The Miracle Worker
By: William Gibson
This production of The Miracle Worker, the Drama Guild's Fall Play, took place on December 2, 2016 at 7:00 PM and December 3, 2016 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM in the Abby Hall Auditorium.
12/1/2016 0 Comments The Final CountdownOpening night is less than 36 hours away; yet in this one hour of free time I have during this hectic week, I have had the chance to look back at this beautiful experience. This was my first leading part in the Drama Guild, this was my first time portraying a historical character, this was my first time truly learning what it is like to lose one or more of the five senses. I am proud of the work I have put in, but I am even more proud of my fellow cast members. I have watched Jenna blossom from the shy freshman to one of the leading ladies. I have watched Emily and Sam tirelessly work to perfect their lines and dynamic. I have watched Callan and Bec take on the Southern accents and mannerisms and manage to perfect them in the course of three months. I have seen a group of girls each ready to tell this story find a way to do so and become a true family along the way. We have so many inside jokes, so many laughes along the way. We also have so much raw emotion and talent. And although there are so many more sappy puns I could make...I think the countless Instagram and Twitter posts affirm the previously mentioned observations. I love this family; they have given me a home. Yet my love is mixed with nervousness. In 36 hours, I want the audience to fall in love with the show and story and characters as much as we all have. I want everyone to see the hard work that has been put in. Because, in all honesty, I will never forget this show. I will never forget that miracles, on and off stage, can happen.
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11/5/2016 0 Comments Sign LanguageThe Miracle Worker is a show that follows the story of Helen Keller. It contains a universal theme of the necessity of communication through language. Helen, played by Jenna, is taught sign language by Annie Sullivan, played by yours truly, to communicate with the world. Only problem is Jenna is better at sign language than I am. It's a bummer because now I have to take a crash course on this subject. Friday's rehearsal was just that. The cast learned how to spell their name and their character's name. I was having a little trouble but, no fear, so was Mr.C. Hopefully, I figure out the difference between "p" and "k" over the next few weeks...or the pupil will have to teach the teacher...
10/22/2016 0 Comments Stage FightingOkay if anyone knows me, the writer of these posts, they would also know I am rather dramatic. So sit down grab some tea (because this is the theatre after all), and enjoy the story of the this week's rehearsals. Act one, as mentioned, is blocked and kind of (?) ready to go. So, the cast moved on to the blocking of act two. Now, fun fact, act two contains a lot of interaction between Annie and Helen. This communication is through physical movement. The height of this drama occurs in the second scene of the second act (there's like a good three pages of stage direction) where Annie tries to teach Helen to sit like a lady. It, of course, does not go well and fighting between the two ensues. This fighting involves throwing food (sorry costume moms) and a lot of bruised knees on mine and Jenna's part. So, Wednesday comes and the beginnings of this blocking form. Stage fighting proves to be rather difficult to block, but Mrs. Basbas and Jacky are real good at figuring out ways to make this look realistic without real injuries. So in this fighting, Helen's favorite retaliation is apparently a hay-maker (we had to look this up: its actually a type of punch). So, Mrs. Basbas tried to practice on me. We ended up making contact and my head was mutilated. It was like the second Boston Massacre. JUST KIDDING, this was a total accident and I'm pretty sure my following dramatics were much worse than the actual incident. Mrs. Basbas is a wonderful director and at some points I have probably deserved to be punched. I'm more concerned with harming Jenna; our stage fighting is very intense and I do not want either of us to loose a limb or eyeball. But all's fair in love and theatre (again: KIDDING). So, Friday roles around and Mrs. Basbas, the angel that she is, brought me pumpkin spiced ice cream. I was actually very excited, but I felt kind of bad. I (kind of) shared the ice cream with her and the cast and rehearsal began. I think the take away from this is: god bless our directors who have to deal with us (me especially) and the cast is becoming a family. So with that combo, it is gonna be a lit show.
10/15/2016 0 Comments And Supper's DelayedWe are finally at the fun point where rehearsals are turning into set designing sessions. Act one is blocked and subsequently Jenna and I now need knee pads, but that will be planned in the costume sessions. Anyway, the set this year is ambitious. It involves lots of tri-fold flats and stage extensions. I, for one, will enjoy the day when everything is painted and is not prone to falling over. In the end, hopefully, the set will be straight out of 1880s Alabama. But for now, we must work with cardboard and bare wood and wet paint. The stage crew, God bless them, are doing a great job. 10/6/2016 0 Comments It's really happening!So, rehearsals have begun. Blocking is off to a strong start. However, that cannot be said for the Southern accents (sorry guys, but we'll get there). Blocking with Helen Keller's scenes proves to be difficult as Jenna cannot use conventional means of communication. Also those interacting with her, such as those playing Annie Sullivan and Kate Keller, can only talk to her with hand movements. Even from an early start, this play has begun to shed light on the simple, everyday things those who are blind, deaf, and mute struggle to do. All the actors have also begun to appreciate their abilities and are working even harder now to present the touching story. The show provides a glimpse of these struggles and methods to overcome them. It is definitely a worth while performance to see.
On a less serious note, as the actors transform so does the set. Godspell is officially over. The fence has been clipped off the stage and the peace sign on the stairs has been painted over, thanks to the lovely stage crew. It is definitely sad to see it go, but many are happy to welcome a new show. The set will be unconventional (no spoilers: but the forth wall will tumble). The costumes will be detailed. The accents will be fixed. And, everyone will be phenomenal. 9/30/2016 0 Comments Rehearsals Under Way...Where we last left off is at the workshops, which were so long ago. A lot has happened. Most importantly the auditions, casting, and the first rehearsal. The auditions, as always, were super chill. It involved reciting monologues and reading certain scenes. Everyone, though nervous underneath it all, had a blast. Thank you, to Mrs. Basbas, our director, and Jacky, our assistant director, for letting us get a good night's sleep by publishing the cast list two hours after auditions. The cast list is as follows...
Helen Keller................Jenna Ebeed Annie Sullivan............Sarah Piela Captain Keller............Emily Keefe Kate Keller..................Samantha Phillips James Keller................Callan Decew Viney............................Hannah Kirstel Aunt Ev........................Bec Morgheim Doctor.........................Taylor Martineau Doctor Anagnos.........Kevin Comtois Percy............................Anoutsa Latsapanya Martha.........................Sabrina Nguyen Blind Girls...................Taylor Martineau, Katherin Aste, Anoutsa Latsapanya So that's that. It's gonna be a great show with a great cast. Rehearsals are already underway. Blocking has started, and we all need to work on our southern accents... 9/16/2016 0 Comments Workshops Today was the day of workshops. Every time before a large production, the guild joins in the auditorium to prepare for auditions. Most of the time, it's a lot more having fun than working; but hey that's what a workshop is for: de-stressing with the theatre family. This workshop began with a few quick announcements from our fearless leader, Mrs. Basbas. She gave both old and new members the "rundown" for the 2016-2017 season (lets just say its gonna be awesome). Mrs. Svoronou and Mr. Comtois, two other faculty very involved with the guild, also came. Afterward, the craziness of the workshop followed. The guild played many improv games which resulted in immense laughter on all parts. Fun fact: Mr. Comtois is a wonderful improv actor. Stay Tuned Next Week for information on Auditions :) |
AuthorWritten by: Sarah Piela, NDA Drama Guild Social Media Correspondent |