|
By: STO Marisa Berrones, Midland High School, Troupe 3376 The STOs would love to say congratulations to all of the State Theatrical Design finalists. After so many amazing designs at State, it only makes sense to cover the elements that go into theatrical design! Costume Design When thinking about theatrical design, costuming is likely at the forefront of your mind. The show's actors come onto the stage and your eyes are drawn to the beautiful colors of the makeup, hair, and costumes. When watching the show you might not be thinking about everything that goes into costume design, but behind the scenes there are hours of work dedicated to making a show look the way it does. For example, when my company did The Beggar’s Opera it was a three-day process of getting ready. For a Saturday performance hair would be put into sponge rollers on Thursday, kept in all of Friday, and then brushed, teased, and lastly Got-2-B Glue-d for two hours on Saturday. If that wasn't enough, we also had to paint on tooth rot, put on layers and layers of petticoats, and cover everything in dirt. The getting ready part of a show can only happen after a color palette, styles, and scheme have been decided on.  Set Design Set design is another one of the first things you'll notice about a show's theatrical design. Whether it's at a fall performance or an OAP 7-Minute Set-Up, the set is there before any of the actors even are. While it may seem like a set can go up in minutes it takes weeks of construction and planning for a set design to be finished.  Marketing While what goes into making a show look fantastic is incredibly important! What would a show be without its audience? The best way to gain an audience for your show is to Market it, but the hard truth is, if marketing is not aesthetically appealing then it will not do its intended job. The marketing of a show typically will follow the same color palette and textures chosen for the costume design. It will include notable symbols from the show like the badger on the Puffs poster. Another way to market your show is by handing out little nick-knacks similar to items in your show. For example, when my school did Puffs in the fall we sold buttons similar to the ones that Cedric wore and felt badger flags to pass out at our homecoming parade!  With a now expanded knowledge of what the elements of theatrical design are you too can participate in your own company or even UIL Theatrical Design!
Get designing! Much luck, Your 2022 Texas State Thespian Officers
0 Comments
By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961
Today we travel overseas, so that we may familiarize ourselves with the elegance behind Japan's rich history in the theatre. There are three forms of traditional Japanese theatre: Kabuki, Noh, and Bunraku. However, today we’re only going to focus on the kabuki. So, I hope you’re comfortable before we jump back into Japan’s Edo period. During the late 16th century when Japan's warring period had begun to die down, people sought new ways to entertain themselves. This then gave birth to a certain style of dance known as the kabuki- odori. A woman known as Okuni bore costumes and surreal movements from the kabukimono to perform surreal acts for her audience. This would then lead to the popularization of this theatrical style. As time went on they incorporated instruments such as the shamisen (A three- stringed guitar that gained popularity throughout the region of Tokyo). Even the stages grew to be elaborate, as they’re littered with trap doors and revolving sets to add to the dramatics. This all adds to the resources they can use to tell their stories. With famous works such as: Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura, Benten Kozo, and Yotsuya Kaidan being notable for how the theatre can focus on historical tales, love stories, or tragedies. If reading so far has made you interested in visiting one of these plays then some spots of interest to visit would be the kabuki- za theatre in Tokyo or the Kyōto Shijo Minami- za in Kyoto. However, make sure you're ready for the long haul. Although kabuki plays like to focus on the most important parts of a story, these plays usually have about five acts. The Jo is the slow beginning. The Ha is acts 2-4 with a tragedy often occurring in the 3rd act. And the Kyu is the conclusion. I hope this has been as enlightening for you guy's as it was for me as I got to research this. As always, if you're interested in this topic feel free to do some research of your own and share some fun facts with us in the comments! Till next time, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers Source: https://www.kyuhoshi.com/traditional-japanese-theatre/ https://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/kabuki/en/history/history1.html By: STO Gentry Phillips, Springtown High School, Troupe 1494
I think it is safe to say that this UIL season has been jam packed with eventful and impactful shows! All across Texas for the past semester, students like you and me have been working tirelessly to put on these excellent productions, and have achieved many great things for our communities. Each STO would like to congratulate every thespian who participated in this UIL season on making such great art and devoting yourself to your craft. Thank you for putting on such great theatre! On a similar note, congratulations to all our state qualifiers! Your work definelity does not go unnoticed, and we appreciate each and every single cast member, crew member, administrator, and director who has put so much time and effort into these shows. Break a leg at state and represent Texas proud! If your show did not advance to state, never fret! The fact that you were able to put on a show and impact those around you in the first place is a feat in itself, and something to be very proud of! All art is excellent art if it makes you think, brings awareness to a topic, or reaches out to someone who needs it. UIL is a competition, but is also a celebration! Let's celebrate each other and the excellent community of artists we are a part of! With so much love, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Gentry Phillips, Springtown High School, Troupe 1494
