Blog: Design the set for a play

Lion King: Full Length of Play

Description of play: This play is based off the movie The Lion King. It’s about how the lions out rule the other animals living in Pride Lands. Mufasa, the king of the lions had a son named Simba. Simba is to be the next king once his father passes away, but Scar (Mufasa’s brother) has other plans. It’s a battle for the throne and Scar will not stop at nothing to be King.

Scene One

The set for scene one is consisted of a large rock boulder, a baboon, a baby lion cub (Simba), and jungle animals. This is the scene where Simba is introduced to the Pride Lands by the baboon Rafiki. Rafiki stands up on the top of the boulder lifting Simba, so that the Pride Land animals can all get a glimpse of the newborn King.

Scene Two

For scene two the set is made up of two lion cubs (Simba and Nala), three hyenas, sculls/bones of left over animals, and a lion (Mufasa). This scene is about how the two lion cubs, Simba and Nala go to the spooky graveside alone. While they are there they run into the hyenas, Shenzi, Ed, and Banzai. The three hyenas try to kill Simba and Nala, but were saved by Mufasa.

Scene Three

The set is consisted of a gorge, a tree, a lion cub (Simba), pack of wildebeests, and two lions (Mufasa and Scar). This scene is where Scar leads Simba down onto a tree in the gorge. Before Simba knows it a stampede of wildebeests come trampling in. Simba has nowhere to go but to stay in the tree. Scar notifies Mufasa that Simba is stuck in the middle of the gorge with a stampede of wildebeests surrounding him. Mufasa gets to Simba in time to save him, but Mufasa is struggling to hold on to the edge of the gorge. Scar sees Mufasa struggling, but doesn’t help him at all Scar instead tosses Mufasa down into the stampede of wildebeests.

Scene Four

Scene four is made up of a jungle, meerkat (Timon), a warthog (Pumbaa), and a grown up lion (Simba). This scene takes place a little after Mufasa was killed. Timon and Pumbaa found Simba and took him to the jungle where they raised him into a full grown lion.

Scene Five

This set for scene five is made up of a group of lions, group of hyenas, a fire, female lion (Simba’s mom), and two male lions fighting (Simba and Scar). The scene is about Simba coming back to the Pride Lands. When Simba arrives he is mortified to see what has happen to his home. The land is destroyed with flames and the lions are in control of the hyenas and Scar. Simba sees Scar strike his mother in the face and that is when Simba makes his appearance that he is still alive. Scar announces that Simba was the one who killed Mufasa. Simba and Scar then start to fight which leads to Simba dangling for his life. Scar whispers into Simba’s ear and states that he was the one who killed Mufasa, Simba is able to pull himself up and continue to fight. In the end, Simba conquers the fight and becomes the new King.

Blog: Design costumes for a play

Wicked: Full Length of Play – Character Costumes

This play is about the two witches, Glinda and Elphaba. Before Dorthoy had come into their lives, these two witches were competing against each other with good and evil. This play gives the background on their past and how they got to where they are now

Main Characters:
Elphaba – Becomes the wicked witch of the West

I choose this outfit for Elphaba because I wanted something to help fit the character she is. Elphaba has a dark, evil side to her, so I used dark clothes to help grab that essence.

Glinda – The good witch who becomes part of the high society in the Oz’s Northern Province known as Gillikin

When I went to pick a costume out for Glinda, I knew I wanted something that had a delicate, innocent look. I knew if I went with the colors pink and white it would help show that innocent look because they are both calm, cooling colors. I choose the pink magic wand because Glinda has the power of all good and she gives it off by a magic wand.

Nessarose – Elphaba’s younger sister who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West

For Nessarose I went for a dress that had a mixture of two colors. The two colors I went for were black and white. I chose the color black because it shows that she also has a little dark side to her just like her sister Elphaba. I chose the color white because even though she is related to a bad witch, she still has a nice, innocent side to her. So when the mixtures of these colors come together it gives the impression of a dark, calm character with different sides. I chose the sparkling high heels because in the story Nessarose was sent a pair of sparkling shoes, but the only problem was she couldn’t walk. With the help of Glinda, she enchants the pair of shoes which allows Nessarose the ability to walk.

