Evolution of a Drama Geek

 

Drama is now in our blood and has been since Grace turned 9 years old. Each year since then we have participated with 1-2 productions per year. Unfortunately for this post I couldn't find a photo for her first two productions, The Secret Garden and Willy Wonka. Of course there was also short little skits here and there as well as her almost three year run with a traveling drama ministry group, Acts of Faith. The above picture was her first starring role as medium Alice in Alice in Wonderland. Grace is the one in the middle.

 

Next was Robin Hood and she played the silly daughter of Sherriff Nottingham. This was fun. She Grace got to dress up in very silly attire and basically make a fool of herself on stage.

 

The following year we did a drama camp and she got to play Bagheera in the Jungle Book.

 

The following year we performed one of our favorite plays to do, Aladdin. Of course each and every production seems to be a favorite as it is so hard to pick just one. She was cast as the Genie and had an absolute ball with this character.

 

Last summer I got to join in the fun and together we were wives of the King in the King and I.

 

Last but certainly not list was Grace's crowning in glory being cast Peter Pan. She had so much fun with this character and making it her own.

 

Fall semester will find us performing short comedic Biblical skits to perform during the Christmas recital. Then the spring will be our next big musical. We are considering two very different fun musicals and this year we will let the Cooperative vote on which it will be. I write all of this because every family has some sort of passion that they share and enjoy. Ours just happens to be theatre. Performing comes so naturally to Grace and I love all the backstage stuff. We will continue to perform and watch performances together and share something memorable every single time with every single performance.

Three Plays in Three Days

April and May is performance season around here. Many of you know that last week our Cooperative performed two nights of Peter Pan Jr. and it couldn't have gone better. My daughter has friends from different school districts also performing. This mean looking at a calendar and trying to fit it all in this weekend. It was a whirlwind weekend.

On Thursday we drove to the local high school to watch Footloose. Many people in our community were involved in this production that we knew and wanted to support. Students that had performed with our drama group in the past, the choreographer we worked with while performing The King and I last summer, the stage manager was one of the "wives" with us from the same production and helped me cast Peter Pan Jr., plus a family from the Cooperative went with us to watch. The kids were truly amazing. It was a very difficult production to stage. Many moving parts. In my opinion it was definitely a PG - PG13 kind of show, but still outstanding. Grace loved it!

Friday found my husband and Grace traveling to a town about 40 minutes away to support a close friend that was performing at her church. I didn't get to go this time because I was at home babysitting puppies that were neutered that day. Anywho, Grace and Scott were both exhausted. Scott practically ran in from work, took a shower, and got right back on the road again to take Grace. They didn't even eat dinner till like 10:00 that night after the show. This show was an originally written piece about the Canterbury Tales with a Breakfast Club twist. Both Grace and  Scott thought it was incredible!

Last night we traveled to a different high school in the opposite direction of about 45 minutes to see Little Shop of Horrors. I knew going in to this one that it would be PG13 because I had at least seen the movie years and years ago. The students really were amazing in this production. They embodied the characters so well and their singing voices were spot on. I just couldn't quite get past the morbid storyline and a little too much cursing for my taste. Grace also thought the actors did an incredible job, but she definitely did not like the storyline of this play.

My biggest take away from seeing the productions is that there are a lot of kids in small towns that are incredibly talented. My second thought after watching the two programs - I was very surprised at the choices to perform, especially Little Shop of Horrors in a high school setting. I guess times they are a changing and I have kind of lived in my own little bubble. When choosing a play or musical to perform I always need to keep in mind how this material will be seen through the eyes of our audience. In our case we are a Christian organization so of course I am looking at material with my Biblical worldview glasses on. I certainly won't get on any soapbox here, just stating my opinion.

Grace's favorite hands down was Footloose. Now she wants to see the movie. Considering she will be 16 in a few weeks I don't have a problem with that. The original Footloose movie was a well loved moment from my time as a high school student.

My main point of this post was to point out how much talent is out there amongst all of these students and the fact that I am exhausted after all the traveling and watching. Of course now we have caught the theatre bug all over again after thinking we were done for a few months. After looking there are no good productions on the horizon through the community theatre, etc. for Grace to participate. So instead we are going to search out others to go watch. I might hear the Fox Theatre calling down in Atlanta.

Living in Neverland

 

My title to this blog post really says it all. For the past four months my family and the 35 kids in the picture above have lived, eaten, and breathed the show Peter Pan Jr.  This is truly the best group of kids. I will miss them terribly over the summer break.

 

 

We worked together one day a week for 1 hour and 15 minutes until we got closer to performances dates and then amped it up to a few three hours practices. What they were able to create was really breathtaking. It is always so much fun to watch the students blossom into their characters and see the creation of a story take place on stage for the audience.

 

As always we will be singing the songs for a couple of weeks until the they start to fade away and different lines will be brought up for appropriate situations. (We still do this with all the plays from the past)

 

I try  to let the kids be a part of the process of producing a show as much as possible. This go around students helped with backstage and setting scenes, lighting, construction and deconstruction of the stage, painting the backdrop, and creating props.

