Kyle's Having a "Daughter"

Maybe dramas really do come true, because Kyle is having a "daughter"! Congratulations to Kyle and Jeanette! Read more details on his blog.

Let it Be Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas, Everyone! Join me in applauding the cast and crew of Let it Be Christmas Eve for giving us an incredible story that brought us back to the true meaning of Christmas, kept our kids enthralled, and let all of us be kids again.

You Won't Want to Miss This!

Trust me, this is a service you won't want to miss!!! Hope to see you all there. You are a part of this great team, so feel free to come down to the great room after the service to say "Great job" to the cast! Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Condolences to Diane Zuber and family

Butch received some sad news today in the form of an e-mail from Leslie. Our prayers are with Diane and the Zuber family.

"Butch, you've been around the drama team for long enough that I'm sure you rememeber Diane Zuber. We were notified yesterday that her husband Jim passed away while waiting for a second lung transplant. He's been quite ill for several years and had one transplant several years ago, but needed another one and simply ran out of time. He'd been down in Indy for the past month. Please pass this information on to the "old" drama team members who know Diane.

Leslie Koczan"

Dalene's Angels

Dalene and her family were in a pretty bad accident coming home from church on Saturday. Praise God that they are all okay and esaped with only a few scratches, but their Expedition is totalled. Her family is looking for a new vehicle that can transport her big family of six but that might be more affordable and feul efficient.

A note from Dalene:

"Hey, we were in a pretty major accident last night on our way to church...you might have actually gone that way on Douglas road and seen the car. The right tire went off the road & as I tried to get it back on we slid into on coming traffic, so in trying to avoid a head on collision I steered back toward the field & the front tire caught the ground & we flipped at least once, maybe twice, broke out all the windows etc. We're all OK...pretty sore & shaken up...kids don't have a scratch. Thad & I have cuts & scratches on our hands & head. I really feel like it should have been worse but we were obviously protected by some pretty hefty angels. The kids are OK...so that's what matters, everything else is just stuff...

Anyway, needless to say the Expedition is totalled & in the next week or two we'll be looking for a new vehicle...so I thought maybe I'd put the word out there. I'm not really sure what we're looking for yet but I'd rather trust that God will provide something than to rush out there & get the next thing...I have a hard time asking for help. I like to be the helper not the helpee...LOL


Thanks,
Dalene"


If any of you know of any vehicles for sale that might be perfect for them, let her know!

Here Comes the Sun

Well, the future looks bright for the drama team as we saw the brilliant performances of the kids in the "Here Comes the Sun" video by Albert (and got our ears blown off by the "GLORIA"s)! Special thanks to the Wegner girls (Whitney, Maddy, and Belle) for their great acting in the video as well as the Sophie and AnnaVukmirovich, Jacob, Aaron, and Ashlee (the adorable baby)Powell, and a few neighborhood kids who joined in the fun! Oh, and one other girl who is pictured above who shall remain nameless . . . (cough, she's pretty, cough) what?

Condolences to the Garwood Family

Just a note to let everyone know that Dale's Dad passed away late last night on the 11th of December. Please keep Dale, his mom Mille, sister Pat and brother Gerry, in your prayers.

Thanks,
Lori

Christmas Party RSVP

Don't worry this isn't the theme of the party or anything . . . I just love the smurfs.

To bring the kids or not to bring the kids . . . that is the question. I've gotten a few requests that we continue the tradition of leaving the kiddos at home again this year. Some parents made a great point that they enjoy the break and adult time, so I think we'll go with the majority on this one. At least we still have a week to get a babysitter! Let me know if this is a problem for any of you, and we could look at maybe some of the older kids watching younger ones in a separate room. Quick reminder of the date and time: 6:30pm-8:30pm. Next Monday Dec. 17th in the Heir Force room. Shelley's working on getting us the Great room instead. (We'll let you know.) We have some fun "entertainment" provided that you won't want to miss!

Remember to RSVP in the comments below (let us know if your spouse if coming as well) and bring your favorite dish to share. For those of us OCD ladies who like to plan the dishes according to what others bring so we have a "balanced" potluck meal, please post the type of dish you think you might bring as well. See you in a week!

All the Not-So-Lonely People

This weekend was a great service. If you missed it b/c of the weather be sure to watch it online. The cast of "Cafe de Solo" did a great job on an interwoven scene about loneliness. Shelley had quite a challenge to keep it flowing, but she did an amazng job. Dalene's direction added new levels as usual as she dealt with an unusually sizable cast and three different plots going on at once. John and Corey's relationship as father and son had great authenticity. Kyle was great at being a jerk and gave me plenty to respond to! Becky really pursued her objective of getting her mom to open up, and Janet took on the most dramatic character and played it with authentic excellence and honesty. And special thanks to Rebecca for her awesome drama in the penguin room and Leslie's great storytelling in the Under the Sea and Garden Patch rooms. Great job, everyone! What a weekend of bringing up there down here!

Bruce's Surgery

Janet's husband Bruce goes in for surgery this wednesday. Let's keep him and the family in our prayers. Here's a note from Janet:

"Surgery to remove his appendix will be this Wednesday, December 12 at 10 A.M.
in Saint Joseph Mishawaka. The surgery can be done with a laparoscopy, the easy
way, as long at there is not too much damage internally. We are praying for a simple procedure, steady hands for the surgeons, (this takes two of them), and a speedy and full recovery.
I, actually all of the family, will appreciate your prayers on Bruce’s behalf. I know
that God has had his hand on Bruce thus far."

All You Need is . . . a great cast!

Great job to everyone who was in the cast of the music video for "All You Need is Love". And thanks to Dalene, Steph and Sherry for bringing their families and some extra kids (Dalene gathers them around her like flies) so we could make the chain work. Special thanks to Steph's husband for lending us his store with the awesome Beatles poster in the background!

Funny story:

When Lauren had to drop the skittles, I was afraid she might smile, so I told her to try to think about how she would feel if it really happened, and if she was really hungry for candy (she doesn't like skittles so it was a stretch for her). Afterwards, she shared with me that she had found her own "motivation", she said" I did really good, mommy. I just thought in my mind "oooh, you're gonna be in trouble!" A method actress at four years old, what more could a mother want? : )

Let it Be Christmas Eve

This year’s Christmas Eve service is like nothing we’ve ever done before, and we’d love for you to be a part of it! We are basically producing a modern, edgy, Broadway musical that retells the Christmas story with Beatles music. In the past, Dan has put out an all-call for a choir, but this year, the team decided to go a different route. We are asking all the drama team and vocal team members if they can be a part of the production. We know you. We are confident in your talent and stage presence and know you will give it your all. You can even let us know if you want to involve your spouses, friends, or family members as well and make it a family activity. If you think about the weeks and weeks of rehearsals many other churches put into their Christmas Productions, this may not seem so huge! Still, we know this is a big ask for your family and time, especially on Christmas Eve, but an amazing opportunity to touch people with the true story of Christmas in a new and exciting way! (One of our cast members said she is doing it simply because it’s the only way she can get her family into church on Christmas Eve. They’re coming to see her, but she’s hoping they meet someone far more important!)

Here is the schedule:
Tuesday Dec. 11th 6:30-8:30pm

Tuesday Dec. 18th 6-9pm

Wed. Dec. 19th 6-9pm

Sunday Dec. 23rd 4-8pm (dinner provided)

Monday Dec. Dec. 24th 1pm -3pm (dinner provided)

Six identical Christmas Eve services at: 3:30, 5:00, 6:30, 8:00, 9:30 & 11 p.m.

