Bringing you up to speed
The weekend before last was the part of the year I most look forward to next to GenCon. It was our annual One Act Festival that is normally held in Heidelberg but this year it was in Kaiserslautern (very close to me). The One Act KMC brought was called "Almost, Maine". I'd never done a play as a stage manager with five different directors. But it was a great learning experience seeing how to put together a show of that magnitude and make it appear seamless. I guess I will chalk a bit of my experience up to first time attempts as I did make quite a few mistakes. It seemed if there was a performance, I was guaranteed to forget at least one major set piece, like a quilt or a bench. ha! 'Pretend' to sit, it is called 'acting'. lol! But seriously though, even with minor errors. This was the best experience in that I got to SET THE TRANSITIONS! Wha? A SM setting transitions (transitions for those wondering is the design as to how the set pieces and props are going to be brought on and off the stage as needed by the seen. Usually the technical director or director makes the call but with five directors that would have been too many voices calling these transitions). So bonus for me, resume will include that new experience.
There were some major stressful moments and my human interaction thing is still rating 'below average', which maybe caused some of the stress. Some days I wish I had my little brother, Edward's social skills or maybe my older sister, Annette's. They seem to take everything in stride and react and interact with ease. For me...it is like sitting down to Geometry homework for the first time ever. Yeah, give me three hours and I will have the perfect comeback to what you just said or am less likely to stress overload instantly and only find a solution after a meltdown. I have gotten way better but still, I'd like to score above average one of these days. :) And sadly, we couldn't bring all the scenes with us so I was very sad to see a few of our cast disappear after last performance before the One Acts. I wish we'd have known sooner so a party or something could have been arranged. Either way, I gotta poke Keith, he promised a cast party at his house.
Back to the One Acts and why I love it. I love the One Acts because it is one of my only opportunities to see 'what' the rest of Europe is doing as far as Stage Managing. I watch all the shows for signs of costume changes, scene changes, corrections to error in sound, light, prop or set. I try to see what type of set pieces are moving on and off the stage and why they chose that way. Overall, I like watching the stage pictures...I can't help it, the artistic part of my eye prefers beautiful scenes. No, this does not mean the scene itself has to be beautiful, it means it should balance what is happening there on stage. It should make the story telling easier by capturing how the moment should look perfectly. There were 13 shows and of course I slept through a few (12 hour days and a tendancy to make like a narcoleptic during movies or lulls in action) but I missed way less than last year. I couldn't help it. Most everyone brought good quality shows that told a story and didn't get all existential on me to the point that I wanted to prove that the chair in front of me existed by bashing my head through it. Sometimes theater can get a bit too much of itself.
I also adore the One Acts for the workshops. I am a bit unsure of myself onstage and any time there is a technical or stage managing workshop, I am there. So they offered workshops for singing this year, acting, monologues and whole piece. I couldn't go to the Morrie one that I termed 'whole piece' but I did make it to the monologue workshop and did a scene called "Spare Change". It was fantastic piece that caught my eye and sealed the deal (I love dramas...it is what I'd probably prefer to do over comediies anyday). The director that ran the workshop gave great tips and now I am going to keep a monologue book of the ones I perform with notes so that I can be prepared to do monologues, if asked, during auditions or scene pieces. However, I didn't know that I was being suggested to actually do mine as a piece for a later workshop until Sunday. I do the workshop because it is the only time I can selfishly get back honest criticism on how I move and interpret a scene. I remember my sister when she used to do theater and I want to have that powerful a presence and understanding of a scene and character; Annette was magic onstage and the reason I went to read 'Oliver' after seeing it with her in it. So I do the workshops that have no more than 8 people in it working with one director for an hour. Fanstatistic. Now if I can convince RJ to do a mainstream monologue, that boy will win something. :)
On Sunday I attended the singing workshop and I am glad I didn't try to learn a piece. The people that sang and got direction individually were brilliant. One of them made me cry and I can't even remember what song they song now, it was just so moving. And Jeanne has mad, crazy skills when it comes comedic timing and milking the crowd. My favorite direction was this guy that was singing a song about how he feels when his wife leaves him. The first time the guy did it, everything he sang hurt (not because his singing was off) but because I had no idea where he was coming from and he just sounded angry and bitter for no reason. But the director gave him a flurry of directions that had him focus on discovering each of these thoughts as he sang them and wow, I wanted to hug him at the end because then I realize this guy's wife left him and he was trying to pull the pieces back together. I hope to get amazing direction like that when I am finally brave enough to do a musical. *crossing fingers for 'Chicago'* The other workshop was an acting workshop. It was also fantastic and surprising. My monologue that didn't place for the Monologue finals (not surprised, still in the learning) was asked to be worked during this workshop. Um, so *blush*, I forgot most of it but I figured I'd never get a chance like this ever again so I said 'yes'. I can't describe how this guy worked this monologue but at the end, I was humbled. I just didn't imagine that could come out of me and I didn't overly freak with everyone staring at me...and I mean they STARED. (Javier, you wouldn't have to push me onstage...Steve from Heidelberg did that this time...). And of course throughout the weekend I got to talk with people who love theater as much or even more than I do. 39 steps is on my to do list now thanks to everyone talking about it.