I don’t know about you guys, but I love, love, love being sentimental! I think it is so nice and important to look back on an event or a time in our life that may have changed us into the people we are today. This is especially true with theatre! Theatre is one of the best ways to make valuable memories in high school, and it provides us with a lot more than just learning theatrical skills. Theatre is at its core about learning about yourself, the world you live in, and maintaining the skills to go and make your community a better place. Theatre teaches us to communicate! By working in companies with so many diverse individuals, you learn a lot about how to formulate one creation using many ideas. Communication in theatre allows not only for you to make excellent art, but makes way to give praise and express yourself in whatever way you see fit. Communication lets you and others be heard, whether you’re speaking for a cause or just giving your opinion. Communication paves the way for students like all of us to solve real world problems past graduation and makes it so that we are all prepared for what is next after high school. Theatre teaches individuality and self thinking! How boring this planet would be if we all thought the same thing, or all looked the exact same way! By being in theatre we have learned to express ourselves, and are not afraid to show who we are. Theatre has given us pride in being different! Also, theatre has proved a safe and fun community to celebrate all those differences in, and to share our unique talents and experiences with each other. Theatre teaches kindness, compassion, and positive attitudes. By being in theatre we have been exposed to so many different types of people, lifestyles, world events, and cultures. Regardless if we have seen these things first hand, or only through a show, we know that it’s real and are now able to reach out our hands and say “I’m here for you” or “I love you”. Being in theatre makes it so that the world is a little brighter for ourselves, and gives us the opportunity to make the world better for others. I could go on and on for pages about all the wonderful things that we have gained from theatre. It is something truly spectacular to be a part of. So, why not share it? Encourage your friends to audition for a show next year, or to attend an acting summer camp with you. Join a community theatre over the summer with a friend or group and have the time of your life! Share these experiences with someone you love, reach out a hand, you never know how bad they might need it. Much love and keep learning! Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961
Hello everyone, we’re back with another weekly blog. Now, I have a question for y’all. When you think about theatre, what is the image that pops up in your head? If you imagined a stage, lights, or blackbox, that's great but . . . Those answers aren’t what I was looking for. What I wanted you to imagine was our emblem for theatre, the sock and buskin (the happy and sad mask). Masques have been an important part of theatre for many decades now, so why not take a look into our theatrical history to gain a better understanding of them? To gain some insight into masques we must first go back to the heart of theatre, ancient greece! Masques were a nifty tool used by actors to not only play a multitude of roles, but to also convey a wide range of emotions. Due to the amphitheater being so spacious, the use of masques allowed for the audience to clearly see the emotions being expressed from the newfound visibility as opposed to the limitations of what an actor could do with just their face. However, this idea truly flourished with the prospect of stylized masques. These helped tell the audience the difference between who was a hero, villain, or other noteworthy character. With commedia dell’arte also incorporating this with notorious characters such as Capitano, Harlequin (go read our pantomime blog if you want more backstory on him) and his various compatriots. As for places throughout history you would see the implementation of masques, one would be at the English Banqueting House. In the 16th century it was very common for masque performances to be put on to celebrate special events. However, the death of Charles the 1st’s death and in fighting soon led to its demise until a later restoration. Now, for just one final tangent, let us look in depth as to the history of the sock and buskin. Dionysus the god of wine was usually depicted as having a masques, so in order to honor him his worshippers birthed masques. They were not only a distinction between the two genres of play (comedies/tragedies) but they were also a separation of human nature. That’s how the symbol came about, but the name’s origin is somewhat different. The sock and buskin names derived from the fact that comedies were identified by a soccus (a piece of footwear akin to a slipper) and a buskin (laced half-boot) for tragedies. Well, there you have it folks. A quick rundown as to the history and meaning of masques in theatre. I hope you had a good read, and as always, I encourage y’all to do further research if this is a subject that piques your interest. Best wishes, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers Source: https://costumes.lovetoknow.com/Theatre_Masks#:~:text=The%20tradition%20of%20theatre%20masks,but%20they%20are%20always%20evocative. https://anhistorianabouttown.com/the-history-of-masques/ https://www.brown.edu/about/history/timeline/sock-and-buskin-theater-company-founded By: STO Marisa Berrones, Midland High School, Troupe 3376  STO Campbell Lemons was a part of Troupe 7963, where she worked as an actress. She served on the 2019 board when the theme was “Build” and on the 2020 board when the theme was “Come One, Come All”. She is currently a freshman in college!
