Double Bravo!

I had the privilege to see Diana and Anita's shows this weekend. They both did incredible jobs. Lisa Deselm and I got to see Diana as a delightful maiden in The Pirates of Penzance at Bethel (one of my favorite shows!)and I can imagine her cheeks and calves are recovering from all the girly smiling and tiptoeing dance moves she had to do! Since she was one of only two people I knew in the show I often watched her during scenes when she wasn't the center of attention, and her reactions and characterization choices were amazing! Way to go, Diana!



Dalene and I took a road trip to Nappannee to witness Anita's riveting performance as Bella in "Lost in Yonkers" by Neil Simon and reminded me why I love his plays so much. The perfect combination of comedy and drama. Anita's character had a wide range of emotions and changes to experience throughout the show , but she remained incredibly consistent and believable.

SAD NEWS: Unfortunately, Anita shared with us after the show that she'll be moving to Canada at the beginning of May to do some theatre work there. We will miss her so much, but I feel incredibly privileged to have had her on the team for the time we did. Thanks, Anita for all you contributed to the meetings and especially that unforgettable valley girl that still has people talking! We will miss you! You rock!

Did you miss the meeting?

We had a short and sweet meeting on Monday night where we brainstormed for the next series and shared our "observations" of other potential characters from our lives.

I shared what I observed from watching my abnormally tall sister-in-law Sarah. She is much more relaxed in her walk, how she sits, and how she delivers mannerisms, a good prompting for a more laid back character. Sherry observed a manipulative character and told an interesting story of a patient who faked a limp to get some pills and a handicap sticker, but failed to limp on her way out! Janet observed her new boss and his "banty rooster" like movements as he sought to assert his authority with exaggerated movements and clearing his throat for emphasis. Dalene observed others trying to listen and communicate in another language and culture, and it reminded her of a trip to Europe where she hated feeling stupid that she couldn't understand the thick cockney accents in her own native tongue, good material for a character uncomfortable in a new setting (a first-time visitor?). Phil did an amazingly convincing and realistic impersonation of a man with a strong stutter and noted how tension runs throughout his whole body when struggling to communicate. Steph observed a character from one of her favorite TV shows "Numbers" who is always fiddling with something and never stops moving. She explained how it wasn't a nervous movement, but was a natural part of the character. Great material for an unexpected but believable character. Lisa actually did a great impersonation of Mark Beeson's enthusiasm when he speaks with vigor and vitality from the platform. John observed how his co-workers avoid controversy even when the boss is wrong. Great material for a week where we address courage and integrity in the workplace. Dave told us about a memorable experience from when he was teaching where he took his students to hang out with some blind people for research for a play they were doing. He and his students observed the heightened senses and mannerisms. Everyone had great ideas as well for the next series.

We don't have any assignments for April due to Spring Break traveling. PLEASE mark the next meeting in your calendars for Monday April 28th at 7pm. See you all then!

Last chance to See Anita at Amish Acres!

Read this cool article with a great review for Anita! We are so lucky to have her on the team!

Voice Class

Click on the link below for the info. on the voice class:
The IUSB one is $50.00 and the one at Penn is $20, so I've just included the info. on the one at Penn, but if you're interested in the other, let me know. (on page 9 on the brochure)

Penn: http://www.phm.k12.in.us/community-education/PHM%20Comm%20Ed.pdf

Drama Team Mantra

In our team-building time this weekend, Dan recommended all the artists read Phillippians 2
this month as a guide for a servant's heart. A great idea for us, too!

See you all at the meeting tonight at 7!

What a Service!

Kyle and I had the amazing privilege to play a small part in an amazing service! Thanks to Dustin Maust for the great photos!

See you all Monday night at the meeting. Don't forget to bring your "observations" to share. See you at 7pm Monday night!

Don't Worry, Be Happy!

Special high fives to Steph and her two girls Amy and Aleyna for their great performances in a drama in the Penguin room this weekend! What a talented family! The interactive drama was a great illustration to help support a powerful lesson from Sheila Besson about worrying from Matthew 6:25-33. It was fun to see the five and six year olds get all the correct answers to show they really understood what Jesus meant, but it was also definitely a great reminder for me with Easter services coming up! Thanks, ladies! Great job!