Dr. Dillamond – A talking goat who is also a professor at Shiz University

For Dr. Dillamond I chose to do a goat costume because he is known as a talking goat throughout the play. I also added a professional suit for Dr. Dillamond to wear because he is a college professor too.

Boq – A tall munchkin who is connected with Elphaba

The image I have for a munchkin is someone who wears children clothing and bright colors. So for Boq I went with a pair of overalls with a multi colored shirt to go underneath. I also added a pair of high socks that would be shown by rolling the legs of the overalls up. Lastly, I included a pair of yellow high top sneakers to add more color.

Madame Morrible – Horrible headmistress at Shiz University who is up to no good

For Madame Morrible I chose an all black leather jacket and skirt for her to wear because it gives an edgy look. Madame Morrible is a lady who has an evil, bad side to her, so I wanted to make sure she gave that impression off to others. I also added a red colored blouse that still allows her to professional for her job, but still has an edgy color that adds to the outfit.

Fiyero – A student at Shiz University, the prince of the Arjiki tribe, and has a affair with ElphabA

For Fiyero I chose a prince costume. The reason why I chose this costume is because I feel that it fits who he is as an overall person. He is a student at Shiz University and does have something going on with Elphaba, but his majority of time is being spent as a prince.

Wizard of Oz – A human who arrived in Oz in a hot air balloon from Earth. He had gotten side tracked when he realized he could design a government in Oz.

When the thought of the Wizard of Oz comes to mind I think of someone with has intellectual thinking. I decided to dress the Wizard of Oz in a lab jacket and a pair of glasses. This look gives the impression that Wizard of Oz has the ability to create things and make them work and that is exactly what he does.

Blog: Write a concluding statement

Overall from this class I have created a new point of view of theater. Before taking this class, theater was not something that I considered neither interesting nor fun. Theater in my eyes was defined as actors who acted on stage. I never took the time to actually look deep into what it was all about. As I started to work on the post, blogs, and quizzes, I was starting to understand that theater was more than just individuals acting on a stage. Theater plays are made up more than just the actors, they are also made up of the lighting, costumes, scenery, and connecting with the audience. I learned that each one of these elements is a huge role that impacts the overall theater experience.

Lighting is an important element in theater world. In the past times, lighting was just as popular as it is today. Since there was not electricity then, the lighting used for performances was consisted of candles, lamps, or torches. Each one created special effects and visibility for the audiences. Today, lighting still creates special effects and visibility, but has been upgraded to a more technical way. There are many functions that give an artistic effect. The first function is illumination which gives the audience the ability to see what is happening on the stage. The second function is focus. Focus is when the lighting is directed to a specific area on the stage, which allows the audience to be distracted to the area. Mood is the last function of lighting and the one that I feel is the most important. Lighting sets a tone of a scene, which helps create a mood to the audience of what emotion is occurring. For example, if the lighting of a scene is a light color (white) the mood that may create to the audience is calm and still. Throughout a play there will be a variety of different lighting changes that will create many emotions and moods in the audience.

The second element that makes a theater play is the costumes. Costumes take a couple of roles when it comes to the performance. The first role is to reveal the essence of the character. Costumes help define the identity of the character to the audience. By doing this, the audience can grasp the idea of who that actor is trying to be throughout the play. The second role is to tell a story. What is meant by telling a story is that the clothing and accessories tell a tale. For example, if a character has dirty, holey clothes the audience may think that the character doesn’t have a home and lives off the street. The little details that are added in are what help bring the costumes all together.

Scenery is the third element that is consisted into a play. The scenery is important to have because it gives the audience an idea where the action is taking place. For example, if there were medieval props set up the audience will believe that the scene is taking place in a castle. Scenery can also create a mood. If a scene is painted dark with gravesides and skeletons, the mood will be presented as spooky and thrilling. Overall scenery is to serve the performance and text of the scenes throughout a play.

