Rehearsal Diaries for Blues (10/19-10/21)

If you follow me on twitter, you may have seen that I have been retweeting about a show called Blues by Jerome McDonough. I wanted to document our rehearsals and talk you guys through the process of being in the show. You may almost feel like you are in it with me. Also, for the privacy reasons, I have given all of my cast mates an alias in case they don't want me to say their names.

October 19, 2016

Today was the first day back to school after our break. This means that it was time for rehearsals. We got our roles before the break and we were suppose to memorize our lines, but I will admit, I didn't end up memorizing them.

Our teacher, Mrs. Tana, told us that Derik was going to be the student director and Marleen was the stage manager. Just before we started class, Jayden asked about the attitudes the actors should have with their characters. I don't remember the response, but that was a very insightful question for her to ask as an actor.

We had a read through, and let's just say not everyone had their lines memorized. The majority of the class did, but there were still a few who didn't. Also, we couldn't look at our script for lines. If we didn't know it, we would have to call for line. Frido was the only one allowed to have his script out because he didn't get the script till that day.

We were unable to get through the whole script before the bell rang, but this gave me extra incentive to get my lines memorized. So when I got home, I worked really hard on my lines.

October 20, 2016

I woke up that morning with my lines memorized. I was still a bit iffy with my cues, but at least I knew them.

At the start of class, we set up our set for the first time. And began rehearsing with that. We have these roll out platform blocks in our classroom that are quite cool. they can even be turned into stairs. Tana was telling us about how since the wheel have been used so much that they have gone quite flat. I forget who called them square wheels, but John ended up calling them squeels, which we all thought was very funny.

Since Derik was absent, Tana started blocking the scenes without him. She split us up into different places. Frido, Jayden, Evelyn, and Josh went into the hall, Juan and John went into the back of the shop and Lila, Ellie and me in the front of it.

We ran through our scene quite a few times. Lila is playing Ynez, Ellie is playing Elena, and I am playing Juanita. We were pretty rough, but by the third run through of our scene, I was able to get my lines down pretty well,

Tana took the rest of the cast and blocked some of the other scenes.

October 21, 2016

Before we started rehearsal, Tana had to show us her new hair which is long in the front and short in the back.

Derik had us join the Remind 101 for the show so we can be reminded of deadlines and costume ideas. We also learned that on November 1st we have a tech rehearsal and call is at 5 pm on November 3rd.

Lila, Ellie and I went back into the shop again and went over our lines again. Our scene was going to be rehearsed on Monday.

I started trying some method acting at this point. I later realized that I shouldn't do that.

Now that we are at the end of week two, things have started getting exciting and nerve racking. It's almost show time and all I am going to say is that it will be one heck of a ride.

Sincerely,

Carlee

Instagram: The_Theatre_Corner
Twitter: Theatre_Corner

The Theatre Tag

I was just sitting here thinking, and I thought that you guys might want to know a little more about my theatre background, and part of my love for theatre. So, I looked online for a theatre tag and I think I found a good one. Without further ado, I present The Theatre Tag!

Q: How old were you when you first started doing theatre?

• I was in my first production when I was 7 year old. It was a part of a summer camp at my towns local theatre and my group performed an except from The Wizard of Oz. Though being a part of the Lullaby  League was fun, I didn't pursue theatre for five years after that. The first production that got me into theatre was when I was 12 when I was cast in Aladdin.

Q: Current show(s) you're in?

•  I am currently in a show with my theatre class. We are performing a one act called Blues as a canned food drive.

Q: Have you ever seen any shows on Broadway?

• Unfortunately, I have not. But, I would love to go to New York and see a show on Broadway sometime in the near future.

Q: How many shows have you been in?

• I have performed in 15 shows and worked as a tech in 6.

Q: Favorite musical? Favorite play?

• Musicals: Hamilton (Duh), Shrek, Rent, and Sweeney Todd
• Plays: Twelfth Night and Clue

Q: Favorite role you've ever played?

• My favorite role I have EVER played is probably Pin from CinderOz (an original production). I liked being able to create a voice and a character that was completely different from who I am.

Q: A tip you'd give to new theatre kids?

