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Cats the Musical was based off of T.S. Elliot’s Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Each cat in the play is based off of different cats in the book such as Jennyanydots, Macavity, Gus (short for Asparagus), etc. Another inspiration from the book was the idea that cats have three different names one common, one fancy, and one only the cat knows. The play relates a tribe of cats on the night of the Jellicle choice where one cat will be chosen to the Heavyside layer to have the chance at a new life. The musical then shows different cats proposed for the Jellicle choice. It’s said throughout his career people would ask T.S. Elliot “What will you read to your kids?” because he was known for his darker works such as “The Waste Land” and “The Hollow Men”. In response, Elliot wrote the Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats to prove that he could write children stories. The musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and choreographed by Gillian Lynne and it is the fourth longest ongoing musical on Broadway. One of the most notable songs is Grizabella the Glamor Cat’s "Memory", with multiple covers from the original. The original Broadway cast starred Betty Buckley as Grizabella and Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy. Link to Old Possum’s book of Practical Cats BY: Emily Johnson
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We all know “The Phantom of the Opera” as a great show on Broadway and other well-known stages, but the story began long before it became a long-running musical. Gaston Leroux was born in Paris in 1868 and graduated with a law degree when he was 21. He then inherited millions of francs and went on a reckless spending streak. Approaching bankruptcy, Leroux needed a job, began work as a journalist, and eventually started writing fiction. In September 1909, The French newspaper “Le Gaulois” published the first chapter of a new story by Leroux. The novel did not sell well, and even went as far to going out a print a few times. The first adaptation of Leroux’s “Phantom” was when Universal Studios produced a silent film starring Lon Cheney as the phantom, and from this, Universal Studios began producing similar films such as “Frankenstein”, “Dracula”, “The Wolf Man”, and “The Mummy”. Finally, Andrew Lloyd Webber enters the scene and had since been looking for an intense, romantic musical to produce; and there was the Phantom! “Phantom” opened in London’s West End on October 9, 1986 with Michael Crawford in the title role, Sarah Brightman as Christine, and Steve Barton as Raoul. BY: Danielle Jourdin In the Spring of 1929, an idea began to sprout between the meetup of three educators: Dr. Paul Opp of Fairmont State College, Harry Leeper of East Fairmont High School, and Opp’s Secretary Ernest Bavely of creating a special organization of high school thespian students who have excelled both on and off the stage, creating a special honor society for those special students so they may express all their achievements. They began writing the criteria for those who may enter (mainly students that perform good work for their school’s theatre program), a constitution of how meetings should be ran and the rules behind being a member, and a basic form of how the induction should be ran. After creating everything that was need, thespian troupe one was formed at the Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyoming, ran by Dr. Earl Blank, who helped give Dr. Paul Opp the idea of the thespian honor society. By the summer of that same year, seventy-one troupes had already formed in twenty-six different states, broadcasting the success of this program to the many other schools in the nations. Ever since that year, the thespian honor society has continued to grow, even to the point that it runs its own magazine called Dramatics, which we ourselves usually get in the mail every month. The success of this organization took world by surprise, paving the way for a better understanding of what it takes to stand as a role model in the thespian world.
BY Noah Delano Mrs. Opperman Thespian Director The 2016-2017 school year marks not only WCA’s induction into the world of theater, but also the world of theater related competitions. Many people think that competing is only for the actors. This, however, is a misnomer. In fact, the world of competition for International Thespians spans from acting, to costuming, to technical skills (including sound, lighting, props, and set dressing), production, and writing. Basically, there is something for everyone who is interested in the competition world of ITS that does not involve monologues and auditions. Below is a quick breakdown of the types of skills that will be tested at the upcoming Cal Thespian Festival in late March: Acting – Monologues In Acting – Monologues, the skills measured are: • Use of transitions into and out of character • Ability to create a believable character • Communication of objective, tactics, and relationships • Use of focus and concentration • Integration of voice, body, movement, and staging Acting – Duo/Group Scene A duo is defined as a performance for two players. A group scene is defined as a performance for three to sixteen players. In each case, every participant must be actively involved in the scene chosen for performance. In Acting – Duo/Group Scene, the skills measured are: • Use of transitions into and out of character • Ability to create a believable character • Communication of objective, tactics, and relationships • Use of focus and concentration • Integration of voice, body, movement, and staging Musical Theatre – Solo Performance In a musical theatre solo performance, the entrant must present one musical selection from a published script written for