Trust!

How trustworthy are you?

Grade 9/10:  Trust is a big part of the study of drama.  People have to trust that you will hold up your end on stage and that you will be there for them if they are struggling on stage.  Are you a trustworthy person?  Explain your answer.  How can you show someone that they can trust you?  How do people show that they can't be trusted?

Theatre Production:  Finish the "Ripper" script and give me a list of props we need.  (You can give me one list for the both of you.)  Draw a sketch to show what sort of set we might need to construct for the play.  Remember, it is the theatre, not a tv show or film, so we can't have fifty different locales.  Try to think metaphorically.

Drama 8:  Write about how you feel your "Creation of the World" performance went.  Start with what went well and then think about how it could have been improved.  Try to mention the costumes, the staging, how you managed the tableau, the mime and the choral speaking.  Did you feel the casting (who played which character) was done properly?

Which other presentation was your favourite?  Say why.

Steps in the past

Journals for February 21:

Grade 8:  How do you think the world was created?   Could you make a play out of it?  (Explain your answer.)  How did you decide to cast your performance of the Ugandan myth?  Is anyone emerging as a leader?  How can you tell?  Is anyone presenting difficulties for the group?  Where do you think a mime would look good?  Where would a tableau fit?  What about choral speaking?

Grade 9/10:  Write out your heritage story.  Give as much detail as possible, including names, places, dialogue.

Theatre Production:  Listen to the music for "Puttin' On The Ritz".  What kind of performance would go with that?  Describe it in detail.

Great Backyard Bird Count/Family Day

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.  The Great Backyard Bird Count is going on.  Just take some time to sit somewhere and watch the birds -- count how many you see and send in your list to their website -- here is the address:  https://gbbc.birdcount.org

If you don't know much about birds, you can get a bird book that will help you identify what you see. Spending time in nature, bird-watching, or even just walking or sitting and breathing in the air -- they're good ways of de-stressing.

I went to see "Parasite" today.  Of course, it is the first foreign language film to win the best picture Oscar, and that is why I was interested, I guess, even though I don't expect much from the Oscars.  This was a great movie, though -- the screenplay was terrific and I was very impressed by the actors.  It was very funny and also very shocking.  I like how you end up wondering who the parasites actually are.

Tomorrow is Family Day.  I don't have anything planned.  I was hoping my sons might like to see "Parasite" with me, but they are young men and have their own activities and most of the time, those activities don't include their mother.  That's fine.  I am okay with going to a movie or anything by myself.

I just wanted to remind the Grade 9s and 10s that you should be figuring out a story you can share for Heritage Drama -- something about your family's history.  Perhaps it can be about how your family came to Canada (my grandfather came from Ukraine at the beginning of the 1900's and when they arrived in Saskatchewan, he built a church on his land before he built a house for his family -- he already had a wife and four children -- he went on to have six more children with my grandmother and then she died {my dad was her last child}.  Then he married again and had . . . fifteen more children!)  It could be about someone's first job, or a marriage or a baby being born, or a trip or an experience in a war or a family tradition and how it started -- whatever you think will be interesting.

Many hands make light work.

Remember that we will recite "All the world" on Tuesday (Grade 8s), "speak the speech" on Monday (Grade 9/10)

Grade 8:  On a scale from 1 - 5, with one as very poor and 5 as magnificent, where would you rate yourself as a member of a group? Explain.  What aspect of group work are you good at?  In what ways can you improve?  Are you a good leader?  Explain your answer.  Write about an experience you had working in a group and what you learned from it.

Grade 9/10, Theatre Production 11:  Are you influenced by advertisements?  Explain your answer.  What is the most recent purchase you have made?  Why did you choose the item you did (as opposed to another brand)?  What is good about your scene about the coronovirus?  How could it be improved? Which scene about the virus did you think was the best?  Say why you liked it.

Winter Wonderland (again)

It's snowing in Port Moody!  I wonder what it's doing in Richmond.  I always put out seeds to the birds, but I'm looking out my window this morning (on Groundhog Day) and seeing a big grey squirrel (who is actually black) scarfing down the seeds I meant for the birds.  I don't mind if he has some, but squirrels have a vorcacious appetite and can eat a lot of birdseed!  But that being said, it is quite amazing to watch him.  The feeder hangs from the panel under our roof and so he has made it down the panel and is hanging upside down.  He takes the whole feeder in his little hands (which are very dexterous) and pulls it up, so he can take handfuls of seed.   The birds are left with what falls off the feeder when he tips it over.

On Friday, I went out to UBC to see "The Changeling" (written in 1622 by Thomas Middleton).   Our old stage manager (for years) was the Assistant Stage Manager of the show (she is studying Theatre Production) and was in charge of the blood, gore and props (like knives and whips).  The way to tell if the show is well managed is if everything goes without a hitch.  The actor has his knife with him.  The blood squirts out at the right time.  The bench is there when they want to sit on it.  The music plays, the lights go on and off when they should.   This production went off like a well oiled clock.  It is a  very bleak story -- none of the characters seem redeemable.  Everyone lies and manipulates others and takes what they want.  Not a very inspiring world view, but perhaps one that is apt for these days.  Anyway, it looked fantastic and I really enjoyed it.  I had never read the play so it was exciting because I didn't know what to expect.  Here's a picture of the set -- gorgeous!

Tomorrow is the Gala for the WAG Film Festival.  We will screen all the films and then present the Waggies to the winners.  The judging has been very tight this year and all of the judges (teachers in the Fine and Performing Arts and two alumni of SLSS from Capilano University Film School) have discussed each film's merits in depth and had lots of disagreements!  It will be a great evening of film and fun!  Admission is absolutely free!

Now, I'm going to watch "Groundhog Day".  It looks like we'll have an early spring.  The groundhog couldn't see his shadow today in all the snow!