Drama Week 10

Since Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, I'll make this short and sweet.

Next week, we'll continue practicing our scenes and working out the kinks. All students who don't have period costumes (present day setting) should bring or wear the clothes they plan to wear for the performance. Students who have not yet got their period costumes will meet with Marta on Monday.

Also, students who have agreed to bring props can start bringing them in so we can practice with them. The sooner the better. We need to know by next week if someone is NOT able to bring something they've committed to.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Drama Week 8

Intro: This week we began with character improvisation and a storytelling game before digging in to working on our scenes.

Intermediate/Adv: This week we continued performing scenes for each other and practiced giving constructive feedback. A few students were able to visit the costume closet with Marta and that will continue next week (and probably the next).

Reminders: 

• Intermediate and Advanced students have Stage Craft Day this Saturday from 1-4pm. See you all there!
• Starting Monday, Nov 12th we will be off-book. This means no scripts on stage, so make sure lines and cues are memorized! (Students are still required to bring scripts to class for reference and note-taking.)

Drama Week 7

Intro - Today we worked on projection and learned to push out our breath with the diaphragm. While one group worked on blocking their sword fight scene, the group of trolls experimented with different troll walks.

Interm/Adv. - Today students performed their scenes for the rest of the class. We practiced giving and receiving constructive feedback. We got through half of the scenes and will finish next week. Also next week: adventure in the costume closet!

Keep working on memorizing those lines! Five minutes a day and you'll be there in no time. Nov. 12th we are off-book.

Happy Halloween!

Drama Week 6

Intro to Theatre – This week we continued to work on blocking and reviewed stage directions and parts of the stage. Next week we will be talking about costumes, so students should come with an idea of what their character should look like. Drawings, internet searches, photocopies from books…any research is welcome. We have a hero, a leprechaun, and three trolls. Oh my!

Interm/Adv Drama – This week students finished blocking all of their scenes. Next week, each group will perform for the rest of the class. Their peers will offer feedback. In addition, small groups will visit the costume closet with Marta to look for costumes, so everyone should come with costume ideas—drawings, internet printouts, copies from books.

Don’t forget: November 12^th we go off-book! That means all lines, cues, and stage directions must be memorized and scripts are no longer allowed on stage. (Students must still bring scripts to every class for reference and notetaking.)

Drama Week 4

I posted the cast list for all drama classes. Hopefully, everyone is pleased with his/her role. I am thrilled with the casting and the variety of roles to showcase our many talented actors!

The Intro to Theater class got their scripts and spent some time going over the anatomy of a script (spoken lines, stage directions, etc).

The Intermediate/Advanced Drama class also got their scripts, did read-throughs, then worked on character-based improvisation.

Students in both classes are expected the have all their lines highlighted by next class. Also, they are to make note of any props or set pieces needed for their scene and note any questions they have about the script (word pronunciation, meaning, character motivation, etc). Students must bring their scripts to every class, even after they memorize their lines.

Next week we'll focus on blocking.

Drama Week 3

Today was the last day of auditions. Students in both classes did cold readings from various scripts including Anne of Green Gables, Steel Magnolias, The Importance of Being Ernest, and The Kind of Ireland's Son. Now comes the big task of casting. I try really hard to give each student the part they deserve, but there are inevitably disappointments.

I will post the cast list before Wednesday's Advanced Drama class, and students will get their scripts at their next class. Exciting!

Drama Update

This is our second week of classes here at the Academy and already we're deep into the audition process. This term is a little different in that we're not doing a big mainstage production but more of a recital/variety show at the end of the term. Students will be cast in scenes for 2-6 actors. Everyone will get a chance to shine.

Today in Intro to Theater:
We played a variety of team-building and improvisation games then moved on to individual auditions. Next week we will be continuing auditions with script readings.

Today in Intermediate/Advanced Drama:
After a quick warm-up and trying to untangle a knot that had Kjersti doing a flip (ask your child), we moved on to individual auditions. Students were asked to memorize a 1-2 minute audition piece. We didn't get through all of them, but I was very impressed with the quality and imagination of the performances today. Next week we'll finish the last 6 individual auditions and move on to cold readings from the scripts.

