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By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961
Hello Hello Hello! Welcome back to another weekly blog thespians. Today we have something special for you. We have taken the time to create our very own buzzfeed quiz! If you click the link below you'll be able to go through a series of questions to see which STO matches you best. Along with a full run down on what that means. Hope you have fun, and make sure to share your results with us in the comments and share the link! https://www.buzzfeed.com/texasthespians/which-2021-2022-texas-sto-are-you-4izxnu33hn?utm_source=dynamic&utm_campaign=bfsharecopy Catch you on the flipside, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers
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By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961
As actors, I’m sure we’ve all had to pantomime at one point. Whether it be because we forgot to bring a prop on or because we never had it to begin with, this type of performance is quite notable. Using only gestures or similar motions the art of pantomime was born. Pantomime was born in Commedia dell’Arte’. It was a type of entertainment in 16th century Italy that focused on using the body and music to tell stories. Soon these stories would begin to take place on stage in the 18th century. Some notable characters include: Harlequin, Scaramouche, and Pantaloon. Their stories were brought to life on London stages, all without speech, but with music. Harlequin was one of the most popular characters at the time. Being portrayed as a cunning merchant who wielded a magic bat, he was certainly quite loved by the public. It was then in 1732 when John Rich ( a famous Harlequin actor) built the Covent Garden Theatre. Even more changes would come about as we entered the 1840’s and the Theatres Act was lifted. This meant that theatres didn’t need a royal patent if they wanted to produce a play with dialogue. This even sparked some of its later popularity towards the end of the century amongst families. With 5 hour long productions opening up on boxing day, this became a form of entertainment that could capture the hearts of citizens on different levels. Pantomime has been a big part of theatre. Stemming from times when words were not available, they innovated and found new ways to keep telling stories. It’s honestly amazing seeing how this style of performance has survived for about 500 years. It’s definitely been fun seeing where it started, and it’s really interesting to see how it’ll continue to evolve. If this blog piqued your interest feel free to do some more research of your own! I’ll even help and provide a link down below. As always, thanks for reading! Best wishes, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers Source: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-story-of-pantomime#:~:text=Pantomime%20has%20its%20roots%20in,cast%20of%20mischievous%20stock%20characters.&text=Harlequinades%20were%20mimed%20with%20music,pantomime%20for%20around%20100%20years. By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961
Ahhh, Valentine's day. A day to celebrate and appreciate loved one’s, significant others, and even focus on yourself. Being able to put a smile on someone’s face by giving them chocolate, or even words of affirmation is surely one of the best feelings. So, it’s now your turn to help out by writing some fun letters, poems, or drawing… who knows what! Don’t worry, I’ve got some templates to help you out. Letter: Dear BLANK, I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate you. You’re such an (adjective ending in ing) person, so I thought it only right to tell you. We should buy each other some Texas Thespians merch to spoil ourselves. I just know you’re going to (verb) when you see it! -Sincerely, BLANK Poem: Nothing says I love you more than a good ole poem. How about we try our hands at a haiku? A haiku works as such: Five syllables in the 1st and 3rd line, and 7 syllables in the 2nd. Here’s an example one, feel free to do your own! You are amazing But Dusty is way cooler Duck supremacy Drawing: If you’re feeling a little artsy then you could sketch them something they like, or find funny. However, if you’re looking for something simple, a well drawn heart never hurt anyone. Hope that you have a wonderful valentine’s