• Don't expect to get the role the first time. It can take a long before it happens for you. Just stick with it and be patient. It will come. Also, there is always something to learn, so be open to learn something new.

Q: Dream role(s)?

• I would definitely LOVE to either portray Mrs. Lovett from Sweeney Todd or Elphaba from Wicked. Or maybe even both.

Q: Biggest theatre pet peeves?

• I H-A-T-E HATE it when people say good luck instead of break a leg. It takes everything in my not to correct them. Also, it irritates me when my computer says that "theatre" is spelled wrong. It bugs me more than you know.

Q: Favorite improve game?

• I am a sucker for revolver, good advice bad advice, and categories.

Q: Ever have a stage kiss?

• Nope.

Q: What are you're theatre strengths/weaknesses?

• Strengths: memorization and projection
• Weaknesses: Articulation

Q: Do you have a crazy cast party memory?

• I was one of the techs for Seussical the Musical my freshman year of high school. I went to the cast pool party, which was crazy in itself. We ended up pushing everyone in the pool. We also ganged up on the guy who played the cat in the hat.

Q: You're most awkward onstage moment?

• When I was in CinderOz, during our first two performances, our lighting tech had some technical difficulties. Oz and I had to enter with the lights still on when they were supposed to be off.

Q: Most challenging role you've ever played

• Definitely Mrs. White in Clue. I have a lot of sexual lines I had to say and I even had to say one to a women who is usually directing my performances. Let's just say, I was still laughing at my lines during tech week and I couldn't look my director in the eye when I said the line.

Q: Why do you love theatre?

• I love theatre for so many reasons. I love being able to create a character is nothing like who I am. I love the rush I get on stage. But most importantly, I love they people in this family. I love how caring and accepting the people are, and I personally love my theatre family.

Theatre is such an important part of my life, and I love every thing about it.

Sincerely,

Carlee Williamson

Instagram: The_Theatre_Corner
Twitter: Theatre_Corner

Acting Tips: Memorizing Lines

Memorizing is a key part to any on stage performance. Without it, you are left with improvisation, which could make or break a show. I, myself, have a very good memory. I can usually memorize my lines within the first month or so of rehearsals  because I have a certain technique I like to use when I need to memorize something. And today, I am going to share it with you.

1. Highlight your lines: Highlighting your lines is so important to the memorization process. By highlighting your lines, you know where your lines are, how many you have, and what line comes before yours. I usually like to highlight mine, but I have seen people underline there's in either pen or pencil. I find that highlighters works better for me because I am able to easily see where the line is and I'm not searching for it. Another trick I have used is highlighting my cues as well, but I don't always do that.

2. Record lines and cues: This really helps me. I even use this for a variety of things outside of memorizing lines. I go to the voice memos on my phone and record all of my cues and lines. I start by saying my cues (lines or actions that come before your lines or actions). In between every cue and line pair, I hold for at least a five second pause. This allows me to say my line before I actually hear it when I start to remember them. This also allows me to hear how correct or incorrect I sound after saying my line. After my long pause, I say my line and repeat the process until all of my lines recorded.

3. Listen to Recording: Now I start listening to it. By listening to it over and over again, I am able to drill the lines into my brain and keep them there for rehearsals and the show. Eventually, I am able to say the lines with my cues.

4. Say lines as you would if you were in front of an audience: This is HUGE. If you say your lines in your normal voice during rehearsals, chances are you will say them that way on stage. Whenever you are acting for something, be that character no matter what. It will make it so that when it's show time, you don't even have to think about being in character, it will come naturally.

5. Run lines with others: Whether it be with a cast mate between scenes, or a family member during lunch, you should always try and practice with others. Give the person your script, and have them read your cues. You recite back the lines and the person will tell you if the line is wrong or not. This always tends  to work well with me.

6. Read through the script: This is so important. By reading through the whole script, you are able to understand what is going on in the story and distinguish who your character is. This will help you to develop a character which will help you with memorization.

With these tips, you should be able to memorize any part you want with ease. I hope you find this useful.

