Today we got there and I headed to the Expo again to look through the 1-act plays. If we are going to do a 1-act play festival next year I wanted to have at least some ideas. I ended up buying 3 plays and I really want to do Dancing Solo. It sounds really complicated but I really want do direct it.
Then we went to Starbucks and sat around for a while before heading to The University of Kentucky's campus to see Rock Hill Community Theatre in South Carolina's production of Private Lives. It was entertaining but I don't think I'd ever want to do it. Amber really wanted me to see if it was something I'd be interested in doing it with her. It's a 2 woman show about women. It opened with 2 angels deciding the future of the people on Earth. There were lots of set/costume changes that took too long, in my opinion. The story dragged on too long and I was just ready for it to be over too quickly.
After that we waited over an hour for the shuttle to come, and it didn't. So we walked back in the chilly weather to catch up with Mia and go to a late lunch/early dinner with some people she knew from school at Desha's. That was the entirety of our last day of SETC. We'll head back home tomorrow.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
SETC - Day 2
So we arrived around 9am so we missed our first workshop. So, I camped out right outside of the Warmup Room for the actors and singers. I don't think I laughed so much before! It was hilarious, watching them talk and sing to walls. Not only that but some of them were awful!!
From there I headed to my first workshop of the day, "Michael Checkhov's Imaginary Body". I was sort of hesitant at first because I wasn't sure what it was about or anything but as soon as I got there I was instantly glad I went. We started out doing a very fast but effective warm up. "Form the banana, peel the banana, go bananas, etc." Then we were instructed to do milling & seething until we came into a place in the floor and sit. We were then told to visualize a little 5 year old girl, with green shoes, green overalls, a pink flower, red pigtails, etc. Then we were told to examine her, touch her, smell her, use all our senses. After we had done that, we were told to "unzip" her back and step inside. We then were told to walk around in this persona, aka character, and then we were given scenarios that we were to respond to in this character. We then were told to unzip our backs and step out. Then "hang it on a hanger and put it in our "character closet"". After that we were instructed to create an 80's prom person and a zombie and do the same things with both that we did with the little girl. He compared how we moved to the Wizard of Oz. Linear-Brain-Thinking-Scarecrow (straw, patches etc), Rounded-Chest-Feeling-Tin Man (rounded belly, tin cans etc), Tension-Legs-Willing-Lion (downward energy). It helped to think of characters I've played as these three types and diagnose which felt right with each.
Then we headed to lunch and then to see Lone Star by Shelby High School from Shelby, NC. (woot!) It was about 2 brothers in Lonestar Texas, one, Roy, wanting to get things back to the way they were before he went to Vietnam, and the other, Ray, wants things to move on. Their differences and similiarities were highlighted in this show, especially contrasted to the "dorky" "Cletus". It was better this time around (I saw it the first time at NCTC) In my opinion. Last time I saw it, Cletus was a little less connected to his character and it looked like he had worked on it because he seemed as though he lived that character this time.
We also watched Wiley and the Hairy Man by Woodmont High School in South Carolina. It was about a boy, Wiley, and a fable about the hairy man, a creature that lived in the woods and how Wiley outsmarted him so he left him alone. It was pretty good, the ensemble work was awesome, and the costumes were amazing. The ensemble created the forest, the trees, the insect noises and even the set almost. It was a GREAT display of all of the elements combined into the acting. I loved that with the costumes (that the students created by the way) hid the instruments that they used.
Next we went back to the Expo and I got all the information from all the schools with graduate programs in design and theatre management. After that I headed to the Alpha Psi Omega meeting. I learned a LOT and can't wait to get back and implement the things I learned. (Can't really talk about it though ;) Haha)
After that, we went to dinner then we headed back to the High School shows to see Huntsville High School from Alabama perform Joseph and the Amazing Techni-Color Dream Coat. It was really good, and I thought the student's voices were very good, especially for the level they are performing at. I'd never seen the show before, and it was done in SUCH a great way. The set was just 3 pyramids in the background with lights built in for a cyc feel. The ensemble created the feel for the show. The dances were something that EVERYONE did. There were tons of wigs and costume changes and they were done smoothly and efficiently. I really enjoyed the show.
We then headed back to the Hyatt and waited for Mia.
That concluded our day 2 of SETC.
From there I headed to my first workshop of the day, "Michael Checkhov's Imaginary Body". I was sort of hesitant at first because I wasn't sure what it was about or anything but as soon as I got there I was instantly glad I went. We started out doing a very fast but effective warm up. "Form the banana, peel the banana, go bananas, etc." Then we were instructed to do milling & seething until we came into a place in the floor and sit. We were then told to visualize a little 5 year old girl, with green shoes, green overalls, a pink flower, red pigtails, etc. Then we were told to examine her, touch her, smell her, use all our senses. After we had done that, we were told to "unzip" her back and step inside. We then were told to walk around in this persona, aka character, and then we were given scenarios that we were to respond to in this character. We then were told to unzip our backs and step out. Then "hang it on a hanger and put it in our "character closet"". After that we were instructed to create an 80's prom person and a zombie and do the same things with both that we did with the little girl. He compared how we moved to the Wizard of Oz. Linear-Brain-Thinking-Scarecrow (straw, patches etc), Rounded-Chest-Feeling-Tin Man (rounded belly, tin cans etc), Tension-Legs-Willing-Lion (downward energy). It helped to think of characters I've played as these three types and diagnose which felt right with each.
