Monologues

Sorry it's taken me so long to post these!

Grade 9/10 Monologues:

Peter from “Goin’ Down the Road”:

Those guys are three dummies.  I don’t get you.  When we were leaving, you couldn’t get out of the place fast enough.  Now you go on about some job in the cannery.  Oh, listen, Joey, it’s gonna be so different.  There you can get all kinds of jobs.  Not just sweat and dirt all the time . . . And the places to go;  we’re gonna hit some night spots, have us some good times!  No sitting in some restaurant all night or cruising up and down main street, looking for something you know damn well isn’t there . . . Joey, there’s going to be so much there, we won’t know where to begin.

Ruthie from “Distended Ear Lobes”:

Well, it isn’t exactly that he doesn’t interest me anymore.  It’s that I’m not quite sure of the chemistry.  Before it was all chemistry, and I didn’t even think about whether he interested me.  Now the chemistry is deluded and I’ve had time to consider whether or not he interests me, I mean as a person, that is.

Anyhow, whether it’s going anywhere or not, I’m having lunch with him because – now promise me not to get hysterical – he’s been looking into the Peace Corps and I’m thinking about joining up with him.  I hate my job in the office and if you’ll pardon the cliché, I want to do something worthwhile.

Senior Drama monologues:

Tom: 

Listen!  You think I’m crazy about the warehouse?  You think I’m in love with the Continental Shoemakers?  You think I want to spend fifty-five years down there in that  -- celotex interior!  with fluorescent – tubes!  Look!  I’d rather somebody picked up a crowbar and battered out my brains – than go back mornings!  I go!  Every time you come in yelling “Rise and shine!”  “Rise and shine!” I say to myself, “How lucky dead  people are!”  But I get up.  I go!  For sixty-five dollars a month I give up all that I dream of doing and being ever!  And you say self – self’s all I ever think of.  Why, listen, if self is what I thought of, Mother, I’d be where he is – GONE!  (HE POINTS TO HIS FATHER’S PICTURE.)  As far as the system of transportation reaches!  Don’t grab at me, Mother!  I’m going to the movies!  I’m going to opium dens!  Yes, opium dens, dens of vice and criminals’ hangouts, Mother.  They call me Killer, Killer Wingfield.

Laura:

I came across his picture a while ago.  It’s in the yearbook.  His name was Jim.  Here he is in “The Pirates of Penzance”.  The operetta the senior class put on.  He had a wonderful voice and we sat across the aisle from each other Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the Aud. 

He used to call me – Blue Roses.

When I had that attack of pleurosis – he asked me what was the matter when I came back.  I said pleurosis – he thought I said Blue Roses!  So that’s what he always called me after that.  Whenever he saw me, he’d holler, “Hello, Blue Roses!”  I didn’t care for the girl that he went out with.  Emily Meisenbach.  Emily was the best-dressed girl at Soldan.  She never struck me, though, as being sincere . . . It says in the Personal Section – they’re engaged.  That’s – six years ago.  They must be married by now.

 

Keep up your journals!!

Senior Drama:

Theatre production:  We need to make English money, paint the kitchen, finish the sign and do one other thing I just can't think of at this moment!

Journal:  What techniques in advertising work on you?  (Music, humour, sex appeal, bandwagon approach, economy, appeals to emotion or intellect).  If you were to promote yourself, how would you go about it?

Drama 9/10:  Write about the comedia del'arte project.  What did you like about it?  What didn't you like?  Which play impressed you the most?  If you had to perform it for an audience of outsiders, what would you change?

Drama 8:  What should Ms. Kosar know about you?  Write about any experience you have in Drama, whether you have stage fright, whether you are good at working in groups, what you are expecting to do in this class, anything you would like to share.

Grade 8's, remember you will recite "all the world's a stage" next week.  Please remember to bring $5 for the play on Wednesday!

The Director's Role

The Director's Role: You are the obstetrician. You are not the parent of this child we call the play. You are present at its birth for clinical reasons, like a doctor or midwife. Your job most of the time is simply to do no harm.
When something does go wrong, however, your awareness that something is awry--and your clinical intervention to correct it--can determine whether the child will thrive or suffer, live or die.”
― Frank Hauser, Notes on Directing: 130 Lessons in Leadership from the Director's Chair 

We're all trying to pull together to get "Fawlty Towers" on the stage.  There's not much more I can do.  I've paid for the royalties (so we have a great script), I chose the cast (and you're all more than capable), and Mr. Price has given us a really beautiful place to show off!  Rachel and Noa and many of you have supplied great props and costumes and we've made things and borrowed them and found them.

For those of you who don't know your lines yet, LEARN THEM!  It is so frustrating to see things bouncing along and think "oh, this is going well" and then you skip THREE PAGES so that people who are in the play wouldn't even get on stage!!  You owe it to your castmates to know your part and your cues and to listen to each other on stage!!  If people on stage miss your cue and jump ahead, and you're waiting backstage, come on anyway!  They'll deal with you once you're there!

