For the Parents a guide to the magic of theatre

Transcription

1 For the Parents a guide to the magic of theatre Raise the curtain! Light the lights! Lets begin! Participating in a stage show is one of the most rewarding experiences a young person can have. The director and other adults working on the production care about your child s future and want to invest time and energy into his or her development. Your child is about to take a journey that, with a little help from you, could have a positive, longlasting impact on her or him and the community in which you live. This information pack is designed to provide you with information to assist your child, from auditions through closing night. It s also an overview of the process of producing a stage show and suggests ways that you can get involved. Most importantly, its an opportunity for you and your child to share some quality time together on an activity that is fun and inspires the imagination. Why a production? Productions are fun! Whether they be a musical or traditional stage show, productions provide young people with many valuable development opportunities. Theatre brings the arts together in one comprehensive program. Movement, music, and dance introduce basic performing arts. The design and creation of sets, costumes, and props integrate the visual arts. Rehearsing and performing dialogue develops language skills. Integrating sound and lighting explores the use of technology. As you see, theatre celebrates many diverse disciplines in one arena. In addition, the process of presenting a stage show offers young people the opportunity to develop social skills and learn valuable life lessons. These include: Learning that everybody s contribution is important. The crew member operating the sound system is as important to success of the show as the child who plays Cinderella, Annie, or Aladdin. Everyone must work together for the greater good, encouraging collaboration and community. Children learn the importance of listening to each other speak and waiting one s turn. They take positive risks and conquer fears while building self confidence Assessment in a theatre show is nearly instantaneous in the applause and standing ovations participants receive at the end of the show, meaning they don t have to wait months for a grade, praise, or feedback. But the best part? A musical is a lot of fun for everyone involved, whether your child creates sets, manage the box office, sings in the chorus, or plays a lead.

2 The Process Each director is going to approach the show differently, and each show has its own unique needs, but you can generally expect the following: Auditions and Callbacks Casting Rehearsals Technical Rehearsals Dress Rehearsals Performances Strike Post-show blues Actors make up only a part of a production. Other important team members include Stage Manager who assist the directors in all aspects of the show Stage Crew who work backstage during the show Choreographers who develop dances and stage movement Fight Captains who specialize in fight choreography Costumers Assistant Directors Directors Box Office/ House Manager Staff Tech Crew Lighting Designers Sound Designers Prop Managers In addition we also have dedicated teaching and administrative staff assigned to each show to help ensure it runs smoothly. Don t be a Mama Rose! Mama Rose is a character from the musical Gypsy. She s a bossy stage mom. We ve all seen these types at Little League games, beauty pageants and everything in between, Some of us have probably even acted this way to a degree without even knowing it! When our heart is in the right place, we re sometimes blind to the fact that we might be stepping on someone else s toes or pushing just a little too hard. Theatre is a collaborative effort, but it s important to remember that it s the director s role to see the big picture and guide every aspect of the production. Remember our goal is to provide children the opportunities to develop personal growth and important life skills and has little to do with creating a star.

3 Step 1: Announcing the Cast Generally speaking our directors release the roles on the first morning of rehearsal. Announcing the cast list can be a difficult time since the role offered may not meet the expectations of your child. Its important to remember some of the following: Trust the director s judgment. The director s role is to cast an ensemble, not just one or two lead roles. Its important for the cast to understand the importance of working together as an ensemble and see the production as a whole not as individual parts that seem more or less important than others. Everybody s contribution is important and valued. There are many factors that go into casting a role that go beyond singing and acting ability. These include attentiveness, physical characteristics, having a positive attitude, ability to work in a team, previous experience, volume and how they fit within the ensemble as a whole amongst others. Once kids receive their scripts they ll be excited to learn how their part fits within the story. Often times cast members want to count their lines and compare, but within our program this is strictly forbidden. The playwrights have created every role for a reason, and each role impacts the entire production. As the famous Russian director and acting teacher Konstantin Stanislavsky once said... Rehearsals Once the cast is set, its time to get to work! Here are some ways you can help your child: Place a copy of the rehearsal and production schedule on the refrigerator or family bulletin board. Make sure your child arrives at rehearsals on time, dressed appropriately and prepared for the rehearsal. After rehearsals, ask your child how it went and if there is anything you can work on with them. Rehearsals are sometimes a long process, but they are also critical for the show. Its common to find that some scenes may take hours to rehearse, while other scenes are much quicker. While students are rehearsing their scenes we expect them to be engaged, have a positive attitude and treat each scene like it s a performance. While they are not rehearsing they must be offstage learning lines or keeping themselves busy with a quiet activity so they don t interrupt the people who are in the current scene. We encourage students to bring books, card games or other quiet activities- but no electronics! Rehearsals take a lot of energy, even if you re just waiting. Actors need to be well rested for each day, make sure they eat breakfast and have a big, healthy lunch and snacks, drink plenty of water and are dressed appropriately in comfortable movement clothes and shoes. No heels, flip flops, or open toed shoes are allowed. There are no small parts, only small actors!

