Auntie M's Children's Theater is back

Check out Auntie M's Children's Theater!  There are two audition announcements.

I'm also planning next year's season.  If we can work it out, there will be three productions next year, spring, summer and fall!  It should be a ton of fun. Check out the Upcoming Performances page.

Keeping busy

I keep busy all day long with various projects.  Unfortunately, most of those projects do not involve cleaning the house.  Peanut's not helping either.  She loves to look at her books, but to find the perfect book to read, she feels she must pull out every single book and spread them on the floor.  She did that with a row of DVD's today, too.  Now they are in a circle on the floor.

This week began my official first week of school with Robert Gordon University.  So far, it's going well.  I'm caught up with all the reading for the week and have joined in various discussions.  I need to watch one video, but it's 59 minutes long, so, I'll schedule an hour tomorrow to sit and watch a dull interview.  My assignment for one class isn't due until December, but looking at it, it's going to take that long to do.  However, it is on a topic that I adore - names and onomastics - so it won't be a difficult project to do.

I want to do more for my theater, Auntie M's, but without a location, it's hard to do. I have a great play written that would be perfect for October, but I couldn't find a venue for it. Commercial spaces are so expensive and all other ideas I've had for the theater just haven't worked out.   My son has been asking for months for me to start an improv group for him to participate in.  I figured that we could try that.  We'll hold it in our home.  He has been gathering friends that he thinks might be interested.  We have our first meet tomorrow.  My son wants to play all sorts of improv games, but I've told him we'll have to work our way up to most of them.  He is the only one among his friends with any experience and that has been limited to family games.  We'll see how it goes.....

Over the past year and a half, I've sent query letters and the first three chapters of my book that I've written to about 20 publishers and agents.  If any reply has come back, it's been rejection notices.  I keep them all.  They are pasted in my journal.  I've been on the verge of giving up, but decided I'll just keep trying.  There are hundreds of publishers.  I've only just scratched the surface.  When I've been rejected 100 times, I'll think about giving up again.  So, today I sent off query letters to three more publishers. Now we wait.  It can take 2-6 months for a reply.

Well, back to work on more projects.  This afternoon's project WILL include cleaning the living room, rotating laundry and starting dinner.... maybe, if I don't get distracted by something else.

Reflecting on the Class

On Saturday morning, I attended an acting workshop.  After being away from acting for the last 17 years, it was so fun to do a little again.  In the workshop, most of the time was spent being talked to by the teacher.  I took four pages of notes.

I was nervous that the class would be filled with young, beautiful, in-shape college aged, theater major students.  I was pleasantly surprised to find among the few college aged men and women, there were people in their thirties and forties and quite a few silver haired folks.  There were thin people and not-so-thin people.  There were people there with a large experience in theater and even some film.  There were people like me who have done very little acting.  We were from all walks of life.

The teacher gave us a sheet to use as a template.  Write your bio, she said.  I read through the sheet.  List your most significant roles.  What have you done recently - acting only.  What are your special skills?  I looked at the list and didn't know what to write.  I sat for a moment in a kind of stunned silence wondering what in the world I could put in my bio.  We were going to have to go before the camera and give our bio, so I had to come up with something fast.

After a few moments of loss, I started to think of some things.  It only had to be 30 seconds long.  I can find enough about my minor theater life to fill 30 seconds.  My hands were kind of clammy as I took my turn before the camera, but I felt at ease overall.  (For me, the worst of my nervousness comes after I've done something, then I get hot and start to fan my face with the paper in my clammy hands).

When we had all had our turn in front of the camera, the teacher, who had taken notes about each of our auditions, started to talk to us, critiquing each of our auditions.  I sat there, listening to each of the critiques.  She wasn't unkind to anyone.  Really, everyone did quite well, but she pointed out the minor things, don't rock back and forth on your feet, don't talk to fast, etc.  I was sure I must have just done terrible.  She would have nothing positive to say and would just say to me, "Molly, give it up.  You stink."  But she didn't.  She told me I did good.  She pointed out several things that I had said about myself that were good because they were unique.

