The fog comes in on little cat feet. . .

That's the beginning of a lovely poem by Carl Sandburg.  It isn't a long poem, but it's very evocative of how fog creeps in just like it has in Port Moody today.

Drama Club:  Great work on Friday!  Lots of you know lots of your lines.  Get off book by Monday's run.  You can't really act with a script in your hand.  We will time the show on Monday, so we don't want to stop and start.  I want it to run 2 hours and no more, so make sure we don't have to wait for you to come on stage!  Bring anything you might think will help you costume-wise.  I picked up a few things today and will make a final list of what we still need after Monday's run.

We will rehearse the Bergomask dance for the rude mechanicals on Tuesday at lunch.  There will be no rehearsal on Tuesday after school as there is a staff meeting in the theatre then.  On Wednesday at lunch, we will rehearse scenes with Titania, Bottom and the fairies.  After school on Wednesday, we will rehearse Theseus, Hippolyta, attendants, Philostrate.  Thursday's rehearsals will be announced after Monday's run.  Friday after school we will run the play again WITHOUT STOPPING.  Monday, December 9 is our dress rehearsal with lights, sound and everything!

Then the performances begin!  You need to encourage all your friends and family to attend a show.  It's more fun to play to a good sized audience, so each of you should make sure that everyone knows how good the show is and how fun it will be to attend.

On Monday, Rachel and Noa will be hosting a crew painting party in the theatre.  Many hands make light work, so do your best to come and help.

Canada Reads!

The CBC sponsors this great forum for readers every year.  Five Canadian celebrities present books they love and argue about which one everyone in Canada should read.  The discussions are really lively and all the books are probably worth reading.

This year's list includes:
Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan (about a blues musician)
Cockroach by Rawi Hage (about being poor in Montreal)
Annabel by Kathleen Winter (about a child who is born as a hermaphrodite)
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (a companion to her previous book called Oryx and Crake, which explores the aftermath of a world-wide biological disaster)
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden (which is set in New France in the late 1600's and explores the early days of contact between French Jesuits and the Iroquois)

I haven't read all the books, but I would always recommend Margaret Atwood -- she is one of Canada's preeminent writers and both Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood were terrific books that you couldn't put down.  They both make you think of the disasters we're facing if we continue to follow our cavalier attitude to the natural world and the environment in which we live.

I am presently reading The Orenda.  I read Joseph Boyden's previous book, Three Day Road, which is about aboriginal snipers in World War I, and it was one of the greatest books I've ever read.  The Orenda is a very compelling story, but horrifically violent.  Some of the images are staying with me, even though I wish they wouldn't.  The book is very disturbing in its descriptions of how people torture other people in the hopes of finding peace for themselves.  I would recommend it, but warn you that it is very upsetting to read.

I Seek You(r) Journals!

Don't forget to do your journals!  I don't mark things like spelling or grammar (as long as I can figure out what you're saying).  I'm just interested in your ideas.  If you answer all the questions, you will earn an easy 10%!!!

Drama 10:  In detail, explain what you think happens at the end of the play, "I Seek You".  What things in the scenes we are performing foreshadow your ending?

Remember, we will perform the three scenes assigned, plus your own ending on December 9.

Drama 9:  Have you ever been in a fight with someone?  Who started it?  How did it feel?  (Actors use a technique called "emotional memory" to give their scenes believability and truth -- they try to remember an experience in which they felt an emotion which they are required to act.  Then they think of the physical and mental aspects of that emotion and try to recreate them on stage.)

Have you ever been afraid that you might see something supernatural?  (like the ghost in "Hamlet")  How did that feel?

Remember, we will perform all three Shakespeare scenes on Wednesday of next week.

Drama 8:  Which fairy tale did your group choose?  Why did the group choose that particular story?  Who is playing which role?  How will you create a character?  (Actors create characters in a variety of ways:  using physical traits (limp, hunch back, etc); facial expressions (evil smile, raised eyebrows, frowns, etc.); costumes (including shoes), hair styles, makeup, and stage business (doing housework, cleaning something, helping someone less fortunate, dancing with glee, etc.)

Remember, we will perform your fairy tale mimes on Thursday of next week.

Drama Club:  We are in the home stretch of the show!  We will work hard over the next week and a half, but it will all pay off in the end!  Learn your lines.  I want you off book on Monday, December 2!  We will run through the play at 1:30 p.m. on December 2.  Make note of the rest of the rehearsal schedule on the theatre bulletin board.  If you have a costume piece at home that you think would work for your character, bring it to rehearsal!  "Take pains, be perfect!  Adieu!"

