District and Area Honors

Regionals is April 19 at Allen Theatre on the Tech Campus
At Area - Molly Moore Best Actress and Jared Moore Best Actor
Honorable Mention - Zach Sparkman and Allison Simpson
All Star - Graham Nelson and Ty Webb
Best Stage Manager - Alyssa House
Best All Around Tech Team - Lane Tyson, Cole Nelson, Cody Berryman, Kayla Casali, and Alyssa House.
At District, Jared Moore received Best Actor
Best All around crew
Honorable Mention - Blake Rigby, Ty Webb
All Star Cast - Molly Moore and Graham Nelson

Ray Newberg's Tips

·                 What is the message of the show?

·                 We have to see the ideas.

·                 The audience must have a sense of pain.

·                 Who is the story about?  

·                 Physical Style – Commit to one and be consistent

·                 Each person must carry out his/her own physicality.  For example, several characters have strong character choices, movement, habits, etc.  Therefore those of you who are just teens on stage will not look equal in the eyes of the judge or audience.

·                 You must be thinking actors.  Stay in character. If you are doing people noises during the show, they must be that character’s murmurs, opinions.

·                 Characters must have purpose and poise. Form matters. Sit and stand up straight (this was the 30’s), unless circumstances prevent you.

·                 Must see all faces.   Keep hats on the back of your head.

·                 People noises are important.  We saw that Saturday.  Plays were flat without them.

·                 Open up to the audience – no profile speaking.

·                 Where are the discovery moments?  Where your character discovers something about the plot, an actor, the conflict,etc.?  All scenes must have those.

·                 Don’t anticipate.

·                 We MUST see the Valleys and Mountains of the show.  Think about each scene.

·                 There must be VISIBLE and AUDIBLE levels of emotion with each character in each scene. If you have read this, please text or comment on the blog (2 grades).  Using one of the suggestions in Ray Newberg's critique, tell me how you are going to instill "heart" in that scene.

·                 Make a commitment to singing and dancing – no halfway effort.

·                 We must see the relationships.  Find some humor in each scene and within your character.

·                 We must have stage business for each character.  No one is doing too much.  SO, I want to see stuff on stage. I do not want people just sitting or staring.

·                 Add layers to your character.

·                 Don’t give your character away from the beginning.

·                 The audience must see tensions mount.

·                 Don’t lose volume.  The judge said that we have a dead space US.

·                 We need more coughing, etc in the welfare scene.

·                 You must be thinking actors.

·                 BE FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU ARE DOING.

·                 PUNCTUATE THE moments. Put one in each scene.

·                 Build the tension in each scene.

·                 Give your character a reason to fight.

·                 Don’t yell.  Words are enough.

·                 We need to see your emotions from the top of  your head to the bottom of your toes. Don’t be a shoulders up actor.

·                 What are the issues that affect your character?  What has happened to that character to make him/her act this way?  What happened to the character that day (scene)?  How would you act if you were that character?

·                 What are the relationships?  Where did you meet the other charactersf? What is your history.  You must know your character.

·                 Must see internal moments.

·                 If you have read this, tell me what you can do to add knowing glances in the show or see where you think? Test grade

·                 Take time with memories.

·                 Use knowing glances.

·                 Each character must have something to feed off the others.

·                 Work on dialects.

·                 We need to see you think on stage.

·                 Where and when does the chink in the armor begin to crack.

April 16

April 16, 2012 –Front and Back

·         Shallowater - The American Clock

·         Mineral Wells - The Beggar's Opera

·         Perryton - Crimes of the Heart

·         Seminole - Mariner

·         Hillsboro - Mother Courage and Her Children

·         Andrews - Nevermore!

