Graduation!

All of the Study Abroad students got together to have one final goodbye party. At this graduation I was asked to present, which was very exciting. The assignment? To present a slideshow of pictures that showed my design aesthetic. Basically, show a slideshow of pictures that I like. What a great presentation assignment! Some of the main concepts I covered were: smoke bombs, fabric that you can feel through the picture, texture in scenery, and different style groups.

Now, here are some pictures from my graduation:

Me with one of my British friends Rachael 

Basia and Hannah, the study abroad advisors, with Lloyd and I

 Kate and I with our leather-working teacher Anderson

Our ISU fashion advisor Ann Thye came over for the graduation

My styling teacher Michael with Kate, Lloyd, and I

He is my absolute favorite teacher. Completely love him!

Overall I am definitely going to miss my initial adventures in London. However, all is not lost, as I plan on moving there in May. Can't wait!

Days 7 & 8

Not having anything pre-planned for the Friday, I decided to go to as many rehearsals and performances as possible since some other groups were performing today as well.  It was like heaven being able to watch theatre all day.  That night I went to visit my friends that live in D.C.  It was great being able to visit with them and hear about how they are making something out of themselves in a huge city.  After visiting with them I joined up with everyone else at a major D.C. actor's party at their penthouse.  Yeah.  We are talking about complete social irresponsibility here.  I felt like Dionysus was there with us, but even he was too drunk.

Saturday was the last day of performances and wrapping everything up.  It was definitely a saddening experience.  But it felt great being a part of something that is bigger than what I knew.  It was such a great learning experience in life and in the theatre.
 

Days 5 & 6

Wednesday was our last true work day because we performed on Thursday so we worked on clarifying everything else, which wasn't much as we had already come in with a play that was on it's way to be produced.  That day I sat in on the workshopping for one of the plays Jeff was working on.  I really fell in love with the people involved.  There was a definitely magic in the air.  That evening I went on a night wake to see the monuments.  I was moved by the tranquility that each monument had as they transcended the world around them and seemed to make you think that anything is possible.

Thursday was the day of the show!! We had enough time to work a little more and then do a run.  It went extremely well.  I was extremely nervous to be doing the stage directions in front of all of these people on a piece that I genuinely cared about.  It was an eye opening experience to the world of playwrighting.  I went to another play workshop and was continued to be amazed at the level of dedication of each person involved.  That night I decided to go to bed early.  My old man was showing.

What I Learned

The biggest challenge I faced while teaching Emily the dance was that sometimes she can be very lazy. I have no tolerance for that, so I had to be hard on her. Choreographing dances is my true passion in life. I do think I have a knack for it, but after doing this I am unsure that I have the patience to do it as an actual occupation. This all really made me rethink what I want as my career. I absolutely love choreography, but dealing with undesirable people can ruin it. I can't imagine dealing with that every day. Would it be worth it? Nothing makes me feel the way choreographing does, but working with people who sometimes have a bad attitude, like Emily, can have a bad impact on it. Now, I am unsure if I really want to be a full time dance teacher and choreographer. 

Despite the trials I faced during this experience, I am so glad I did this. It was my first time ever choreographing a dance by myself that would compete, so it was a really big deal for me. I have choreographed many pieces by myself before for recitals and such, but none ever competed. Despite the fact that she was sometimes hard to work with and I think she could have performed better, I am very proud of her and myself. 

The Competition

After her, I stayed and watched her competitors. Like I knew would happen, most of them were lyrical and several were jazz. There was nothing like Emily’s, which made me proud of myself. I grew up doing company competitions, never a state competition. I always knew they were very different, but watching the state competition really solidified that. There isn’t as much variety on styles of dances, and in my personal opinion, the technique, tricks, and skills aren’t as strong. To me, all the routines looked the same (except Emily’s). Another difference is that this competition took place in a gym instead of a stage. Because of this, lighting wasn’t used to set a scene and make the piece more picturesque. The thing I disliked most about the Iowa Dance Solo Competition is that the performers are not allowed to wear costumes that show their stomach. I think if a dancer has a beautiful body and graceful dance lines, they should be able to show it off. A costume is a big part of the story-telling aspect of any routine, and I think it would have been fitting for Emily to wear a two-piece costume that would show off more skin since it is about the Garden of Eden. This is something you see a lot more of in company competitions like I did. 

Performance Time

The competition took place on November 3^rd in Newton, Iowa. Like I had predicted, most of the pieces were the typical jazz or lyrical. The piece I made Emily was special. I knew there would be nothing like it, and I was correct. Since her technique was nowhere near perfect, I hoped that the uniqueness of the dance would help carry her. I ended up being right, because her dance scored 8^th overall (the competition had hundreds of competitors). This was the highest anyone had ever scored from her 3A high school. She was beyond excited. The nonstop critiques and me being tough on her even when she didn't like it had paid off. Her mom was really happy too. I was very proud of her. She definitely could have done better on her technique, and I had seen her do it better in practice, but that is often just from first-performance nerves. While I was happy for her, I was proud of myself too. This was my first competitive piece that I had ever choreographed, and it scored incredibly well. It was a great day for all of us.

