Scheduling

Hey everyone!

So yes, we open two weeks from Thursday, but there's no reason to panic (only reason to WORK). I've revised our schedule and posted it below. Please take a look so we can discuss it Thursday. For all the afterschool rehearsals, I've listed the names of the people who need to be there. Please let me know if you're listed and can't make any of these times. Notice too that there are two non-A day rehearsals scheduled: one this Sunday and one on Thursday the 11th, which you have off from school. If your name is listed for these rehearsals, be there or let me know. Also, you'll see that EVERYONE is required for all the afterschool rehearsals the week of the show. Be there.

One last note: Memorization. As you can see, Monday the 8th, you need to be off book. There is no arguing this point. I am merciless. I would suggest that when we rehearse scenes 1 through 3 on Thursday though scenes be completely memorized so you have the weekend to make sure you've got your lines for 4 and 5. Don't get lazy or relaxed. If you think you've got your lines down, you're wrong. Lines need to be rehearsed each night even after you think you've memorized them completely, or they'll fade.

Excellent work so far. If you continue to work hard and we're able to stick to the schedule below, it's going to be a GREAT production.

Ian

Broughton Chalk Circle
Revised Schedule

1:30-4:30 Thursday, November 4th
In Class:
Discuss Schedule
Stage Prologue
Integrate Research into 1-3
Run Prologue - 3
After Class:
Stage 4.1, 4.6 (Phillip, Margaret, Alex, Taylor, Maura, Nick, Morgan, Ivy)

??? 1:30-4:30 Sunday, November 7th
First Half:
Stage 4.2, 4.3 (Margaret, Alex, Maura, Nick, Matt, Aaron, Dazhon, Vivian)
Second Half:
Stage 4.4, 4.5 (Margaret, Alex, Maura, Jacki, Lea, Adel, Dazhon, Hayley, Matt)

1:30-4:30 Monday, November 8th
In Class:
Off Book for All - All Props In
Run all of 4
Stage 5.1, 5.2
After Class:
Stage 5.3, 5.4, 5.5 (Julian, Adel, Morgan, Nick, Ivy, Aaron, Maura, Jacki, Alex, Hayley, Taylor, Kendall)
Meet with Tech (set cues)

1:30-4:30 Wednesday, November 10th
In Class:
Run all of 5
After Class:
Run 4-5 (ALL)

?? 3:00-6:00 Thursday, November 11th
First Half:
Run Show (ALL)
Second Half:
Polish as Needed (ALL)

1:30-5:00 Monday, November 15th
In Class:
Run show
Polish as necessary
After Class:
Run in space (ALL)
Run cues

3:00-6:00 Tuesday, November 16th
After Class:
Run in space (ALL)
Run cues

1:30-5:00 Wednesday, November 17th
In Class:
Run show
Polish as necessary
After Class:
Run in space (ALL)
Run cues

6:00 Thursday, November 18th
OPENING NIGHT

Research List

Heya everyone, great work thus far. For the IB kids, here's that listing of the research we currently have and the categories it falls into:

WAR
Revolutionaries mural
Stephen Crane poem War is Kind
70,000 Sudanese Dead
Justification for Iraq war
Vietnam photo
Quote on Fearlessness
Shel Silverstein poem The Generals

POVERTY
Beggar/Soldiers picture
Jacki Taylor poem Eyes Don't Lie
Article "Poverty Pimps Poem"
Definitions of poverty
Proverbs 29:7
Proverbs 16:8
Anononymous quote on wealth

JUSTICE
Solomon picture
Theatre of the Oppressed notes
Isaiah 42:3
Justice survey results
Headline: Justice Considers Executions
Headline from 1891
Psalm 37:1
MLK quote
Justice League image

STORY
Guitarist image (Lavrent's house?)
Phillip Larkin poem
Mother/Baby image

OTHER
Divorce rates
Endless Enigma image
Peter Storey on South Africa quote
Shel Silverstein poem They Put A Brassire on the Camel

In addition to all this, we've got a ton of songs, which I'm sifting through now.

Ian

Brechtian Acting Style

Great work yesterday everyone! A couple concerns that were mentioned to me yesterday I'd like to address here. First of all, people seemed confused about how they should perform characters in Brecht. There was some fear that, because in Brecht actors don't try to hide the fact that they're actors, that the text would be presented in an unemotional monotone. This isn't the case at all! Brecht didn't want to bore the audience, he just didn't want actors to try to be "realistic." He believed we shouldn't try to fool audience members into thinking that they were watching real people on stage (because he didn't think they'd be fooled anyway, no matter how good the acting was), but instead to say to the audience "Ok, we're going to pretend to be these characters, and everyone knows we're pretending, so lets have fun with it." That sense of fun is incredibly important in Brecht. The text should be delivered with great energy. Many of the characters (the Fat Prince, the Governors Wife, the Corporal) require over the top characterizations, almost like a cartoon. This is because Chalk Circle is, among other things, a satire, underlining the problems of society by exaggerating them. Those characters are written to be monstrous, and should be played with mounstrous abandon, because it's in that sort of overstatment that we see just how awful their counterparts in reality can be.