Connecting with the audience is a fourth element and the most important element. This element is important because in order to have the audience’s attention, the actors need to make sure they can draw them in first. In order to draw in the audience, the actors need to have a lively spirit when they are acting. When an audience sees an actor acting well, they put their focus on them because they find them entertaining. Also when connecting with the audience, actors need to use great eye contact. Eyes can tell a story, so if there is great eye contact given by the actors the audience can feel how real the acting is being performed. Actors should also know the script in and out. By actors doing this, the audience can see that the actors are serious and want to give a great performance.

Not only have I learned what makes up a theater play, I also had learned that I play roles in my daily life just like actors do in theater. I have roles as being a student, friend, a daughter, sister, granddaughter, employee, and even a pet owner. Before this theater class I never realized that role playing would ever be a part of my life, but now that I know it I love it. I love that each role I play affects each one of my friends and family members much differently.

In conclusion, I enjoyed this class much more than I thought I would have. I love that I got to experience something new which turned out to be a positive effect on me. In the near future, I hope to keep my knowledge from this class and experience with more theater plays. Thank you for engaging my interest with theater.

Blog: Show Report

One of my favorite passionate plays is Romeo and Juliet. The play Romeo and Juliet was created by William Shakespeare around 1597. This play had become Shakespeares all time popular play throughout his life time and is still making progress today. The story is based on two teenagers who fall in love with one of another but weren’t allowed to be together because of their families. Romeo and his family were part of Montagues and Juliet and her family was part of the Capulets. Both of these two groups were rivals and feuds have been between them for ages. Due to the fact of the feuding between both of their families, Romeo and Juliet never got to see each other. Both of these loved ones couldn’t stand the fact of being away from each other, so they find any way for them to be able to be close to one another.

As their relationship starts to get more serious, others are starting to catch on to what is happening. Juliet’s cousin Tybalt requests for a fight with Romeo in the duel but Romeo refuses it. Mercutio (Romeos friend) doesn’t like the denial from Romeo, so he steps in and fights Tybalt which lead to Mercutio dying. Romeo then steps and fights Tybalt for what he has just done to his best friend. With the fighting going back and forth there was finally a victory, Romeo had executed Tybalt. With the news spreading fast, the Prince of Verona had found out about the duel. He declares that Romeo shall be exited from Verona and if he shall return there will be consequences. Before Romeo left Verona, he snuck in to see Juliet for one last time. They both were madly in love, so they decided to go ahead and get married. Romeo was now gone and Juliet was left all alone, but there was another problem Juliet was facing. Juliet’s parents had organized someone for her to marry but Juliet didn’t want this to happen. She tried to persuade her mother into letting her delay the wedding, but her mother refused. Juliet then goes to get help from Friar Laurence. Friar Laurence comes up with the idea for Juliet to take a twenty four hour drug that will make it seem like she is dead but is really in a coma. Friar Laurence tells Juliet that he will have a messenger send a message stating what was going on and how they will be reunited when she awakes. So Juliet takes the drug the night before the wedding and is later found in the morning dead from what the others believe. Hours before she is to awake to greet her loved one, Romeo never receives the letter and hears that Juliet has died. Without taking a second thought, Romeo goes to an apothecary and buys poison. He then goes to Capulet crypt where Juliet is laying and drinks the poison. Just as Romeo takes the poison, Juliet starts to awaken and sees that Romeo is dead. Without her taking a second thought, she picks up a dagger and stabs herself. In the end of the play, the feud between the Montagues and Capulets is resigned and Romeo and Juliet are left behind known as a love story that will never be forgotten.
This play is a connection to my own personal experiences from my past. When I was in 5th grade I met a guy named Matt and I never thought at first I would become attracted to such a guy. He was all the things I didn’t want; a cocky, smart ass, kid. As the school year started to progress, I had become much closer to Matt then I thought I would have. We started to create this close bond with one another and it lead into a relationship. Matt and I dated for a year but then things went wrong. Our relationship changed and it started to create feuds between us. My parents didn’t want me to ever be with him and his parents agreed the same.