 

Teaching and Practicing

Part of being a good choreographer is being exactly sure of what you are working with, meaning use what you know what will work. For instance, I knew Emily was flexible, so I choreographed the dance in a way that she could show that off. I made the movements of the dance very raw, organic, sharp, and powerful. However, Emily didn't always do them this way. We practiced a lot on making all the moves "bigger" and more impactful. She did not take direction well like I had remembered. She had a bad attitude a lot of the time which made it really hard for me to work and for her to improve. Not only was she lazy, but also very out of shape aerobically. Her skills had improved since I had taught her as expected, but her technique still needed improvement. She also wasn't practicing as much outside of practice as I wanted her to. I had to be hard on her at times to get her to fix what I wanted. Despite all this, we made it through all the practices in one piece. I knew I had prepared an excellent dance for her, she just had to perform it the way it was intended to be. It was in her hands now.

Getting Started

I had never competed in the State Solo Competition, but I knew what it was like. Most of the pieces performed where either lyrical or jazz. To me, they all seemed the same. Emily is a good dancer, but can struggle with technique. I knew if her dance was unique and unlike the others, she would stand out more. This would then hopefully lead to a higher score. I choreographed her an “open” dance. It was about the Garden of Eve. I had had this song as an idea for a dance in my head for a long time. Though I originally wanted to use it for a small group, I thought it would be good for Emily too. When Emily first listened to it, I could tell she didn't like it, but I had a vision. I knew it would end up being a very special routine. It was a nightmare trying to cut the music since there are certain length requirements, but it ended up turning out well and she ended up liking it. As for a costume, I knew I wanted her to wear some sort of jungle-like costume. My initial thought was to have it be a two-piece covered in leaves, but the competition requires the stomachs cannot be showed. We then decided on a green leotard, and at the last moment changed it to a more elegant and ordinary black shirt and shorts. I think it really showed the "raw" side of the song.
 

The Start of my "Dream" Career

I have been dancing since I was 4. I was part of a national competitive dance company, and I lived and breathed dance. When we were young, and teachers and adults asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up, I always said "a dance teacher." Most of my fellow company members just wanted to be a dancer when they grew up, and a part of me did too, but I knew I loved making up my own routines more than anything. As we grew up, my fellow members started to realize their dreams of being a professional dancer were no longer so realistic. I however, stood by my claim. When I got into high school, my company dance teacher hired me to teach classes. I absolutely loved it. I started teaching more and more, and even ended up choreographing a routine that would go on to compete. When I got to college, while most kids were changing their majors several times, I still knew exactly what I wanted to do. I chose dance as my major and got hired as a teacher and choreographer for a small recreational program. This all brings me to where I am now.

Before her family moved, Emily Peters was one of the girls I taught in my company back home. Remembering this, she contacted me this summer about a very special choreography job. She was currently a junior at Carroll High School and was on their dance team. Her team had try-outs to see who would perform at this year's State Solo Competition. She obviously ended up being chosen and was in need of someone to choreograph her routine. Remembering me from teaching her at the company, I got the offer. At first, I was excastdic. I felt so honored and knew this is what I needed to get my future career rolling. I then remembered what it was like teaching her. She was sometimes hard to work with. She tended to have a bad attitude and did not take authority well. Deep down however, I knew this was a great opportunity for me. I knew I had to accept.

Intro

Howdy everyone! I am Kat Simpson, a student at Iowa State University studying dance and athletic coaching. This summer I got a very special and honorable offer, and knowing that it might just be the start of my life-long goal career, I couldn't pass it up. After accepting the position, I kept a journal of the process I went through and my endless thoughts and debates to eventually blog about and share with the world. With that being said, these entries of mine are especially for those who have interest in being a dance choreographer. I hope you all enjoy, and can possibly even learn from my experience!
-Kat

Styling

For my final project in styling class we were to do a photo shoot. We were allowed to choose our own model, style the aesthetic and the clothes, pick the location, etc. In charge of the whole deal.

The next thing to decide were the trends we were going to present. I ended up choosing:

Grunge/Punk

Celestial

Bright Florals

Embellishments

Mixing Patterns

 The place we shot was Abney Park Cemetery and I decided to use smoke bombs in the background. I made the bombs with Lloyd and he set them off while I took the pictures. Yay for Lloyd!

This was by far my favorite project this semester. I had a great time with my friends working on the shoot and really liked the outcome! Hope you do too!

Days 3 and 4

Monday is our first meeting with the actors and our dramaturg, Celise Kalke, who arrived the evening before.  It was a somewhat emotional experience as cast members got to see other actors that they had worked with before and one of the assistant dramaturgs had worked with one of the actors a decade before doing summer stock.  It was like a huge family meeting for the first time and yet it felt like old times.  After we all introduced ourselves, we got right down to work.  I was blown away.  Right out of the gates the acting was breathe taking.  The life they brought to each moment even on the first read through was mind blowing.  It was incredibly humbling working with people that take such care in their craft. We worked at the table for awhile discussing characters, circumstances and revising some lines.  This was my first experience working actively with a playwright, dramaturgs, directors, and actors all in the same room. The level of care and thought that everyone took in discovering and working through the play was inspiring.  It is definitely something I wish to continue on doing in my career regardless of my position.  Just being in the room as a world is being created and written is something I wish to continue.  After playing for awhile we discussed the needs of the play and what the playwright would like.  One thing in particular was bikes.  Gregg, being the man that he was made that happen.  We had for bikes that were available to us that day and we discussed what the expectations were and how we would use them and then...we mounted them.  We didn't have enough time to run through the whole play with them, we are only given 4 hours to work until Thursday when we perform it as we were the first of the plays to be presented, but we certainly did some damage.  After rehearsal, I headed back to Thurston with the assistant dramaturg and talked about what we were doing that evening. Myself and some of the guys had gotten tickets to see the Studio Theatre's Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.  It was a pretty awesome performance.  It was a small black box that maybe sit 75 people which was just perfect as we all felt a part of the action.  We were quite close to the playing area and we were in a place where the actors would play at times.  After the show we discussed the 2 actors, the leads, that were Equity.  We got into a fairly lengthy discussion over the pros and cons of being Equity, the system, and what our plans were...at the bar of course.  It is interesting listening to how different regions of the country operate and teach theatre and their perspectives on how it all fits, or doesn't, together.