She had us do some more exercises like a director might in an audition.  I was afraid, nervous, and embarrassed to think what she might ask me to do in front of the others.  What if I totally bombed?  But I plucked up my courage and took my place in line.  When she got to me, she decided to try something different.  She asked me and two guys in the class to improvise a scene.  Whew, I can do that.  It was lots of fun.

In the end, we got to watch our "audition" on the big screen in the theater.  I cringed at first when I saw myself, but I watched it and realized, I didn't stink! 

Having attended this workshop will help me next year when I hold the auditions for my children's theater again.  I have a few ideas now on different things I can do with the kids.  I'm very excited about this.

Who knows.... My slightly improved courage and this mini-workshop..... watch out Hollywood!

What am I thinking?

I'll be heading out in a few minutes to go to the acting workshop I signed up for.  I'm excited.  It will be very interesting for me. 

Even though I am excited about this, once in a while the thought will hit me, "What was I thinking to sign up for this?"

Then I remind myself that it is all for the fun of it. I love theater, I haven't done any acting in 15 years, and I'll get to participate in some today.  It will be lots of fun.

But really, the best part about doing this workshop is an entire morning by myself doing something I want to do!

Very nice.

Feeling brave, but not too much

Molly the Fearless?  Hardly.  Molly the More Brave Than Before?  Yes.

My theater experience from this summer has boosted my confidence in myself.  I’ve got to be careful.  Even though I have more confidence, I still have an extraordinary lack of experience in anything.

As I have said before, I’ve got a million ideas for projects, books, businesses, education and the list goes on and on.  My trouble is taking one idea (or two or three) and focusing on that particular project.   I have a million ideas and I want to do a million things and I want to do them all now!

Focus, Molly, focus!

I’ve always loved writing and I’ve probably written just about everything at some point or other in my life.  I’ve written novels, plays, poetry, children’s books, young adult books, essays, journals and of course, this blog.  I’ve even tried writing music.  I have no talent for music or poetry, though.  In my computer, I’ve got the beginnings of three excellent chick-flick novels.  I work on them a little at a time as the muse strikes me.  There is no dead-line on them so I can take as long as I want on them.  However, one story in particular I have had a very hard time writing out.

This is frustrating to me because I’ve seen the entire story play out in my head like a movie, but I cannot translate that story into a book.  I’ve tried several times.  Then I realized, wait, I’ve seen the entire story play out in my head like a movie, why not write it like a movie?  I’ve never tried writing a screenplay before.  Ooooo….

After having this thought about writing a screenplay I looked up “How to write a screenplay” on my favorite search engine (The internet  is so amazing!) and it came up with thousands of pages that teach how to write a screenplay.  One site even had early drafts of movie scripts.  I had a great time reading one of my favorite movies in one of its earliest drafts.  I’ve got everything I need to do this.  I’ve got my idea, I’ve got my Internet how-to site, and I’ve got my computer with a word document program.  I’m ready to go!!

Don’t expect to ever see this movie or even the screenplay.   I’m not looking to really turn it into a movie, but it’s the idea of writing a screenplay that has me excited.  It’s something new I’ve never done before.  I have no deadlines.  No one is waiting for the first draft.  It’s just me and my idea.  I’m excited.

Back to this confidence boost I’ve been having, I signed up for an acting workshop in two weeks.  It’s actually how to audition for film.  I don’t want to audition for film, but I figured any experience that I have in the acting world, will help me do my children’s theater in the future.  What have I got to lose?  It’s just for one morning.  It will be a new experience.  I’m just going to go and have fun.

Watch out, I’m Molly, the More Brave than Before and I’m treading new territory!! (From the comfort and security of my own home.)

sharing a memory

Sandrina the Sprite

Yep, that's me about a million years ago.  Well, maybe not a million, but it feels like a million years and several life times ago that I was Sandrina.  I loved that costume.  I felt so elegant.  That is a unicorn at my feet.  The play was called The Unicorn of Zer.  I don't remember what the unicorn had to do with the story at all since there was no unicorn in the show.  There were some witches, some warlocks, a king, queen and princess, ladies in waiting, lords of the land, several trolls, a dragon, a bunch of kids, and four sprites.

How the director kept that many kids and teenagers in line, I'll never know.  I went on for the next several years and worked with a couple of these folks a number of times.  A few years after this, I did a Halloween show with two of the cast members here.  I was a vampire.  I had a purple afro wig.   We sang about bats in the belfry.  Good times!

