LESSON PLAN: NOTES FROM THE 2011 BROADWAY TEACHERS WORKSHOP, JULY 11 - 13

Full Lesson Plan

Broadway Teacher's Workshop - July 11-13 2011

Erin Ortman - Drama Instructor, NYU - Q&A Middle School Session

REPERTOIRE

•  
• - School House Rock - good for a lot of kids but no storyline, and therefore no character work

• - Alice in Wonderland - 23 songs
• - Getting to Know Series - R & H version of Jr. Shows or Box Shows
• - 'gymnatorium' - useful term with downside - but still better than 'hide-a-stage'
• - Into the Woods Jr.  cuts out Act II
• - Seussical
• - John Jacobson with Hal Leonard writes short musicals on themes, i.e bullying like Judy's They Don't Make Rubber Chickens Like They Used To
• - check into J.W. Pepper catalogue and Pioneer Catalogue and www.playscripts.comhttp://www.theatreteachers.com/sites/all/modules/contrib/extlink/extlink...); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px;"> 
• - Wizard of Oz done creatively, with monkeys on roller blades
• - Les Mis & Willie Wonka both exist in Jr. versions.
• - Bugsy Malone
• - Mulan can be done like a Chinese opera

STAGING SOLUTIONS

• - to create levels, try using band risers
• - sound controlled better with acoustic tiles
• - periactoids (triangular prisms) on castors or pivot point in centre) for changeable sets
• - rehearse switching mikes and kids switching themselves, helping each other
• - colour code the mikes
• - speak to Cinequip White (or local lighting and sound company) re: buying old stock they are rotating off anyway
• - library at the LIncoln Centre has a viewing room but you have to call in advance

Amy's Session - High School Group

• - check out Ugly Duckling - new
• - for marketing try using Facebook page and post videos of scenes on social media, i.e. use what the kids are using anyway
• - raffle tickets

Prop Design - Jennie Marino 

• - periactoids and pyramids for staging sets
• - for making props, use latex paints
• - gold leaf can be put over like papier maché 
• - to age use amber shellac
• - weapons can be made from rubber with a glossy podge
• - clubs - inside top fill with sponge soaked in red i.e. blood - when you strike someone, blood spills out and leaves some on victim - poster paint?
• - raindrops on umbrellas - Borax on umbrella to get rid of silicon repellant, then use resin and hardener in droplets, lights will make the effect
• - mirrors - reflective paint, a latex patented specifically for this purpose
• - cigarette tops, use red glitter glue

• - 'Great Stuff' can be moulded, carved into sculptures etc.
• - Styrofoam is also good for sculptures
• - beaded styrofoam hardest to work with - shape with hot knife
• - find taxidermist for some supplies, can give outlines (patterns?) of animals
• - someone also suggested pool noodles for making props, cheaply

Josh Prince - Choreography - Shrek et al.

• - dance is 'behaviour magnified' - i.e. exaggerated walk and gait
• - all movement must have intention - reason why, include in character work, like the woman trying to scurry surreptitiously to the bathroom
• - choreographer must give emotional intention for every move
• - all dance can be reduced to 17 basic steps (foot work - having mostly to do with weight shifts)

Suggestions

• - not all dance has to be facing front, try facing central character, or singer
• - use lyrics to add arms and character of piece

• - styles of dance are the expression, i.e. ballet, hip hop, jazz - Josh demonstrated same set of steps in different styles
• - old musicals - harder to get kids to 'buy' it - challenge is to bring it into the 'now' - one way is by dance style

Combat - Michael Rossmy

• - bear claw punch - curl fingers down, thumb up beside, not over
• - partners facing each other, arms on each other's shoulders, making eye contract
• - inside arm person (A) controls
• - clear arm keeping contact with other arm
• - step left, toward partner, 90º and bear claw hand to belly button of partner (B)
• - B has activated stomach muscles to receive "punch"
• - A bear claw to back after B doubles over in reaction (imitation of kidney punch)
• - B has activated back muscles by flattening back
• - or double hands together and use base of forearms flat across back
• - A has B in head lock, back to audience, bear claw out and then in to own stomach
• - Slap - victim claps hands, audience misdirected
• - after clap, victim puts one hand down toward floor, other hand to 'where it hurts'
• - victim must 'sell it'
• - 'knap' is the sound of the punch
• - maintain arms length, and always maintain contact

