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Steve Halper

Theatre Assistant

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RE: Thespian Officer Retreat

Posted By Steve Halper 05-15-2024 17:46
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I suggest you contact Linda Phillips at: linda.phillips@arizonathespians.com for more info. The AZ Thespians have been holding a leadership retreat/camp since 1989 in July. I was state Thespian director when it was first established. Hope this helps. Steve Halper

RE: Thespian Officer Retreat

Posted By Steve Halper 05-15-2024 15:38
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AZ Thespians has been holding a 3 day leadership camp/retreat since 1989 in July every year high up at Camp Shadow Pines (out of the heat!). For info I'd suggest contacting: linda.phillips@arizonathespians.com ------------------------------ Steve Halper Retired drama/theatre educator Salpointe Catholic ...

RE: Camp Thespis

Posted By Steve Halper 05-22-2023 15:02
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Not to brag, but AZ established the first Thespian leadership camp/retreat way back in '89, when I was state/chapter director, and for partly the reason I was inducted into the Hall of Fame in '04. However, now I'm "out of the loop," and so I suggest you contact Jenell Riordan, currant state/chapter ...

RE: 6 women scene/ play suggestion

Posted By Steve Halper 12-24-2022 14:57
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During my long career as a drama educator (I'm now retired) I directed both of these plays - Steel Magnolias, and A Piece of My Heart. And I must say they are two of the "best" for an all-female cast. However, they both require for high schoolers a VERY MATURE cast for a successful production. I could ...

RE: Make-up

Posted By Steve Halper 08-22-2022 21:17
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In past years NORCOSTCO has offered a 10% discount pretty much "across the board" except for kits once or twice each semester. I always have dealt with their H.Q. which I assume is in Minneapolis. Be sure you're on their email list. Hope this helps. ------------------------------ Steve Halper Theatre ...

RE: Makeup

Posted By Steve Halper 08-29-2021 02:32
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Ben Nye makeup kits are probably the most popular and widely used so they're available from numerous outlets. I'd suggest Norcostco in Minneapolis. I'd also suggest keeping a sample on hand so that the students can compare their complexion to the limited number of shades that are available in the kits. ...

RE: Steel Magnolias

Posted By Steve Halper 07-26-2021 01:51
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I directed "Steel Magnolias" a number of years ago, and it turned out to be one of my best productions.  Here's what I remember were MUSTS for its success:  Your ladies must develop mature characters in terms of outlook, goals, gestures, mannerisms. Your beauty shop must be authentic.  Hopefully you ...

RE: Addams Family Makeup

Posted By Steve Halper 02-09-2021 22:50
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We're not "glued' to Norcostco for our makeup either.  However, we've found they seem to have one of the best inventories for stage makeup.  Would you believe our production of THE ADDAMS FAMILY got cancelled less than a week before opening last March due to the pandemic.  We're got lots of gray foundation ...

RE: makeup advice

Posted By Steve Halper 01-11-2021 12:10
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We have ordered almost all our stage makeup for many years from Norcosco in Minneapolis - and I stress that city.  I've had the experience of ordering from one of their other locations only to slow things up because the order is then transferred to Minneapolis.   Hope this helps . . . Steve Halper ...

RE: Something like Godspell...

Posted By Steve Halper 11-16-2020 15:36
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I directed QUILTERS a number of years ago; and while it's a gorgeous show there's a few caveats I'd like to throw in. it is an entirely female cast. The music, while beautiful, goes into six part harmony at times. And then there's the quilts which are essential. Kind of reminds me of LITTLE SHOP . . ...

RE: Radio Plays, or other play ideas for next year?

Posted By Steve Halper 05-03-2020 23:56
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Alfred Hitchcock's THE 39 STEPS is a classic spy radio play that he produced when he still lived in England.  Great play for teaching the British dialect.  Two Brit friends of mine "watched" our students perform it and thought their accents were better than those at home.  We added music and sound effects ...

RE: makeup curriculum

Posted By Steve Halper 11-01-2018 02:11
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Almost surely the best stage makeup book ever printed was STAGE MAKEUP, by Richard Corson.  It's long out of print now, but 2nd hand copies are available thru Amazon.  And in going down thru their list it's the only book on the subject that gets all stars.  It's been my "bible" since waaay back in the ...

RE: Foam Set Pieces Help

Posted By Steve Halper 10-09-2018 14:01
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We discovered foam sheets a couple of years ago, and ended up using 55 of them for bricks in HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, and then this past year castle rocks for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.  I assume the fire marshal was up in arms over the odor that is produced when the stuff is heated rather than actually catching ...

RE: Makeup

Posted By Steve Halper 09-01-2018 14:10
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We have a small theatre (300 seats, 12 rows) with no pit so the audience is pretty close to the stage.  Over the 25 years of doing stage makeup in this space I've found that the Ben Nye Lite Series works best for the Caucasian actors, and the Mehron Olive Series works best for the Hispanic actors.  One ...

RE: Point system question

Posted By Steve Halper 08-21-2018 02:10
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As for "So many options," I certainly concur. I chartered my first Thespian troupe in 1974 (#2234, Benson High School, Benson, AZ). Since then I never considered awarding Thespian points for simply attending drama club/troupe meetings. However, since our AZ Thespian Festival is so early in the school ...

RE: Inactive seniors wanting graduation cords

Posted By Steve Halper 05-07-2018 22:05
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We have in our policy a rule that states that even though a senior may have earned Honor Thespian status (60+ points) s/he must earn a minimum of 10 points during their senior year.  This has prevented the occasional under class person who was very active during their freshman and sophomore years and ...

RE: Points awarded for regional theater

Posted By Steve Halper 04-12-2018 00:31
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We award Thespian points ONLY if a student brings in a program that lists exactly how and to what extent they participated in the production. Our rationale is that hours are hours, and points are points. What difference does it make in terms of the experiences that a student acquires be it high school, ...

RE: Cannot Wear Cords

Posted By Steve Halper 03-17-2018 14:41
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While I don't have this problem (thank, goodness!) I know there are court cases out there that have been won allowing honors to be displayed at graduation.  Not being a lawyer I don't know how to access them, but if you know someone in the legal profession I assume they could find them for you.  As to ...

RE: One-Act Play Competition

Posted By Steve Halper 01-26-2018 11:38
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Arizona's one act play competition is held during the AZ Thespian Festival the weekend before Thanksgiving.  This is the required competition for the Chapter Select program at the International Festival.  3 regional festivals are held during the latter part of Jan. and beginning of Feb.  But these one ...

RE: YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU Intermission

Posted By Steve Halper 01-10-2018 15:02
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I directed the play twice in my career, and only took one intermission.  Without the script in front of me I know it was somewhere around the middle of the 2nd act.  I'm very much opposed to two intermissions - especially for high school productions.  I realize "Noises Off" has to have two intermissions ...