Introductory letter from Chelsie Thomas, student teacher

   Hello! My name is Chelsie Thomas, and I am Mr. Miller's student teacher until May, 4.  I am currently finishing up my MAT degree from Concordia University, and hold a BA in acting from Southern Oregon University.   I am also a local actor here in town.
     I have very much enjoyed my time here over the past six weeks, and am looking forward to teaching my work sample to the Advanced Acting students.  We will be working on a film acting unit.  Over the course of the next few weeks, the students will learn about the differences in technique between stage and film acting, how to create a character for film, a basic understanding of camera angles/shots, as well as the importance of consistency for film.  The students will have time in class to  work on their scenes; creating characters, marking scripts for consistency, filming, as well as editing through imovie.
     I look forward to seeing what the students create over the next few weeks!

  Sincerely,

Chelsie Thomas

Auditions: TeenWest Festival

Just a reminder, Trojan actors, auditions for this spring's collaboration with local group Playwrights West...the TeenWest Festival!

Auditions commence tomorrow at 330pm, and are by appointment. Remember to sign up on the callboard outside the Drama Room, and bring your signed audition form and headshot with you.

More information, copies of the draft scripts, audition packets, and forms are available at the show blog: pwteenwest.blogspot.com.  Come prepared, come strong, and have a great time!

J.

Acting 5/6 for 13/14

It is my honor to announce and congratulate the students who, by virtue of their auditions before the Panel and the combined scores of the professional theatre artists evaluating their efforts, have earned their way into the Acting 5/6 class…

…but first, a word to both the students who auditioned and made the group and the students who auditioned and did not make the group.  This year is an unusual one.  In a typical year, half of the students in the top-level acting class would be Seniors, many of whom had seen significant casting success in the afterschool shows, had directed OneActs, and assumed some level of leadership among their peers.  Given the strength and numbers of the current Senior class, these opportunities have been few for the underclassmen below them.  In addition, it is usually the case that even the underclassmen who earn their way into Acting 5/6 have served substantially in the afterschool shows as well; they know the work and self-discipline it takes to work a role through casting to performance in that environment.  This year, though the talent is equal, that overall experience is much less.

We have in the list below an exciting and energized group of actors, but one relatively unproven…and a sizable number of equally exciting actors who just missed the cut.  Some of the students in the list below have not taken upon themselves the mantle of leadership our current Seniors need to be able to hand off; that time is now.  Some of the students in the list below have not yet demonstrated the work ethic I expect from our best performers, but have delivered strong work; that time is now.  In many ways the list below is unproven versus the groups who have come before them, and presents for me some level of risk, placing them in a class where a significant amount of desire, dedication, self-discipline, and leadership are keys to success….

…but I believe.  So my final words are these: The following students are admitted into the Acting 5/6 class, but on a provisional basis.  Should the students on this list not finish this year as befits our highest level of actors, I reserve the right to open up their slot to audition in the upcoming school year.  I want these young men and women to stand up and step into the roles and expectations of our strongest acting students.  Participation, focus, and engagement in the work we do needs to stay at, or in some cases rise to, the level befitting this recognition.  So, congratulations on your fine work this week!  Now the real work begins…  

For those of you who did not make the group, many of you were very close, and it was in most cases that last bit of experience and work ethic that made the difference this time.  Keep working, build that experience, and know that there is another shot at the beginning of next year.  Congratulations to you as well…this was a very tough process, you’ve also earned recognition.

j.

Acting 5/6 Students for 13/14:

Aidan McCutchen

Alyssa Bell-Padgett

Calvin Porterfield

Camille Cote

Connor French

Daniel Crumrine

Grace Dills

Ian Sloan

Jack Dixon

Jenna Hillenbrand

Jessica O’Loughlin

Katie Winkleman

Kristina Peterson

Lindsay Spear

Luke Burton

Mattie Richardson

Michel Castillo

Noah Crumrine

Olivia Falls-Kulak

Sarah Murphy

Shayla Norris-York

Sommer Seeley

Sydney Yeargers

Zachary Johnsen

Zoe Stuckless

Going to State!

A huge congratulations to the members of the WHS Acting 5-6 class who, earlier this month, competed at the Oregon Thespians Regional Acting Competition.  We took 22 members of the class entered in categories ranging from Solo Musical to Group Acting, and beyond.

Five members of the class earned their way into the Oregon Thespians State Showcase Auditions, representing the best of what the State of Oregon has to offer in acting talent:
-Olivia Patton and Alyssa Bell-Padgett: Duet Musical
-Joseph Frontino, Stephanie Grenfell, & Francesca Fontana: Group Acting
They'll have the opportunity to perform their work for judges at the State Theatre Conference, where the top acts will then take their work to the mainstage for performance before the entire statewide conference!