Ian

Brechtian Acting Style

Great work yesterday everyone! A couple concerns that were mentioned to me yesterday I'd like to address here. First of all, people seemed confused about how they should perform characters in Brecht. There was some fear that, because in Brecht actors don't try to hide the fact that they're actors, that the text would be presented in an unemotional monotone. This isn't the case at all! Brecht didn't want to bore the audience, he just didn't want actors to try to be "realistic." He believed we shouldn't try to fool audience members into thinking that they were watching real people on stage (because he didn't think they'd be fooled anyway, no matter how good the acting was), but instead to say to the audience "Ok, we're going to pretend to be these characters, and everyone knows we're pretending, so lets have fun with it." That sense of fun is incredibly important in Brecht. The text should be delivered with great energy. Many of the characters (the Fat Prince, the Governors Wife, the Corporal) require over the top characterizations, almost like a cartoon. This is because Chalk Circle is, among other things, a satire, underlining the problems of society by exaggerating them. Those characters are written to be monstrous, and should be played with mounstrous abandon, because it's in that sort of overstatment that we see just how awful their counterparts in reality can be.

Ian

Hayley!!

Hey! I think I am officially the very last person to actually get onto the blog site. So far, so good! Anyway, Caucasian Chalk Circle..."how can I describe" Caucasian Chalk circle? This play is definitely something quite different to what I am used to. Crazy stories that jump from one place to another and make no sense whatsoever! AH! But...So far, I'm enjoying the experience to learn about these types of plays. I'm sure this won't be my last crazy love poetry-baby abandoning-in the middle of a war-PLAY that I'll do! Ian has been a great help to the class and I feel extremely fortunate that we have him to lean on during this play.
I've looked at the cast and the schedule and nothing is conflicting. I have to work Mon., Wed., Fri. (5pm-10pm) and Sat. the day shift. I hope this play really works out! No wait...I KNOW IT WILL!
-Hays

Morgan

Finally! Im on Blogger ...well kind of under Ian's name!!! I hope this play turns out well... I had so much trouble trying to cast scene 2... even though it has like 3 people in it ... finding the perfect grusha was a bit of a challenge. I didnt want to reuse characters- I tried to think of people whom I was sure of their ability and that would contribute to the ensemble... I did like hearing people read for the different roles. The whole Brechtian Theatre concept as a whole I'm not sure if I understand... all I really got was that it was different from realism... I'm unsure about the whole.. different people playing differnt characters in every scene- I've never done it before...so I'm not sure how it'll look... I understand the concept of it in respect to Brechtian theatre...but my main concern is the audience? Will they walk away from the play completely unable to focus on the play's message as a whole bcs their concentrated on the character changes?? I hope so.... I really hope my schedule doesnt become a hurdle in this production ... I know I am somewhat flexible mondays and wednesdays I have dance afterschool but that doesnt start until 3:10... but tues. and thurs. I have to work... right afterschool... so i'm wandering about playing the roles of semi-major characters....

Chalk Circle Cast

Heya! So below is the cast breakdown for each of the sections of the play. Go through, see who you're playing. Everyone is playing multiple roles, and we've divided the major roles up among the sections to achieve that Brechtian sense of ensemble (for example, we've a different Grusha in each section!). Once you've found out what you're playing when, go to the beat breakdown that's further down on the blog page and check what beats your character is in. THEN, check the schedule that's posted on the blog and see what days and times those beats rehearse. Let me know if you have conflicts. Also, everyone be ready on Tuesday to share the research you've found (everyone needs at least one thing, be it an article, a poem, a song, an image, something that they've found that relates to the themes in Chalk Circle.

