Notes for Thur. Nov. 9

Thank you everyone for a great final dress rehearsal. Your costumes look amazing, you are all much louder, and I am seeing some really good performances on stage. We have a play! Please remember to review your costume notes and makeup schedule. Tomorrow you should come in the gym door (not the theatre door). When the play is over, make sure you go backstage first after the curtain call, put down all your hats, scarves, shawls, etc. Then you may go out the gym door and back into the theatre/lobby to meet people. Do not come down the steps of the stage to go into the audience (unless your character does so during the play).

Scene 1

Much better with the showmanship tonight Katie: it can be even bigger.
August & Trey: remember to come downstage for your talk about how mean Mr. Scrooge is.
Jayden (Bob): have Fred's hat and scarf ready for him before he starts to leave (Mr. Scrooge says "leave it alone").
Cody: I like when you don't help the beggar after you leave the Counting House.
Sally, Surya, and Emery: great job on the Young Wife and kids with Mr. Scrooge. It is looking really good.
Jayden (Bob): give Mr. Scrooge his hat, don't put it on his head.

Scene 2

Katie B: give the sign to Anna after she helps you move the door.
Brad: try not to shake the candle quite so much.
Chloe: you had a great pace with your lines at the beginning; when you said "counting house" you sped up again. Keep it slow and measured all the way through, even when you get angry.

Scene 3

Brad: stay on floor when the Ghost of Christmas Past enters; don't go to the riser until you say you need to go to sleep.
Natalie & Brad: don't leave the stage until the blackout.
Natalie: when you point, keep it below your face (at chest level).
Brad: if you can safely do it, take another step down when you look at the path.
Natalie and Brad: after you finish your makeup tomorrow, see me to go over the crosses in 3 & 4.
Kayla: get closer to Aiden when you shout at him about how bad Christmas is.
Ashley: push your hat farther back off your face. See Ms. Susan or Hannah if you need help fixing it on your head.

Scene 4

Owen & August: slow down your lines when you talk about Fan.
Brad: anticipate your cross to Fezziwig even sooner (on the coin line "I'm confident of it.")
Dancers: great job! Everyone looks happy and is moving well.
August and Faith: you're coming down the dance line about a beat too soon. When you turn in the circles, count to 16, wait for the circles to finish, then come down the line.
Owen: remember to tuck in your shirt.
Brad: be more active as everyone leaves the Fezziwig party, look around, turn around, reach for people, have feelings about this party and the fact that it's ending.

Scene 5
Trey and Owen: great job! This scene has really improved: I can hear you both, and you both have great energy and emotion. Keep up the great work.

Scene 6

Owen and Lila: please review the notes I sent you last night. It looked better today, but still needs review at the end.
Lila: most importantly, don't back up to the bench, just go to it. Wait to talk until you've sat down.
Josh Gore: be louder the entire time. I'm hearing you in places, but you could be much louder.

Scene 7

Kristina: point your feet to the audience more.
Emery: don't get down on the ground to play since your shawl is hard to keep on.
Katie: don't be upstage of Clara. Cross sooner to get to center stage as the bells are ringing; we don't want you to be hidden by her as she helps the beggar.
Lauren: thank you for telling Fred "Merry Christmas." Everyone else should make noise as they enter Fred's party.
Cody: please do not stand in front of Lauren, get behind the couch.
All party guests: please react more to the game, be animated, sigh or groan when the answer isn't correct, come in quickly with your guesses.
Emerson: great job adjusting to the skip in lines and still getting your glasses to Anna and Lauren.
Kayla: when you say your line about Scrooge, come down and talk to Fred. Don't go to the other side of the couch until he crosses in front of you.
Cody: don't pull on your pants. If you need a nervous gesture, tug on your jacket or vest.
Riley: just turn and go back to your chair, don't circle around Cody.
Brad and Kristina: be farther stage right during the Cratchit scene change, they can't get all the things on when you stand center.

Scene 8

Makenna: your mission is to make sure the pink chair is pushed all the way in at the table at the top of the scene. When your husband and kids leave to wash their hands, hum "I Heard the Bells" as you get the table ready.
Trinity and Dawson: wait five counts until you enter. Dawson, you can be slower getting to your stool.
Cadence: don't play with the cane.
Dawson: don't hold your cup up until the very end, when Bob gestures for you to.
Brad: when Kristina goes upstage, don't back up to speak to her, just turn and get in place.

Act II Scenes 1 & 2

Taryn and Daisy: be on the edge of the riser when you talk so you are more in the light.
Alexa: tip your hat back more when you are a gossipy lady.
Alexa and Madelyn: be louder.

Act II Scene 3

Katie B: wait to come until the Ghost get toward the riser, the spot is having a hard time finding you while the Ghost moves in front of you.
Emerson: once the Laundress starts going through her bundle with Old Joe, edge up closer to the lamppost.
Emerson, Maisy, and Cody: thank you getting all the money up. It was great to be in character to start with. Don't apologize if something goes wrong, roll with it. Thanks for getting through the scene even with a props malfunction. We will get you a new bag tomorrow.

Act II Scene 5

Trinity: take Bob's hat and scarf and put them on the mantle.

Act II Scene 6

Anna Newby: when Mr. Scrooge passes you to talk to the Charity Women, shepherd your brood of girls closer to the door, let the bobby come to you there.
Jayden: make sure you're upstage of Brad during that last scene. This is the last scene I need you to really pick your volume up.
Makenna and Dawson: start a bit sooner entering for "Tiny Tim did not die."