Path to Broadway with John T. Egan, Kate Baldwin & John Bolton

• - Rochester, birthplace of "Jello" (funny trivia)

• - 'swing' understudy for a couple of actors/roles, stays in theatre
• - audition song choice a reflection of you
• - recommended book, Shurtlef (sp?) "Auditions" good book for technique, delving into development of relationship, moment before, mystery etc. 

Amy's Session - Puppetry - John Tartaglia and "Rod"from Avenue Q

• - create more with puppet than with body
• - try to do unpredictable, e.g. using unexpected voice for boy stereotype
• - try looking at musical/play and seeing which characters could be made into puppets. 
• - can have more than one controller
• - subtitle puppet (?)
• - think of character, eye contact with puppet and other actors, lip sync using syllables

Amy's Session - Viewpoints Directing Technique - Birgitta Victorson

1. - Gridline for movement
2. - Kinetic movement - reaction or instinctive
3. - Levels
4. - Shape
5. - Gesture

• - be aware of surroundings without looking directly at them
• - have a viewpoint
• - be aware of space, close and far, balanced space,
• - timing individual and group tempos
• - time/space relationship
• - make connection with sets and props, using them, not just decorating stage with them

Vocal Interpretation with Kimberly Grigsby - Music Director for Spiderman

• - teaches music to cast and orchestra
• - classical training an asset (yeah!)
• - after intonation/parts, emphasizes colours and cut-offs (her 'choral' focus - like Elmer Iseler?)
• - Spiderman a show that places more value on physicality than singing, so challenging musically
• - fortunately only one chorus, at Uncle Ben's funeral And You Will Rise
• - And you will rise above; open your eyes above
• - on the & of two, syncopated over the bar
• - Arachne sings I will watch over you

Dance Class - Matt Wall - Asst. Dance Captain for How to Succeed in Business

Suggestions

• - dance should build toward a climax
• - try learning steps talking through lyrics rather than by counting

Getting In: College Theatre Programs and Audition Skills for your Students - with Mary Anna Dennard

• - what to wear - boys dark dress pants and solid colour dress shirt
• - absolutely no jeans
• - girls - dress solid colour, no slacks, no prints
• - closed black pumps or ballet flats, dance shoes good, but not character shoes
• - no bare legs, must wear panty hose
• - no chewing gum
• - lead with your best of monologue or song
• - create focus on what you do best
• - auditions equal 80% of admissions, not grades
• - sing, dance and act - if you need to study dance, best bet is ballet, most necessary dance
• - two contrasting songs
• - make up a book of chosen repertoire complete with a resume, a head shot
• - good to have resume on back of head shot
• - when doing monologue, focus on back wall as if there is a person back there you are talking to
• - auditions must be from published plays, may not be original
• - Julie Andrews quote, "A professional practices until she can't get it wrong."

New Production Ideas with MTI Team

• - Avenue Q now for schools, replaces "The Internet is Really Great for Porn" with "My Social Life is Now Online"
• - Junior versions are 60 minute Broadway versions with keys more appropriate for kids
• - Kids versions are 30 minutes
• - TYA Collection - Theatre for Young Audiences - for adults to perform for kids
• - Junior versions - package $595.00 but you can do as many performances as you like
• - Restrictions - tours get to hold the market, then professional productions
• - Amateur productions cannot create restrictions
• - Generally 100 mile radius, 6 months before and 3 months after
• - MTI cannot give rights to videotape show, these are not copyrights, they are mechanical rights
• - songs performed individually are licensed as 'small rights' under SOCAN (or American equivalent ASCAP?)
• - ASCAP license is for up to 3 songs in a non-dramatic setting, concert style, no dialogue, no sets, no costumes
• - you can do up to 30 seconds of a song in order to advertise production - 3 songs = 90 seconds max
• - if parent video-tapes and posts to Youtube, the person who signed the initial contract is ultimately responsible
• - according to copyright law, anyone involved in a production can be held liable
• - up to $10 000 fine or a year in prison - has only actually happened once
• - transpositions on demand $125.00 for piano and ouches per song $75.00 for orchestra alone