Tuesday was a strong work day.  We made progress in the specificity of the world we are creating.  I also went to sit in on other workshops throughout the week and on Tuesday, it was She Rode Horses Like the Stock Exchange.  It was exciting observing how this artistic team worked differently than ours, but it was still a strong, productive dynamic.  One of the actors working on this show was also working on Bike America and it was astounding watching her develop and be a part of a completely different world.  That evening, Gregg managed to procure 2 $20 tickets to see The Addams Family which was playing in the Opera House at the Kennedy Center, which was just a magical experience to see the Opera House itself.  I actually enjoyed the performance for what it was.  It had it's flaws but I enjoyed the experience regardless and had the added enjoyment of the amazing people I was sitting with during the performance.

Washington D.C.

The Kennedy Center.  What the festival is all about.  It was kind of surreal walking into the Hall of Nations.  Surrounded by young actors, directors, and dramaturgs in a big strange place was oddly comforting as we were all feeling the same way.  Whispers of "Oh that is Mark Bly!  Look, Matt McGeachy is talking to Gregg in a serious tone." as we were making our way up to our first breaking of bread made us look like a bunch of giddy school girls I am sure.  My role was that of the girl that was freaking out because I was the only one not to get the script that we were working on emailed to us.  Needless to say, I was asking everyone if they had theirs.  After dinner I met the director I was assisting, Freddie Ashley of Actor's Express, and Mike Lew, the playwright.  They send me the script, Bike America, that night and I get underway in reading it and catching up.  The second day is a free day as it is Sunday and not everyone has gotten in yet.  So Jeff, myself, and a bunch of the guys strolled the streets of D.C. and hit up the World's AIDS March.  And then later that evening attempted to bar crawl to the Lincoln Memorial...unsuccessfully. These first two days did nothing to prepare us for what would be an intense week of critical thinking and theatre making.   

Creative Leather Accessories

Another class that I took at LCOF was Creative Leather Accessories. We had two projects during this class, both involving bags.

The first project we had was a pouch. We were given patterns for this, then had to make the pouch our own. I finished my pouch by adding a small handle on the top and a gold closure on the flap.

Our other project was to design our own bag. The only rules were that it had to be kept simple and clean. I decided that I wanted to make a bag to keep my portfolio in. That way on interviews they see the bag I made in real life. 

FRONT

BACK

This class has showed me that I have interest in a career in accessories. I enjoyed the sketching and seeing the design come to life. Can't wait to use it!

I'm a cobbler

I have officially finished my shoe from my shoe-making class. Glad to say that I've cobbled! The class was really intense and long, but I'm glad I took it. I can now start an accessories portfolio, along with the leather bag that I'm finishing shortly.

Here are some picture of my shoe in process:

The first step is to tape the last (the yellow thing) and make your patterns. 

Here is a picture of my upper fabric in pieces. It's the 3/4 and 1/4 pattern pieces. This then gets sewn/glued to the lining and is stretched and nailed onto the last. 

Here the lasted shoe. The heel is completely lasted and the lining is lasted down. 

Here is a picture of the same step as above.

Here is the shoe with the attached sole and heel. 

The last step in making the shoe was to add my design piece. I made a fortune teller out of leather to go on the back of the heel. Here is the finished shoe below. 

That was the production of my shoe-making class. There are a billion more pictures, but no need to bore! Look out soon for a post about my bag that I've finished and pictures from my styling project. 

Traveling Around Europe

For the past few weeks I've gotten a break from school. We got a 2 1/2 week holiday and I spent mine traveling around Europe. Part of the time was spent specifically studying fashion and some was just for fun!

The first place I went was Dublin, Ireland in order to visit some friends from my summer internship. My favorite part of the trip was going to The Leprechaun Museum. I highly recommend going to this museum. They have a giant's room where you can climb around on huge furniture.

The next place I went was Paris, France on a trip with the school. This was extremely fun and fashion-filled. My personal highlight was getting to visit my favorite designer store Manoush. This is a company that I strive to work at. And, if I wasn't terribly poor, perhaps I would have bought something. 

I also spent some time seeing typical Paris tourist spots. Hark, the Arc de Triomphe!

After spending some time in Paris I headed back to England. Spent a bit of time in Northern England and did some London adventuring. I almost met the muffin man... at least I met someone who knew him. 

Finally I finished my time with a trip to see family in Italy. I had a wonderful time in Italy, seeing Assisi, going to Eurochocolate (a festival purely for chocolate), and truffle hunting. We found a lot of truffles, and by that I mean our amazing dog found them and we quickly took credit for it. 

I also spent some time in Florence seeing beautiful architecture. Nothing like a day trip!