Remember, opening night is December 10!  Tell your friends and relations!

"Rider Pride"

Many of you know I come from Saskatchewan.  You can take the girl out of the prairie, but you can't take the prairie out of the girl.  I still think of myself as being "from Sasktachewan" even though I've lived in BC for a lot longer than I did in Sasktachewan.

I watched the Grey Cup Football game today, which pitted the Sasktachewan Roughriders against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.  The Saskatchewan Roughriders team is really important to people in Sasktachewan.  There are no other professional sports teams and so people are really behind them, even expatriates like myself.  You can imagine how happy I was that the Riders carried the day decisively!  Go Riders, go!

Don't forget that tomorrow our last spirit week of the year begins with "Sports" Day!  I'll be wearing my Rider green, you can be sure.

Parent interviews are on Wednesday and Thursday.  If your parents have questions about your achievement or anything else in the course, please encourage them to call for an appointment to see me.  You are welcome to come along to the interviews as well.

Our production of "Midsummer Night's Dream" is quickly approaching.  If you are interested in helping backstage, please come to one of the rehearsals after school this week and ask Rachel or Noa or me if there is anything you can do to help.  Our full run through will be on Friday, and if you want to be involved you need to be there.  The run through will probably take from 3 until after 5.  Opening night is December 10 at 7 and closing night is December 13.   We will do one additional evening on December 12 and two matinees at 1 p.m. on December 11 and 12.

Can I Trust You?

Today in Drama 9, we tried a trust exercise.  Ask yourself if you can be trusted.  Can people depend on you?  We didn't do particularly well in the trust exercise.  As is often the case, people were too easily distracted and talking too much and not taking their responsibility seriously. 

Trust is a very important component in theatre.  When you work together on a scene, your acting partner might want to explore some very deep emotional space and needs to be able to trust that you will be willing to go to that space as well.  You need to be able to try a variety of things in drama class without worrying about people making fun of you.  It can be scary to try to be funny -- what if people don't laugh?  But if you can't try things and let yourself go a little, you'll never be able to create truth and beauty on stage.

Think about how you did today.  Did you try to instill feelings of trust in the person who took the risk to be in the centre of the circle?  Did you take the exercise seriously?  This might extend beyond the walls of the theatre.  If someone trusts you with a secret, do you keep it to yourself?  I think we all want to think of ourselves as trustworthy, good friends, dependable and responsible.  Think of how you can cultivate those qualities in yourself.

The Way It Is!

Grade 9's:  Practice your Shakespeare scenes out loud to learn the lines!

Grade 8's:  Think about what each piece of music suggests as a story.

Grade 10's:  How did your Sheepdog video go?  You could look at the actual video now and decide whether you like it or not.  I don't.  I don't think it fits at all.

Journal Topics for Friday:

Grade 9's:  Choose one of your Shakespeare scenes.  What is the scene about?  What mood are you trying to capture?  Which character are you playing?  What does your character want?  What obstacles does your character face?  If you could set your scene in a specific time and place, where would you set it?  Explain why.

Grade 8's:  Are you good at working in a group?  Explain why or why not.  Do you think you have any leadership qualities?  Explain what they are if you have any.  What makes a good leader?

Grade 10's:  Think of a song you like.  Who performs the song?  Write a scenario for a video of the song.  (That means tell what would happen in the video.)  Make your scenario detailed (scenes, colours you might use, facial expressions for the actors, metaphors.)

Do You Bite Your Thumb At Us, Sir?

Grade 9's:  Bring your script to class from now until we perform the Shakespeare scenes.  Read the lines out loud, or you will never commit them to memory.  Think of what the characters are saying.  Have a clear idea of what they want in the scene and what obstacles they face.  Make sure your voice rings out loud and clear.  You can't be afraid to speak clearly in Shakespeare.  The language is beautiful and we want to hear each and every word.

I will want to see you walk through the first scene tomorrow.  You may use your script, but if you can try it without the script to see how much you know.  Remember, I'd like you to think of stage business that relates somehow to what you're saying.

DON'T USE AN ENGLISH ACCENT.

Everyone:  Remember, your journals are due today.

All the world's a stage!