Additionally, the following students were ranked as Regional Finalists, representing the top 20% of performers in each category:
-Alex Diaz-Hui: Solo Acting (Novice)
-Nathan Palmrose: Solo Musical
-Jenna Hillenbrand: Solo Acting (Novice)
-Joseph Frontino: Solo Acting (Experienced)
-Sarah Murphy: Solo Acting (Experienced)

Congrats, Actors!

j.

Boosters Christmas Tree Sale

We are partnering this year with the WHS Booster Club to raise money with the annual Christmas Tree Sale.  Boosters' biggest fundraiser of the year, the sale fills the coffers of this hard-working organization that supports so many of the sports and activities, us very much included, here on the WHS Campus.

Can you help?

We have four blocks of time where we've been asked to provide student AND adult support:
-12/1 from 245p-500p
-12/8 from 245p-500p and 500p-830p
-12/15 from 245p-500p (sensing a theme here?)

Please contact Maureen Berrie-Lawson (reeniebl@comcast.net) for sign-ups and more information!

See you there...

j.

Winter Show Info!

Good afternoon all!

Here we are, not even one class-week removed from closing a great run of 'On The Town'...and we're ready to start on our winter show! 

For those of you who didn't already know, we're doing Robin Hood, to be performed in February.  Auditions begin this Wednesday, Nov. 28th, prior to 8th Grade Family Night.  No monologues, no songs, nothing to prepare...just show up ready to experiment and work to your fullest, and above all have fun!

We'll see you at 330pm in the Drama Room (Rm. 108)!

j.

Proficiency Based Grading Outline

As WHS Theatre classes enter the world of proficiency-based grading, that is grading based solely on the skills demonstrated in class, I wanted to lay out a primer to how things will work, given how very different grading is in this format than what everyone is used to.

1) Not every proficiency category will be filled in.  Until I have evidence in hand as to a student's capabilities in each one, I won't enter a relative score. 
2) No category at anything less than full points is final.  Students will have many opportunities to demonstrate their abilities to achieve full proficiency in any category, and only once they've achieved it, will grades be finalized (save at the end of a grading period, for progress documentation).
3) Aid in understanding what the categories mean can be found in the document downloadable at left.  The students were introduced to this document in early October, and we've been easing into its usage.
4) Quarter grades are a glorified progress report.  As quarter grades do not register on a student's permanent transcript, I treat them as an additional progress report.  All grades can grow as students demonstrate greater skills in any proficiency, including the key components of Leadership and Professionalism...but likewise can any grade decrease as students demonstrate a lack of consistency.
5) But wait...didn't I say a full proficiency is locked into place once achieved?  Yes, save Leadership and Professionalism, as part of their assessment is, by nature, consistency over time.

This is a whole new world vs. other classes, so I anticipate some growing pains as we settle into it.  Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments!

j.

It's Time To Light The Lights (and Sell The Tickets)

It's finally here!  Our first show of the year, Leonard Bernstein's classic romp through New York City in the 1940's, On The Town, opens tomorrow night.  We couldn't have gotten here without the contributions of time and materials from too many people to mention...but from all of us at Wilson Drama, thank you!

Tickets are now on sale at wilsonthespians.blogspot.com and at the door.  Also available at the door, as some of you already know, are our Season Tickets!  Season Tickets are an easy way to plan ahead for the year's performances, and offer not only an efficient way to get tickets to our shows online, but also preferential seating...and the knowledge that you're supporting the work of these amazing students.

Season Tickets come in two forms: Standard, entitling you to one admission to each of our three shows this year; or Unlimited, entitling you to a single admission to as many performances of our three shows as you like (great for parents who know they're coming more than once!).  Prices are $35/$100 for adults (depending on whether you want a Standard or an Unlimited pass) or $25/$75 for students and educators, and we'll be selling Season Tickets at the door for On The Town through the end of the production. 

See you at the show!

j.

Welcome Veterans!

As part of our run of 'On The Town', this year's fall musical, we are giving back to the men and women in uniform who have served our country in its collective times of need.  The Matinee performance on Veterans' Day, Nov. 11th, will be free to all current and former service members!  Just join us on the day of performance and let the person at the box office know that you are a veteran (or currently serving) and we'll get you a pass to the show for the Matinee performance.  We are also finalizing details with a local veterans' service organization for awareness and donations at the performance...we hope to provide details very soon!

