So about the time I stopped blogging was when I was opening 4-5 mornings at the coffee shop every week on top of rehearsals almost every night that went to 10/10:30p. Kids, get sleep while you can. You quickly learn naps are amazing. Between costuming, doing shots of espresso, and running the show constantly I did survive and now will conclude my blog for the show.
Rehearsals went really well. I was constantly learning and being pushed by my director and scene partners to play, to relax, to discover. Angie Toomsen was one of the best directors I've ever worked with. People were off book about two weeks before we went up. It was quite a while past the date we were supposed to have lines down. However, not everyone had worked with Shakespeare, so it was a bit more understandable. By the time the show went up, the cast was spot on with lines and characters.
I was in charge of costuming the show, and we had about half of the costumes the week before tech. I found out then that our photographer would be coming to get pictures Sunday night (1st tech night). Even though I was "costume designer", it was very much a collaborative on the parts of both Angie and I with a lot of communication. I could tell she was super busy ad stressed, so I offered to take the credit card with my measurements sheets and scour a couple theatres and second hand shops in Iowa City. Mission success!! There were a lot of pieces that had to be altered, mainly dresses for the women. 1960 had a pretty specific style of dress and length of skirt, so I tried to alter the dresses to fit that time. In the end, there were some influences of the 40's, and my character pushed the envelope with a later 60's style. I felt the show show turned out to be very cohesive, though. Angie and the rest of 4th Room Theatre were all super happy with the outcome. I heard very positive comments every night about the costumes as well.
Tech week was crazy - aren't they always? I was at the theatre every night between 5 and 5:30 to check costumes, help set up lights, get ready, and warm up before the show started at 7p. It was a long one and ran till about 10:15. being an outdoor show, the weather really affected us on nights. If is was muggy, it was hard to bring energy up. We had a couple cooler nights and that first weekend was beautiful. I found that a small cup of coffee before the show was a good idea. Tuesday night of tech, Angie told us to surprise her with something within our character's world. She really wanted to push us to play. So if we upped the stakes, she and Kevin would cook a steak for the winner. maybe not the best tactic ever, but it must have worked. We all came the next day with energy and life in our characters. It was fun seeing and hearing what people were doing.
The run of the show went well. We performed all the shows that first weekend, and all were successful. I felt like we were telling a story, and though it was the same one, it was a little different every night. It had life. Everything was beautiful: setting of the house as a backdrop, costumes, the words spoken. Everyone who came loved the show. We were a little cheated on our second weekend, though we did perform our final show. Thursday was cancelled because of the rain. Friday was cancelled because of an event at the nearby football stadium we had not been told about, even though we had asked multiple times. We wouldn't have been able to compete with the noise of 5000 freshman, the marching band, and fireworks at 9p. It was frustrating, but our show Sat night made up for it. The audience was packed in, and super vibrant and responsive. In the end, an extremely successful run. I could not be prouder or more honored to be a part of this production. Angie's direction, passion, and pushing in combination with a hard-working cast made for a wonderful show.
That being said, some things I learned (by no means a complete list):
1. The combination of theatre and working an almost full-time job is super rough. Especially when you're up till 11:30/midnight and then up at 4:30a to open a coffee shop. Caffeine became my friend this summer (starting to see a worrying trend here...). With that in mind, I feel like I got a taste of the real world. You have to be super passionate about theatre to do this while also having another job so as to make a living. It's not easy. I talked to people last KCACTF, and Foss shared stories as well. But until I actually did a bit of that myself, I didn't realize how draining it is. And yet at the same time, it's amazing. I'm exhausted in every way possible, but I'm doing something I love with a bunch of great people.
2. Taking initiative, working hard, and pulling your own weight make you stand out. Because of what I gave to the show, I've made huge connections with the members of 4th Room. Angie constantly praised the work I put into the show. They all want me to come back next summer and work with them again. And if I don't have an out-of-state internship lined up, I probably will. It was an incredible experience.
3. If doing costumes again, start early. You can't start early enough. Get measurements asap, even if that means catching a cast member on lunch break. Also, make a list of everything you obtain as you get it and where it comes from. The last night of the show I was putting a list of where each costume was supposed to go (whether bought or from a theatre), and was racking my brain trying to remember some of it. So document everything.
4. Keep a rehearsal journal with notes, discoveries, character sketches, fun stuff that happens, anything. It's a good tool to have and also fun to look back on.
5. Have fun. Play. Discover. Create. Know no bounds. Don't let fear or the need of perfection hold you back some possibly achieving something wonderful. Rehearsals are meant to take chances, make mistakes, and get messy.
In conclusion, this summer was amazing. It went by all too fast, but a lot of good things happened. Wouldn't trade it for anything. I will keep the experience and knowledge I gained while working in Much Ado close beside me as I continue along this path I call life.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Blind Sculpture Project Pt.II
Following my time in Chicago, I returned to Ames to continue working on the music for The Blind Sculpture Project. I've been using Logic Pro to manipulate and edit the sound clips. The microphone on my laptop works incredibly well, and (as of right now) the extent of the internship was to create the recurring theme within the play which my current hardware handles well enough. Oddly enough, some of the preliminary recordings include the sound of traffic from cars outside which only seemed to enhance the ambiance of the track.
Logic Pro has a number of different "guitar pedals" which adds distortion to any sound that travels through the computer's microphone. Each track follows sculpture-inspired poetry, and each track needed to reflect that feeling. Using a metal sheet, I was able to distort sounds to create an echoing clang behind a distorted violin melody. The ukulele becomes a powerful source of sound with added reverb, along with heavy distortion, and it becomes the central instrument to provide orchestration for several sections.
The internship was relatively short compared to the ongoing project. I will continue to work on the play as a whole and, over time, adjust the music as needed.
Logic Pro has a number of different "guitar pedals" which adds distortion to any sound that travels through the computer's microphone. Each track follows sculpture-inspired poetry, and each track needed to reflect that feeling. Using a metal sheet, I was able to distort sounds to create an echoing clang behind a distorted violin melody. The ukulele becomes a powerful source of sound with added reverb, along with heavy distortion, and it becomes the central instrument to provide orchestration for several sections.
The internship was relatively short compared to the ongoing project. I will continue to work on the play as a whole and, over time, adjust the music as needed.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
How To Succeed, debrief
It's now several weeks later, and my time away has given me perspective. Was it an artistically charged and groundbreaking theatrical experience, and did I grow as an artist? Other than having a greater appreciation of trained craft and the chance to practice observing scenes from a passive character role, not especially.
But.
As I mentioned in my first post, I've been slowly gaining an awareness of the community at large and what it means to operate for that community. It's good hard work to make a play you love come up, but it's a much more complicated work understanding what an audience will accept and love. The risks for a single production have much higher consequences within a community theater in comparison to a collegiate theater, and choosing a season is one of the most challenging risks.
Another is the importance of community within a production. I realized how much excited I wasn't bringing to productions when surrounded by a tightly-knit cast excited to have fun with each other and play around on stage. It was an eye-slapping moment to find out how jaded I had become.
I became more aware due to my experience in How to Succeed in Business of not only my role as an element in a play but of the play's role as an element of the community, both inside and outside a production.
But.
As I mentioned in my first post, I've been slowly gaining an awareness of the community at large and what it means to operate for that community. It's good hard work to make a play you love come up, but it's a much more complicated work understanding what an audience will accept and love. The risks for a single production have much higher consequences within a community theater in comparison to a collegiate theater, and choosing a season is one of the most challenging risks.
Another is the importance of community within a production. I realized how much excited I wasn't bringing to productions when surrounded by a tightly-knit cast excited to have fun with each other and play around on stage. It was an eye-slapping moment to find out how jaded I had become.
I became more aware due to my experience in How to Succeed in Business of not only my role as an element in a play but of the play's role as an element of the community, both inside and outside a production.
How To Succeed, the production
Cast in the ensemble, we began rehearsals in the April 21st and went until June 12th. Aside from fellow ISU students joining the cast were several regulars of Actors within both the cast and crew I've worked with: I was in a very familiar and comfortable environment. During this time we worked very closely with the music director and choreographer as well as the artistic director to learn (and retool) the music and staging for each scene. No surprises, but what's different from working in ISU is the absence of time spent on script analysis or table work. I suspect this connects with Actors' season philosophy of choosing shows with high community acceptance, which could be harder to sustain if they chose shows complex or difficult enough to demand table work.
Rather, How to Succeed felt like a manufactured machine in its efficiency and pragmatism. Rehearsals were scheduled down to 30-45 minute blocks and organized to dismiss cast members quickly, off-score and off-book dates were announced soon after casting, and there was frequent reminders from the production team to not fool around. I feel this is a very strong reaction against last year's musical, Pippin: while not a poor show run, the production process was, in nearly every aspect, horrendously inefficient and stressful to the point many cast and crew weren't treated respectfully. Fearing this, I feel H$2's mission statement was to avoid these mistakes with significant preplanning and constant communication from the director and producers (who at Actors also function as rehearsal stage managers). The director's previous experience as an IBM auditor definitely came in to play (ha). Rehearsals went smoothly and we met all deadlines along with having time to retool the blocking choices (IBM didn't help there), and while the constant reminders to keep focused (regardless of said focus) were dulling we were treated professionally.
The cast of actors was a mix of ISU Theatre students, Actors regulars, and a surprising amount of theatrically inexperienced people. This composition resulted in a solid performance foundation with plenty of neophyte exuberance and a desire to have fun, which was very appreciated after such a work-intensive spring semester. Frequent food donations and planning for cast parties, show quotes and puns shared, and an overall strong camaraderie within and for the show was more prevalent than any other show I've worked on. While sometimes a little put off by their verve, I'm still impressed by how strongly a show that we at ISU could call simple can succeed so well in creating an ensemble. While the crew was unfortunately very removed from rehearsals for the most part, once we began seeing them more frequently towards tech week they were included in the fold.
We opened the show on June 13th for a three weekend sold-out run, one of the highest grossing shows Actors has done in 20 years. The show was a near 3-hour behemoth that always ended sweaty and exhausted, but much of the audience took the time to congratulate the cast on specific highlights for them (they especially appreciated Carter Roeske looking like someone about to have a nervous breakdown in the background), and was overall a well received show for crew and audience.
Rather, How to Succeed felt like a manufactured machine in its efficiency and pragmatism. Rehearsals were scheduled down to 30-45 minute blocks and organized to dismiss cast members quickly, off-score and off-book dates were announced soon after casting, and there was frequent reminders from the production team to not fool around. I feel this is a very strong reaction against last year's musical, Pippin: while not a poor show run, the production process was, in nearly every aspect, horrendously inefficient and stressful to the point many cast and crew weren't treated respectfully. Fearing this, I feel H$2's mission statement was to avoid these mistakes with significant preplanning and constant communication from the director and producers (who at Actors also function as rehearsal stage managers). The director's previous experience as an IBM auditor definitely came in to play (ha). Rehearsals went smoothly and we met all deadlines along with having time to retool the blocking choices (IBM didn't help there), and while the constant reminders to keep focused (regardless of said focus) were dulling we were treated professionally.
The cast of actors was a mix of ISU Theatre students, Actors regulars, and a surprising amount of theatrically inexperienced people. This composition resulted in a solid performance foundation with plenty of neophyte exuberance and a desire to have fun, which was very appreciated after such a work-intensive spring semester. Frequent food donations and planning for cast parties, show quotes and puns shared, and an overall strong camaraderie within and for the show was more prevalent than any other show I've worked on. While sometimes a little put off by their verve, I'm still impressed by how strongly a show that we at ISU could call simple can succeed so well in creating an ensemble. While the crew was unfortunately very removed from rehearsals for the most part, once we began seeing them more frequently towards tech week they were included in the fold.
