19. A Post for High School Students

This blog is really all about Junior Thespians, but sometimes it's important to spread the word about what is going on in the high school Thespian troupes and our chapter, Thespians of the Western Pacific Islands. So this notice, although it doesn't effect any of the junior thespians of Troupe #88799 right now, is included here to let you know what you can look forward to in high school, and to pass the word about this event.

Thespian Meeting about college--notice from Chapter Director Harold Easton.
Each year the Chapter sponsors a brief workshop for Juniors and Seniors on the subject of College admission.

This is particularly important to our Thespian Seniors.

The presentation will feature our 5 Thespians who participated in the Junior Auditions at the ITS Festival this past summer. Our focus, therefore, is on those schools that have been recruiting our Thespians and accepting them into their Theatre programs.

However, much of the information is also relevant to admission to schools outside of the Theatre Curriculum. We expect that the workshop will at least help you in the following ways:

1. Provide a list of Colleges already being attended by some of our CNMI Thespians.
2. Provide a list of schools currently recruiting CNMI Thespians.
3. Procedures that we feel will insure a maximum potential for success in College admissions.
4. Raise your awareness of the value of the ITS Festival's Junior Auditions, summer 2008.

The workshop will be held in the MHS Cafeteria, on Thursday, September 6 @ 4:00pm.

Freshman and Sophomores are also invited to attend, but the focus will be on the Junior and Senior Troupe members.

18. Reminder-auditions

Auditions for MCS's production of NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS are set for Tuesday, August 28, 2007 from 3 to 5.

If you attend the audition, please sign in with Anna Rose Deleon Guerrero or Victoria Camacho (your troupe officers). You will get 1/2 of a point for attending the audition.

17. An Abundance of Opportunities

Audition opportunities
1) The Thespians of the Western Pacific Islands (TWPI) had auditions yesterday for the Chapter Play, UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE, which will be staged in late September. Hurrahs to the two Junior Thespians from troupe #88799 who auditioned. A total of 29 students from participating schools across Saipan came to the auditions. Wow! If you're intersted, it's not too late. You can still be an extra on stage, help with the back stage workings, or lend a hand with publicity. Let me know (phone or e-mail) or identify yourself in the comments trail, here.

2) If that weren't enough, MCS Principal and Dramaturg Extraordinaire, Galvin Guerrero, has announced auditions for the annual school musical. MCS is staging THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, and hopes to have a December production. They're starting early, though, so now is the time to express your interest. Auditions are Tuesday, August 28, 2007, 3 to 5 PM at MCS and are open to all MCS students.

A note about "points."
If you are in middle school at MCS and participating in these or other performance events, let me know and I'll credit you "points" that can be accumulated toward full (inducted) membership in our troupe. You get points for attending troupe meetings, going to auditions, participating in performances, and other drama-related, troupe-related activities.

If you win a spot to go to the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska this summer, you must be a full member. And it takes 10 points to get full memberhip. Also, it's good to have a lot of points for the honor, and because you can transfer 10 of them toward membership in Thespians when you get to high school.

16. Tech Notes for the Chapter Play

This year's chapter play, UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE, has a stage set that uses a "platform," where characters pop-up, walk across, or suddenly appear out of it to say their lines. This will be a challenge technically-speaking.

Anyone who grew up in the 60's (that's 1960's) will remember a silly, popular TV show called Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in, which used a similar stage set design. So, for research purposes to help the techies, prepare to take a walk on the wild side (prepare to groan, because it's pretty bad humor-wise), and watch the following clips. (You'll find tech ideas and tech problems, too.)(Caution also: some adult humor that you can skip, please.)






Say goodnight, Dick.

15. REMINDER--Auditions for Chapter Play

AUDITIONS--UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE
This is a reminder that auditions for the Thespians of the Western Pacific Islands' Chapter Play is set for this week.


Director/Assistant Director
Monday: 8/20/07, 4 to 6 PM

Cast
Wednesday: 8/22/07, 4 to 6 PM

All auditions will be at MHS, Room D 101 (Mr. Easton's studio). See earlier post for more details.


Party
There will be a Thespian party on Wednesday, 8/22/07 at 6 PM (after the auditions) at MHS. All Thespians, Junior Thespians, and students who are working toward full membership in their school's troupe are invited. There will be the silly awards for students (and adults?) for their talents and faux pas last year. :-) And there will be some food. Entrance cost: $3.00.

14. Opportunity for Junior Thespians

Saturday, August 18, 2007, there will be a public service announcement filmed at Susupe Beach. Sponsored by the Department of Public Health and called "Off the TV," the purpose of the television spot is to promote a healthy life-style, away from cell phones, i-pods, laptops, other computers, television and sedentary technology.

This is a chance for junior thespians to be on television. THERE IS NO PAY for the activity. And you need to have your own adult supervision.

If you are interested, come with swim wear, beach activity items, and a smile.

Saturday 8/18/2007
2PM to 5 PM
Susupe Beach

13. Junior Thespian Meeting

Thursday, August 16, 2007; 12 noon, room B 102 (or as announced by Mr. Guerrero).