 

I also have a lot of help. Women and men that devote countless hours to sound, lighting, stage construction, advice, sewing costumes, selling concessions, videography, photography, and so much more. We even had edible pixie dust for sale.

 

I love watching these kids grow up and go from extras and smaller parts into leading roles. I had a handful of newbies this semester that had never performed in their lives on stage and I am so proud of what they were able to accomplish.

 

I will be so sad when a few age out of the program this year and next year.

 

Our Cooperative continues to grow and bring so many wonderful families!

 

Peter Pan Jr. was so much fun to direct and perform!

 

 

 

Two performances just didn't seem like it was enough!

 

This is one of my favorite pictures of the fairies so far!

 

Chief Tiger Bamboo in all his glory!

 

Thank you so much to all who were involved! I wish I could take credit for the above photos but one of the parents (Nerissa) was gracious enough to send me some and allow me to use them on the blog. You see it is quite hard for the director to take pictures during the performance. I am to focused on following along in the book to prompt actors if needed. Luckily no one needed prompting for either performance.

The Evolution of a Stage

 

If you had asked me five years ago if this would be my life, I probably would have laughed. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be running a Cooperative and certainly not getting ready to direct a big musical and get a stage built.

 

Many man hours have gone into creating something great the kids can enjoy and use for Recital Night and the Peter Pan performances.

 

Words cannot express how thankful I am for the Bean Family, Thomas Family, Laws Family, and my hubby. Saturday found a three of the men constructing a stage 9:00 in the morning until 11:00 that evening. We were back at it again this morning.

 

Tomorrow we actually get to practice on a stage. The kids are going to love it.

 

One week until Recital night and two and half weeks until Peter Pan performances. This went so smoothly I feel like I can breathe again. Hoping for a wonderful practice tomorrow and Friday.

What I Have Missed Over the Past Two Months

As I may have mentioned a couple of times - or like a thousand times - this play has taken over our lives. There are many things me and Grace have missed out on these past two months of intense practices and performances. Yes we have enjoyed our selves and yes it has been a great learning experience, but it is time to get back to our real lives. Here is what I have missed most in no particular order:

1. Home cooked meals - We have eaten more fast food in the past two months than I care to really own up to. Also eating at odd hours. If you must be at the theatre by 6:30 in full makeup and hair then you are eating an early dinner which means by the end of the performance you are again eating a snack around 11:00. I miss cooking and eating better.
2. Exercise - I tried to keep up with exercise in the beginning but then completely lost all focus and determination by the beginning of July. Most of all I miss Zumba class which is a huge stress reliever. I am sure between no exercise and all the fast food I have put back on at least 5 pounds of what I lost with Trim Healthy Mama.
3. Family Time - Let's just say this has been non-existent. Every night me and Grace at the theatre and hubby at the house, tattoo shop or work = no family time. This also includes she your family outside of your immediate family. Both my son and mom and dad have moved to new places during this endeavor of mine and Graces. I felt like I was little help to either of them.
4. Routine or Schedule - Again this is kind of gone as well. If you are a very structured person - like I am - then this can get old real fast. Whatever you need to do needs to be accomplished by a certain time each day so you have plenty of time to eat dinner, get makeup and hair done and then travel time to the theatre. Everything...and I mean everything is scheduled around the play.
5. Rest - We are all so tired. Exhaustion has definitely set in. Sleep patterns are all out of whack due to late nights and sleeping in every morning after a performance. 
6. Dirty House - Housework just hasn't happened. Only the easy daily chores get handled. Deep cleaning is definitely in my future.

Today is our last performance. A matinee which means we are actually home for dinner. It is bittersweet. I really like all the people in the cast and have enjoyed working together as a team to pull off this show. It truly takes everyone working together like a well oiled machine to make the magic happen. Now we go back to the real world. Family, school, Cooperative, and home life. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. Of course a few months of recovery is needed before tackling it again. The King and I will always be a wonderful memory of the something I shared with Grace that we can always look back on with fondness.

Squeal!! It's Showtime!

Last night waiting backstage to go on

 

After 2 1/2 months of long hours and grueling practices the time has finally arrived. Tonight we perform for our first real audience. We are ready. This will be my first time since childhood performing anything. Of course by this point Grace is an old pro. Also today our local newspaper will have a big article about the production with pictures. From what I understand lots of the seats are already sold for the 8 show run. If you would like to purchase tickets please do so ASAP on their website through the theatre ticket office.

One of our many dress rehearsals

Cast of The King and I

 

This is probably the biggest cast we have performed with in a dramatic production and we didn't even have all the cast present for the picture this night. We are down to less than two weeks from show time.

Our Experience So Far - The King and I

Most of June and just about all of July (in the evenings anyway) we have been spending our time at the local community theatre. Little did I know when I volunteered to be an extra wife how much of my time would be involved with The King and I this summer. Blocking, dancing, singing, memorizing and so on. Participating in a community play is a lot of work and can be very fulfilling, especially if you are already involved with the arts in some fashion. I have made a list of the advantages or special perks for participating in this type of endeavor.