We opened the show on June 13th for a three weekend sold-out run, one of the highest grossing shows Actors has done in 20 years. The show was a near 3-hour behemoth that always ended sweaty and exhausted, but much of the audience took the time to congratulate the cast on specific highlights for them (they especially appreciated Carter Roeske looking like someone about to have a nervous breakdown in the background), and was overall a well received show for crew and audience.
Ankeny Drama Camps Week Three: July 7-11
The final week of camp and I am in the position of assistant to the instructor for two of the programs one in the afternoon and one in the morning. The morning class was for 4th-8th graders and it was an Audition workshop where we discussed everything from head-shots, to audition forms, to etiquette, to monologues and a variety of various important audition tools. In the afternoon we worked with 6th-8th graders on improvisation; needless to say their were a lot of crossover students, and that being the case I formed strong bonds with many of these adolescents.
One in particular was named Joey and he had such a strong presence both on stage and in the classroom. He was very witty but in a way that was more a kin to an old man than a kid going into the 8th grade. I first met Joey in the musical theatre program and he seemed very reluctant to engage in our frivolous games and acting exercises. But as the week progressed it became very clear that he was testing the waters and trying to maintain a 'cool guy' sort of aire that is very important to a young man of his age. The more and more the week progressed that faded away and his love for theatre became amazingly apparent. I cast him in one of the songs as Flynn Rider and his solo was filled with spunk and spot-on comedic timing so when I saw he had returned for not one but both of my programs I was overjoyed and the bond we had started to build before grew with a vengeance.
I know people say that for a teacher all it takes is one student to truly learn something important for it all to be worth it, but I never fully understood that until I worked with Joey. For the audition portion we had the kids memorize a comedic and a serious monologue to be performed at the end of the week. Joey loved movies so he picked one from Jaws and one from Ferris Bueller, the 'clammy hands' one, that just speaks to what kind of kid he was. During improv the first day we learned a game called the three headed know-it-all where each person says one word and the three of you form a sentence; Joey and I played this game, just the two of us, every moment we could, and we started to from patterns where we knew what the other person had to say. He was amazing at improv because not only could he articulate the first ideas that popped into his head but his ideas were so off the wall they generated new and exciting responses from his partners. He opened up so much more this week with not only me but with everyone else in the classroom; it was very clear that he had abandoned the cool persona and was much more focused on making friends and making something he could be proud of.
While a lot happened this week and I learned a gallon of important lessons and games I would have to say Joey was what affected me the most. I saw him at a Teen Club show with Story Theatre and I can not even begin to describe the amount of joy I experienced in seeing him on stage doing what he loves and knowing that's where he belongs. I fully believe it only takes one person to change your entire outlook and make your experience a powerful one, and I am immensely thankful that Joey was that person for me.
One in particular was named Joey and he had such a strong presence both on stage and in the classroom. He was very witty but in a way that was more a kin to an old man than a kid going into the 8th grade. I first met Joey in the musical theatre program and he seemed very reluctant to engage in our frivolous games and acting exercises. But as the week progressed it became very clear that he was testing the waters and trying to maintain a 'cool guy' sort of aire that is very important to a young man of his age. The more and more the week progressed that faded away and his love for theatre became amazingly apparent. I cast him in one of the songs as Flynn Rider and his solo was filled with spunk and spot-on comedic timing so when I saw he had returned for not one but both of my programs I was overjoyed and the bond we had started to build before grew with a vengeance.
I know people say that for a teacher all it takes is one student to truly learn something important for it all to be worth it, but I never fully understood that until I worked with Joey. For the audition portion we had the kids memorize a comedic and a serious monologue to be performed at the end of the week. Joey loved movies so he picked one from Jaws and one from Ferris Bueller, the 'clammy hands' one, that just speaks to what kind of kid he was. During improv the first day we learned a game called the three headed know-it-all where each person says one word and the three of you form a sentence; Joey and I played this game, just the two of us, every moment we could, and we started to from patterns where we knew what the other person had to say. He was amazing at improv because not only could he articulate the first ideas that popped into his head but his ideas were so off the wall they generated new and exciting responses from his partners. He opened up so much more this week with not only me but with everyone else in the classroom; it was very clear that he had abandoned the cool persona and was much more focused on making friends and making something he could be proud of.
While a lot happened this week and I learned a gallon of important lessons and games I would have to say Joey was what affected me the most. I saw him at a Teen Club show with Story Theatre and I can not even begin to describe the amount of joy I experienced in seeing him on stage doing what he loves and knowing that's where he belongs. I fully believe it only takes one person to change your entire outlook and make your experience a powerful one, and I am immensely thankful that Joey was that person for me.
Ankeny Drama Camps Week Two: June 23-27
This week was a lot different
than my first encounter with the camp, mainly because my title was that of an
assistant to the camp director, therefore I was not in charge of any one class,
and instead I floated around all of them helping out where I was needed. This
week we had five different camps in operation: Adventures of Pete the Cat which
was for K-1st graders, If You Give a Kid a Stage and A Dr. Seuss camp for 2nd
and 3rd graders, Acting Out for 4th and 5th,
and lastly a program for 6th-8th graders called In the
Spotlight. While not all of these were full day programs each was taxed with
creating a performance and therefore it was my main function to act as a
stagehand and run all the technical stuff. Two elements of theatre I am less
than adept at. Thankfully I had brilliant teachers who knew exactly what they
wanted and it wasn't painfully difficult to facilitate their wishes.
I helped build sets, find props,
locate costumes, and find furniture in the incredibly dark and Room of Requirement-esque storage space. I also ate lunch with the kids who were there for both the
morning and afternoon programs, and introduced new games to them. I dealt with
children that had wonderfully positive attitudes as well as those that had no
desire to be there. I worked with a myriad of age groups and was overcome by
each ages willingness to learn the ways of the theatrical world.
There was an entire day where I
was covering for a teacher who had been overcome by sickness, and I was working
in the K-1st grade room and after a week of older kids I was rather intimidated
by their attention span. Each activity would take at most fifteen minutes and
then they would lose interest, so to combat with their energy my energy had to
be bounding about the room at a velocity on the verge of self-destruction. But
the level of heart they hold is phenomenal, every single one of them had a love
for acting and they did not let their age get in the way of their self-confidence
and dedication; I have no doubts they will take that passion into their lives
and flourish, and that’s mighty exciting.
Overall this week taught me the
immense impact and importance of doing such a thankless job; regardless the amount
of accolade and exposure working on the sidelines is crucial to the process and
can make or break a show. At ISU we are a family, not one element is more
important than another because every single person in the process brings their
own unique skills and vision to the table. This week strengthened my love and
belief in collaboration and I hope that these kids saw us all working together and
put that level of respect and dedication into everything they do.
Ankeny Drama Camps Week one: June 16-20
First week of the Ankeny Drama
camps and I was terrified; not by the amount of work that I was sure to face or
the fact that I am not that musically talented, which is funny in relation to
my teaching of a musical theatre class, but what scared me was the level of
attention I could hold with these kids. Although I've worked with kids through
my job at the daycare and as a camp counselor for years I did not hold the
confidence to teach. When I think of teachers I have a picture of experience as
well as knowledge and while I've taken some acting classes and been in a few
plays I did not believe myself to be suited for the position. I applied on a
whim thinking it would be fun to learn alongside more established and eloquent theatre
makers, but here I was day one and it was my responsibility to give twenty 4th-8th
graders a wonderful look into the world of musical theatre.
Lesson plans are crazy because lessons
do not adhere to their structure, while I learned it was imperative to keep
focus and momentum, the precise times often times went out the window; things
that I assumed would take an hour took twenty minutes and vice versa. One that
note; however, it kept each day exciting. Lauren Dursky was my assistant and a
pivotal part in sculpting the show and engaging the kids both musically and
socially. She had a lovely way of posing questions that would alight a spark in
the children and reignite their love for the rigorous schedule we were required
to maintain.
The camp was called Off Broadway
Boot Camp and this was the second summer of its existence, that being said I
was given complete freedom to teach how I wished; my only stipulation was that
I had a twenty minute performance to showcase the kids learning to their
parents. I decided on a Disney theme as I assumed it would be both fun and
accessible to the diverse ages I had in the ensemble, and thankfully I was
correct. We together created a show that was entertaining for both the audience
and the kids. I focused on what I had taken from working at ISU and offered
those teachings I found most important, like ensemble, accountability, passion,
and respect, to these talented young actors.
Friday, August 8, 2014
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, going in
Hello all!
I've been cast as an ensemble singer-dancer in Actors Community Theater's production of "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" back in early May. While I find it slightly ironic my internship is in one of my lowest-involvement projects since I started in the major two years ago, it's already presented a great opportunity to sit back and learn from an outside-ish perspective.
Little bit about me and Actors: this will be my 8th show there since I started in 2012. I've gotten to become friendly with most of the board of directors and the regular contributors, and during my previous stints I've been an actor, set designer, lights operator, assistant director/stage manager, constructor, painter, usher, and once went in a blue ruffle suit to the Women's Convention for publicity. Other than having the chance to indulge in technical and backstage theatre, I've learned about what community actually means in community theater.
Community theater isn't educational theater in that it's not about the cast/crew's experience but the audience's: this may seem complimentary to what we're taught how important the audience is at ISU, but we worry more about the 'ethics and aesthetics' and 'successful failures'. ISU can operate that way since we're only minutely funded by ticket sales, but Actors' grants and sponsorships don't adequately cover the overhead cost to ignore financial decisions when making creative ones. This means they have to pick shows balanced between popular with crowds and cheap on copyright, scout out and depend on regulars to carry productions well ahead of season announcements, and repurpose and maximize technical design efficiency for the convenience of the few designers frequently available and low quantity/quality of set pieces. Another thing is that anyone on the board of directors can helm a show, which means in the eight shows I've done I've only worked with one director twice; the huge amount of directors available means you experience vastly different mindsets, personalities, and competencies of directors that requires you to adapt to a new theatre relationship show by show. As such, what I've learned from Actors is less about theatrical technique and more about working with opposing people and developing a relationship with the community.
So I auditioned and entered into "How to Succeed"...
I've been cast as an ensemble singer-dancer in Actors Community Theater's production of "How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" back in early May. While I find it slightly ironic my internship is in one of my lowest-involvement projects since I started in the major two years ago, it's already presented a great opportunity to sit back and learn from an outside-ish perspective.
Little bit about me and Actors: this will be my 8th show there since I started in 2012. I've gotten to become friendly with most of the board of directors and the regular contributors, and during my previous stints I've been an actor, set designer, lights operator, assistant director/stage manager, constructor, painter, usher, and once went in a blue ruffle suit to the Women's Convention for publicity. Other than having the chance to indulge in technical and backstage theatre, I've learned about what community actually means in community theater.
Community theater isn't educational theater in that it's not about the cast/crew's experience but the audience's: this may seem complimentary to what we're taught how important the audience is at ISU, but we worry more about the 'ethics and aesthetics' and 'successful failures'. ISU can operate that way since we're only minutely funded by ticket sales, but Actors' grants and sponsorships don't adequately cover the overhead cost to ignore financial decisions when making creative ones. This means they have to pick shows balanced between popular with crowds and cheap on copyright, scout out and depend on regulars to carry productions well ahead of season announcements, and repurpose and maximize technical design efficiency for the convenience of the few designers frequently available and low quantity/quality of set pieces. Another thing is that anyone on the board of directors can helm a show, which means in the eight shows I've done I've only worked with one director twice; the huge amount of directors available means you experience vastly different mindsets, personalities, and competencies of directors that requires you to adapt to a new theatre relationship show by show. As such, what I've learned from Actors is less about theatrical technique and more about working with opposing people and developing a relationship with the community.