Years passed and there was still some tension between us. We had not spoken to each other for awhile, but that all changed in one day. It started with us having a class together and from there the connection we had just came back into place. Our conversation felt like we had never stopped talking, there was nothing weird or awkward about it. We grew stronger as the years passed and became the best of friends. Our friendship had then turned into a relationship again and this was something that neither of our parents wanted. We both didn’t know what to do about our parents, so we kept it on the low. At first we thought it was a good idea to keep it on the low, but then as soon as our parents found out it went all wrong. Our parents permitted us to stay away from each other and if we didn’t we would be in trouble. We both followed what our parents had said but it was still so hard for us to stay apart. We started to sneak out so there would be a way for us to see each other. Our parents then started to catch again with what we were doing. We both explained to our parents that we couldn’t spend time away from each other and that they would sooner or later have to accept our relationship because we were in love. After all the bickering and fighting are families negotiated with one another. Matt and I were finally able to be together and today we are still going strong with our relationship.

My story and the Romeo and Juliet play are much related to one another. The play and my story are both about loved ones who will do anything to be together, but there is always something standing in the way. When I had first came to realize that the play Romeo and Juliet was in relation to my own relationship it meant something to me. It showed me that I wasn’t the only one who was facing love problems, even if it was just a play. It showed me to not give up on my relationship because our love for each other is that strong and we can get through anything together now.

Blog Broadway

Today, Broadway shows are becoming much more popular with people attending them and also people who are acting in them. One place where Broadway happens almost every day is in New York City. New York City has been known for millions of people coming and watching their Broadway shows. There are many shows in NYC hat individuals can come and watch in front of their eyes. Examples of a few are The Addams Family, Looped, Come Fly Away, Chicago, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, West Side Story, The Miracle Worker, and so many more. Mamma Mia, Wicked, Jersey Boys, and South Pacific are the top shows that many individuals come to New York City to see for a Broadway show. The hottest shows on New York City’s Broadway right now are Mr. & Mrs. Fitch, The Addams Family, A Little Night Music, A View From The Bridge, Fela!, American Idiot, and Billy Elliot, The Musical. These shows are considered “hot shows” because they are new releases to Broadway and many individuals are interested to see how the show is. In 2009 Billy Elliot, The Musical received 10 Tony Awards out of 15 nominations. When purchasing tickets for a Broadway show, individuals are able to do so in different ways. One way to buy tickets for a show in New York City would be to either go search the internet at www.newyorkcitytheatre.com, or any other type of New York City Broadway website. Another choice could be that individuals could also call the Broadway stadium to work something out or they could just purchase the tickets when they arrive in NYC.
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There have been many Broadway shows that have made history. Since these shows made that much success, they had individuals keep coming back. Some examples of these shows are, The Phantom of Opera, Cats, Rent, and Beauty and the Beast. The Phantom of Opera is known to be the longest running Broadway musical still from this day. Cats is also another show that is known for traveling around the world as the longest running Broadway shows. In 2000, after 18 years, Cats ended its performance in New York City. Even though Cats is no longer in NYC, it is still shown in other venues. The Broadway show Rent had made an effect on audiences by grabbing their attention in many ways. This Broadway show was based off the film Rent. It was about individuals who were facing crisis situations with AIDS, drugs, cross dressing, and struggling to pay their rent. In 2008, Rent closed their showings in NYC. Lastly the Beauty and the Beast; the Beauty and the Beast was first created as a film in 1991. Three years after the film was created it was moved to Broadway. It became that popular that it stayed around for 13 years and ended up being in the Top Ten longest running Broadway shows. There are some shows that can make it to be known as the longest running shows, but then there are some shows that cant. These shows have been recently closed down because they didn’t have the great, successful impact on individuals. Some of the shows are Legally Blonde, Grease, Hairspray, and A Tale of Two Cities.

