Notes for Wed. Nov. 8

First: great job tonight on a first dress rehearsal! You all look great in your costumes, and we actually took time off the running of the show tonight. Also: great for remembering your spots for the curtain call: it ran very smoothly and the singing sounds great. Please check the updated makeup schedule (which has changed) so you know when to arrive tomorrow and what to wear. Review your costume notes to remember what to wear and how to do your hair: boys should slick their hair back as Ms. Susan has directed.

Please come to the side entrance (do not bring our child through the front of the theatre), and then enter through the gym tomorrow, not the theatre.

Scene 1

  • Katie: don't stand so stiff, be more of a showman; really gesture as your read at the beginning. The spot will be bigger so you have more room to move around. Give Anna the book after she helps with the door.
  • Makenna & Trinity: exit after Bob goes to work so the Young Wife and kids don't get run over.
  • Cody: be closer to Scrooge when you say "and my mother" so he can get past you when Bob claps.
  • Surya and Emery: don't play quite so much with Bob's stuff now, as it is getting distracting. Jayden: stop them more.
  • Brad: when the bell sounds, don't back up, walk to your desk and turn to look at Bob. Say "That time is it? To the minute." Then cross to Bob to get your things. Jayden: give Scrooge his coat first, then his hat.

Scene 2

  • Brad & Katie: we need to run the first costume change with Cassie tomorrow before we start to make sure we have the timing correct. Katie, you may need to slow your delivery down there.
  • Chloe: you started slow than sped up when you got angry. Keep the emotion but also your tempo.
  • Brad: when you say "What else could it be? What else?" Stay planted, don't move around so much. Wait until you say the lines to leave, so the lighting and sound can have time to happen.

Scene 3

  • Brad: don't come up to the Ghost of Christmas Past, stay below her until you go to the chair to have a nap.
  • Brad: when you go offstage during the scene change, can you cover Natalie's candle so we don't see it as well?
  • Good job Brad and Natalie on waiting for the sound cue for your entrance.
  • Ashley Hobbs: good volume and placement today, you can be even louder and slower with your lines. Great job memorizing them.
  • Natalie: whenever you cross and turn, make sure you turn toward the audience instead of away from them (like when you turn to look at Fan and Young Scrooge.

Scene 4

  • August: slow down your line delivery as Fezziwig and pronounce more of your consonants (Ts, Ns, etc.) Your accent is great but we need more enunciation to understand what you're saying.
  • Brad: anticipate your cross to Fezziwig as he's saying "I'm confident of it."
  • Faith & Daisy: when you bring the food on, move the table farther onstage in front of the bench so people don't hit the edge of the curtains.
  • Fezziwig Party people in the middle after the dance: don't stand in a line, clump in a semicircle. If you are on the end, be farther downstage than your partners in the middle. Everyone: freeze when the light changes, then exit noisily when the lights come back on.
  • Brad: don't cross stage right of Fezziwig when you talk about how great he is, stop stage left of him and take a beat before saying "I remember that party." React to everyone leaving, don't freeze.
  • Natalie: don't turn upstage to get Brad on "Come back." Cheat out so your feet are pointing to the audience more.

Scene 6

  • Brad: have more reaction to your younger self and his terrible date.
  • Lila: don't back up to the bench. I will send you and Owen an email writing out exactly how to stand and walk. Please see me before we start tomorrow so we can go over it.
  • Josh Gore: be louder.
  • Lila: cross toward the vom and look out in the light rather than toward Scrooge.

Scene 7

  • Kristina: cheat out more. Point toes to the audience as you're talking to Scrooge. Great on more animation and volume. You're dropping in volume a bit when you sound very happy: keep it up the whole time.
  • Jayden, Emery, and Hackney: play farther upstage, look out at the audience the whole time. On the line "Tea and coffee" Emery goes to August (the boy with the toys) and Jayden and Hackney go to Faith (the girl with the fruit basket). On the line "figs" you switch places: Emery goes to Faith, Jamey and Hackney go to August.
  • Brad: come centerstage to watch the kids play sooner. Be looking at everything in amazement.
  • Clara: this is a change, don't cross to August (the toyseller), stay over by Faith so it is easier to get to Mason. Don't cross the spotlight Katie is in.
  • Katie: start off sooner for church.
  • Fred's Party: be much louder as you enter, really sound happy, laugh, talk, etc. until Tilly starts the game. Then we need reactions: Clara, lean forward in the sofa and really try to guess what's happening. Kids: you can come forward on the floor and look around as people try to guess. If you get it wrong, groan or laugh, tell your neighbor you thought it was right. Come in quicker on your cues and really keep it going pop-pop-pop like a party.
  • Cody: stand farther behind the sofa, don't stand directly in front of Lauren.
  • Anna: cheat out more, face the audience. Let the kids come to you, make sure your body is always facing forward. Especially don't turn to face the kids, let them come farther down to you (help them by stepping behind them, while keeping yourself facing forward). When you have your bit with Lauren at the end of the game, be on the same line as her to make sure we can see you both.
  • Kayla: wait to take Fred's place until he crosses you, don't cross behind him on your line.
  • Great job Trey for coming in with a line when the scene went dead!
  • Cody: please review your final Fred speech. Also: use your upstage arm to "shake" Scrooge's hand.
  • Brad: I want us to try you going back to your original cross stage right on Fred's "Humbug, Humbug!" Turn away from the party and pout.
  • Emerson: great job as the maid! You will not wear that big hat tomorrow.