Welcome to all the new grade 8's!  I think we've had a good start to the term and I'm looking forward to working with you over the next few months!  We will continue with mime over the next couple of weeks.  Remember, in a mime you must pay attention to detail and exaggerate your emotions.  Think of ways to communicate with your audience beyond words.

You will be expected to memorize the following passage from Shakespeare's "As You Like It":

All the world's a stage
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances
And one man in his time plays many parts.

We will practice the passage together in class.

Journal #1:  What should Ms. Kosar know about you?  Include any experience you've had in drama before (plays you've been in, activities you engaged in when you were in elementary school, public speaking events, classes you've taken, etc.).  Do you have stage fright?  (That's a perfectly normal way to feel.  We will work to alleviate that feeling in class.)  Do you work well with others?  Have you ever performed in front of an audience?  (acting, playing an instrument or singing, dancing, doing magic)  You can also include anything else you think might help Ms. Kosar get to know you better.

Grade 10's:  What do the lyrics for "The Way It Is" make you think about?  What story are you using for your video?  Do you think it will work now that you've run through it in front of the class?  What can do you to get it to work (better)?

Grade 9's:  Have you ever said "I hate you" to someone?  What made you say it?  Were you sorry about saying it?  Is it hard for you to express your feelings (positive or negative) to other people?  Explain your answer.  Did you like performing the "I hate you" scene?  Why or why not?

Under the Text

What is subtext?  It's what is going on UNDERNEATH what you say.  When you say a line like "I hate you", you might mean "I hate you", but you also might mean "I love you, but you hurt me" or "I love you but I'm really angry with you!"  Have you ever said "I hate you" to someone?  Did you mean it?

There's a saying, "hate is only love that's missed its way"!

"I Hate You"

Grade 9 dialogue:

A:  I hate you!
B:  I hate you even more!
A:  I hate you because you don't care about anything.
B:  I don't care.
A:  Hey, listen to me for one minute.
B:  No, you listen to me.
A:  I don't want to.
(Pause.)
B:  Okay, then don't.
A: Okay.

Lest We Forget

Thanks to everyone who took part in the Remembrance Day ceremony at school on Friday.  It was very moving and much appreciated by me and my class.  (I found it so inspiring, I went to see it a second time on my prep.)  The string group was a terrific addition.  The choice of "Nearer My God to Thee" was very appropriate and several people I know shed more than a few tears while listening to it.  If you can, go to your local ceremony tomorrow.  Remember, those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it.

I have to bid a sad farewell to my grade 8 class as our term together is over.  I'm sure Maverick will miss you all as well.  Just remember to hand in any missing journals on Tuesday please.  (And if you have anything for our nearly full Operation Christmas Child box, just drop by the theatre.)  Best of luck in Art next term.  I'm sure you'll all do great and really enjoy your time with Mr. Mathieu.

Drama 9 -- We've got to see the last of the heritage plays on Tuesday!  Be ready to go no matter what.  Try to learn from the groups who have already performed.  Stay in character and keep going no matter what.  Keep the scenes moving -- don't spend too much time changing sets or running around backstage.  Speak loudly and clearly, cheat to the audience and don't be afraid to be dramatic!

Drama 10 -- We're working on the video for "The Way It Is".  Try to think of a story that is told by the lyrics of the song.  Try not to look at the video that the Sheepdogs created (that's the band performing the song).  It won't help you much anyway -- I don't think their video uses the song that well (just my opinion).  I would like your performance to use the rhythm of the music.  Try to move in time to the beat of the song, even if you're acting out a romantic story or a story about bullying or whatever!

Journals after performances

We didn't do journals because we have yet to perform!  But all your journals will be about your most recent performances, so we must see them before we can write.  As you watch the other groups perform, think about these questions.

Grade 8:  Which group did the best "Creation of the World" performance?  Why was it the best? What did other groups do differently from your group?  Which ideas worked better?  Explain your answer.  You all had the same story -- which one will you remember?  Why?

Grade 9:  Which heritage performance was the best?  Why?  What problems did you encounter as you prepared your own play?  How did you (and your group) solve them?  What did you learn from this project?

Grade 10:  Which commedia dell'arte performance was the best?  Why?  What will you remember about it?  Comment on the other groups and your own.  Were they funny?  Did they do all the things that were assigned (names for characters, jokes, current events commentary, themes of romance and money, slapstick)?  Which scene was most memorable?

These are your journal themes for completion after performance.