Cold reading:  a reading aloud from a script or other text without any rehearsal, practice, or study in advance. 

Note: Performance dates are December 14, 15, 16. Make sure you have these dates free!

Updates Galore!

Hello lovely AAPAC families, we have some updates, exciting information about our upcoming Lion King production, and important details for our intermediate/advanced theatre students!

1. Our Lion King t-shirts, which I must admit are adorable, must be pre-ordered by this Friday, May 25th.

2. Flyers! Yes, that's right, we have some flyers for the students to pass out to their friends! (limited supply though, so let the front desk know and we can send you some more!)

3. On the note of flyers, every family should be receiving informational papers, regarding performance dates, rehearsals, and costumes, but they are also now up, and easily downloadable, through our website.

4. Speaking of the performance, although Memorial day is this coming Monday, May 28, and all classes are cancelled, we do have an optional rehearsal for all animal dancers/drama students occurring from 3-5pm! So, if applicable, please come!

5. Last, but not least, Hyenas, in intermediate/advanced drama, you MUST practice your lines and body language before next class! We don't want to put anyone on the "naughty list" now do we?

Well, there you have it, all the updates for the upcoming week! Thank you ALL for your hard work and dedication to our show/company!

Intro 5/21

Today we worked hard on dances! Elephants and Wildebeest showed off their moves for I Just Can't Wait to Be King. Yay! I can tell they've been practicing. And they, plus the lions, learned a new dance: Busa, which is the party dance at the end. It's a high-energy dance, and they did a phenomenal job of pushing through  to the end.

Hyenas and Lions showed off their battle moves, complete with yips and roars and yelps and growls.

Each student went home with a rehearsal schedule for the next few weeks. Notice that there is an optional rehearsal on Memorial Day from 3-5. I highly recommend students attend if not engaged with family stuff. Also notice that starting in June we have ALL DRAMA STUDENT rehearsals on Mondays and Wednesdays. These are two and three hour rehearsals, so bring water bottles and food, if necessary. This is where we put it all together, so it's really important that everyone be there.

Keep practicing! And have fun!

Intro 5/14

What a full class today! Not only was everyone in attendance, but we also got a lot done. We started by going over exact staging for the confrontation/battle scene at the end. Now that we have a clearer idea of what the other classes are doing, we are better able to picture what the stage will look like. Hyenas and lions should practice their battle movements and sounds.

During the second half of class, Emily E. (tap instructor) came in and finished up the choreography for I Just Can't Wait to be King. Elephants and Wildebeest should make sure they have all the moves down by next week because then they're learning a new dance along with the lions: the Finale.

At the same time, Michelle took the group of buzzards and hyenas out to practice the music and moves to Be Prepared. Keep working on that, guys!

Next week will be our last class with just Intro students. In June we start our All-Drama-Students rehearsal schedule. So, now is the time to make sure all lines, music, cues, blocking, and choreography are fully memorized.

Please note that the Academy is closed for Memorial day, but we will have an optional drama rehearsal on that day. Please join us if you don't have family plans.

And one more thing: all drama students are welcome to attend Michelle's vocal class from 6-7pm on Mondays, directly following Intro. It's an extra, free class to work on songs. It's a lot of fun and a good opportunity for younger students to get to know students in higher level classes before we're all thrust together for All-Drama-Students rehearsals.

Okay, that's it. For now.

First Friday!

As the sun begins to make its, most welcomed, appearance back into our lives, we mustn’t forget that along with the ever coveted “swimsuit season”, we have AAPAC’s summer classes and workshops to look forward to as well! So, please join us for a fun night full of good music, food, and laughs on the next Silverton First Friday; June 1^st, 2012. Included in the festivities will be a list of all the new classes, and exciting summer workshops, like “Triple Threat Performers”!  So, everyone of the family is welcome to join in! See you there!

