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Marla Blasko

Theatre Arts Director,
Long Reach High School

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Theatre Arts Director,
Long Reach High School
Silver Member

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1 to 20 of 50+ total

RE: Play for teaching empathy/dangers and consequences of our words

Posted By Marla Blasko 04-14-2024 17:18
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I don't think that this is the play you are looking for but The Children's Hour has similar themes of words and consequences. I've also directed Gossip, but The Children's Hour by Lillian Hellman moved me more - the ending is heart breaking. I think it is loosely based on a true story: https://www.d ...

RE: Laramie Project Fence?

Posted By Marla Blasko 02-12-2024 07:27
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I love the idea of the cast creating the fence! I did not do that but we did have a fence that was up center for the entire show. I can't find any still pictures of it but here is a link to the video for the trailer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sfcTjdptLFa7mnXvcXCoKjnpedNlmmKb/view?usp=sharing ...

RE: Small er cast Musical for high school With soundtrack

Posted By Marla Blasko 09-16-2023 09:44
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13 the musical has a cast of - you guessed it 13! You can also expand it. Love this show and it has accompaniment tracks provided by MTI - Here's the link: https://www.mtishows.com/13 ------------------------------ Marla Blasko Director/Teacher Theatre Arts Long Reach High School Columbia, Maryland ...

RE: Murder Mystery

Posted By Marla Blasko 09-05-2023 07:40
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My favorites that I have directed with students include: And Then There Were None (Agatha Christie) and Night Watch (Lucille Fletcher). Both are box sets so relatively easy. I completely double cast Night Watch and you could do the same with And Then There Were None. If you need a larger cast and are ...

RE: Help me Pick My MS Musical - I'm Stuck

Posted By Marla Blasko 07-14-2023 10:13
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Some to consider and perhaps put on you summer reading list: High School Musical High School Musical 2 13 the musical (the stage show is bettter than the Netflix version) Emma! a Pop Musical Bye Bye Birdie (personally dislike this musical but it fits some of your criteria) Pajama Game ...

RE: Talent Show Fundraiser

Posted By Marla Blasko 07-08-2023 11:30
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We do two types of talent shows at my school. Fall: Coffee House fundraiser for student trips. ITS students donate snacks, paper goods, and tea. The department orders coffee from Panera. The talent and acts are selected by audition (basically to screen for content and also if there are too many to ...

Camp Thespis

Posted By Marla Blasko 05-21-2023 15:10
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Hi everyone, The Maryland Chapter wants to provide a leadership "camp" for our state thespian leaders next fall. Does anyone else do this? If yes, can you share any materials that you use to run a camp or leadership conference or something like that. Thanks so much! Marla Blasko Maryland Thespians, ...

RE: What Plays Do You Read in Class?

Posted By Marla Blasko 02-03-2023 08:53
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My Theatre 1 class reads one-act plays: Aesop's Oh So Slightly updated Fables (K. Esop Wylie), paired with Medieval Theatre , Check Please (J. Rand) for Character and duet scene work , and The Long View (A. Haehnel), final exam monologue and audition work . My upper levels read, The Odd Couple (N. Simon), ...

RE: spring shows

Posted By Marla Blasko 01-29-2023 07:24
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We just finished Chicago and are headed into Frozen both shows with two strong female leads but very different messages and characters - lol! Our fall show was Rumors.. My students seem to be enjoying our season and the houses so far have been a respectable size. ------------------------------ Marla ...

RE: Theatre History

Posted By Marla Blasko 11-20-2022 11:44
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Hi Joshua, I love teaching Theatre History and yet you mention "history" and students go to sleep or check out, ha, ha. I am so glad that you want to make it come alive and be fun! My school district uses Canvas as its online Learning Management System and there are a lot of good units there. I can ...

RE: Disney's The Lion King Jr question

Posted By Marla Blasko 09-16-2022 07:55
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Hi Ken, We just produced LKJ last spring and this is how I interpreted that scene. Who ever is king holds the "scepter" a painted bamboo stick with a small mask of the lion. When Mufasa dies at the end of the stampede, he lies next to the scepter until Scar claims it and declares himself the new king. ...

RE: Disney's The Lion King Jr question

Posted By Marla Blasko 09-16-2022 07:54
Found In Library: Open Forum

closet racks?

Posted By Marla Blasko 08-20-2022 10:54
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HELP! I am working on a storage solution for my classroom/dressing room. I would like a freestanding coat closet to hang costumes with a shelf above it to stack boxes of costume accessories. It can't be too wide (only have about 56" to work with) or too deep. I have found stuff online but it is hard ...

RE: Needed: great Greek play translations

Posted By Marla Blasko 08-20-2022 10:16
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My students loved: Jason and Medea by Barbara Lindsey - it was published in the EdTA Dramatics magazine March 2015. My class got into a big debate over Medea's choices - it was heated! Don't know who publishes - but maybe someone from EdTA does. (BTW EdTA - miss getting hard copies of the Dramatics magazine ...

RE: Day off before opening night?

Posted By Marla Blasko 06-24-2022 07:42
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Hi Kristin, The cons - you loose rehearsal time and sometimes you need it especially in these times when cast members get sick. You said that you are doing a non-musical and I don't know if it is a tech heavy or if the show requires special effects so that might be a concern as well. You may need that ...

RE: Legally Blonde Diffculty

Posted By Marla Blasko 05-29-2022 08:51
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While I am not a music director, I think that Legally Blonde music is on a par with Hairspray. I have directed both, but not Mama Mia. There are parts for the voices in LB especially for the Greek chorus. There are a ton of solos. The challenging thing in LB is that songs that go on and on with transitions ...

Got a play suggestion?

Posted By Marla Blasko 05-29-2022 08:10
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For the first time ever, I am stumped for a fall play. It is an extreme building year. Thanks to the pandemic, they don't have the experience and emotional maturity to do something really challenging like the past (We have produced Laramie Project, Women of Lockerbie, Almost, Maine, etc.) We just read ...

RE: Looking for short scenes for small groups

Posted By Marla Blasko 04-18-2022 08:47
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Hi Savannah, Not sure if these are what you would consider strong duet scenes - but I think they are funny: Check Please - Rand Hard Candy - Rand Almost, Maine - Cariani The Odd Couple - Simon Midsummer Night's Dream - the fight scenes between the young lovers For both comedic and dramatic try this ...

RE: No performance space

Posted By Marla Blasko 04-09-2022 17:32
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Hi Amy, I like all of the ideas presented here. I saw a school production of West Side Story in the gym and there are other similar shows that include a gym setting - Grease, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Footloose - are a few that come to mind. I saw a Twelve Angry Men/Jurors that was done ...

RE: Posting cast list.

Posted By Marla Blasko 01-07-2022 09:46
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I like all of the suggestions here and admire those who make individual phone calls.  I don't make calls, but I do have everyone auditioning join a private on-line group like BAND.  That is where I privately announce the cast list.  I attach a cast list so that they have to read the post (hopefully) ...