Observation, Part 2

Once a year, the women on my mom's side of the family get together.in some remote cabin somewhere in the South, usually Georgia or Tennessee. My skills of observation are always on high alert during these three to five day trips of spiritual renewal and Titus 2. I observe these incredible women of faith because I crave their hand-me-down wisdom so I can to apply it to my life in order to be a better follower of Christ, wife, and mother. They have no idea how much some of the words they've said on these trips have been ingrained in my mind. I'll never forget a couple of years ago when my second cousin Beth who is a counselor in Nashville looked at me and said "Let's just do right now right now." What a novel thought! And it changed me for the better from that point on. These women help me once a year with a shot in the arm that moves me a little farther from Martha and a little closer to Mary.

As actors, we have an incredible opportunity to use our skills of observation to better our own lives as well as thousands of others but pointing them towards Christ! What a privilege!

Richie explains the benefits well:

"It helps a student of the theatre to notice everything unusual and out of the ordinary in every day life. It builds his memory, his storage memory, with all visible manifestations of the human spirit . . . It opens his eyes to the full extent in appreciation of different personalities and values in people and works of art . . . in the theatre, we have to re-create life . . . we are obliged to notice the material with which we work . . . We shop in life every day and choose the most suitable things for every night that we spend in the theatre . . . The actor who has his gift of observation dulled and inactive will appear in wornout dress on a gala occasion. As a rule, I believe that inspiration is the result of hard work, but the only thing which can stimulate inspiration in an actor is constant and keen observation of every day of his life. "p. 106-108

Questions:

What have you observed this week that could be material for a possible story or character?

Any ideas for elements to create for Youtube or sermon spice?

Let's Go See the Stars Among Us!

Here are some shows coming up that are starring our very own drama team members! Place a comment below if you're interested in attending any of these with Lauren and me! Click on any of the links for ticket info. And if any of you or your family members are in any shows that I don't know about, please let me know so I can add to the list!



This weekend Corey Atwell will play one of the lead roles in Elkhart Memorial High School's Two by Two a musical about Noah and his ark, especially created for Danny Kaye back in the day. Lauren and I will be attending this Friday night at 7pm. All are welcome to join us!




Every weekend in March Anita is in the production of Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers at Amish Acres. March 1 - March 30Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. I think Lauren and I will hit a Sunday Matinee that last week to give Anita some flowers for her last show. Again, all are welcome to join us!




The last weekend in March Diana is playing a role in my favorite operetta of all time, The Pirates of Penzance at Bethel! (If you haven't seen the film version with Kevine Kline, Linda Ronstadt, and Angela Lansberry, you're missing out!) Lauren and I will be attending friday night March 28th at 7:30pm.



Hoep you'll take advantage of seeing at least one of these shows. And musicals are always fun for dates or for the kiddos!

I See Drama People

Heir Force Room Drama: Jackie, Kasie, Johnny J, and John Mc. directed by Phil
Penguin Room Drama: Sherry, Janet, and Judy directed by Sherry
with Dalene multi-tasking at check-in and Paul greeting us at the door!
Congrats to Judy, Kasie, and Johnny for great performances on their first serve oppportunities with the OPA drama team!

What a great weekend! Awesome job, everyone!

Turning Point Dramas For Kids

The turning point dramas for kids have ended their run. Special thanks to the following volunteers for their great performances: Hannah Brooks, Brad Miller, Josh Hoeft, Janell Martin, Tom Templin, Larry Richey, and John Kabzinski. Great job, everyone! We heard some amazing stories about how this is really changing the lives of kids. Thanks for playing a part in bringing some up there down here to a great group of kids!

"Observation" part one

The slide show above is what I "observe" when my daughter has too much sugar . . . : )

p.97-106

So, we're moving forward and starting Ch. 5 on "observation". This is a fun skill to talk about. Basically, you are surrounded by real "characters" everywhere you go! This chapter talks about exercising your mind to be a little more observant of yourself and your surroundings so we can create more convincing characters on the stage. We are constantly trying to find new ways to express the same things. We are continually striving to create original moments on the stage that are unexpected but make sense. Observation is a great tool for this.

In the book, the student and Boleslavsky meet the student's aunt for tea. The aunt has some pretty strong feelings about drama and her neice's talent. To prove his point, Richie leads her in a game of observation, and she feels a little befuddled and tricked. Her neice models the excellence of observation as she re-enacts her aunts movements and mannerisms to a "tea" (pun intended).

What struck you about this scene?

What actions have you observed in others this week that surprised you but made sense?