Then we headed to lunch and then to see Lone Star by Shelby High School from Shelby, NC. (woot!) It was about 2 brothers in Lonestar Texas, one, Roy, wanting to get things back to the way they were before he went to Vietnam, and the other, Ray, wants things to move on. Their differences and similiarities were highlighted in this show, especially contrasted to the "dorky" "Cletus". It was better this time around (I saw it the first time at NCTC) In my opinion. Last time I saw it, Cletus was a little less connected to his character and it looked like he had worked on it because he seemed as though he lived that character this time.
We also watched Wiley and the Hairy Man by Woodmont High School in South Carolina. It was about a boy, Wiley, and a fable about the hairy man, a creature that lived in the woods and how Wiley outsmarted him so he left him alone. It was pretty good, the ensemble work was awesome, and the costumes were amazing. The ensemble created the forest, the trees, the insect noises and even the set almost. It was a GREAT display of all of the elements combined into the acting. I loved that with the costumes (that the students created by the way) hid the instruments that they used.
Next we went back to the Expo and I got all the information from all the schools with graduate programs in design and theatre management. After that I headed to the Alpha Psi Omega meeting. I learned a LOT and can't wait to get back and implement the things I learned. (Can't really talk about it though ;) Haha)
After that, we went to dinner then we headed back to the High School shows to see Huntsville High School from Alabama perform Joseph and the Amazing Techni-Color Dream Coat. It was really good, and I thought the student's voices were very good, especially for the level they are performing at. I'd never seen the show before, and it was done in SUCH a great way. The set was just 3 pyramids in the background with lights built in for a cyc feel. The ensemble created the feel for the show. The dances were something that EVERYONE did. There were tons of wigs and costume changes and they were done smoothly and efficiently. I really enjoyed the show.
We then headed back to the Hyatt and waited for Mia.
That concluded our day 2 of SETC.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
SETC - Day 1
The first day of the 61st Annual SETC events (for me at least--3/4/10) was extremely fun. Arriving at the conference center at 12:45pm we got checked in then headed straight to the High School Play Competition just in time to see Pinecrest High School in Pinecrest, North Carolina perform At the Bottom of Lake Missoula.
After a tornado hits her house, Pam loses her entire family, her life only spared because she decided to leave a day early for college. The 30, or so, minute play follows Pam through her grief and overcoming that hardship. This particular performance was especially innovative. They used flashlights in such a way as to make it more industrial. Using them as spotlights, or for special effects, I'd give them an A+ for creativity. This was actually the second time I had seen this show performed by this group, the first time being at the North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC).
After that show we headed to the Commercial Exhibits and Education Expo. After talking with a man who was extremely touchy and personal at a lighting design booth and exploring the rest of the exhibits we headed to our first workshop of the day.
Walking into the "Movement for the Actor" workshop we instantly felt out of place. Seeing everyone in workout clothing and doing some extreme stretches we decided it wasn't for us, and left.
A quick dinner led us to our next workshop, "Linklater Voice: Body, Breath, Vibration". It was a very nice and a great learning experience. Though we had done a lot of the exercises before, it was still a great workshop to start with. We began with a milling and seething exercise and that lead to a breathing task then added our voice. It was fun but not very challenging as far as learning new things.
Shortly after the workshop ended we were at the next High School show Bake Off by Musselman High School in West Virginia. This extremely short (18 minutes) show was enhanced by projections and the use of a Pillsbury Dough Boy costume! The show opened with a display of the setting up of a Pillsbury baking contest. We soon met the two competitors that the show focused on, shortly after that we learn that the woman (#16) has a hatred for men in the competition (mainly #15) and takes out her anger on the Dough Boy. Needless to say the show ended abruptly with #16 getting banned from the competition. I wasn't a big fan of the show. There was more "spice" than acting.
The next show was Jadem das Seine performed by Spain Park High School in Alabama. This show was both written and directed by Jesse Tilton. Before really knowing what this show was about I was handed a very odd looking program. IT was shaped like a folder and when you looked inside it was laid out like a profile for a criminal or something. It had a mug shot picture, and a few pages stapled in as background info. This story was told from a Nazi scientist/doctor's perspective and was based on the events of the Buchenwald concentration camp. I got goosebumps as the German's herded the prisoners into the camp when they were all screaming and crying. They used a lot of fog and some stage guns with blanks as special effects. They had an amazing use of the stage and their set. I was so impressed with this show. It's the only one I gave a standing ovation, so far.