Regrettably, we don't have a mechanism through our online ticket seller for the free tickets, so they are strictly available at the door.  We have a very large auditorium, though, so seating shouldn't be a problem.  Please try to arrive early, as we anticipate a big response on this fun, classic musical, and we'd like to be able to serve each and every person through the door, Veteran or no, as best we can.

Thanks so much for your support of Wilson Drama, and we hope you have a wonderful time at the show!

j.

Ticket Sales Coming Soon!

For those of you who have seen our posters or the announcements in various Wilson HS publications, keep your browser turned here for advanced sale tickets for On The Town, our fall musical opening November 9th.  We'll have a link up a week out (Nov. 2nd) where you can get your tickets for this exciting American classic!  See you then...

j.

Desperately Seeking Instrumentalists:

Wilson Drama is already hard at work on this season’s musical offering, Leonard Bernstein’s On The Town.  We’ve got the cast, we’ve got the crew, what we don’t have are the talented instrumentalists to bring it home.

Do you play?  If so, we want you!  We’re looking for people to fill the following roles in our orchestra:

-Oboe (1)

-Clarinets (3)

-French Horns (2)

-Trumpets (3)

-Violins (2)

-Viola (1)

-Cello (1)

-Upright Bass (1)

Please contact WHS Band Director Nick Caldwell for more information! (ncaldwel@pps.net)

Thanks!

j.

Back to School Night

Tonight is Back to School Night!  This is your chance parents, guardians, and families, to touch base with all of here at Wilson about your student(s), a chance for us as teachers and coaches to put faces to names, and to generally connect.  I sincerely hope to see you all tonight.  Please got to the WHS website for more information.

j.

'In The Bag' Fundraiser

The Wilson Area Arts Council, a loyal and hardworking organization working on our behalf, as well as for all of the Wilson Cluster arts programs, is hosting its first fundraising event of the year!  This event helped us substantially last year, and I hope you'll be willing to either donate to, attend, or do both for these fine folks this year...donations should go to Erica Meyers here at WHS.

On The Town Auditions!

 For those of you who have been oh-so-curious about auditions for our upcoming musical ‘On The Town’, here are some things you need to know:

1) Dates:

            9/10 & 9/11 – General Auditions

            9/12 – Call Backs

            9/13 – TBD If Needed/Cast Posted If Not Needed

9/14 – Cast Posted, If 2^nd Call Back Needed/Scripts & Scores Picked Up from Miller

9/17 – Rehearsal #1

2) General Auditions Format:

            -Sign Up for an Audition Block Time (List Posted after Potluck on 9/7)

            -One Hour Audition Blocks –

                        -20 Minutes/Individual Music Auditions

                        -10 Minutes/Break or Time Overrun

                        -30 Minutes/Group Dance Audition

            -2-3 Audition Block per day 9/10 & 9/11 

-Individual Music Audition: Prepare 16-24 bars of a classic musical theatre song for your audition

3) Need to Knows:

          -Wear dance/movement type clothing (loose fitting or stretchy, athletic shoes or 

          none, no jeans, sandals, revealing/constricting clothing, etc.)

          -Have your sheet music clearly marked as to the section you are performing

          -Be prepared to stay for the entire hour of your Audition Block; your audition 

          doesn’t end after your song

          -Use any extra time after your vocal audition to stretch out for/prepare for your 

          dance audition

          -No advanced preparation necessary for the dance audition

          -Arrive early enough to fill out the audition form

          -Have as many specifics as possible re: your rehearsal and performance conflicts 

          to communicate with us

…Oh, and Have Fun!

J. Miller, Producer

Thespians Assemble!

As everyone heads out for what I hope is a great weekend, I want to invite you all up to the campus at 100pm on Tuesday, Sept. 4th.  We'll get together, talk about some important things in front of the department this year, and get our spaces ready for the onslaught of another year.

Let's kick the year off right!  Throw a comment up in response to this post if you can come, and I hope to see you all Tuesday!

j.

The Potluck, or Welcome Back Wilson!

Coming up this Friday, September 7th is our annual Welcome Back Potluck! 

For those of you who don't know, or don't remember, every year at this time we have an opportunity to get together, share some good food, meet back with others we haven't seen in a while, and here from the movers and shakers leading our group's major events.  Expect to hear from directors, Thespians, captains, etc. about the events that mean so much to you, and how to get yourself involved. 

This is a big year with some big offerings!  Join us on Friday in the Drama Room afterschool.  If you want to bring something to share, please check the Call Board outside the Drama Room for sign-ups. 

See you then!

j.

Advanced Acting Roster

Congratulations to the following students, whose Audition scores have qualified them for the

2012/2013 Acting 5-6/Advanced Acting Ensemble. 