At the top of my list would have to be meeting new people from the community. Four years ago Grace participated in The Wizard of Oz and our experience with the community theatre was good although I didn't get to know the actors or other families that much during the experience. This go around it is completely different. The group of wives consists of 13 women and teenage girls. They are all wonderful in their own individual ways and it is quite fun getting to spend time talking with them during the down times.

Next on my list would be learning and experiencing new skills. As I have mentioned in previous posts I will be taking over the high school drama department at our Cooperative this year and I am gaining a world of hands on experience by being in the musical. That was actually one of the main reasons I agreed to participate. Blocking, choreography, scheduling, costuming, and so much more.

Last but certainly not least is probably one of the most important parts of the whole experience. Getting to spend quality time with my daughter doing something she lives for. Since the age of nine performing has been one of Grace's greatest passions. Now I get to experience what she experiences and share it with her on stage. In that respect it really has been great. We are both wives which means our parts are identical. We can practice together the songs and dances and bounce ideas off of each other. She is so much better than me and I rely on her to remind me blocking, order of scenes, etc. when I get a little frazzled. Performance nights will be something special we can always look back on as time spent together doing something she loves.

 

Small House of Uncle Thomas - the 15 minutes ballet that it our biggest part in the play

 

We also have another intense dancing scene with Western People Funny

 

I hope our friends will come out to support the community theatre and watch a really great performance of the King and I. We have only two more weeks from today until we start a 8 show run.

A Night of Shakespeare

Grace is in the center in the blue

Last night was the long awaited performance of Shakespeare with Creative Christian Cooperative. We always seem to sweat it till the very last minute with getting it all together and the kids always come through with flying colors. I guess most drama productions are like that. We had so many students participating that we had to perform three Shakespeare spoofs (Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet). All were very funny and well received.



I think the guys had just as much fun with this as the girls. After the spoofs we had an intermission then returned to perform Twelfth Night (Grace played the fair Olivia). Every time we have a performance different students shine. Yes, we have students that you can always count on to give 100 percent and are wonderful to watch. I am talking about those students that shine through with a particular part and steal the show. Truly every performance it is a different student. We are so blessed to have so many talented students that enjoy performing and enjoy each others company. Many of these drama students have been together for 4 or 5 years.



In January the high school students will get to perform a musical (Fiddler on the Roof)which is usually their favorite type of play. Surprisingly, Grace decided to take a break next semester and take a stage makeup class. I think all the Shakespearean lines really gave her a run for her money and she just wants to relax this next semester.

Wonderquest Performance Number 7

Each year we travel to the Wonderquest production. Grace has about aged out of the program as most of the audience is younger than herself. But of course us be drama geeks still go. This year was to be a real treat, "Alice in Wonderland". Hubby had the day off and we made it a family day. First the production, then lunch at Olive Garden, then thrift shopping for materials to make costumes.

The theatre is beautiful and small. 

We always love seeing the set design and costumes.

Continuing Education

Being a director of a cooperative means I am constantly learning new things. I am always thinking about what classes we can offer for the next semester. It is almost like I always have to be two step ahead of everyone else in planning. I will be taking over high school drama in the Fall of 2014. Yes, I have assisted and participated in all the drama our theater group has performed for the past 4-5 years. But when I think about taking it completely on myself - well, let's just say I have some learning to do. So off to the library I went to find as many books as possibly to do some studying on performing. 

That is the one thing I truly love about homeschooling my child - the constant influx of education both on her part and mine. Many things I either didn't learn in school or completely forgot about. I get to relearn everything with Grace plus some. 

In January I will be assisting (directing some of the scenes) in Fiddler on the Roof plus teaching an American Girls Book Club with activities, as well as my 4:12 service group which will be expanding to include puppetry and skits to perform at other venues. In the Fall I will be looking at teaching High School Drama (completely on my own), 4:12 service group, God Rods for either high school or elementary, and possibly an introduction to acting/improvisation class. This means lots of studying over the next 6-8 months to prepare.

Everything Eventually Comes to an End

Tonight was our third and final performance of Aladdin. They all did a fabulous job. The end of a run is always bittersweet. I am exhausted and ready for a little break but I will also miss seeing these kids every week. In a couple of weeks we will be wondering what we will do with all our open days. 

G is for Genie

After a semester long of practices tonight was our first performance of Aladdin. Grace was the Genie. She loves this part and costume. Tonight was our first performance of three. All the kids did a great job.

All of the staff decided to join in the fun and dress up too. I do sound for the drama group so that meant I also had to dress up. The clothing is very comfortable but after seeing me in the picture it makes me look a little too chubby. 

Down Memory Lane

Grace in the middle as regular size Alice

Grace as the silly daughter of the sheriff in Robin Hood

Most recent with Grace as Bagheera in Jungle Book.

Theatre has become such a huge part of our lives. We would not know what to do with ourselves if we didn't have a show to prepare for twice a year. Today was the first drama meeting for The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Waiting to hear which part Grace will be playing this time. Yes, we are drama geeks!