Maeser Drama

Here is the invitation to our Shakespeare Showcase next week (Tuesday the 21st.) Please add your name to the guest list and RSVP how many people will be coming. We want to have plenty of seats set up. Also, if you, or your children, took pictures or videos of the event- either high school or middle school- please email them to social@theroar.biz. We'd like to be able to share them with everyone.

We did it! We managed to break the 5th place curse. Our ensemble scene totally won 2nd place. Hannah Brown placed 3rd in the music competition and we placed 4th overall. I'm so proud of my little chickens.

I have a hard time believing that we are less than a month away from Shakespeare. No, we're not ready, but I am confident that we will be. Our monologues are almost ready. They are so solid that I find myself in awe at the talent of these kids. The scenes are a different story. While I am confident in the abilities of the actors, there is a lot of work left to be done. When it comes to the ensemble scene I am so excited. I realize that the judges might hate what we do, but I don't care. The girls are learning their dances. The boys are starting to understand what is happening. Caleb is brilliant. I LOVE my Lear. He has so much confidence on stage. This kid, from the time he arrived in 7th grade has had his eye on a lead role. Now that he has earned it, he is really living up to the expectation. This risk will stretch these kids more than they ever anticipated.

Here are the links to the instructions Debke:  http://youtu.be/nytHNC1WrNg Khaliji:  http://youtu.be/CWjiR29Im2Q Changes to Khaliji:  http://youtu.be/UOZ97aBdJ6E Saidi- There is a lot to this one so get ready: http://youtu.be/_ipEvqItA1o Saidi Choreography explanation (4 parts): 1)  http://youtu.be/vGZKoY_22XE 2)  http://youtu.be/frgrYh8NQ_Y 3)  http://youtu.be/zSGCeZx60Es 4)  http://youtu.be/si6j1OMeVdo Saidi choreography with music: Regan:  http://youtu.be/RuSTJdnFCkg Girls in 'front' with Regan: http://youtu.be/ BDphMBsFlZI Girls in 'back': http://youtu.be/ jEAZHpqqAF0 The girls need to practice and work on memorizing the choreography - so the last 3 and 4 Saidi ones will be the most important for the girls in the Saidi group to use.

On the first day of Shakespeare rehearsal the girls were given homework packets. A lot of you have since lost yours. NO WORRIES! It is now available on the blog. Woo hoo! Khaliji Saidi Debke Good luck my lovely ladies. Remember to practice at least an hour every day.

It's crazy to think that I've already started working on the Shakespeare competition.  It's not until October, but it always feels like we're pressed for time, so we've started working earlier every year.  I'm really excited to see some chicken grow up (this is Caleb's third year) and to invite some new friends into the Shakespeare family. I never really clarified that anyone who wants to be on the team is on it.  Everyone is in the ensemble scene.  The parts posted on the cast list are all the speaking parts.  We have plenty of work to do. I'm also really excited to be working with the new high school teacher.  McKenzie Pedersen is incredibly talented and extremely knowledgeable.  I'll miss Cam, but I am excited to see what happens in the next chapter.

Shakespeare 2014 casting Ensemble scene King Lear- Caleb Petersen Kent- Hayden Webb Gloucester- Elijah Clark Edmund- Jacob Carr Goneril- Katja Lane Regan- Cathy Gadd Cordelia- Megan Larsen Trio Scenes Macbeth MacDuff- Chase Hernandez Ross- Hannah Brown Malcom- Sasha Baxter Tempest Trinculo- Chris Hernandez Stephano- Nathan Cannon Caliban- Daxton See Monologues Ashlyn Coyle Spencer Webb Andrew Kennington Understudies Ensemble scene Understudy- Ashlyn Coyle Macbeth Understudy- Tara Woodbury Tempest understudy- Slade Sevy Monologues Understudy- Megan Larsen

It's been a rough week for the drama department.  With the announcement of Mr. Cahoon's departure, many of my freshmen are worried about their future in Maeser Drama.  My week has been spent reeling from the announcement that my friend and colleague is moving on in his life, and consoling my freshmen that next year will still be successful.  While I will greatly miss Cam and his brilliance, I wish him nothing but the best in the next chapter of his life. Despite major changes in our department, the show must go on.  It's been exciting to see the first wave of auditions for Shakespeare.  I was blown away by a few surprise auditions.  I've always wished that Shakespeare wrote more parts for women, Now I'm wishing he wrote more power-scenes for women.  I might be doing some gender flips.  I'm so excited to see new people come into the team.