Topics for discussion:
1. election of officers
2. ideas for troupe activities
3. the Chapter play



So here are some notes on the Chapter Play:

Thespians of the Western Pacific Islands will stage UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE, tentatively set for the last week of September 2007. This is a 2-act comedy/drama, played lightly.

Students from all Thespian schools are invited to audition. I encourage every MCS Thespian and Junior Thespian to audition!



Auditions:

For cast (approximately 30 cast members needed):

Wednesday, August 22, 2007 at 4 PM at MHS, Room D 101.


For director/ assistant director (open to high school students only)

Monday, August 20, 2007 at 4 PM at MHS, Room D 101.


Students from MCS, grades 6 through 12, are encouraged to audition. The Chapter has a high priority for getting students from all of the troupes into the cast, so at least some MCS students will be selected if you audition.


How to audition:
For cast:
You need 2 short contrasting monologues (one drama, one comedy). Short means each should be about 2 to 3 minutes, at most. You should memorize them and act!

For director/assistant director:
You need to read the play beforehand. Both Mr. Guerrero and I have a copy of the script. You need to be prepared to answer questions: what is the play about? what roles are the hardest? easiest? what ideas do you have for handling the technical aspects--the lighting, sound, and especially the "platform."

Also note, director/assistant directors conduct the cast auditions on Wednesday. The Chapter Director is Harold Easton (MHS teacher). He anticipates high school students playing the teacher/adult roles in the play, and junior thespians playing the student roles.


Rehearsals:
Expect 3/week for the first week or two; 4/week for the next two or three weeks; and 5/week during the final week. (Subject to change as needed.)

HAVE FUN!

12. CHAPTER MEETING

All MCS Thespian members (Junior Thespians of Troupe #88799 and the high school Thespians) are invited to a meeting of the Chapter, Thespians of the Western Pacific Islands.

Date: Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Time: 4 PM
Place: Marianas High School, Room D 101.

The purpose is to talk about the Chapter play, which will be staged in late September. This year's Chapter play will be UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE, a comedy.

This is a chance for MCS students to work with students from other other schools in a stage production. And it won't conflict with our own MCS production, which will be held later in the year. So I'm encouraging MCS Junior Thespians (and Thespians) to come to the meeting.

I'll be there as our Troupe Director. Feel free to contact me if you want information or help.

11. Another Possibility

Wow! Another possibility for MCS (both high school Thespians and Junior Thespians) is to enter the USA Showstopper program. The 2007 winner (first ever) was Chaffey High School, a school with a Thespian troupe in California. And many of the runners-up were also high schools with Thespian troupes.

Here's the deal: USAWeekendReports

We could be next! Meeting teen stars, going to Disneyland, and otherwise promoting our great drama program.

Junior Thespians and all MCS students--THINK BIG!

10. New School Year-Welcome Back

Junior Thespians and all Middle Schoolers at MCS--Welcome or welcome back to Mount Carmel School.

The school year began for students on August 9, 2007. And Junior Thespians will be having its first meeting soon. Watch this blog for details.

Every MCS student in 6th, 7th and 8th grade is invited to come to the Troupe #88799 meetings and participate in Thespian activities. Our troupe is not just for actors and actresses. Artists, musicians, mathematicians and muscle are encouraged to join because they are also important in making productions happen.

We'll choose what we're going to do as a troupe this year.

Some possible activities include:
1. participation in the regional Thespian competitions. Winners in each category can win a trip to the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska in June, 2008 (provided PSS has funds for the tickets).

2. actor studio workshops. We can invite some of the talented actors, singers, and mime artists to give presentations and help us develop our (already awesome!) skills.

3. impromptu performances. We can have monthly performances at local venues, like the mini amphitheater on Beach Road by the pathway. This is a perfect place to practice mime, with a hat for passers-by to toss in coins!

4. behind-the-scenes / in-house competitions. Costume design and set design are exciting visual and tactile aspects of dramatic production. The senior Thespians have a regional competition in these areas, but there is no regional junior competition and no preparation (yet!) at the junior level. But we can have workshops and competitions to get our juices flowing and learn some basics early.

5. tech, fundraising, and other support for the MCS productions. We can, as a unified troupe, give special help to Mr. G. in the MCS plays this year.

As you come to meetings, participate in Thespian competitions, join in the MCS drama productions, and perform in your own venues, you can earn points toward full membership in the Junior Thespians troupe. And at the end of the year, we'll have another ceremony inducting new honorees--our new Junior Thespians.

For our seven already-inducted Junior Thespians (yay!), you can add to your point totals if you did any drama activities over the summer. Once you've reached 60 points, you get an honor bar to add to your card. Just let me know what you did, and have an adult (like your mother or father) sign off as additional corroboration.

If you have questions or comments, feel free to post them in the comments section.

Junior Thespians is an opportunity to perform, to learn stage and back-stage skills, to meet and participate with students from all over Saipan, and most importantly to have fun.

I'm looking forward to a fun year.