And if you ever get two nickels to rub together to make a dime, go see 'Jen and Jeff'. It was a fantastic one act play brought by a third place festival group. There are only two actors onstage for the entire time and they do such a phenomenal job of telling a story that I would pay 'Wicked' ticket prices to see it for real. Just a blessing to see. Bring tissues cuz you are going to cry. And big shout out to the Baumholder gang, they won three awards for the first time entry into the One Act Festival. I was definitely sad to go home on Sunday evening, it was like I got to play around all weekend long and now I had school on Monday...oh wait, that is how my students feel. lol! Either way, I am so grateful to everyone for letting me in on Almost, Maine last minute and thanks for all the sleepless nights I know a few of the planners had.
Okay, off to bed, gotta work tomorrow.
There were some major stressful moments and my human interaction thing is still rating 'below average', which maybe caused some of the stress. Some days I wish I had my little brother, Edward's social skills or maybe my older sister, Annette's. They seem to take everything in stride and react and interact with ease. For me...it is like sitting down to Geometry homework for the first time ever. Yeah, give me three hours and I will have the perfect comeback to what you just said or am less likely to stress overload instantly and only find a solution after a meltdown. I have gotten way better but still, I'd like to score above average one of these days. :) And sadly, we couldn't bring all the scenes with us so I was very sad to see a few of our cast disappear after last performance before the One Acts. I wish we'd have known sooner so a party or something could have been arranged. Either way, I gotta poke Keith, he promised a cast party at his house.
Back to the One Acts and why I love it. I love the One Acts because it is one of my only opportunities to see 'what' the rest of Europe is doing as far as Stage Managing. I watch all the shows for signs of costume changes, scene changes, corrections to error in sound, light, prop or set. I try to see what type of set pieces are moving on and off the stage and why they chose that way. Overall, I like watching the stage pictures...I can't help it, the artistic part of my eye prefers beautiful scenes. No, this does not mean the scene itself has to be beautiful, it means it should balance what is happening there on stage. It should make the story telling easier by capturing how the moment should look perfectly. There were 13 shows and of course I slept through a few (12 hour days and a tendancy to make like a narcoleptic during movies or lulls in action) but I missed way less than last year. I couldn't help it. Most everyone brought good quality shows that told a story and didn't get all existential on me to the point that I wanted to prove that the chair in front of me existed by bashing my head through it. Sometimes theater can get a bit too much of itself.
I also adore the One Acts for the workshops. I am a bit unsure of myself onstage and any time there is a technical or stage managing workshop, I am there. So they offered workshops for singing this year, acting, monologues and whole piece. I couldn't go to the Morrie one that I termed 'whole piece' but I did make it to the monologue workshop and did a scene called "Spare Change". It was fantastic piece that caught my eye and sealed the deal (I love dramas...it is what I'd probably prefer to do over comediies anyday). The director that ran the workshop gave great tips and now I am going to keep a monologue book of the ones I perform with notes so that I can be prepared to do monologues, if asked, during auditions or scene pieces. However, I didn't know that I was being suggested to actually do mine as a piece for a later workshop until Sunday. I do the workshop because it is the only time I can selfishly get back honest criticism on how I move and interpret a scene. I remember my sister when she used to do theater and I want to have that powerful a presence and understanding of a scene and character; Annette was magic onstage and the reason I went to read 'Oliver' after seeing it with her in it. So I do the workshops that have no more than 8 people in it working with one director for an hour. Fanstatistic. Now if I can convince RJ to do a mainstream monologue, that boy will win something. :)
On Sunday I attended the singing workshop and I am glad I didn't try to learn a piece. The people that sang and got direction individually were brilliant. One of them made me cry and I can't even remember what song they song now, it was just so moving. And Jeanne has mad, crazy skills when it comes comedic timing and milking the crowd. My favorite direction was this guy that was singing a song about how he feels when his wife leaves him. The first time the guy did it, everything he sang hurt (not because his singing was off) but because I had no idea where he was coming from and he just sounded angry and bitter for no reason. But the director gave him a flurry of directions that had him focus on discovering each of these thoughts as he sang them and wow, I wanted to hug him at the end because then I realize this guy's wife left him and he was trying to pull the pieces back together. I hope to get amazing direction like that when I am finally brave enough to do a musical. *crossing fingers for 'Chicago'* The other workshop was an acting workshop. It was also fantastic and surprising. My monologue that didn't place for the Monologue finals (not surprised, still in the learning) was asked to be worked during this workshop. Um, so *blush*, I forgot most of it but I figured I'd never get a chance like this ever again so I said 'yes'. I can't describe how this guy worked this monologue but at the end, I was humbled. I just didn't imagine that could come out of me and I didn't overly freak with everyone staring at me...and I mean they STARED. (Javier, you wouldn't have to push me onstage...Steve from Heidelberg did that this time...). And of course throughout the weekend I got to talk with people who love theater as much or even more than I do. 39 steps is on my to do list now thanks to everyone talking about it.
And if you ever get two nickels to rub together to make a dime, go see 'Jen and Jeff'. It was a fantastic one act play brought by a third place festival group. There are only two actors onstage for the entire time and they do such a phenomenal job of telling a story that I would pay 'Wicked' ticket prices to see it for real. Just a blessing to see. Bring tissues cuz you are going to cry. And big shout out to the Baumholder gang, they won three awards for the first time entry into the One Act Festival. I was definitely sad to go home on Sunday evening, it was like I got to play around all weekend long and now I had school on Monday...oh wait, that is how my students feel. lol! Either way, I am so grateful to everyone for letting me in on Almost, Maine last minute and thanks for all the sleepless nights I know a few of the planners had.
Okay, off to bed, gotta work tomorrow.