Almost there....

Tomorrow is the last rehearsal for my play.  What an adventure it has been!

So, tomorrow (Thursday) is the dress rehearsal.
Friday evening - first performance.
Saturday morning - last performance.

I went to check out the stage on Monday.  We can't use our rehearsal stage for the performance. The building has been booked for another group.  So, I had to find us another location.  That's hard to do.  Every place that has a stage wants to charge $200 - $400 per day! That ain't happening.  I finally found one place, a retirement center that has a stage.  We can use it for free.  That is right in my budget. 

So, I went to see the stage on Monday and quickly realized, it is NOT meant for theater. 
It has no sidelines for off stage.
It has no curtains (I can work around that.)
It has no stage lights.  I'm hoping I can turn the lights off over the audience and keep the lights on over the stage. (I can work around that.)
It has a baby grand piano on the right side of the stage.  It's immovable. (We have to work around that.)

Hmmmm.....

It isn't ideal, but it is FREE!!!!  I can't ask for better.
Next week, when this is all over, I'll give a review of the show and my thoughts on how the whole thing went.
It will be interesting to say the least.  I'm so excited!

 T-shirts I made for the kids:

The Seven Ravens!  What a mischievous group.

Auditions

The auditions for my play, The Seven Ravens, was this morning.  I didn't advertise it well, so I didn't have many come to audition, but I had enough to cast the entire play.  All the kids were great and I was so impressed.

I brought the kids in groups of twos.  I chatted with them and got a feel for their personalities.  Then, I handed them each a sheet of dialog between two characters.  I had them sit with me at the table and they read through the script out loud.  Because it was cold reading, their voices were rather robotic-like.  Then, I had them stand up, I gave them a little direction and had them "act" the scene out.  The difference in their voices and reading was amazing.  We went from the robot voice to sounding like two people talking.  There was inflection in their voice and it was much more conversation like.  Two of the kids did a couple of poses and actions to go along with their dialog.  I loved their initiative!

The kids ranged in age from six to ten!  Most of them were seven years old.  I was so impressed with them all.  They were all fabulous!

So, now it begins.  On Tuesday we will have our first rehearsal.  I can't wait!

I'm not the only one

With this theater thing I'm doing, I've learned a lot of interesting things about myself and other people.

I think that everyone has deep within them a talent or desire or interest that they have never really explored or figured as an adult, it was too late to explore.

Stick with me, I'll try to explain.

I've moved a lot in the last 15 years. I've had the privilege to meet many, many wonderful people.  Very few of those people knew of my love for theater and my interest in acting.  I don't even think my husband knew how deeply I've loved theater and acting.  I kept that part of me buried.  I was too busy with small children to pursue acting and I figured that as an adult I was too old to do much about it.  Acting and theater were just a quiet part of my past.

This summer, I decided I wouldn't be quiet about my love for theater anymore.  I announced my children's theater and have been prepared for the negative comments that I was sure would be coming my way.  I have been absolutely certain that everyone would say, "Molly, you're crazy.  This is the dumbest idea you've ever had."

I have been wrong.  I can't believe the number of friends who have come up to me and said, "Molly, that is so cool.  I use to love theater when I was a kid.  Let me know if I can help you."  There are a lot of friends who have this similar interest deep within them.  People, who I never would have guessed, have told me how much they love doing theater. They have said they would love to help.  Everyones reaction has been positive.

I've been amazed with the number of people who have wished me luck in my pursuit.  I've been amazed to find out how many adults I'm friends with who share this interest in theater.  I guess most of the time we just talk about kids, husbands, doing laundry and endless cleaning.  We never talk about out dreams for ourselves.  We are afraid of being laughed at, I think.

I'm certainly afraid of being laughed at, but I know if I don't try, I'll never forgive myself.  At this point, I'd rather be laughed at than angry with myself.  You must forgive me of my babblings... I've been reading a philosophy book and I'm prone to deep thinking right now.  Don't worry, it's a phase that will soon pass. :)

Scenery

Two weeks until the auditions for the play.  I hope someone shows up for them. 

