CHIP CHIP CHEROO!

“Mary and Bert introduce Jane and Michael Banks to the mysterious world of the chimney sweeps, who are essentially guardian angels. Mary tells them these guardians are always there when you need them, ready to step in...to step in...just in time.” -George Stiles   As a kid performing in local theatre, I always knew I was just biding my time by being onstage until I was old enough to do the two things I really wanted: direct and design sets. I get to do both now, designing the sets for most (though not all) of the shows I direct. For me, it’s essential to know where the actors will be and how things will look early in the process. I’ve also learned through my design classes to not always settle on the first solution you think of, but explore multiple options and come at it from different approaches. I’m glad I finally know how to design using software, because I’ve gone through a lot of scrap paper and sketches through the years.  One influence that is always present f...

Music... I think everyone’s first step when looking at a show is to track down the music and listen to it right? It is for me at least. When I’m preparing for a show I live with it non-stop from start (“Congrats, we’d like you to direct...”) until finish (closing night). Sometimes you only get one option to choose from, but in the case of shows like Gypsy or Fiddler on the Roof , there have been numerous recordings made, each with their own merits but usually we are looking for the “best”, and for directors and choreographers, the “most complete”. Many recordings will leave out dance breaks, have different lyrics, be in different keys, etc. and this is difficult if you’re using it as a resource to help envision or stage the show. How many times have you heard in the rehearsal “Oh, that’s different than the recording”. Yeah.... In some cases, multiple versions of a show’s music exist, but with different songs because no one recording is definitive...hence why I own four differ...

Research! When you decide to direct, audition for, or even attend a show, the MOST IMPORTANT THING you can do is research the material. Nothing annoys me more than hearing directors agree to shows they don’t know anything about, actors that audition for shows they don’t know anything about, and patrons who buy tickets for shows they don’t know anything about. (Not saying you need to know EVERYTHING, but have some clue about what you’re getting into).  Fortunately for Mary Poppins , research is about as easy as it gets! Most of you have probably already seen the original classic film (though the show is a bit different—more on that in a future post I’m sure).  There’s also Saving Mr. Banks , the story of Walt Disney’s tumultuous relationship with author PL Travers, and the hoops he had to jump through to gain her permission to adapt the stories. It’s just a theory of mine, but after seeing this film I think you see what motivated some of the changes made when the m...

Hi there! By day, I am a very old college student pursuing a second Bachelors Degree in Graphic Design with a minor in Social Media Marketing…yes, that is an actual thing you can major or minor in, or so they tell me. I guess it’s way more relevant than studying Latin these days, and it’s also not the strangest thing you can minor in at Bradley; they also have something called “Innovation Through Collaboration”. Picture being home on break and your grandparents ask what you are studying and you tell them “how to play with others”. At least you can look them in the eye when you say “I study Instagram”. They’ll get confused, they’ll back away and then you’ll have officially won the Thanksgiving round, only to rematch when you return home at Christmas and they ask you the same thing again. Anyways, by night I try to use my FIRST degree whenever I can by directing a lot of theatre at the community and collegiate level. Over the past 13 years I have accumulated 25 credits as directo...