Relate Theater to your life

I chose to blog about relating theater to my life because I think it relates to me in several ways. First off, theater relates to me being a cheerleader. I've been a cheerleader since 5th grade. I was always such a dedicated cheerleader. At practice, performances, competitions, sporting events, I always tried my very hardest and showed my full potential. I was captain of my squad my eighth grade year. We were Diocesan champions for my 7th and 8th grade year and we won several other competitions. I made the Varsity squad in high school my sophomore which was the first year I was able to make the Varsity squad. I stayed on Varsity through my senior year and I was captain again my senior year. My high school, North Allegheny, made it to Nationals for the first time my sophomore year. This was a huge deal because our cheerleading squad was never good enough to get a bid to Nationals that were held in Orlando, Florida. The first year we went, we didn't make it to finals, but I think we performed as well as we possibly could so I was very proud. The following year we made it to finals and got 12th place in the Super Large Varsity level which was a huge accomplishment since we got 12th out of 48 teams. My senior year we made it to finals once again and got 18th place out of 60 other teams in the Large Varsity division which is the most competitive level. We were all so proud of ourselves. This was my first year cheering for the college level. I had tryouts for next year a few weeks ago and I made the squad again so I'm super excited about that. When I put on that Crimson Hawks uniform for either a football or basketball game, performance, or competition, I have to have a completely different state of mind. When I'm in that uniform I'm here to cheer on my team and be as professional as I can be. I have to put all my energy and effort into my cheering. I have to keep a positive state of mind in order to help the crowd stay pumped up and into the game. I also have to stay positive when performing in order to do the very best I can. People involved in the theater setting also have to have a completely different state of mind when they are performing on that stage. They have to be completely into character. They also have to stay positive in order to have the best performance as they can. I can imagine that tryouts for a play or musical is similar to tryouts for cheerleading in certain aspects. Obviously there would be different requirements, but I can imagine them being just as nerve racking as cheerleading tryouts. You must try your hardest in order to make it. Both of these require great talent and dedication. Another way theater relates to my life is through my family and religion. When my sister was in high school she belonged to our church's youth group which was called C.Y.O. (Catholic Youth Organization). Every year they would put on a play or musical. Some of them included Joseph and the Technicolored Dream Coat, Cotton Patch Gospel, and Jesus Christ Superstar. It was put on by my grade school and church, St. Sebastian's which was a small Catholic school. All of the plays were very religious, but fun and well produced at the same time. Those were my first experiences with theater, and I always enjoyed them so much. It was so fun and exciting to see my sister perform. This was when I first became interested with theater.

Design the lights for a play

If I were to design the lights for a play, I would choose to do it for the musical Hairspray. Hairspray's original Broadway production opened on August 15, 2002 and won 8 Tony Awards which is a great achievement. The reason why I chose this play is because I really enjoyed the movie when it came out. The soundtrack is fantastic and the plot is very fun and motivating. The actors and actresses are also very entertaining. After I saw the movie, I started looking into the original play because I always knew it was a Broadway play before it was turned into a movie. I became very interested in it. I have yet gone to New York City, but when I eventually do I will certainly put seeing Hairspray on Broadway on my agenda. The lights for the play if I were to design them would be very bright and fun. The play is very upbeat and exciting, so I would make the lighting match the vibe of the play. The play includes songs that are 1960s-style dance music and "downtown" rhythm and blues. When the actors and actresses are singing an upbeat and fun song, I would make the lights bright and vibrant. Some of the colors would include bright hot pink, bright blue, florescent green and yellow, bright orange, etc. When the performers are singing a slower song with a less exciting mood, the lights would be not as bright and include navy blue and dark greens. One thing I always do notice about a play when I go and see one is the lights. When I used to go see my sister perform in her youth group's plays, I really enjoyed noticing all the fun, bright lights. It just really adds to the play and the entire vibe of the atmosphere.