Email kbaker@gccwired.com to let me know if you ae interested.

Local shows

Just a heads up if you're looking for a good date or place to take the kiddos:

Next weekend:

"The Nutcracker" is at the Morris and "The Wizard of Oz" is at the Elco. (I have a former student who is playing the scarecrow, so Lauren and I will be at the Sunday Matinee at 3pm.)

Any other shows you know of?

Great Meeting!

For those of you who missed the meeting, here's a quick snapshot.

We did a quick exercise on objectives with a short conversation in pairs where we had the same dialog multiple times with different objectives each time. Then we started the performances:
1.) Lori and Rebecca were hilarious and modeled great pacing, comedic timing, and team work in their scene called "The Exchange" where a simple transaction gets crazy with unnecessary red tape. (We've all been there, done that.)
2.) Paul and John tackled a more serious scene called "The Campaign" where John got to play the villain instead of his usual nice guy character and Paul got to play a more serious role as his wrestled with an issue of integrity in the workplace. They both did extremely well, especially due to the amount of difficult memorization. John used the "desk" (a rolling cart) well to assert his authority and show disconnect in his relationship to Paul's character. As Lori mentioned, we were tuned in from the beginning. They had some challenging dialog, and they made it work.
3.) Janet and Diana performed a scene called "The Intimidation" where they surprised us with their natural relationship as Diana took on a more nurturing/mentor role to Janet. Janet did a great job showing us a reluctant, yet desperate employee and Diana took her stimulus well and naturally slipped in with a calming voice to help solve the problem. Their objectives were clear from the beginning.
4.) Lisa and Anita's scene was another one that made us forget we were in a meeting and drew us in right away. In "The Accident" Lisa played a similar character to Paris Hilton (but not at all an imitation) and Anita was her lawyer as they discussed what was going to happen to Lisa's character now that she killed a young girl in a drunk driving accident. They added some excellent layers of duality as Lisa remained selfish and spoiled in the midst of a tragedy and Anita conveyed concern and disgust all at once. It was truly a memorable scene.
5.) Kyle performed a monologue where he played an older man who is concerned for his wife as he has been watching her slowly go insane since their son died of AIDS. While a pretty melodramatic situation and one very different from Kyle's experiences, he stretched himself to bring us a believable and compelling character and story.

Well done, everyone! See you at the Christmas Party on Dec. 17th!

Chapter 3 Conclusion

p. 55-64

In the beginning of this chapter, Richie introduced what he refers to as the "leading strain" but we'll call it the superobjective. This is when you ask: What is my character trying to accomplish or obtain? The student questions him on this with regards to a superobjective of love when there are fight scenes. His response is a great tip.

"I would make them remember it. I would ask them to have it behind every curse, every quarrel, every disagreement."

Like all of our speaking pastors, he looks around for an illustration to make his point clear and sees a tree:

"First, the main trunk, the idea, the reason. On the stage it comes from the director. Second, the branches, elements of the idea, particles of reason. That comes from the actor. Third, the foliage, the result of the previous two, the brilliant presentation of idea, the bright conclusion of reasoning."

We won't address what the lame joke he uses to make fun of writers . . .

After he shares the vision metaphorically, they replay their conversation like a play so he can demonstrate practically what he means. He asks her to define her actions and objectives. She uses words like "complained, scorned, piled up evidence, reproached" these are the actions and objectives she uses to support her superobjective of trying to solve her problem of struggling with working on camera. He reminds her that it is crucial to describe her actions in verbs.

In a nutshell:

When you are in a scene where someone dies, instead of thinking "I am sad" think of all the different stages and ways people grieve (an action) and choose certain points/lines to "deny" or "blame" or "argue" or "accept".

This is the crux of method acting. We're finally getting in to the practical ways of using the system. When method actors get a script, they immediately grab a pencil. Yes, they write down notes from the director and record blocking direction, but that's not all. They make intentional decisions about what actions and objectives their characters choose in their minds that affect their behaviors.

He then compares it to a piece of music. The author gives you the lyrics but you have the create and perform the melody. The superobjective is crucial, but who wants to hear a song with only one note? That's why we try as many different tactics or actions as possible to try to achieve our objective.

So . . . 2 Questions:

What is your current assigned character's superobjective?

What are some actions (verbs) that you will use to try to achieve this objective?

(If you already performed your scene last time, choose the most recent character you played.)

See you Monday night! Have a Happy Thanksgiving! I am definitely thankful for all of you!

Coming Soon . . .

Last weekend we shot the upcoming media "The Stories That Keep You Awake at Night" where six parents sit around a campfire and tell "scary" parenting stories. It was a great shoot. Thanks to Janet, Lori, Mark, Sherry, Paul, and Jon for giving their all and staying up late! And thanks to Jeff and Cody for helping out at the shoot. It's a blast working with all of you! This hilarious media produced by Russ Nelson will be premiering the weekend after Thanksgiving. I can't wait to see the finished product!

Great job, Callenders!

Let's take a moment to stand in awe together at the talented Callender duo! Great job, Becky and Jacob! Also, thanks to Abby (such a talented family!), Heather, Meagan, Hunter and Taylor Stevens and Lauren for adding so much to the energy of "kidtopia"!

Lori already sent an e-mail to Becky and I:

"Hey Ladies,

I couldn't get the blog attachment to work, but I had to let you know that I thought today's media "kidtopia" was great. Becky, you have a talented boy there. Tell Jacob he rocked. I was truly impressed.

Lori"

Chapter 3: Dramatic Action

Could you imagine me trying to write a live drama where I attempt to recreate this moment?Lauren and I stand on the black stage with a bright spot light in our faces and huge images behind us of closeups on our faces? I tell Lauren about God painting the sky just like He did when he painted her face when she was still in my "tummy" (She's too young to know about the uterus, work with me here). But without the visual of this breathtaking sunset, it would be hard for the audience to really tune in a "get" the beauty of the moment and the lesson we both learned that night. Thus, I am thankful for the wonderful invention of still and video cameras.

Media is a great tool for our team. This chapter begins with the student complaining about performing in the "talkies" versus on the stage. This discussion is incredibly fitting since we are continually realizing that our media appearances are much more frequent than live. We are now noticing that we are only averaging one live drama to every five medias in a given series! This seems to make sense since we have these ginormous, mutant screens, but as the student is realizing, there is a whole different type of acting required. See if you can't identify with any of her complaints, especially if you've experienced a late night video shoot . . .

"I waited for an hour and a half. We started. This time three lines from the big scene; three lines--that was all. After that again a wait of an hour . . . .machinery, electricity, lenses, microphone, furniture, that is all that counts. An actor? Who cares? Acting? A miserable accessory . . . How can you look for rare moments of beauty? . . . Even when you find them they are separated, disjointed, cut, uneven . . ." (p. 47-48)

Thankfully, Jeff and our media team usually do their best not to make us feel as jaded as she does, but it is still sometimes challenging when you don't feel like you know everything about the media as a whole. But the cool thing about having a great media team is that we don't need to. We just need to know what our character is trying to accomplish in the given moment and trust in the vision of the producers and editors. Just look at the beauty and hilarity that occurred with all the elements coming together for Office Safari!

