For the past month or so, my school’s theater program has been working on the winter play- Misery by Stephen King. While I wasn’t involved in the play- either tech or acting wise- I did go see it recently and I really enjoyed it!
Misery is a play about an author named Paul Sheldon, who is famous for his Misery series, and his “number 1 fan”, Annie Wilkes. As Paul is driving back to New York, a storm hits and he is luckily saved by Annie. However, as he recovers, he starts to see the true side of Annie-someone who is prone to dangerous mood swings and wants him to stay with her forever. The play ends with Paul eventually killing Annie to make it back to his life as an author. However, she keeps haunting him, telling him how she’s his “number 1 fan”.
I loved watching the play, especially with how well done the tech was, especially the set and lighting!
Our theater program has been working on creating an adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire for the past 2 months. I’ve been on tech, specifically lighting- working on focusing lights, building an LED sign, wiring lights together, and so much more. Other departments were tasked with as much, if not more work-set built a platform and a balcony, scenic painted said platform, costumes sewed and bought outfits for everyone (and as the main characters each had a new costume or costume piece per scene, there was a lot to do), props provided the handheld items, and sound found and assembled what was needed for the show. It took all of us working together to create something as amazing as we did.
We performed the last two weekends- the 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th. Adding on to these scheduled evening shows, we added on an afternoon show on both Wednesday and Friday. All of our shows were sold out which was amaing!
It was really cool to be able to see the show come together. As I was on tech, I never really got to see what the actors did and vice versa. I remember the first time we got the actors to practice on the actual stage and the way that the play started to come to life then. We were able to go from just an idea on paper to a real life set and show, which was an incredible rewarding process
Our original set plan- we designed our set based off of this plan.
Recently, on Tuesday, we had our strike, which was when all the set was “knocked down” and taken down. For me, on lighting, this involved removing LED tape, taking down our fluorescents, taking down the sidelights (lights that shone from the wings of the stage) from the trusses, then removing the trusses themself. Other jobs included removing our balcony, removing the tarp and dirt from the stage, and organizing the piles of wood, tape, and nails. Currently, the stage is almost restored to its original look.
I definitely enjoyed my experience with theater this year and I definitely hope to continue in the coming years of high school!
Recently, I went to go see a musical based on the first Percy Jackson book- The Lightning Thief. As you may know, I’m a huge fan of Percy Jackson and Greek mythology by extension, so I was really excited to see how this musical turned out. I’d already listened to the songs, so I knew most of it, and as I’d read the book before, I knew how the plot was going to turn out. Still, I was incredibly excited to see how it would be interpreted.
I really enjoyed the set and how, while the overall pieces and elements were the same, a simple change of banners or how the set pieces were placed could change the vibe of a scene and show a different setting (and obviously the lights helped with this too). Even though there was a smaller cast, I loved getting to see all the characters and their costumes for each character. Some of my favorite characters were Grover/Mr. D as well as Annabeth. They portrayed their characters really well and I enjoyed it all!
While it was a smaller scale production, I still really enjoyed how the scenes in the book leapt off the pages to be seen in real life. I especially enjoyed how some lines from the book were taken word for word, and it was so much fun to recognize these lines!
Recently, I went to see a new musical, Chicago. This added to the collection of musicals I’ve seen and (spoiler alert) that list is only going to grow this year.
I really enjoyed this musical, especially the music. The music set the scene incredibly well and I also loved how the conductor was involved in the story line at times. The choreography was also done incredibly well and you could tell the actors were thoroughly involved in the musical. I found the set interesting, as it was only a blank stage, with the occasional prop of a chair or two.
The musical was based on a play made in 1926, about the corruption in Chicago. The original play was based off of real criminals and real stories. The musical features Velma and Roxie, two women who have both ended up in jail. Velma’s famous and she’s been in the papers a lot, so when Roxie takes her spot, she’s upset. Again, I loved the songs and the choreography and the way the musical flowed. It was amazing to watch!
Have you been to see any musicals? Which ones are your favorites?
I recently got to see Six: The Musical. I’d been listening to the songs for quite a while and I always enjoyed thinking about what the inperson version might sound like and so when their tour started, I had to go. It was such a fun experience and I enjoyed it a lot!