Circle of Life Rehearsal

We are coming down to last month before the show and that means extra things going on. I have an oppurtunity for the kids that I am hoping that everyone takes advantage of. I am opening the vocal performance class up and we will be strictly rehearsing Lion King from now on. This coming Monday we are scheduled to rehearse "Circle of Life" and we will be giving some stage directions with this song practice (Teacher Penny is coming in to help). It is not mandatory, but it would be extremly helpful for everyone if they could attend. We will be including all drama classes, so I am encouraging everyone to take advantage of this. It should be fun, and great to have the extra practice.

Intro 5/7

Busy, busy day! We finished up watching videos of each of the animals and really fine-tuned the movements and sounds. Michelle came into class and worked on the music for Be Prepared. Next week we start on the dance...be ready hyenas and buzzards.

Emily Eikleberry (Tap and Zumba instructor) came in and began choreography for I Just Can't Wait to be King. We'll finish up next week. So, elephants and wildebeest, make sure you have the first part down by next week. Practice with the music.

Until next week...enjoy the sunshine! Practice outside!

Intro 4/30

This was our last class in April, which means we only have the 4 more May classes before June hits and all the drama classes start rehearsing together. Yikes! Today was also the deadline for memorization of all lines, cues, and songs. So for those few who aren't quite there yet, make that a priority this week so that we can use the May classes for fine-tuning rather than scrambling to catch up. We still have dances to learn!

Today, we did what all good actors do. We researched our characters. We watched nature videos of African animals and worked more on how to translate their movements to human bodies. As a class, we did elephants, wildebeest, and buzzards. Next week we'll continue this exercise with lions and hyenas.

For homework, I've asked each student to find out something they don't already know about their animal and bring that bit of information to class. It can be anything--habitat, diet, eyesight, range, lifespan, or any fun fact. Use the library, the internet, or any other resources at your fingertips.

Also, students should keep practicing their animal movements so that they feel natural.

Intro 4/23

Today we finished working through every scene. Students should now know what scenes they're in and what they're supposed to be doing/feeling/singing in those scenes. There are a few exceptions--some things we haven't decided on yet. And much of the blocking will become clearer in June when we rehearse with all other drama students.

Don't forget that by next class everyone should have all lines, cues, and songs memorized! This includes understudies. We will be off-book, which means that we no longer use scripts onstage.

Michelle came today and worked with us on Circle of Life again. We're getting there. Students should practice their songs at home with the CD's from Michelle, not the music from the movie. There are differences and we don't want our actors confused. Now is the time to stop singing along to the movie.

Intro 4/16

Today in class we reviewed the song Be Prepared. All hyenas and buzzards should be practicing at home so that next week they know exactly when to sing their parts. We continued through the script, blocking the stampede scene and others.

Students had many opportunities to practice their stage directions--crossing to stage left, entering upstage right, moving downstage, etc. We also practiced keeping our bodies open to the audience. Next week, we'll finish up blocking and work more on songs.

4/9 Intro

Last night we worked on Be Prepared (both singing and acting). When handing out the sheet music, we came up short, so a few students will not get their sheet music until next week. But that shouldn't stop them from practicing! The lyrics are in the script.

Reminder: all lines, lyrics, and cues need to be memorized by April 30th! This includes understudies! Don't wait till the last minute!

Memorizing tips:

• Repetition is the key. Say the lines over and over and over again. Always say lines aloud, not just in your head (that way your mouth might remember when your brain forgets).
• practice with a friend.
• Practice in small chunks of time (10 minutes each day) rather than trying to memorize in one long evening. That never works.
• Make flash cards with your cue line on one side and your line on the other. Friends can quiz you or you can quiz yourself while walking to school, riding the bus, waiting for the toast to pop up. Also, the action of writing the words will help you remember them.
• For songs, listen to them over and over and try to sing along. Get help from parents on pronunciation. Some of the lyrics are very tricky with challenging words.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

This Just In...

Due date for memorization of all lines, cues, and songs: April 3oth!