So I auditioned and entered into "How to Succeed"...
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Much Ado About Nothing: it's looking like a show!
A lot of things were accomplished this past week with the show, and it's starting to look like one now. People are either off book or close to being so. I'm getting costumes finalized with the director. Everyone is delving into their characters and having fun (at least they are when it's not 90+ degrees during an outside rehearsal).
Monday was hard core scene work with one of my scenes (1:3). It was the first time Angie had Kevin and I work it since Matt came in for the Shakespeare workshop. She had us go through it once, then asked us questions and gave us things to think about. We then broke the scene down and went through it again. After that, she broke it down even further, and we went line by line to find the emphasis, juicy words, inflection, meaning, etc. It was great - I love digging into a text like that and really understanding it. I feel that it's important too, especially for Shakespeare. So Kevin and I worked out that scene. Then I worked a bit with Gavin on 3:3. At this point, I feel that the latter is the weaker one of the two. Kevin is easy to play with and try new things. It's different with Gavin. I don't want to arrive at a "rehearsed" feeling, but I'm not sure how to keep playing when my partner does the same thing almost every time. At least it's making me think about my own acting, and how I can be a good scene partner to others. Oh - and it was extremely buggy outside on Monday.
Wednesday was a later call time, and the cast worked through 2:1. It's the masked ball scene. Choreography had already been started, so we reviewed and taught the people who hadn't been there the first time. We then worked it from the top of the scene up until where we had stopped the dance. Angie is pleased with how that's looking, so it's encouraging. Note to self: whatever costumes the cast is wearing during that scene need to be moveable and comfortable.
Saturday was our longest day yet. Since we're performing our show outside, we had to build the stage. Fourth Room Theatre still had their platforms from last year, but we needed to raise them to specific heights: 16", 12", and 8". We met a little after 9a and brought everything out of the barn, then spent 1.5 hours screwing the legs on and positioning the platforms for the show. It's going to be really neat. I had an idea of angling a couple of the platforms, so they weren't flush edge-on-edge, and Angie really liked the look. We had a bit of a break and then were back for rehearsal at 12:30. Fawn worked through the remaining choreography for the dance, then taught Kevin and I a bit for our scene together. It really adds to our characters and their relationship. Once Fawn was done with the choreography, we ran the show from the top and got through almost the whole thing. Energy was down because of the work morning, high humidity, and bugs. So the plus side is that we stumbled through. Negative side is that it wasn't pretty. But I feel that's normal for the first time in the space. And we still have almost 3 weeks till we open. Angie isn't worried from what I can tell.
Today Angie and I met at the Coralville Center for Performing Arts to look through City Circle's costumes. We've gotten a lot figured out already with the items she pulled from Iowa City Community Theatre. We went in looking for some specific clothing pieces and accessories and found some ties, gloves, hats, a couple outfits, and shirts. So our collection is growing! It's fun to see everything coming together. I really do love costumes. And vintage pieces make me really happy.
Oh - forgot to say that we've been hanging posters around the area. I took some to North Liberty, and I hope they pique peoples' interests. It's hard, though. I've been brain-storming different marketing and PR things for the show, just because I want people to know we're doing this. I mean, it's not a matter of ticket sales and making the show worth our while. We're doing this for free for the community. We want people to come and have an enjoyable evening. That's why I want so many people to know about this. In working with so many community theatres over the years, I've noticed a lack of good marketing and PR. Maybe I should think about a minor...
Anyway! That's all folks! Until next time,
~ Noel
Monday was hard core scene work with one of my scenes (1:3). It was the first time Angie had Kevin and I work it since Matt came in for the Shakespeare workshop. She had us go through it once, then asked us questions and gave us things to think about. We then broke the scene down and went through it again. After that, she broke it down even further, and we went line by line to find the emphasis, juicy words, inflection, meaning, etc. It was great - I love digging into a text like that and really understanding it. I feel that it's important too, especially for Shakespeare. So Kevin and I worked out that scene. Then I worked a bit with Gavin on 3:3. At this point, I feel that the latter is the weaker one of the two. Kevin is easy to play with and try new things. It's different with Gavin. I don't want to arrive at a "rehearsed" feeling, but I'm not sure how to keep playing when my partner does the same thing almost every time. At least it's making me think about my own acting, and how I can be a good scene partner to others. Oh - and it was extremely buggy outside on Monday.
Wednesday was a later call time, and the cast worked through 2:1. It's the masked ball scene. Choreography had already been started, so we reviewed and taught the people who hadn't been there the first time. We then worked it from the top of the scene up until where we had stopped the dance. Angie is pleased with how that's looking, so it's encouraging. Note to self: whatever costumes the cast is wearing during that scene need to be moveable and comfortable.
Saturday was our longest day yet. Since we're performing our show outside, we had to build the stage. Fourth Room Theatre still had their platforms from last year, but we needed to raise them to specific heights: 16", 12", and 8". We met a little after 9a and brought everything out of the barn, then spent 1.5 hours screwing the legs on and positioning the platforms for the show. It's going to be really neat. I had an idea of angling a couple of the platforms, so they weren't flush edge-on-edge, and Angie really liked the look. We had a bit of a break and then were back for rehearsal at 12:30. Fawn worked through the remaining choreography for the dance, then taught Kevin and I a bit for our scene together. It really adds to our characters and their relationship. Once Fawn was done with the choreography, we ran the show from the top and got through almost the whole thing. Energy was down because of the work morning, high humidity, and bugs. So the plus side is that we stumbled through. Negative side is that it wasn't pretty. But I feel that's normal for the first time in the space. And we still have almost 3 weeks till we open. Angie isn't worried from what I can tell.
Today Angie and I met at the Coralville Center for Performing Arts to look through City Circle's costumes. We've gotten a lot figured out already with the items she pulled from Iowa City Community Theatre. We went in looking for some specific clothing pieces and accessories and found some ties, gloves, hats, a couple outfits, and shirts. So our collection is growing! It's fun to see everything coming together. I really do love costumes. And vintage pieces make me really happy.
Oh - forgot to say that we've been hanging posters around the area. I took some to North Liberty, and I hope they pique peoples' interests. It's hard, though. I've been brain-storming different marketing and PR things for the show, just because I want people to know we're doing this. I mean, it's not a matter of ticket sales and making the show worth our while. We're doing this for free for the community. We want people to come and have an enjoyable evening. That's why I want so many people to know about this. In working with so many community theatres over the years, I've noticed a lack of good marketing and PR. Maybe I should think about a minor...
Anyway! That's all folks! Until next time,
~ Noel
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Blind Sculpture & Oracle Theatre
Last week I was able to travel to Chicago and work with Mary Swander on the music for a new play: The Blind Sculpture Project, which focuses on the way blindness affects and is perceived by our culture. I was working in the basement at Oracle Theatre while Matt Foss was helping facilitate another play by Mary, called Map of my Kingdom, on the main floor. For three of the days, I wrote music in the basement, taking breaks occasionally to run errands to buy props. It was actually a really incredible opportunity to pick up props and materials from around Chicago. I really imagine Chicago as a prospective city to live and work, and running those errands gave me a much more holistic idea of how the city is organized. By the end of last week, I was much more capable of navigating the intersecting streets. The last few days, however, I was given a break from composing in order to help Jason Fassl, lighting designer for The Jungle, hang lights and focus. This week, I must finalize some of my music drafts to send to Mary, as well as make a recording of The Blind Sculpture Project being read aloud in order to better understand how music fits into the play. Exciting traveling and exciting composing! I am looking forward to see how this project develops.
Monday, July 21, 2014
My Last Week
This week hasn't been the greatest. I have two girls that have been causing me a lot of grief and don't exactly understand the rules or how to follow them. They are definitely keeping me on my toes to say the least. Other than that, classes have started for the program "Acting for the Stage" which consists of each kid having to do a monologue at orientation so the professors could get a good understanding of where the kids were at skill-wise. One of the teachers for this week is a former Broadway performer and is helping the kids work on their stage work and presence. I look forward to seeing what they have in store for the kids!
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Much Ado About Nothing: a fun week
This week has been a whirl-wind of activity for "Much Ado About Nothing". On Monday we worked the opening sequence with a bit of blocking then went into a stumble through of what we're calling Part 1 (Top of the show thru 3:2). It went better than expected, and Angie was really happy with it. We were supposed to be off book on Monday, but a few people still need their scripts in rehearsals. It's a bit frustrating, but also understandable. We aren't getting paid for this and many people have families, jobs, other shows, etc. We're still 4 weeks out from the show, so in all, it's looking good.
Angie brought in Matt Weedman (a friend and voice coach/professor) on Wednesday night to talk with us, help us warm up, and give suggestions/tips. It was wonderful. He warmed us up vocally and physically first off, then talked about things to do to keep our voices in shape. Hydration, steam, rest, exercise, and avoiding overuse are all important.
We jumped into the text with one of my scenes first off (1:3), and Matt worked with Kevin (Don John), Gavin (Borachio), and me (Conrade). Everything he said reminded me a lot of Matt Foss. I remember him helping me pick an audition monologue for this show, and Foss talking about tasting the words. Matt Weedman didn't use that exact phrasing, but he talked about the words being important. It's so easy to just say a line because that's what supposed to come next. But there needs to be a discovery of that action/thought at the same time. In working with Matt, I realized that I often rush through the text. He encouraged me to slow down and think. Let the ideas come to mind. We also talked about breathing with the whole body - not just the chest or diaphragm. I jotted down notes over the next day and here is a bit of what I wrote to myself:
- Don't be afraid to mess up. Going back to what I wrote about a week ago, I'm was having issues with reverting back to my old habits with acting. Finding something that worked, then sticking with that instead of exploring and trying new ideas and tactics. That's more following a formula instead of experiencing the moment. And I want to experience and react to the present situation.
- Remember the sexy verbs and tactics from Brad Dell's Script Analysis class. Use them. Play with them. Try crazy stuff. There is still 4 weeks of rehearsal.
- Slow down! See the tactic work or not, then retry or move on. Juggle the balls. Let things fall. Time is your friend. Savor the words.
- Enunciate and project, especially since this will be performed outside with all the distractions. If the audience cannot hear the words, then there's no point of them being there.
- Recognize the different thoughts in the text. Don't just say the words. How do the tactics change?
- HAVE FUN!!! Play play play! Stop being so serious and stop trying to do everything right. You're not perfect, cause nobody is. Loosen up and live in the moment. As Foss always said "Don't be correct; be excellent." Be adventurous.
Thursday was our first big choreography night. No, we're not making "Much Ado" into a musical! But there is a party scene in 2:1. We've set the show in 1960, so there's some great dancing going on as well as some wonderful songs from that year. Fawn Boston-Halter came in and taught us a sort of group party dance. Angie got a video, so I'm sure it'll be up on youtube at some point or a part of a promotional video. I've worked with Fawn before in "Urinetown", and I was more familiar with her style, so it wasn't too hard to catch on. She's a fast teacher, but she's also very thorough and gives direction easily.
