Response to Kaley's Blog

Kaley,
I agree that Rent had alot of controversial things in it that definitely turned me away from all that the play was meant to represent. I also think that the website you offered was very resourceful, it helped me to see beyond some of what I thought was true and to be able to say okay you do have a point there. So thank you for showing us that!! Okay everyone, I'm sorry that this has all come to an end so soon, have a great REST OF THE SUMMER AND I LOVE YOU ALL and will miss you. ='( GOOD LUCK FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR!! =)

Response to Marie's Blog =)

Marie,
Thanks for responding to my blog post for the past week of theatrical careers and such. I think that theater has done alot for me like make me less shy, a better singer and being able to meet you. =) I am so glad that I did, life wouldn't be what it is today without you. ;-) lol and yea austin and camie are great and will be great at whatever direction they choose to take.

Theatrical Jobs!!

There are many theatrical jobs in the world. Using the source http://library.thinkquest.org/21722/careers.html, We have many options as young aspiring actors. From Stage direction to theatrical teaching or instructing. Me myself would be taking up theater as a hobby such as many of our older members of the Highlands Little Theater. For others such as Glenn, Austin, Cameron, and Anna, who aspire to go further with their careers, its a different story. They can choose from many options and routes to get to where they want to go. Such as starting in modeling or commercials then moving on to bigger things such as auditions for theatrical performances in bigger places such as Disney and then Broadway. Thus stated you can even go into a further direction such as Movies. Many of our actors today that star in movies come originally from some collegiate theatrical troupe. Therefore, even going to college to get your degree in theater would be a great beginning to your career. Also it is the best way because after you have become old and wrinkly and can't act anymore, you can fall back on teaching or instructing others to be as great as you once. =)

RENT!!!

Rent in my opinion was a play that brought different truthful matters to the mainstream attention. Thus put it was more of a discussion of the issues set in play. In my opinion, Rent was not that great on stage and is a little over-rated. I believe that the issues brought forth in the play were necessary to be known by the world but don't really catch my attention. Yes, it does bring the struggling of the Protagonists into the limelight and therefore is considered the same base plot as any other play on Broadway, but I am dis-interested in it. This was the reason that I did not attend the Production of Rent with our theater group. Instead I went to Disney World with Marie and more specifically Magic Kingdom. We had an AMAZING TIME and I wouldn't re-do any of it. I had a great time and thought that it was better than Rent. But I am glad that everyone else had a great time at the performance. =) Thank you!!

Rent Controversies!!

Rent is a broadway play that for the first time in Broadway history brought up the pivotal issues of AIDS, Homosexuality and homelessness. The site I used of http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Rent+gets+real:+as+the+pansexual,+AIDS-inflected+Broadway+sensation...-a0140054558, gave alot of weight to what the actors were doing before the play was thought of being produced. It talks about each and everyone of their personal lives and the things that they were going through. It also slightly discusses the issues of the play and the fact that it wasn't going to be put onstage due to the original 3 issues stated above. It was a debut for the world of Broadway into controversial topics such as homosexuality, AIDS and homelessness. Thus stated the Pansexuality of this play was put forth on to the mainstream of Broadway and made way for many more controversial plays to be set forth.

Response to Austin's Blog

I agree with you Austin on all of our costumes. They are ALL AMAZING!!! I think that even the make-up of everyone of us has its own cool aspect to it. They each define our characters. I especially like the greens and browns of all the soldier costumes. They match very well to the original Disney Production of Mulan. Good Job Austin!! =)

Response to Marie's Blog =)

Marie,
I agree with your Cats post in that they made every cat look the same yet different which added alot of the grandeur in costuming to the play. And your link helped me learn more about that play which I originally thought was really dumb and now I'm learning to have a new respect for it. Thank you!! =) AND GREAT JOB!!

My Costume

I like my two costumes of the father role in the first scene and Captain Shang throughout the rest of the play. My father costume consists of a brown lined kimono robe with a black robe belt which underneath I wear charcoal long dress pants and my Romeo Style Ballet Slippers. With this I have no props to use but my own costume and self. My other character costume is for Captain Shang. This includes a traditional style Oriental Vest that is zipped up in orange with black ties and designs all over the vest with which I have a black sash to hold my long 3 and a 1/2 pound Broadsword with and to put there for design. My long Broadsword is 3 and 1/2 pounds and about evan's height. My other props include a yellow and some other mesh of colors cheongsong which I wear for about 2 scenes and a burgundy fan that Mulan hands to me to use. I really like all of my costumes and props because they fit very well for all of my character's personality and needs. Also I like the costume of Captain Shang as my favorite because it is orange, one of my favorite colors. I liked the fact that we are re-using so many things from different plays and such to help afford a great cost defiency in our play production. This is really resourceful and helps our theater to be able to continue doing these kinds of plays. For make-up all i have to do is the basic lipstick for males, yellow or "Oriental" complexion for my base and asian eyed eye liner. For my hair I need to straighten it every night in order to look more asian. Overall though the costuming and make-up for my cahracter is very simple and easy, which I am happy about. =)

