February 27th Masters!

Everyone did an excellent job with memorizing their lines last week! Keep up the good work!!

A reminder of motivation to meet all of the deadlines:

If you want one of these potential bad boys, (sword or crown) do the work! 

Speaking of work, the homework for this week is to do thirty four hours of homework around your neighborhood.

:D

Just kidding! Service is always a great idea, but we're not going to require it for this class. :)

The real work for this week will be to memorize your lines that take place in Act 2 scene 2, and Act 3 scene 1 (pages 17-29.)

If you spend an hour on memorization and you still haven't finished with your lines then we will still count it as meeting your goal, however; please don't let that cause you to limit yourself to an hour of memorization time. 

Along with the new lines you will be adding on, make sure to continue running through the lines you memorized last week! It's important that we keep them fresh in our minds! 

If you have any lines you're struggling with because of their length or floweriness of language, please talk to Roxanna, Elena, or myself, and we will see what we can do to help.

This week is the field trip week, so we will be doing Shakespeare at the beginning of the day. 

We're excited to see you there! 

     Sincerely, some friends of yours.

February 20th Masters Class!

Welcome to Shakespeare!

First, watch this video:

We hope that you will have as much determination as this woman when it comes to this play! Only you have a lot more in store for you than a clothing hanger... ;) 

Since all of next Thursday will be dedicated to play practice there will be a little more homework to do. However, in the future when Shakespeare will only be taking place during Masters then your homework will most likely just be memorizing certain lines.

Assignments(:

• Highlight your parts in a COLORFUL highlight!  Please don't black out the other lines, or anything like that. You will still want complete access to everyone else's lines so that you can follow along! :D
• Memorize your lines and your cues from the beginning of the play until ACT 2, Scene 2 (Page 1-16). This may seem intimidating, but don't worry! Most of you will only have lines in one scene in that grouping of scenes, and only some of you will have lines in 2 scenes.
  
  Every week that you memorize your assigned lines by the deadline you will get a prize! AND if you decide to be amazing and memorize your lines early, before or by March 26th, then you will get an even bigger and better prize! That gives you over a month, so let's get poppin'!
• Next you will need to fill out a character analysis. Print and fill this out. Make sure to bring it to class to share with us, and have fun with it! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hYG6LY9qEjiwvbsBwyVPCe3Wt_VmXLe-/view?usp=sharing
• Be prepared to show us your characters walk and posture! 
• Be thinking of ideas for your costume! We're setting the play during the 1950's because we thought it would be fun to end the Vanguard year by revisiting the decade that we started with.

           

We cannot stress the importance of you having your lines memorized in time. It's incredibly important in order for rehearsals and the performance to run smoothly. You will have the opportunity for one second chance. That means that if you miss the deadline once, we will forgive you. :) But if you miss the deadline a second time we will have to cut lines or swap your character, which isn't going to be a good situation for anyone. Please note that we aren't hoping you will use your second chance simply because it's there. We would love to see everyone meeting the deadlines in time! 

Also please know that you are not limited to only memorizing the lines in the scenes we assign you! In fact, we strongly encourage you to get ahead of the deadlines and memorize all of your lines as soon as possible! (That way you can get the big prize! :)

Tips and Tricks for Memorizing:

• Record yourself saying your cues and lines and replay them as you go about your day or as you're going to sleep. 
• Try writing them down with a pencil after memorizing. It causes a different part of your brain to start working!
• Read one line over and over again, then add on another!

Memorizing lines is a lot easier the sooner you get started. Something that helps me is to set aside a certain amount of time (30 minutes or an hour) where I am going to only focus on memorizing. (No distractions!) You'll be surprised how much you can get through when you focus. :)

Here is the cast list:

Afton - Hermia's Mother (Egeus)
Anneka - Puck/Robin Goodfellow
Caleb - Flute/Thisbe
Chris - Demetrius
Elena - Titania
Eryn - Mustard Seed
Evelyn - Cobweb
Isa - Hermia
Jacob - Snout/Wall
Jaykob - Bottom/Pyramus
Jayson - Lysander
Jefferson - Oberon
Kassie - Snug/Lion
Kensie - Peaseblossom
Kylee - Starveling/Moonshine
Paige - Quince/Prologue
Sam - Theseus
Sarah - Helena
Shaylie - Hippolyta

Good luck with memorizing! I would strongly advise you to not wait until right before class to get started. The sooner you start memorizing the more you can repeat them throughout the week, which means they'll stick better during practice!

See you Thursday!

- Helena and Titania :)

P.S. If you missed the homework last week, and you still don't feel like you understand the play very well then PLEASE go watch the videos from the last blog post. They're short, helpful, and fun.

February 13th Masters Class

Everyone did a wonderful job on their auditions! It made us even more excited to see all of you put your talents together for one big performance! 

One quick note: 

Some of you who stayed later were informed of this, but for those of you who weren't there, or who forgot... the following is important!