This morning we had a photo shoot for the show. Angie and I figured out some of the costumes last week, then on Thursday night. We wanted a very early 60's look, and I think we did well. A few of us got to the space at 8am to start on hair and make-up. Others arrived a bit after, and we started the shoot about 10am. The location was incredible, and we all had a lot of fun. From the excitement of the director, I can assume the pictures turned out really great.
All in all, a good week of rehearsals and stuff getting done. I'm glad that I realized last week that I was reverting back to old acting habits. That realization coupled with the workshop night with Weedman really helped to encourage me to explore. I'm excited to see what this next week will bring. Until then!
~ Noel
Angie brought in Matt Weedman (a friend and voice coach/professor) on Wednesday night to talk with us, help us warm up, and give suggestions/tips. It was wonderful. He warmed us up vocally and physically first off, then talked about things to do to keep our voices in shape. Hydration, steam, rest, exercise, and avoiding overuse are all important.
We jumped into the text with one of my scenes first off (1:3), and Matt worked with Kevin (Don John), Gavin (Borachio), and me (Conrade). Everything he said reminded me a lot of Matt Foss. I remember him helping me pick an audition monologue for this show, and Foss talking about tasting the words. Matt Weedman didn't use that exact phrasing, but he talked about the words being important. It's so easy to just say a line because that's what supposed to come next. But there needs to be a discovery of that action/thought at the same time. In working with Matt, I realized that I often rush through the text. He encouraged me to slow down and think. Let the ideas come to mind. We also talked about breathing with the whole body - not just the chest or diaphragm. I jotted down notes over the next day and here is a bit of what I wrote to myself:
- Don't be afraid to mess up. Going back to what I wrote about a week ago, I'm was having issues with reverting back to my old habits with acting. Finding something that worked, then sticking with that instead of exploring and trying new ideas and tactics. That's more following a formula instead of experiencing the moment. And I want to experience and react to the present situation.
- Remember the sexy verbs and tactics from Brad Dell's Script Analysis class. Use them. Play with them. Try crazy stuff. There is still 4 weeks of rehearsal.
- Slow down! See the tactic work or not, then retry or move on. Juggle the balls. Let things fall. Time is your friend. Savor the words.
- Enunciate and project, especially since this will be performed outside with all the distractions. If the audience cannot hear the words, then there's no point of them being there.
- Recognize the different thoughts in the text. Don't just say the words. How do the tactics change?
- HAVE FUN!!! Play play play! Stop being so serious and stop trying to do everything right. You're not perfect, cause nobody is. Loosen up and live in the moment. As Foss always said "Don't be correct; be excellent." Be adventurous.
Thursday was our first big choreography night. No, we're not making "Much Ado" into a musical! But there is a party scene in 2:1. We've set the show in 1960, so there's some great dancing going on as well as some wonderful songs from that year. Fawn Boston-Halter came in and taught us a sort of group party dance. Angie got a video, so I'm sure it'll be up on youtube at some point or a part of a promotional video. I've worked with Fawn before in "Urinetown", and I was more familiar with her style, so it wasn't too hard to catch on. She's a fast teacher, but she's also very thorough and gives direction easily.
This morning we had a photo shoot for the show. Angie and I figured out some of the costumes last week, then on Thursday night. We wanted a very early 60's look, and I think we did well. A few of us got to the space at 8am to start on hair and make-up. Others arrived a bit after, and we started the shoot about 10am. The location was incredible, and we all had a lot of fun. From the excitement of the director, I can assume the pictures turned out really great.
All in all, a good week of rehearsals and stuff getting done. I'm glad that I realized last week that I was reverting back to old acting habits. That realization coupled with the workshop night with Weedman really helped to encourage me to explore. I'm excited to see what this next week will bring. Until then!
~ Noel
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Chops update with pics!
hello all!
I finally took some pics for you.
since I have been working with the kids camp there really isn't much work going on in the shop except for some painting in whatever free time I can find, so this post will mostly be a picture show of what we have been working on.
this is the "Wave unit" someone stands in the middle, and someone else stands on the raised platform and "Rides" the other person like a surfboard.
I know I've mentioned these things in one of my posts- that is the stand for one of the surfboards that caused so much annoyance.
I finally took some pics for you.
since I have been working with the kids camp there really isn't much work going on in the shop except for some painting in whatever free time I can find, so this post will mostly be a picture show of what we have been working on.
this is the "Wave unit" someone stands in the middle, and someone else stands on the raised platform and "Rides" the other person like a surfboard.
These are the picture frames that caused so many issues.
these are the headers that go on top of the bedroom walls-they slide up or down and add 9 inches to the wall height-they slide down so they will fit in a truck.
and these are the bedroom wall units- the one without the hole in it is also faced on the back side-it turns around and is the doctors office. the huge hole in the first one is where Stanley rolls through and changes into the "flat" costume at the beginning.
This is the window unit that goes between the bedrooms. on the backside is the kitchen window.
I know I've mentioned these things in one of my posts- that is the stand for one of the surfboards that caused so much annoyance.
there are quite a few more small things but they are unimportant at the moment.
I hope you're having a fantastic summer!
Justin (Chops) Voga
Week 2 & 3
The past two weeks have been incredible. My second week group was Voice Acting and they had the opportunity to get taught by 3 big names at Disney Animation Studios. Throughout the week, they worked hard to prepare sides and then got to showcase their different characters at OpenAudio sound studios in front of their teachers. That Thursday, the kids, as well as their mentors (I included), got to tour Disney Animation and meet several different creators of shows, designers, musical composers, and even voices. Some of my personal favorites to meet were the creators of "Kim Possible" and a voice and creator of "Phineas and Ferb."I loved getting to watch the excitement the kids had as they got to experience such a cool place, while also getting the chance to voice over characters for new shows coming up on Disney. I even got a small part and got to experience voice acting! Definitely not as easy as I had imagined and I now have a new appreciation for the work they do. We also got to see the process of how music is composed and how it corresponds to the show.
It wasn't just the fact that we were there that was so cool, but how they decorate the entire building to correlate with their latest movie coming out. At the current moment, it was "Planes: Fire and Rescue" and the entire office area was decorated in "Planes" decor including a camping area and huge trees. I think the kids really enjoyed being able to visit and do work for Disney because so many people will never get the chance. That has by far been my favorite experience of this entire camp.
This past week, I got a new group of kids, the Sitcom Actors. Their task for last week and this week is to become familiar with the techniques and process of working on sitcoms. This includes table reads, auditioning, and filming. I will be a Personal Assistant for the rest of the week in the class as they set up for the shows the Screenwriting group has produced. Today, I got to read all the characters on the script that weren't being auditioned for my kids. It was a great chance to be able to hang with my kids, as well as see just how talented they can be inside the classroom.
In the next few days, the students will be given their roles, as well as have another table read as their character in front of both the screenwriters and the administration. Then, they will have rehearsals before they film the sitcoms and present them to fellow campers and family. Having been a mentor for this group is really making me realize how much I love sitcom acting and all that it entails. One of the teachers, Carrie, is a professional actor that I have gotten several opportunities to talk with on how to pursue a career in this focus.
Guest speakers that came the past couple weeks have included 2 of the two teachers from Voice Acting, Jesse Wilson, an actor/professor, and this week is a make-up artist, so there is a lot of variety that hits all different aspects and interests of the camp.
For our weekly trip, we got to hit Santa Monica pier and let the kids roam for a few hours. I, of course, hit the beach with a couple of mentors. It was just nice to get off the campus for awhile and relax. A couple more days ahead until the weekend! Wooohooo!!
It wasn't just the fact that we were there that was so cool, but how they decorate the entire building to correlate with their latest movie coming out. At the current moment, it was "Planes: Fire and Rescue" and the entire office area was decorated in "Planes" decor including a camping area and huge trees. I think the kids really enjoyed being able to visit and do work for Disney because so many people will never get the chance. That has by far been my favorite experience of this entire camp.
This past week, I got a new group of kids, the Sitcom Actors. Their task for last week and this week is to become familiar with the techniques and process of working on sitcoms. This includes table reads, auditioning, and filming. I will be a Personal Assistant for the rest of the week in the class as they set up for the shows the Screenwriting group has produced. Today, I got to read all the characters on the script that weren't being auditioned for my kids. It was a great chance to be able to hang with my kids, as well as see just how talented they can be inside the classroom.
In the next few days, the students will be given their roles, as well as have another table read as their character in front of both the screenwriters and the administration. Then, they will have rehearsals before they film the sitcoms and present them to fellow campers and family. Having been a mentor for this group is really making me realize how much I love sitcom acting and all that it entails. One of the teachers, Carrie, is a professional actor that I have gotten several opportunities to talk with on how to pursue a career in this focus.
Guest speakers that came the past couple weeks have included 2 of the two teachers from Voice Acting, Jesse Wilson, an actor/professor, and this week is a make-up artist, so there is a lot of variety that hits all different aspects and interests of the camp.
For our weekly trip, we got to hit Santa Monica pier and let the kids roam for a few hours. I, of course, hit the beach with a couple of mentors. It was just nice to get off the campus for awhile and relax. A couple more days ahead until the weekend! Wooohooo!!
Monday, July 14, 2014
Summer's Flying By
It's been a crazy last few weeks here at the Playhouse full of Hogwarts' Professors, TV stars, detectives, spies, and a play in four days. The character weeks were my particular favorites, I got to dress up as Harriet the Spy one week and I also got to pose as Grubbly-Planks. That one was particularly interesting considering I had never read any of the books or seen any of the movies when the summer began. Fortunately for me my fellow interns hosted a movie night for me to watch the first two Harry Potter movies since the camp covers the first three. During the camp the children all come and the Playhouse is Hogwarts and the children are the young witch and wizard students. The Harry Potter books are referred to as history books and the children take a variety of classes with the teachers such as care of magical creatures and potions. It's a lot of fun especially for the teachers because we have Lupin turn into a werewolf by the end of the weak and attack the children.
When I wasn't saving children at the Playhouse from a werewolf I was directing scenes for a four day play as well as filming commercials and TV shows. It was a lot of fun to do film with the children because it left a lot of free time for them to play games so me and the other intern Jenna were extremely busy that week teaching more games then we have ever taught a single class. My favorite part of the Daytime TV camp though was getting to see the excitement the children had when creating their show segments. They each got to do exactly what they wanted and write the scripts themselves, it ended up being extremely humorous. The play in four days was also demanding but that was because I was busy trying to cram something that would normally take at least four weeks into one. I was running around making props, pressuring kids to memorize lines by Wednesday and blocking scenes as well as cramming in backstage etiquette classes with the little time we had. The kids pulled it off though and their skills as performers have grown tremendously because of it. They are ahead of most of their peers when it comes to putting on a play and all the skills and dedication that go into it.
Despite the fun I had watching all the triumphs these children had through their performance camps, my favorite camp was most certainly getting to play Harriet the Spy for a week. The Mystery week is my favorite because all the teachers are in character but also we have the children solve a real mystery. We coordinate it so the current shows lead goes missing and then she shows up at the end of the week because the children found her and saved her. It's so much fun and some of the children truly think it is real. I had the special treat of getting to take the kids on a playhouse tour which was actually a secret clue hunt so we crawled and somersaulted around the playhouse trying to avoid being seen. The children ate it up and kept asking to do it again throughout the entire week referring to it as "Mission Impossible".
Overall it has been an exciting fun-filled summer that has taught me I most certainly do not want to be a teacher.