4 Technical Rehearsals Memorizing Usually children memorize lines, songs, dances and blocking (that s how they move around the stage) easily. It may seem daunting when they first get their script, but pretty soon they ll start to get the hang of it. If they do feel like they are struggling, here are some solutions: Encourage your child to review songs, dances and scenes outside of rehearsal and in front of a small supportive group. You can even do it at dinner time and you ll have your own dinner theatre. To memorize scene work help your child breakdown the point of the scene. What is it about? Whats the most important information presented or action taking place? Answering these questions will help your child better understand the scene and improvise if something goes awry! Have your child read over their scenes before they go to bed each night and first thing in the morning. This is a great way to memorize parts. Its helpful to practice songs, dances and dialogue aloud and in front of a mirror rather than in your head. This enlists kinesthetic (muscle) memory as well as visual and aural memory to help learn the part. At these rehearsals the director and crew add the technical elements to the productions. This includes lighting, sound, props and even special effects such as fog. Technical rehearsals can seem long and tedious, but are where the important details of the show are ironed out. Tech rehearsals are often the only chance the crew get to practice their own roles, so its important that this time is used effectively. Costume Fittings and Dress Rehearsals During the rehearsal process, it is likely that the costumer will visit to measure and fit costumes to actors. A costumer has a big job: a medium sized show might have upwards of 100 different costume pieces, with many of these pieces created from scratch. Because of the size of this job, and the many elements that are involved it s important to be patient. It s very normal for some actors to be fitted early on in the process, while other actors may not see their costume until right before the first dress rehearsal. This doesn t mean they were forgotten though! After the first fitting your child might feel like their costume was uncomfortable or perhaps didn t fit properly. This is also very normal, as costumes are often made for a specific purpose, they often need altering. It s also important to know that costumes are not really meant to wear like regular clothes, it s how they look that is important. If your child is uncomfortable in their costume, or it doesn t fit them properly, it is important that your child let the costumer know as soon as possible. Because of how much work goes into making costumes, eating and drinking (except water) is prohibited. On dress rehearsal days it s a good idea to send water, and avoid juice and soda.

5 Opening Night Pictures and Videos The desire to capture your child s performance on video is understandable. During each production we take photos of the production, including photos of each cast member. These are displayed during the friends and family show, so be sure to speak to our staff about getting copies of these. We also have times when the actors are available in costume (usually right after the friends and family performance) where they are available for pictures. We also film the shows where possible. Please note that all of our productions fall under copyright, and the ability to film depends on the permission we have been granted. Where we are able to film we will do so, and will give out information during rehearsals on how to obtain copies. If you are interested in filming please check with the director before the show to see if it is possible. There are very few events as exciting as opening night. Cherish it, embrace it, and make a big deal out of it! Your child will experience a range of emotions and look to you for support and encouragement. After opening night, your child will need your assistance and guidance. A production is a lot of work, physically and mentally, so children need help pacing their energy. Make sure your child eats well, drinks plenty of water, and gets enough rest. Closing Night The closing night performance is as exciting as opening night, but also bittersweet. It s the last time the show will be performed and marks the end of what can be a long mental and physical investment. It is normal for young actors to be emotional leading up to, during and after the final performance. This lingering sadness is called post show blues.