Post by Admin on Nov 13, 2018 16:19:07 GMT
Some of you will read this and some of you won't.
Those of you who read this are those that are the reason this show will be successful. You show me that you're motivated to continue checking the boards which means that you are really trying to do everything you can to make this show work! I appreciate that!
I have some stuff for you before our first rehearsal and before opening night to ponder:
1) Props- You have 2 places to put these after a show where they won't get lost. The idea place is to put them into your little boxes because I don't trust some of my 6th period boys, but if you can't do that....put them on the prop cart backstage. Statistics that I have just made up show that if you put your personally put your props back after each show in designated places, the odds are 100% that they will be there for the next show when you need them.
Here's a short list of things that I found around the room or backstage....a) wands- Lots of wands. We were still finding wands after you left. I have about a 1/2 dozen on my desk right now. You want to go wandless in the show...keep leaving your wands out. b) a marauder's map was left on the piano. c) dungeons and dragon dice were left on the piano d) I have only one of the fire shooting wands on my desk when their should be two. Since these are considered "weapons that shoot fire" it is very important that I get these back on my desk each night. I can't reload them if I can't find them. On Thursday, I found one of them just sitting backstage...on the heater...the fire wand that shoots fire when it's exposed to heat was sitting on the heater... e)the dinosaur- Not a prop, but we can't just leave it hanging backstage because that's just asking for trouble.
2) Do your mic checks as soon as Ivanna arrives. Because we're doing basically 2 extra shows this week, we're going to need to replace the batteries in your mics again at some point. You can help prolong your battery life by keeping them off until you need them. If you find that your mic is dead, project! A reminder too to actually turn your mic on just before you go on stage. We had a couple of you that we couldn't help because Ivanna can't turn the sound up on a mic that isn't on. Remember again to project into your mics. It's so much easier to turn your volume down than trying to turn it up and getting bad feedback.
3) If I had to pick one thing from last night to focus on for this afternoon it would be enunciation. My old Drama teacher used to always tell us "loud and slow" as in speak loud and speak slow. Some of you were talking so fast and speeding through your lines and not taking the care to pronounce all of the syllables in your words. When that happens, you sound like gibberish and it's pretty bad when I know what you're going to say and not understanding it. Imagine what it would be like for an audience member who doesn't know the lines. I picked on McGonnagal last night because those are the lines that set the tone and story of the show. If the audience can't understand the narration...they've lost the entire set up for the story.
4) Along with that, use your periods in your sentences as places to take a breath. If you're saying multiple sentences, it shouldn't come out of your mouth like you're saying one long run-on sentence. Use those pauses to your advantage. Part of the problem with not using those natural breaks is that you do run out of breath and the last words of your speech kind of trail off or are hard to understand.
5) Be focused. Some of your problems in this show are because you get distracted by something. Missed entrances are the most obvious symptom of this, but it can also cause other issues. Make sure your cell phones are away during the show.
6) When you come in for the evening show (assuming you go somewhere and come back by 5:30), there will be a couple of "one-night only" things to great you on the back corner table. One is a ballot for voting for your favorite actor, actress, etc. On the last Friday of May we have a Drama Awards ceremony. Anyone involved in the show could win an award for any of the various categories, so be sure to vote! (One ballot per person.) The other thing on the back corner table will be the poster for the show for you to sign, and for me to figure out where I'm going to put it in the hallway. As Ashlyn mentioned last night, it's become tradition that only seniors sign on the actual poster and that the rest of you sign around it. Not sure what to write? Look at the 28 show posters in the hallway from every show I've directed here at M-P. All that I ask is that you don't write something stupid, offensive or inappropriate. Keep it positive! Don't write a novel on it either, remember you have to share the space with the rest of the cast and crew. Don't be that person.
7) Be on time for the show tonight. If you do leave, you must be back by 5:30 at the latest. Yesterday, we asked you to be here by 5:00 and it wasn't until 5:25 that the last person signed in. We want you there that early in case there's a problem. If your car breaks down or you can't find a ride, we panic less if we have time to actually get you. If you believe you will be later than 5:30, YOU MUST text someone in the cast or me, preferably me 425-328-9153 and let us know. Otherwise, we call or text you. I'd rather you take the lead though. When you arrive, the very first thing that you need to do is SIGN IN yourself. Never have someone sign in for you. We had a show once where we assumed someone was there because their friend signed in for them. We didn't discover until 15 minutes before the show that the person hadn't arrived because their car wouldn't start. It wasn't a major role, so we were able to cover it, but that could've been a huge issue if that person had a leading role or a major part.
