Video 4/13 with changes

4/13 practice video

Bi District

	Luddington
Strengths	Ensemble – even minor characters have made distinct choices. All characters are strong Transitions are seamless, motivated and plot driven. Audible noises – people noises were great
Weaknesses	Relationships – many are unclear and not developed. More moments were needed to help relationships and plot development and believability. Focus – at times there was too much on the stage – hard to maintain focus. Too rushed- Plot development not enough. Too rushed for character development. Actors do not understand character’s objectives. Vocal variety is needed Lucy – shake hands with Jack.  Willie must be more loveable at the beginning so we really hate him at the end. The relationship between Willie and Lucy must be real – and loving. Anne, who do you love? Decide and make it clear.  Be younger and have the puppy love with Jack. It needs to be lusty with Willie. Screaming at the funeral – let’s try it without it.  Think of something. Characters – what do you want?  How bad do you want it?   How are you going to fight to get it? Need to see a drastic growth in characters – especially Judge, Jack, Willie, Anne, Sadie Photos not needed ? See the affair start with Sadie and Willie.  See Willie plan to get Sadie and see Sadie plan to get Willie. Editor – need to see your feeling about Jack. Hugh – good job. Jack and Willie’s relationship – Is Jack disenchanted?  Need to push it more.  Sadie – work on smoking. Know why you are singing. Anne – show clarity in how you feel? How do we know the flashback is a flashback? See the relationship between Anne and Adam, Adam and Jack? When does Willie change? Jack and Maky – work on this – Jack, you have to read the letter. Judge – need to see how he hates failing Jack and how he cannot erase the sin. Mother was so strong. Don’t rush ending.
	Cody
Strengths	Characterization strong Ensemble great Transitions effective Accents good Loved music
Weaknesses	Tempo was rushed and at time hard to follow Work on scene with Jack and Judge – need to see relationship – need to see a dramatic arc with judge.

Friday's performance

April 3, 2015

Critiques

Everyone	Outstanding job – remember the technical people, people who painted the set, etc. Actors – stellar performances. Needs more emotion Crowds need to be as loud as they were last night. Speech, pause, photo shot – too rehearsed – don’t know how we can fix that. IT IS HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And buggy!!!!!!!!!!!! Impeachers??????? Could see furniture behind banner. Everyone vary your voices.  Show emotion, anger, etc.  This must also be present in your faces and physically.
Rednecks	Too fast and there were not many people noises going into the scene. Be hotter
Tiny	Be sure that the redneck and Tiny are different.  Tiny is more sophisticated. Love the clock line.
Sadie	Walking loudly! Especially during Anne and Jack’s scene. Love watching you think on stage.
Dolph	Great job with dialogue.  Watch swaying.
Hugh	Consonants Good job as Atty Gen.
Mother	Great job – be louder at the beginning and ending of your lines.  Loved the emotion.
Judge	Great job – vary emotions a little more in judge scene.  Let the audience feel your pain.
Jack	Great job.    Vary your voice more.  Be louder at the beginning.  Sometimes hard to hear you with humming. Open the letter and let us see your face.
Lily	Good job differentiating your characters.  Hold your Bible a little more at your chest – a split second more before opening it up. Be reluctant
Editor	Everything you do is good.  Love your character as the editor.  Love your energy as paper boy.
Lucy	Don’t sway Be passionate You brighten the stage when you smile at Willie at the end.
Willie	Turned your back before getting drunk the first time. Vary vocally – bring back some shouting. Knew you were working on the alcoholism and trying new things before contest – you have a great work ethic.
Sugar Boy	Watch blocking Judge during the good speech.  Excellent job of always being involved in the scene.
Adam/Sheriff	Loved the way you thought before taking the job.  You made it seem difficult to decide.
Woman 2- come up with a name	Great job on the funeral line and believable in each scene.
Anne	Watch sitting, so that your skirt is not revealing. Be a little louder. Amazing voice!
Riley	JUDGE HAS TO GET BEHIND THE SCRIM BEFORE LIGHTED SILHOUETTE SHOOTS HIMSELF.
Carly	When judge speaks from behind scrim, we need blue light above as well as behind. – See Ms. Griffis.
To Do	Paint white bench Buy the following: Flask Blouse for Mom Garment bags Snow white Bryl cream Pocket combs Latex Hat for lucy Concealer

