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.