So, It's no secret that this show is outside of the norm.  Not only is it an unusual script for school productions (most schools stick to musicals), but the audience experience is different, there's food, and the students are doing all the work. I am all for providing real-world experiences to students.  I "hire" high school students to work as student directors.  I ask art students to help paint the set.  I get business-savvy students to handle the budget and house management.  This year I went to the extreme. The set was designed by a 9th grader, built by my middle school drama class, and painted by both my class and the same 9th grader.  The kitchen is managed by an outdoor caterer (in accordance with state Health Department guidelines) but completely run by 7th graders.  All the servers are 8th graders.  My house manager who handles all ticket reservations and ushers is a 7th grader. My tech crew is made up of two 8th graders who had never...

Normally, I'd guard these like the dragon in "Harry Potter," but my kids have been so incredible this show I just have to put them out there. *Not Pictured: Andrew Kennington, Tatum Berthold

This production has a lot of firsts.  This is the first dinner theater I've ever done.  This is the first time I've ever reserved tickets before the show.  It's also the first time I might not come in under budget.   I've done a lot of shows in my life, both as an actress and as part of the production staff.  I've been to several dinner theaters.  I've even performed in a few productions, but those were added on to full-functioning restaurants.  Actually running your own food service is difficult.  Permits from the health department, cleaning out a moldy fridge, and pricing out a menu. Reserving tickets creates a new element.  I wasn't sure how it would go, but I think it's going well.  So far we've reserved 15% of our tickets and a third of one show.  (If you're planning on coming to the matinee on the 15th you should probably book those seats now).  It's actually working and things are going good. It just adds another ...

You can now order tickets through our blog!  At the top of the page, click on the link " Reserve Tickets Here " and simply complete the form. Holy Toledo!  Why have I never done this before?

So, we're at the painting stage.  The walls are a sickly shade of brown (which will become our wood base).  I've purchased 13 various shades of browns, grays, greens and reds which will be dry-brushed, glazed, and stippled until it looks like we have a stunning log cabin... I also have 10 rolls of painters tape. I'm in my paint clothes; wish me luck.

Teaching drama is an interesting job.  Teaching middle school drama is an adventurous one. There are three phases to coaching a production (at least for me).  First it's all excitement and experimentation.  Actors get to explore their characters, scripts are welcome at rehearsal, and everybody is just happy to be there.  The second phase is the frustrating one; the one where I start to get mean.  I have to point out flaws in the abilities of my teenagers.  Finally, when the production is ready to go up, I'm nothing but a proud mamma with good things to say. I'm in the middle phase right now, and I hate it. We're at the point where I can feel the time crunch.  I see the days ticking away on the calendar and I know that we are pressed for time.  But I feel like I'm the only one playing a hurry-up offense.  I'm pushing these kids and there's just no response... how do other directors do this? Granted, I reach this point in every prod...

Seriously... we're having a lot of fun

I don't think I've ever done a show this crazy before.  It is filled with puns and inside jokes.  We have a man-beast thing that's actually a character.  Today we had a growling contest at rehearsal. Life is never dull when you coach middle school drama.

We had our first rehearsals this week.  Usually, rehearsals start at the beginning and work through the script.  This production is anything but orthodox.  We've been rehearsing the final scene. Pacing is rough.  I keep forgetting that we're in the early stages.  I need to balance my pacing. We've already started having our own inside jokes.  Teaching John and Ashlyn, and Nathan and McKenzie (Tim and Little Persia) how to be sweet and romantic has been entertaining.  Poor Nathan... I swear he is terrified by McKenzie.  He's going to learn how to snuggle very early in life.  Who says you can't learn from the theatre? Currently, my favorite moment is when Fluffy Souffle find the man she's going to marry (that's all I'm going to say about that).  My favorite character, for now, it totally Tuna (played by Jocelyn Garcia).  Girl knows how to embrace a part.  She is really having fun with her character and taking it to new plac...