day. Have fun, eat as much chocolate as you want, and make sure to share your own examples with us in the comments! With lots of love, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Marisa Berrones, Midland High School, Troupe 3376  STO Elisa Pedraza Sanchez was a part of Troupe 5872, where she worked as a tech member and as an actress. She served 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: Having the opportunity to advocate for the arts Q: What is your favorite memory of being an STO? A: My favorite memory of being an STO was the Soctober meeting, when we finally got to meet each other! Q: What was your favorite musical then? What is it now? A: My favorite musical was Phantom of the Opera, it still is! Q: What did you learn as an STO that you still carry with you? A: I learned teamwork and how to rely on my team members. Q: If you could go back, what would you have done differently in high school? A: I would have taken more AP classes. Q: What would you have done differently in your troupe? A: I would’ve liked to be more involved in social media. Q: What would you have done differently as an STO? A: Nothing. As the 2020 board, we truly did our best to adapt to circumstances. I wish we could’ve had camp or at least another opportunity to say goodbye to everyone in person. Q: If you could send your troupe one message what would it be? A: Thank you for all the love and lessons you have taught me. I miss you already. Would you like to be like Elisa and represent Texas Thespians? Check out how to become an STO here! By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961
AHHHH. EEEEEEEEE. OOOOOOOOO. Oh, sorry about that. Was just doing some warm-ups to get ready for this blog. As you all know, warm-ups are essential to helping us ready our voices and bodies for a performance. So, in order to help you all be in peak condition, my fellow STO’s have provided some warm-up ideas. STO: Chloe McNeese Warm-up Name: Big Black Bear Tongue Twister Description/Words: A big black bear bit a big black bug and the big black bug bled blue blood. (Repeat x3) STO: Motewogbola ‘Tee’ Awobokun Warm-up Name: I Thought A Thought Description/Words: I thought a thought, but the thought I thought, wasn’t the thought I thought I thought STO: Folarin Oyeleye Warm-up Name: Ooo I Feel So Good Description/Words: (Everyone forms a circle then begins to walk around). Ooo, (clap) I feel so good. Ooo, (clap) I knew I would, Ooo I feel so good! (Then the person who is leading it will say: feel it like a blank. Now everyone starts again but doing it as the leader instructed. You keep going until you get bored). STO: Marisa Berrones Warm-up Name: Leading Exercise Description/Words: Walk around the stage and lead with different, isolated parts of the body. STO: Avery Martin Warm-up Name: Unique New York (articulation warm up) Description/Words: We say the phrase- Unique New York(x2), You know you need Unique New York, Unique(x2), New York(x2) STO: Bailey Crawford Warm-up Name: Say A Line Description/Words: Before each show, we all stand in a circle and we go around saying one of our lines. STO: Abi Colburn Warm-up Name: Peanut Butter Monday Description/Words: (Call and response) Peanut Butter Monday Today is Monday Peanut butter Monday, everybody happy Today is Tuesday Two piece Tuesday, peanut butter Monday, everybody happy Today is Wednesday Wild wild Wednesday, two piece Tuesday, peanut butter Monday, everybody happy Today is Thursday Finger lickin Thursday, wild wild Wednesday, two piece Tuesday, peanut butter Monday, everybody happy Today is Friday Pay day Friday, finger lickin Thursday, wild wild Wednesday, two piece Tuesday, peanut butter Monday, everybody happy Today is Saturday Party hard Saturday, pay day Friday, finger lickin Thursday, wild wild Wednesday, two piece Tuesday, peanut butter Monday, everybody happy Today is Sunday And on sundays we sleep in (Everyone together) Because we party hard Saturday, up day Friday, finger lickin Thursday, wild wild Wednesday, two piece Tuesday, peanut butter Monday, everybody happy So, we hope these are some fun little warm-ups you can take home to your troupe. Let us know if there are any familiar ones in the comments below, or better yet, share one of your own. Hope this list is of use to y’all. Thanks for reading, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961