Scene 8

  • Mateus: the pink chair was too far away from the table today. Please make sure when you bring it on in the scene change that you push it in toward the table. Makenna: if that doesn't happen in the scene change, make sure it's pushed in when you help set the table.
  • Makenna: don't put the fruit bowl on first, get the table cloth on quicker and then straighten it so it's even. The bowl can wait until the kids and Bob leave. If you see the table cloth is ying-yang, straighten it. Put Trinity's hat in the trunk.
  • Cadence and Mateus: be quieter when you come in to get the glasses.
  • Trinity: help Tim until he gets to Cadence, then she can help him sit on the stool. Bob, you can also help him with your line "Here's your seat Tim.
  • Dawson: look out at the audience for "God Bless Us Everyone."
  • Kristina & Scrooge: get farther stage right for your bit about Tiny Tim so the scene change can happen out of the spotlight.
  • Brad: get closer into the light for Ignorance and Want. You made the adjustment, just know now where you need to stand to start it off. The spots will be off for this moment.
  • Kristina: great acting like an older person! Now I need you to be a quicker old person to get off sooner. Chloe: come on sooner so that the two of you pass sooner. Brad: don't break away from the kids until Kristina gets up on the second riser.

Act II Scenes 1 & 2

  • Brad and Chloe: the moment where Scrooge recognizes the ghost is behind if isn't reading. Brad: don't notice her until "I know your purpose is to do me good." Then jump, have a few seconds to recover, and continue with "I am learning--a great many things.
  • Daisy & Taryn: wait to come in until Scrooge and the Ghost are farther stage left.
  • Sally, Alexa, and Madelyn: great job finding your light!
  • Alexa: you are supposed to be wearing a grey coat as the lady in Act II. Madelyn: you also have something different for your costume in this scene, please see Hannah and Ms. Susan tomorrow at intermission.
  • Madelyn: be louder during this scene.
  • Brad: creep up on the gossips as they talk, trying to understand what's going on, end up center stage as they exit. Turn back to the ghost for an explanation. Chloe: as Madelyn says her last line "Why else would anyone go?" already be heading to Brad to lead him to the riser as they exit.
  • Katie: wait to come on for your Dickens bit for a few beats so the Ghost and Scrooge can clear you.

Act II Scene 3

  • Maisy: much better with lines tonight, go even slower. Hold your wrist like it hurts, don't rub your arm like it itches.
  • Emerson: great job with volume and acting, you can be even louder. Don't sway: plant your feet and stay planted the entire scene.
  • Maisy & Cody: the fight looked much better tonight, thanks. Maisy be quicker asking for more money, Cody, remember to have the shirt up so she can reach for it. Go straight into the calico lines as soon as you get the new money.
  • Scrooge: react to the girls getting pushed.
  • Cody: remember to take the lamp post off.

Act II Scene 5

  • Jayden: great Fred imitation. Be louder with it.

Act II Scene 6

  • Brad: don't step up on the third riser until you open the window (that's the cue for the spot).
  • August & Jayden: go straight to the door instead of downstage of it.
  • Surya and Emery: come on quicker to run into Mr. Scrooge.
  • Anna: keep your bunch of girls center stage, and keep them turned toward the audience.
  • Clara & Hayley: come even farther onstage for the Charity Women to talk to Scrooge.
  • Brad: follow the Charity Women waving as they exit, go almost to the vom, then do a very slow turn and walk stage right. Keep behind Katie and the door, don't pass it. Don't get stage left until she has the door in place.
  • Brad: great "Catch Bob late" bit, very funny.
  • Jayden: stay upstage of Brad for that last bit. Keep the scene closer to the door so Brad has room to cross not so far downstage of you.
Show: 
A Christmas Carol