Intro 4/2

The time has come for us to step it up a notch. Up to this point in the term, we've been playing lots of games that build drama skills--concentration, quick thinking, teamwork, improvisation, risk-taking. We've focused on having fun, building character, and learning the basics without diving too deeply into the script. Now, we will focus most of our energies on working through the script and practicing each scene over and over again.

Once students have mastered the songs, hopefully soon, Marta will come into the class to choreograph the dances. We've got a lot of work ahead of us, but it's so exciting to see the show coming together.

Michelle will visit our class next week to work on Be Prepared, so....be prepared! (I couldn't resist.) Also, next week I will expect everyone to know their part for I Just Can't Wait to be King.

Intro 3/19

Michelle came in today and worked with us on two songs: Circle of Life and I Just Can't Wait to Be King.

We also learned about the parts of the stage and practiced moving upstage, downstage, stage left, stage right, and all the possible variations.

Vocab in today's class:

apron: (forestage) stage area in front of the main curtain.

raked stage: stage that slopes upward away from the audience. Typical of English stages in the Middle Ages and early Modern era.

Have a good spring break and continue working on songs and memorizing cues and scenes!

Intro 3/12

We had a small group today - lots of students absent. I hope it's not another bout of illness going around. I am ready for spring!

Today we spent a good chunk of class time learning how to highlight a script. Some students have done this before, but it's a bit more challenging with a movie script. Not everyone finished highlighting all of their scenes, so students should work on that at home and bring fully highlighted scripts to class next week. Or bring questions if unsure about something.

In some cases, we are adding characters to certain scenes (buzzards to Be Prepared scene), so they won't be listed in the stage directions. In such cases, students should write in what they're supposed to do in that scene (buzzards circle in background) and highlight that. In other cases, the stage directions may refer to "all animals" rather than naming them all.

After the busywork, we blocked the "bowling for buzzards" scene. Next week we'll continue blocking scenes and make sure we all know our stage directions.

Blocking: the process of planning when, where, and how the actors will move about the stage during a performance.

Just a Reminder...

• Parent/teacher conferences: No School = Yes, we have classes today and tomorrow at the Academy!
• Inclement weather policy reminder: If Silver Falls School district cancels school for the day, so will we. If there is already no school that day (I.e. parent/teacher conferences), we will make a judgment call by 2 pm and will send out a mass email. There is snow in the forecast for tomorrow (Tuesday) so please check your emails if you are unsure if there’s class.
• During Spring break (March 24-31) there will be NO “Children’s Classes”. All Fitness & Belly Dancing classes will still be held. Fitness folks, please let us know if you are unable to attend though. If most people will be gone, we may just cancel that class for the week anyway. Thanks!
• Belly Dancing classes begin March 19^th! Emily is coming back from maternity leave! J Beginners class 6-7 pm and Inter/Advanced 7-8 pm.
• There will be No Performance Awards this year. L We did not get enough signed up to bring in a judge, etc. Those who wanted to do it may still have an opportunity to perform their Performance Awards dances for an up coming fundraiser for the Academy. It will more than likely be in early-mid May. More info to come….
• Mosaic class has added a “part 1” class option that ISN’T on Sundays! Now those of you who go to church can have both church and mosaic time! See our flyers posted at the studio for more info.
• PiYo will begin April 3^rd and will take place on Tuesday’s at 6:30-7:30 pm. It is taking place of the current Tuesday Zumba class time.
• YogAdagio is coming soon! YogAdagio is a blending of yoga and dance, specifically slow, flowing movements, similar to a Vinyasa-style yoga flow with elements of dance technique added. It focuses on strength, balance, grace and fluidity and is a nice cross-over training benefiting dancers, yogis, and fitness buffs alike! Taught by Tatiana Sakurai. She will be offering a FREE trial class during spring break on Tuesday, March 27^th at 10-11 am. We haven’t settled on a regular class time yet, so your input is appreciated!

