A great article about my current show

Blocking

I blocked Standing today.  

I hate blocking.

I think in pictures and all, but the pictures are much different on paper than they are on stage.  And then there's height differences and body types etc.

And sometimes, I can't get the pictures in my head to translate.

I know the blocking will change from what it is now to what it will be in the performance.  But I still want to go into blocking rehearsal tomorrow with some idea of what I'm doing.  Just to give a structure.  So people aren't wandering around aimlessly.  It's always worked for me before...but this time I'm having doubts.  

And I'm worried about this cast trusting me.

Yeah...I think that's the bigger fear.

But the more present fear is the fact that I hate blocking.  The trust one will be more present tomorrow in rehearsal.

What's funny is that in all of my shows, all of them, I have been complimented on my stage pictures.

If only they knew...

It's a GIVEAWAY!!!!

The show I'm working on this summer (Standing Still Standing) is doing a free GIVEAWAY!!!  We're giving away 2 sets of 2 tickets to the premier of Pixar's new movie, UP! for this Tuesday evening!

Scoot your bum over to http://www.SSStanding.blogspot.com for details on how to enter the giveaway and more information about this awesome show!

GOOD LUCK!  :D

Unsatisfied

I'm working on the spring show at BYU right now as an ASM.  My friend Dave asked me to be the ASM for the class and I needed some more credits last semester so I agreed.  Currently, my job is to sit stage right, set props, call 5 scene changes, catch an apple...I think that's actually it.  So far, I've played 4 full games of Phase 10 with my crew (I've won two!) and many games of speed.  We've had a lot of down time.

I am extremely unsatisfied with my experience with this show.  I don't feel creatively stimulated or satisfied.  I was just telling Dave that I need to find something about the show that I love.  There were several things that stood out to me during the reading we first did of the script.  I teared up 3 times!  But now that the show is up on its feet and I am involved in back stage-ness, I've lost any feelings of love that I may have ever had for this show.  I need to find something that I love to make this show a good experience.  I really hate how much I dread going to rehearsal, how useless I feel there, and how unhappy I am when I come home.  I know that you choose your own attitude or whatever, and I've tried to think positively about this show, but I haven't succeeded.  I really need to find one thing, even if it's just one tiny thing, that I love!

The sounds and projections are cool (they're fantastic actually!).  But I can only see like 20% of them, so they don't quite make the show for me.  The lighting is also really cool, but again I can only see very little of it, and from the side of the stage I feel like I'm missing something.  I wish that I could say that I loved the acting, but it's not compelling to me.  (Is it bad that when I'm watching the show, I just want to redirect it??)  

I really just feel like I'm putting in my time, like it's some sort of sentence...What can I find to love in this show? 

Wow...

What a lack of blogging!

I guess it's really obvious that I'm not taking any theatre classes or working on any shows that are creatively satisfying or enlarging for me.  

Sorry.

I'll get right on that.

Enjoy the break, I guess.  ;)

We are really resistant to change - if someone tells us "you should do this" or "you should believe this" we are resistant to it.

However, if we can read a story and vicariously experience something through a story, that's when we are able to experience a change of heart within us and be able to change.

That's why God tells us stories in the scriptures, in the Endowment session, and why General Authorities use stories.

It's why we do theatre.

God is a Director

My testimony is closely tied to my experience in theatre.  Last night I had a realization while watching a dress rehearsal of my latest show, Little Happy Secrets.  I was wondering what my role had been as director.  What had I accomplished?  What good did I do?  I felt very much like I wasn't needed for this project, like much of what was good had come from the actors and the writing, and I was the weak link getting dragged along with the production.  I was feeling pretty down about my role with the show (although the show is fantastic).  

I realized that what I was doing to myself I often do to God.  I get caught up in how "awesome" I am and what I can do "on my own."  My pride gets me in the way from acknowledging the Lord's hand as the director of my life.  I discount Him and give myself the credit, just as I did while watching LHS last night (discounting myself and giving the actors the credit).  

How do I solve this??

From Class

Every time you do theatre, there are restrictions or limitations.  If you look at the restrictions as being censors, then you will get discouraged.  However, if you view those limitations as allowing you to be more creative, the limitations are incredibly freeing!

This idea is especially applicable here at BYU.  There are many restrictions placed on us as theatre practitioners here.  The plays that we do cannot have curse words stronger than hell or damn.  Content wise, we cannot do shows dealing with homosexuality, etc.  These limitations may feel like censorship, but if we shift our paradigm, we can see these limitations as freeing us to focus on other kinds of theatre and do them extremely well.  Or try more experimental work in form and presentation.  

Happiness is...

http://twentypercentchicago.blogspirit.com/about_20_chicago/

Thank you Dave for finding this!!

Seeing Shows

I saw Thoroughly Modern Millie last night at BYU. There's a lot that can be said, positive and not so positive, about the show. Before I move on to that, I have other things I want to articulate first.

I went to the show with some of the members of my cast from Rabbit Hole - Paul and Justine. They totally enjoyed the show and watched with a clean slate, no expectations. Just wide eyed and open. I watched them as I watched the show and realized that my training has made me a critic of almost everything I see. I don't know that I can go into something and watch it without asking questions and seeing the choices that were made and wondering why those choices were made and what other choices could have been made and what was strongest and is the world unified and on and on and on. I don't regret my education or gaining a more critical eye and inquiring mind. But sometimes I wish it had an off switch. I wish I could go in to a show and just enjoy it. I mean, I like thinking and talking about and questioning theatre. But I feel jaded almost. Theatre is supposed to be enjoyable right? - but it's hard to enjoy when I'm thinking all the time. (Heh, story of my life.) So basically, I miss my theatre innocence sometimes.

So. Millie.
There were a lot of great choices made - the chorus was fun, Jimmy, Trevor Graden, Muzzie, and Mrs. Meers were fantastic, the set changes were fun, the comdey was enjoyable, and the pit was fantastic! Jimmy and Millie were cute together, which was really fun. I totally got that it was Millie and Jimmy's story and that came through really nicely. Millie had a great voice, but from sitting on the balcony, I had a difficult time hearing her over the pit in the climatic moments. But, overall, I felt that the pacing was slow and commitment was low and urgency was missing. And I wasn't sure what unified the world. The costumes were unified within themselves. The set was unified within itself. The lights were unified within themselves. But I wasn't sure how they all worked together. Some things seemed to be funny for the sake of seeing funny (ex. a lot of stuff with Mrs. Dorothy). But, I honestly think that a lot of things could be fixed by just picking up the pacing. The show didn't seem to be driving anywhere - it just sort of clopped along not hurrying anywhere (which seemed funny for a show that takes place in NYC about being modern). Had he pacing picked up, the urgency would've followed and the commitment would've followed as well because the actors would've known what they were driving to.

Overall, what unified the world? Hmm...maybe the unity would've helped to tighten things too. If people knew how the world all worked together to be unified, it would've found a rhythm and jive instead of feeling disjointed and slow.

I also don't know that it was right for the DeJong space. The set was minimal, the ensemble was small and the whole space wasn't used as perhaps it could've been. I think this version of the show may've been more appropriate for the Pardoe space.

I did enjoy Millie. These are just the quesitons that I had afterwards. What unified the world and what was it driving to and what was the need to get there?

Come See My Senior Show!

Come see Rabbit Hole - my senior project!!  Tickets are $5 (so cheap!) and the show plays four performances in the Margett's theatre at BYU.

Trust me, this is one show you don't want to miss!!