Q: What was it that made you want to run to be an STO? A: If I am being completely honest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I saw a post on Instagram about applications being open and I just went for it. Q: What is your favorite memory of being an STO? A: My favorite memory was opening Secret Pilgrim gifts at Festival in 2019, it was both hilarious and emotional. It was one of our last moments as a board and extremely memorable, to say the least. Q: What was your favorite musical then? What is it now? A: Then: Newsies Now: Waitress Q: What did you learn as an STO that you still carry with you? A: I learned it truly means to leave it better than you found it, and I try and focus on that in every endeavor. Q: If you could go back, what would you have done differently in high school? A: Focused on the little things that made the big events even better. Q: What would you have done differently in your troupe? A: I would have focused on creating a better environment for the underclassmen. Q: What would you have done differently as an STO? A: I’m not sure I would’ve done anything differently. Everything that happened, both years I was an STO, happened for a reason and lead us to grow together while becoming better leaders and people. Q: If you could send your troupe one message what would it be? A: Stay focused. Would you like to be like Campbell and represent Texas Thespians? Check out how to become an STO here! How to Educate Others During Theatre In Our Schools Month
By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961 Hello my fellow thespians! This has been quite the Theatre In Our Schools Month hasn’t it? This has been a great learning opportunity for others and I’m sure you want to share your knowledge with others. So today, I’m gonna teach you about the last letter of our S.A.U.C.E acronym: educate. So, education can mean a multitude of things. For some, it means to expand upon their own knowledge , and for others it means to act as a facilitator for learning of a particular subject. First, I’m going to tell you how to educate yourself, so that way you have the necessary tools to educate others. Step 1- One of the best ways to start educating yourself is by asking questions. When you formulate questions you filter between what you want to know vs what you already know, so this grants a good idea of where to steer future endeavors. You can ask questions to your directors or you could do some research on your own. But remember to cross reference your info to make sure you’re not getting incorrect facts. Step 2- Now that we know how to educate ourselves, let’s take a look at how to educate others. The most important part of teaching others is to be able to adapt to how other people learn. This way it doesn’t feel like you’re bombarding them with information. Next, you need to be constantly engaging with your cohort to make sure they’re keeping up with you. This is because sometimes the people you educate aren’t necessarily willing to learn, so you’ll need to put extra effort into working with them. The abilities and resilience gained through each step will soon help you learn to educate others about anything you’re passionate about. It’s important to keep educating others about theatre so that way they continue to understand our purpose, and how that purpose makes us essential to the community. It is now with great pleasure that I can say you have now completed the last lesson in your S.A.U.C.E acronyms. I hope you’ve enjoyed all we’ve taught, and can find the proper scenarios to apply these tactics. Happy Theatre In Our Schools Month, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Gentry Phillips, Springtown High School, Troupe 1494
Hope you all have been having a fun, safe, and productive Theatre In Our Schools Month! This week on the blog we are going to go over the next two letters of S.A.U.C.E: U standing for Understand and C standing for connect! Let's dive into how these topics are important and why they are vital not only in this month, but in general life as well. Let's start with Understand! When you’re cast in a show, what is the first job you try to accomplish? You focus on understanding your script, whether that be in an acting or technical sense. You want to get a good grasp on what your show is about so you know how to execute it well. The same type of analysis comes into play during TIOSM! You need to understand why you are advocating for theatre and why it is important to you personally and how it affects your community. When you have a good understanding of the facts, statistics, and your own personal opinions, you are better prepared to talk to others about it. When you understand what you’re talking about it is easier to teach others! Understanding could also help with the next letter of S.A.U.C.E., which is C for connect. Connecting and networking with others is so vital to advocacy. Big change comes from large groups of people, and while you are more than capable of making those changes happen it’s nice to have some helping hands. By connecting with others and understanding where they are coming from, no goal is