On the audition form that we had you fill out we had you tell us if you were okay with a lot of lines. Along with that it is important for us to know what level of dedication you have to memorizing your lines. If you told us you would like a large role, or that you are okay with a lot of lines, but you don't think you will memorize them in time, or this isn't important enough to you for you to put the work and effort in to meet the timelines, then you NEED to email me. Please. :) We're going to have castings posted by next Friday (the day after our next Masters class) which means it's really important that we know how much you can handle as we're assigning roles. 

My email is zlatogriffinkamen@gmail.com  (Don't let the gibberish of my email intimidate you) ;)

Please know that we won't be disappointed in you or think any less of you for deciding you don't have the time for a lot of lines. It's really okay, and we understand that a lot of people are busy or have other reasons behind their actions. We want to make this the best experience we can for you guys, and in order for that to happen we need you to be honest with yourself and then with us. 

Now that we're done with that announcement, let's move on to the fun stuff, shall we? :D 

In order to come to Masters this week you must do the following:

WATCH: https://youtu.be/_HALEIcLFqM

Then.... WATCH: https://youtu.be/AQiSzmvykL0

Our goal is to have you know this play forward and back. It's a lot easier to get into character, memorize lines, and have a fun time when we actually understand what's going on! After watching the videos above, use your knowledge of the play to do one of the following activities and bring it to class to share:

1. Diagram the play with stick figures. 

OR

2. Write a character description for each character. Each description only needs to be 2-3 sentences long.

OR

3. Write a plot summary of the play. 

After you've done one of the top 3 available activities choose a quote from the play that you like and prepare it in a creative and artistic way to show to everyone.

We hope you have a wonderful week!
We'll see you Thursday.

Sincerely,
Some Cool People.

Play Auditions!

Hello fellow actors! (If you think you aren't an actor, you will be in due time;) 

Although being in plays is a lot of fun, it still requires a lot of hard work. In order to be in the play and to come to play practice you will have to do the listed homework that will be assigned for each week. 

Throughout the semester we will put deadlines for when you must have your lines within a certain act or group of scenes memorized. If you consistently fail to meet those deadlines then we will have no choice but to degrade you to a part with less lines.... But none of us want to go through that, so please do your homework! :) 

 Anyways, Now that we've announced the scary stuff, let's get on with the fun stuff! Yay Homework! 

Auditions!!!

For the next two weeks we will be focusing on auditions while we (the directors) work on editing the play. Half of you will be auditioning next week, and the other half will be auditioning the week after that. Side note: Just because you have two weeks till your turn doesn't mean you should wait two weeks to prepare! 

Auditions for week one, January 30th:             

• Shaylee
• Eryn
• Jaykob F
• Afton
• Kenzi
• Jayson
• Jefferson
• Kylee
• Caleb

Auditions for week two, February 6th: 

• Cassie
• Paige
• Anneka
• Sam
• Evelyn 
• Jacob H
• Chris
• Isa

What You Will Need:

1. You will need to have a monologue memorized and ready to perform. It can be anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, but it cannot fall outside of those time lines. It can be taken from a Shakespeare play, a movie, or a book. 
2. You will need to have a story to tell. It can be a story from personal experience, a short fairy tale, a joke, or anything else that you think will qualify. Same time lines as the monologue. 30 seconds to 3 minutes. 
3. You will need to have at least 30 seconds of a song to sing for us, but no more than 90 seconds! We aren't performing a musical, but there are a few characters who might sing a little bit throughout the play. Part of the reason why we have you sing is because it is a completely differently ball game from speaking, and it will help us to see how wide your comfort zone is when it comes to performance. 

During the Auditions we will have the movie of A Midsummer Night's Dream playing, and we will take you one by one for your audition. 

Good luck! You'll do great! 

Sincerely, 

Your Student Directors 

Updated Rehearsal Schedule & Performance Details

Remember, no practice this Saturday due to the final speech and debate tournament tomorrow

May (Blue is practice, Red is dress rehearsal/performance)May 2018

No.	Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
18			1	2	3	4	5
19	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
20	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
21	20	21	22	23	24	25	26
22	27	28	29	30	31

Arrive 15 minutes BEFORE start time listed. The time on the calendar is when we need to begin. Bring a lunch each time. These final practices are long, and food keeps our energy up!

Next week
Tuesday, May 1^st        10:00-2:00 location @ the Brown's
Thursday, May 3^rd      10:00-2:00 location @ the Mauer's
Saturday, May 5^th       11:00-3:00 location @ the Brown's (All props and costumes
need to be complete and present at this)

Week before the play
Tuesday, May 8^th        10:00-2:00 location @ the Payson Memorial Park stage (where we will really practice PROJECTING!)
Thursday, May 10^th     10:00-2:00 location @ the Brown's
Friday, May 11th           10:00-2:00 location @ the Brown's

WEEKEND BREAK (Rest well, stay healthy!)

Week of the play
Monday, May 14th        10:00-2:00 location @ the Brown's (Practice could be made longer if needed. Know your stuff peoples!)
Tuesday, May 15th        10:00-10:00 p.m. @ Peteetneet DRESS REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE
Wednesday, May 16th   1:00-10:00 p.m. @ the Mauer's, then Peteetneet for DRESS REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE

NO ACTOR leaves Peteetneet once we're there. Please call for help from a family member if you forget something vital. Performance time is 7 p.m. both nights.