Broadway shows have been around for years and I have yet seen one. I haven’t always wanted to go see one at first because I wasn’t into the musical and acting performances, but since this theater class Broadway grabbed had grabbed my attention. If I had to chose a Broadway show I would like to see, I would chose Wicked. Wicked is based off The Wizard of Oz, but is seen from the witches point of view. I have always loved the movie the movie The Wizard of Oz, so I think it would be very interesting to see it from a different aspect. The director of this show is Joe Mantello and the stars are Katie Rose Clarke as Glinda Dee Roscioli as Elphaba, Andy Karl as Fiyero, Alex Brightman as Boq, P.J. Benjamin as The Wizard, Jenny Fellner as Nessarose, Timothy Britten Parker as Doctor Dillamond, Rondi Reed as Madame Morrible.

Blog: Theater Profile

For this project blog, I decided to research on The Goodman Theater in Chicago. The Goodman Theater was established on July 1922 and has been connected to Chicago for about 80 years now. A couple named William and Erna Goodman created this theater in memory of their son Kenneth who had passed away. Before Kenneth had passed away, he had written and published many plays that were non-production. On October 20, 1925 The Goodman Theater opened to the community where three of Kenneth’s plays were introduced as dedication of his remembrance. This theater had opened its door for others who enjoyed being surrounded by drama and professional acting. Also along with the new opening, a man named Thomas Woods Steven took the role as the theater’s first artistic director.

For five years, Steven led the The Goodman Theater in the right direction until he was resigned and a man named Hubert Osbourne took over. Hubert Osbourne took charge of the theater for about year until the Art Institute decided that the professional acting was no longer to take place in the theater, just drama. After Osbourne was gone Maurice Gnesin and his fellow colleague David Itkin ran The Goodman Theater for 27 years. These two had made a great reputation for the theater and also introduced children’s theater. Once Gnesin and Itkin weren’t able to work anymore, their positions were given up to a man named Max Reich. Max Reich was a legendary director, but before he started working at The Goodman he suggested that the professional acting should be reconsidered. For 10 years Reich worked hard to rebuild the professional acting by attracting attention of the theater to others especially stars. In 1972 John was resigned and new director named Ken Myers took over. Ken did not stay long, after a year he resigned himself. So in 1973, William Woodman took the role as the new director and worked hard as a director for over 5 years then resigned. After resigning Gregory Mosher was chosen to be the next artistic director. Gregory Mosher brought much new work into the theater such as plays by Nobel Prize winners and many other plays. The Goodman had then replaced Gregory Mosher with a younger much wiser man named Robert Falls. Robert had made many excellence changes in the theater. He was known for bringing in many world premieres and transferring Goodman’s production over to other theaters. Around the 1980’s, The Goodman Theater had been starting to age and many individuals felt it was time to rebuild it. In the 1990’s a site was found and they started to rebuild the theater. Since the theater has come a long way, everyone decided to keep the theater the same name in remembrance of the Goodman’s. In December 2000, the new and improved Goodman Theater doors were opened.

The mission statement for The Goodman Theater is that it’s one of the largest but oldest non- profit theaters. It has excellent community and educational programs and a diversity of artistic leaderships. Goodman Theater is known to produce both contemporary and classic works by giving a full voice of wide ranges of visions and artists. These theater artist have given Goodman an artistic identity with three guiding principles; quality, community, and diversity. This theater seeks to be the leader of cultural organization by providing programs and productions to create an important contribution to the quality of life in Chicago.

The Goodman Theater is theater that provides free programs for anyone who loves theater. The Student Subscription Series will give the chance of 2,700 Chicago high school students the opportunity to show up and watch free performances and shows that are post-show discussions. For each summer a program called, the General Theatre Studies will take in students that are 14 to 19 in age. This program made up of 6 week intensive theater training. Young ladies who are juniors in high school are qualified for the program Cindy Bandle Young Critics. This program is combined with the Goodman Theater and the Association for Women Journalists. Within this program these young ladies will be provided with training in theater and mentoring professional journalist. These ladies may also have the possible opportunity to interview stage stars.

