Saturday, February 14, 2009

Super-Massive-Double-Deluxe-Post!

Well, I feel like I haven't posted anything in a very long time, so I thought for Valentine's Day I would do a big double post made up of two parts: An "Oliver!" installment, and a fun theater survey meme thingy (no one ever makes theater surveys! I was so excited to see it!)

Okay. Here goes...

Last week's rehearsals were somewhat hectic. And with the fact that we only have TWO rehearsal weeks left (that's including hell-week) has been looming over our heads. Since we have blocked the entire show, HDT used this past week as a "polishing week" so to speak. Instead of running through the acts or the show, he just scheduled three scene's per day and we would just work through the problems of those scenes, one at a time.

However, even though ideally this sounds like an incredibly convenient idea, it only works effectively if the people who are in those scenes show up when they are supposed to. And it just so happens that Dickon (who you may remember is playing Mr. Bumble) was absent from rehearsal two days this past week, both of which being days that we were doing scenes he is in. Pas bon, tres tres pas bon. On Wednesday at our last official music rehearsal, Maestra mentioned that the next time we will be doing music will be during the Run of Act I on the Monday we get back from our week-long vacation. I asked Dickon if he would be there that day and he said he had work on Mondays and Thursdays, so no. I asked him if there was any way he could get around it and he said "I already asked my boss for hell-week off, and he agreed to that, so I don't think he would be too happy about me asking for that week off too." In my head, my next response would have been "Well, how badly do you want to keep your job right now?" but I decided to refrain from saying this out loud.

However, HDT said to him on Friday "Oh, by the way, Dickon? When we come back this week, I need you here. All the time." Dickon then went over to talk to him privately. No one knows what was said or whether he will be there when we have our next rehearsal. We'll see...

I have to say, Dickon has not been the only one with poor attendance these past few weeks. Especially with the music rehearsals. There were so many days when Maestra would want to run through a certain piece but couldn't because none of the people in that piece were there. Aussi pas bon. Mostly because we have no more music rehearsals. At all. Once we get back from the break, it's "Run Act I," "Run Act II," "Run Show" for one week, and then hell-week is all runs of the show (some with costume!)

In fact, I was telling Mr. Brownlow (my dad, in case you forgot) about how poor the attendence has been, and he came up with a rather brilliant solution: What HDT should do is just tell the people that aren't showing up regularly that they are out of the show (wait for it...) Then, before the performances, HDT will write a breif "framing story" about a group of student putting on a production of "Oliver!" It could open with everyone onstage, and HDT shouting "Why isn't anyone showing up? This is awful! This is the last straw! They are out! Okay, let's try a run with the people we've got... Uh, Moi! You play Fagin! Angela! You'll be Mr. Bumble! And... Troy! You'll be Bill Sykes! Ready? Action!" And then the play would commence with mismatched parts and breif jokes about rehearsal and the production process and things like that. We could even get the audience to participate with songs like "Oom Pah Pah" and "It's A Fine Life." It would be a production unlike anything STHS has ever done. Instead of being called "Oliver!" it would be called "STHS Presents 'Oliver!'"

I plan on pitching the idea to HDT when we return from vacation. I wonder what he'll say... haha...

Well, now I shall present to you a fun survey for those who have done a lot of theater things. It's the first one Ive ever seen, and I have to say. I loved it. Enjoy!

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LAST SHOW ADDED TO YOUR RESUME?
Technically I think that would be Steel Magnolias but currently I am working on Oliver!

LAST SHOW YOU AUDITIONED FOR?
Oliver!

LAST SONG YOU USED AT AN AUDITION?
"I Get A Kick Out Of You" from Anything Goes

FAVORITE MUSICAL(s)?
Spring Awakening, Company, Les Miserables, Wonderful Town, and Cabaret

FAVORITE PLAY?
It's a toss-up between Steel Magnolias, A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Dining Room.

FAVORITE ROLE(S) YOU'VE PLAYED, AND FROM WHAT SHOW(S)?
Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret is probably my favorite (but Truvy in Steel Magnolias takes a close second)

FAVORITE ROLE OVERALL THAT I WOULD LOVE TO PLAY?
The list is far too long, but I know it includes Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Baker's Wife in Into the Woods and Eponine in Les Miserables.

SUPERSTITION?
Saying Macbeth in a theater (don't worry, it's not bad luck now. I'm not in a theater...) and having perfect rehearsals during hell-week. If the rehearsals in hell-week aren't hell-ish, something ain't right...

