In a word or two - IT'S NOT!!!
Just to catch up those that are new here and to apologize to the two or three that actually read these regularly (THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT BTW!!!) I always go bad during HELL WEEK. Worse when I am serving in director/producer capacity. I am so busy this week, I came home to find 38 messages on my machine, and I have actually been trying to keep up this week.
Tomorrow night is the performance showcase for my High School residency program in Queens. I know they will do well. More nervous about transitions as we have interspersed Improv with staged Broadway numbers with very little true tech rehearsal. Always afraid to step on toes I probably should have been a little more assertive and trained the tech folks better. But they are not my students. Plus it is a new program. I have been spoiled in the past by inheriting great programs with real TECHIES and DIVAS a plenty and able to focus on the art etc. We have taken a school with very little in the way of anything - program, theater / music background, sounds, lights etc - and developed the beginnings of a stellar situation. Thanks to the tremendous resource of raw talent and the inspiring drive of a few great teachers, dean, principal and the Comedy Hall of Fame.
The best part, this is a 7-year program - 6th - 12th grade. Can you imagine these 6-8th grades in 3-5 years. They will be running the show. I think - I HOPE - all the other parties involved see the potential. And not just the students. They have a decent theater space, but year of neglect left them with mostly a shell. 90% of the front lights don't work - depending on 2 OK spots for front light. They had almost nothing in the way of sound. They bought a great headset wireless system. I figure if they buy 1-2/year, they will be ready for IN THE HEIGHTS when the rights come available.
But it was most exciting to see the kids finally work together like a theater group. Before the dress rehearsal, students stretched out on the stage making posters to advertise tickets sales. Small groups practiced their steps. A couple asking advise o how to survive strained and tired voices with so many solos to sing. This was probably the first day I felt like a theater director and not just a teacher in that building. A role I feel will pass on many more important life lessons.
I actually had THE TALK with two students. OK not THE TALK parents have to give. But the TALK someone needs to have with many of these students. Many have read my twitter/FB rants about drugs and other personal abuses by our artist colleagues. Anger surges at every death or stupid outbreak by those flirting with disaster (Britney, Lindsey etc). Coming from the neighborhood we are working, I lay it out this way.... The stars and the F@#$-ups are almost the same people. Withe rare exception, the stars with long careers handle their need for attention, drugs, booze etc. The Eff-ups are very talend folks that in one way or another let their insecurities get in their way and self destruction sets in. Some as simply as having a bad attitude. Many it comes form drugs and/or alcohol. Either way, true stars may be rare, but talent is a dime a dozen. No one is irreplaceable.
I learned that most while on tour with Scarlet Pimpernel. We were in Canada. Our bus driver had fallen asleep (we think thanks to alcohol) and almost ran us into Lake Superior on the way to the border. If you ever see our show and I reference "I ALMOST DIED IN MINNESOTA" this is what comes next. We have a meeting backstage after the show in Thunder Bay. We are to head back to the States the next morning. The company manager said a new bus driver would be waiting for us in Indiana 24-48 hours later. Until then, we are till get back on the bus. A few of us tried to mount a protest. We had three options. 1) Get on the bus. 2) Pay our own way to the next location. 3) Pay our own way home and be replaced.
Boy am I babbling....
Back to my original thought....LMAO THE DIET.... I am not doing well today or this week. Lot of fast food. Tonight I prepared FRESH DIRECT dirty blondies. Basically ready to bake layer of brownie and chocolate chip cookie dough in a pan giving you 8 2x2 squares. I had half the pan already. I then prepare a huge BONE IN RIB STEAK - almost 2 inches thick the steak weighed 18-20 oz with the bone. I did trim the fat and ate the meat over 2 sittings i will call early dinner and the sequel 5 hours later.
I need to back on track. I have yet to buy a scale. I really should go back to weight watchers or try OA - don't get me started - and get back to the gym.
Just to catch up those that are new here and to apologize to the two or three that actually read these regularly (THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT BTW!!!) I always go bad during HELL WEEK. Worse when I am serving in director/producer capacity. I am so busy this week, I came home to find 38 messages on my machine, and I have actually been trying to keep up this week.