That was the end of my adventures. Although, I did just go back to Dublin for Halloween. Oddly enough the British don't really celebrate Halloween as much as we do in the States. 

Look for an update soon about what I've been making in classes! I only have a month left here. Can't believe time has gone by so quickly!

London, My New Best Friend

Hey everybody!

Let me start out by introducing myself. I am a senior at ISU getting a double degree in Apparel Creative Design and Performing Arts Dance. My main focus for Performing Arts is in costuming, combining both of my degrees.

Now, on to my internship...

My internship is a combination of a fashion internship that I completed over the summer and studying abroad at London College of Fashion this Fall semester. For this entry I'll focus on my summer internship.

My fashion internship was with Derek Lawlor in London, England working on his SS13 collection. I worked from the beginning of June until London Fashion Week in September where he showed the collection. I spent my summer doing various tasks including: pattern making, alterations, re-construction, sewing, draping, market research, cord-work, and knitting. It was great working for Derek as he's a young designer and truly wants his interns to learn about the industry. He was great at helping us understand what was needed to make a fashion business work and get the end result.

Speaking of the end result, here are a few pictures of the SS13 collection:

Saying Goodbye

It was a wonderful summer at ComedySportz. I finished my improv class with a show which went smashingly!
I really learned about interacting with people on a one-on-one basis. I honed my comedic skills and took home valuable improv experience which is sure to help me this year!
Most importantly, CSz made me feel like I was part of a family, everyone reaching towards the same goal: to make people laugh.
I am so very grateful for my time there this summer, and I cannot wait to go back.

For the last time my friends:
Over and out!

-D

And the Journey Comes to an End

Little Mermaid did great I have never been so proud in my whole life.  those kids got to do some many professional things that I can not believe how lucky they are.  I learned so much about teaching and even learned things about myself.

Final Blog of Summer 2012

Now that I have some time to breathe, I will throw up my final post from Logan, WV and The Aracoma Story, Inc. 3 months ago, I drove 850 miles to Logan to work on 3 shows. The first show dealt with the story of Johnny Cash. It sharpened my carpenter skills with using tools like an old table saw that can only cut lumber under a foot and a very very old chop saw. Then, we moved onto the show the company was named after. The show tested our problem solving abilities. It was very similar to the Christmas Carol puzzle, but instead of just the platforms, we had to also piece together the foam pieces of the mountains. It also opened up the world of pyrotechnics. I learned how to load up 5 ft flash strip and safely fire it from back stage. Then we finished up with Winnie the Pooh. This was the show we could flex our creative muscles by creating 6 'houses'. With the aid of our Stage Manager/Head Scenic Designer, we brought the world of Pooh to life with 4 2D 'houses', details and 2 full 'houses'. I also have learned how to successfully run a spotlight for the first and last show. I have 3 days left, all of which will strike and clean up, before I make the 850 miles trek one more time. I would gladly come back next year if I can't find anything after I graduate. So for the last time, good bye from Logan and hello home!

Catching Up

Completely forgot to blog last week. Last week at the DMPH was Audition Workshop. Kids in grade 4-12 spent the week learning about auditioning and what that entails. I had the 5th and 6th graders. It was a unique week for me, my teacher became ill with pneumonia (he is recovering well). As a result, the last three days of the class were taught by me. I really enjoyed it. I got to work with the kids on things I find important, reflect what I learned in ISU classes last year. The kids I had were at that age where what I was teaching could either work well for them or be above their heads, but they were a very intelligent group, and handled the activities we did not only well, but applied them well. On their last day of class they did a mock audition for three of the playhouse directors, and were more than prepared. So overall a successful week, it was a bit daunting at first, having to take over teaching a  class the final three days, but it went very well and I got paid twice as much as I normally do, so works for me! This coming week is the final week of my internship, it is also the third week this summer where I am not an intern, but a teacher. I and two other teachers have 50 kids. With these kids we have the next five days to direct a 35 minute play about a time traveler who goes back in time to Arthurian Legend, Aladdin and his Lamp, and Aeschylus at the Dionysus festival. More to follow.

Little Mermaid JR opens today!!!

Today is the day Bye Bye Birdie opened last night and did great, now today Cinderalla Kids and Little Mermaid open!  I am so excited for the parents because they are really going to see how much work and how much talent their kid has.  Also the parents will see the most important thing of all how much fun their kids are having.  I am so excited I can barely wait!!!

Last Day

Technically my last official day was Sunday, but tomorrow I'll be doing my last day of work at the Playhouse for the summer. Fame Jr. went off well, and strike didn't take too long on Sunday which was great. The show turned out really well, although it's weird to see something you put so much effort into just evaporate without even being there for the final show. I guess I've never had that kind of experience before without the closure of a final show, so it was weird to just come back the next day, and it was done. This week we've been steadily working on Sunset Boulevard. The show is really interesting because there is a cutter/draper working on the show named Ginny who has worked in opera and theatre all over the nation, including the Guthrie. I've learned a lot from her about professional fittings and ways of doing little things like putting in shoulder pads that is great experience. I'm sad that the experience is over but also VERY excited to get back to Ames! This summer has been crazy and full of surprises, but I'm definitely glad I did my first internship in state so that way I know what I'm getting into next summer.

Tomorrow is dress rehearsal!

Today I got to turn our Ariel into an actual red head, I died her hair and it turned out beautiful.  I cannot believe how perfect it worked out and now we have dress rehearsal tomorrow, we perform for the other campers on Friday, then we open on Saturday! Oh ya we also perform on Sunday, and then clean up Monday.  This is going to be one amazing, but also very busy week.