 

Contest - March 26

	Some of these are the alternates’ notes.  Some are Ms. Green’s.  Some are mine. I think people are confused with the timing.  The times are for a 39:15 show.  If you are never over 45 seconds, you don't need to worry. In spite of being rushed, we saw some of the best work ever - Crowd scenes were finally amazing. It was crazy toward the end - several mistakes.   Jack Cody - ·         All actors need leading gestures to differentiate them from other actors. ·         Gestures must be big.  ·         Levels – vocally ·         React ·         Levels – physically – he is big on dominant people standing and others are in different positions ·         Must see emotions in faces ·         Must see the conflict physically as well as mentally emotionally ·         Relationships are important. ·         Need to see actors thinking on stage. ·         Age must be specific  Actors must be believable ·         Actors must show several emotions ·         Actors must be connected to the show ·         Big on breathing ·         Say names often. ·         Take moments ·         Must see discoveries ·         DICTION ·         Should see actors change emotionally, physically, mentally ·         Play the opposites – fight against crying.  I’m scared – try not to be scared.  I’m tired – try not to be tired.  I want to cry, but I am not going to. ·         Age - play the age & there should be different ages in crowd scenes. ·         Take moments so that the audience can experience the lives of the actors. ·         React physically before you react vocally. ·         Need to see a hard life.  Must see the difference in each person ·         Plant feet. Jill Ludington Taught at Randall High School before her job at WTAMU Loves concepts - meaning she loves to see NEW ideas grow within the playwright's intent. She loves wonderful stage pictures. Pegi Lovett Loves surprises Diction - hit consonants must see the journey Must feel the environment of the play Story must be clear
Everyone	1.       We must believe everyone is listening. 2.       Be sure the show is fresh and new each time you walk on stage. 3.       Think of the emotions you are asked to play.  Write different ways you can express them physically and vocally without doing the expected. 4.       Blocking problem in the beginning – think it is the opening or redneck scene.  5.       Funeral scene – Run in – sob… people noises- turn slowly as one and sing Shall we gather at the river. 6.       Look at You Tube – how to do a Louisiana accent.  7.       Ending – slower with the light so we have a great stage picture. 8.       Cut the fog at the end unless we can make it quieter.
Willie	Let Lucy finish – Willie doesn’t want to run either. Stare & play with your wedding band when Jack comes in after Sadie. Work the alcoholism and make us hate you.
Lucy and Willie	Figure out a time when Willie can talk to Lucy at the end.  We thought about the transition before the judge scene. Lucy crosses left to right stage and Willie tells Tiny, Sugar boy, and Sadie to go on and you talk briefly to her on a chance meeting.
Hugh	Be louder You had your back to the audience in the redneck scene. Get a short haircut. Hat off in the house.
Sadie	Look at your freezes in the last flash of the hospital scene. Walk softer. Take hat off indoors & jacket.
Willie and friends	When picking Willie up, he needs to be facing the audience – I’ve got me a gospel.
Music	We need to add more thunder and rain.
Gunshot man	Gunshot was late
Lights and Dolph	The judge did not get behind the scrim before he was dead.
Ashlynn	Too slow in the opening and you are back to the way you didn’t do mom.  WORK ON IT
Rednecks	Transition into the scene was too slow.
Lucy	Watch swaying.
Tiny	Work on accent – in and out.
Jack	I don’t give a damn – say it without yelling – see # 3 above.
Mother	Dressing gown instead of yellow dress in the next to last scene.
Adam	The jacket – before you enter Willie’s office, check to make sure that your lapels are down – talk to Cheyanne.