The last show of the night was a Brief version of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by Gulf Breeze High School in Florida. This cute little musical left you with a happy feeling. Though, I've never seen this show performed before I was informed that they had to cut quite a bit out to fit into the 45 minute time-limit. The vocals were all performed really well and their use of costume was really good. These High Schoolers really looked like elementary school kids. I was impressed with the vocal range of these guys.
So that was a summary of my first day of SETC. Tomorrow's schedule looks even more packed than today was starting at 9am with a workshop on improvisation. Get excited!!
After a tornado hits her house, Pam loses her entire family, her life only spared because she decided to leave a day early for college. The 30, or so, minute play follows Pam through her grief and overcoming that hardship. This particular performance was especially innovative. They used flashlights in such a way as to make it more industrial. Using them as spotlights, or for special effects, I'd give them an A+ for creativity. This was actually the second time I had seen this show performed by this group, the first time being at the North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC).
After that show we headed to the Commercial Exhibits and Education Expo. After talking with a man who was extremely touchy and personal at a lighting design booth and exploring the rest of the exhibits we headed to our first workshop of the day.
Walking into the "Movement for the Actor" workshop we instantly felt out of place. Seeing everyone in workout clothing and doing some extreme stretches we decided it wasn't for us, and left.
A quick dinner led us to our next workshop, "Linklater Voice: Body, Breath, Vibration". It was a very nice and a great learning experience. Though we had done a lot of the exercises before, it was still a great workshop to start with. We began with a milling and seething exercise and that lead to a breathing task then added our voice. It was fun but not very challenging as far as learning new things.
Shortly after the workshop ended we were at the next High School show Bake Off by Musselman High School in West Virginia. This extremely short (18 minutes) show was enhanced by projections and the use of a Pillsbury Dough Boy costume! The show opened with a display of the setting up of a Pillsbury baking contest. We soon met the two competitors that the show focused on, shortly after that we learn that the woman (#16) has a hatred for men in the competition (mainly #15) and takes out her anger on the Dough Boy. Needless to say the show ended abruptly with #16 getting banned from the competition. I wasn't a big fan of the show. There was more "spice" than acting.
The next show was Jadem das Seine performed by Spain Park High School in Alabama. This show was both written and directed by Jesse Tilton. Before really knowing what this show was about I was handed a very odd looking program. IT was shaped like a folder and when you looked inside it was laid out like a profile for a criminal or something. It had a mug shot picture, and a few pages stapled in as background info. This story was told from a Nazi scientist/doctor's perspective and was based on the events of the Buchenwald concentration camp. I got goosebumps as the German's herded the prisoners into the camp when they were all screaming and crying. They used a lot of fog and some stage guns with blanks as special effects. They had an amazing use of the stage and their set. I was so impressed with this show. It's the only one I gave a standing ovation, so far.
The last show of the night was a Brief version of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee by Gulf Breeze High School in Florida. This cute little musical left you with a happy feeling. Though, I've never seen this show performed before I was informed that they had to cut quite a bit out to fit into the 45 minute time-limit. The vocals were all performed really well and their use of costume was really good. These High Schoolers really looked like elementary school kids. I was impressed with the vocal range of these guys.
So that was a summary of my first day of SETC. Tomorrow's schedule looks even more packed than today was starting at 9am with a workshop on improvisation. Get excited!!
Don't Dress for Dinner
Running for two extra performances is the sexy comical number called Don't Dress for Dinner at Foothills Performing Arts in Hudson, NC. Secrets, mistaken identities, hilarious violence, twisted affairs, and girls in lingerie! What more could you want?!Photo Credit: Christy R. Branch
The Story
Don't Dress for Dinner is a comedy with plot twists around every corner written by Marc Camoletti.
At the start you meet Bernard and Jacqueline, a married couple. Jacqueline is going off to spend a weekend with her mother until she hears that her husband's best friend is coming to town. Not only is Robert her husband's best friend, but also her lover. So, she quickly cancels her plans and decides to stay at home. This news sends her husband into a frenzy because after learning of his wife's out of town weekend, he invited his mistress over for a nice weekend alone, using Robert as his alibi. Quickly he informs Robert that he'd have to claim "Suzy" was his girlfriend and Robert agrees. Soon after, Suzette arrives and Robert announces her as his girlfriend, only to horrify his best friend. Apparently, Suzette was hired as the caterer for the weekend for Bernard and SUZANNE, his mistress. So, Robert claims the wrong "Suzy" as his significant other.
This mistake sends the entire crew into panic. Jacqueline because she thought she was Robert's only mistress. Suzanne because she is not addressed as the cook. Robert because he's claiming his niece as his girlfriend. Suzette because she's trusting her cooking to another person. And, Bernard because he created the mess.
Needless to say things begin to boil over and secrets are revealed, maybe even a few you wouldn't expect! You'll just have to come out and see if your guesses are right.
Read more at Answers.com (Don't Dress for Dinner)
Show Dates
Come see this frenzied show on
March 5th & 6th at 8pm
Visit Foothills Performing Arts website for ticket prices and availabilities.
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