The Goodman Theater has many programs that are available for young high school students, but they also provide an internship program. This internship program is for college students who are trying to pursue their professional career in theater. The internships that are offered are in Costumes, Education and Community Engagement, Marketing/Publicity/PR, Production Management, Sound, Stage Management, Props/Scenery, and Video Production. These students must be at least 18 years of age and able to work with challenges.

When I was deciding what company, I looked over the list that was given and the first company that was brought to my attention was The Goodman Theater in Chicago. This company appeals to me because I am a fan of the city Chicago. My lifelong dream is to one day live in Chicago and work as marketer in a fashion company. I didn’t know much about the Goodman Theater when I first saw the name, I just loved that it was in Chicago. After research and reading more about The Goodman Theater, I had become much interested in what it was all about. It’s a theater that brings individuals in to express their selves, but also giving them a chance to make a career out of it. With theaters like The Goodman Theater, many individuals will be able to make their dreams come true.

Blog: Relate Theater to your LIFE!

Theater takes place in everyone’s daily life roles whether they know it or not. As learning and becoming familiar more of what theater is, I am starting to understand how theater is taking place throughout my life. Throughout my daily life, I am connected with my friends, family, schooling, and hobbies. I am passionate about all of these things, but each one has a different role being played.

When working with school work, I tend to be more secluded in the setting of a library. I chose the library because the environment of the library is not noisy and peaceful. There isn’t an audience that is around me when I am working, just a few students who are also working on school work. I like to sit and work in an area where the lighting is kept at a low minimal. By having the lighting set low, it sets a mood that allows me to be able to concentrate on just my homework and only my homework. When my main focus of the day is to work on school work, I will just do comfortable attire. I tend to usually where sweatpants, sweatshirts, or a tee shirt. By keeping your attire comfortable, it will also make you feel comfortable as a person too. Besides my school work, my family also comes in for a skit to my daily life.

My family is consisted of a large group of people: my four sisters (Carissa, Sarah, Jera, and Alyssa), stepsister (Brooke), stepbrother (Ryan), Mom (Vicky), Dad (Doug), stepmom (Angel), stepdad (Ron), Nan (Fay), and Pap (Bob). These people are my audience to my daily life. I speak out to them whenever they need me for anything whether it’s talking on the phone or talking in person. As taking the role as a daughter, step daughter, granddaughter, and a sister I expect myself to open up to show them the real person I am. Being with these individuals, you learn to be yourself because there is much love between everyone. There are many settings that take place when I am with my family, but the main setting would be my grandparent’s house. My grandparent’s house is where I spent most of my life living and growing up, so when I step in it always feels like home sweet home. My family takes a huge role in my life, but my best friends also do as well.

My best friends are the audience of my daily life every day. I go to college with them, live with them, and spend every day together. My friends are almost just as close as my family and I are, just minus being related. When I am with my best friends the environment is carefree, fun, and full of laughter. Whenever either one of us are feeling down, we know how create moods to help change it. I feel that my best friends and I are very similar to one another, especially when it comes to our fashion sense. Fashion tells a story on the type of person you are, so whenever we plan on attending an activity we make sure we tell/show a story to others.

Not only do my family, friends, and schooling takes huge roles in my life, but my special interest of hobbies also comes into play. My favorite interested hobby is playing basketball. When I play basketball, the setting usually takes place at the YMCA basketball courts. I have been playing basketball since I was in second grade, so it has been considered one of my favorite hobbies for years. When I play basketball there is usually an audience of other individuals who come to watch, but there are also my team mates who help me perform. My fashion attire for basketball is consisted of basketball shoes, athletic shorts, and a tee shirt. When playing basketball, you want to make sure you are wear attire that is comfortable enough to run and to move around a lot. Communication and reading others is the main objective when playing basketball. You need to make sure you can work with your teammates in order to win success. If there is not communication then it is hard to work with each other.