Ian

Cast Breakdown for 1 The Noble Child:
(Beggars Various Ensemble)
(Ironshirts Various Ensemble)
(Servants:
Maro Margaret Stoner
Cook Lea Clayton
Groom Cayla Dumont
Fat Woman Morgan Hinton
Young Woman Irina Shumilova
Older Woman Kendall Christian)
(Architects
First Taylor Bobbit
Second Vivian Preston
Third Dazhon Jones )
Singer Julian Hayes
Fat Prince Matt Fennell
Governor Nick Wilis
Wife Adeke Olmstead
Doc. 1 Maura Leonard
Doc. 2 Jacki Taylor
Adjutant Alex Davis
Rider Hayley Weaver
Grusha Ivy Shaw
Simon Aaaron O'Neil

Cast Breakdown for 2 Journey into the Northern Mountains:
(Ironshirts:
Corporal Aaron O'Neil
Soldier Vivian Preston)
Singer Jacki Taylor
Grusha Hayley Weaver
Old Man Taylor Bobbit
Peasant Woman Margaret Stoner
Peasant Dazhon Jones


Cast Breakdown for 3 In the Northern Mountains:
(Ironshirts
First Lea Clayton
Second Dazhon Jones),
(Mourners:
Woman 1 Kendall Christian
Another Woman Irina Shumilova
Peasant 1 Cayla Dumont
Man Nick Wilis)
Singer Morgan Hinton
Grusha Jacki Taylor
Lavrenti Margaret Stoner
Ankio Julian Hayes
Mother-in-Law Adele Olmstead
Monk Aaron O'Neil
Sick Peasant Matt Fennell
Big Boy / Girl Ivy Shaw
Fat Boy / Michael Maura Leonard
Simon Alex Davis


Cast Breakdown for 4 The Story of the Judge:
(Ironshirts
First Aaron O'Neil
Second Dazhon Jones
Third Vivian Preston)
(Farmers
First Cayla Dumont
Second Irina Shumilova
Third Kendall Christian)
Singer Margaret Stoner
Azdak Alex Davis
Old Man Taylor Bobbit
Shauwa Maura Leonard
Fat Prince Nick Wilis
Nephew Matt Fennell
Invalid Jacki Taylor
Doctor Lea Clayton
Limping Man Adel Olmstead
Blackmailer Dazhon Jones
Old Woman Hayley Weaver
Bandit Matt Fennell
WifeMorgan Hinton
Adjutant Ivy Shaw


Cast Breakdown for 5 The Chalk Circle:
(Ironshirts:
Corporal Matt Fennell
Others Lea Clayton, Dazhon Jones)
(Farmers
First Cayla Dumont
Second Irina Shumilova
Third Kendall Christian)
Singer Julian Hayes
Michael Margaret Stoner
Cook Adel Olmstead
Grusha Morgan Hinton
Simon Nick Wilis
Wife Ivy Shaw
Adjutant Aaron O'Neil
Lawyer 1 Maura Leonard
Lawyer 2 Jacki Taylor
Rider Vivian Preston
Azdak Alex Davis
Shauwa Hayley Weaver
Old Man Taylor Bobbit
Old Woman Kendall Christian

Chalk it up!

The Caucasian Chalk Circle looks as though it will be a very interesting experience. Reading the play in class made the play easier to understand and more interesting. I do admit that I was skeptical at first with the play because of how different it was from everything I've ever done and because of the cracks at Christianity that it does take. However, now that I understand the play better(thanks to Ian's comment on Margaret's question) I am more willing to work on it. Producing this play will be one of our toughest challenges we will face this year, but if we work as a group and are strongly committed to this, I think we can make this play a success. I look forward to working on this play for the next few weeks and hope that everyone has a lot of fun with it.

Julian(Using Ian's sn to type this until mine works)

Religion in the Chalk Circle

Ok, so there have been some questions about the portrayal of religion in Chalk Circle, so here's my take on it:

I don't think Brecht is criticising faith or God, any more than he's criticising justice and fairness. What he's criticising are the institutions that do un-godly things in the name of religion, or unjust things in the name of the law. He's pointing out, throughout the whole play, that we should care about the SPIRIT of the law rather than the LETTER of the law, the SOUL of a church rather than the WORDS alone.
The Governor's Wife is, in the letter of the law, Michael's mother, but she's an unmotherly creature, and the child deserves to be Grusha because she has the spirit of motherliness, even though she has not blood or legal tie to the child. Similarly, Azdak technically breaks the law, accepting bribes, ignoring evidence, etc, but he does this because the institution of the legal system has grown unfair, and it's only by breaking the law that fairness can be reached. Just so with religion. Far from blaspheming, Brecht suggests that real godliness and "Christian" behavior does exist and should be treasured (like Grusha's saving the child in the face of personal danger), but we must be wary of those people (like the drunken monk and "religious" Aniko) who use religion as an excuse for very un-Christian behavior, just as other characters use the law as an excuse for unjust behavior.
That's my reading, what does everyone else think?

Ian