I thought I had three weeks, but then on Sunday I realized I was down to two and have kind of gone into an excited panic.  Instead of only thinking things through, I've started to act on what needs to be done.

One of my biggest concerns has been scenery.  What do I use?  I'm trying to go as cheaply as possible, but still have something to show.  My answers have come by way of  bed sheets from the local thrift stores and cheap paint from Wal-Mart.  I'm a terrible artist. Zero talent for drawing and painting.  However, my table has been occupied these last few days with the big sheets laid across it and paint.  I've been painting trees, windows and a large door on the sheets.  Backdrops!

It isn't pretty or professional, but at least you can tell what it is.  The trees look like trees anyway.
This is the forest backdrop:

Yes, the trees are standing on each other.  Like I said, ZERO talent for art.

This is a window for the house backdrop:

(Still working on the window...)

Details within Details

I love creative problem solving.

That's a very good thing because this play is giving me a lot to think about.  The general idea is easy: hold auditions, rehearse, perform.

Then I started to think through the many little things that need to happen.  I started thinking music, scenery, forms, locations, etc.  And within each of those details, there are more details.  I looked up information on music I could use.  Any music written before 1922 is free domain.  Great!  However, recordings of music are protected and can not be used without going through legal stuff.  That means I can choose any song pre-1922 and have a friend record it and then it is OK for use.  An interesting detail that I didn't know.

I started pricing materials for scenery.  I should probably buy stuff soon so I can see if my ideas will even work.  It it going to cost some money, so I'm going to use a little as possible and make it work in a big way.  I think paint is going to be my single most expensive thing.  Remember the Forest Hint I showed a week ago?  That is the concept art for some of the scenery.  (I know, I'm a terrible artist.)  I'll be using a green sheet for a background and trees made out of polystyrene.

I wrote up a TO DO list with everything I could think of and then as I started working on it, I realized there are more details to add that I just hadn't thought of before.

I'm having a great time!

A story and an announcement!!!

Several weeks ago, one of my favorite blogs to read, The Middle Ages, talked about what we might say to ourselves in 20 years if we had the chance to do so. I think myself in 20 years would say, “Molly, you had a dream, why didn’t you follow it?” I’m going to follow it…..


The story:

Many years ago, when I was 9 or so, I got involved in my local children’s theater. I loved it! Every summer for several years, I performed in plays and was involved in a 50’s-style music group called the Super Troopers. I sang, I danced, I acted, and I loved it. None of us were professional actors, we were just a bunch of kids who enjoyed performing.

At the young age of 11, I wrote my first play, was involved in the auditions, casted the play, directed it, acted in it, and saw it performed. It was a very brave thing for the theater owner, Mrs. Driver, to give an 11 year old her chance at something so big.

When I got to college, I decided I wouldn’t pursue theater any longer. My interests and goals lead me elsewhere, but theater always had a special place in my heart. As the years went by I thought how great it would be to do my own children’s theater, the way Mrs. Driver had hers. I wanted to be able to get kids involved and give them their first taste of theater. It has always just been a dream. For the last 13 years I’ve been busy raising small children.

My youngest is three now. She isn’t a baby. I have found myself to have more free time lately than I have had in 13 years. In the fall, I’ll be starting my Master’s degree (another longtime dream.) So, I have this summer ahead of me. I have decided to pursue a dream I’ve had since I was a kid.

Now the Announcement:

This summer, I’m pleased to announce the first season of Auntie M’s Children’s Theater! Later this month, I will hold auditions for a play I wrote called The Seven Ravens. If all goes well, the performances will be in the second week of June. I’m still working on locking down a location for this undertaking.

I’m the theater merit badge counselor for my son’s Boy Scout Troop and I will be involving the scouts as stage hands, set creators, and such.

This might totally crash and burn. I’ll see it to the end, but I might say when it is all over “Never again!”

However… this might work out. I don’t expect things to go perfectly. I have a lot to learn. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be a success.

Whichever way it turns out, I will have tried. I might try and fail. But if I never try, I’ll always regret it. In 20 years, I will be able to say “Way to go, Molly! You pursued your dream.”

Official announcement of the auditions will come soon and I will keep you informed on this blog as to the progress of this enterprise.

Let the insanity begin!