Six is about the 6 wives of Henry the 8th and how they each had their lives ruined because of the king. Each of the queens (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr) had their own song in which they proved exactly how horrible their lives were because of one man.
Two of them were divorced (Catherine of Aragon and Anna of Cleves), two of them were beheaded (Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard), one died of natural causes (Jane Seymour), and one survived (Catherine Parr). All of them were torn away from their lives and forced to be with Henry, whether they wanted it, like Jane, or not, like Catherine Parr.
The set for Six was pretty simple, with no specific setting, only a moment in time for all the Queens to be together. However, while the set wasn’t specific, the lights definitely were. They matched perfectly to the songs playing and truly elevated the whole set. The costumes were also amazing. They were elaborate and shone under the lights. Each costume also catered to the character’s role well.
Have you seen any musicals? What are your favorites?
I know I recently published a blog about my experiences in theater and a recent musical I went to, but I wanted to elaborate more on a specific year of theater.
This year, I was chosen for UIL theater, a class with 20 students who each have a special passion for theater. For some of us, it’s the acting, while for others it’s directing or backstage work. It’s a tightknit class and on the 3rd and 5th, we got to perform the play we spent 2 months working on. It wasn’t perfect, but we were ok with that! We still had a lot of fun and learned valuable lessons from it. Our theater teacher has promised that for our next play, in the spring, we’ll get even more time to work on it, meaning we’ll have an even better play.
Here’s a short poem I wrote about my UIL theater experiences so far.
Circle up, circle up A routine we know so well Set the set, markings clear Circle up once again
Places, places We know exactly what to do Get ready to head on stage And make sure you just be you
Lines, lines Etched into the brain so deep No doubt about what comes next We could do this in our sleep
Curtain, curtain The play is now done Strike the set, put it away Could we have won?
Waiting, waiting Holding hands, scared Hold our breath as they call out names Four people from our school won medals, they declared
Laughing, laughing Packing up our stuff We might not have won, but we had fun And that is always enough.
I really enjoy theater! It’s a relatively new interest, one that I got into in 6th grade. When I was making the course selections for my first year at middle school, I picked theater as it seemed interesting. Unfortunately, I was fully virtual that year, meaning I didn’t get the full experience of theater. Next year through, for 7th grade, I picked theater once more and was actually able to witness it in person. I really enjoyed that year and it made me really fall in love with theater. Some of my favorite experiences that year were learning about improv and writing our own play. In groups, we had to write our own 3 scene murder mystery. I worked with some of my closest friends to come up with our play and performing it was incredibly rewarding. This year, 8th grade, I’m currently in UIL theater, where we have a competition coming up in November and a performance in the spring. I am currently working on both production and acting. In production, I am in the set and lighting crew, where we design all the sets and the lighting needed for them. I’m also part of the chorus of the play and play as a minor, but important character. I’m also taking a part of theater classes at a theater. These classes are also lead by a musical theater school. I hope to continue learning about theater and hopefully take it during high school!
I also got to see Hadestown recently! It was such an amazing experience, especially for someone like me who loves Greek Mythology. The story of Hadestown is based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, who were two lovers. When one day Eurydice died, Orpheus was overcome with grief and set out to the Underworld to find her and bring her back. There, he made a deal with Hades. He could walk out of the Underworld with Eurydice following him, but if he turned to look back for even a second, she would be gone. He couldn’t see or hear her, but he had to trust her, himself, and Hades. Orpheus made it out most of the way, but at the last second, right when daylight broke through the Underworld, he turned to look. And the last thing he saw was her slipping away. This musical took that story and reimagined it in a brilliant and fun way. I loved the portrayal of the characters, especially Persephone, goddess of spring and the Underworld, and the Fates, three women who controlled your life. The costuming choices were brilliant, as were the lighting choices. The thing that dazzled me the most though, was the set. The set was intricately made, with two main levels, a spiraling staircase leading up to the top one. Some of the orchestra sat on the stage itself, giving it a very close and cozy feeling. The props used were magnificent and overall, it was a great show that I really enjoyed!
Have you seen any musicals or plays? What are some of your favorite?
Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf I really enjoyed this book! The last time Najwa went to a Scrabble tournament, her best friend, Trina died. Now, she’s finally worked up the courage to go again. But when Trina’s Instagram starts loading with new posts and someone pretending to be Trina messages Najwa, she knows she has to solve the mystery of who killed Trina. This was such an amazing book and I really enjoyed it. The plot was amazing and the mystery was well-written.
Just Roll With It by Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie This book was so amazing. Maggie is starting middle school this year. She’s so nervous about the school year and it doesn’t help that there’s a monster in the lawn that none of the adults seem to see. She’s also had a hard time making decisions, but her lucky dice helps with that. I loved Maggie’s journey and the illustrations were so cute. There’s also a ton of diversity, which makes this book a great read.
Twelfth by Janet Key I loved this book so much. Maren is sure she won’t enjoy theater camp, or anything connected to her sister again. But as she goes through the camp and meets new people, she gets drawn up into the search of a diamond ring. With her friends by her side, she goes through a scavenger hunt-like puzzle, with clues alluding to the camp’s play-Twelfth Night. I really enjoyed the story and the mystery that was told along with it. It’s such a diverse and beautiful story and I enjoyed it a lot.
One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus This is a really amazing book. Simon, the owner of the biggest gossip blog in their school, died in detention because of peanut oil coating his cup. There were only four people who could have done it- Bronwyn, Addy, Nate, or Cooper. All of them were in detention for something they didn’t do and Simon planned to publish an entry about all of them the next day. So, it had to be one of them. But as they tell their stories, it becomes clear. There’s another part to this mystery. This book was so well-written and I can’t wait to continue the series.
The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams by Mindy Thompson This book was absolutely amazing. Poppy’s family owns one of the many magical bookstores, created to keep the Light in favor and the Dark out. But when her brother’s best friend dies in war, it creates an open door for the Dark to come in. Soon, he’s corrupted, changing everything in Poppy’s life as she discovers secrets and new stories. This was such a great book and I totally loved the plot and the characters.
Recently, I was able to watch Hamilton. It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it a lot. I hadn’t watched Hamilton before, so it was a first time experience that I loved.
I really enjoyed the diverse cast and how we got to see so many people of different races playing the characters. Main characters, like Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, George Washington, and Angelica Schuyler, were played by diverse actors and I enjoyed that.
The songs were also so beautiful and I loved how they all embodied the character(s) who sung them. Some examples were Burn (sung by Eliza) and Satisfied (sung by Angelica and Alexander).
Another thing which I found really interesting was how the same set was used for all the scenes. Unlike other musicals which I’ve seen before, the set was the same, though the characters did transition from place to place. I also thought the way that the set was built was unique and spectacular.
During the quarantine, I am spending a lot more time with my family. Board games are really fun to play (even if some of them are a bit long). They bring my family together and we can spend a lot of time laughing over these games. These are some of my favorite fun driven games. I do play some strategy board games like Photosynthesis and 7 Wonders, though.
Telestrations:
This is a drawing/writing version of the classic game, Telephone. This game relies on your artistic ability and your interpretive ability (don’t worry, the worse you draw, the funnier it is). Keep passing your board until you end up with yours. My family’s favorite part about this game was when we shared how our first word had evolved into something totally different. I was always in fits of laughter during this game and I definitely recommend it.
Double Ditto:
This game is perfect for all ages. Try to choose the same answers as your opponents and score a “double ditto”! Before the time is up, you should have written 2 answers for a topic which you think everyone else would write. My family’s favorite part about this game is when we compare the answers and see how alike we thought.
Imagine:
This game challenges how you describe a job, an object, a movie, and many more. With the transparent cards that are included, you get to act out something that you choose. My family’s favorite part was when we tried very hard to get it but to no avail.
Sushi Go!:
This game is very fun and easy. You’ll start collecting cards and trying to score the most points quickly. This game has 3 rounds and is very enjoyable. My family’s favorite part about this game is when we compare and hand out the points accordingly. Another fun thing about the game is the types of food. There are nigiris, puddings, sashimis and so much more!
These are some of my favorite games to play. What are yours?