Many of us love the rush of live drama and love the community of doing weekends together, but our tactics for reaching our target are shifting. And that's one of the things I love about our church! We don't keep doing things because we like them, we adapt things to make things more effective for bringing people to Christ! So if you've been reluctant to see media winning out over live, listen to Richie's powerful argument on p. 51-52:

It is the "instrument that gives to the theatre the precision and scientific serenity which all other arts have had; the instrument that demands of the actor to be as exact as the color scheme in painting, form in sculpture, string, wood, brass in music, mathematics in architecture, words in poetry . . . It is the preservation of the art of the actor--the art of the theatre . . . Do you realize that with the invention of spontaneous recording of the image, movement, and voice, consequently the personality and soul of an actor, the last missing link in the chain of the arts disappears, and the theatre is no more a passing affair, but an eternal record?"

QUESTION FOR YOU:

How do you feel about live vs. media acting? What differences have you noticed? List some pros and cons for both.

The student continues to argue about the "flow of the part" and how she can "build up an emotion" with all the stopping and starting. That's when he tells her about the structure of actions, which I also refer to as objectives. You use these actions and objectives to create a map of where your character goes in the scene. It's like mapquest. Your ultimate goal is the destination but you have many different smaller goals and actions you have to take to get you there. For instance, Julia's goal this past weekend was to figure out what to do about her friend Chelsey. But she did it in a hundred different ways that made it interesting.


Assignment: Before you perform your scenes and monologues on Nov. 26th, make a map for yourself on your script. What is your overall objective? (Stan calls it the "superobjective" and Richie calls it the "leading strain".) What different tactics can you attach to certain lines or moments that will help you achieve your goal?

More on Chapter three next week! Keep those comments coming!

Opportunity for Michiana Women

Thanks to Heather Novak for the heads up on a cool writing/acting opportunity!

http://www.michianamonologues.org/

The great thing about taking steps toward Christ together at GCC is that it often leads us out into the community to share what God's done for us. I hope some of you ladies will take advantage of this cool opportunity! I already submitted some monologues online and am considering auditioning if I can fit it into my schedule. It's a great idea!

Bravo, Frankenstein Family!

October Meeting

Once again, I was blown away by the commitment and talent of our team at this week's meeting. Some performed monologues and were asked to perform them again with a new twist. Julia performed a monologue about a teenage girl who is having issues with her friends that she will perform next weekend in a scene on the big stage. It was hilarious, and we're all looking forward to seeing it with Dalene's tweaks and the added interaction with Steph as the bride of Frankenstein and Mark Cameron as Frank himself.
Shelley performed a great monologue about love at first sight and used her talent to transform from a young energetic girl who was annoyed with a boy into an old women reflecting on when she first met the love of her life. Lisa told a sweet story about a missions trip to a small village and used her recent trip to China as a tool for emotion memory and did it beautifully. Mark Meyer created an unforgettable character named Leon who stumbled into a life-changing encounter with God. His ability to perform it powerfully with two very different personalities was captivating. ( I was so inspired that I've been working on a character in our Christmas Eve narrative based solely on Mark's Leon.)
Anita performed a memorable monologue about a woman struggling with the fact that she can't have children. Her unique stances and movement reminded me of my theatre professor's favorite saying "the best moments are when you surprise the audience with something unexpected but it makes perfect sense." Phil is another great example of this. I never thought Phil could surprise me like he did on Monday. I really don't think words could describe the "versatility" in Phil's performances. He took a simple monologue where a man is telling his son about the first time he met his wife and made it a wild ride of a man slowly transforming his sexual orientation and then brought tears to our eyes when he retold it as if his wife had just died. It was quite an experience!

Two teams of people came prepared with their scenes. David and John gave us some chilling moments as John, usually our resident good guy, played a hit man David was hiring. Steph also tackled a unusual villain role as she and Sherry's reporter character sat down to discuss why she decided to murder the man who raped her sister. These were both challenging scenes and all four actors created incredibly believable characters while prompting a discussion about bringing out the tension in a scene so the audience has more reasons to be uncomfortable and lean in to the story a little more.

For those that were there, what were your favorite moments? What did you learn?

Our next meeting is November 26th. Here's what we have to look forward to !
Monologues: Corey, Julia, Becky, Heather, and Kyle
Scenes: Diana and Janet, Paul and Jon, Shelley and Dalene, Anita and Lisa, Mark and Phil, and Lori and Rebecca

Can't wait!

P.S. Our Christmas party will be Monday Dec 17th from 6:30-8:30pm (location TBD). Families are invited. Anyone up for potluck or would you like to have a catered event? Let me know your preferences. Thanks!

A Message From Deanna

Friends, Family and Loved Ones:

Well, I did it and I'm here in Gurnee. A bit hectic, but we made it through alive and well. I'm renting until I can sell my house in Granger and then I'll buy a home up here. This rental is much more house than I needed, or wanted (4 bedrooms and about 2400 sq ft) but the price was right. I even have some famous neighbors. Tommy Harris from the Chicago Bears lives directly behind me. The move went very smooth since they loaded and unloaded my stuff all in the same day. Thanks to my mom, we were completely unpacked in one day. We celebrated with a trip to the Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall. But then again, what's a celebration without a little crisis? When we returned from shopping, we discovered we were locked out of the house. Apparently the back door and front door have different locks; and the landlord only gave me one key-which was to the front door-and the front screen door was locked. On the bright side, it's a great way to meet your neighbors. Mike (the neighbor) was able to pop the lock on the screen door in 1.5 seconds. (Hmmm, he certainly made that look easy).

I just completed my first week at the new job and things are going well; considering. I was hired to replace someone that's now working part-time due to serious health issues and she is struggling a bit with wanting to work but not physically being able to. It's a tough situation for everyone, but we'll get through it. I still feel this is a wonderful opportunity for the long term. Since Scot Forge is 100% employee owned, the long term gains are unbeatable. No other company has even come close to their bonus plan and stock options. They are in a league all their own, yet it still has a "small company" atmosphere. The work itself isn't very challenging and doesn't really offer anything new or exciting but I can live with it for awhile.

Nick loves his new school. He walks across the street to a Teen Center after school and REALLY likes that. It's geared toward middle school age kids-complete with a skate park, volleyball and basketball courts, video games systems, computers, homework assistants, and even a snack bar and it's open until 7:00pm. The best part is that it only costs me $25/school year. I know, I couldn't believe it either. That's what those high property taxes will buy you up here. Lots of community resources. There's a brand new aquatic center (mini water park) behind my subdivision and within walking distance that he can go to in the summer.

Anyways, here's my contact information. If you're ever up this way, just give me a call. I'd love to get together with you. Keep in touch and take care.

6671 Foxworth Ln
Gurnee, IL 60031
Home) 847 855-6099
Work) 815-675-4297 direct line
dglynn@scotforge.com

Pauls' Endeavor

Here's the 411 on Paul's upcoming play. Let's go show our support to Paul!

"The Nickel & Dime Players present

ANTIGONE 2007

The Greek tragedy by Sophocles, updated.

Saturday, October 20 at 2pm. In the Colfax Auditorium of the St. Joseph County Public Library, 304 S. Main Street, South Bend.

Wednesday, October 24 at 7 p.m. in the Colfax Auditorium of the St. Joseph County Public Library, 304 S. Main Street, South Bend.

