Open Forum

Hello all! I am doing 39 Steps for my fall production. Our theatre is undergoing renovation, so our shows this year are being performed in our meeting space, which has some risers all the way around for seating and a center area that could be the stage, or used for more seats while we use one set of risers and some floor space for our stage. My question is this: we are rarely do musicals, so I do not have a lot of dancers (I anticipate7-9boys and 4-7 girls auditioning). I would like our first day of auditions to be the whole group and movement based. We did something similar a few years ago when we did Mary Zimmerman's the Odyssey. Our then choreographer (a former student) had them create set pieces, both specific and abstract. I do not have a choreographer this time, and I'd love some ideas about the kinds of things I can ask students to do to best gauge their creativity and willingness to play. Because we will have no set and few lights, the centerpiece of the production has to b the actors' performances. Thanks in advance for your always wonderful ideas!

Sent from my iPad

I'd try a variation on improv. Find some music that you think is appropriate to the needs of the play and give them a general plot of some nature. Play the music for the kids and then let them organize themselves into groups or, if they want, a single group. Have them create the story using only the movement of their bodies. This should help you see who is inclined to work as an ensemble, who listened to the directions, and show is willing to try something a little different. You'll be able to see how fluidly they actually move and, since they cannot use any form of vocalizations, will help you see who is capable of storytelling without relying on the lines. 

I always tell my kids to be aware of how different people in the audience are watching you. For example, dancers watch the feet and legs while the general audience watches from the waist up. It just gives them something to think about and helps remind them not to be talking heads. The entire body needs to be used since you never know who is watching what. :^)

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Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ

Original Message:
Sent: 09-01-2016 06:41
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: Non-dance movement auditions

Hello all! I am doing 39 Steps for my fall production. Our theatre is undergoing renovation, so our shows this year are being performed in our meeting space, which has some risers all the way around for seating and a center area that could be the stage, or used for more seats while we use one set of risers and some floor space for our stage. My question is this: we are rarely do musicals, so I do not have a lot of dancers (I anticipate7-9boys and 4-7 girls auditioning). I would like our first day of auditions to be the whole group and movement based. We did something similar a few years ago when we did Mary Zimmerman's the Odyssey. Our then choreographer (a former student) had them create set pieces, both specific and abstract. I do not have a choreographer this time, and I'd love some ideas about the kinds of things I can ask students to do to best gauge their creativity and willingness to play. Because we will have no set and few lights, the centerpiece of the production has to b the actors' performances. Thanks in advance for your always wonderful ideas!

Sent from my iPad

There's an exercise I first learned when I worked at Shakespeare & Company--I'm not sure whose it is, so sadly I can't give proper credit, but it's called "Here to There." 

Designate one part of your space "here" and another "there." If you can get 5 meters or more between the spots, so much the better. Then have the kids cross the space two or three at a time. It's nice to work in a progression, so at first the kids are just crossing "here to there." You can then slowly amp up the level of risk/creativity. Eventually, throw in some options, so kids have to make a quick choice. Pretty soon, you'll start to get a sense of levels of willingness, physical risks, imagination, playfulness, support for others, etc. 

While the kids don't have to cross the space alone, I have them line up in 2 or 3 lines and set up the exercise so that each kid is crossing the space in his/her own time without interacting with the others. It puts less pressure on kids than having them cross alone, but in pairs or threes, you can still watch them, and with a big enough crossing space, you can see each kid. Some kids do make choices to interact, but I don't like to over dictate how to approach the exercise. I likewise don't make parameters about sound or noise, but some kids will end up making sounds.

Here's an example of some prompts I pretty much always use. The rest I make up depending on what I'm looking for. I ramp up the risk level slower or quicker depending on how comfortable the group is.

Walk from here to there as if...

1. It's a normal day

2. You're very, very late.

3. You have a song in your heart and the wind in your hair.

4. You are the king or queen of all you survey.

5. You are the lowliest of the low.

6. You have ants in your pants.

7. you are either a squirrel, a bear, or a lemur

8. You are a werewolf, a vampire, or Frankenstein's monster Adam.

etc.

39 Steps is great--have fun with it!

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Meg O'Connor
teaching artist
Vermont, USA
oconnormainstage.com

Original Message:
Sent: 09-01-2016 11:10
From: Shira Schwartz
Subject: Non-dance movement auditions

I'd try a variation on improv. Find some music that you think is appropriate to the needs of the play and give them a general plot of some nature. Play the music for the kids and then let them organize themselves into groups or, if they want, a single group. Have them create the story using only the movement of their bodies. This should help you see who is inclined to work as an ensemble, who listened to the directions, and show is willing to try something a little different. You'll be able to see how fluidly they actually move and, since they cannot use any form of vocalizations, will help you see who is capable of storytelling without relying on the lines. 

I always tell my kids to be aware of how different people in the audience are watching you. For example, dancers watch the feet and legs while the general audience watches from the waist up. It just gives them something to think about and helps remind them not to be talking heads. The entire body needs to be used since you never know who is watching what. :^)

------------------------------
Shira Schwartz
Chandler Unified School District
Chandler AZ

Original Message:
Sent: 09-01-2016 06:41
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: Non-dance movement auditions

Hello all! I am doing 39 Steps for my fall production. Our theatre is undergoing renovation, so our shows this year are being performed in our meeting space, which has some risers all the way around for seating and a center area that could be the stage, or used for more seats while we use one set of risers and some floor space for our stage. My question is this: we are rarely do musicals, so I do not have a lot of dancers (I anticipate7-9boys and 4-7 girls auditioning). I would like our first day of auditions to be the whole group and movement based. We did something similar a few years ago when we did Mary Zimmerman's the Odyssey. Our then choreographer (a former student) had them create set pieces, both specific and abstract. I do not have a choreographer this time, and I'd love some ideas about the kinds of things I can ask students to do to best gauge their creativity and willingness to play. Because we will have no set and few lights, the centerpiece of the production has to b the actors' performances. Thanks in advance for your always wonderful ideas!

Sent from my iPad