will be singing a cappella (without music). 

• PLAYS: We’ll introduce and do a first act Read Through of the 3-Act play from the production - "Dreaming Blanket," and will introduce the two Aesop’s Fables. You can read the brief synopsis’ on the Website under "Production."  We will provide lines from the script for you to audition with.

 

• MUSIC: We’ll introduce our 3^rd song from the production - "Tomorrow," from "Annie." You can soon read the words to all the songs on the Website under "Lyrics."

 

- THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK - 

 

• WHAT TO AUDITION FOR????  You each get to note your first four choices on the audition form and many of you have been wondering which numbers or characters to audition for.  We cannot guarantee you will get your choice, as we will cast all actors where we think you can best serve the show.  If you don't have a specific role or number in mind, you can just mark "will accept any role! " We need cast members of all ages in each number so we can't tell you precisely what to audition for, but we can suggest a few tips . . .

*    Read through the titles and synopsis' of each skit, play, song.  Choose a number(s) that you like the best.  If you like to sing and dance - definitely audition for the musicals.  If not, audition for the skit, play or fables.  You don't have to be a trained vocalist/dancer to audition for the musicals!!!

*   YOUNGEST ACTORS:  O.B.T.B  has several animal roles, and the lead role is a younger child.  The musical numbers are good for the younger kids.  Dreaming Blanket has one young female lead and several faeries (guardians of the forest) and vortans (guardians of the mountain).  The fables have a few roles for younger cast members.

*   OLDER ACTORS:  Anyone auditioning for the Fables must be a reader - not a sophisticated reader, but a reader, so we need several older cast members.  O.B.T.B. needs at least two older actors to fill the roles of Mommy (or daddy) and Narrator.  Dreaming Blanket needs several older actors - three guardians of the forest leads, Wizard or Enchantress, and four older friends.  One of the friends must be a strong vocalist and one must be an experienced ballerina able to do jazz or hip hop.  The musical numbers need all ages and all actors willing to dance and sing.  We also need an older cast member to serve as Master/Mistress of Ceremony.

• ATTENDANCE:  MARCH 8th is a very important workshop.  Please make every effort to be in attendance.

The directors will be available after the workshop to answer questions.

Please arrive at the cafeteria by 3:15 so we can brief you on the day’s activities. You will be welcoming the cast, handing out name tags, overseeing bathroom breaks, supervising audience breaks, and helping with the skit, and making sure that no cast member leaves unless they are signed out by a parent (unless prior arrangements have been made).

FEBRUARY 28, 2004

    WHAT A CRAZY AND AMAZING DAY IT WAS! We worked on two really complicated numbers last week and you all held up extremely well.

    You showed some great dance moves last week as we practiced the dance steps from "Vanilla Ice" and you learned really fast! Great job. I know all of you won’t be in the dance numbers in the show, but it’s an excellent body warm up and good to know what the dancers will be going through.

    We were also very impressed with the half of the crew who worked on the musical number - excellent work. I heard some very nice enunciation, projection and even a few accents! "Consider Yourself" is a tricky number because of all the words put to a very fast tempo. Congratulations to you and thanks to Ms. Loretta who came in early to work with you.

    And as for our Cupid and Apollo team - fantastic job for as complicated as the script was! Using costumes and props added two levels of challenge in preparing and presenting the script and you handled it incredibly well. I’m sorry we didn’t get through the entire play, but we got through most of it and next week we’ll start introducing our plays and skits for the show.

    During our skit, we noticed an interesting and highly important point:

*** The students who could HEAR your lines, were laughing in all the right places. That is a good thing! However, the students who COULD NOT HEAR YOUR LINES were not only not laughing, but were bored and talking which made it all the more difficult to be heard!***

    We don’t want a bored audience! We want the whole audience to be able to hear and understand your each and every brilliant line. So, we’re going to take a chunk of our workshop next week to perfect our projection and enunciation. Until then -

    Practice projecting and enunciating this week!

CHALLENGE (this is similar to the exercise we did with Ms. Rebecca)

(Parents, for our non-readers, you be the reader)

* Grab a partner - your brother, sister, parent, or friend - then you go into a bedroom or bathroom and shut the door, leaving them on the other side.

* Now read a poem- "Twinkle, Twinkle" is okay or pick your favorite, line by line - and have them repeat each line to you.

* The object of this challenge is for you to speak loudly and clearly enough so they can repeat what you said.

* With each line you read and they repeat correctly, step back one step into the room.

* Keep practicing until your partner can hear and understand you, even when you’re on the opposite side of the room.

SECRET WORD:

    Okay, so last week we had a difficult word - COUNTER. Still several cast members came very close - Fletcher, Claire, Michael & Hope.