May 15^th details – Be at Peteetneet by 9:45 a.m., figure out the details of how to use the stage, exits, where to put props, costume changes, how to use their sound/stereo, lights, set up chairs, etc. Full dress rehearsal. Have moms bring lunch. Around 5 or 5:30 eat dinner (will probably pick up pizzas).

May 16^th details - Be at THE MAUER'S @ 1 pm for costuming, stage make-up and transporting props, etc. In cars headed to Peteetneet by 3:30 (On Wednesday our rental doesn't begin until 4 pm so we need to prep beforehand at Sister Mauer's and then hurry!).

Elite Speech and Debate students – on Wednesday just arrive as soon as you can after your final class with Mr Martineau ends. In fact, invite him to the play! We know this is your last class of the year so we're not asking you to leave it early, but please make arrangements with one another and carpool over quickly once you've had a chance to say your good-byes. We need you there as soon as you can. Costumes and make-up will need to be done extremely quickly once you arrive so plan accordingly.

Jobs
For Moms, Dads or older siblings (14 or older)

1. Moms – can some of you bring us lunch on Tuesday, our longest day? Food at 12:30 would be great. Please let us know which of you can help and plan together.
2. Moms - we need a few drivers to carpool kids from the Mauer's on Wednesday to Peteetneet. Our van will be very loaded with props and the majority of the kids with licenses will be at Speech and Debate.
3. We will need someone manning the lights AND another person for the sound system and need them available Tuesday AND Wednesday. Tuesday from 10 a.m. on and Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. on. Let us know if you have someone in mind for us to consider.
4. We need an adult who can collect money Tuesday and Wednesday from 6:15-7:15 p.m.

EveryoneWe can use everyone's help putting away the chairs and cleaning. We need to remove ALL props and costumes since we are not able to keep them there even from Tuesday to Wednesday.

Cost
Since there is a cost for the building we will charge for tickets but not for immediate family of the Shakespeare cast; for everyone else we're thinking $2/person, $10/ family, $20/ward's youth group. Let your family, friends and young women's and men's groups know. This is their chance to support you!

AddressPeteetneet 10 North 600 East, Payson, Utah 84651
The parking lot is very small so most people will need to park on the street. Enter through the doors on the west.

Concessions – not sure if we are doing anything with this yet. We absolutely do not want a noisy audience nor a major clean-up afterwards.

Play Practice Rehearsal Schedule

Our performance is in 24 days!!!
We are performing Thursday, May 10th and Friday, May 11th at 7 p.m.
Locations will be updated as they are determined. 

We want to begin at the start time of practices. Remember, EARLY is on time, ON TIME means we run a little late. Please be early.

Rehearsal Schedule
    Blue is a practice day
    Orange is a dress rehearsal day
    Red is a dress rehearsal AND performance day

April

April 2018

No.	Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
14	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
15	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
16	15	66	17	18	19	20	21
17	22	23	24	25	26	27	28
18	29	30

May

May 2018

No.	Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
18			1	2	3	4	5
19	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
20	13	14	15	16	17	18	19
21	20	21	22	23	24	25	26
22	27	28	29	30	31

This week
Thursday, April 19th    8:00 sharp- 10:00 a.m. at the Brown's

Saturday, April 21st     10:00 sharp - 2:00 p.m. location TBD

In one week

Thursday, April 26th    8:00 sharp-10:00 a.m. at the Martin's

Saturday, April 28th    11:00 sharp - 3:00 p.m. location TBD

In two weeks

Tuesday, May 1st        10:00-2:00 location TBD

Thursday, May 3rd      10:00-2:00 location TBD

Saturday, May 5th       11:00-4:00 location TBD

In three weeks (Performance week)

Monday, May 7th        10:00-2:00 location TBD

Tuesday, May 8th        10:00-2:00 location TBD

Wednesday, May 9th 4:00-6:00   DRESS REHEARSAL

Thursday, May 10th  3:00-9:00   DRESS REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE

Friday, May 11th       3:00-9:00   DRESS REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE

April 12 - ALL of play memorized

We need to be off script for the ENTIRE play this week. We will work on Act 5 and then as much of Acts 1-4 as we have time for this Thursday and then Saturday we will try to go through the whole play start to finish.  You need all your lines memorized. NO SCRIPTS.  Practice in the mirror, with a tape recording, with family members. Practice until you can nearly say it in your sleep. Repetition, repetition. Ask a parent to honestly tell you what you need to work on and have them help you.
    Also, every Saturday from now on is play practice.

We've talked about this many times but remember that truly memorizing comes in stages:

• Getting comfortable with saying the words, pronouncing them correctly.
• Getting good inflection in your voice - making it sound interesting, speaking clearly and precisely, pausing when needed, but no hesitation otherwise.
• Remembering the cue (line) right before yours so you know when it's your turn to speak.
• Knowing your lines so well you have confidence and can have fun. Way less stress this way!!
• Facial expressions, body language, actions, feeling like you are "in character." If your character is "Sam," don't play the part of Sam, BE Sam!
• Have fun with it! When you enjoy what you're doing, the audience has more fun too.