Archive for January, 2020

The Addams Family Musical

Posted in Uncategorized on January 30th, 2020 by Eric Appleton

It’s the end of the second week of classes, and construction of “The Addams Family Musical” is forging ahead.

Megan has been leading the students in the shop on getting the platforming up. Here it is, in place. Today’s projects included cutting and labeling the facing pieces:

Ruth, our TD, has given the students in the Technical Direction class various items of the production to engineer and build. Here’s Alden pulling caster blocks for the portrait unit:

And here’s Michelle, looking at drawings and planning Pugsley’s bed unit:

In the theatre, Megan works with two students new to the shop on installing a step unit:

And, selecting hardware from the bins:

2020 KCACTF Region 3 Festival!

Posted in Uncategorized on January 13th, 2020 by Eric Appleton

This past week, we accompanied a group of our students to the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 3’s annual conference. We had a number of design/tech/stage management (DTM) entries, as well as Irene Ryan acting nominees. The conference was held in Madison, WI this year.

Here are the students, in the hotel lobby, waiting for conference check-in time to arrive. What an eager bunch!

Then it was time to set up design presentation boards. Here’s Sam H, getting started:

We had a little trouble with registration for Sam P, since the the festival website had a few too many layers. It got sorted out though, thanks to the helpful festival staff and volunteers:

Grace contemplates her materials. We’re pretty sure she had the single largest fully printed presentation:

Sam B. started putting up his boards:

Alexa’s board for a costume design of “She Kills Monsters:”

Carlee’s board for the make-up design of last semester’s production of “Twelfth Night:”

Sam H seems happy about something. . .

Here’s Megan’s boards for the scenic design of “Twelfth Night.” One of her stated goals was to do as much of the design work via digital means; this effort was noted by the responders. . . . more on that in a below.

Alex brought two stage management projects, “Angel Street” and “Resort 76:”

It’s a small world. Here faculty member Sara Griffin runs into lovely responder Brandon Kirkham, who she knew years ago and hasn’t seen since:

On to watching Irene Ryan auditions! Here’s Abrya, Grace, Alexa, Nate, and Sam P waiting for Jon M’s session to begin:

Alex was one of the stage management intensive students this festival, and was one of the SMs running the audition sessions:

And other things to do! Besides the seminars, workshops, design presentations, and performance auditions, there’s participation in the new play readings! We had a number of students audition for and be cast in the readings. Nate directed one of the ten-minute plays. Here’s Kory, in the cast of one of the one-act plays, waiting to start:

And then, of course, there are the response sessions for the DTM projects. Here’s Alex at his SM interview:

And here we crowd around Alexa, waiting for her response session to begin:

Kory went on to the semi-finals of the Irene Ryan competition, and Alexa, Abrya, and Sam P went onto the semi-finals of the DTM competitions! Here are Abrya, Alexa, and Sam P waiting for their second round of respondents:

Another activity at the festival is Design Storm. Students sign up, are put on a team with students from other schools, and given about 24 hours to come up with a design/dramaturgy/directing presentation on an assignment play. Here is Sam H’s team setting up their presentation for “The Legend of Georgia McBride:”

And the finished project board:

Then it’s time to take everything down and head off to the awards ceremony.

While none of the semi-finalists moved forward to the finals, we did have some pleasant surprises at the closing ceremony. Sam H’s team won the Design Storm competition:

Megan won the Vectorworks Award for her efforts in using digital media in the creation of her “Twelfth Night” scenic design. She recieved a full, unwatermarked copy of Vectorworks as her prize!

And Jon L received a Cal State award, which is a scholarship helping to fund attendance at a summer performance workship:

I couldn’t corral Jon L afterwards, but I did make Sam H and Megan pose with their certificates. Well done!

In all, an excellent experience. Our students went in with good solid work, received some recognition, but just as (if not more so) importantly, were active participants who sought out learning and career opportunities. I am so proud of them all!