Lighting will be set tonight!

It is so unreal how time flies so quickly and the next thing you know it we have Wednesday and Thursday before the kids perform for the rest of the camp.  Then on Saturday it is open to the public, I am so excited for them!!!  Today a few of us stayed after to help paint the set and then the lights got set.

Tech week!

Today was our first day of tech week and I would say it went pretty well. We had our first full run through and then after lunch did another one.  This week is going to be a tough one, but I can't wait to see what these     kids can do.  I have been learning how to better communicate with children and how the tone of your voice can really change the way you say something.  I think it will help a lot in the future.

End of the summer

It's getting close to the final day here at Brownville and people are starting to get stressed. Costumes still has to inventory the entire storage space, plus all of the sewing supplies in the work space, which is all in addition to the deep cleaning we have to do before we shut up the theatre for the season. I think we're all a little bit excited to get back to the real world though, as much as we've come to love the people here.

Yesterday, Brian (who is leaving for NYC in September) managed to make a contact! One of the board members hear through the (particularly extensive) grape vine that he was leaving for New York to try and make it in theatre. As it turns out, the board member has a son-in-law who is an equity carpenter, so Brian is going to get a hold of him when he moves. It's a small world I guess.

There's not a lot of news, otherwise. Today we had a day off so we're all going to see Superman in Auburn and we're making enchilada's for dinner.

Dumbledore vs. Steve Irwin

This weekend I hosted both nights, and adopted two different personas.

On Friday, I was Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Dead Students. I ushered people into the arena in a burst and peppy British accent, separating them into houses based on the color of their sticker. Someone else at the show was a Starkid, like myself, so they knew some quotes from A Very Potter Musical, and we bantered for awhile. I was oh so proud! I yelled out a bunch of spells, made sure no one was bringing magical swords into the arena, and admitted that I didn't know what a Hufflepuff was (who does really?)

On Saturday, I decided to be Steve Irwin, and it was easily my most successful hosting character ever! I had so much fun creeping behind fake plants, inching out to poke people and run quickly away, and running live commentary on groups of people. There was a bachelorette party wearing all purple shirts, so I decided they were flamingoes, and announced that I was going to approach them. As I got halfway to the party, I yelled back that they did not appear to be hostile, and decided to adopt a one-legged flamingo stance in an attempt to establish contact. I was successful! A bit later in the evening, when most of the people had filtered into the arena, I threw my fake snake onstage and wrestled it to the ground. It caught me around the neck, but I eventually threw it off and stood up to an uproarious cheer from the crowd. It was extraordinary!

That ended my host stint for the summer. I have learned so much about directly entertaining people and really worked on my comedic timing and quick thinking. I have loved every minute of it, and cannot wait to come back over breaks.

The end of the year show for my Improv class is on Tuesday, so I have one or two more posts to go, but I am excited to put my skills to the test!

Over and out,
-D

One down, one to go

Finally, after 2 nights of having to call the show due to weather, we finally opened Winnie the Pooh. Out of all the 3 shows we have been a part of, this is the show that we don't want to call due to weather. We never had a true tech rehearsal, so a lot of the lighting stuff has been changing on the fly like adjusting the them and changing gels. We added a green gel to the spotlight I run to add an eerie feel to 2 different moments. This is the first show I've done where the director has added what she's called a "Glee" show, before the main production because of how short the main show is. The set didn't change from The Aracoma Story. The only changes were the 3 flats and 2 small huts that we built. Its amazing what can happen when we get to do our job and build different flats instead of just platforms or setting up pieces that were pre-made. After tonight, we've got one week before we start cleaning up and winterizing the theatre.

Put on Your Game Face

On Tuesday, we had our last practice before our show on the 7th. We had pretty much covered everything except Chain Murder, so we worked on that.

Chain Murder involves an audience-given location, occupation, and weapon. The weapon is generally spilt into two parts. Using mime and gibberish, person one must relay the location, occupation, and weapon of the murderer to person two. When person two figures it out, they kill person one, and in turn repeat the process to person three. Person three repeats to person four, and then person four must guess what the location, occupation, and weapon of the murderer are. If they get everything right, 4 points are awarded. If something is wrong, person three can guess, awarding three points. Two and one follow the same process. The hilarity comes in trying to mime something like a pizzeria, thumbtack and banana weapons, and a plumber occupation, which make no logical sense together.

I also hosted last weekend, and my mom finally got to see a show. She and my aunt had an awesome time, and said I was very entertaining. I was an elderly man at first and mostly yelled at kids to get off my lawn and told them that these newfangled video games didn't exist before the war. The second show I changed to Sassy Nanna, where I utilized my Jewish New York Mother accent, and hilarity ensued.

I host all weekend, starting tonight, and my next post will be my last as I return to school next Friday. What? Summer went where? Beats me.

Over and out!
-D

I think my work shop went well!

Today I did my improv workshop and it was totally amazing, I was so worried!  I really wanted to teach these kids, but I also was very nervous because I had never really done a workshop before.  We tried so many different games, and not only did i teach them I also learned myself.  Watching those kids laugh was amazing especially when you could totally tell when a student has such potential.  Its like a light bulb goes off and they finally let go.  I do admit it was a lot more difficult to teach the younger ones improv, just because I really wanted them to learn the basics and what it really takes to be able to do improv.  We played a lot of eye contact games, animal walks, basically just little games that would help them in the future.  I have one more workshop tomorrow and I cannot wait to see how it goes!!!