~Marta

Intro 3/5

What a high-spirited class today! We did a lot of work on how each animal walks and runs. I also handed out a sheet that details which animals are in which scenes/songs. There may be a few additions as we move along. Students should keep this sheet in their script binders.

Once again, I didn't get to the lesson on highlighting, so we'll do that first thing next week.

Vocab word that came up in class today:

reprise: (music, other) the repeating of an earlier theme

Intro 2/27

Today we played drama games that focused on emotion, observation, and concentration. For the last half of class, Michelle came in to work with students on the Circle of Life song. The music on the practice CD's does not have the words with it. We will work on the songs in class, so students know where their vocals come in, but they should be listening and practicing at home each week.

Also, don't forget about the movie night this Friday, March 2nd from 6:00 - 7:45pm. We'll watch the Lion King together as a class. Feel free to bring a pillow or blanket for sitting on the floor and a snack to share.

Next week we'll work on character walks, highlighting, and stage directions.

New Class Offered!

We are going to be offering a new class in Vocal Performance starting March 5, 2012. This class will focus on healthy singing and building confidence in using the voice in performance. It is open to ages 7-18.

This class will not be performing in the play, but would be great for Drama students who want help getting ready for their performance. There will be an opportunity for students to perform in a recital in May, if they choose to do so. It will not be a requirement.

Michelle Kurns, our music director, will be the instructor. We are excited to be offering this class to everyone. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us or email the instructor personally at michelle.@musictimeandmore.com

Intro 2/20

Today students got to work in their animal groups improvising scenes from the script. We worked briefly with the concept of character motivation, the thoughts and feelings driving characters to do what they do.

If students are still a little fuzzy on what scenes and songs they are a part of, don't worry. In some cases, we haven't nailed down which animals will be in the background of a certain scene. That will come soon. I will print up a sheet for students to put in their script binders that details exactly which scenes they are in and what songs they are responsible for learning.

Next week, Michelle, our musical director, will come into class and work with us on the Circle of Life, which everyone sings.

Intro 2/13

Today students received their parts. There was much excitement and probably a few broken hearts. It is the reality of theatre. Every role is important. It's up to the actor to make the most of the role. This is going to be a fun show!

Here's the intro cast list (group leader in bold):

Lionesses: Olivia, Maisy

Lion cub/Chaka: Eli

Elephants/Hippos: Jenna, Genna, Natasha

Buzzards: Kjersti, Elijah, Isabelle, Chris

Hyenas: Chase, Charlie, Claire, Noa, Matt-Alex

Wildebeests: Zoe, Ellie, Zephaniah, Amy

Half of the class were awarded understudy roles, which is a big responsibility (often with little reward). Understudies will learn the lines and songs for their roles and be ready to rehearse or perform in that role if the regular actor unable due to illness, injury, etc. We will not be rehearsing understudy roles in class, so students can practice their parts at home, with friends, etc. Of course, I am available for coaching and tips, but we will not devote class time to understudy roles. Here they are:

young Simba: Charlie

young Nala: Claire

Mufasa: Matt-Alex

Sarabi: Olivia

Sarafina: Jenna

Shenzi: Kjersti

Banzai: Chase

Ed: Maisy

Mouse: Ellie

Gopher: Gena

Next week: We'll learn how to highlight scripts and dig into our animal characters!

*****And don't forget to bring a blank CD or pay $2 at reception for us to copy one for you. We start working on songs soon, so it's good if students are familiar with the music*****

Intro Auditions

We finished auditions tonight! Now I will set to work casting--an exciting and dreadful job. Some kids will be elated, some disappointed. I'm sure many students went home tonight disappointed that they didn't get to read for the part(s) they wanted. There is never enough time.

But every student who wanted an understudy role got to read today, though not always for their first choice role. Just because a student didn't read for a part does not mean they're out of the running for that part. It may be that I already know they can do that role and wanted to see if they could stretch themselves a different way.

All in all though, I was so impressed with what the students showed me tonight. Many students had worked hard to prepare and knew the script well. That showed in their auditions.