Dusty's been having a great week so far. He's been feeling pretty good, and now he wants to share some of his highlights with you! Feel free to comment your own highlights down below! Tuesday: Wednesday it was quite rainy so Dusty had to stay indoors but that was no biggie for him. He made himself some tea and found a good play to read to pass the time. Once the temperature was just perfect, the room just dark enough (excluding the duck nightlight), and a nice blanket he was ready to binge. Friday: On Friday Dusty went to go swimming with his family at the lake. It's been awhile since he'd seen them so it was a nice chance to catch up. However, while playing some volleyball on the riverbend, his mom tripped and sprained her wing. Due to this Dusty had to cook for his family. With his vast culinary knowledge he whipped up the best salad his family ever tasted. But the most heartwarming part was the tear it brought to Mama Dusty when she saw how grown up her son was. Saturday: Saturday Dusty decided to go out to his friend , Ms. Morgan's, production of Shrek the musical. It was a bit of a drive since it was in Montgomery but to support arts education, and a good friend nothing was too bad. By the end of the show Dusty was tearing up applauding and was so proud of all the students. Through teary eyes he looked at Ms. Morgan and gave her the nod of approval. Overall this was a rather pleasant week for Dusty! Obviously not all weeks are like this but we can always strive to make them a little better. Here's to this week being a good one! Till next time, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Gentry Phillips, Springtown High School, Troupe 1494
Puppets might not be the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks of theatre, but puppets have played a vital role on stage and in film for decades now. The world of puppet theatre has come a long way since 3000 years ago, and I say it’s high time Texas Thespians gave it the recognition it deserves. Let's step back in time and learn just what puppet theatre is all about! Puppet theatre is a very impressive and time consuming form of stage art. As I said, puppetry goes back hundreds of centuries, and has branched out in many countries including but not limited to: China, Africa, Germany, Indonesia, and the United States! Each culture has brought their own unique spin on this impressive talent, and has contributed something to its history. With all this diversity, we cannot expect every puppet to look like a Muppet. There are many types of puppets used in theatre and they all function and look drastically different from one another. For example, Taiwanese puppetry relies on the puppeteers skill of moving the puppet in complicated motion to tell the story, while in India the puppet show might be made of shadows entirely. Puppet theatre has been used to tell many stories all throughout time. Originally it was very common to see these types of shows in churches or holy buildings to tell a story important to that culture's religion. Puppets were also used to tell stories of morality and other traditions. However as time and technology advanced, puppets were seen in many different places. During the 18th century, it was likely you would see puppets used in opera. After the Great Depression puppets started to appear widely in American television. Thus in the 1950’s the most well beloved and iconic puppets were created: The Muppets! All types of puppetry are still used today, in blockbuster movies and on physical stages. There is so much history to the world of this art that it was hard to pick and choose what I wanted to say in this blog. I encourage you to research further if you're interested! The world of puppet theatre is simply a spectacular one! Best wishes, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers Source: TheaterSeatStore Blog. 2022. History of Puppetry. [online] Available at: <https://www.theaterseatstore.com/blog/history-of-puppetry> [Accessed 16 January 2022]. By: STO Marisa Berrones, Midland High School, Troupe 3376  STO Jessica Pisana was a part of Troupe 7637, where she worked as a tech member who specialized in sound design. She served on the 2018 board when the theme was “Beyond Your Wildest Dreams” and 2019 when the theme was “Build”. She is currently a student studying education and human sciences.
