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Robert Smith

Retired,
Virginia Thespians

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Retired,
Virginia Thespians
Bronze Member

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1 to 20 of 50+ total

RE: Sword use in The Lightning Thief

Posted By Robert Smith 02-02-2024 12:28
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Hi Wendy, I am a SAFD trained actor / combatant and I have taught stage combat and choreographed fights for more than 30 years. It sounds like you've done everything correctly and I agree with your fight choreographer about the extra "safety" equipment. A few points for you to consider in talking ...

RE: Sword use in The Lightning Thief

Posted By Robert Smith 02-02-2024 10:50
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Hi Wendy, I replied to this but I don't see my reply coming up. It may have gone to you directly. If It didn't, please let me know as I do have information that directly applies to your issues. Regards, Bob ------------------------------ Robert Smith VA Co-Chapter Director Virginia Thespians ...

Wednesday Wisdon - Don't Break!

Posted By Robert Smith 09-27-2023 01:01
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Don’t break! How often have you said that to your students? I know it was said often during my high school days and I certainly said it to my students a lot. The problem for young actors is how to learn not to break. It’s something that can only be accomplished by doing (or not doing) it. When I ...

Wednesday Wisdom - Rotate Your Leads

Posted By Robert Smith 06-14-2023 12:47
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I started in theatre as a high school lighting technician. As a tech, I never auditioned, but I had a closeup view of the process since I prepared the space and watched everything. At my high school, there were auditions for every show, but the same people were always cast as leads. Don’t get me wrong. ...

RE: swords

Posted By Robert Smith 01-11-2023 09:51
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Hi Marta, I echo Weapons of Choice Theatrical. https://weaponsofchoice.com/weapons/ I have rented from them and purchased swords from them for literally decades. Good, high quality equipment for any need. They're also easy to work with. I would avoid the fencing clubs. They will not have the right ...

RE: Help w/Casting High School Musical Jr.

Posted By Robert Smith 12-14-2022 09:46
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I will echo both the "go with your gut" and the "look for the best overall casting" advice. I would add one thing further. We're doing Educational Theatre. I always told my students that education was the joker in the deck. Sometimes I made casting choices based on what would be the best overall educational ...

RE: Gunshots in a play

Posted By Robert Smith 11-29-2022 16:00
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Hi George, I would tag onto this that directors should contact their local members of the Society of American Fight Directors. My son and I took the stage firearms course offered by SAFD about a decade ago (My son wanted to take the course and I wasn't going to let him have all the fun.) My son has ...

RE: Wednesday's Wisdom from EdTA Emeritus Member

Posted By Robert Smith 11-17-2022 09:22
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Hi Stewart, I can't say Amen enough times to this. I ran my program on much the same model. I was there to teach the basics and give the students a launching point for their own ideas and creative talent. My approach to running productions had the students taking responsibility for all aspects of the ...

RE: Dialect in The Crucible

Posted By Robert Smith 11-08-2022 09:19
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Can't find my original pdf version, but here's a site that has the transcripts. https://salem.lib.virginia.edu/category/swp.html ------------------------------ Robert Smith VA Co-Chapter Director Virginia Thespians VA ------------------------------

RE: Dialect in The Crucible

Posted By Robert Smith 11-08-2022 09:08
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Many years ago, I found the original transcripts from the Salem trials. It was immediately clear to me that Arthur Miller had found them also because the style of the speech in the play was a direct echo of the style of speech in the transcripts. If you can find them (I can look through my files to see ...

RE: Noises Off

Posted By Robert Smith 06-10-2022 10:04
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I directed Noises Off a number of years ago. It is one of my all time favorites and I echo everything that has been said about it. I worked on an enormous stage with really large wings. I built a set that was 36 feet long, 16 feet wide, two stories, and had 96 castors. We did the entire set as a wagon. ...

RE: Troupe Student Board Guideline Question

Posted By Robert Smith 04-21-2022 09:28
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I tinkered with my officer structure over the years and ended up adding a couple of positions that worked well in our school's system. Ours was a straight election with nominations from the floor and then a balloting process. We too ended up with the popularity contest giving us a poor slate of officers ...

RE: Paint Persuasion

Posted By Robert Smith 04-14-2022 09:14
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I don't know if it would help, but do you know what your outside users might want? When I took over my school, we had the bright, gym floor stage surface (and reflective silver teasers and wings!) The curtains were replaced about a year after I arrived and I managed to talk them into Blacks. Whew! Then ...

RE: When they're supposed to be off book but are NOT

Posted By Robert Smith 02-28-2022 12:00
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Great suggestions from lots of folks. One I didn't see is my "Oops Rehearsal." I only hauled that one out when it got really bad. In an Oops Rehearsal, you start the scene and run until the first line flub. Then you go back to the beginning of the scene and start again - running until you encounter ...

RE: Repeating a Past Show-How Soon is Too Soon?

Posted By Robert Smith 11-15-2021 10:53
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I've directed several shows more than once. The rule I followed was that I wouldn't direct one that I had directed in the past 10 years, or any the school had done in the past 5 years. My reasoning was that after a decade, my head would be in a different space and I wouldn't just be doing a retread and ...

RE: New Performing Space-need input!

Posted By Robert Smith 11-08-2021 10:08
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Hi Elaine, Congratulations on getting the new space. My suggestions may be hard to get, but you should try for them anyway. You want a stage surface which is black and can be attached to. It will make set building and productions much easier. Most folks building these spaces want the really shiny ...

RE: Calypso song in Joseph

Posted By Robert Smith 09-30-2021 09:17
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Hi Ann, As I recall, half of my "sons" were female. Nobody turned a hair at that either. ------------------------------ Robert Smith VA Co-Chapter Director Virginia Thespians Centreville VA ------------------------------

RE: Calypso song in Joseph

Posted By Robert Smith 09-28-2021 10:22
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I find myself in agreement with John on this one. I've directed Joseph and it was an enormous amount of fun. Part of that fun is playing with all of the different musical styles. True, the performers aren't Caribbean citizens, and they aren't necessarily black, but neither are they cowboys, French, or ...

RE: How much of your theater program is funded through your school districts?

Posted By Robert Smith 01-11-2021 10:06
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Hi Suzanne, I'm retired, but during my tenure as a Theatre Director there was very little school system support for the program. 1. My salary as a Theatre Teacher. 2. Stipend for being a Theatre Director - This stipend was the same as the Football Head Coach, though he had only the Fall Season ...

RE: Makeup in Stock and Covid - Now What?

Posted By Robert Smith 12-17-2020 09:58
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Timely article in the Washington Post :-) https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/makeup-clean-bacteria-brushes-covid/2020/12/17/1a23d406-3e30-11eb-8db8-395dedaaa036_story.html ------------------------------ Robert Smith VA Co-Chapter Director Virginia Thespians --------- ...