Phantom of the Opera

Phantom of the Opera is one of my favorite plays of all time alongside Spring Awakening. This play consists of Opera style music, incredible scene changes, grandeur sets, Profitable props and amazing costumes. This has to also be one of the highest musically oriented plays that exist. The set alone was a great part of helping to establish the fact that you are in 18th century France. This also was used very well in that of the costumes and helping bring the aroma of the theatrical performances to the audience. My source of http://www.thephantomoftheopera.com/new_york/ is a great place to learn more. The different sets and scene changes stand to be the one of the most difficult in the business. Not to mention that you can only do this show justice with a full fly system not a half such as our SFCC has. Even the make-up for the Phantom and the other main role characters need to be flawless including some of the masks and costuming for the onstage production of the Phantom's last request. Thus said it is a very expensive production which was later turned into a movie in the 21st century, 2004 to be exact. I think that without the grandeur set and palpable scene changes, this play would have lost out on alot of its amazing technical elements and therefore later lost the audience's attention entirely. Overall though, it stands as one of the most AMAZING shows of all time!! =)

Technical Elements

Technical elements in a show help to relegate the aroma of the audience's appeal. It is what makes the audience say interested with the play throughout the entire run of it. It is what makes the crowd able to say: "Yea that was a great play compared to the movie that we saw last night". This is what commonly the theater competes with, the movies and that area of acting and such. Therefore, the technical elements onstage are always competing to be better than that of the actual Hollywood elements. There are many technical elements in a play such as lighting, makeup, pyrotechnics, scene changes, prop usage, and sword or hand to hand combat. For the shows that we went to many of these things helped to captivate the audience's attention for the span of the 2 hours. Such as scene changes, lighting and prop usage for STOMP and Peter Pan. Even the makeup played an essential part in Peter Pan with Captain Hook. In our own production of Mulan Jr. we haven't really started working on much other than our prop usage sword combat between Captain Shang and Shan-Yu and some make-up. Thus we have alot of work to do. Honestly, I don't think we will have any problems with these elements of technical things. I don't udnerestimate the knowledge of our instructors and believe that we will be able to fill in all the necessary parts of the show's technical aspect with ease. Besides, no matter what, the Show MUST GO ON!!! =)

Response to Marie's Blog =)

Marie,
I agree!! I thought the epic tale of Peter Pan was going to be soooo much for fantabulous than it turned out to be!!! =( made me sad...but then again Clark brightened up the night!! ;-) but the tink thing was ridiculous and so was the Michael boy. He was funny. but he did try, that's for sure!! But it was a good experience and I'm glad that we got to experience it together. =:)

Response to Cassidy's Blog!!

Cassidy,
I totally agree with the tinkerbell part not giving a great taste of the true Disney film. I believe it would've been a great vision to the audience to set her as a small beam of light or even a person. I also agree that Michael was great being dually put to the fact that he is a small kid and that he took on all that as such. He could have been better, yes, but there's always a down-side to everything. =)

Peter Pan! =)

Peter Pan is an epic tale of never growing old in a world filled with rules and limitations, but where a little believing and some fairy-dust brings to life a world of adventure. With pirates to Indian Natives, this world is where the lost boys hold true to the rule-less palace of life with their noble and fearless leader Peter Pan on his journey of Age-less fun. The play held true to many of the original processes in the Disney film and was a great adaptation of the real thing. The best parts included Peter Pan's vocal talent and acting as such a young boy. The other things included the Massive and gorgeous set. The bad parts were the out of character acting of Michael and that of some of the choreographed parts such as the Indian Natives part took in. These helped the play to move along yet, gave a dull sense to the true arena of the theatrical production. Relating all this to Sound effects in my last post is rather difficult. There truly were no sound effects other than that of the on-stage chanting of the Native peoples and the CD usage of transition scenes. Thus put frankly, there was rather not much relation to that at all. Overall though it compared not much to our own performance and run of the play of Peter Pan, but was yet again humbling to our abilities at sets and the true beauty that lies within. I loved going to this show and am very glad we did! Thank you for the Oppurtunity!! =)

Sound Effects!!!