Sunday 3/22 Rehearsal Video

3/22 Rehearsal Video Link

Shirt and Pizza $$$ Reminder

The following people still owe $ for Shirts-
Jonathan
Kayla
Brodie- still owes for 1 shirt

Pizza $5-
Mia
Amy
Cheyanne
Tristin
Andrew
Elijah
Jonah
Tucker
Mac
Riley
Jacob- Owes $2

March 9

March 9, 2015

Everyone	Rehearsal Wednesday, March 18 at 9AM.  In your packets, it was plainly stated that we would have one or two rehearsals during spring break.  Normally, it is on the weekend prior.  We are all making sacrifices to make this a good show.  I had a trip planned to my mom’s during the week, but I’ve changed it. Freeze during the freeze. Crowds – you are going to the same spot each time.   Hair of the dog speech – come in with flags, food, carnival atmosphere – Sorry – Signs – m ore than two people carrying MacMurphee signs and Willie signs. Hospital speech – There was too much time. Crowd noises were non existent – you are worried, yet hopeful – you’ve heard about plans for a new hospital.  Think about illnesses that your family – extended family has had that would have resulted in death without medical care – the flu- I lost a great grandfather and great uncle in the flu of 1918.  My uncle died of appendicitis because my other grand parents could not afford medical care.  This was during the same time period.  Bronchitis, Pneumonia… measles, chicken pox, scarlet fever – my father became deaf because of scarlet fever at 12 and he had medical care.  You people are POOR.  Diabetes and cancer were death sentences.  Every Man a king crowd scene – be more excited! More people noises during the good speech. be sure your crowd voices have accents too Bring benches in in the dark. Step on lines.  The play got slower the longer it went. Levels in freezes.  Do we need to rehearse these? Need one more dead kid picture out during the funeral scene.
Women	Look at Sigourney Weaver in Holes for an accent.  Remember you have to rehearse all the time in your everyday lives – lower vocal register and flirtier. Walking on toes will keep you from clunking across stage.  Wear your shoes during SB  Pad girls shoes to keep them quite
ACCENTS	Words we are having trouble with the accents Stark- Everyone Moore Sheriff Planning - Jack Living – Jack – never seen it before Tagging- anne
Bench boys	Always carry the bench on the opposite side of the scenes so you will be in the dark
Amy	Light the hotel when Willie moves from CS to DSL.  Then turn them off when Jack comes in singing.
Mother	Vary lines at the beginning.  Look at Mom in the movie.    Phone scene – didn’t work. It has to be consistent each time so we are not worried that you will be good.  You have to unravel.
Mac and Lucy	Bring wildflowers in – no paper.  Surprise Lucy from the back with the flowers so she jumps.
Rednecks	Great job stepping on lines.
Adam	Great job Cross from left to right with newspaper during Willie and Anne scene.
Lucy	Still choppy.  Sentences must be complete.  Don’t pause. louder when you are being defensive don't hold up the macmurphee sign, kind of have it lower so mac can grab it
Sadie	Work on accent and lower register. Sexier walk – Cora had an idea earlier – ask her. lean in and slip Mac your number when your first meet him practice your accent during two timing scene I recorded Nashville.  Two places I want you to watch.  Do you want to come over or do you have VOD?
Jack & Tiny	Tiny – go ahead and talk to Jack.  Act like it is a random meeting.  Jack, with your first step, sing.
Anne	Watch speaking too fast. After the beach scene, run off and giggle like you are excited so you are a contrast with old Anne.  keep accent during swimsuit scene -great job with accent making you bigger character
Willie	Great job!  Make your laugh bigger.  Great job interacting with the crowd. cheat more anytime you are in house/hotel Ends of sentences are dying – not askin you to love me. Things you don’t - diction
Dolph and Woman 2	Part with a good bye – a kiss, a wave, etc.
Judge and Mom	Don’t believe you have been in love for 35 years.
Willie’s office	Step on lines in the air conditioning scene. Sadie hand Willie a drink at beginning of Byram office scene -every time you are in office or hotel smoke it up
Woman 2 (Come up with a name)	Be more frozen in every man a king.
To buy/do	Cigarettes & tobacco Hats for Adam, Sugar Boy, Woman 2, Lucy, Anne, Lily – f unreal and bad speech, Sadie, Hugh More thunder
Jack	wear your hat cocked to one side a little. Don’t forget what we worked on today. cheat a little when you are on the bench
Dolph	Louder as Pillsbury
Judge	practice southern accent Deeper voice Stark
Lights	let's not go to full blackout with just backlight on Austin. It doesn't look good. Keep stage lights on we just need a shadow of the judge.
Lily	shift your body and cower toward your chair when you say"it killed him."