I mentioned in class that I may post the cast list on this blog if I finish casting before next class, but I will not be doing that. Parts will be announced in class next week!

The only homework is to finish reading the script. And bring a blank CD if you haven't already done so. Music will be done in the next week or two.

A Note from Marta...

The students in the Intro to Theatre level drama class are asked to make it a priority to read the script at home, with the help of parents, gaurdian, or a family member. Before auditions are over and the show is cast, reading the script in its entirety is the first step. All students need to have a clear idea of the story format (order of chain of events), the plot, and knowledge of the characters and their personalities.

Casting for the Intro to Theatre Class should be completed by the end of next week. Once students have received their roles, students (with parents help if needed) will need to go through the script and highlight (with a light color; i.e. yellow, orange, green) stage directions of the scenes where their character is on stage. These notes are typically in brackets {this these}. Most Intro to Theatre students won't have "lines", just stage directions, acting notes and blocking (they will learn all about this in class). They will learn to make notes in their scripts during class as well.

If you have any questions please let me, Lisa Gerlits or Penny Bays know. Thank you for assisting your children in their theatre education! :)

Intro to Theatre 1/30

I was hoping to finish auditions this week, but it didn't happen. There's so much talent, I just need to see more!

Today, students finished their vocal auditions with Michelle (musical director) and did their individual auditions with me...showing off the animal action they practiced at home. I was very impressed with all the wild animals running around my classroom.

Next week we will move on to readings from the script and a couple of group audition activities. We will read scenes from p. 15 (Simba, Nala, Lionesses), p. 26 (Hyenas and Mufasa), and p. 29 (Hyenas). I encourage students to familiarize themselves with these scenes if they are hoping to land an understudy role (or just impress me).

Parts will be announced on Feb. 13th.

Intro to Theatre 1/23

What a fabulous, high-energy class today! We did a lot of bodywork--yoga balance poses and practicing animal movements. Students received their scripts , which they need to bring to every class.

We also began the vocal auditions and did group audition activities. Next week we will concentrate on individual auditions. Here is the breakdown of parts available to Intro students:

5 hyenas

4 buzzards

2 lionesses

1 lion cub/Chaka

4 wildebeests

3 hippo/elephants

These are all ensemble roles with a lot of singing, dancing, and stage time, but no solo lines. However, we will cast some of the Intro students as understudies for the following parts: Banzai, Ed, Shenzi, young Nala, young Simba, Mufasa, Sarabi, Sarafina, Mouse, and Gopher. Understudies will learn lines and songs for these characters but will only perform in the event of an emergency. Understudy parts will be cast in addition to the animal parts above.

Homework:

• Read the script (or as much as possible). Many students may need help from family members.
• Pick one animal from the available parts. Practice that animal's movements and be prepared to perform an action (eating, bathing, hunting, etc.) for auditions next week.

Intro Make up Class

Just wanted to let everyone know that the Intro students are invited to make up the class cancelled due to weather by staying an extra hour after their normal class this coming Monday, January 23rd. This means they would come to class from 5-7 pm. I hope this is convenient for most schedules. If not, contact us for other make up options.

Intro the Theatre 1/9

Looks like we've got another great group in Intro this term! 19 students! We spent our first class getting to know each other, playing a few games, and discussing what the term will look like.

We will be performing the Lion King in June. Roles available for intro kids include hyenas, lions, and various other animals. Intro students will not have solo roles but will have lots of stage time singing and dancing the ensemble numbers.

Next week, students will receive their scripts, which will include the score. The following week we will start auditions. More on that later.

Ensemble

1) A cast of characters, except for the principals. 2) The grouping of the whole stage picture, involving actors and set. 3) The chorus in a musical, sometimes including soloists. 4) Said of acting or a cast in which group interaction and support is more important than individual performances.

Winter/Spring Term Starting!

It is starting! We are excited for the term to start again. We will be working on The Lion King this term. It's not too late to sign up for classes, come and check us out!

http://www.aaperformingartsco.com/