Lights - Lane	·         Raise lights in the beginning until we get to the first crisis – the bar. ·         Have a light on the hop scotchers, then on Sidney’s house. ·         At the end, everyone is frozen. Robertson looks at them with a satisfied expression. HE looks at his watch, whistles, tip his hat and winks at the audience. Cody plays the last notes. ·         Can we isolate Robertson at the beginning and at the end with a light? ·         Lighting was great on He Said She Said dance. ·         Don’t turn the lights on the welfare scene until the Sidney scene is over. ·         After Moe and Rose hug, bring the lights down completely – not a cross fade, then start music and lights on the ending.
Lights - Cole	·         Calcutta lights must start simultaneously ·         Use a blue wash at the beginning and at the end.
Music	·         LOUDER ON THE FOLLOWING SONGS ·         Million Dollar Baby ·         Fidgety Feet ·         Shim Me Sha Wobble ·         The last song is divided into two parts. Do Cherries as you usually do. At the end, everyone is frozen. Robertson looks at them with a satisfied expression. HE looks at his watch, whistles, tip his hat and winks at the audience. Cody plays the last notes. ·         Shim Me Sha Wobble – the first time was late. It needs to start that scene in a hurry. ·
Lee	·         LOUDER on your first song.  Watch posture, keep head up and SMILE. You have to look comfortable. ·         More energy at the beginning. ·         It Don’t Mean a Thing – dance with Edie, make more of a  point to look through the records. Hold one up high to look at it.
Robertson	·         People freeze at the beginning. Look at them for a second. Look at watch, tip your hat and say your line. ·         At the end, everyone is frozen. Look at them with a satisfied expression. Look at your watch, whistle, tip your hat and wink at the audience. Cody plays the last notes. ·         Good job tipping your hat to Lee as he crosses to Edie’s.
Rose	·         Bracelet? Broom?
Maid Maria	·         Remove feathered flowers from the house.
Lee and Edie	·         After pawn scene, meet BEHIND the trunks – out of the light.
Grandpa	·         Amazing job yesterday! ·         Thanks for moving the chair before you danced.
Fowler	·         Louder and work on diction.
Moe	·         Good job thinking on your feet and getting the chair for your scene with Lee. ·         Watch diction on the line with rooming house in the welfare scene. ·         He don’t believe in anything. – look at Lee
Lee and Moe	·         Lee – walk past Moe. Let Moe clutch Lee’s right arm and asks for money.  Lee crosses in front of Moe when he is going to go back to the house for a dollar.
Fanny and Doris boy	·         I liked you sitting rather than standing in welfare scene.
Toland & Sidney	·         Watch diction as the cab driver.  The “used ta” line – say the line, beat, then cross.
Everyone	·         In the red circle, keep shushing. Use bigger hand gestures. ·         On Wednesday, be in my room at 5:15.  We will go to the orientation and our official rehearsal begins at 6:40.  We will rehearse for one hour, then go to Rosa’s for dinner. ·         Thursday, be in my room by 9:00AM.  We will apply makeup and put on costumes, then leave here at 11. We will eat before we reach the Civic Center. The directors’ meeting is at noon. Bring washrags, towels, etc, plus dress clothes.  Lunch and dinner will be furnished. It will be a long day, so rest. ·         IF you have read this, give me one idea for tightening the show. GRADE
Fanny Lucille	·         When you slap the fly, brush it off the table. Lucille, react to the dead fly.
Irene	·         A crescendo when you have the mattress, pots and pans line.

Two days before area

April 9, 2012

Public performance Sunday, April 15 at 3PM

Clarence & Robertson	Move upstage about one foot.
EVERYONE	Bring the maid back. Sidney – go back to writing music. Pay attention to whoever is talking. RELATIONSHIPS – Judges have said this; I have said this; Mark said it tonight. WORK ON THIS. Mark needed this for the characters to be believable. Move slowly when Robertson, Lee and Irene are saying the believed lines. Don’t freeze. Set up the welfare scene as quickly and as silently as you strike it. In the welfare scene, balance the stage by being on the other side – stage right of Lee and Moe.           CIRCLE from yesterday’s notes -·         We have to clean up transitions. Know where you are going and where you have been. We need stronger entrances and exits. End  the scene before you go on to the next. ·         Clean up the dialect.  This is up to each one of you. Practice over the three-day break. ·         Red Circle walk – Make stronger choices, especially Lee. Lee, you need to be big. Move with the beat, but make it slower motion. Rose and Moe make gestures fitting your character; Irene & another character – try to give him pamphlets; Rian – hold out a clipboard for him to try to reach. Others – hold out dollar bills to him. Walk off as characters.  JARED, you want to get out, but there is a force field preventing you from getting away – Yes, I am reading Hunger Games. We need to see you get progressively worn down. If you have read this, text or answer on the blog. Tell me something that you will do differently for rehearsal Wednesday at 8PM.  We will do a speed through.
Dancers	WE NEED NOISES – laughter, excited squeals, etc.IN EVERY DANCE
Lights The Baums & others in the family scene	Move the phone DSR.  Move Lee almost DSC on the stool. Everyone look at Moe on the phone. Work on this in class Tuesday.
Robertson	At the beginning, don’t look startled – my fault Cross faster and say your line about crap table sooner. On one knee when talking about selling stocks
Lawrence	Say Livermore’s line early and big.
Moe	Phone call louder Toast with the left hand. Have a newspaper with your coffee. When you walk in ask – you cryin BIGGER – He’s not happy
Lee	Up to 29 LOUDER Keep your head up more – especially during the first pawn shop scene and when saying Herbert Hoover. React BIGGER to your dad asking for money. He Loves She Loves – You just happen to be thinking about your mom. Be paranoid. Keep watching over your shoulder for Ryan.
Edie and Lee	Cross behind the trunk and keep walking off.
Lights	We will work on those Tuesday.
Fowler	Watch and react to what is happening in the Quinn scene and in the welfare scene.
Fanny	Lower your voice Bigger
Edie and Lee	Faster scene – Step on lines.
Moe and Rose	React to the knocking and buzzer
Music	Last buzzer needs to interrupt Moe’s I’m tryin.
Rose	Broom – I know you have a lot of stuff – but be prepared. Sigh about the music You were monotone tonight We need to see you get progressively worn down.
Graham	Organizer
Edie	Louder More people noises when dancing Be more stern telling him to leave.
Sidney and Paige	This is getting anticipated. Each line should be a new thought and we should see the thoughts.
Banks/Clarence	Hit consonants Be more shaken up when describing Randolph
Graham	I’m resigning – show hesitation. People noises breaking up the fight.