Improv workshop tomorrow!

So today we got to watch Legally Blonde the Musical and I have to say it was pretty impressive.  For every musical that we watch the TMP staff put together workshops that fit accordingly to each movie.  So this week its my turn to lead a workshop and I decided I wanted to do an improv workshop!  I can't wait to be able to work with these kids and really see the silly side come out in them.

Nearing the end

So this week/next week will be my last weeks at the Playhouse. It's been very bittersweet. I'm excited to be done and come back to school, but it's also been a great learning experience that I really needed to continue on with my education. Being at the Playhouse has not only taught me tons not only about designing but also directing, working with large groups, and as an assistant. Although I still wish I had had the chance to costume a show at the end of my internship to see how I would have progressed given working on RENT with Angie, I still feel like Pinkalicious was a great opportunity. Fame Jr. has been going really well so far. I officially have all 42 kids names memorized and almost all their costumes as well. This weekend is the performance weekend, so hopefully everything goes as planned!

First Crack at a run through!

Today we took our first crack at doing a full run through of a show!  It was very scary and nerve wrecking, but in a good way.  It helped a lot of the kids figure out where they actually come in and what songs they come in on.  I admit it got kinda stressful because I kept having to repeat myself, but I can't blame the kids they were trying they best they could.  My director helps me a lot in learning how to teach children, I am really enjoying this experience.

Last week and this week

Had a busy week last week, completely forgot to blog! Anyway, last week was A Play in 2 Days and A Play in 3 Days. The play in 2 days went very well, we had a small group of 4-6 graders, about 13 of them, but they were fantastic to work with, they were all very committed, most of the time they rehearsed on their own during their lunch and snack breaks. Some of them are wanting to pursue theatre in high school as well, so it was great to help them out a bit. The play in 3 days was 2nd and 3rd graders. It was a bit tougher, there was a lot more of them, and at that age their focus isn't the best, but we got them there, ready to perform for their parents on Friday.
This week is Clue Week. All of the teachers are characters from the board game Clue. Throughout the week the kids find clues and solve puzzles, making scenes about who they think the murderer is (one of the teachers). I'm Mr. Green, the only male teacher in the class, so of course I'm one of the top suspects :) it's a great week for the kids because they get to spend the whole week pretending with us, while also preparing a play to perform for their parents on Friday. The age is 3-5th grade, at that age they're starting to become more self conscious, feeling that they're too old, or that it's uncool, to pretend, so I think event camps like this and Harry Potter Week are great for them, because of course they know it's fiction, but they allow themselves to really get into it and use their imagination.

Winnie the Pooh

We open Pooh tonight, or so we are supposed to. We have had no tech rehearsals mainly because of The Aracoma Story still running till Sunday. We would have had a tech last night if we didn't get rained out. With having no tech time, we are treating tonight as a preview. It's amazing how much you can get done when your are willing to come in at 9 am two weeks before Pooh and still work Aracoma Story. This journey is nearing the end with less than 2 weeks to go. It's been fun and an experience, but I'm ready to come home!

Apprentice scenes

We recently sent in our applications for the technical positions for the apprentice scenes. I was given the assignment of Stage Supervisor, and scenic carpenter. So I will be back stage running the crew during the shows and making sure everything is set for the shows. It is a huge responsibility and I am extremely excited to have this opportunity.

We were given some interesting statistics the other day...

We have worked 9 total weeks. In those 9 weeks, we have worked the equivalent days of working 13 weeks as a full time employee. Also, we have put in over 725 hours. If you factor each week based on a 40 hour schedule, we have worked 18 weeks. Basically, this means we are working TWO full time jobs, all at the same time, while getting overtime on top of that.

This place is insane.

Half way through!

we are now officially half way through the camp!  Today I learned that some kids need a different type of person they can talk too.  Some kids don't like everyone and then they shut down and won't do anything.  If they don't do anything they don't learn as much as they could.  I hope I get more chances to work with kids again because it is really teaching me a lot about myself.

Performance for the little ones

Today the littlest group apart of the camp will be performing! We saw their dress rehearsal yesterday during camp and it was the cutest thing ever.  Today they get to perform for their parents and I know they are all so excited.  I get to stand backstage with little kids to try and keep them quite, I know how hyper they are going to be.  I hope everything goes well with them today and can't wait for my kids to perform.

End of Week 2 tomorrow!

So tomorrow will be the half way mark of the TMP summer camp.  I can honestly say that I am very proud of the work the Little Mermaid cast has done.  I am so proud of the characters they are building and how well they listen to direction.  I can see how happy the kids are when they get to do a song, it reminds of myself when I was younger.  I really am enjoying myself here!

'Actor Challenges' and worse internet than usual.

We've done the same show four times in a row this week, and it's definitely a dramatic shift between what I've become used to. During the week we have special preformances for groups who come to rent out the theatre, and they all happened to choose the same show to come see. It's hard as an actor, because the shows feel a bit stale by this point in the season anyway, but trying to stay focused is really hard when your on auto-pilot so much of the time.

One thing we've started to do in order to help with that is giving each other actor challenges. Usually it's simple stuff like adding certain physical movements to the show somewhere, or adding emphasis to certain lines so the cast can listen backstage and know that the actors on stage are paying attention.

