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James Stone

Teacher/Director,
Jamestown High School

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Teacher/Director,
Jamestown High School
Silver Member

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1 to 20 of 39 total

Summer Investment in You! Spend the Summer in Virginia!

Posted By James Stone 01-22-2024 07:00
Found In Egroup: Open Forum \ view thread
Hello Theatre folk! Last summer I started an MFA in Playwriting at Hollins University in Roanoke. I loved my summer at Hollins and I have been looking forward to going back since I pulled out of campus last July. The program is intense and takes place over 6 weeks during the summer for 3, 4, or 5 summers. ...

RE: Theatre Department or Performing Arts Department?

Posted By James Stone 05-21-2023 10:24
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Hi Julie, I have the same conflict every time I make the poster. Although, admittedly, mine is an internal one as no one has ever asked or made a comment. I have started to just say "Name of High School Presents" rather than attributing the work to theatre or the arts department. My way of thinking ...

RE: Should I Teach this Play?

Posted By James Stone 07-24-2022 17:47
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Emily, Thanks so much for your words here. I really appreciate what you have written. For probably 15 years, I have this phrase posted front and center, " Everyone is a student. Everyone is a teacher." I have many people who immediately get it, but I have been questioned by fellow teachers, ...

Thank You & Happy 2022!

Posted By James Stone 12-17-2021 13:23
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I am sitting in my classroom packing up for the winter break, and I just wanted to hop on and thank everyone for all of your posts and messages. I don't reply as often as I should, but I learn a lot from this forum.  I check my digest of messages as I am having a cup of coffee in the morning and then ...

RE: Posting cast list.

Posted By James Stone 12-17-2021 12:16
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Hey Erika, I wish I had some wise words, but here are somethings I do: 1) I tell everyone auditioning that if they can't take a "No" then they are not prepared to audition. I sort of frontload the possible disappointment by telling them to come in an be proud of what they do, and not to let my ...

RE: Newsies Newspaper Stacks

Posted By James Stone 12-16-2021 21:35
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Try recycling some pizza boxes, paint, add some artistic touches, some newspapers on the top and bottoms, and your twine. The stacks will be light, look bulky, and let you have some pizza parties along the way!! Enjoy Newsies!! ------------------------------ J. Harvey Stone Teacher/Director ...

RE: If you have directed Peter and the StarCatcher....

Posted By James Stone 10-29-2021 14:41
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Totally doable!!! We had an 8 week rehearsal period with one of those weeks being Thanksgiving and performing the week after.  I will say our show relied heavily on the words and the acting not the tech, so our tech rehearsals were minimal and integrated into our Act I and Act II run throughs. ...

RE: "Trap" as video -- this Saturday night June 13

Posted By James Stone 06-16-2020 14:37
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Cora, I really loved the show Saturday and what you and your students were able to do. The music, the audience address, and the pacing all had me asking "what's next?" throughout the evening. Thanks for sharing. Stephen, I am adding Trap to my list because of Cora and her students!! -------- ...

RE: MTEA Webinar

Posted By James Stone 06-12-2020 23:44
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Mark thanks for sharing! This was great!!!!! ------------------------------ J. Harvey Stone Teacher/Director Jamestown High School Theatre Williamsburg, VA james.stone@wjccschools.org ------------------------------

RE: Using Zoom

Posted By James Stone 05-31-2020 16:17
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Hi Jean, We have been rehearsing and meeting on Zoom and here are my observations, feel free to use as you see fit. 1. I have a sense of urgency in the ZOOM rehearsal space that I don't feel in the face to face rehearsal space. I am very aware of the time and how quickly it is passing by. When ...

Sharing Our Original One Act Plays June 1-3

Posted By James Stone 05-25-2020 23:34
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Hello  School Theatre Folk, For the past three years, my high school theatre students have "trusted the process" and created original new works each fall. I cast an ensemble of actors before we go home for the summer and then over the summer I write scripts for them. We come back in the fall, read ...

Sharing Our Original One Act Plays June 1-3

Posted By James Stone 05-25-2020 23:33
Found In Library: Open Forum

College Auditions Course For Students & Parents

Posted By James Stone 05-14-2020 23:56
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Hi all, I have been using my afternoons and evenings to create an online class for students and parents about the college performing arts audition experience. I used Udemy an online learning platform. The platform itself is pretty cool and user friendly for sharing different video lessons which the ...

RE: Performance-based classes for next year

Posted By James Stone 05-13-2020 00:05
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Hi Micki, I don't have the same class structure, but I am having similar questions. My immediate response to you is don't cancel the class. I am sure plenty of organizations are going to come up with lots of virtual ways to compete in a wide variety of things, including speech. I have been pretty ...

Met Opera offering free streaming

Posted By James Stone 03-15-2020 14:29
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Hello all, The Met has suspended  its performances, but according to the link below they will be streaming a different opera every night for the duration of their closure.   The operas will start with Carmen on Monday evening and they have the first week's schedule up. The website also indicates ...

Hard Work Is Its Own Reward

Posted By James Stone 03-09-2020 10:53
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Hi all, I have noticed in a couple of threads the notion that "this show is an audition for the next show." While I 100% understand this idea, I wanted to put forward a different perspective and explain why I don't use that mantra in the rehearsal process. I want my students and crew to work hard ...

RE: Casting females in Newsies

Posted By James Stone 12-10-2019 09:43
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We did Newsies last year and had plenty of female Newsies, some dressed as boys some as girl Newsies. The real history of the "newsboys" strike supports the idea that there were just as many news girls as news boys. We had all of our Brooklyn Newsies be girls as girls, it was a good feminist moment...the ...

RE: Activities for teaching Blocking

Posted By James Stone 10-24-2019 12:34
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Love this idea!! ------------------------------ J. Harvey Stone Teacher/Director Williamsburg VA ------------------------------

RE: Musical

Posted By James Stone 10-24-2019 12:30
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I am dying to do Bright Star(TRW), but my band director is hesitant because of the muscians. However, I think there are so many options here. You could do it on a shoestring budget or you could spend a ton! I think the ensemble could be flexible, very well used, and I imagine them being onstage as " ...

RE: Balancing Production rehearsals with other extra curricular activities like sports

Posted By James Stone 10-24-2019 12:24
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I feel your pain and I have a few rules that help me the most.  1) I create my rehearsal calendar around the other commitments of the leading actors. For instance, if I were doing Sister Act, Delores' schedule would be the framework of mine. If she has voice lessons on Thursdays at 4, and tutoring ...