too large for you to achieve. Working together makes the job easier, quicker, and a lot more fun! But, who should I reach out to and connect with? How do we all come to a similar understanding of each other and what we are trying to accomplish? Both of those are great questions. You should connect to people who have similar goals and interests. For example, say you’re trying to have your principal declare March as Theate In Our Schools Month for your high school. To achieve this, it would be beneficial to you to get together members of your theatre troupe or company to work together to get this done. By communicating and listening, we understand each other very well. Coming up with a common goal and working as a team makes sure that what you set out to do will indeed happen! You’ve got this! Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Marisa Berrones, Troupe 3376, Midland High School
Let's start off Theatre In Our Schools Month by going through the first two letters of S.A.U.C.E.: Social Media and Advocacy! We use social media for many hours each day, so it’s only fitting that we use it to our advantage. Let us explain why and how Advocacy and Social Media are so important to our cause. WHY DO WE ADVOCATE FOR THEATRE IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH? As a Texas Thespian it is our job to teach people about theatre and how it benefits our communities. Teaching about theatre can create better opportunities for students who may not have as many chances to do fine arts in middle school and high school. Having Theatre In Our Schools Month declared in cities across Texas allows for a better spread of that information, because we know not every school has a TIOSM. Advocating for March to be declared TIOSM may seem like a job for an STO, but everyone can do it! HOW CAN WE ADVOCATE FOR THEATRE IN OUR SCHOOLS MONTH? There are many ways to advocate for your city to declare Theatre In Our Schools Month such as, emailing your superintendent or mayor or meeting with your principal. One of the easiest ways to advocate, and get others to advocate with you, is by using social media! In this day and age most teens use some form of social media, which makes advocacy posts much more likely to be liked, commented on, or reposted. With that, elected officials and people of importance are also more likely to stumble across your online advocating. If you are new to advocacy and uncertain about making your own posts, the Texas Thespians Instagram page is always a great place to start! You can repost and share the many Theatre In Our Schools Month posts, while also learning about how to be a better advocate! Anything can be accomplished using apps like Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. These are all great resources to spread the word about TIOSM and many other interesting things about your department or fine arts program! While this all might seem a little daunting or scary, the STO’s have full faith that you can help us in our cause of getting Theatre In Our Schools Month declared state wide! After all, this important art should be shared with everyone across all four corners of Texas. In fact, it should be shared across all four corners of the world! Keep busy advocating, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Gentry Phillips, Springtown High School, Troupe 1494
It’s the time of year every thespian looks forward to … it’s Theatre In Our Schools Month! Theatre In Our Schools Month is a time to celebrate, and most importantly advocate, for the arts all around our state. It is a time to reach out and spread the word on why theatre is so important! We can each do that by using S.A.U.C.E., which is an acronym used to describe just what TIOSM is all about. We will be going further into what each letter stands for, but for now I’ll give you the preview. S stands for Social Media! Social media is a great way to connect with those around you. You can connect to people in your troupes or the troupes around you in order to celebrate and maybe even collectively get TIOSM declared for your city! A stands for Advocacy! Advocacy is a major part of Theatre In Our Schools Month. By advocating for theatre we can spread the word about how theatre has changed our lives and bettered our communities! U stands for Understand! In order to advocate we must understand why we are advocating in the first place. Understanding our cause better sets up the understanding for the people we are trying to reach. C stands for Connect! We need to connect with our peers and representatives in order to get the job done. By connecting and creating relationships we are able to make changes not only in March, but for months and years to come. E stands for Educate! To make a good chase to our representatives as to why theatre is important we need to know the facts. Educating ourselves and those around us is incredibly vital to advocating. This month is incredibly important and incredibly influential to theatre everywhere. Now go out there and advocate, collaborate, and educate! Happy TIOSM Texas Thespians, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers |
|
|