Sunday, October 28 at 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s Methodist Church, corner of Colfax and LaPorte Avenues.

Admission is free.
More information, call 246-0104


What would you die for?"

Heather is Cancer Free!

Celebrate with us today as Heather just found out that she is cancer free! Here's what she said:

"Surgery last Wed went well....I entertained myself & anyone at the hospital who couldn't run away fast enough with Earl the rubber chicken. It definitely helped me deal with the drama. Then I pretty much slept for four days, struggled back to work Monday but today has gone well, I feel pretty normal! I also had my follow up doctor appt & he said they tested the lump & it was scar tissue and fibrocystic something or other...but NOT cancer. YAY God! (I would have said "Yay God" either way..but this is MY favorite option...YAY GOD!!!)Thank you for your love and prayers and silly emails and food....THANK YOU...John & I both felt very loved & will look forward to the opportunity to hug on all of you soon!Heather"

Chapter 2 Conclusion

(p. 36-43)

Richie continues to reassure his student that she'll get the hang of emotion memory with practice and patience. He tells her it's kind of like learning a song. Eventually you start humming the tune without even being aware you're doing it. That's the cool thing about this system. It takes practice and discipline, but eventually it just begins to "click"and becomes almost automatic. The trick is persevering through the old habits--kind of like this blog! Many of you aren't used to blogs and how to post a comment, but once you realized you don't need to be a great writer or a tech genius-just someone who can type an honest reponse, it became not such a big deal! Thanks for persevering!

The creature challenges Richie (p. 38) by asking him about playing a murderer since she's never murdered anyone. David Morgan had never won the lottery, but he has experienced a surprise or moments of pure joy,and he used those along with the "magic if" (what is this really did happen to me? How would I react?) to pull us in to his character's story when he performed his monolgue at the last meeting.

Richie gives us a couple of great reminders or warning labels on this tool: (p.40-41)
"Be careful not to overdo it. Don't look for "to be"when you should seek "to do.". . . The difficult spots are what you should watch for and work for. Every play is written for one or at most a few "high tension"moments. The audience pays the price of the tickets--not for two whole hours--but for the best ten seconds, the ten seconds when it gets the biggest laugh or thrill. Your whole strength and perfection must be directed toward those seconds."

APPLICATION: Name your favorite movie and it's "high tension" moment. Then name one of your scenes or monolgues you've performed or will perform in the meeting and tell us what the "high tension"moment is for that particular piece.

Richie sums it up well when he reminds her of the main idea of this new tool as she is about to leave for rehearsal:
"Notice everything around you--watch yourself cheerfully. Collect and save in your soul all the riches of life and the fulness of it. Keep those memories in order. You can never tell when you need them . . .they are your paints and brushes. And they will bring you reward."

Reminds me of a great verse :
Ephesians 1:7
Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.


I hate to admit it, but I kind of identified with Richie (minus the sexism and egotism-but still you gotta love him) when he reminded her of the end result of the system (p.42).Because I've seen it in my students, I can clearly see down the road, when all of you will no longer feel like "convenient type" actors that are simply willing, fitting, and available, but you will finally own that you've become"daring artists" that take people to the exact spot they need to go to open their ears and hearts to crucial messages God has waiting for them. We're on our way! Thanks for your continued dedication. See you Monday the 22nd!

Plays to See

Anita's Pride and Prejudice this weekend!

Paul's Antigone Oct. 20 and 24th at the South Bend Main Library or St. Paul's church Oct. 28th.

Any others you'd recommend?

Chapter 2 Continued . . .

(p. 30-37)

Last time Richie briefly introduced the concept of the Memory of Emotion, but in these pages, he really gets to the meat of the idea. He starts with the story of the cucumber patch. A good example of how outside cricumstances can bring about inside feelings.

Question: Can you think of a time when outward circumstances brought about a very vivid memory or emotion for you?

For me: Certain songs bring me back to where I first heard them. The smells of certain foods especially pot roast bring me back to large family gatherings at my grandmother's house.

The Creature doubts that she has these memories since she's so young. He tells her she has:
"Plenty of them--just waiting to be awakened, just waiting for a call. And what is more, when you do awaken them, you can control them, you can make use of them, you can apply them to your craft."

He asks her to relive a time when she felt torn between two extreme emotions, and she explains the time she left her brother behind to travel abroad. As she starts to act it out, she is brought back to the place she needs to be for her challenging part. But when he asks her to continue with her speech to her mother, she stops and doesn't get the connection. He tells her she will with practice:
"Be logical. You must substitute creation for the real thing. The creation must be real, but that is the only reality that should be there. Your experience of double feeling was a fortunate accident. Through your will power and the knowledge of your craft you have organized and re-created it. It is now in your hands. Use it if your artistic sense tells you that it is relative to your problem and creates a would-be life. To imitate is wrong. To create is right."

I know I've mentioned this before, but this reminds me of my first college acting course when I was asked to play this maniacal woman who kidnapped women who were trying to get abortions. When her victim would scream and pull at the chains she had chained them to the wall with, she would kneel and pray for them. My questions to my professor were "What if I don't have anything I've experienced that fits with it? What if I choose the wrong thing?"

Basically, my poor, patient professor had to ask me a ton of questions until I landed on a bad experience I had while babysitting. The little girl made "strong willed child" seem like a chia pet! Her name was Abby, and she was quite a challenge. Her mother, Debbie, insisted that she take a nap and warned me that she normally takes naps no problem, but with babysitters, she tries everything in her power to get out of taking a nap. And oh, was she right. It started out with a sing songy tune complete with wall banging with lyrics like " I won't take a nap. I hate you. If you don't open the door and let me watch TV I'll tell my mom you hit me!" (Precoscious little rascal . . .) So, knowing the thing she really needed most was a nap, I had to try to tune her out and wait out the storm. When this clicked, our scene finally became compelling and our motivated conflict left our class spellbound.

In the midst of your scenes and monologues, there will be times when you look at a character and say "I have nothing in common with this person! How am I supposed to play this?" that's when the system comes in handy.

Let me put it this way. We've been trying to build a house with limited tools and doing a pretty good job at it! But studying and practicing the use of this system is like a Home Depot shopping spree. Imagine the possibilities . . .

An Update from Heather

"Thank you for the prayers & thoughts, I actually go for a lumpectomy on Oct 10th! ICK...but the biopsy came back clear...the three doctors just think it is wrong, isn't that reassuring?

Latent stress has definitely reduced my energy level, I will be glad when I feel NORMAL! I did get a pink hair extension from Salon Ubon to increase prevention awareness--FUN!

Have you had your mammogram???????"

Deanna's Sign

If you were there for our first meeting, you remember Deanna's great monologue about a sign from God. Well, it's time for her to follow the sign. Join me in wishing her a fond farewell. We'll miss you Deanna, but we're inspired by your pursuit of God's next adventure for your life.

Here's a message from Deanna.

Friends, Family and Loved Ones:
Yes it's true. I will be moving to the Gurnee, IL area within the next couple weeks. I'm working with a realtor up there who has uncovered some really nice rental homes and/or townhouses and I should have a permanent address within the next week. I've accepted a position in Spring Grove, IL with a company called Scot Forge. (www.scotforge.com) and will be starting October 16th. The company is 100% employee owned, very stable, and profitable with a very unique culture. Definitely a good place to "land".