Sincerely,

Carlee

Instagram: @The_Theatre_Corner
Twitter: @Theatre_Corner

September's Musical of the Month: Rent

The album cover
Photo Credit Here

Here's to the start of a new series I would like to post once a month. So, here's the thing, I want to listen to more musicals. Problem: I get obsessed over things for months at a time. Now, I know this happens to the majority of us, but I want to hold myself accountable somewhat. This means every month, I am going to listen to a musical I have never listened to and at the end of that month, I am going to write about it. And to kick it all off, I am starting with September's Musical of the Month: Rent.

Now, I have been having a hard time describing Rent personally. I mean, it is a very complex plot. But, this is why we have the internet and websites such as Broadway.com. According to them, "Rent tells the story of a group of impoverished friends struggling to survive and create in New York's gritty Alphabet City in 1991." (Full Description here). In a way, it is very inspiring because the characters are defying the social norms in order to create change and be themselves.

Mark and Roger
Photo Credit Here

I started listening to it later in the month on Spotify Premium (not sponsored). Funny Story, I ended up playing a different playlist on shuffle because I had a friend of mine in the car and she wouldn't have any idea what was going on. Later that night, I went back to listening to the cast album and the songs were on shuffle. I didn't realize it until I started listening to it again a few days later. Needless to say, I started the whole album over again. I will say it was a bit hard to follow. When I listened to Hamilton, I was able to pick almost everything up from my first listen through. 

What helped me to know what was going on was watching the movie. I had seen that it was on Netflix (not sponsored), but I wanted to listen to the original cast album before I saw the movie. Once I had seen the movie all the way through, all of my confusion went away and I was able to understand what was going on and who the characters where. That was when I really started to get into it.

Mimi Dancing
Photo Credit Here

When I first clicked on the movie, I recognized a lot of the names on the cast list from the album. Upon further research, I learned that the majority of the original Broadway cast had decided to portray their role once again in the movie. For me personally, I felt that was one of the coolest things I had ever seen. This shows how much of an impact this one musical had on these actors almost ten years after opening on Broadway. This one small detail is what makes this musical one of the best musicals made.

In terms of favorite characters, I was able to narrow it down to three. 
(in no particular order)

1. Mark Cohen: He is an aspiring film maker and upon one of the more "normal" characters of the show. I liked Mark because we are seeing a good portion of the story through his eyes and he has this fun energy about him that makes him impossible not to like.
2. Roger Davis: He is a once successful musician who is going through HIV, being an ex-junkie, and the loss of his girlfriend April who killed herself after learning she was HIV-positive. I liked this character because it is very inspiring to see someone who has completely turned their life around after something traumatic happening in their life.
3. Joanne Jefferson: She is a lawyer who is dating Mark's ex-girlfriend, Maureen Johnson. I liked her because she was one of the more serious characters and wasn't about to take any of Maureen's flirt-with-other-people-crap.

Favorite Songs:
(in no particular order)

1. 'Rent"
2. "Tango: Maureen"
3. "La Vie Boheme"
4. "What You Own"
5. "One Song Glory"
6. "Seasons of Love"

All in all, I would highly recommend that you listen to Rent right now. It is a wonderful musical that is sure to make you laugh and has a wonderfully happy ending.

Sincerely,
Carlee

Movie Cast Singing Seasons of Love
Photo Credit Here

Instagram: @The_Theatre_Corner

Twitter: @Theatre_Corner

Welcome!!!!

Me as Pin in CinderOz

Hello Theatre Geeks, Thespians, and whatever else you want to call yourselves,

My name is Carlee and welcome to my new blog. Some of you may know of my other blog Carlee's Cosmetic Corner that I have been running for the last two and a half years now. That was back when I was first starting to get into makeup and all things beauty. I still love it, don't get me wrong, but another love has a bigger chunk of my heart than makeup and that's theatre.

My program Mary Poppins

I started actively pursuing theatre when I was in the seventh grade. My junior high was holding auditions for Aladdin, and me and one of my friends decided to audition. We both got parts. Since then, I have been a part of over 15 shows (most of which have been original scripts) and have auditioned for more than that. I am now nearing the end of high school and have continued to have theatre present in my life.

Having theatre in my life has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. It became only natural for me to write a blog about it. So get ready to be sucked into the world of performing arts. I promise you won't regret it.

Sincerely,

Carlee W., your fellow theatre geek.

Instagram: @the_theatre_corner
Twitter: @theatre_corner