When I wasn't saving children at the Playhouse from a werewolf I was directing scenes for a four day play as well as filming commercials and TV shows. It was a lot of fun to do film with the children because it left a lot of free time for them to play games so me and the other intern Jenna were extremely busy that week teaching more games then we have ever taught a single class. My favorite part of the Daytime TV camp though was getting to see the excitement the children had when creating their show segments. They each got to do exactly what they wanted and write the scripts themselves, it ended up being extremely humorous. The play in four days was also demanding but that was because I was busy trying to cram something that would normally take at least four weeks into one. I was running around making props, pressuring kids to memorize lines by Wednesday and blocking scenes as well as cramming in backstage etiquette classes with the little time we had. The kids pulled it off though and their skills as performers have grown tremendously because of it. They are ahead of most of their peers when it comes to putting on a play and all the skills and dedication that go into it.
Despite the fun I had watching all the triumphs these children had through their performance camps, my favorite camp was most certainly getting to play Harriet the Spy for a week. The Mystery week is my favorite because all the teachers are in character but also we have the children solve a real mystery. We coordinate it so the current shows lead goes missing and then she shows up at the end of the week because the children found her and saved her. It's so much fun and some of the children truly think it is real. I had the special treat of getting to take the kids on a playhouse tour which was actually a secret clue hunt so we crawled and somersaulted around the playhouse trying to avoid being seen. The children ate it up and kept asking to do it again throughout the entire week referring to it as "Mission Impossible".
Overall it has been an exciting fun-filled summer that has taught me I most certainly do not want to be a teacher.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Much Ado About Nothing: a halting continuation
Rehearsals have been few and far between for Much Ado on my end as of late, which is why I haven't written sooner. I literally didn't have a rehearsal for over a week. But things are still going smoothly and the play is coming together. However, the flooding in Iowa City has not helped! A week ago Wednesday, rehearsal was cancelled because our director and a cast member were trying to get water out of their basement. So it's been something of a wild ride, but I think we're finally pulling everything back together.
We've been working on some staging the last two rehearsals I've been to. Angie isn't really giving us directions like "move downstage left", but she is guiding our movements. It's hard to actually stage this until we are in the space. No one really knows exactly what it's going to be like. The production will be done outside in the back yard of a house on Melrose St. One of the doctors at the University hospital has kindly allowed us to use his home and yard. I think it will be a really neat venue. From what we've discussed, the set will be extremely simple. Platforms will give actors elevation as well as places to sit. The audience will be seated in the grass, facing the back of the house.
In rehearsal, Angie has given some really good ideas and direction with the characters and scenes. She called me out on driving my energy into the ground with some hand movements, then encouraged me to try different things with the scene. She's also constantly asking what is going on in the scene. We're coming up with back stories that the audience won't really get in the end, but it helps with character development.
I'm been a little frustrated with myself lately. It's been too easy to revert back to some old habits in acting. Maybe I'm trying to analyze my character more often than discovering her. I haven't been playing as much with "is this working or not" as I should be. I guess that's one problem with working up a back story is that I have something of a mold that I have to fit in now. At the same time, that doesn't mean I can't explore within the realm and boundaries of my character. Letting go and loosening up - it's so hard to do!
Today I'm meeting up with Angie and Rachel (another one of the theatre members) to go over costumes. We're setting the show in 1960, so I've been researching late 50's to 1960 fashion and regular clothing. I'll also be getting measurements from as much of the cast as I can today at rehearsal. Today is a big day, but it should be really good.
Until next time,
~ Noel
We've been working on some staging the last two rehearsals I've been to. Angie isn't really giving us directions like "move downstage left", but she is guiding our movements. It's hard to actually stage this until we are in the space. No one really knows exactly what it's going to be like. The production will be done outside in the back yard of a house on Melrose St. One of the doctors at the University hospital has kindly allowed us to use his home and yard. I think it will be a really neat venue. From what we've discussed, the set will be extremely simple. Platforms will give actors elevation as well as places to sit. The audience will be seated in the grass, facing the back of the house.
In rehearsal, Angie has given some really good ideas and direction with the characters and scenes. She called me out on driving my energy into the ground with some hand movements, then encouraged me to try different things with the scene. She's also constantly asking what is going on in the scene. We're coming up with back stories that the audience won't really get in the end, but it helps with character development.
I'm been a little frustrated with myself lately. It's been too easy to revert back to some old habits in acting. Maybe I'm trying to analyze my character more often than discovering her. I haven't been playing as much with "is this working or not" as I should be. I guess that's one problem with working up a back story is that I have something of a mold that I have to fit in now. At the same time, that doesn't mean I can't explore within the realm and boundaries of my character. Letting go and loosening up - it's so hard to do!
Today I'm meeting up with Angie and Rachel (another one of the theatre members) to go over costumes. We're setting the show in 1960, so I've been researching late 50's to 1960 fashion and regular clothing. I'll also be getting measurements from as much of the cast as I can today at rehearsal. Today is a big day, but it should be really good.
Until next time,
~ Noel
Friday, July 11, 2014
chops update 7
so it's been a boring week-
Thursday and Friday of last week I sat back stage for the show that just got off tour- Stuart Little- moved a trashcan off stage, pushed on the "toy car" and walked a dress to the other side of the stage. we did four shows. (I was filling in for a chick who stayed home sick for a few days)
this week was the start of the kids camp- so I'm only working afternoons
Monday we met the 4 kids-then went back to normal work - I finished building a small platform type thing then put some stands on some surf boards that are supposed to look like they are stuck in the sand- we had some issues though because they wanted them standing straight up but they wanted the stands to be small-so they'd stand up till you just barely taped them- after trying 3 different ideas I finally came up with my own idea that actually worked-attach the hinges that hold the stand on sits about half an inch from the bottom of the board so the boards sit back at a slight angle.
Tuesday we started painting everything- I just lined all of the edges where we couldn't get with a roller, or needed a clean line (we ran out of tape)
Wednesday was more painting- then we helped the kids camp build small flats-both Broadway and Hollywood-
Thursday we finished the majority of the base painting and sat through a lecture about using Q labs video software.
Friday we were with the kids all day helping them pick costumes and props for their show next week. then we did some Q-labs work with their own pics- then we watched a run through.
sometime next if I remember to take my camera I will post some pics of the set thus far.
have a wonderful weekend!
Justin (Chops) Voga
Thursday and Friday of last week I sat back stage for the show that just got off tour- Stuart Little- moved a trashcan off stage, pushed on the "toy car" and walked a dress to the other side of the stage. we did four shows. (I was filling in for a chick who stayed home sick for a few days)
this week was the start of the kids camp- so I'm only working afternoons
Monday we met the 4 kids-then went back to normal work - I finished building a small platform type thing then put some stands on some surf boards that are supposed to look like they are stuck in the sand- we had some issues though because they wanted them standing straight up but they wanted the stands to be small-so they'd stand up till you just barely taped them- after trying 3 different ideas I finally came up with my own idea that actually worked-attach the hinges that hold the stand on sits about half an inch from the bottom of the board so the boards sit back at a slight angle.
Tuesday we started painting everything- I just lined all of the edges where we couldn't get with a roller, or needed a clean line (we ran out of tape)
Wednesday was more painting- then we helped the kids camp build small flats-both Broadway and Hollywood-
Thursday we finished the majority of the base painting and sat through a lecture about using Q labs video software.
Friday we were with the kids all day helping them pick costumes and props for their show next week. then we did some Q-labs work with their own pics- then we watched a run through.
sometime next if I remember to take my camera I will post some pics of the set thus far.
have a wonderful weekend!
Justin (Chops) Voga
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Last one!
Yay! So, we made it through tech week and the three performances. I did not get to see any of the actual performances, but welcome to 2 theatre gigs and another part-time job to pay the bills. Anyway, the kids made it through their performances with little to no trouble. The run-crew kept everything together. Nobody completely lost their sanity, but some came very close and now I know to choose your theatre jobs better. I failed to take pictures of the production, but I know that Boone Community Theatre has them and I am allowed to take them from their Facebook page.
So, I know I've complained a bit about this gig, but overall it has been a great learning experience and I'll be sure to utilize the information and lessons I have learned during it. I hope everyone has a great rest of their summer.
Signing off for the last time,
Dursky
So, I know I've complained a bit about this gig, but overall it has been a great learning experience and I'll be sure to utilize the information and lessons I have learned during it. I hope everyone has a great rest of their summer.
Signing off for the last time,
Dursky
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Chops update 6
today was boring as hell- before lunch we just mixed small batches of Durhams rock hard putty (about a 5 minute dry time) and filled all of the staple holes and seams on all of the set pieces we built the past two weeks. after lunch, I spent all but the last half hour sanding all of the putty so it would be flat enough for painting. in the last half hour I built a small support frame to hold a piece of painted MDF onto a platform. it was a fun day......
hope y'all had a good day at least!
Justin (Chops) Voga
hope y'all had a good day at least!
Justin (Chops) Voga
And That's That
So now it has been a few days since The Little Mermaid closed, and I'll admit, I already miss the kids. Working with them, and seeing the strides they made to make this show as phenomenal as it was really made me proud. After the last show, I had a bunch of them sign my program and either the notes that they wrote to me or what they said made these last few months extremely worth it. All the problems and frustrations that came with the show sort of melted away when I had some of the kids genuinely thank me and tell me that they would miss it. I'm very proud of them, and am happy that I could help in any way to get the show to its amazing final place.
And that's it for me!
Have a great rest of the summer!!!
And that's it for me!
Have a great rest of the summer!!!
Monday, June 30, 2014
chops update 5
ok, so I had a good time with the stage hand gig and now my rent is paid for next month, so i'm back at DCT. actually, I was back on Friday, but it wasn't the best day-Thursday night I took my truck into the shop because it has a leak in the clutch fluid- so I took my brothers motorcycle to work. first problem of the day which should have been a warning sign is the throttle was having some issues in the last mile.- (I will finish this story later because i'm going to go in order of the days events)
at DCT I started by drilling a shit ton of holes in some pipe to hang the picture frames for Flat Stanley-it's 28 feet long (2 pieces 14 feet long that connect in the center) and it's really not that many holes, but it filled up the morning, during this, I also managed to fling some flaming metal shrapnel into one of the mutton chops, where it continued to smoke for a few seconds longer then was comfortable.... and I gashed my arm on a metal burr which took a lot longer then it should have to stop bleeding...... at lunch the motorcycle started up fine and ran great for the 500 yards I rode it across a busy intersection for food.
after lunch I ran eye bolts through all of those holes I drilled, but because Home Depot only had enough eye bolts in the size that was about 3 inches too long, I had to cut the bolts- twice- The deep well socked head couldn't fit all the way on it because it was too long, so I could only drive the nut on a little over half way before I had to cut it, then after I did that and got all the nuts on all the way, I had to cut them as short as possibly to keep them out of the way. then I did just a few minor carpentry things- cut a couple boards, nail then to a flat, then fix a Christmas tree to make it tour worthy. after that we spent the last hour doing an extremely thorough cleaning of the shop. then I left for home.
thats when my night got really exciting. I live about 25-30 miles away from DCT- about 10 miles into the lovely drive on the highway, the motorcycle starts having issues, and actually dies on me- so I pulled over to the shoulder (coincidentally about a 100 yards from the exit I would have to take from that direction to get to where my dad works) so I called my brother to tell him his bike is a piece of shit, then I had my dad come pick me up- he showed up anyways- then decided it would be best if he went and got the trailer, and I stayed with the motorcycle.....due to rush hour traffic, this took him about 2 hours....... (it's normally a 20 minute drive each way) I didn't even get home until about 9:30 pm....it's now Monday, my truck is still in the shop, the motorcycle is pretty much out of commission.... I have no vehicle at the moment......it's gonna be a fun week.....