As you can imagine, this is a bittersweet time for me and my family. I've lived here my entire life but am looking forward to the change. Remember, the only things you regret are those you never pursued.

I picked the Gurnee area because of the great schools system but it will make it a slight commute to work, but worth it. Nick is looking forward to the adventure, but Amanda has decided to live with her dad, at least for now. She is a teenager, so one never really knows what they're thinking.

Once I get settled, I'll be sure to send you my new contact information.

Regards,
DeAnna

On to the Next Chapter . . . .

We are now on Ch. 2 "Memory of Emotion"

(The following discussion is on p. 21-29.)

Richie sees the creature once again, and she has another problem. Like any good teacher, he starts out with a little encouragement (a far cry from Ch. 1). After learning so much, she's embarrassed about her last performance for him. He tells her:

"You just did it. You made the attack yourself. You didn't wait for somebody to push you."

(Reminds me of 25 cool people I know.)

One of the millions of things I love about GCC is we focus on a "Big Idea" for each service, and we drive it home in as many cool ways as we can. First Impressions even has a big idea that can be summed up in 2 words- You matter! So this whole chapter is about one big idea that is one of the greatest tools in the actor's belt--affective memory or memory of emotion. It's kind of our secret weapon for those tough parts that are hard to relate to. (Much like most of your monologues!)

Richie notices this ability in her before he explains it to her:

"She is like a violin whose strings repond to all vibrations. I am sure she takes all there is in life as only a strong, normal being can take it. She selects what she wants to keep; she throws away what seems worthless to her. She will make a good actress." (24)

Though he recognizes it, she only sees the problem in front of her. She gets very serious when she tries to explain it, and he gets frustrated with her. He says:
"Why do people get solemn as soon as they speak of things which have no purpose but to bring joy to others!" (Lightbulb?!) I went to my grandparents church a few months ago, and this reminds of me of the atmosphere of their services as opposed to GCC. Our church knows how to celebrate the joy of following Christ. We are so lucky it's easy to take it for granted!

So, off my soap box now, she explains that she knows the part inside and out (p. 25) but still feels like something is missing. I know I've been there. Especially when I was younger and was asked to play older married women or mothers before I experienced it myself. I tried to do everything right but something was missing. "They will say 'You are very good, but you lack experience' and that's all. What is that cursed experience?" (26)

That's when we get the first intro. to our big idea. He talks to her about the "practicality of dreams". He says all of her experiences, senses, real or imagined are at her beckon call to be used to connect to her part.
"You will have to organize and synchronize the self that is within you, with your part. Then everything will be splendid."

Have you ever noticed how God uses difficult times to prepare us to help others through similar difficulties? It's the same thing. We get to recall true experiences from our lives to help point others to Christ. That's what the memory of emotion is all about.

At the Willow Creek Arts Conference, Nancy Beach said:
"If we as artists do not speak to the absence of God, we will not awaken the search for his presence. Our message of hope must be rooted in both darkness and light. We must live in the contradiction. Embrace the darkness while pointing to the light. All we can offer sometimes is a bit of a broken hallelujah."

She talked about "living in the contradiction" which is exactly what the creature is trying to do with her part.

Discussion Question:
Can you think of a time in your life where you were torn between two extreme emotions like the character the creature is being asked to play?

Example: On my wedding day, I was having the time of my life until I noticed the look in my dad's eyes when he offered me his arm to walk me down the aisle. I realized the simultaneous beginning and ending of chapters in my life. Fear and a sense of adventure. Joy and Grief all at once.

What about you?

More on this to come next week . . .

Meetings with Meaning

Well, good things come in small packages rang true at our last meeting. September is a crazy month for all of us, so thank you to those of you who were able to make the last meeting and nail your challenging monologues!

Sherry provided an authentic, intimate moment when her character talked about her memory of abortion. Paul freaked us out with his intensity when his character encountered a man melting on a train. Steph gave us a dynamic performance as her character convinced her son that he will help her "glow" on her wedding day whether he liked it or not. John McClain set up his surprise ending beautifully with a great story about an elevator accident. Lori convinced us that she couldn't help that her character hadn't left the house in seven years. Dave gave unprecedented characterisation and energy when his farmer character won the lottery. Jon Crutchfield made us laugh and gasp and love his character as he tried to get his wife to let him back in the house after a fight. Janet was hysterical as a movie extra with a unique perspective on her job. And Rebecca made us cry and cringe as she pleaded with her husband to stay with her. I'm so sorry that many of you missed these amazing performances! It's so fun to walk with each other as we stretch and grow in our art. I guarantee you would have been surprised at the growth and effort of your fellow team members.

For those of you that weren't able to make it, your monologue you already received is your October assignment, so we will look forward to seeing those on Monday Oct. 22nd from 7-10pm. Those that made the meeting, you will receive short scene assignments via e-mail next week when I get back from the Catalyst conference in Atlanta. You are not required to meet with your scene partner before the performance, but feel free to try to meet and run through it if you have time. See you all Oct. 22nd!

Good to Great at Innovate!

You've probably heard of the book "Good to Great" by Jim Collins. Well Kyle, Becky, Lori, Mark and Shelley exemplified this concept in their performances at Innovate today. Doing a drama again only one time after months of no practice would have lent itself to a progression of great to good, but not these guys! We modeled great comedy from Kyle, Becky, and Lori in "Poison Therapy" where Becky is poisoning Kyle and excellent drama with "The Business of Bitterness" where Mark and Shelley address the issue of infidelity and trust in marriage with intense authenticity. We also saw many of your faces in various medias including "Office Safari", "Walk On", and "Daughters". Thanks so much for using your gifts and providing great inspiration to pastors and artists. I'm incredibly privileged to serve alongside you!

Whitewash Temptation

white·wash
1: to whiten with whitewash

2 a: to gloss over or cover up (as vices or crimes)

" . . . when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, 'Where is the whitewash you covered it with?'" Ezekial 13:10b-12

whitewash

our attempt to hide flaws

a weak effort at the pristine

a feeble reach toward beauty

only to discover a quick fix

a slow fade

and blemishes highlighted

the painters bandaid

the politicians friend

and the enemy

of an artist.

I know this new structure has a lot of expectation, new standards, and more tasks added to our already busy lives, but watching the life of Christ is so inspiring. How he reached people by thoughtful preparation, true relation, and loving calculation. He told the fishermen he would make them fishers of men. He told the woman at the well about his living water. He knew his audience. He constructed elaborate parables to stretch us toward him, and we lean in for more. In short, Jesus was the opposite if whitewash. He never attempted to gloss over our flaws but rather addressed them with love and forgiveness. I don't know about you, but I absolutely love being on a team of artists who refuse to whitewash the greatest story ever told! Ever seen a broadway show? An epic film? The lengths they go to are incredible and all simply for the "cause" of entertainment alone. This new structure may be extra work, but our cause is definitely worth it. Thanks for hanging in there. See you Monday at 7pm in the Heir Force room!

A Real Shocker . . .

Thanks to Butch, Lori, and John for a "shockingly" funny drama this weekend. Butch's facial expressions were master card priceless and guffaw-producing hilarious! Thanks, guys! Great job getting us laughing, breaking down defenses, and prepping our hearts before we sat down with Mark Beeson for some coffee and great conversation at Lunkers.

Shelley is the Female!