    COUNTER means to move in the opposite direction if another cast member accidentally steps in front of you and blocks you from the audience. This should not happen often, but if it does, simply move or COUNTER so the audience can see you again.

THIS WEEKS SECRET WORD - "READ THROUGH"

    The first cast member to e-mail Ms. Beverly the correct definition as it pertains to acting or the theatre will get a prize/treat next week.

rehearsal parents - March 1: patti howard & lori hutcheson

    Please arrive at the cafeteria by 3:15 so we can brief you on the day’s activities. You will be welcoming the cast, handing out name tags, overseeing bathroom breaks, supervising audience breaks, and helping with the skit, and making sure that no cast member leaves unless they are signed out by a parent (unless prior arrangements were made).

Next Week's Skit

It’s time to start getting familiar with our production numbers!

1. Ms Denise W., Ms. Denise T. our choreographers will be with us to teach us a few dance steps for those us you who will be auditioning for the musical numbers.

2.  We’ll hear and talk through "It’s A Hard Knock Life"

3. We’ll read through "OBTB Scooch Over!"

QUILLS UP!

Sorry we won’t be getting together this week, but it will give us chance to practice last week’s skills. And speaking of last week . . .

We are so proud of the work you did last Monday.  You all read and followed your scripts, rehearsed and followed the stage directions,  made your entrances and exits, and hit your marks beautifully! 

Our skit, "A Story, A Story," went so well because you were all very focused, you rehearsed well, and you really projected! That’s exactly the kind of work that will make our spring production a smash hit!

AUDITIONS are coming up fast - and are only three workshops away! During our next two workshops we'll continue to prepare and learn the skills we need to start rehearsals.  Our workshop just before auditions will be dedicated to auditioning!  You'll all be perfectly ready as long as you continue to work as well and as hard as you did last week.

Also, we only have one more folktale to use as a workshop skit and then we’ll begin introducing our production pieces (you can read about the pieces on the "Production" page of the website)!

This week’s challenge is to add noise to those funny faces you’ve been walking around making in mirrors.  Specifically, I want you to practice your consonants. 

*   Say: t-t-t-t-t-t-t, d-d-d-d-d-d, p-p-p-p-p, b-b-b-b-b-b, k-k-k-k-k-k. Now REALLY say them.  Feel the air and sound POP out of your mouth. 

*   Now, add words: fat-fat-fat, pad-pad-pad, bad-bad-bad, pup-pup-pup.  Speak strong, slow, and clear at first so you both hear and feel the consonants.  Now, get a partner if you can and begin speeding up.  Only go as fast as you can with you partner hearing all the consonants.  

*   Now try these, again starting slow  - really slow - then speed up  - but only so as fast as your partner can understand you.  If you words are starting to jumble, slow down.

               Hop on pop.    The pup is up.   Three, tree, bee.    The fat cat is a big brat.

*    NOW - memorize the following and make the different faces as you say the poem. Have fun!

Weepy Wally wanted to play.

Happy Hermione hoped to sing.

Frightened Frank flew the coop.

Angry Austin asked for a drink.

Silly Sally gasped in surprise

When Worried Winston waggled away

But Exhausted Emilia emptied the bin

and exclaimed, "What an excellent day it has been!"

The first cast member to e-mail Ms. Beverly the correct definition of the word as it relates to theatre will get a prize/treat next Monday.

NEXT WEEK’S SKIT : CUPID & APOLLO 

(to read Ms. Beverly’s play adaptation, click onto "skits" on the website later this week.)

In days long past, people didn’t know why the sun set or the moon rose. No one could explain why thunder rumbled in the sky and the rain fell. They couldn’t understand why some years the crops grew healthy and strong while other years they couldn’t get a thing to grow. And most of all, they were often worried about the random way people lived, loved, and died.  So, the great and wise women and men of the time created beautiful stories to explain life and nature and their role in it. All over the world, cultures came up with different stories with their own particular gods and goddesses and their own stories particular to their lives.  Apollo and Cupid is a Greek myth or story. The Greeks had lots of goddesses and gods to help them understand life and to help them feel more secure in a world that was often scary.

Apollo is the god who drove an ornate chariot (like a sleigh with wheels) pulled by magnificent horses. His job was to pull the sun across the sky each morning and take it back at night.  Apollo was big, strong, and handsome. He was also a bit conceited. 

Cupid is the son of Venus, who is the Goddess of Love. No matter how old Cupid got, he never grew any bigger than a toddler, but he was very smart and a bit mischievous too. One day Cupid watched as Apollo fought the hideous beast Python with his great bow and arrow. Cupid asked Apollo to teach him to shoot the bow and arrow, but Apollo laughed and sent Cupid away. This made Cupid angry, so he went to his good friend, Vulcan for help.