YOUR GOAL IN SHOW BUSINESS?
Either become an Actress (preferably in musical theater) or Playwright.

FAVORITE DIRECTOR YOU HAVE EVER WORKED WITH?
HDT. No contest.

WHAT WAS YOUR VERY FIRST SHOW?
The first show I was ever in was The Wizard of Oz when I was in third grade, but the first show that got me seriously interested in theater was Ruddigore during the summer before sixth grade.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A DANCE SOLO?
Waltzing during the Pineapple song in Cabaret (althought that was with Troy, so maybe it wasn't a solo...)

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A SINGING SOLO?
A couple of solos and duets in "Cabaret," and some duets in "Oliver!"

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THE LAST PERSON TO TAKE A BOW?
Not yet, but I was fourth-to-last in Cabaret (and you have no idea how excited I was about that...)

HAVE YOU BEEN TO NEW YORK?
Dozens of times.

HAVE YOU BEEN TO LA?
Nope

WHAT'S THE SCARIEST PART OF AN AUDITION?
Waiting for the auditioner that goes in right before you...

WHAT'S THE BEST PART OF AN AUDITION?
Once you get into the groove of it, the audition gets fun. But the first few seconds always scare the crap out of me...

NAME A SHOW YOU WOULD NEVER DO AGAIN.
Any of the SmallTown Middle school plays (badly written non-musical versions of "The Secret Garden" and "Beauty and the Beast.")

NAME A SHOW YOU COULD DO FOR YEARS.
Cabaret, The Yeomen of the Guard and probably Les Miserables.

WHAT ARE YOU AUDITIONING FOR NEXT?
H.M.S. Pinafore

DO YOU KEEP IN TOUCH WITH PAST CAST MEMBERS?
Absolutely

HOW IMPORTANT IS GETTING PAID?
Well, right now not terribly, because I've never gotten paid for a show before and I still love doing it. But, I imagine that if I make a career out of this then it would become increasingly more vital...

SOMETHING EMBARRASSING OR UNEXPECTED THAT HAPPENED TO YOU WHILE ON-STAGE?
During Steel Magnolias, I had to wear an absurdly high and uncomfortable pair of heels, and it was terribly obvious while I was onstage that I was not good at walking in them. Also, during the final dress rehearsal for that same production, when the six of us were completely lost with our lines, I tried to get the scene back on track, and then realized I had skipped over a vital piece of information (oops!)

WHO IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PERSON (ON STAGE OR OFF) THAT YOU HAVE EVER WORKED WITH?
Hmm someone who shall remain nameless, but I truly hope that she is never a director's assistant ever again.

EVER BEEN NAKED ONSTAGE?
Nope. The closest I've been to naked onstage was in a leotard for a dance recital.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN KILLED ONSTAGE?
Nope.

BEEN DRUNK ONSTAGE?
Yes! And it is sooooo much fun! (Master of the House scene in Les Miserables, the country bar scene in Footloose and Oom Pah Pah in Oliver!

PLAYED SOMEONE HALF YOUR AGE?
"The Kid" in Wonderful Town (my first time having a line in a show: "Hey Waldo, wait for me!")

PLAYED SOMEONE TWICE YOUR AGE?
I was 60-something as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret, 40-something as Truvy in Steel Magnolias, and now I'm 50-something as Widow Corney in Oliver!

CRIED?
Cabaret and a little bit during Steel Magnolias

FIRED A GUN?
Nope

BEEN DRENCHED?
Nope (?)

BEEN IN A DREAM SEQUENCE?
Nope.

BEEN KISSED?
Oliver

4 comments:

Magdalene6127 said...

You get kissed in Oliver????

Can't wait to see that!

Josie said...

I came across your blog randomly and it's quite entertaining! I myself am a major theatre freak (as we are so fondly called at my school)--we're doing Cabaret right now, in fact!!--and I'll definitely have to take that theatre survey. :-)

It's amazing how you can find people so like yourself in such accidental ways, mais oui?

~Josie

Josie said...

Question: how do you get that different color for your background? I know people can totally customize their backgrounds and put pictures up and such, but I'm not quite that advanced...Just leave me a comment.

~Josie

k. said...

hi!! i'm friends with josie...also a theatre freak! and i saw your blog on her page and checked it out....

can't wait to hear more!