Congrats to Shelley on an awesome job on her monologue about rethinking beauty at the women's event this weekend and on her part in planning the entire thing. Many women took giant leaps toward Christ thanks to her efforts and talent. Round of applause for Shelley!

Lesson One: Concentration, Part 3

(p.11-end of Ch.1)

Sorry for the page numbers being off so far. My version from college was a different printing. I went back and corrected.

Side note: I've noticed that the question and answer aspect of this isn't working out like we'd planned, so I will just be discussing the chapter here and how it might relate to us. If you'd like to add or ask anything, feel free to make a comment.

So, Richie asks the creature "What is acting?" She stumbles and bit and he gives her another big pretentious correction:
Acting is the life of the human soul receiving it's birth through art.

Basically, we're being asked to bring fiction to life. This the challenge with your monologues. Many of them are very unlike you or are dealing with situations you have not dealt with directly.


But Richie has good news. God created some great tools to help us solve this problem--the five senses. He mentions that these are like the basic scales, and we give these senses problems to solve (objectives). This helps us focus in and simplify the role. Kind of reminds me of Mark Beeson's way of breaking thing's down into smaller steps. Just do the next right thing.

The next right thing for your monologue could be to give yourself a "what if" that will help you relate to your character a bit better (Stan calls this the "magic if"). Or think of a time or situation in your life that is similar and relive how you felt in that moment. (Another tool called "emotion memory".)

As the chapter continues, the student tries too hard once again, and she asks what she needs to do to gets things right. Richie explains that the training of an actor consists of three parts: body, mind, and soul. (I know, duh . . .)
1.) BODY: Don't worry, 90 minutes of fencing and interpretive dancing will not be expected of you. He just means people that have control and are aware of the way their bodies move have an easier time with character development and authentic movement.
2.) MIND: Basically, this is what we're doing here. We're studying new tactics using our minds to create more powerful moments that will bring people to Christ. Another aspect of this is that Richie is recommending being a lifelong learner. It's the good old crayon box idea where the more experiences/knowledge (crayons) you take in, the more colorful things you can do with your art.
3.) SOUL: What he describes in this section is more of the "mind" aspect really. For us, this training of the soul in our roles consists of continually drawing closer to God and seeking him in every aspect of our lives. Once again, we get a great moment when we replace "theatre" with God in the last few lines of the chapter:

"I: One thing alone remains which cannot be developed but must be present. It is GOD.
The Creature: You make GOD seem like something very big, very important, very . . . .
I: Yes, for me GOD is a great mystery, a mystery in which we are wonderfully wedded the two eternal phenomena, the dream of Perfection and the dream of the Eternal. Only to such a God is it worthwhile to give one's life."

In a nutshell, we will be:
- concentrating on using the five senses to create real moments on stage
-devoting our lives to Christ, mind, body and soul
- and using our Art to bring a little of up there down here

What a privilege. Thanks for commiting to take this next step together. See ya Monday the 24th!

Prayer Needed

Our own beautiful Heather Novak is in need of our prayer. She is meeting this Friday with a surgeon to discuss a possible biopsy on a lump in her breast. Please keep her in your prayers.

Great Job, Office Animals!

Office Safari turned out even better then we anticipated, thanks to all the "animals" that participated. Awesome job, everyone!

Lesson One: Concentration, Part 2

Concentration . . . not to be confused with Mark's "moving" monologue on constipation as demonstrated above. : )

Now to the lesson . . .
(p. 5-10)

Richie asks "The creature" to perform something for him, and she makes the same mistake a lot of us do. She tries really hard, but it's just a bit too much. He says "You do not hesitate for a second before cursing heaven. Yet you are unable to speak these words simply and plainly, to show their inner meaning . . . You grimace, you mutilate the words of the poet and eternal emotion, and at the same time you do not possess the most elemental quality of a literate man--an ability to transmit the thoughts, feelings, and words of another logically . . . Let us try to create a small, but real artistic value according to your strength." (So it wasn't Marcus Buckinghm's original idea!)

What makes us want to draw out lines a little too much or make things a little bigger than needed? Two things:
1.) HABIT! Let's face it, many of us were in high school, college and community theatre, and all we heard was "I need more! Bigger! Louder!" That made perfect sense in a large auditorium with no wireless mics to hide in our costumes. But have you ever noticed that even the people in the front row of a service will sometimes be watching imag the entire time? It can be a pretty intimate medium and those mics pick up every sigh, every gasp, everything. We will also be doing more and more on camera acting now that we have the big screens, which as you know is incredibly intimate and adds the perpective of the camera into the storytelling mix.
2.) TENSION! Have you ever noticed that people can act really odd when they are on stage or camera in the tension of being watched? Do car salesman come at you in person like they do in their screaming commercials? Do the lawyers looks as uncomfortable and stilted in the courtroom as in their TV ads? Of course not, but there's this odd tension of needing to perform or entertain. That's where concentration comes in handy.

Question #1: What effects does tension have for you on stage?
(Example: For me, I tend to rush, while others might slow down and add even more pauses.)

Richie asks his pupil about her favorite actor John Barrymore (yep, Drew's grandpa) and what she noticed about him. She said "He paid no attention to me". He tells her this is important and reminds her "He was acting in his work as the pilot would, the scientist, or the architect--he was concentrating . . . .the quality which permits us to direct all our spiritual and intellectual forces toward one definite object and to continue as long as it pleases us to do so . . . This strength, this certainty of power of yourself, is the fundamental quality of every artist"

Stanislavski calls it "public solitude" and uses an exercise called "circles of attention". We'll talk about these at the September meeting.

I find concentration much more difficult with monologues than scenes. For instance, Kyle and I did a scene last year where a couple argued over money. I had concrete objects to concentrate on in the immediate vicinity (the bills, the checkbook, and Kyle) which made it easy to forget the audience was there and focus in on the moment.


Question #2: Do you have any tricks for getting rid of tension on stage or helping yourself focus in on the scene?

In a monologue, however, concentration can be more challenging, especially if you are addressing the audience. Scene assignments where we focus on the other relating asects of acting will come later, but monologues are a great exercise for concentration. Hence, assignment #2: you will be receiving e-mails from me with assigned monologues of characters that will stretch you. (We're stepping outside comfort zones for the greater good!) Many of these monologues include an exercise in concentration where there is an invisible person on the stage whom you are addressing about a certain tough issue. It will be up to you to decide who that person is and there will be a lot of blanks you have to fill in. Once you get your monologue via e-mail (no later than Tuesday the 11th), answer the questions below regarding your character, and bring them with you to the September meeting when we will perform these. Filling in these blanks helps the actor concentrate on the concrete and defined rather than trying to overcompensate for unanswered questions and awkwardness. Have fun, and keep those heroes stories coming in!

Characterization Questions:
1.) Who am I talking to? How do I feel about them?
2.) What happened right before I spoke? What will happen right after?
3.) What is my age? Family life? Status? Occupation?
4.) What am I trying to accomplish or obtain by what I am saying? What different tactics do I use throughout the monologue to achieve this objective?
5.) Create a sketch of the setting of your monolgue as if it would be in a film. (Placing objects in the room in your mind is a great trick that helps maintain your focus.)

Question #3: Any other questions you think are important to ask about your character?
(I'm sure Dalene has a million more. She is the characterization Queen!)
Thanks so much for the effort you guys are putting in. See you all Monday the 24th at 7!

Question: Why Does Kyle Look So Happy?

