Marie Murphy Spring Play

Well, all, it’s over.  Almost in the blink of an eye.  I must say, for a show that is dialogue-heavy, this cast has done an incredible job.  The show is totally dependent upon the quality of the acting; there is nowhere to hide on stage.  All 18 actors are on stage almost the entire time–and their energy, timing, and interpretation make the show or break the show.  Congratulations…there were so many compliments as to the quality of the acting, the set, the combination of elements.  It was a striking success.

However, after the final curtain falls, the applause ends, and the party is over, reality sets back in.  A reality without the theatre.  Yes, the daily grind of the work required to pull off a good show may not be missed, but the camaraderie, the laughter, the place of belonging–they’re all suddenly, shockingly absent.  It can be a difficult transition back into this “real” world.  Many of us feel post-play depression.  It’s definitely a “downside” of this business, if there is one.

The upside of a life without theatre is:  there is now time to do MORE theatre!  Audition for a community theatre show.  Or do a theatre summer camp.  Or ask if your church needs help on the drama team.  Even though this one chapter of theatrical life has closed, the next one is just waiting to be written!

Thank you to everyone who helped make this, the seventh play I’ve directed for MMS, one of the most powerful.  Cast:  you are dear to me.  Thank you for making me look good!

Today’s assembly performance was top-notch.  Everyone delivered, with great energy and character.  I think we also gave the audience a lot to think about!!!  I am so very proud of you all.  Great job cast and crew!

Here are some pictures from the show (it’s a slideshow, so be patient!):

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It’s here.  The week of the show.  Lots of hard work going into bringing all the pieces together:  lines, character, blocking, timing, costumes, microphones, props, entrances, lights…  It can seem a bit overwhelming at times.

Cast, how are you feeling?  What do you anticipate about tomorrow and Friday’s performances?

We are knee-deep in the daily grind of producing a play.  This is the time when it becomes apparent that we are very near breaking through to it actually feeling like it’s coming together; but having a list of things needing improvement so long that it sometimes makes it feel like the mountain is too high to ever get over!  It is the time when the work feels like work.  The stumbling through lines, the blanking out, the forgotten blocking, the awkward choices–it all contributes to the forward progress of the show, but it sometimes feels like running in place.

Having done this as much as I have, as a performer and as a director, I know our show is right on pace for a strong finish.  This is the painful stretch of the marathon.  The end is not quite in sight, but the legs are getting tired.

When we get into next week, the adrenalin rush will kick in–with the addition of last minute props and set pieces, microphones, and costumes.  The reality will hit.  But until then–we sweat.

This was one weird week.  Normally, at this point in the rehearsal process, we are pretty clear on blocking and are talking about interpretation of lines and timing.  Well, due to the challenges that this show presents in terms of staging (18 students in student desks onstage all the time), we’ve found that having a concrete plan for the best set arrangement has been elusive.  Who knew that a classroom would be difficult to stage???  The problem occurs when trying to see all members of the class, even the ones who are in back rows.  We’ve finally come up with a plan, and we think it’s the final one!  Yay for having help!  Mrs. Kozak, the tech director, came to Monday’s rehearsal and helped us figure out the best configuration.  So, when we would normally be well past the blocking stage, we’re still reinventing it!

Mrs. Salm, the costume and prop genius, is helping us to determine costumes and looks for our characters.  Those of you who need to bring back your slips of paper to report to her what you have in your own closets–don’t forget!  Costumes help us all get into character.  They’re a great benefit to characterization.

Well, we all need a well-deserved break!  Actors, don’t forget to study your lines and come back from break memorized!  There will be no scripts onstage anymore!!!

Enjoy the sunshine and a bit of rest and come back refreshed and focused!  We have a big job ahead of us!!!!

We’ve done a TON of work on the show in the past two weeks.  We’ve moved permanently into our home on the stage, and our understudies are getting a good workout.  We had tentatively set all the blocking for the show (movement), but then, due to some visual challenges that our stage setup creates (the eye level of the audience is at the actors’ feet, and makes it hard to see cast in the back two rows of classroom seats onstage), I’m experimenting with new seating arrangements and seating directions.  SO, everything we thought we had hammered out may go the way of the do-do bird.  We’ll see.  So far, the cast has been very patient with this process.  I’m hoping that, with the expertise of Ms. Kozak, the technical director, that we might find a good solution soon, so that our blocking can be cemented.

Also, we’re still discussing wording options.  Our cast spent way too much time today discussing contemporary figures who have made public declarations, and then were proven to have been outright lying.  Love to hear everyone’s examples.  Mine was Mark Sanford:  ”I was hiking in the Appalachians.”

Anyhow, I personally, am very excited, tired, and anxious to get meaty with the kids on character and interpretation once lines are memorized after spring break.  Blog on!

Our play was written in 2000, and some of the pop culture references are a bit out of date.     Should we update them?  Are there legal or artistic obligations we have not to?

Some mentions that might need updating:

Limp Bizkit

Dawson’s Creek

Elian Gonzalez

Korn

Marilyn Manson

Ford Excursion

Backstreet Boys

Rob Zombie

Blockbuster Video

The Gap

“You Might As Well Be Walking on the Sun” (Smashmouth)

As part of the preparation process, a good actor will delve into their character’s backstory and psychology and examine how that affects their character in the present action of the play.  Each cast member is required to fill out their character sheet as a means of doing just that.  Actors, your character sheets are due to me by next Monday, March 15th.  Feel free to leave comments here about your process of working on this, as well as any cool discoveries or difficulties you’ve had.

Character Sheet file:  CLICK HERE

Our first week of rehearsal has gone amazingly well.  The cast seems very well fit to their individual roles and seems to understand their emotionality very instinctually.  It seems the challenge of the show is to block (plan the movement) 18 people in one small classroom for the entire time.  I encouraged them to do what they felt was natural; get up and socialize and physicalize as they would if the teacher were not in the room.  However, I must have a lot of very well-behaved kids in the cast, because it was a challenge to get them to move around more–except when it was time for a scuffle…they got right into that!  We were able to walk through the blocking of the entire show in our three rehearsals this week.  We will be nailing down the blocking this next week.  Onward and upward!

A huge “thank you” to every student who auditioned:  for their time, energy, and heart.  If your name does not appear on this cast list, please remember that you are all talented individuals with a ton to offer to the theatrical world.  Keep working on your skills and keep auditioning!

If your name appears on the cast list, you are required to attend tomorrow’s cast meeting after school in Mrs. Roche’s room from 3:30 to 5:00 PM.

Thank you and congratulations to our 2010 Spring Play cast!  Click here for cast list!