Griffis Notes-

-Ritz Men only sign off at beginning

-Amy come see Mrs.Griffis

-Casanova cane?

-Weirdo crowd people, BE WERD!

-Sam say "martial law" louder and to audience.

-crowd be frozen in Casanova thimble of whiskey line until "hermano"

-after hermano make me believe crowd is a zombie riot

-Riley stand higher on ramp when talking with Jonah

-for dances, it has to look natural! Dance to your spot. 

-Jonah don't grab your heart until mac says "unique in size"

-you have to laugh at Jonah as he puts on clown wig

-DO NOT TOUCH CURTAINS

-Sydney come talk to Mrs. Griffis about Camilla line

-Elijah turn up sound all the way for fugitivo

-tucker is the only one excited at the fiesta

-from the time Sam says "block 11" you are crazy excited unless you are frozen 

-dance to your spot, if you do t get to your spot dance wherever you are

-Elijah play music during fiesta dance

-carry Jonah out on shoulders. Jonah stay high on ladder before trust fall

-maky cheat toward audience she talking to nursie and slow down

-kadyn you are answering him with your sincerity in veil scene

-maky tug at Kadyn's veil when you say "have you been good"

- Mac and Jonah never turn completely to the side when you are saying a line, cheat towards the audience 

-Elijah in block 14 play when Sydney enters with Evan

-suitcases closer to well in block 14-15

-Ashlynn say "humankind can not bear too much reality" to audience with more impact

-Jonah understand and say each line like you're living it. React like you would naturally react in this place 

January 25

Everyone	Only one light by the sign is on at the very beginning of the play.  Fog machine should be in this week. Gutman says everyone is agitated, but no one is. People noises – we need them throughout. DO NOT hit Curtains! I’ll write freezes and unfreezes. Keening – it needs to start low, then crescendo, then down and from all areas of the stage. Entrances and exits should be un predictable. Characters must walk differently.
Mac & Jonah	Audience could not see Mac when they are talking to Gutman
Stage Lights
Guitar	Needed during Abdulah’s dance Music during transitions.  I’ll mark them
Jonah, A RATt, ETC	Should be a killing – that is why we have the scream before Baron is carried off. Jonah, jump when you hear the scream.
Ashlynn	I want your optometrist’s name so we can get those white lenses.
Sydney	Flight is what they long for – I want to be free of you.
Riley	Diction when with the gypsy.
Maky	Good reaction to prayer.
To do	Camillas, masks, boxes, baskets, crystal ball I think the fugitivo scene needs some work we need to have more catfights and not be afraid to push and shove the fugitivo is are only way out so of course we will be fighting to get out on     When the crowd screams or laughs together try not to sound the same as the person next to you on     definitely need to work with fugitivo scene. I think there are too many people on stage. it's really crowded on   Can we please go over all the times you want us frozen, also I'm kinda confused about when we can hear the other characters and when we're oblivious to what's going on outside of our characters lives. We need to work on reacting better, and constantly being engaged on Before class, we will get the frozen and unfrozen times down.  We will also work on characterization in class.     I think we need to work on the dancing scenes. Great job!!! on     Just work on looking distorted, everyone looks natural. Otherwise everyone is awesome! on       I'll work on different styles of saying the blocks. Glad to see this play coming along! on     I will work as hard as I can to get my lines down, also I feel like I need to get my character down and make it stronger.      I think we should be able to dance, without everyone staring at Evan or Brooke, soon so if seems more natural     gross noises and weird grunting could help the village people be weirder      I think abdullah and the gypsy should react more to eachother to show relationship between a mother and son   maky, vary your voice. in almost everything you say, it is very loud, and then trails off at the end of the phrase.     amy i think you should watch how old people walk and try to walk more like an old lady.     I still feel that we should work with carrying the wheelbarrow especially when people are dancing while we are trying to move it...     Any scenes. Especially when Maky says not relevant or something like that. She is the gypsy in each scene, so it would help out if you reacted with her.      are there scenes where we (villagers) could interact with maky?? because yesterday I was thinking that would make sense

