They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.

That is from a poem by Laurence Binyon about World War I.  I saw the UBC production of "The Wars" on Saturday night and it was terrific.  The set was completely open and you could see the artifice of the stage very clearly -- they used a drop cloth for the trenches and the roads and the dikes of Holland.  You could even see the person doing the sounds, right there on the stage -- it was hand made, not electronic, which I really liked.

Sound was very important for the play -- there are lots of references to animals throughout the novel and the play -- the main character, Robert Ross, loves animals and he pays a great price in trying to protect them -- and so animal sounds linked many of the scenes, from his life at home in Canada to the horrors of the trenches.  At one point in the play, the sounds disappear and the soldiers wonder why it's suddenly quiet.  I knew, because of the stories of my mother about her uncles who fought in the trenches, that silence was terrifying, because it was a precursor to the gas.  My mother's uncle, David, was a victim of a gas attack.  He survived, but he was never healthy after that and had trouble breathing and eating for the rest of his life.

I mentioned before that the actor playing Robert Ross was our own David Volpov.  He was outstanding in the role, which required him to be very vulnerable and open to the audience, just as we watched him change through his experiences as a soldier.  David has always been a very brave actor and I was so impressed at how he took all of us in the audience down the terrible path that Robert Ross had to walk through the play.  He is a young innocent fragile Canadian boy at the beginning of the play and we see him struggle to lead his men and face the horror of man's cruelty while he attempts to hold onto a vestige of himself.  It is a remarkable performance, and I hope some of you will be able to see it before the play closes on November 23.

The Wars based on Timothy Findley's novel, performed at UBC starring SLSS alum David Volpov

Don't miss our own David Volpov in Timothy Findley's classic Canadian story, "The Wars", adapted for the stage by Dennis Garnhum and directed by Lois Anderson running this month at UBC's Frederic Wood Theatre.  David was one of SLSS's finest actors -- who can forget his hilarious Flute in our terrific production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"?  He went on to play many terrific characters on our little stage and is now pursuing his acting goals at UBC.  The show opens at 7:30 pm on November 7 and runs until November 23 at the Frederic Wood Theatre at UBC.  What a great play to present as we near Remembrance Day!  It explores the journey of Robert Ross who leaves his safe life in Canada to fight in the trenches in World War I.  Don't miss it!

Journals!

Senior Drama will be presenting "The Trial of Lizzie Borden" on Monday and Tuesday next week in C Block.  After the shows, I would like you to all write your reflections on how things went.  Hand it in next Friday!  (If your parents or relatives would like to see one of the shows, they are welcome to come.   Just tell them the time for C Block on the day they'd like to come.)

Drama 9/10:  What does "care and respect" mean to you?  Give an example of how you have learned to show "care and respect".

Drama 8:  What have you chosen to speak about for the show and tell speeches?  Why did you choose the item you did?  (Make sure you have two minutes of material and that you speak clearly and project your voice!)

We will be performing the Aesop plays on Thursday and Friday.

Show and Tell instructions

Grade 8's:  You should be preparing your "show and tell" speeches!  Practice your speech OUT LOUD and make sure you have two minutes of material!  This is very important.  It should not be more than two minutes (more is not better) and it should not be less than two minutes.

You will stand centre stage and not fidget!  You will appear to be confident.  You may use cue cards, or even have your whole speech written out, but you must make eye contact with the audience.  You must speak clearly and make sure I can hear you and understand you from the back of the theatre.  Think about communicating to the audience.  Tell them a story that features your item.  Showing the item is not enough!

You may speak about anything you like, but if it is not allowed at school, you will have to show a photo or picture of it.

You MUST not start the speech with "so" or end it with "yeah".  Think of a joke or a quotation or a question to start things out and then at the end come to a conclusion -- "this is what I learned", "this is why this thing is so important to me", "as you can see, it is important to 'look before you leap'.  Something like that.

Use something that inspires a story to tell.  Just describing the item will not engage your audience.  That's the basis of theatre - a good story.  We've talked at length about how the plot line works -- that will help you here.  If you are interested in the story, we will be, too, so choose something that inspires a good story.