Q: What was it that made you want to run to be an STO? A: There was an STO a year before me, Heather, and I was amazed by everything she was doing. It was so cool seeing the officers at festival! I knew I wanted to be a part of it. Also, because I feel theatre education is extremely important and wanted to help advocate for the arts. Q: What is your favorite memory of being an STO? A: My favorite memory of being an STO was the very last night of the 2019 festival. All the STOs were on stage dancing together just enjoying the last moments we knew we were all going to be together. I remember being overfilled with emotions because I was so proud of everything we accomplished that year. I never wanted that moment to end. Q: What was your favorite musical then? What is it now? A: My favorite musical then was the “Great Comet of 1812”. My favorite musical now is still the “Great Comet of 1812”, because it is the most amazing musical! Q: What did you learn as an STO that you still carry with you? A: I learned to take in every moment. Especially as an STO, time is very limited, so it really taught me to make memories on every occasion. Q: If you could go back, what would you have done differently in high school? A: I would have spent less time stressing and more time hanging out with the people I care about. Q: What would you have done differently in your troupe? A: I wish I would have made it more clear that I was there to support every one of them. Q: What would you have done differently as an STO? A: Especially my first year as in an STO, I would have tried to put myself out there more. I was too nervous to speak my opinion or show what I could offer. I know now that was so silly because everyone there was very supportive and kind. Q: If you could send your troupe one message what would it be? A: I would thank them for helping me meet my two best friends and showing me what friendship really means. I would thank Emma and Emily for being by my side through it all and still being there to support me. Finally, I would remind my troupe to always be inclusive. Would you like to be like Jess and represent Texas Thespians? Check out how to become an STO here! Happy New Year, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961
Happy soon to be holidays everyone! If you’re not in the mood for festivities then boy oh boy, we’ve got something to fix that. Our lovely STO and adult board has taken the time to regale some of their favorite holiday memories/traditions. All the way from the cold winds of Christmas/Hanukkah, to the . . . semi cold of Thanksgiving! Feel free to comment your favorite holiday along with your favorite memories! Adult: Nicole Morgan Favorite Holiday: Christmas Favorite Holiday Activity: Family gatherings with food and fun What You Look Forward to During the Holiday Season: All of the family and food and fun. STO: Maleah Favorite Holiday: Christmas Favorite Holiday Activity: Seeing Christmas lights and drinking hot chocolate. Family Tradition: Every Christmas Eve my family has a tradition of eating soup and sandwiches and watching “Elf”. STO: Gentry Favorite Holiday: Halloween Favorite Holiday Activity: Watching movies What You Want For Christmas: This year for Christmas I would like a film camera. STO: Karis Favorite Holiday: St. Patrick’s Day Favorite Holiday Activity: Making Christmas Cookies Fun Holiday Memory: Getting scared at scary houses while Trick or treating STO: Piper Favorite Holiday: Christmas Favorite Holiday Activity: Baking Holiday Desserts Fun Holiday Memory: Decorating for Christmas with my family! STO: Avery Favorite Holiday: Christmas Favorite Holiday Activity: Playing card games on Christmas day with my family Family Tradition: My sisters and I would always stay up watching the Santa tracker together as kids on Christmas Eve. STO: Brenna Favorite Holiday: Christmas Favorite Holiday Activity: Watching Christmas movies and eating cookies! Family Tradition: Every Christmas Eve we exchange secret Santa gifts and eat sandwiches on the living room floor! STO: Talya Favorite Holiday: Passover Favorite Holiday Activity: Looking for the Afikoman Fun Holiday Memory: Making Latkes on Hanukkah STO: Brooke Favorite Holiday: Halloween! Favorite Holiday Activity: Making a costume Favorite Holiday Memory: My favorite holiday memory is my dog, Atlas, trying to eat the wrapping paper!! STO: Marisa Favorite Holiday: Christmas Favorite Holiday Activity: Eating Fun Holiday Memory: One year we made this weird cinnamon roll thing that didn’t turn out the best but it was fun to make STO: Me! Folarin! Favorite Holiday: Christmas Favorite Holiday Activity: Eating all the food my mom and aunts cook Fun Holiday Memory: When my sister and I were younger, we would try to stay up till midnight to open our presents. I would always fall asleep first so one year she shot me with a nerf gun to help keep me awake lol. It's crazy to think that this will be our last blog of 2021! Thank you to everyone who has kept up with us. We hope y'all won't be too bored without your weekly blogs. See you all next year! Happy Holidays, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers By: STO Folarin Oyeleye, Foster High School, Troupe 7961
Hello my fellow thespians! I hope you’ve all had a restful break. I also hope you’re glad to receive your weekly blog. Now I know we usually talk about a wide array of topics, but today this isn’t us informing you on anything. Today, we’re checking up on you. We’re aware some students may be feeling stressed with maybe still completing make up work and it’s even harder considering we’re in finals season. However, we’re just here to tell y’all to take it easy when you need to. Just remember that if you are struggling, there are other theatre kids out there who get you, so take solace in that. Just do your best and remember to ask for help! Best of luck in your academics! Catch you later, Your 2021 Texas State Thespian Officers |
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