Answer: Because he's going to be a daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations, Kyle and Jeanette!

Great reading, Sherry!

Sherry read Psalm 139 tonight at New community in a very honest, conversational way. A major step up from previous readings where the delivery can sometimes feel to presenational and distant from our every day lives. Thanks, Sherry for bringing the Psalm to us in an authentic way and leading us in honest interaction with God.

Great Job, Guys!

Take some time to applaud the men of the brotherhood of workaholics!

Thanks Phil, Scott, Chip, J, Paul, and Jon for making us laugh and giving up your labor day weekends to address a very serious issue with the fabulous vehicle of humorous exaggeration!

Great job, guys!

Lesson One: Concentration, Part 1

(on p. 3-4)

Lesson one is all about where to focus our concentration. A good place to start for us as a team, but it may not be exactly what Richy had in mind when he wrote this book . . . .

Richard Boleslavsky ("Richy") says that "Art cannot be taught. To possess an art means to possess talent. That is something on has or has not." I think it's safe to say after last week, we can be confident in the "art" and talent of this team!

So, let's be honest, Richie isn't most tender of mentors, but at least he agrees to teach the young girl whom he lovingly refers to as "The Creature" (ah, how sweet!-gag).

The thing I love about us going through this book together is that we can take it all in through the common lens of Christ. Do something fun with me, reread the following quote from the top of 18 where we replace the word theatre with Christ and think about that it means for us as artists in the church.

"Loving Christ is not enough. Who in the church does not love Him? To consecrate oneself to Christ, to devote one's entire life to Him, give Him all one's thought, all one's emotions, all one's art! For the sake of Christ to give up everything, to suffer everything! And more important than all, to be ready to give Christ everything--Your entire being--expecting Christ to give you anything in return beyond His own life, not the least grain of what seemed to you so beautiful in Him and so alluring."


Question #1: What are some unique ways you've found to renew your faith and carry out a daily walk with Christ?
Questions #2: Any concerns that we can pray for together?

**Extra Credit assignment? : )
Your stories and monologues were so well-written, well-performed and inspiring that we're thinking about doing a one-act play for a sermon in October during the heroes series, do you have any good stories about heroes from your life who volunteered in a church or taught you about faith in their actions and not just their words? Send me an e-mail and share your stories, so we can start compiling. Can't wait for more awesome tales from the team!

What a ride!

WOW! Well, I don't know about you but I'm still feeling the dizziness from our roller coaster tonight. We experienced funerals, first kisses, bathroom visits, white-knuckled parenting moments, text messages, and a starbucks visit we'll never forget. We traveled to India, Italy, a barber shop in Georgia, an elementary school in California, a beauty contest a the county fair, a doctor's office, and the 1920's. We held a nickel in our hands, got a sign from God, went up the down escalator, and discovered that even dogs have their day in ministry. We learned the value of friendship, authenticity, and empathy, even in the toughest of situations. I am in awe of your candor, your stories, and Christ at work in all of you. I am also incredibly humbled and grateful that God has led us to an honest church with honest people who aren't afraid to recognize His presence in the oddest of places and messiest times of life. Thanks, guys. You are awesome. What a ride!

Questions for You:
1.) Who/what surprised you the most?
2.) Unforgettable moments for you?

"The Monologue" (dun, dun, dun)

Many of you have been wondering the purpose of the first assignment and the specifics of expectation. Before we get to that, let me introduce you to the man of the year (of our training year anyway): Constantin Stanislavski or "Stan" as I like to call him.

As a young actor in Russia, this guy was completely frustrated at the lack of consistency in theater. He hated that actors were limited to one of three things: 1.) mimicing others in an exaggerated attempt to entertain the audience, or 2.) simply waiting around for what he called "heavenly gifts" of creative inspiration, or 3.) playing the role of slave puppet for the director and having no creative input whatsoever. So he sought to develop a system that would consistently produce the conditions for inspiration to appear and authenticity to occur. This is the system we will be studying. So, why begin with monologue about our lives? Let Stan tell you . . .

From "My Life in Art"

"For years, I copied naivete, but I was not naive; I moved my feet quickly but I did not perceive any inner hurry that might cause short quick steps. I had played more or less artfully, copying the outer appearances of experiencing my part and of inner action. From performance to performance I had merely made a mechanical habit of going through all these technical gymnastics, and muscular memory, which is so strong among actors, and had powerfully fixed my bad theatrical habit . . . What was I to do? How was I to save my roles from bad rebirths, from spiritual pertification, from the autocracy of evil habit and lack of truth? . . . There was nothing that I left undone in order to solve the mystery. I watched myself closely, I looked into my soul, so to say, on stage and off . . . I realized that the more an actor wishes to amuse his audience, the more the audience will sit in comfort waiting to be amused, and not even try to play its part in the play on the stage before it. But as soon as the actor stops being concerned with his audience, the latter begins to watch the actor . . . The actor must first of all believe in everything that takes place on the stage, and most of all he must believe in what he himself is doing."

So, to make his pretensious Russian verbage a bit simpler: Rather than focus on "looking angry" and on what the audience might be seeing, you ask yourself, what would I do in this situation and begin with the truth of who you are. Thus, the monologue as our starting point. . .

Sanford Meisner (a great American teacher of the system-we'll be studying his techniques, too) said "Acting is living truthfully in imaginary circumstances." So where better to begin acting truthfully than in the truth of our own lives? Plus, we get some bonus community building by getting to know eachother a little better! I can't wait to hear all the great stories of truth, especially in a group who has chosen to follow Christ as the way, the truth, and the life. See ya Monday in the Heir Force room at 7pm! Don't forget to smile pretty for your headshot! : )

Question#1: On the spectrum of Stan's ideas (10) and focusing on what the audience sees (1), where does your focus tend to go when you perform?

Question #2: Any concerns or questions about the assignment?

Excellence attracts exellence!

Please join me in welcoming two great additions to our core team, Anita Remier and Diana Morford. Anita (second pic) is the assistant Theater Professor at Bethel and has an MFA in Acting. Diana (first pic) is a junior at Bethel majoring in Theatre. Their knowledge, talent,experience, and skill will add greatly to our acting, directing, and training teams! We're blessed to have these ladies join our team!

Disciplined Artists: An Oxymoron?

"I had an interesting discussion once with a professional counselor who pointed out that his experience with people with artistic temperaments was that they were highly undisciplined. He referred to us as free spirits who are usually messy, highly unorganized, always late for appointments, and irresponsible with personal finances . . . the misconception surrounding discipline is that it's a lot of work for nothing and is never any fun. But I think we in the arts know better, don't we? Who understands the value of discipline more than an artist? For us, it's just common sense. If you want to become an accomplished artist, you have to have a fair mount of discipline. In fact, discipline reaps rewards. There is always a payoff for the hard work you put in, something enjoyable and completely wonderful waiting at the end." Rory Noland, The Heart of the Artist

"The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing.To him he's always doing both." James Michener

"If I'm sleepless at midnight, I spend the hours in grateful reflection. Because you've always stood up for me, I'm free to run and play. I hold on to you for dear life, and you hold me steady as a post."Psalm 63:4-6

Many of us are parents, and we know this concept of discipline is a challenge we face as we raise our kids. Why is it that taking the Barbie's out of the toy box is fun, but placing them back in is torture? It's almost the same act! : ) Who decides what's work and what's play? How do we as "begin with the end in mind" (7 Habits)? We will have to find a balance as we work hard and play hard toward our goal of excellence for the kingdom. I'm looking forward to both sides, knowing the rewards are far greater than we could imagine (but we certainly got a sneak peek as we saw over 600 people walked through a door!)