I hope y'all have a better week then me!
Justin (Chops) Voga
at DCT I started by drilling a shit ton of holes in some pipe to hang the picture frames for Flat Stanley-it's 28 feet long (2 pieces 14 feet long that connect in the center) and it's really not that many holes, but it filled up the morning, during this, I also managed to fling some flaming metal shrapnel into one of the mutton chops, where it continued to smoke for a few seconds longer then was comfortable.... and I gashed my arm on a metal burr which took a lot longer then it should have to stop bleeding...... at lunch the motorcycle started up fine and ran great for the 500 yards I rode it across a busy intersection for food.
after lunch I ran eye bolts through all of those holes I drilled, but because Home Depot only had enough eye bolts in the size that was about 3 inches too long, I had to cut the bolts- twice- The deep well socked head couldn't fit all the way on it because it was too long, so I could only drive the nut on a little over half way before I had to cut it, then after I did that and got all the nuts on all the way, I had to cut them as short as possibly to keep them out of the way. then I did just a few minor carpentry things- cut a couple boards, nail then to a flat, then fix a Christmas tree to make it tour worthy. after that we spent the last hour doing an extremely thorough cleaning of the shop. then I left for home.
thats when my night got really exciting. I live about 25-30 miles away from DCT- about 10 miles into the lovely drive on the highway, the motorcycle starts having issues, and actually dies on me- so I pulled over to the shoulder (coincidentally about a 100 yards from the exit I would have to take from that direction to get to where my dad works) so I called my brother to tell him his bike is a piece of shit, then I had my dad come pick me up- he showed up anyways- then decided it would be best if he went and got the trailer, and I stayed with the motorcycle.....due to rush hour traffic, this took him about 2 hours....... (it's normally a 20 minute drive each way) I didn't even get home until about 9:30 pm....it's now Monday, my truck is still in the shop, the motorcycle is pretty much out of commission.... I have no vehicle at the moment......it's gonna be a fun week.....
I hope y'all have a better week then me!
Justin (Chops) Voga
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Much Ado About Nothing: Diving In
This past week, rehearsals finally started for "Much Ado". It's a very welcome thing. I'm ready to be up and going with this project, and so far it's been good.
"Much Ado About Nothing" consists of a lot of scenes within five acts. The director and a couple people helping her have made cuts to the script, but it's still several hours long. We rehearse in small segments, either full scenes or partial scenes. A few of the cast members are in other shows, so we haven't had everyone all at once yet. This coming Saturday is a stumble-thru of what we are calling Act 1.
I appreciate the direction Angie is taking with doing this Shakespeare show. Words are always important, but I feel that's true even more so with Shakespeare. So far, the rehearsals have been reading through a scene, then breaking it down. We're figuring out exactly what is going on, what is being said, and finding all the little hidden treasures in the script. She is constantly encouraging us to not memorize the words to just say them, but understanding and diving into the script. The words have beauty and meaning, and that needs to come across in how we understand and play our roles.
So after the initial read of the scene and talking about it, Angie gets us up on our feet to give it a go. She'll give suggestions and different tactics to play off of. She definitely has a vision for the show, but she wants us to be involved in it as well.
Angie and I talked about my character Conrade on Wednesday. I've been doing a lot of thinking on my own, and it was great to have her thoughts. The setting is 1960, Virginia, just after JFK's successful election. In our production, Don John (the main villian) has more of a communist persepctive on life and society. Conrade believes and sympathizes with his words and what he stands for. Some of this is due to her background story (which is being created). I've discovered her superobjective and some traits in her character as well. Having a couple days off (my director is in NYC), I'm excited to get back in and explore.
We're supposed to be off book by the 14th, but I should be off here in the next two days. It's always nice to not have the script in hand.
Until next time!
~ Noel VanDenBosch
"Much Ado About Nothing" consists of a lot of scenes within five acts. The director and a couple people helping her have made cuts to the script, but it's still several hours long. We rehearse in small segments, either full scenes or partial scenes. A few of the cast members are in other shows, so we haven't had everyone all at once yet. This coming Saturday is a stumble-thru of what we are calling Act 1.
I appreciate the direction Angie is taking with doing this Shakespeare show. Words are always important, but I feel that's true even more so with Shakespeare. So far, the rehearsals have been reading through a scene, then breaking it down. We're figuring out exactly what is going on, what is being said, and finding all the little hidden treasures in the script. She is constantly encouraging us to not memorize the words to just say them, but understanding and diving into the script. The words have beauty and meaning, and that needs to come across in how we understand and play our roles.
So after the initial read of the scene and talking about it, Angie gets us up on our feet to give it a go. She'll give suggestions and different tactics to play off of. She definitely has a vision for the show, but she wants us to be involved in it as well.
Angie and I talked about my character Conrade on Wednesday. I've been doing a lot of thinking on my own, and it was great to have her thoughts. The setting is 1960, Virginia, just after JFK's successful election. In our production, Don John (the main villian) has more of a communist persepctive on life and society. Conrade believes and sympathizes with his words and what he stands for. Some of this is due to her background story (which is being created). I've discovered her superobjective and some traits in her character as well. Having a couple days off (my director is in NYC), I'm excited to get back in and explore.
We're supposed to be off book by the 14th, but I should be off here in the next two days. It's always nice to not have the script in hand.
Until next time!
~ Noel VanDenBosch
Thursday, June 26, 2014
US Performing Arts Camp
Finally! I got this site to upload my blogs! Okay, so here's the deal, this past week since Thursday, I have been incredibly busy with training and my first week at UCLA.
The summary of my job this summer is working as a mentor to over 50 kids as they go week-by-week taking theatrical classes that range from acting for the camera and digital film to animation and musical theatre conservatory. As a mentor, my job is to look after the kids throughout the day, as well as be a guide as they learn new skills in the area of the arts.
The training days went very well, although they were quite long and tedious. We would get up at 7, and be in the mentor lounge as we would be given manual after manual and we would role play different scenarios that we may have to deal with throughout the summer. There are currently 10 mentors including me and we each had 10 students this first week.
The first week went wonderfully as my group was incredibly sweet. It took them awhile to warm up, but they finally broke the ice with each other. My group was the Digital Film crew and their assignment was to shoot a film with several different scenes and types of shots. I got the honor of being in two of the films that will be shown tomorrow at the showcase. The kids loved the assignment because it sounded like they were gaining so much more knowledge than they had previously.
Different activities throughout the week outside of class include Monday: pizookie night which entails having a cookie sized pizza with ice cream, Tuesday: a guest speaker comes in (Stephen Rider came this week) to talk to the kids about the industry, Wednesday: we take the kids to the Westwood area that includes shops and restaurants, Thursday: Talent Show which means the mentors put on a talent show in front of everyone (I did a poetry slam), and Friday: a "Works In Progress" day that shows off the work of the groups from the week.
I am having a wonderful time and look forward to these next few weeks as we continually gain more kids.
The summary of my job this summer is working as a mentor to over 50 kids as they go week-by-week taking theatrical classes that range from acting for the camera and digital film to animation and musical theatre conservatory. As a mentor, my job is to look after the kids throughout the day, as well as be a guide as they learn new skills in the area of the arts.
The training days went very well, although they were quite long and tedious. We would get up at 7, and be in the mentor lounge as we would be given manual after manual and we would role play different scenarios that we may have to deal with throughout the summer. There are currently 10 mentors including me and we each had 10 students this first week.
The first week went wonderfully as my group was incredibly sweet. It took them awhile to warm up, but they finally broke the ice with each other. My group was the Digital Film crew and their assignment was to shoot a film with several different scenes and types of shots. I got the honor of being in two of the films that will be shown tomorrow at the showcase. The kids loved the assignment because it sounded like they were gaining so much more knowledge than they had previously.
Different activities throughout the week outside of class include Monday: pizookie night which entails having a cookie sized pizza with ice cream, Tuesday: a guest speaker comes in (Stephen Rider came this week) to talk to the kids about the industry, Wednesday: we take the kids to the Westwood area that includes shops and restaurants, Thursday: Talent Show which means the mentors put on a talent show in front of everyone (I did a poetry slam), and Friday: a "Works In Progress" day that shows off the work of the groups from the week.
I am having a wonderful time and look forward to these next few weeks as we continually gain more kids.
This got deeper than I had intended... whoops
So our first 3 day break is fast approaching and I am ecstatic. I can't wait to be back in Ames for a few days. I have made some pretty good friends here and a couple of them who were here in years past have told me that this year is not typical. The company is largely lacking in competence, drive, and professionalism. But I am making the best of it. I take great pride in the work I do in the box office. I enjoy talking to the customers in person or on the phone and brightening their day by either fulfilling their expectation of a friendly and welcoming interaction or surprising them with it.
The shows here are selected explicitly for entertainment purposes, unfortunately. It is fun to provide the audience with an enjoyable evening of theatre, but I want to do theatre that matters. I want to make people think and ask questions like "why am I where I am?" and "how can I put purpose into my life?" This can be done in an entertaining way. Obviously it can because theatre is largely entertainment. But stories do not exist just to entertain. They should teach. They should challenge. They should remind people to care for one another.
There are very few acting challenges in this kind of theatre, which I am very disappointed about. I am here to learn and grow. Not just to showcase what I already know. But unfortunately, I don't feel like I am experiencing much growth in acting. However, I have been challenged to be patient with people who either don't care about the art or whose regard for it does not outmatch their own personal agendas or lack of capability. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn in this way as I am certain I will cross paths and work with similarly frustrating actors for the rest of my acting career, but I would much rather be surrounded by people who are exceedingly more talented than I am so that I could see masterful storytelling first hand every day and be a part of it. I don't want to do things just to do them or to be able to say I did them. Unless I am doing them to do them with excellence. Which would undoubtedly be accompanied by several noble side effects such as growth and learning, beautiful storytelling, deep meaningful relationships, self fulfilment and fulfilment within the company, useful experiences, precision and depth, and above the rest: reminding the audience of their reality and the incredible but fleeting opportunity they have every day to live it with intentionality and with the knowledge that they will never get to do it over again.
I refuse to be robbed of these integral byproducts of this art I love so much. This experience will not deter me from these goals, because I know without a doubt that they are anything but unreasonable. Instead my experiences here will serve to spur me on to do theatre with immense reverence for my own transient existence and that of everyone around me. We only get one chance. And this should not lead us to stress out over it. In fact, it ought to squelch the hold that stress threatens over us. Because in acknowledging that we only have one chance, we should understand that every moment we spend on stress is a moment full of love and meaning lost.
I just can't comprehend people who so easily disregard their mortality and who spend each day just waiting for the next. Where is the purpose? Where is the meaning? What would keep you going? And most of all, in living in such a way, how could you not spend each moment regretting the hundreds before it that you have thrown away and wasted?
Not me. I'm here. And while I'm here, I'm going to live. Not just exist. But live. And I am ineffably excited to spread this gospel in the way I live my life. In hopes that some of the people who are living stagnant, dormant existences will wake up and join me. I sincerely hope so. For their sakes.
W
The shows here are selected explicitly for entertainment purposes, unfortunately. It is fun to provide the audience with an enjoyable evening of theatre, but I want to do theatre that matters. I want to make people think and ask questions like "why am I where I am?" and "how can I put purpose into my life?" This can be done in an entertaining way. Obviously it can because theatre is largely entertainment. But stories do not exist just to entertain. They should teach. They should challenge. They should remind people to care for one another.