This is a chance for you to demonstrate that you are a good public speaker!  Make sure you have TWO MINUTES of material.  Don't speak too fast!

Tales from the past

Grade 8:

Write a review of one of the Creation of the World performances.  Give your review a catchy title -- not "Creation of the World" review.  The first paragraph should describe details about the performance -- who played the different characters, where the story came from, etc.  The second paragraph should say what you liked best and what you think should be improved and describe both in detail.  The third paragraph should say whether it was worth seeing and say why.

Grade 9/10:

Imagine yourself as one of the characters in one of the stories you're performing (not your own story).  What motivates that character?  What emotions does the character feel?  Have you ever felt any similar emotions?  Describe what it felt like (for example, your character is furious -- you remember a time when you felt angry -- you were sweating, your fists clenched, you couldn't speak in sentences).   Actors use a technique called "emotional memory" where they try to remember a time they felt a similar emotion to the one their character is feeling -- that helps them play their scene truthfully.

Senior Drama:

Actors:  Which character have you been assigned to play?  Describe the character.  Give them a back story.  What challenges will you face in playing the character?  Why do you think the directors chose you to play that character?

Theatre production:

Choose one scene from the play.  How do you think it should be played (describe in detail)?  How will light and sound help the audience respond to the play?  What are your lighting and sound ideas for this scene?

Directors:  Choose one of the characters -- why did you assign the actor you chose to that role?

Was it easy to agree on who played which character?  How did you settle disagreements?

What is the biggest challenge for you with this play now?  It is rather static at this point.  How will you "jazz it up"?

In the beginning, in the end . . .

Grade 8's:  We are starting work on the Ugandan myth called "The Creation of the World".  How do you think the world was created?  Could you make a play out of your ideas?  Explain how.  Where, in the story, is a good place for a tableau?  A mime?  A choral speech?  Which part would you like to play?  Explain why.

Grade 9/10:  Which heritage story so far is your favourite?  Explain why.  What genre do you like best?  Give an example of the type of drama you like and explain how it fits into your choice of genre.

Senior Drama:

Many of you have said you would like to write a scene for the trial play.  Choose one of the scenarios below and write a scene for it (one page or so).  (You can research the actual story if you like.)

a)  Bridget Sullivan (the maid) testifies about when Lizzie told her that Andrew Borden was dead;
b)  Lizzie and Emma discuss the trial in Lizzie's cell in the jail;
c)  the neighbour tells a police officer about Lizzie's relationship with Abby;
d)  a little boy in the neighbourhood tells about finding a bloody ax in his backyard;
e)  the defence attorneys discuss strategies to get Lizzie out of trouble.

An apple a day keeps the doctor away!

Well, it didn't help me much -- I have been sick all week and today I just collapsed!  I woke up and felt achy all over and my cough was really bad, so I stayed in bed the entire day and slept and I feel better today, although I still have the cough.  I hope on the weekend, I'll spend two days of solid sleep and relaxation and that I'll be 100% on Monday.  I hope you all had a great day today.

Grade 8's -- I want to see your fairy tale mimes AT LAST.  Your journal is about them.

How did your fairy tale mime performance go?  What went well?  What needed improvement?  Did anyone act as a leader for the group?  Did anyone hinder the progress of the group?  What did you do to help?

Which performance was your favourite?  Explain why.

Grade 9/10's -- Write your heritage story.  Include details, like where it takes place and when.  Use the people's names.

Senior Drama -- What are your thoughts about the interactive Hallowe'en performance?  What do you think of my idea about a murder trial?  We will need actors, writers, lighting and sound technicians, costumes, hair and makeup, a set.  Which job is suitable for you to do?

Actors -- there will be large and small roles -- the defence and prosecuting attorneys, the accused, witnesses -- those are large roles;  smaller roles would be the judge, the bailiff, the court stenographer, reporters.  What sort of role would you like?

Theatre production -- make a sketch of a costume you think would be suitable for one of the characters -- say who the character is and why you choose the outfit you do.  Make sure to include colour!   Make a sketch of what you think the set should look like.  Include colour!

Directed studies -- your course is really open to what you want to study.  Let's have each of you write a brief scene (1 - 2 pages) of a courtroom drama you think could have some scary potential.