The baby is almost ready to be delivered.  We need to get his room ready, and make sure he has warm clothes, good food and fun toys to play with when he arrives!  (On Tuesday of next week!!!!!)

"Fawlty Towers"

The school play debuts on Tuesday, December 9 at 7:00 p.m.  Tickets are only $5.  It is about "the rudest hotelier" John Cleese ever met and Mr. Price has designed a gorgeous set and the actors are very inventive and high energy and there is mystery and romance and a wide variety of wacky characters.  It is very funny and I encourage everyone to come and see the show.  We are running on December 10 at 1:30 and 7 p.m. and Thursday, December 11 at 1:30 and then closing on December 12 at 7:00 p.m.

The matinees are full, so unfortunately if your teacher hasn't signed up your class by now, you and they are out of luck.  My grade 8 class (A Block) -- you are expected to attend during your class time.  Please bring your $5 this week.  The money goes to a good cause -- the money we earn by putting on a show goes to pay for the next show and for scholarships for our graduating performers and crew.  But, if you cannot afford to pay, just let me know.  It is important to me that you get to see the show if you want to and so you are welcome to come either way.

Weekend update - good intentions!

Drama Club:  Good work, everyone, on the set!  Mr. Price has done a great job and it looks great.  We still have some things to do, but the focus for the cast needs to be on learning your lines and cues.  You all need to project, project, project.  You can't be softly spoken on stage.  The audience needs to sit back, relax and enjoy it, not strain to hear you.  Any crew members, make sure Rachel has your first and last names for the program.

Senior Drama:  Theatre production -- you guys can really help with the set.  We will need to paint next week, too, so make sure you bring clothes that you aren't worried about getting painty.  Actors:  I was really impressed with your back story plays.  We'll see the rest on Monday.  Directors:  This is an important part of getting a true performance from actors.  You need to think about what went on before the play started, what the subtext is in the scene and the things the actors say.  Actors will do this with any role -- ask themselves what motivates their character.  You don't have to tell them, but you should have an idea.  Remember your theme day is on Monday.

Drama 9/10:  What great comedia plays we saw on Thursday!  I was so impressed.  You have drawn the many components together to create cohesive, interesting and entertaining performances and I was thoroughly captivated by the two performances we saw.  I hope the other groups are as terrific.

Grade 8:  You will start leading the class next week.  I am looking forward to learning some new warmup activities from you.  Remember that you are expected to ask the "question of the day" and explain why your activity is good for drama.  We will be continuing to work on mime next week.

I had to lead an activity on our professional day yesterday.  I decided on the theme of "trust" and we talked about the value of students feeling that they will be treated with care and respect in their classrooms and how a student is more likely to take intellectual risks, if they have confidence that their efforts will be appreciated, and not denigrated.  When people think of trust in a drama classroom, they always think of those physical trust exercises, when someone falls backwards off a table into the arms of their classmates, but I think it is harder to trust that people will not betray your emotional risks.  When you try a wacky or emotional character on stage, your classmates will appreciate your effort and not sneer at your shortcomings.  That is my goal in all our classes -- that you will all learn to appreciate the good intentions of others.

Wecome to Drama!

Welcome to all the new Grade 8 drama students!  It is great to meet you all.  Here is the piece you will be learning for a vocal warmup:

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

We will practice this piece every day and recite individually in a couple of weeks when you feel comfortable with the words.  Practice speaking with a clear strong voice.  You need to take a good breath to support your sound and use your mouth to enunciate the words.  When you recite, I expect to be able to hear every word clearly!  Public speaking is a big component of drama.

Grade 9/10:  If you want Elisha to help you with lighting, be sure you give her a detailed script.  We will perform our comedia del'arte plays starting tomorrow.

Senior Drama:  Today we will see the second director's play.  Actors, you need to memorize your lines for the final presentation in about a week's time.  Theatre production:  you need to be sure you are comfortable with sound and light cues and curtains, set and costumes.  The actors should help you in this regard.

Opening night of "Fawlty Towers" is fast approaching.  Learn your lines.  Bring any costume ideas you have for your characters to the dress rehearsal on Friday.

The end of days

Tomorrow is the last day for Drama for the Grade 8's.  Please remember to look at the blog to see if you've missed any journals.  You may hand them in tomorrow in order to have me add them to your mark.  I will also add your Aesop plays to your mark.  I was very pleased with how well most of you spoke your lines so clearly and with such good diction. 

I will not assign a journal for this week for any of you.  I did not mark last week's journals (except for the grade 8's) because I was working on your report cards.  Last week's journals will be included in the next report period.

Grade 8's -- I would like to thank you all for your hard work, enthusiasm and creativity over the last nine weeks.  It has gone very quickly and I hope you all had as much fun as I did.  Best of luck to all of you in Art!  I hope to see many of you next year in Drama 9!