Hear Ye, Hear Ye! The San Diego Student Student at large? Yes / No Shakespeare Festival Balboa Park, Saturday April 25 th, 2015 Application Enclosed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Entry Form (If you haven t selected or cast your scene, fill out the top & send in play/ cast letter) School Name: HS MS ELEM (CIRCLE) Address: City Zip School Phone: Principal: Scene Director/ Contact: Director s Home Phone: Cell: Email Address: Would you like to receive texts? YES NO Competition Non- Competition Length of scene if under 10 minutes PLAY: ACT(S) SCENE(S) Category (circle): DRAMATIC COMEDY COLLAGE Special Requirements (CD etc): (If you are using a CD, you must bring someone to cue it.) MONOLOGUE STAGE: There are two monologues maximum (per site) and monologues must be only one minute long. If you are a student at large please indicate on the top of this form.
Character: YOUR CAST LIST Actor: You may have more than 10 students participate if you wish, please provide additional names on the back of this page Monologue: Name of Student Play Character Name of Student Play Character
Time Line/ Prep Ideas March 25 th, 2015 : Registration deadline Email: shakefest@yahoo.com Mail: Maria Christodoulou, SD Shakespeare Festival: 3454 Castle Glen Drive, Unit 141, San Diego, CA 92123 Teacher Work Shop: February, 2015 date to be determined at San Diego Central Public Library in the Special Events Room. Time of event will be emailed to you in February. Spring: Free in-class performance/ workshop for students, teachers We will schedule a full class session after receiving application Mid-March to Mid-April: Festival Assessment Process- our actors will come to your school to observe a polished rehearsal. These professional actors will also be available to offer insights and further assistance upon request as time permits Early April: notification of selection and performance time slot (We ve never turned anyone down.) April 25 th FESTIVAL IN BALBOA PARK. Assemble at the Balboa Park Organ Pavilion for opening ceremonies and a grand procession to stage areas.
Participants are encouraged to stay for the entire festival. Certificates and awards for outstanding scenes and performances at conclusion. Suggested School Preparation Time-Line January: Select and prepare 10-minute scenes or collage cuttings. Collage cuttings may include periodic music, and narrative introductions and transitions, but all non-musical3 text must be from Shakespeare-play or poetry for competition. February: Share scripts with students for initial reading and audition preparation February- April: Scene rehearsals. Same schedule for twice weekly rehearsals: 3 weeks: polishing rehearsals: 1 week: Blocking rehearsals: 2 weeks: working rehearsals: 3 weeks: polishing rehearsals: 3 weeks (Props and costumes should be added during this time; construct school banner for parade); Dress rehearsals: 1 week: REMEMBER TO REHEARSE IN A 16 x 12 STAGE AREA Mid-March: Have scene polished for Shakespeare Society Observations. Work with props and costumes and include setup and strike in your performance.
February- March: Plan logistics of transportation to Balboa Park; parents sign permission forms, file with school and send to Shakespeare Festival address noted above. April 25 th : FESTIVAL TIME! Other Important Information You are invited to participate in our annual San Diego Shakespeare Festival sponsored by the San Diego Shakespeare Society. It is designed to make Shakespeare come alive for students by giving them the opportunity to become doers rather than observers. The festival is held in Balboa Park on Saturday April 25th, 2015 from noon until around 4pm. Students perform 10-minute scenes and sonnets from the works of Shakespeare as well as demonstrate dance, vocal and instrumental music, juggling, puppetry etc. With the arrival of Common Core standards to the state of California, not just teachers of English or Theatre are encouraged to bring students, we are also looking for teachers of Dance, Music, and any other subject area to have their students participate. The festival begins with a procession from the Organ Pavilion to the multiple 16wx12 d stages along the Prado. Performances begin immediately following the opening ceremony/ procession and conclude with an awards ceremony.
Who can participate? All SD City and County public and independent schools and K-12 school-aged groups are invited to participate: elementary, MS, HS. Participation is qualified by an informal evaluate of progress between mid-march and April performance. A school may have 2 entries for scenes/ collages and 3-4 entries for Monologue/ Soliloquy stage. What are the logistics? Each participating school will be assigned 15 minutes time slots that include 10 minutes for performance and 5 minutes to set up, get sound ready, set ready etc. Groups may select scenes from any Shakespearean play: they may do and entire scene, splice together several cuttings, or create a theatrical collage of music, dance, sonnets, scenes etc. Schools can participate on competitive or non-competitive stages. Judges at competitive stages give awards for best scenes and outstanding performers at elementary, middle and high school levels. All students receive certificate of participation. More about scenes and collages:
A scene could be a cutting from Act I, sc I or cuttings from Act I, sc I and Act I, sc 3, etc with an optional original introduction and narrative bridge. The Shakespearean text must be as written, not modernized or simplified, on competitive stages. But the presentation style could be Elizabethan, Victorian, Contemporary, Space-age, or wherever your muse takes you. An example of a collage might be: Shakespeare in love sonnets with an English folk song and dance opening, then several Shakespearean sonnets with tableaux, and a concluding song and dance. It must contain substantial Shakespearean text. Please observe the 10 minutes scene limit: try not to go under or over. For competitive scenes, two points are deducted for scenes under 9 or over 11 minutes. The Shakespeare Society web site has scene selections and suggestions. How is it coached? Each school designates one person as the coordinator through whom all Festival information is disseminated. Language arts, Theatre, Music and Dance teachers are often the primary coaches, although some solicit the help of parents and other volunteers for rehearsals, costuming and supervision on the day of the Festival. Preparation for assessment and the Festival are often tied to Shakespeare units taught in the classroom. In additional, many teachers
meet with students before or after school or during lunch in a systematic rehearsal process to prepare for the festival. What is the commitment/ assessment process? Many schools begin in February to allow time to prepare performances before the March/ April assessments. While parts need not be fully memorized, auditors should see polished staging with blocking and props and costumes. Our assessors will also work with groups after the assessment as requested. Auditors include directors, and actors with extensive classic acting experience. What resources are available? Our FEbruary teachers work shop will provide information and techniques. We will provide and in-class workshop for your students in the spring. Our directors/ assessors will also work with your cast upon request. Visit the Shakespeare Festival website listed below for suggested scenes and photos and videos of past festivals. Is there a cost?
There is no cost to participate although you will need to provide transport for your students and props etc. and no lunch is provided. We encourage all schools, parent s volunteers and students to take photos and videos of all of the fantastic performances of the students. Teachers remember; Participation in the Student Festival is a great way to cover CA state standards and Common Core standards!
How do we become involved? Call or email Maria Christodoulou at 619.410.5237 / shakefest@yahoo.com Online information and entry form: http://www.sandiegoshakespearesociety.org/ Mail entries to: Maria Christodoulou, SD Student Shakespeare Festival, 3454 Castle Glen Drive, Unit 141, San Diego, CA 92123.