Sound effect should be the wonderment of the original theaters in the late english centuries of Shakespeare's Globe theater and the Greek Domes. Thus it is the most basic of all the special effects of technologies of modern day theater. Thus with this said, we as a production team of Mulan Jr. reading through the script know that we are bound to be using alot of noises or sound effects for the avalanches, running, marching, war crys and such to add the dramatic affect necessary for the primary observers to appropriate the right meaning from our production. I used my source of http://www.ruyasonic.com/sfx_closet.htm as the "bread-winner" of my ideas on what we are able to use as to what is available to us. The effects that I see fit for the right things on the play's outlook are stampedeing feet, clapping, thunder claps, and other noises that can be man-made or even put upon a CD and reproduced to be played at the time of the production. These will all come in handy for the showing of the Mulan Jr. productuon and make more of what we have as a team with limited use of money in this current economy. Thus, our best forms of sound effects shall come from CD reproductions played from the sound booth in the rear of the theater and the on-stage people whom need to make the sounds whether off-stage at the time or on.

Theatrical Technology!!

Lights, sound effects, pyrotechnics, Fog; all of these fall under the category of theatrical technology. This is one of the many things that helps to give the audience as realistic a ride as being in the movie theaters. Since the theater productions nowadays are always competing with the movie theaters and their own spin of technology and special effects they need to make a better fore-front every time a new movie production comes out with an even bigger bang than before. So theatrical technology is thus of great importance to every production. With our Mulan Jr. production, majority of the effects are going to be lighting and sounds with few pyrotechnic installations here and there. This will help to keep the audience genuinely intrigued at the plight of the show within all its glamor. With a good deal of help from this in-genius invention of theatrical technology we are bound to keep the eye of the audience alighted with wonder and to achieve any actor's dream of a standing ovation and sold out tickets for the entire run.

Response to Larissa's Blog

Larissa,
Yeah!! Totally true!!! I thought the show was a little shakie to start. Like Marie asked me if it even started. I didn't think it was a bad show, actually quiet the contrary. I thought it was a fabulous show to begin with. But I agree that again, it needed a plot. It was a tremendous effort though to do all that they did. I thought it was a great show and I'm glad you did too and had fun!! =)

Response to Marie's Blog

Marie, I agree with the play missing out on something without a story plot. I thought the rhythms that took on within the audience's heart was amazing and definitely kept you on the edge of your seat, but with a plot they could have taken it much farther. Also, the way the actors were helped to build the play to exactly what it was. They were as easy-going and down-to-earth as possible. This to me was a humbling experience as to what we can and can't do within a short period of time. =)

STOMP!!

What a show!! It was a spectacular escapade that lead the audience in an emotional percussion theme. It was a show filled with different beats and rhythms filling the air of the Tampa Performing Arts Theater. The beats that undertook the stage and the hearts of the audience lead a great deal of the lot awaiting a show in the seats above and below to their tip-toes. I liked the show because I am a very musically-oriented person. I like to sing, and beat-box in the shower and sometimes with an audience. I am involved in many musical things therefore, it runs the way my brain thinks. I thought highly of the show, though it would have been much better as a theatrical play with a story plot. Thus, it kind of took away from the magic of the stage. But overall, it was a fantastic show performed by many down to earth people. =) Thank you!!

Greek vs. Kabuki

According to my source of http://academic.reed.edu/humanities/110tech/Theater.html , Greek theater is an art form in the realm of self-expression. It began in the early B.C eras. It was originally to explain local stories and then turned into the legend and myths explainer such as the myths of Zeus and Aries. This was mainly something for male actors, though a few women broke this barrier. Greek theater, overall, is the same as kabuki posted in the last post but it differs as well. It is the same in that it has a lot of harp and string instrumental usage. It is also the same that more males play the roles and that they use a lot of blocking. Yet the differences are in that Kabuki is more musically intact, whereas the greek theater uses a lot of acting and drama. I personally like Kabuki style theater better because I LOVE MUSIC!!! But the acting and drama taking place in Greek style theater is mighty attracting in itself.

Kabuki Theater

Kabuki style is an art form of Eastern Asian Culture that helped the people of the time to express themselves in the art of acting, singing and playing music. Using the source of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuki, I was able to find the purpose of the Kabuki style of theater. This style of theater is a lot like what I thought it would be. It uses a lot of music and therefore what I expected. This stated that its something that held a lot to the originality of the musicians of China and Japan. It involved a lot of the sameness of musical theater yet it was different in its own way. It stands in the same realm of the olden Globe theater of Shakespeare and the Roman era domes. it’s a from appropriating itself from the Japanese style kimonos and wardrobe forms also coming from the Samurai explaining the myths and legends of all that came to and from the Eastern Asian culture. I would love to go and see this style of theater because of the clashing of musical tastes. It would also be fun to watch the wardrobes and the way an actor can express himself by movement. As a singer, actor, dancer and musician myself, it would be an utterly great experience.

