**Poster**

Here is Chris’ poster that he made for the show. It’s awesome! I’m so excited!

Wow….

In short: Last rehearsal was quite possibly the best rehearsal I’ve experienced in a long time.

Short story long:
All we really did was just run lines. But I’ve always believed that humor can get a person through any situation.
This play is, at it’s core, a comedy–I want to bring out all of G.L.’s little moments that just bring out the best in each of the characters. Sheila is, without a doubt, the play’s comic relief. And our “Good Golly Miss Molly” is just a riot–I like the fact that she’s trying her absolute best with her and having fun with Sheila’s character.

Last rehearsal proves once again that I have the best cast in the world. (I’m not bragging, I’m speaking the truth).

It was hysterical–I’ve never laughed so hard in any rehearsal I’ve ever directed or acted in–and I’m not even sure why at this point, anymore. It was as if everything we did just made someone laugh. (I’m easily amused, so this isn’t anything new). But it made running through lines, bit by agonizing bit (let’s face it, no one LOVES running lines) and made it an experience that no one really wanted to get away from.

TIP: Humor cures everything–boring things, difficult scenes, tension with your cast–bring in a DVD of a comedian with a related skit, or give your cast lots of sugar and just let them run wild for a while–they’ll feel better and you’ll get a lot of laughs out of it too.

On another note: The most wonderful man in the world gave me a poster that he made to look at for the show–it’s awesome. I’m excited. He’s the best

Stagecraft kids look promising

I am a teaching assistant (T.A.) for the Stagecraft classes at Colby-Sawyer because I wanted time to dedicate myself to make the set for the show (and I wanted an excuse to do stagecraft again haha) and after two classes with these kids they seem really promising. They seem willing to help and want to learn things.

A few of them have had previous on-stage experience and some have had previous technical theatre work or otherwise have done outside work construction, etc. So they’ve got a good base, so I’m pretty stoked.

We’re still not sure if Jerry or Mike will be teaching the rest of the classes, so that’s still up in the air, but either way, it’ll get done!

But aside from the stagecraft kids being cool, my cast is amazing….too amazing for words even. They are just wonderful. They are putting in everything they have….lines are getting down, some early blocking is down.

TIP: Discuss, discuss, discuss. Most rehearsals are all about spitting lines and blocking and moving around and making the scene work. A suggestion for directors, really sit down with your cast and really DISCUSS what each character means to your actors, give them real life things to think about, as their characters. If you want a scene to work, talk about it, and it will come naturally.

Back at CSC….one month to go!

So last semester…ever. Also, there is one month between now and opening night. Scared? No. Worried? Slightly.

But we are trying to hold as many rehearsals as possible….and last night two of the cast members felt comfortable in their roles thus far….so I feel confident so far.

So another rehearsal tonight (Thorton Living Room for those of you who are reading this) at 7:30p.

Past experiences are the best teachers…..

I have just come home from probably the best vacation of my life and I open my school e-mail to discover that our leading lady, playing Jan, had to drop out due to other performing conflicts.

So, while I am quite sad loosing the coolest faculty member from my cast—I was really looking forward to working with Bonnie—I completely agree with her and her decision for dropping out.

However, THIS is the exact reason why I cast an understudy. This is the exact same thing that happened during last springs production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Our actor playing the part of Bottom had to drop out and my director asked me to step in–so I was asked to go from being a fairy and something else to being one of the leading characters.
I think there is nothing more stressful on a director and the actors than to loose a cast member. No matter how big or small.

So let this be a lesson to all student directors out there. CAST UNDERSTUDIES. They are lifesavers on so many levels.

Rehearsals will resume when winter break ends on Sunday at 9pm. Location TBA.

Update in 2008!

I am a senior communications major (with a theatre minor) and for my senior project at Colby-Sawyer College, I am directing a play. G.L. Horton’s ‘The Gender Agenda’ will be produced (by yours truly) and premier on February 29 and March 1. This blog is to document all happenings and other thoughts from myself. As a Comm major, blogs are a important part in reaching web-based audiences and I hope that this will help spread the word about the play and exactly what goes into the process of producing one.

Apparently blogspot.com (Google) deleted my username (my gmail) AND my blog. So everything that has happened before now is lost to the garbage cans of the internet. Brilliant.

So apparently now the blog will document all events happening AFTER winter break.

What’s happened already:
–Auditions posters made and posted
–Auditions held
–Cast is Cast
–Scripts passed out and two rehearsals held

So yeah….that’s what happening now.

The cast is on their very VERY long winter break and I told them to have their lines memorized when they got back. So hopefully they’re all doing that.

More later.

Happy 2008!

~Ashley G!