8) If something breaks during the show (like a time-turner) please put the remains on my desk. I found a piece of a time turner on the floor of my classroom, but I have no clue where the rest of it went. The time turner that was on the piano was superglued and it was obviously used. Is that the one that broke? Also please, if anything breaks, don't hide it. Again, just leave it on my desk. If it's a mic that breaks, you'll probably be beaten by Drama Council and you'll have to project through the rest of the performances, but other that that...just leave the broken things on my desk.
9) WARM UPS are not optional. They start at 6:45 and they include some wise words of wisdom from me and possibly others. Do not make us wait for you. You need to drop everything and join the circle. Everyone once in a while we get a cast member who doesn't think they need to participate in warm ups... it's not just about warming up...it's so much more than that.
10) BOWS- Last night's bows weren't that great. Some of you were spot on, but we had at least 2 groups where one person was last coming out. That just looks bad. Also, after you've bowed and go to the sides...clap for your fellow cast mates! Some of you just stood there or did some kind of dance moves. You're helping the audience to clap for the actors.
The last thing is CLEAN UP. We seem to always try it on the "honor" system where you can leave as soon as you're cleaned up, but what happens is that one or two people end up staying later than they planned because they ended up cleaning up after the others who said they were cleaned up...but not really. These are the people who find the left out props and costume pieces and end up wiping down the tables and picking up garbage. Well, the "honor" system didn't work, so please spread the word that everyone in the cast has to stay until MC-8 is cleaned up. You need to take the mirrors down (just set them by the back wall), clean up all make up from the tables and just push in the chairs. You do not need to put them up and i'd prefer that you don't. If there is any make up on the table, it's got to be wiped off (I have 2 things of wipes behind the stools up front.) My first period students hate it when they sit down and end up with make up on their clothes and papers. All garbage needs to be thrown away or recycled. All props and costume pieces need to be returned. Drama council gets the final word on if you can leave or not, so Ashlyn and Amanda will be taking the lead on that. You should be done and out of here by 9:15 if everyone helps out. Don't plan on leaving earlier. If you have family coming to the show and taking you home they can wait in the auditorium for you. If you MUST leave earlier, please talk to Ashlyn or Amanda. Do not just leave.
I think that covers most of it. Hopefully you read this far. No need to respond unless you want to add something to the list.
There's a good show in here wanting to come out, but it really depends on all of you to make it happen. Please don't blow off our advice and comments! I don't think there's any of us who want a bad show. Is there?
Those of you who read this are those that are the reason this show will be successful. You show me that you're motivated to continue checking the boards which means that you are really trying to do everything you can to make this show work! I appreciate that!
I have some stuff for you before our first rehearsal and before opening night to ponder:
1) Props- You have 2 places to put these after a show where they won't get lost. The idea place is to put them into your little boxes because I don't trust some of my 6th period boys, but if you can't do that....put them on the prop cart backstage. Statistics that I have just made up show that if you put your personally put your props back after each show in designated places, the odds are 100% that they will be there for the next show when you need them.
Here's a short list of things that I found around the room or backstage....a) wands- Lots of wands. We were still finding wands after you left. I have about a 1/2 dozen on my desk right now. You want to go wandless in the show...keep leaving your wands out. b) a marauder's map was left on the piano. c) dungeons and dragon dice were left on the piano d) I have only one of the fire shooting wands on my desk when their should be two. Since these are considered "weapons that shoot fire" it is very important that I get these back on my desk each night. I can't reload them if I can't find them. On Thursday, I found one of them just sitting backstage...on the heater...the fire wand that shoots fire when it's exposed to heat was sitting on the heater... e)the dinosaur- Not a prop, but we can't just leave it hanging backstage because that's just asking for trouble.
2) Do your mic checks as soon as Ivanna arrives. Because we're doing basically 2 extra shows this week, we're going to need to replace the batteries in your mics again at some point. You can help prolong your battery life by keeping them off until you need them. If you find that your mic is dead, project! A reminder too to actually turn your mic on just before you go on stage. We had a couple of you that we couldn't help because Ivanna can't turn the sound up on a mic that isn't on. Remember again to project into your mics. It's so much easier to turn your volume down than trying to turn it up and getting bad feedback.
3) If I had to pick one thing from last night to focus on for this afternoon it would be enunciation. My old Drama teacher used to always tell us "loud and slow" as in speak loud and speak slow. Some of you were talking so fast and speeding through your lines and not taking the care to pronounce all of the syllables in your words. When that happens, you sound like gibberish and it's pretty bad when I know what you're going to say and not understanding it. Imagine what it would be like for an audience member who doesn't know the lines. I picked on McGonnagal last night because those are the lines that set the tone and story of the show. If the audience can't understand the narration...they've lost the entire set up for the story.
