It's All About the DRAMA!

Monday, August 25, 2008

The Show is On!!

Show week is here! We have had 3 performances, and are happy to report that so far all is going well! Our audiences have been HUGE. (That's a surprise for the first week.)

After my "wardrobe malfunction" on Wednesday night's dress rehearsal, the director decide to change my blocking. YAY! I had been running off stage, taking off my big costume (difficult), climbing the back stairs, putting the box BACK on, (3 person job, including me), changing hats, and then trying to charge down the castle stairs to chase Lefou with my spear. It was like 45 seconds, and I just couldn't make it. Going down the stairs in the costume was almost impossible. I tripped and missed a stair on Weds, which caused my viking helmet to roll off and across the stage. So, there I am... with only my wig cap (aka... pantyhose) on my head. We had an audience of about 100 senior citizens. I'm kinda hoping they couldn't see well enough... ha ha.

NOW... they just have me coming back in from the side with my spear. All I have to do is change hats!! I do a big sneaking walk, and so far it's gotten a big laugh every night. (Pretty sure that's just because the viking helmet is so stinking funny.) As soon as I get some pics, I'll post them!

It's been a wild ride. Lots of work, but fun too. I've decided that as stressful as directing can be... I think I do a much better job being backstage! Next year they've asked me and Steve to be the directors... I feel pretty good about that.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Play practice and practice and practice...

The other half of our summer... rehearsals!!! Every night... 7 to 10, plus Saturday mornings... we are at the auditorium... practice, practice, practice!! Opening night is about 2 weeks away and this is CRUNCH time! After 20 years of being a Drama teacher, I am used to being on the director side of things... me being ON stage is a very different feeling! Usually my stress gets less as the show gets closer because the performers take over... this time, the closer August 21st looms, the bigger the knot in my gut gets! (That's Kaila hanging on Gaston's leg...)

We've got 4 kids plus Mom and Dad in the show. (Sierra isn't playing with us because she is too swamped with high school drill team.) Here we are getting notes from the director.

Steve is cracking up the cast constantly with his portrayal of Gaston. (Kaila at the very top of the chair.)

Kaila is one of the "Silly Girls" who idolizes Gaston. (This is funny to watch because she can't quite hide the fact that it's really just her DAD... ick) I was SO glad to snap this pic! All the SGs take their turn squeezing the biceps, for just a breif second and I was able to get Kaila's squeeze! Nice Guns DAD!

Mom, Jada, Necia & Erika are all playing enchanted objects in the Beast's castle. Jada is the dancing rug... and when she put on her old magic carpet costume and did her dance AS a rug, all the members of the cast and crew actually cheered. She's VERY good at making the rug look like it's alive.

Necia gets to be a plate, (notice Lumiere next to her...)

And doing the plate dance...

Erika is a sugar spoon! (pink shirt, standing) She knows every word to every song! (Wish I did... I have a 4 line solo and I'm still screwing up the words!!) Look at her just singing away!

As of today, we are STILL waiting for our costumes...scary because we have no idea how it's going to be to move in these things. At least I get to wear this ADORABLE viking helmet! (What a flattering photo, eh?)

I'm supposed to be wearing a big box, to make me look like a Wardrobe, and I'm pretty nervous about getting up and down the castle stairs in it. Hopefully someone will get good video footage of the inevitable tumble! (Just kidding, just kidding... knock on wood!) I'm going to have to bribe Natalie to come get some GOOD pics of everyone in costume at our final dress rehearsal in a couple of weeks... then I can post the final results! In the meantime... some of my personal favorites from rehearsals...