Open Forum

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians. 

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key. 

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long. 

Curious what your departments are going to do. 


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

Doing a simple production with 2 plans of attack.  One is to go after doing an outside socially distanced production.  Keep the kids apart.  Keep the parents apart.  There are lots of details to work out. 

The other would be to record the acting scenes "live" with only the socially distanced actors and then wrap it all up as a single production with some interstitial content.  We would then "livestream" the show.  Trying to capture some sort of a live experience for people versus a short film.  Choosing something that has minimal actors and minimal interaction is key.  If you can find a theme that holds a group of scenes together... well you got yourself a show!

------------------------------
Travis Guba
Upper School Theatre Director
Fort Worth TX
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

@CritFisher

Crit,

can you give me some information about your Virtual Cabaret whenever you figure out how you are going to do. My Cabaret Auditions are usually ​In October so I'm interested in your thoughts.

Thanks,

Maria Stadtmueller 
stadtFamily@juno.com

------------------------------
Maria Stadtmueller
Hillsborough NJ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

Maria,

Will do. Our thespian officers met yesterday, as they will be organizing. As soon as we have the game plan, I'll let you know. ​

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-18-2020 00:03
From: Maria Stadtmueller
Subject: What does Fall look like?

@CritFisher

Crit,

can you give me some information about your Virtual Cabaret whenever you figure out how you are going to do. My Cabaret Auditions are usually ​In October so I'm interested in your thoughts.

Thanks,

Maria Stadtmueller
stadtFamily@juno.com

------------------------------
Maria Stadtmueller
Hillsborough NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 8/18/2020 8:05:00 AM
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: RE: What does Fall look like?

Maria,

Will do. Our thespian officers met yesterday, as they will be organizing. As soon as we have the game plan, I'll let you know. ​

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-18-2020 00:03
From: Maria Stadtmueller
Subject: What does Fall look like?

@CritFisher

Crit,

can you give me some information about your Virtual Cabaret whenever you figure out how you are going to do. My Cabaret Auditions are usually ​In October so I'm interested in your thoughts.

Thanks,

Maria Stadtmueller
stadtFamily@juno.com

------------------------------
Maria Stadtmueller
Hillsborough NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

We are doing The Laramie Project this fall.  We will rehearse in person in small groups and film in small sections and then stream the performance on two evenings.  If we shut down before the show we will either put it on pause and hope to reopen or convert it to Zoom.  LP works well because the actors are almost always in small groups of 1-2 and they do not need to touch.  The interview-based style can easily convert to an all virtual production if necessary.  I really wanted to do a show that I would have chosen for a normal season--not one that was written for quarantine. We have not made any decisions on the musical.  We normally perform at the end of March but we will wait as long as possible in hopes that it can be done regularly at the end of the school year.  If not, we may be doing the cabaret as well.

------------------------------
Laura Russo
Teacher/Director of Theatre Arts
School District of The Chathams
Chatham NJ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

I'm planning to do a live-streamed show (no audience) with socially distanced blocking indoors in November. I'm ready to pivot it to Zoom if necessary. Right now my top two choices are The Greek Mythology Olympiganza and How to Survive Being in a Shakespeare Play, both by @Don Zolidis. My students (and probably our whole community) want something fun, and I think either of those will transfer to a digital medium pretty well.​

------------------------------
Cassy Maxton-Whitacre
Theatre Department Coordinator
Fishersville VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-18-2020 06:51
From: Laura Russo
Subject: What does Fall look like?

We are doing The Laramie Project this fall.  We will rehearse in person in small groups and film in small sections and then stream the performance on two evenings.  If we shut down before the show we will either put it on pause and hope to reopen or convert it to Zoom.  LP works well because the actors are almost always in small groups of 1-2 and they do not need to touch.  The interview-based style can easily convert to an all virtual production if necessary.  I really wanted to do a show that I would have chosen for a normal season--not one that was written for quarantine. We have not made any decisions on the musical.  We normally perform at the end of March but we will wait as long as possible in hopes that it can be done regularly at the end of the school year.  If not, we may be doing the cabaret as well.

------------------------------
Laura Russo
Teacher/Director of Theatre Arts
School District of The Chathams
Chatham NJ

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 8/18/2020 6:52:00 AM
From: Laura Russo
Subject: RE: What does Fall look like?

We are doing The Laramie Project this fall.  We will rehearse in person in small groups and film in small sections and then stream the performance on two evenings.  If we shut down before the show we will either put it on pause and hope to reopen or convert it to Zoom.  LP works well because the actors are almost always in small groups of 1-2 and they do not need to touch.  The interview-based style can easily convert to an all virtual production if necessary.  I really wanted to do a show that I would have chosen for a normal season--not one that was written for quarantine. We have not made any decisions on the musical.  We normally perform at the end of March but we will wait as long as possible in hopes that it can be done regularly at the end of the school year.  If not, we may be doing the cabaret as well.

------------------------------
Laura Russo
Teacher/Director of Theatre Arts
School District of The Chathams
Chatham NJ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

Hi Crit,
Great question to help provide a pool of info for all of us.  Much of what I've listed below is stuff I've STOLEN from others on this very website over the years.

For my One Act play and (hopefully!) Spring Musical, I'm looking to integrate video production along with limited numbers of live performers.  I'm using the new Broadway revival of "West Side Story" as a model of how to use film work along with live performance.  We'll see if I can make it work. One Act scripts under consideration: "Eurydice," "...Earnest" "A Doll's House," and "Our Town."