Design the set for a play

The play I chose to design the set for is Grease. Grease is one of my favorite musicals and I have always wanted to see this on Broadway. I've loved the movie ever since I first saw it when I was younger. I love the soundtrack and I sing along with every song because I know all the words to them. I've probably seen the movie over a hundred times and this is definitely my favorite movie that John Travolta stars in. I think I like him so much in this because he is a very different character than he is in his other movies. He sings and dances in this and shows off his true talent. If I were to design the set for Grease, it would be very bright and fun. It would mostly be set at Rydell High School and the diner. When they're outside the front of the school, there would be a big white brick building that reads "Rydell High" over the front doors. There will be students scattered everywhere, kids riding their bikes, and car horns honking in the background. When they're at the diner, there will be booths everywhere with waitresses serving milkshakes on a tray. When they're in the cafeteria, there would be lunch tables everywhere with lunch trays and fake food on them. Also there would be seats at the tables and garbage cans on the sides to make it seem like they're in a real cafeteria. When they're at the football field, there will be small bleachers in the background and football players in their uniforms and helmets practicing while the T-Birds sing Summer Nights. When the boys are working on their car they will be in a car shop. The car will be in the middle of the stage and there will be tools and equipment in the background. Finally, in the closing scene at the fair after the last day of school, there will be stands selling cotton candy, lemonade, and funnel cakes. Also, there will be pie throwing stations and games like the money will where you can win stuffed animals instead of money.

Design costumes for a play

The play I chose to design costumes for is The Lion King. As you can probably already tell, I absolutely love The Lion King and really wish to see it on Broadway. I just really enjoy the plot of The Lion King. It was always my favorite Disney movie. It's very fun and exciting and the soundtrack is amazing. If I were to design costumes for the musical I would take a very different approach. Instead of having the people wear big costumes that resemble the animals in the play, I would completely transform the actors and actresses into animals without large costumes. The grown up Lions would have big furry manes around their heads and neck. There entire body would be painted brown and they would have long tails. They would simply wear tight brown cloth that covers their bodies. They would walk and act like a lion. Rafiki and the other monkeys would also have tails and paint their bodies to match the color of that type of monkey. Rafiki would also have fur around his head and neck and a very colorful face. They would act just like monkey's, very hyper and active. The younger lions and lionesses wouldn't have as much fur as the older ones, but would also have tails and panted skin. The giraffes would be on stilts and be painted in a giraffe print. They would wear a hat that looks like a long neck and a giraffes face. The birds would have feathers all over their bodies and big wings connected to their arms. They would flap their arms/wings just like a bird would. Pumba, the warthog would wear a fat suit and be panted the same color as him. There would be huge tucks coming from his mouth. Tamone would be painted the same color as him (tan and white on his belly and face) with spots on his back.

Research an important theatre artist or playwright

One of the most famous playwrights known today is William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, and died on April 23, 1616. He was an English poet and playwright. He was widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. He was also very famous for being a dramatist. He is referred to as England’s national poet. Some of his work includes 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems, and many other poems. His plays have been translated into every major language. They are performed the most out of any other playwright. He was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon, and at age 18 he married Anne Hathaway. They had three children together, Susanna and the twins Hamnet and Judith. He began his career in London as an actor, writer, and being a part owner of a play company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men which was later known as King’s Men. He died three years after graduating from Stratford in 1613. He wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608 which included Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth. They were considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase of writing plays, he wrote mainly romances and worked with other playwrights. William Shakespeare was a respected pot and playwright in his day, but he didn’t become very popular until the 19^th century. The Romantics thought he was a genius, and particularly liked him and his work. The Victorians worshipped him also. His plays and other work today are still being recognized. He is very popular in the school and learning environment. His work is constantly being studied, performed, and reinterpreted throughout the world. He was the son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. He had seven other brothers and sisters, and he was the oldest son. Most biographers agree that Shakespeare may have been educated at the King’s New School in Stratford, which was a free school chartered in 1553. It is unknown exactly when Shakespeare began writing, but some records show that his performances were on the stage in London by 1592. A new theatre was built in 1599 on the south bank of the Thames. It was called the Globe, and records show that the company made him a very wealthy man. He eventually became a very rich man. By 1598, Shakespeare’s man was being printed on the title pages in quarto editions. He continued acting in his own and other plays after all of his success. After 1606, William Shakespeare wrote fewer and fewer plays. He eventually died in 1616. He was fortunate enough to attend his two daughters’ weddings. He died two months after his youngest daughter’s wedding. In 1593 and 1594, when the theatres were closed because of the plague, Shakespeare spent his time writing two narrative poems titled, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. The sonnets were the last of his non-dramatic works to be printed. Scholars believe that he wrote these sonnets throughout his entire lifetime. There were 154 sonnets total that he composed. Shakespeare’s first plays were written in the conventional style, and he wrote them in a stylized language. Then he began to adapt the traditional styles to his own purposes. His standard poetic form was blank verse, composed in iambic pentameter. William Shakespeare work made such a lasting impression on theatre and literature later on and even today. My favorite play Shakespeare has written is Romeo and Juliet. It is a romance and a tragedy and that’s what I love about it. I love movies, books, and plays that are romantic but make you cry at the same time. It is so touching how much love Romeo and Juliet have for each other. Their families absolutely hate each other, but they still insist on seeing each other behind their families back because how much love they have for one another. They are willing to risk their lives for their love. It is such an emotional and tragic play and that’s why I enjoyed it so much. Another play I read written by Shakespeare is Macbeth. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as Romeo and Juliet, but I thought it was very interesting. I read it my senior year in high school. We studied it for several weeks and I enjoyed them very much. I found the play very different but interesting at the same time. It was suspenseful and somewhat action packed. Most other plays written by him I didn’t enjoy as much including The Tempest. The reason why I don’t like them is probably because they are very hard to understand.