Please sign next to your name on the callboard if you accept your placement, and your name will be given to Counselling for next year:

Sommer Seeley           

Jenna Hillenbrand           

Firenze Rodriguez           

Tristan Comella           

Alyssa Bell-Padgett           

Camille Cote           

Kristina Peterson           

Nick Diaz-Hui           

Kevin Zumwalt           

Connor French           

Jacob Heiteen           

Sarah Murphy           

Ryan Hewlett           

Jacob Weber           

Daniel Crumrine           

Francesca Fontana           

Joseph Frontino           

Stephanie Grenfell           

Alex Metz           

Jessica O’Laughlin           

Jacob Orr           

Nathan Palmrose           

Olivia Patton           

Lindsay Spear           

Jesse Turner           




j.

Delayed: Advanced Acting List

Due to a heck of a lot going on, and a minor bout of illness, I regret to say I've been unable to compile the Advanced Acting list from the panel auditions on Thursday. The list will be posted on this blog Monday evening by 1000pm and on Tuesday morning on the callboard. Thanks for your patience, and wonderful work! J.

Now On Sale - Hors d'Oeuvres, by Wade McIntyre

Opening next week, 2/16, is our winter production, Hors d'Ouevres, written by Wade McIntyre, directed by alum Evan Thomas ('07).  A witty, fast-paced comedy, Hors d'Oeuvres is a feast for the eyes and ears for anyone who appreciates the absurd nature of the world around us...as well as a good book.

Tickets are $10 General Admission, $8 for Students and Educators, and the show runs February 16-19 and 22-25.

For those of you looking for Shakespeare's The Tempest, we've had to adjust our performance calendar, bringing forward our spring production into February and delaying The Tempest until May.  We apologize for any confusion and hope you'll be able to join us for this tasty treat!

j.

Cancellation: Advanced Acting Showcase

Due to a number of conflicts, tonight's showcase of scenes from our upcoming trip to the Regional Acting Conference has been cancelled.

We all apologize for the late notice, and hope you'll all wish us well when we take the team to Southridge next week for competition.

Thanks to all for their love and support!

j.

Outside Viewings

It's that time of year for Wilson theatre students: Outside Viewings are coming due.  All students are required to go out into the world and see 1-2 (depending on their class) live productions and write a critique.  Those critiques are due February 1st on the students' flash drives.  Time is running out if the plays haven't been seen yet!  

j.

Regionals!

For those of in, or with students or friends in, the Advanced Acting/Acting 5-6 class this year, a major date on our calendar is coming very soon.

On February 4th, we're travelling to Southridge HS in Beaverton for the Northwest Regional Acting Conference.  The students will perform in a variety of musical and non-musical categories for both their peers and individual evaluators.  While ostensibly a competition (berths at the State Showcase auditions are decided here), this is more an opportunity for some of our finest actors to see the work done by their peers across the region, as well as practice their ability to perform in an audition setting.

Permission slips for the weekend field trip/event will be coming home on Friday.  These will need to be returned ASAP to me.  The students have opted for self-transport to and from the event, so I'll be looking for them to arrive in Beaverton no later than 815am on the 4th.

We'll keep everyone updated as to results, but more importantly for us, about the experience sharing what it is we do at Wilson with our friends and colleagues out there in the world.

j.

One Acts Perform

A big thank you to all of those who could make some time to join us for the Winter OneActs last week, here at Wilson.  An eclectic collection of short-plays directed, produced, teched, and performed exclusively by Wilson students, the OneActs never fail to entertain, and this year was no exception!

We'll be performing a second round of OneActs at the end of the spring, featuring the developing talent in our Freshmen and Sophomore classes onstage.  We'll keep everyone apprised of script submission dates, auditions, and other key info here on the Thespians blog.  Check back often!

j.

Advanced Acting Showcase

With the Regional Acting Conference coming very shortly, it is time to show everyone what we've been working on!

This Thursday, January 26th at 700pm the Advanced Acting/Acting 5-6 class will be presenting their competition pieces in a coffeehouse-style performance here at WHS.  We'll perform under the lights on the Drama Room stage, with our presenters showing off the work they'll be sharing with their fellow actors from around the region on February 4th.

This is a no-cost event...we just want to give these talented performers an audience opportunity ahead of the Conference.  Help us support these hard-working students!

j.

Welcome Back...

Though long forgotten, including by your friendly neighborhood drama teacher, the Wilson Thespians blog still exists!  Check back here for a slew of forthcoming posts about the things going on with Wilson Theatre, both in classes and afterschool.

Welcome back!

j.