The internet and cell service here is intermitent at best, but this week it's been practically non-existent. The internet cut out four times before I was able to post this blog, and I was using the desktop at work. Supposedly, it's being worked on, but I have the sneaking suspicion that it's just the reality of living in a town with 145 people. Usually I only have short ammounts of time to get on the internet at all, and it makes it diffuclt to stay in contact with the outside world when the internet cuts out several times before you can finish writing an e-mail. Oh well, only three weeks left in the summer!

Miming outside the box.

This week in class we learned all about mime. Not just placing your hands on imaginary walls, but creating an entire world using just your motions.

We began very simply with making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Except it wasn't simple at all. We had to go through the motions excruciatingly slow so that we could really pay attention to what we were doing. I mean how do you mime working a twist tie perfectly? How many turns to open a peanut butter jar vs. jelly jar? How do you hold the bread when you're spreading peanut butter, and then where do you put the bread when you're done? These things we do routinely, subconsciously even, so bringing them into consciousness for an audience is a very difficult process.

We then moved onto gibberish, which is part two of miming. Though we cannot actually use words, inflection of tone and rapidity of speech can greatly improve communication. We started gibberish work with a game called "definition". One person says a gibberish word and the person to their right has to define it immediately after. It helps with recognition and quick thinking.

The big game that we played to practice our skills was called Interview. One person was the moderator, and the two people on either side were for or against a topic. However, to make their point, they can only speak in gibberish. The moderator must figure out the point one of the people is trying to make, and explain it in a different type of gibberish to the other person. It really tests the communication skills of the players.

I host this weekend, so there will be shenanigans afoot! Until then...

Over and out!
-D

Fighting through Aracoma and Pooh

We are in the home stretch of the internship. We've finally started up the second week of Aracoma after a couple days of rain. Monday we started working on Pooh, while it was down pouring. Thank goodness for the shelters! Pooh isn't much different then Aracoma in the fact that we are using the same set and 3/4 less sand and a couple things we have to build. I can now effectively build a 'club house' and apply shingles and siding to it. Obviously we are not using ACTUAL shingles or siding due to the budget, but its the same principle. I'm also doing a very small amount of scenic painting, most of it is just base coat and writing. 2 and a half weeks to go!

Half Way through the second week!

Today we finished blocking the whole show, we are totally rocking this out!  Now we just have to hope that the kids will remember at least half of it.  We only have three songs left to stage which is awesome because then the kids can really get into their characters.

Hi all,


Sorry it's been a lightyear since I last posted, I've been extremely busy.  But I'll try to quickly catch you up. 


So in addition to taking improv classes at The Groundlings, I've also been inspired by the lovely Kathleen Hoil to take some circus aerial  classes here in LA.  Learning to climb silks and do various tricks on the trapeze has been a blast, and an excellent workout to boot.    I only wish I there were circus classes like these when I was a young kid in Iowa, climbing trees all over the neighborhood. =)


 I've  also been keeping busy with my internship with the Festival of New American Musicals. I just finished teaching for our program called The East Side Initiative. For this program, I along with a few other coworkers, help plan and initiate performance workshops for the underprivileged kids on the east side of Los Angeles. For my part, I helped teach the acting/performance class, while in addition, the kids also took classes for dancing and singing from local professionals. At the end of the day, each different group would give a performance showcasing what they had learned. Teaching these kids was easily one of the highlights of my summer and a very rewarding thing to be a part of. 

In addition to this program, the Festival of New American Musicals is a nonprofit, so I also spend a good deal of time filling out and submitting grant applications.  This is easily my LEAST favorite thing to do as this can be a very lengthy and time consuming process but after two summers, I have become somewhat of a pro. And as I've said in past posts, my favorite privilege of being an intern, is attending 2 to 3 new musical premieres each week all over Southern California. One of the latest ones I saw was in La Jolla California entitled "Hands on A Hard Body" starring Hunter Foster (Sutton's bro).  Now, it's not what your thinking.  It's actually a musical about the contests that are held by car dealerships for whoever can keep their hands on a car (or in this case, truck) the longest.  It tells the story of the twelve people from all different backgrounds that are brought together by a single goal: to win a brand new truck.   One of my biggest worries with this musical was staging problems (As all contestants had to keep their hands on the truck.  This is one of the major problems of the Little Miss Sunshine Musical) but the director found very creative ways to overcome this. It was surprisingly catchy and creative.   And the night we attended, it was just announced it will be heading to Broadway this fall!  So if any of you make a trip to New York in the fall, check it out!

And finally, in my spare time I have also been working as a background actor on different television shows and movies. One of my favorite experiences was working on the set of the upcoming Steve Jobs movie starring Ashton Kutcher (and Josh Gad from Book of Mormon!).  It was a really neat experience and for most of the day, I just happened to be placed right behind where Ashton and the rest of the actors were doing their scene, so who knows, maybe you'll get a peak of my of me.  Working as a background actor has been such a fun experience. It's a great way to meet new friends and do some networking in addition to getting some of the best food.  Oh, and I don't mind getting my hair and makeup done. =) This coming Monday I will be working on the set of CSI: New York.


Alright, well that's just a quick update.  Can't wait to catch up with all of you when school reconvenes.  But until then, have a good rest of summer!

Vicky

Hip Hop Workshop!