January 24 Critiques

Everyone	Maybe the crowd could freeze first time gypsy makes announcement, then wild cheering Crowd laugh bigger when Sam hands him clown costume Never touch curtains- If we do ladder downstage that way, they must use the ladder in same way each time. Work on transition to dances and after dances. Look at Sydney as the villager.  These people are odd – you look like high school girls. People noises throughout. Freezes need to be consistent. Whistles and whispered words before lights or dialogue starts at the beginning.  THIS MUST BE LOUDER. Wind as Marguerite exits. Screams – louder and longer We need names in the beginning.  Insert those. Engage with the gypsy Too many villager straight lines. Villagers can go DS and have backs to the audience. Everyone needs to be desperate. Get rid of the tubes. Shoes, someone do downstage, see a pair of shoes, take off yours and put new ones on.
Amy	I have to believe you’re old. Watch old people and imitate. Look at the Dalmation show – Cruella DeVille.  Weeser on Steel Magnolias
People right stage	You need to be in the show.
Sydney	Hysterical during Fugitivo.
Cassanova and Kilroy	Too 2016
Elijah	Use music as transition and when there is no dialogue.  We may have to shift the cues. We need some kind of music during Abdullah’s dance. Music during the dances. Look like you are writing a song at times.  Play a few notes and write it down.
Tucker	Don’t look at the audience except when you are supposed to.
Riley	Need a shot glass for Cassanova.
Lights	Red light on first dance. Blue on Fiesta.
Villagers	Need a purpose coming on stage and exiting.
Maky	Be on 4 X 8 – not eligible.
Sam	When there is a crowd, speak up Turn your light on. Watch the beat each time you say the number – vary that.
Brooke	Exit in character Be snobbier. Even your walk should be like a stuck up lady. We need to laugh when you say "put lord mulligan on dry ice" maybe We could give you a funny shrill voice"
Jonah	Enunciate. Try to stop swaying as you speak. Be BIGGER than life. Make us love you, laugh with you, and feel your pain. Look even more confused after the first dance. grab your heart when Mac says "vital organs unique in size" HERE needs to be written large. Be sure you cheat so that judges don't see profile Not so Texan. Be more curious about where you are. Learn your lines.
Jonah and Riley	Didn’t believe your confrontation.
Mac	Be terrified of the letter
Kylie	You are blocking scene in fugitivo
Sydney	I want to feel your desperate craziness after fugitivo. You are CRUEL to him and he loves you anyway.

Suggestions

1.       What is the insightful moment of the play?

2.       All the people have been on the Camino Real a long time.  Who are the strangers?

3.       What is the commonality among the residents of Camino Real?

4.       Exit – one or two actors bring ladder DS.  The escape is DS. Then return ladder upstage.  At end with Quixote and Kilroy, bring lights DS with ladder.  This can be choreographed.

5.       Keep wheelbarrow

6.       Everything in hotel is black, red and gray.  Everything else is colorful but faded.

7.       Gutman’s chair is a swivel office chair.  At the beginning his back is to the audience and he turns around.

8.       Blend the moments of terror, humor and the poignancy.

9.       Actors are unnatural until the poignancy.  They are unrealistic until the “gotcha” moments – They carry all baggage and the baggage follows them.  Actors show the shoes they have worn out because they are attached to them.

10.   Shoes instead of gears.

11.   Fugitivo passengers haul all their stuff and people help them.

12.   Choreographed dance – smooth criminal – men hold jackets out, women raise skirts, people passing drugs, drinking.

13.   Cobwebs, pigeons on siete mares sign, one letter hanging off – bird poop

January 18 Rehearsal

Remember that character/ play maps are due January 21.

Everybody - Slow down lines when the Fugitivo happens.
     Build up to Hermano - village people.
     During monologues, everyone freeze.
     Stay in character all the time.
Marguerite - Be louder in Fugitivo scene - crazy - frantic
Marguerite and Casanova - can't see faces- move heads up a little when on floor.
Quixote - look around before talking about humanity
Esmeralda - be happy when you see and choose Kilroy. Make eye contact with Kilroy, change your facial expressions so they match your words.
Kilroy - louder when talking to Gypsy. Be more desperate when you say at this point.... I will take any advice....
Kilroy and Esmeralda - if Kilroy sees a change in Esmeralda - through dialogue - it should be evident.
Rosita/A Ratt - vary facial expressions.
Lady M - good job being Lady M.
Prudence - Slower and louder - look at Cruella Deville
Guard Riley - more nervous when Gutman is nervous.
Gutman - when do you start worrying about the survivor.
Quixote and Kilroy - be more to the sides of the well at the end.
La Madrecita - don't look around - you are blind.
Gypsy - watch letting the end of your sentences die.
Pretty boy (EVAN) and Marguerite - when you enter, laugh and be engaged so the audience will be shocked when he steals from her.  Marguerite - this is another nail in your coffin.
Evan and Brooke - work on dance - Smooth Criminal for us to show the "seamier" side of Camino - drug deals, drinking, wanton women, etc.  
We need
cigarette lighters
cigarettes
rubber tips for cane
cane for Lord Mulligan

Advice from Lupita Nyong'o, The “12 Years a Slave” star, talked to Backstage amidst her awards season whirlwind about failing gracefully, the Yale School of Drama, and working with director Steve McQueen on the movie that eventually won her the Oscar. “As actors, you become an expert at starting over,” Nyong’o said. “Every single role brings with it an ignorance and an insecurity, and so you have to approach it with the same curiosity and humility. I’m always nervous. Doesn’t matter how many times I do this. But I remind myself it’s because I care. Steve would say, ‘Fail and then fail better!’ And that environment was so liberating. It’s not about getting it right. It’s about getting it truthful.”

Dance Videos

Back View

Front View

Dates

Some have asked to be reminded about dates.  Remember that we rehearse each Sunday 2-before church; Monday and Tuesday nights beginning at 6:30. 

 

Clinics

February 15

February 27

March 11

 

Spring break, we will rehearse the Friday and/or Saturday before returning to school.  Remember this rehearsal is 5-8 hours in length.

 

Dates for contests

March 23 official rehearsal in Tulia

March 24 District contest

April 1 official rehearsal in Tulia

April 2 contest in Tulia

April 6 official rehearsal Seminole

April 7 area Seminole

April 21 & 22 –Regionals at Clyde

May23-25 - State