Broadway

What is playing on Broadway right now includes A Life in the Theatre written by David Mamet. This play is from 1977 and is about the relationship between two actors. It's making its Broadway debut this fall. Another play is Love & Mercy written by Jon Robin Baitz. This play is one of the most important playwrights, and it will return to the New York theatre scene next season. Race is also another play written by David Mamet that is on Broadway now. Enron, written by Lucy Prebble is the scandal that shocked all of America and the play that stunned all of London. It is coming to Broadway this spring. Another play is Hair. It is written by Gerome Ragni and James Rado. A touring show on Broadway is August: Osage County. It is written by Tracy Letts, and its about a father who all of a sudden disappears and a mother caught in addiction. A marriage is about to unravel, and a family is approaching complete meltdown. Some other plays that were running on Broadway recently include All About Me, Superior Donuts, Blithe Spirit, Reasons To Be Pretty, Desire Under the Elms, You're Welcome America, Speed-the-Plow, Spring Awakening, November, The Homecoming, Radio Golf, and Talk Radio. Some popular shows include Wicked, The Addams Family, Chicago, Memphis, Come Fly Away, The Phantom of the Opera, and Blue Man Group. In order to buy tickets, one can go on the internet to a website like broadway.com. After finding a show you want to see, you click on the link that says "Buy Tickets." Next, you pick a date and time for the performance. Then you type in how many tickets you would like to buy. After that, you pick in what section you would like. The sections are Mezzanine (E to G), Mezzanine (A to D), or Orchestra. Then you press "Select" and move onto the dining selections. Bronze includes the following restaurants: Broadway Joe Steakhouse, Maria Pia, MARS 2112, and Planet Hollywood. Silver includes Maison, and Oyster, and Gold which includes Beacon, Firebird, and Gallagher's Steakhouse. Then It discusses cancellation and insurance. You can only cancel if its at least 3 days before the performance. And then you check out by filling out all the information. I have never seen a Broadway performance unfortunately, but I have always wanted to see The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked. Some of the stars of The Lion King include Jason Raize as Simba, John Vickery as Scar, Samuel E. Wright as Mufasa, Heather Headley as Nala, and Tsidii Le Loka as Rafiki. It is composed by Elton John and Tim Rice, and directed by Julie Taymor. The reason why I always wanted to see this musical is because The Lion King the movie is my favorite Disney Movie, and I think it would be very interesting to see how real life people can act like animals, and make it realistic. Some of the stars of The Phantom of the Opera include John Cudia as The Phantom of the Opera, Patricia Phillips as Carlotta Giudicelli, Ryan Silverman as Raoul, and Jennifer Hope Wills as Christine. It is directed by Hal Prince and composed by Andrew Llyod Webber. The reason why I've always wanted to this musical because it is the winner of seven 1988 Tony Awards so that must mean it is pretty good. Also, it is a love story about seduction and despair, and that is something I've always been interested in. Some of the stars of Wicked include Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda, Andy Karl as Fiyero, Madame Morrible as Rondi Reed, and P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard. It is composed by Stephen Schwartz and directed by Joe Mantello. The reason why I've always wanted to see this production is because a lot of my friends have seen it and told me how good it is.