Computer Resources Available

1. 1.  www.showtix4u.com http://www.theatreteachers.com/sites/all/modules/contrib/extlink/extlink...); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px;"> 

• - MTI gets $0.50 per ticket plus $0.30 admin fee
• - payments can be made by VISA, Mastercard etc.
• - then they send us a cheque less their fees
• - we can do box office with them too, require computer, internet and cheap printer
• - can use website just for advance seat sales, reserved or general admission or combination
• - merchandising of T-shirts as well, but their t-shirts
• - bottom 1/3 of ticket is ad space, could be sold to a company
• - no set up fee - and if you sell no tickets, they get nothing
• - you get an email each time sone buys a ticket
• - no exchanges or refunds

1. 2.  www.stagemanagement.comhttp://www.theatreteachers.com/sites/all/modules/contrib/extlink/extlink...); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px;"> 

• - schedule and communicate with your cast
• - cast inputs all own data and program collects all info
• - who - artists, roles and groups
• - what - show 'bible'
• - where & when - handles all scheduling e.g. you want to do Act I, Sc. i, creates a unique schedule for each cast member, calling each when they alone are needed
• - sends daily schedule, will email and text message reminders, including parents
• - cost of using this system for one show $225.00 for 8 weeks
• - $25. for each additional two weeks
• - $500.00 per year
• - also emails director's notes to each actor

3.  RehearScore

• - does not exist yet for Jr. versions
• - must be loaded into hard drive
• - $300.00 per show
• - $350.00/wk for orchestra with a 4 week minimum
• - will play missing parts of orchestra or difficult sections of parts

4.  www.mtishowspace.com http://www.theatreteachers.com/sites/all/modules/contrib/extlink/extlink...); background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; margin: 0px;"> 

• - free forum section, questions
• - Junior show support
• - also has ticket offers for shows
• - MTI musical finder filters by date and location (could find productions of musicals we want to see, i.e. Urinetown & Assassins)
• - also has a teacher advisory panel

Panel Discussion with Jonathan Marc Sherman and Stephen Sondheim

• - book recommendation Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim
• - influential music teachers were Oscar Hammerstein II, Milton Babbit and Professor Barrow at Williams College
• - music was an elective
• - originally went to college to study math and English
• - Williams known for producing good museum curators
• - studied with Milton Babbit in NYC
• - Degas The Watering Can question - Why is that watering can there? for discussion on composition techniques in visual art, i.e. balances picture, shape reflects pose - of one dancer's leg etc…
• - limitations necessary for creating art i.e. 'write a song' is too broad
• - 'write a song about a lady in a red dress who has had one drink too many,' much easier
• - check out movie called The Arbour
• - Assassins considered by SS to be most perfect musical but Forum is his 'desert island' piece
• - favourite song is 'Someone in a Tree'
• - in show, author gets to approve casting
• - check out CD Sondheim Sings and Pacific Overture
• - invented a murder mystery game (like Eric's Hallowe'en game, Gorgon)
• - first time played with Anthony Perkins and Peter Shaffer a year after Psycho
• - got job for West Side via luck
• - was at an opening night party and bumped into Arthur Laurents(?)
• - was asked by Arthur if would be interested in doing the lyrics if the originally chosen lyricists couldn't get out of their Hollywood studio contracts
• - Knocking on Doors is an autobiographical song
• - "steals from many" joke line, but speaking of harmonic language, not melodic lines
• - listens to Ravel, Stravinsky and Harold Arlen
• - music and lyrics come together, not one at a time
• - tessitura 30's to 50's usually about one octave
• - 60's begins an octave plus a 5th or a 6th
• - sometimes more difficult to cast when wider range required e.g. "Worst Pies in London" with Angela Landsbury, required condensing tessitura, actually a better song now
• - A Little Night Music requires pretty girl with high and low register, difficult to cast
• - favourite Hammerstein show is Carousel