4) Along with that, use your periods in your sentences as places to take a breath. If you're saying multiple sentences, it shouldn't come out of your mouth like you're saying one long run-on sentence. Use those pauses to your advantage. Part of the problem with not using those natural breaks is that you do run out of breath and the last words of your speech kind of trail off or are hard to understand.
5) Be focused. Some of your problems in this show are because you get distracted by something. Missed entrances are the most obvious symptom of this, but it can also cause other issues. Make sure your cell phones are away during the show.
6) When you come in for the evening show (assuming you go somewhere and come back by 5:30), there will be a couple of "one-night only" things to great you on the back corner table. One is a ballot for voting for your favorite actor, actress, etc. On the last Friday of May we have a Drama Awards ceremony. Anyone involved in the show could win an award for any of the various categories, so be sure to vote! (One ballot per person.) The other thing on the back corner table will be the poster for the show for you to sign, and for me to figure out where I'm going to put it in the hallway. As Ashlyn mentioned last night, it's become tradition that only seniors sign on the actual poster and that the rest of you sign around it. Not sure what to write? Look at the 28 show posters in the hallway from every show I've directed here at M-P. All that I ask is that you don't write something stupid, offensive or inappropriate. Keep it positive! Don't write a novel on it either, remember you have to share the space with the rest of the cast and crew. Don't be that person.
7) Be on time for the show tonight. If you do leave, you must be back by 5:30 at the latest. Yesterday, we asked you to be here by 5:00 and it wasn't until 5:25 that the last person signed in. We want you there that early in case there's a problem. If your car breaks down or you can't find a ride, we panic less if we have time to actually get you. If you believe you will be later than 5:30, YOU MUST text someone in the cast or me, preferably me 425-328-9153 and let us know. Otherwise, we call or text you. I'd rather you take the lead though. When you arrive, the very first thing that you need to do is SIGN IN yourself. Never have someone sign in for you. We had a show once where we assumed someone was there because their friend signed in for them. We didn't discover until 15 minutes before the show that the person hadn't arrived because their car wouldn't start. It wasn't a major role, so we were able to cover it, but that could've been a huge issue if that person had a leading role or a major part.
8) If something breaks during the show (like a time-turner) please put the remains on my desk. I found a piece of a time turner on the floor of my classroom, but I have no clue where the rest of it went. The time turner that was on the piano was superglued and it was obviously used. Is that the one that broke? Also please, if anything breaks, don't hide it. Again, just leave it on my desk. If it's a mic that breaks, you'll probably be beaten by Drama Council and you'll have to project through the rest of the performances, but other that that...just leave the broken things on my desk.
9) WARM UPS are not optional. They start at 6:45 and they include some wise words of wisdom from me and possibly others. Do not make us wait for you. You need to drop everything and join the circle. Everyone once in a while we get a cast member who doesn't think they need to participate in warm ups... it's not just about warming up...it's so much more than that.
10) BOWS- Last night's bows weren't that great. Some of you were spot on, but we had at least 2 groups where one person was last coming out. That just looks bad. Also, after you've bowed and go to the sides...clap for your fellow cast mates! Some of you just stood there or did some kind of dance moves. You're helping the audience to clap for the actors.
The last thing is CLEAN UP. We seem to always try it on the "honor" system where you can leave as soon as you're cleaned up, but what happens is that one or two people end up staying later than they planned because they ended up cleaning up after the others who said they were cleaned up...but not really. These are the people who find the left out props and costume pieces and end up wiping down the tables and picking up garbage. Well, the "honor" system didn't work, so please spread the word that everyone in the cast has to stay until MC-8 is cleaned up. You need to take the mirrors down (just set them by the back wall), clean up all make up from the tables and just push in the chairs. You do not need to put them up and i'd prefer that you don't. If there is any make up on the table, it's got to be wiped off (I have 2 things of wipes behind the stools up front.) My first period students hate it when they sit down and end up with make up on their clothes and papers. All garbage needs to be thrown away or recycled. All props and costume pieces need to be returned. Drama council gets the final word on if you can leave or not, so Ashlyn and Amanda will be taking the lead on that. You should be done and out of here by 9:15 if everyone helps out. Don't plan on leaving earlier. If you have family coming to the show and taking you home they can wait in the auditorium for you. If you MUST leave earlier, please talk to Ashlyn or Amanda. Do not just leave.
I think that covers most of it. Hopefully you read this far. No need to respond unless you want to add something to the list.
There's a good show in here wanting to come out, but it really depends on all of you to make it happen. Please don't blow off our advice and comments! I don't think there's any of us who want a bad show. Is there?