Show Report

My favorite musical is Grease. It is written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Grease is the all-American musical. It is based on the sub-cultures of the high school life and just being a teenager in general. This was set in the 1950's and takes place at Rydell High School. In 1978, Grease became popular when it wss turned into a movie. It starred John Travolta as one of the main characters, Danny Zuko, and Olivia Newton-John as the other main character, Sandy Bumbrowski. Grease became a musical on Broadway in 1994 and ran until 1998. The new Broadway production will feature Jacob-Casey songs that became famous by the original play. Some of the songs include "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightning," "We Go Together," "Grease is the Word," "You're the One That I Want," "Hopelessly Devoted to You," and "Sandy." Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall directs and choreographs this new Broadway production. The story starts off with Danny Zuko, the leader of the T-Birds at Rydell High, and Sandy Dumbrowski, an innocent teenage girl from Austrailia, at the beach together having a summer love. At the end of the summer, they go their different ways. Danny is back at Rydell High School, ruling the school with his gang, the T-birds. Sandy doesn't end up moving to Austrailia, but instead moves and attends Rydell High School also. She makes her first friend, Frenchie, who is part of the Pink Ladies, the girl version of the T-Birds. After the Pink Ladies find out that Sandy's man of her dreams from the beach is Danny Zuko, they set up a surprise meeting between the two love birds after the first pep rally. Danny acts completely different to Sandy to look cool in front of his friends. Sandy met Danny Zuko, the sweet and romantic boy that swept her off her feet at the beach. However, Danny Zuko is really the complete opposite in his normal surroundings. Sandy is very upset about it, but moves on and starts dating a jock football player. Danny is very down in the dumps after he finds this out because he does really have strong feelings for Sandy. Danny makes his move and tries to become more like a jock so Sandy would like him again. He tries every sport offered at the school. He struggles with contact sports because he gets in fights easily so the football coach suggests cross country running. Sandy decides to give Danny another chance. They go to a dance for the school together. It is televised and it consists of a dance competition. An old fling of Danny's is at the dance with one of his friends. In the end, Danny and his old fling win the dance competition. Sandy is so upset and leaves the dance alone. The next night Danny tries to make it up to her by taking her to the drive-in. He tries to put the moves on her and messes up with Sandy once again. They are on very bad terms, but then Danny is in a race with their enemies from another school in the area. Sandy comes to watch, and Danny wins. Sandy realizes she still has feelings for Danny so she asks Frenchie to help her become more like a girl that Danny would like. It is the last day of school and all the seniors are about to graduate. There is a carnival after school ends and Sandy shows up completely transformed. She is wearing tight leather pants and heals. Her hair is big and curly. She's no longer the goody good girl she used to be. Danny completely falls for her all over again and they stay together forever. It is a very fun and romantic musical. It has a lot of fun upbeat songs that are sung by the cast all throughout the play. I find it very romantic how they are both willing to change everything about themselves just so the other would like them more. I also find it ironic that they both change for each other when really they didn't have to change anything about them. They were always meant to be together. I also enjoy this musical because it shows how high school really is. How they're are different cliques and drama between friends. It shows how girls can be cruel to other girls. An example of this is when Sandy first hangs out with the Pink Ladies and they make fun of her behind her back. I like how in the end they all become such close friends. In the end before they all sing together, and they say how they're afraid they won't ever see each other again and Danny says how that won't ever happen, I can relate to that a lot because that is exactly how my friends and I acted when I graduated high school. If someone really means that much to you, you'll make sure you stay close with them. I could just really relate to this musical a lot, and it will always be one of my favorites.