Tomorrow night is the performance showcase for my High School residency program in Queens. I know they will do well. More nervous about transitions as we have interspersed Improv with staged Broadway numbers with very little true tech rehearsal. Always afraid to step on toes I probably should have been a little more assertive and trained the tech folks better. But they are not my students. Plus it is a new program. I have been spoiled in the past by inheriting great programs with real TECHIES and DIVAS a plenty and able to focus on the art etc. We have taken a school with very little in the way of anything - program, theater / music background, sounds, lights etc - and developed the beginnings of a stellar situation. Thanks to the tremendous resource of raw talent and the inspiring drive of a few great teachers, dean, principal and the Comedy Hall of Fame.
The best part, this is a 7-year program - 6th - 12th grade. Can you imagine these 6-8th grades in 3-5 years. They will be running the show. I think - I HOPE - all the other parties involved see the potential. And not just the students. They have a decent theater space, but year of neglect left them with mostly a shell. 90% of the front lights don't work - depending on 2 OK spots for front light. They had almost nothing in the way of sound. They bought a great headset wireless system. I figure if they buy 1-2/year, they will be ready for IN THE HEIGHTS when the rights come available.
But it was most exciting to see the kids finally work together like a theater group. Before the dress rehearsal, students stretched out on the stage making posters to advertise tickets sales. Small groups practiced their steps. A couple asking advise o how to survive strained and tired voices with so many solos to sing. This was probably the first day I felt like a theater director and not just a teacher in that building. A role I feel will pass on many more important life lessons.
I actually had THE TALK with two students. OK not THE TALK parents have to give. But the TALK someone needs to have with many of these students. Many have read my twitter/FB rants about drugs and other personal abuses by our artist colleagues. Anger surges at every death or stupid outbreak by those flirting with disaster (Britney, Lindsey etc). Coming from the neighborhood we are working, I lay it out this way.... The stars and the F@#$-ups are almost the same people. Withe rare exception, the stars with long careers handle their need for attention, drugs, booze etc. The Eff-ups are very talend folks that in one way or another let their insecurities get in their way and self destruction sets in. Some as simply as having a bad attitude. Many it comes form drugs and/or alcohol. Either way, true stars may be rare, but talent is a dime a dozen. No one is irreplaceable.
I learned that most while on tour with Scarlet Pimpernel. We were in Canada. Our bus driver had fallen asleep (we think thanks to alcohol) and almost ran us into Lake Superior on the way to the border. If you ever see our show and I reference "I ALMOST DIED IN MINNESOTA" this is what comes next. We have a meeting backstage after the show in Thunder Bay. We are to head back to the States the next morning. The company manager said a new bus driver would be waiting for us in Indiana 24-48 hours later. Until then, we are till get back on the bus. A few of us tried to mount a protest. We had three options. 1) Get on the bus. 2) Pay our own way to the next location. 3) Pay our own way home and be replaced.
Boy am I babbling....
Back to my original thought....LMAO THE DIET.... I am not doing well today or this week. Lot of fast food. Tonight I prepared FRESH DIRECT dirty blondies. Basically ready to bake layer of brownie and chocolate chip cookie dough in a pan giving you 8 2x2 squares. I had half the pan already. I then prepare a huge BONE IN RIB STEAK - almost 2 inches thick the steak weighed 18-20 oz with the bone. I did trim the fat and ate the meat over 2 sittings i will call early dinner and the sequel 5 hours later.
I need to back on track. I have yet to buy a scale. I really should go back to weight watchers or try OA - don't get me started - and get back to the gym.
Get General Admission Tickets for just $20 (Reg $50) and other savings
*Exclusive discount codes from this blog site
MORE INFO
www.eightimprov.biz
www.lmao-nyc.com
www.improv4kids.com
www.fpny.org
212-568-6560
*Exclusive discount codes from this blog site
MORE INFO
www.eightimprov.biz
www.lmao-nyc.com
www.improv4kids.com
www.fpny.org
212-568-6560
No comments:
Post a Comment