Response to Marie's Intro!! ;-)

Marie,
You've come a long way and you're continueing to grow as a young girl and as an actor and singer...dancing I don't even need to mention since I kinda caught a glance of you doing it in your living room. =P You're a AMAZING all around person. I'm sorry I didn't force you up there to try out for more things. =/ But no matter what role you have, you're going to KILL IT!!! GIVE 100% AND COMMITT!! =)
Honestly I know you very well by now and the fact that singing scares you is a truth but you know me too. I was never or am never going to be completely able to sing in front of people. The only few people I can sing in front of are you, slowly Mrs. Tracy and Sia (lol). I don't know how many times you have told me that I can do it and that I'm a great singer and actor and blah blah blah....lol. well I KNOW YOU!!! I KNOW YOU CAN SING!!! You just need to get yourself over it and just do it!! You are a very good singer, just do as you tell me....GO FOR IT!! ;-)

Response to Clark's Mulan Post

Clark I think that we held to the same antics for the differences in Disney's Mulan and the true Mulan legend. It seems that we pick the first five sites that pop up on google. lol =P But Its amazing that the war lasted and the movie made it seem like a few months. haha. weird. The other thing that didn't make much sense was that the name was different. I don't really understand that, but okay. Clark you did a great job talking about your source rather than just summarzing. Good Luck too you too!!

Disney's Mulan

Disney's Mulan is a very intricate story of honor, love and adventure. My source states the truth to the details of this stroy, it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulan. It is one story from Disney that is actaully true(like Aladdin, MY FAVORITE!!! =) ). It is a great story taking place in the Ming Dynasty and by the family of Fa. Yet the truth hb ehind this lies in that of a girl that tells her camp captain that she comes from the Li family, her old family name before a change in the Tang Dynasty in the year 600 B.C. It is a story of a ten year war that emotionally and physically hurts men and women alike. It concurs with majority of the likenesses of the Disney version yet in the like doesn't for some important and small and insignificant things such as family name. But it holds true to the final meaning taht War hurts all people no matter their age, gender or race. It is a truly affective structure of disturbance ot any persons life.

Musical Theater ;-)

Musical Theater is a world of major ups and downs...from drama to comedy to action and romance...whatever or where ever your mind takes you, you shall go...I love this experience because its something that can carry the imagination to the greatest yonder of the far human mind. I love this. It makes me feel free as if the sky's the limit and that makes it easier to spread your wings as a bird of wonder and grace in this world. =) The resource I used washttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_theatre. This made me feel that the theater is a great place to be, whether as a hobby or much more, it doesn't matter!! its a place of growth, both mentally and physically. Its a great place to be brought up in as we can see from our directors and some peers closer to our ages. This source honestly didn't change any of my perceptions of the true and good features of what our world of theatrical art truly and wonderfully is!!! =)

Intro!!! =P

Hello everyone!,
This is my second post and an original post for you Youth Theater cast members...Well I'm 17 and 3/4 years old. lol. My birthday is November 14th, 1991 and I will be 18 years old and a Senior at Sebring High School. I love to play soccer and play varsity soccer for my high school and Club soccer for the U-18 Heartland FC!!! I truely excited for the upcoming year in soccer as I will be leading the team as the Varsity Captain. =) Well about the first day, it was truely nerve-racking!!! I didn't expect to be involved with the race for the lead male role. I thought I was honestly way in over my head with the entire thing. I was terrified, but I made the best of it. This will be my first lead role in any production I have ever tried out for. I am excited but way more nervous than to think about any of that. My technical assignment is going to be tough. I have to work alot on my vocal presentation of the character Captain Shang and then alot of true heart-felt acting in the line of this duty assigned to me. But I am up for the challenge and though I will seem truely out of form and all the first week, things will fall into place and will begin to committ to the role and give it 100%!!! =) With my previous performances on stage and roles prior to this one, like my intro to the Highlands Little Theater with Seussical the Musical where I first began this early-sprung hobby of acting and singing meeting Mrs.Tracy our vocal director for the production and really blowing her mind with the work she had to do with me to get me to the small hill that I have climbed in the vocal area of theater. From this production I went on to Cinderella Wore Combat Boots, a youth theater production in which I was cast as a major acting part of a co-narrator. Thus far, my experiences grew!! I went on to Into the Woods the previous Summer Theater Institute's production in which I was cast as the Mysterious Man and indulged in my first vocal solo. Leading me to this year and the cast of a cameo part/supporting part as Zeke Baylor in High School Musical being a large acting and vocal solo part. This is going to be a great experience and I truely look forward to the outcome of this great adventure!!! Thank you, Mrs.Lyndsay, Mrs. Tracy, Mrs. Laura, Kelly and Anna!!! =)

Welcome! =)

Hello People of the theatrical World!!!
This is Kia Rahmanian speaking and willing to take any of your suggestions, directions and commentations on our Highlands Little Theater Youth Production of Mulan Jr. =)
Let me know what you think. Hit me up wit the Dealio!!! ;-)