musical theatre. The judges will consider how well the piece is acted, not only how well it is sung. The selection may contain dialogue; however, this is primarily a “sung and not spoken” selection Musical Theatre – Duet/Group Performance In a musical theatre duet/group performance, the entrants must present one musical selection from a published script written for musical theatre. The judges will consider how well the piece is acted, not only how well it is sung. The selection may contain dialogue; however, this is primarily a “sung and not spoken” selection. A musical theatre duet is defined as a musical theatre performance for two players. A musical theatre group scene is defined as a musical theatre performance for three to sixteen players. In each case, every participant must be actively involved in the scene chosen for performance. In Musical Theatre – Duet/Group Performance, the skills that measured are: • Use of transitions into and out of character • Ability to create a believable character • Communication of objective, tactics, and relationships through dialogue and music • Use of focus and concentration • Vocal skill and technique • Use of dance and movement • Integration of voice, body, movement, and staging Costume Construction In Costume Construction, the skills measured are: • An understanding of the role of costume construction • Sewing and construction skills • The ability to present and explain the process of constructing the costume • Attention to detail Lighting Design In Lighting Design, the skills measured are: • An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a lighting designer and the technology/equipment to implement and support the design • The ability to present and explain design choices • An understanding of the artistic and practical constraints that impact lighting design • An understanding of the relationship of lighting design to a unifying concept • The ability to carry out research into style, period, locale, and genre of the show Scenic Design In Scenic Design, the skills measured are: • An understanding of the scenic designer’s role and responsibilities • An understanding of the artistic and practical constraints that impact the scenic design • An understanding of the relationship of scenic design to a unifying concept • The ability to carry out research into style, period, locale, and genre of the show • The ability to present and explain design choices Sound Design In Sound Design, the skills measured are: • An understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a sound designer and the technology/equipment to implement and support the design • An understanding of the artistic and practical constraints that impact the sound design • An understanding of the relationship of sound design to a unifying concept • The ability to carry out research into style, period, look Stage Management In Stage Management, the skills measured are: • An understanding the stage manager’s role and specific responsibilities • An understanding of the purpose and value of a production book • The ability to organize stage management ideas, products, and choices that support a realized production Theatre Marketing In Theatre Marketing, the skills measured are: • An understanding the marketing director’s role and specific responsibilities • An understanding of the purpose and value of research, resources, and personnel needed to communicate a marketing concept to an audience • The ability to align a marketing campaign’s components in a distribution strategy that supports a realized production Short Film In Short Film, the skills measured are: • The ability to create opening and closing titles, credits, and graphics that orient the viewer to the story • The ability to visually develop a story with dialogue • Camera, lighting, and sound use • Editing, including scene length and flow • The emotional and physical believability of the acting • The filmmaker’s use of film elements to create a successful product For more information on competitions, please visit the ITS website at https://www.schooltheatre.org/home Round of applause for the Costume Department who were recognised for their amazing skills in making our clothes for both Much Ado and Twelfth Night. A special thank-you to Mrs. Gallagher for your guidance in this department as well!!
For more info see the article in Press Enterprise REUPLOADED 1/30/2017 You know that moment when you are writing a series of world renowned plays that will continue to be popular even 400 year after your death and you just don't have that perfect word to seal the deal. Well, seems Shakespeare had the same problem. Throughout his career he invented more than 1700 common words to deliver the perfect descriptions to his audiences. He even created the name Olivia in his play Twelfth Night that WCA will be performing at the end of March, 2017. Here are 10 words Shakespeare birthed to the world: 1) Addiction (Othello) 2) Arch-Villain (Timon of Athens) 3) Assassination (Macbeth) 4) Bedazzled (Taming of the Shrew) 5) Belongings (Measure for Measure) 6) Eventful (As You Like It) 7) Eyeball (The Tempest) 8) Fashionable (Troilus and Cressida) 9) Manager (A Midsummer Night's Dream) 10) Swagger (Henry V) Information help from http://mentalfloss.com/article/48657/20-words-we-owe-william-shakespeare REUPLOADED 1/12/2017
"Cooking by the Book" (Lazytown) I am expecting an encore of "I Want Candy". REUPLOADED 1/12/2017
See Dr.Frank-N-Furter take the Ramona Bowl! REUPLOADED 1/12/2017
"You'll be Back" (Hamilton) Nerd alert!! REUPLOADED 1/9/2016
Next Week: Much Ado about Nothing, November 17 & 18. Here is a sneak peek of Act 2, scene 3. The first time with proper lighting and costumes, the play is really coming together. Keep up the good work everyone! |
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