Other very rough ideas for what I'm planning for this year:

Drama I (Intro):
- Watch clips of movies, filmed Broadway shows, and some short documentaries from the American Theatre Wing.
- Read "Our Town" and others
- two-person scenes and monologues
- Limited Improv Comedy unit
- Theatre History
- Costumes and Set Design
- Poetry Theatre 
- Shakespeare (possibly Richard III)

Drama II (Scene Study):
- Read "Glass Menagerie," "12 Angry Jurors" "Fences" and others
- More complex scene work for small groups (including Radio Dramas)
- Survey of Acting Philosophies (Stanislavski et al.)
- Watch Plays and Musicals (as permitted by licensing)
- Lighting, Sound, and more advanced Tech Principles
- Shakespeare and Poetry Theatre

Drama III (Dramatic Writing/Advanced Acting)
- Compare/Contrast Stage vs. Camera acting techniques
- Basic filmmaking principles
- Reading "A Doll's House"and  possibly "Equus" 
- Scriptwriting and filming short films for a "Spring Film Festival"
- Shakespeare's Films

Drama IV (Advanced Production)
- One Act Play
- Radio Dramas for public Performance
- Musical Theatre
- Dramatic Writing (similar to Drama III)
- Monologues and Portfolios for College/Career Prep

------------------------------
Josh Ruben, M. Ed.
Fine Arts Head
Northwest Whitfield HS (dba, The Northwest Theatre Co.)
Tunnel Hill, GA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

Just a recommendation for anyone who might be working with The Glass Menagerie. The Kennedy Center website has excellent resources for this play in their
education website. Multiple production videos etc. Text is available on line as well.

------------------------------
Nell Lynch
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-18-2020 08:19
From: Josh Ruben
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Hi Crit,
Great question to help provide a pool of info for all of us.  Much of what I've listed below is stuff I've STOLEN from others on this very website over the years.

For my One Act play and (hopefully!) Spring Musical, I'm looking to integrate video production along with limited numbers of live performers.  I'm using the new Broadway revival of "West Side Story" as a model of how to use film work along with live performance.  We'll see if I can make it work. One Act scripts under consideration: "Eurydice," "...Earnest" "A Doll's House," and "Our Town."

Other very rough ideas for what I'm planning for this year:

Drama I (Intro):
- Watch clips of movies, filmed Broadway shows, and some short documentaries from the American Theatre Wing.
- Read "Our Town" and others
- two-person scenes and monologues
- Limited Improv Comedy unit
- Theatre History
- Costumes and Set Design
- Poetry Theatre
- Shakespeare (possibly Richard III)

Drama II (Scene Study):
- Read "Glass Menagerie," "12 Angry Jurors" "Fences" and others
- More complex scene work for small groups (including Radio Dramas)
- Survey of Acting Philosophies (Stanislavski et al.)
- Watch Plays and Musicals (as permitted by licensing)
- Lighting, Sound, and more advanced Tech Principles
- Shakespeare and Poetry Theatre

Drama III (Dramatic Writing/Advanced Acting)
- Compare/Contrast Stage vs. Camera acting techniques
- Basic filmmaking principles
- Reading "A Doll's House"and  possibly "Equus"
- Scriptwriting and filming short films for a "Spring Film Festival"
- Shakespeare's Films

Drama IV (Advanced Production)
- One Act Play
- Radio Dramas for public Performance
- Musical Theatre
- Dramatic Writing (similar to Drama III)
- Monologues and Portfolios for College/Career Prep

------------------------------
Josh Ruben, M. Ed.
Fine Arts Head
Northwest Whitfield HS (dba, The Northwest Theatre Co.)
Tunnel Hill, GA

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

Hello,
We are going back, but in small numbers at first and then gradually adding more students until we get back 100%.....if we ever do. We are going to be doing a radio play this fall with some workshops with people from NYC via zoom/google meets. Not the same as in person, but the students said they didn't care, they just want a chance to perform and so we are going to do just that. 

We may also work as a group in adapting something from public domain into a script and do some table reads. The spouse of one of our alums is a playwright and we were going to seek his assistance with the writing.

------------------------------
James Fry
Director of Student Life and the Malvern Theatre Society
Malvern, PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------

Thanks all for your input and sharing what your plans are for the Fall. We all can agree that our kids just want to perform. For many of us that was taken away from us in the Spring. Right now, the local health department is in the drivers seat. Based on the studies choral, musical theatre and band have a higher transmission potential due to the nature of their craft. Our band cannot practice indoors due to the 10-15 ft requirement for social distancing due to the droplets created. The choral program is up in the air and you already know about our fall musical. 

I appreciate all of you and your desire to give your students something to be able to do when it feels like all is pointed against us.

Be safe and stay safe

------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 08-17-2020 10:15
From: Crit Fisher
Subject: What does Fall look like?

Good morning colleagues, professionals and friends,

We have officially been told, not Fall productions for our school system due to COVID. We actually started back to school last week as well. We kinda felt it was coming so we put together some master classes twice a week after school to give the theatre students something to do, while also, helping them grow as performers and technicians.

We were able to partner with some professionals in NYC that are also going to be providing training via zoom. Not the same as in person, but the opportunity is the key.

Finally, we are going to do a virtual Cabaret, if allowed, for our parents second semester, if we make it that long.

Curious what your departments are going to do.


------------------------------
Crit Fisher
Lighting/Sound Designer
New Albany High School
2020 recipient "Outstanding High School Theatre Award"
------------------------------