There are very few acting challenges in this kind of theatre, which I am very disappointed about. I am here to learn and grow. Not just to showcase what I already know. But unfortunately, I don't feel like I am experiencing much growth in acting. However, I have been challenged to be patient with people who either don't care about the art or whose regard for it does not outmatch their own personal agendas or lack of capability. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn in this way as I am certain I will cross paths and work with similarly frustrating actors for the rest of my acting career, but I would much rather be surrounded by people who are exceedingly more talented than I am so that I could see masterful storytelling first hand every day and be a part of it. I don't want to do things just to do them or to be able to say I did them. Unless I am doing them to do them with excellence. Which would undoubtedly be accompanied by several noble side effects such as growth and learning, beautiful storytelling, deep meaningful relationships, self fulfilment and fulfilment within the company, useful experiences, precision and depth, and above the rest: reminding the audience of their reality and the incredible but fleeting opportunity they have every day to live it with intentionality and with the knowledge that they will never get to do it over again.
I refuse to be robbed of these integral byproducts of this art I love so much. This experience will not deter me from these goals, because I know without a doubt that they are anything but unreasonable. Instead my experiences here will serve to spur me on to do theatre with immense reverence for my own transient existence and that of everyone around me. We only get one chance. And this should not lead us to stress out over it. In fact, it ought to squelch the hold that stress threatens over us. Because in acknowledging that we only have one chance, we should understand that every moment we spend on stress is a moment full of love and meaning lost.
I just can't comprehend people who so easily disregard their mortality and who spend each day just waiting for the next. Where is the purpose? Where is the meaning? What would keep you going? And most of all, in living in such a way, how could you not spend each moment regretting the hundreds before it that you have thrown away and wasted?
Not me. I'm here. And while I'm here, I'm going to live. Not just exist. But live. And I am ineffably excited to spread this gospel in the way I live my life. In hopes that some of the people who are living stagnant, dormant existences will wake up and join me. I sincerely hope so. For their sakes.
W
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Chops internship update 4
my last post was almost a week ago.... I've not been lazy, but life has been a little hectic the last week with a lot of stuff not relevant to theatre. but that just means I have a large amount re report.
so Thursday of last week we did some building specific stuff- we mostly built some racks for the costume store room and that took an entire morning. for the rest of the day I finished all of the platforms we needed to build for Flat Stanley. On Friday in the morning we started with the flats. we got everything cut listed before lunch, then after words I got a little over half of it framed out.
Yesterday was a simply, yet busy day. I got all of the flats completely built- unfortunately the other intern (who is only in before lunch) was having a bad day so a lot of it took twice as long as normal because of all of the tearing apart and re cuts that had to happen, but it still wasn't too bad. after lunch I found a mistake of my own that usually isn't a big deal unless the designer is either just a little more picky then most, or is an asshole- I cut the angle on the wrong side of a piece of lauan so I had to put it on backwards so they made me tear it off and replace it. after that we made a run to home depot (which is actually right across the street) to get some more supplies, then we put all of the flats on the platforms; hey presto it's starting to look like set pieces!
Today we started fidgeting with the parts of the set they are recycling from the original (non touring) production of this show. we repaired and put together two beds, then we fixed some large picture frames that needed a metric fuck ton of help- and we had to make them sturdy enough to withstand the the abuse of tour life.....and they weren't built well to begin with.....after that we made yet another home depot run for some 1 X lumber, then we build some headers for the flats- essentially they sit on top of the walls and rais up to make then larger, but lower down so they will fit in the trucks.
thats pretty much it for the last week. tomorrow and Thursday I will actually be working with a stage hand company in Fort worth so I can pay the bills.
have a wonderful night!
Justin (Chops) Voga
so Thursday of last week we did some building specific stuff- we mostly built some racks for the costume store room and that took an entire morning. for the rest of the day I finished all of the platforms we needed to build for Flat Stanley. On Friday in the morning we started with the flats. we got everything cut listed before lunch, then after words I got a little over half of it framed out.
Yesterday was a simply, yet busy day. I got all of the flats completely built- unfortunately the other intern (who is only in before lunch) was having a bad day so a lot of it took twice as long as normal because of all of the tearing apart and re cuts that had to happen, but it still wasn't too bad. after lunch I found a mistake of my own that usually isn't a big deal unless the designer is either just a little more picky then most, or is an asshole- I cut the angle on the wrong side of a piece of lauan so I had to put it on backwards so they made me tear it off and replace it. after that we made a run to home depot (which is actually right across the street) to get some more supplies, then we put all of the flats on the platforms; hey presto it's starting to look like set pieces!
Today we started fidgeting with the parts of the set they are recycling from the original (non touring) production of this show. we repaired and put together two beds, then we fixed some large picture frames that needed a metric fuck ton of help- and we had to make them sturdy enough to withstand the the abuse of tour life.....and they weren't built well to begin with.....after that we made yet another home depot run for some 1 X lumber, then we build some headers for the flats- essentially they sit on top of the walls and rais up to make then larger, but lower down so they will fit in the trucks.
thats pretty much it for the last week. tomorrow and Thursday I will actually be working with a stage hand company in Fort worth so I can pay the bills.
have a wonderful night!
Justin (Chops) Voga
Adventures Under the Sea: Making a Splash
I come to you beaming with proud because the kids nailed! opening weekend! It was so great to see all their hard work finally pay off. And I was so impressed with the end product. Rehearsals had been going great, but there is something about a live show that really just amps the kids up. Everyone was making choices that were spot on with their characters, and a lot of kids who had been struggling with certain parts really hit it home. Our Sebastian especially was something to get excited about. She was clearly one of the crowds favorites with her comedic timing, and sass which had completely changed levels from what we saw on Thursday. The audience was having a great time because you could feel that the kids were having a great time. Even when things went wrong (because with children's' theatre, its bound to happen) the kids barreled through. They had a costume malfunction backstage which left our Ursula onstage by herself for several long moments, but she handled it with the grace and poise you would expect from a professional. Another one of our kids apparently threw up from pre-show sugar indulgence right before going on, but me and Kivan didn't even know until afterwards because of the way he dealt with it, and the kids determination to continue and use a table that had only been hastily cleaned from the throw up. At another moment, the music which plays under the dialogue during the climax of the play skipped to the next song, resulting in the music being paused, but the kids just rolled with it. All these snafus just made me more excited because I got to see them deal with it like the professionals they are becoming. It is so different to sit in the audience and not be cataloguing notes, like I had done during rehearsal. I always enjoyed watching the kids during their practices, but being able to watch and truly enjoy it as an audience member was definitely the greatest experience of the whole experience. I can't wait til next weekend to see what that brings. :)
Friday, June 20, 2014
Much Ado About Nothing update
This is my first update since I started, basically because nothing has been going on and the rehearsals are finally starting up. That first read-thru was the Sunday after I got back to town (May 13th) and since then the theatre group members have been planning, making the final cuts to the script, and figuring out a rehearsal schedule. My first rehearsal will be Sunday evening (June 22nd). I have the script that Fourth Room Theatre has cut and changed, but I decided to purchase a First folio edition of the play along with Lexicons so I get a better understanding of the language, words, and thoughts.
The month lay time in between that first rehearsal and actually getting everything into gear has been hard for me. Personally, I feel like the energy has died with these weeks of not getting the group together. I wish we could have gotten together like once a week and kept doing read-thrus. At the same time, it's been a good opportunity to look over the script myself and learn the lines before even getting to rehearsal. So there are pros and cons to each side, as with everything in life.
Oh! Something I should mention: not too long ago, one of the group members emailed and asked if I'd be willing to costume the production. After thinking about it and asking some questions, I said yes. I haven't costumed a show in almost a year and a half, so it will be good to get back into it. I've also never worked with costuming on a show set in the 1960's. Lots of learning experiences with this play!
Basically I'm really excited to finally start weekly rehearsals. The cast is incredible and there are a ton of people here that I've wanted to work with for a long time.
~ Noel
The month lay time in between that first rehearsal and actually getting everything into gear has been hard for me. Personally, I feel like the energy has died with these weeks of not getting the group together. I wish we could have gotten together like once a week and kept doing read-thrus. At the same time, it's been a good opportunity to look over the script myself and learn the lines before even getting to rehearsal. So there are pros and cons to each side, as with everything in life.
Oh! Something I should mention: not too long ago, one of the group members emailed and asked if I'd be willing to costume the production. After thinking about it and asking some questions, I said yes. I haven't costumed a show in almost a year and a half, so it will be good to get back into it. I've also never worked with costuming on a show set in the 1960's. Lots of learning experiences with this play!
Basically I'm really excited to finally start weekly rehearsals. The cast is incredible and there are a ton of people here that I've wanted to work with for a long time.
~ Noel
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Week before Tech
So, it is the week before tech and our costume parade that was supposed to be last Friday was moved to Monday, so I continued to frantically pull costumes together. After the costume parade on Monday (which I was unable to attend as I was at another job at the same time) I learned that we were not as far behind as I had expected. I still need a couple undergarments for characters that are made out of boxes and we just need to modify a couple that were originally considered finished.
Needless to say when this process is over I will never complain about the amazing costume shop ladies at ISU Theatre, (not that I would have done that in the first place), but seriously our ladies are brilliant and deserve more credit than what they get, end unselfish plug about costume ladies.
Until Tech week,
Lauren Dursky
Needless to say when this process is over I will never complain about the amazing costume shop ladies at ISU Theatre, (not that I would have done that in the first place), but seriously our ladies are brilliant and deserve more credit than what they get, end unselfish plug about costume ladies.
Until Tech week,
Lauren Dursky
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
chops internship update 3
so today was fairly repetitive- for the 3 hours before lunch i was making some rigging points to hang a large number of picture frames for the touring show. after lunch I framed out about 6 platforms, jig sawed some lauan shapes, went on a home depot run, then cleaned the shop. (all for Flat Stanley- the show that will be going on tour)
some other exciting news! I can now tell you that the in house show will be Rapunzel that we will be starting in a few weeks. thats about it for today.
have a wonderful day!
Justin (Chops) Voga
some other exciting news! I can now tell you that the in house show will be Rapunzel that we will be starting in a few weeks. thats about it for today.
have a wonderful day!
Justin (Chops) Voga
catch up
It has been crazy busy here recently. We now have 3 of our 5 shows open. The most recent one is the musical, Smoke on the Mountain. There is plenty of musical talent in the company which is nice, but this is accompanied by a bit of arrogance and pretentiousness unfortunately. My character is a very awkward 17 yr old twin who I interpret to be slightly deficient in regards to not only his social skills but also his mental development. This is a dangerous choice to make, but it has been met with support and encouragement so far. I don't feel that I am doing anything offensive. Just living honestly under imaginary circumstances like I was taught.
We are now rehearsing for the last show that will open, which is the 3rd and last one I am in. I am the male lead and I'm working alongside the most competent girl here - in all respects. Also the director is a member of the company and not the same one who directed the first two shows I am in. Blocking seems to happen about ten times as fast as before which is a huge relief and great help to the cast who is required to prepare shows in such a small timeframe. So far I am mostly happy with how it is going, but the play is not very good mostly due to the writing. It is very hard to memorize, especially at such a fast pace, but it's coming along. A couple of the other actors in the show don't take the work as seriously as I would like, but that's something that has become normal around here, unfortunately. The purpose of their roles in their eyes seems to be to entertain themselves rather than to tell the story with as much truth as possible. One girl consistently invents traits for her characters that either have nothing to do with anything in the text or traits that blatantly conflict with the circumstances provided in the text. It kind of makes me sick to my stomach, but with the hundreds of battles I have to choose from each day, it gets more and more unrealistic for me to attempt to preserve the integrity of the theatre. The bullshit is just piling up much faster than I can shovel it out, I guess. But we carry on!