Vulcan is a blacksmith. He made all the chariots, swords, shields, horseshoes, and bows and arrows for the gods. When Cupid asked Vulcan to make a bow and arrow for him, Vulcan wasn’t sure if he should.  When Venus dropped by and gave him the okay, Vulcan quickly forged the gift.  Being the goddess of love, Venus blessed the arrows giving them the gift of love.  Anyone touched by one of Cupid’s arrows would fall in love with the next person they saw!

Cupid’s first victim was, of course, Apollo. After being hit with Cupid’s arrow, Apollo fell in love with a sweet and beautiful girl named Daphne, but she didn’t like Apollo at all and ran away. Daphne’s father, Peneus, who is the river god, saw Daphne running away from Apollo and quickly changed her into a tree. Apollo was heartbroken, and spent many days and nights beneath her branches begging for forgiveness and trying to convince her of his true love for her.

Finally, Venus took pity on both Daphne and Apollo and deciding he had learned his lesson, broke the spells. When Daphne turned back into a woman, Apollo took up the leaves that had fallen on the ground and wove a beautiful circlet for her head as a peace offering. Daphne accepted his friendship and all was well - except, of course, for those poor souls who still occasionally fall victim to naughty Cupid’s arrows.

QUILLS UP!

FEBRUARY 6: CONGRATULATIONS KYLIE  TAYLOR!

     Kylie is this week's winner of this week's SECRET WORD!   MARK is where you are supposed to be on the stage at specific times as determined by the director.  Excellent work Kylie  - you will get your prize on Monday.  Thanks for guessing everyone.  

FEBRUARY 6:

Great workshop today gang! Practice twisting at home - any good dance music will do - and don’t forget to keep breathing while you dance.

We heard everyone DELIVERING their lines so much better this week! You are all starting to PROJECT your voices and CHEAT OUT your bodies like professionals. Remember - never turn your back to the audience, unless the director has given you a specific BLOCKING to do so. Also, stay FOCUSED so that you won’t miss your CUE. When you’re speaking, keep in mind that your VOICE is an INSTRUMENT, as is your BODY. Treat them both well. When DELIVERING your lines and SINGING a SOLO, you want to PROJECT as strongly as you can. However, when you SING with a CHORUS, you want to PROJECT and you want to BLEND your voice with the other singers. When the DIRECTOR yells ACTION - you begin ACTING. When the DIRECTOR yells CUT - immediately stop acting or whatever it is you’re doing.

Most of you signed out your child - thank you! Please all of you remember to sign them out next week and please call or e-mail Beverly or Rebecca if your child is out for the day so we don’t wait for them to start the workshop. Thanks!

REHEARSAL PARENTS - FEB. 9:

mary gilmore & tina walker

Please arrive at the cafeteria by 3:15. You will be welcoming the cast, distributing name tags, getting the cast through arrival, snacks, and bathroom breaks, gathering the "Challenges," and distributing handouts. During the exercises your job will be to assist with any bumps and bruises, supervise bathroom trips, and help keep the cast focused. You will also be assigned to one of the directors for the skits. Thanks!

We’ve been looking over your Challenge work - Backdrops, "Troupe Severna" list of actors, actresses ,character, movies, etc. and your votes for Best Movie Musical/Comedy and Drama.

The back drops are beautiful! If you haven’t drawn/painted/sketched a backdrop design and you want to, you can still bring it in next week.

For those of you who submitted the list of entertainment names to match the letters in "Troupe Severna," we had some common themes and some of you included stage terms we’ve been learning!!!! Here’s a sample of your choices:

T  - Theatre (!), Tom Sawyer, Tigger, Titanic, Tarzan, Tom Cruise, Trouble With Trolls

R -  Rehearse(!), Rugrats, Rudolph, Ron Weasley, Red Riding Hood

O -  Opening Night(!), Othello (!), Oliver & Company, Oscar the Grouch

U -  Up Stage (!), Ursula, Ugly Duckling, Unicorn, Uptown Girls

P -  Play(!), (Projection!) Pinocchio, Peter Pan, Pochantas

E -  Enter(!), E.T., Edward Sissorhands, Emma Hand, Elvis,

S - Script(!), Stage(!), Shakespeare(!),Sponge Bob, Snape, Shrek

E - Exit (!), Elloise, Elton John, Elf,

V - Vortans (!), Voldemort, Vincent Price, Velma (Scooby Doo)

E - Enchantress (!), Even Steven, Elizabeth Montgomery

R - Reader’s Theatre (!), Rehearsal(!), Rumplestiltskin

N - Notes (!), Nala, Nemo, Neven Longbottom, Nancy Drew

A - Acting (!), Annie (!), Auditions(!), Audience (!), Adam Sandler, Aladdin,

May I have the envelope please? And the winner is . . .