Today we had an awesome hip hop workshop, it was so fun to dance with the kids!  The kids are really starting to get into their parts I am so excited for them to see all their costumes.  Today we blocked the first half of the show and I can say that I am very impressed with these kids dedication.  Hanging out with the kids from TMP is also an amazing learning experience.  They know so much about everything and I can't wait to keep learning more agh!

Fame Jr.

Fame Jr. has been crazy lately. So far I've memorized the whole casts' names, which I'm surprised I've been able to remember. Assisting Amy has been interesting because I have to know when to step back and let her make decisions and when to take control of situations when Amy is busy with other situations. I think I'm doing okay with managing the two. I'm definitely making sure that Amy makes design decisions because those are not my choices. Amy is definitely doing a great job with the show though! The costumes look great! I'm excited to work on dress rehearsals as they are during the day and will be a little more day intensive. My internship is almost over, which is also crazy!

Beginning of week 2!

It was a great Monday! Today we discussed with the kids the dos and don'ts of auditioning.  I felt like everything we talked about today I pretty much learned just these last couple of years in college.  Tomorrow we have an awesome hip hop workshop that the kids will really enjoy and we are finally starting to stage the show!!! I think the kids are really starting to warm up to the parts they were given and are starting to really have fun.

Tomfoolery Auditions

Hey y'all,

Tonight and Sunday at 7 pm ACTORS is holding auditions for Tomfoolery. It's a musical based on the work of Tom Lehrer. The shows will be September 21-30 on the weekends. I've been asked to choreograph a short dance audition, so I will be conducting the dance part of auditions while the directors and producers watch. They are looking for 6 men and 4 women to be involved with this show. I have also posted information on the Pearson bulletin board about an opportunity to design lighting for the show. Check it out.

In other news, I just finished entering various plays into a database and filed them upstairs behind the light booth at ACTORS. Hope you're all having a wonderful summer. I can't wait to see alls y'alls when school starts back up.

Keep living the dream,
Brandon

And now we finally get two days off

Well we opened up Tuesday after 2 days of tech. We have only had three FULL performances of the show. Why only three? Because mother nature at times doesn't want us to do a show. Things are going to get chaotic here in a couple days because while one show is running, we have to get ready to put on another show, a day after the current one ends. During the one day switch we have to move about 12 TONS of sand and paint the stage floor, BEFORE the shows one and only tech. We definitely can do it, but we are gonna be dead tired once the last show opens. But this whole summer is not a sprint, but a marathon. We are about to find out how much we have left in the tank with 3 weeks of shows to go plus a couple days to winterize the theatre.

Week 2 starting tomorrow

I am really looking forward to starting the week over again I love working with all the kids.  Rehearsals are going to start getting really intense and now all the kids are starting to open up because they are starting to feel comfortable around everyone.  We are almost done working on the bigger numbers involving the whole cast, now we can start doing the littler stuff which I am so looking forward too because we have some great talents to show.

Its Friday!

So yesterday we got both of the huge numbers choreographed and learned the music parts.  I am having so much fun working with the girl who is playing our Ariel.  She reminds me so much of myself when I was her age because she gets so nervous.  I love working with her because she has the pipes for the part I just need to work on bringing her out of her shell and not worry so much about the mistakes she might be making.  So I think thats my goal for the day is to try and bring her out a little bit more so she can really shine.

Lion King Week

This week I'm working with 1-2nd graders to perform a (very) condensed version of The Lion King. I've been rather surprised by the low reading level of the group as a whole (a group of 32). Each child gets one to two lines to say, and about 90% of them had trouble reading it. The teachers have had to make quite a few cuts in the songs to make them manageable. I got to choreograph "Oh I Just Can't Wait to be King," and with it I learned what this age group was physically capable of. I started out giving them steps that were much too complex for their age, I've brought it down as much as I know how and they seem to be doing better. Tomorrow they perform for their parents.

Work Shop Day!

Today we start work shops I am so excited! We get to teach these kids some things that will hopefully help them in the future if they want to be apart of the professional Theatre world.  It is so cool because I get to work with a Director and a Musical Director and they totally let me chime in and give my two cents.  TMP is a very humble place to work in because I don't feel totally out of the loop and they are so welcoming to me.

So we got our cast all figured out for The Little Mermaid JR! This is so much fun, today we watched sound of music in between times of rehearsal and tomorrow and Friday we will be doing workshops inspired by the movie.  One of the workshops is going to include puppets and learning all the signs for DOE RAE ME etc.... I am really enjoying this a lot, all these kids have so much talent and they get to do this summer camp until they are done with High School.

Fame Jr. 2!

So far this weekend has been wildly crazy. Working on Fame Jr. is a lot different than Pinkalicious. The fact that I am the assistant to Amy is interesting, but I'm learning a lot about how to work as an assistant and where to let her do her thing. I'm trying to step back and let her do the work, while asking her where she needs assistance. The nice thing about her show is it's more of a contemporary feel as opposed to a cartoonish feel that Pinkalicious had. Fame Jr. is also nice because the kids are already in rehearsal during the day so we're usually allowed to talk to them during their breaks or after rehearsal. Lastly I'm loving that we're actually having time to shop instead of having consistant shop hours. It's nice being able to work whenever because Angie trust us more now. Lately we've been working on talking to the kids about what they already have to cut back on what we need to buy. The kids have very different personalities so it's interesting to see almost who's too cooperative and who's the most difficult to work with.