The company is kind of split right now as to who gives two shits about the work they do. The half that DOES care is experiencing an ever growing animosity for the other half. It is incredibly unfortunate that such a split exists here, but I finally feel some comraderie now that I know I'm not the only person who recognize the rampant irreverence for our art here.
W
We are now rehearsing for the last show that will open, which is the 3rd and last one I am in. I am the male lead and I'm working alongside the most competent girl here - in all respects. Also the director is a member of the company and not the same one who directed the first two shows I am in. Blocking seems to happen about ten times as fast as before which is a huge relief and great help to the cast who is required to prepare shows in such a small timeframe. So far I am mostly happy with how it is going, but the play is not very good mostly due to the writing. It is very hard to memorize, especially at such a fast pace, but it's coming along. A couple of the other actors in the show don't take the work as seriously as I would like, but that's something that has become normal around here, unfortunately. The purpose of their roles in their eyes seems to be to entertain themselves rather than to tell the story with as much truth as possible. One girl consistently invents traits for her characters that either have nothing to do with anything in the text or traits that blatantly conflict with the circumstances provided in the text. It kind of makes me sick to my stomach, but with the hundreds of battles I have to choose from each day, it gets more and more unrealistic for me to attempt to preserve the integrity of the theatre. The bullshit is just piling up much faster than I can shovel it out, I guess. But we carry on!
The company is kind of split right now as to who gives two shits about the work they do. The half that DOES care is experiencing an ever growing animosity for the other half. It is incredibly unfortunate that such a split exists here, but I finally feel some comraderie now that I know I'm not the only person who recognize the rampant irreverence for our art here.
W
Adventures Under the Sea: Tech Week
I don't have a (supposedly) clever title for this blog because, let's face it, its tech week. Tech week to me has always been the most terrifyingly, frustratingly, fun experience of the show. Since its Wednesday, we have already gone through the grueling rehearsal of making sure all the light cues match the songs and the actors. And that, as always, was slow going. But the kids were troopers. It was probably the best behaved I had seen them the whole show. Tuesday was a whole new kind of fun because we added full hair and makeup for the leads. Our makeup artist, Teddie, came up with some pretty snazzy makeup ideas. Our eels looked creepy as hell with eyes completely rimmed in black and some dark lipstick. Flounder looked like this adorable, bouncy punk nerd which made me laugh every time. After all the makeup was settled in, we started a moment-to-moment run through which fixed a lot of the little issues we had been noticing. I was thrilled that one of the songs I had been working with the Land Ensemble on a lot on had gone so well. With a little time left, we started a run through of the first act and it was great to see them put to use the corrections given to them. Ariel and Eric looked significantly better in their almost-kiss scene for "Kiss the Girl." And in "She's in Love," we all had a laugh when two of the costume skirts fell off while they were shaking their booties. The first girl looked shocked and then ran offstage laughing while the second girl grabbed her skirt and did the rest of the dance with this half smile. We were all roaring with laughter. Tech week does that to you.
Adventures Under the Sea: Sequins and Tulle and Glitter, oh my!
I'm not physically creative. What I mean by that is arts and crafts are not in my forte. When I draw a person, its usually a stick figure and my trees are the only things that resemble their real life counterparts. Yet, I found myself helping create some of the costumes last week. Due to some artistic changes Kivan and the costume director Julia made, it was necessary that a few extra hands were needed to help finish them on time. We spent several hours with glue guns in our hands, sticking "scales" onto t-shirts in what I hope is a fishy way. Some things we found worked and some things didn't, just like in every aspect of life. We came up with a way to make some scales look super cool by sticking some sparkly tulle over it. And I personally learned that tulle is literally the worst thing to hot glue in the world. Seriously. The hot glue seeps through the tiny holes and sticks to your fingers, causing your fingers to get hot glued to the tulle and extra, horribly painful seconds are added on while you peel your fingers off. I still have a blister on my thumb, but I like to think of it as my battle scar. All in all, it was a pretty interesting thing to add to my list of newly learned skills. I'm not saying I should be hired, but if you need someone to cut and glue things, I'm your girl.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Chops Internship update 2
hello all!
so I just got home from the first day of my internship- it was a pretty good day. we started off by building some platforms out of 1x lumber- they are a lot sturdier then i'd have thought- because they are for a touring set, they have to be multi functional, so there are a lot of angles that need to be cut to match and it's a somewhat time consuming process. after we got 3 platforms done we went to lunch at about noon. after that I finished another platform, then built 2 stock platforms (4 X 8) then did some cut listing and kitting for tomorrow.
so far I like this space- the only real complaints I have are minor concerns about their table saw safety rules- you have to use a push stick for any cuts shorter then about a foot, and they keep the blade up at all times because "it's easier on the saw" other then that, it was a good day!
Justin (Chops) Voga
so I just got home from the first day of my internship- it was a pretty good day. we started off by building some platforms out of 1x lumber- they are a lot sturdier then i'd have thought- because they are for a touring set, they have to be multi functional, so there are a lot of angles that need to be cut to match and it's a somewhat time consuming process. after we got 3 platforms done we went to lunch at about noon. after that I finished another platform, then built 2 stock platforms (4 X 8) then did some cut listing and kitting for tomorrow.
so far I like this space- the only real complaints I have are minor concerns about their table saw safety rules- you have to use a push stick for any cuts shorter then about a foot, and they keep the blade up at all times because "it's easier on the saw" other then that, it was a good day!
Justin (Chops) Voga
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Chops internship update
so as any of you read my last post, I was having some issues with the internship I had lined up- but you also know that there were two more possibilities that I had lined up. well, I had an "interview" and tour on Thursday of the Dallas Childrens Theatre. it's a fantastic space to work in!they have two scene shops, and a paint shop that have work space as big as the theatre.
so, apparently they decided that they were going to hire me before I even got there, so I start on Tuesday for my initial "training" before the TD leaves for vacation on Wednesday- after that I work full days on Wednesday-Friday for about the next 5-6 weeks. in the shop we will be working on two shows this summer; the in house show i'm not allowed to disclose at this time, but I can tell you that we will also be building the national tour of Flat Stanley starting on Tuesday. if you have any questions or want to know more let me know!
Regards,
Justin (Chops) Voga
so, apparently they decided that they were going to hire me before I even got there, so I start on Tuesday for my initial "training" before the TD leaves for vacation on Wednesday- after that I work full days on Wednesday-Friday for about the next 5-6 weeks. in the shop we will be working on two shows this summer; the in house show i'm not allowed to disclose at this time, but I can tell you that we will also be building the national tour of Flat Stanley starting on Tuesday. if you have any questions or want to know more let me know!
Regards,
Justin (Chops) Voga
Thursday, June 12, 2014
One Magical Night...
Last night was magical.
I can't really think of any other way to describe my evening at the Royal Albert hall watching the ballet, Romeo & Juliet performed by the National English Ballet. The building was magnificent. It was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 and sits in the South Kensington area of London. The building is quite inspiring with it's round Victorian architecture, high ceiling, and tier ceiling. The performance was spectacular in this venue. It contained a full orchestra and a huge company of dancers. Even though I was at the very top of the hall, the sound was as if I was sitting right next to the orchestra and it was really interesting sitting above the dancers. This provided the opportunity to witness the choreography as a whole.
I started crying when the performance began because the overwhelming beauty of the hall, dancers and music. What an incredible experience!
I just have a few things to pack up and I'll be on my way to the airport. I'm ready to see my family and friends back in Iowa but I am going to miss London a lot. I have learned incredible lessons and experienced wonderful things. This place will always be a part of me.
Until next time,
Bethany Rose
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
The Last Few Days
The last few day are flying by.
They have been mostly made up of studying for our huge final in our class. It's been overwhelming but I am pleasantly surprised at how much I have learned here. London history is amazing. There have been so many famous writers inspired by this city and I get to take part in that legacy and inspiration. It has been a great privilege.
We read this poem in class today and I thought it was an accurate description of the city and what I think of it (make sure you read it in a British accent ;)
The London Breed
by Benjamin Zephania
I love dis great polluted place
Where pop starts come to live their dreams
Here ravers come for drum and bass
And politicians plan their schemes,
The music of the world is here
Dis city can play any son
They came here from everywhere
Tis they that made dis city strong
A world of food displayed on streets
Where all the world can come and dine
On means that end with bitter sweets
And cultures melt and intertwine,
Two hundred languages give voice
To fifteen thousand changing years
And all religions can rejoice
With exiled souls and pioneers.
I love dis overcrowded place
Where old buildings mark men and time
And new buildings all seem to race
Up to a cloudy dank skyline,
Too many cars mean dire air
Too many guns mean danger
Too many drugs mean be aware
Of strange gifts from a stranger.
It's so cool when the heat is on
And when it's cool it's so wicked
We just keep melting into one
Just like he tribes before us did,
I love dis concrete jungle still
With all its sirens and its speed
The people here united will
Create a kind of London Breed.
Saying goodbye to this city is going to be hard.
I'm preparing myself now..
Until next time,
Bethany Rose
Monday, June 9, 2014
Costume Parade Week
So, another week has come and gone and to say the least a little progress was made on costumes. However, on the flip side of that Friday is our costume parade, usually held in Rep theaters and for the costume designer to decide if all the costumes look good with limited input from the director. However, my director gets all the say and it's just far enough out from tech week and opening that she could potentially scrap an entire costume and have me re-do it. (Totally not looking forward to that)
On another note, because it is last 4 days before costume parade I am frantically running around to make sure all of the parents that were assigned costumes to fix got finished, if not frantically put them all together and calling it good!
Until the drama of costume parades subsides,
Lauren Dursky
On another note, because it is last 4 days before costume parade I am frantically running around to make sure all of the parents that were assigned costumes to fix got finished, if not frantically put them all together and calling it good!
Until the drama of costume parades subsides,
Lauren Dursky
A Lovely Day
Yesterday was lovely.
A day spent reflecting on my trip
and resting.
I went to a little French Café near my flat for brunch. I ate the most delicious poached egg on toast. I actually don't know how good the egg was because, well, I'm in London and everything is super great here. I'm gonna miss the slow pace of this culture. No hurry to order, no hurry to leave but all the time in the world to enjoy the sunshine and write a little bit.
In the afternoon I revisited Buckingham Palace. This time I was able to get closer to the gate and actually sat on the Victoria Monument. My favorite part was sticking my feet in the water of the Victoria Fountain. The water was cool and refreshing on a hot day like yesterday.
Later in the day I stopped at my favorite Tesco express (basically like a Walmart BUT better) and bought some food for a picnic. Everybody else stayed at the flat but I wanted to get out and enjoy London. I packed up my bag and headed to St. James's Park. I sat under a huge tree facing the lake with the weeping willows, sparkling water and an assortment of ducks and swans. I am not ashamed to say I ate an entire carton of raspberries (best decision of my life). I read and I wrote for the second time in the day.
It was a beautiful day.
Blue skies and sunshine.
Couldn't ask for anything better.
Maybe someday I'll be able to process everything that I have learned here. Maybe some rainy day I will be able to write out every experience in detail and be able to catch the moment in a jar to keep forever, but for now, I can only live, breath, experience and hope that in the end I will be better for it.
Cheers!
Bethany Rose
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