Best Movie Musical/Comedy: "Cheaper By The Dozen"

Best Movie Drama: "Pirates of the Caribbean"

Thanks to all those who voted!

MARK

The first cast member to e-mail Ms. Beverly the most accurate definition of the Secret Word, will get a prize/treat next week!

MAKIN' FACES

Okay, I know this will sounds a little strange, but I want you to practice your facial expressions in front of a mirror. Stand in front of any mirror and practice exaggerated faces - sad, happy, scared, worried, angry & mean, grossed out. Really move your eyes, mouth and cheeks, (your face should be tired when you’re done.)

FEB. 9 - SKIT

A Story, A Story 

You can read this week's fairytale - click on "SKITS" at the top of this page!

Quills Up!

JANUARY 28 - 

****SECRET WORD WINNER****

BLOCKING

Congratulations, Chelsea!!!! 

Chelsea wins again!  Once we start rehearsals, the directors will be giving the cast members basic directions on where to stand, where to move, when to cross the stage, where and when to make entrances and exits.  This process is called BLOCKING.  The natural movements in between my directions will be up to the actors, but the basic blocking will not change, unless the director changes it.  

Thanks for guessing.  Chelsea will get her prizes on FEB 2 - 1:30 -3:00.   As for the rest of the cast, you will have another chance at the SECRET WORD in next week's Notes!

See you all on MONDAY, FEB. 2, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. 

 Ms. Beverly and Ms. Rebecca  

JANUARY 27, 2004  - WHEN WILL WE SEE YOU AGAIN???!!  :)  

FEB. 2ND, 1:30-3 p.m.

SNOW DAYS! Yeah!!! I hope you’re all having fun in the snow. We've missed two weeks because of MLK Day and  snow days/testing!  Luckily, there’s lots great stuff we can do and be working on for next week .  And speaking of next week, Monday, Feb. 2nd is now an early dismissal day - so, we'll be meeting right after school, 1:30 to 3 p.m.

BEFORE THE FUN STUFF - Some business:  (in theatre, business means the things actors do on stage to help them look natural and believable in their role; also the things you do as cast members and crew during workshop to keep our workshop fun and safe)

CAST:  You will be excused not with the bus riders, but with the CAR RIDERS.  Please come straight to the cafeteria - or stop at the bathroom if you need to.  When you get to the cafeteria, take your nametag, go to the tables with your backpacks, have your snack, and then go to the stage to start warm-ups with Ms. Julie and Ms. Mary.

PARENTS:

FEB. 2ND REHEARSAL PARENTS:  loretta wilson & denise hoftstedt

CAST:

Now for the fun stuff!

****CHALLENGE****

"SECRET WORD"

BLOCKING

T SHIRTS:

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR Asst. COSTUME MISTRESS - JESSICA STUDNICKY!  

Next Week’s Skit

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"

QUILLS UP!

JANUARY 20, 2004 - CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR SECRET WORD WINNERS - 

TARA DELL and ADDIE BINSTOCK!   

 PROJECTION:  

to speak to an audience with our loud, clear "stage voices" so the audience can hear and understand what we are saying.  This is not yelling but is a strong and controlled voice supported by a full breath.

JANUARY 19, 2004 - Happy Martin Luther King Day!

     We’ll miss our workshop today in order to celebrate the life and great accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King.  However, in his honor, we can gather around our computers and hear a great African story. In a few weeks we’ll be using this story for our weekly skit!

    This myth is called "A Story, A Story" and was retold by Gail E. Haley. According to Ms. Haley, many African stories are about a mythical character named Kwaku Ananse the "spider man."   Myths which teach lessons of how a small, defenseless person or animal outwit stronger characters and succeed, even though their chances look small, are called "Spider Stories."

    Spider Stories came to the Americas with Africans who were brought from African on cold, overcrowded slave ships. They told the spider stories to remind themselves of the beautiful home and country they were forced to leave behind.

    These "Spider Stories are still told today by the descendants of those strong, brave Africans who survived the ships and survived slavery to become many of our countries greatest citizens, actors, politicians, policemen, doctors, and friends. Click on the "Skits" page of our website for a shortened version of Ms. Haley’s retelling.

***SECRET WORD***

PROJECTION

Be the first cast member to e-mail me the correct definition of the word, as it pertains to acting, and you'll get a surprise at our next workshop on FEB. 2!