Question #1: (Getting to know each other) What do you consider "work", and what do you consider "play"?
For me, "work" would definitely involve math of some kind or a boring lecture by someone who doesn't care about what they are speaking about, and "play" would be anything surrounding words or stories. Lauren redefines the word "play" for me every day. That kid can make a game out of anything!

Question #2: Why do you think artists are often associated with being undisciplined? How would you argue either side of the debate?

Question #3: As we move forward with a more disciplined structure, what rewards do you anticipate for the team, the church, and the kingdom?

Great job, Lisa!

You go, girl. Get down with your baptized self! Let's all take some time to thank Lisa for tackling the meaningful monologue about baptism last weekend! And if you get a minute, e-mail Dan and tell him what a great job he did on the song! A great package to encourage people to take this awesome step!

If you missed the service, check it out online! www.gccwired.com

Hey, we've got a heap of great stuff coming up with the Office series, three feature medias and two live! If you're chomping at the bit to get in on the action, don't miss out on the shoot on the 20th. Log in to basecamp or click HERE and let me know if you're available!

Hungry for Feedback

Many of you have expressed an interest in honest feedback throughout the process. Solomon, one of the wisest men of all time, reiterated this:

"He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise." Proverbs 15:31

"Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted." Proverbs 27:5-6

I'm going to continue to keep it real this week. Throughout this new process, there will be lots of honest feedback. We'll be uncomfortable, a little frustrated perhaps, but always aware of the push towards excellence and the joy we caught a glimpse of as we saw people walk through the door this past weekend. I'm excited to see you eager for this honesty-- a far cry from my high school teaching days!

Let me just say how honored I am to be able to lead in the process. I'm scared, thrilled, and humbled at the thought a leading such a talented group of adults who are much wiser than I will ever be!

I'm soaking in the Leadership Summit this week as I prepare for this new phase of my life. Insane teenagers are one thing, but you are an intimidating crowd! But I'm trusting in the words of Carly Fiorina, a great female leader from the business world, who said "Many fears are stupid, but they're real. And everytime you overcome a fear, you get stronger. None of us can learn unless we're outside our comfort zones." ("Tough Choices" Interview 8/9/07) And if I could pick a group of people to venture out of my comfort zone with, it would be you guys!

There are many sides to being honest about where we are and where we are heading, and I saw them exemplified in three key speakers at the summit this week. Each one poses an interesting question for us to consider as a team. Let's problem-solve together:

1.) Marcus Buckingham reminds us to focus on our strengths because those are our biggest areas of potential growth. ("Now Discover Your Strengths"-great book)

Question #1: What are some of our areas of strength as a team and our effectivness in storytelling?


2.) Bill Hybels challenged us as leaders to create our vision as a team by addressing the issues honestly and openly, so we can own the vision together and continue to refine it in the years to come.("Vision to Die For" 8/9/07)

Question #2: What areas would you like to see improve in the next few years?


3.) Colin Powell said that a truly great leader always craves the knowledge of his team and is constantly open to challenge and discussion of ideas.

Question #3: What ideas do you have about the new structure? What's on your minds? Any issues you want to open up for discussion?

I'm waiting, listening, and eager. Feed me the feedback . . . .

Standing ovation from the team!

I don't know about you guys, but I was blown away by what Paul, David, Shelley, Deanna, and Dalene did this weekend! Also, thanks to Rebecca for helping in the writing process as well. An excellent, relevant, authentic arrow that pointed straight to the doorway of Christ. I even got to see one of my former students walk through the door!!! Take some time to give some online applause by leaving a comment below. Wow, they rocked!

Keepin' it Real

Hey guys!

Welcome to the GCC drama team hangout! Add this to your favorites or bookmarks so you can find it easily and come hang out with us. Be sure to browse the comments of other team members as you check in to add to the discussion. I will be posting weekly and looking forward to hearing some of your feedback as we take this journey together toward excellence, relevance and authenticity in our art.

Dual purpose of this blog:
1. Build Community
get to know, listen (well, read), support, encourage, lift each other up

2. Moving Forward
read and discuss some new and old ideas that will stretch our hearts,minds,and artistic skills so we can take steps together toward Christ and excellence in our artform

Question #1: What would you like add to the list of purposes?




Here are a few quotes to jump start our thinking:
"Authenticity is a powerful witness to the presence of God in our lives. It doesn't mean we're perfect. It means that we're real. It means we're honest about our imperfections and our struggles. We don't gloss over them and put on a happy Christian face to cover up our pain. We admit that we struggle . . . the arts excel at identifying with people's pain and ministering the truth of God's word with sensitivity . . .the arts speak to the heart. The arts make us more sensitive and tender to the voice of God . . . I believe God is trying to raise up a global community of Christian artists who are fully devoted to the lordship of Jesus Christ in their lives. My friend, if that's the desire of your heart, forsake all else and follow Him. He's calling us to play a major role in the church. What an honor. What a privilege. Oh, that we may be found trustworthy (1 Cor. 4:2)!"
Rory Noland, The Heart of the Artist

"Day by day our lives are woven into a giant narrative, and every moment we become more and more the story of who we are. We are stories. And we only connect with other people when we know their stories. The more intimate we are, the more our stories intertwine . . . and each one of those stories, each one of those people, mattered so much to the Author of Life that he left heaven and began the dreadful trek to the cross . . . The storyteller entered the tale. The author stepped onto the page. The poet whose very words had written the cosmos became part of the text of this world." Steven James, Story


"The Word became flesh and blood,
and moved into the neighborhood." John 1:14 (Msg)

I'm keepin' it real here guys, if we are truly going to come together as a team and bring some amazing art to the stage that points people to Christ, then we've got to have a place where we can be real and build eachother up. This blog is just a start.

Question #2: We all know Jesus was the king of keepin' it real. Do you have a favorite story from the Bible where Jesus modeled authenticity for us?




Our first meeting is coming up soon. We will be handing out books,taking headshots, and beginning our acting training.
ASSIGNMENT #1: Write a 1-2 minute monologue about a true story/experience from your life. It can be funny, meaningful, confusing, odd--anything goes, as long as it's real. These will be memorized and performed at our first meeting in August ( Monday the 27th 7-10pm). I will be performing one about my first kiss (try not to throw up) : ). Here are a few starter ideas:
-how I survived an embarrassing moment from childhood
-how I (or your child) learned an important life lesson the hard way
-why I think _________ should be ___________
-the truth about _____________
Please try to include some source of conflict (and don't feel like it has to be resolved. I'm a parent but that doesn't mean I've figured out how to be a great Mom yet.) You can use some small props like photos or knick knacks. For instance, Shelley could perform a monolgue about her love affair with coffee and hold a starbucks cup gingerly in her arms ... : )


If you have a personal blog, list it in the comments, and I'll add it to the links. Each of us has a beautiful story. Let's share our stories with eachother so we can tell better stories on stage to bring people to Christ. Thank you so much for committing your time and energy to this. God is already setting up the dominoes. We may not even know the scope of what our art will do in people's lives and for the kingdom this year, but I'm excited we get to do this together! See you the 27th!