Thank you for taking the time to click on the McAuley Drama blog, no matter if this is you first for twenty-first time. I’m glad you’re here! September 10 is recognized as World Suicide Prevention Day and McAuley’s Fearless Initiative launched a social media craze to bring it some attention. They challenged us to post a photo with a caption including #whyistay and an elaboration of what that looks like to us. As this topic grows in imperativeness for our ever-changing world, I felt even more called to reflect on this. Thankfully, this blog gives me an outlet to express some of these really important ideas. Buckle up, because you are here for a special, McDrama-edition of why I stay. Before I head into that though, I want to remind you of something that is resounding with importance: you. You are incredibly important and it is a miracle that you are here. Thank you for overcoming the days and weeks and months that pushed you to your limits; I hope that you have grown from them and are now better equipped to face the world today. Congrats on being who you are; no one else can replace your vibrant personality and unmistakable presence in the lives of people you encounter. You are meant to be here and you are so very loved. I’m glad you stay.
McDrama has sowed in my heart, a ton of reasons to stay. I can't possible condense them all in a few lines in this post but I am going to give it my best shot. I stay for…
Ally Knizner, McDrama Enthusiast Class of 2018
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School has been in for a few weeks now, the homework load is piling on, and most importantly, rehearsals for the fall play have finally begun. There is such an excited energy buzzing around among everyone in McDrama. We can't wait to make so many memories with Ramona Quimby. Ideas for the set and costumes are floating around--and they are unlike anything you have ever seen before. There are some new faces joining our group and some old faces stepping up in new roles on stage and in the crew. As the show continues, I will update on things happening with costumes, props, lights, sound, publicity, actresses, and actors. If it's happening at McDrama, it's exciting, and you are going to want to know about it.
-Ally Knizner Class of 2018 One by one people begin to file into the green room. Right away someone gets a bit of music playing and everyone disperse to get their things done and prepared for the show. Cast members work on their hair and makeup, some with the help of our expert crew members. It is really sweet to see how willing everyone is to assist one another with curling hair, applying hairspray, getting their makeup just right, and adjusting costumes to perfection. Madison is stationed in the center of the green room for a while to take attendance to make sure that all of our people are present. Props and set pieces get set. Pit members are warming up their instruments. Sound crew organizes the microphones and works on giving one to all of the actors and actresses that need one. They all meet on stage for “mic check” where they deliver a few lines so sound crew can adjust volumes. It is a whirlwind of activity. Next we warm up our voices with Mrs. White in the music room which usually comes with a pep talk, too. Miss Geckle then leads us in the most fun tongue twisters ever about copper coffee cups and George Washington’s white woolen underwear. Now this leaves a bit more time for pre-show jamming and socialization to get more of our jitters out. At this point everyone is so vivacious and animated about what it about to happen. Eventually Miss Geckle and Mr. Kent make their way down to us and we assemble into a huge, winding circle and join hands with our arms crossed right over left. We gather into this circle to receive a few reminders before we head into several exciting traditions that are closely related to brown squirrels and stomping. For the same reason that I value our read through that happens at the beginning of this process, I really love these show circles; once again, we are joined together, each and every one of us once again. Miss Geckle calls for us to head into our places for act one and you can imagine what happens next. Music starts to flow from the pit, the butterflies are active again, and the jailbirds are waiting offstage for their opening number. We are about to share our story.
-Ally Knizner Class of 2018 Today was the kind of great day that I live for and long for more of. Memes have been placed in the green room. Run crew is rocking the transitions of our set. Finishing touches have been made on costumes and they are astounding. The show now has all of its ingredients combined together just right. You guessed it, folks; today was tech Saturday. We spent our day from 9:30 until 4 working through our show that has been something so spectacular. Though it may have been April Fool's day, there was no joke about what we did. It was a spectacular rehearsal. The crews are doing a superb job with all of their responsibilities of moving things about and the actors have put together an enthralling and hugely entertaining story.
The sense of community was ablaze as we had lunch together, got through our first costume changes, and vivaciously worked through every scene and song. Nothing can replace the feeling of a rehearsal gone well. Our hard work that has been happening so frequently is shining through now with great clarity. Consider this another personal invitation to join us and share in our beautiful creation. Next weekend on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we hope you can be with us! Ally Knizner Class of 2018 I have been doing homework for around eight hours today and I am not done yet so I wanted to take a break to reminisce about how wonderful All Shook Up has been so far (I have listened to the All Shook Up album A LOT). There are just a whole lot of elements that come together to make this experience something memorable and so worthwhile for all who are involved. Enjoy this concise list of good things. 1. We get to make lots and lots of new friends. This one is the most obvious but in my opinion that is a good thing. You might even be rolling your eyes because you have heard me say things along this subject so many times. I can't help it; being surrounded by such good people is irreplacable. Having a supportive community like McDrama is a gift and the endless supply of friendships to be had are a defining element of who we are. 2. This music is out-of-this-world good. It doesn't feel like extra work and rehearsal when I turn on the soundtrack while doing homework or taking a run because it is easy to listen to and enjoy. This also means I am going to listen to it a lot even when the show has closed which will bring back lots of nice memories :) 3. It seems like no recent McDrama show has featured nearly as much dancing. YAY!!! This is why it is a good thing that the rehearsal process was a tad longer than usual for this show. These song and dance numbers are going to astound our audiences. 4. There is nothing like the proud feeling that comes over the group after we do a number really well. It's a good thing that these numbers are top-notch, especially since we sometimes do them 4 or 5 times in quick succession. Working towards a goal and eventually reaching it is really wonderful you guys. It is quite heartwarming to watch your friends and the show progress so obviously with each passing week. 5. Our costumes are maybe the cutest thing I have seen in my life. How often in this day and age do you get to see a ton of teenagers dancing in hand made circle skirts? I don't run into that often (besides during All Shook Up), but if you do, props to you. 6. Dancing backstage for some reason always seems to be the funniest thing since stalking your friends' old Instagram pictures. Don't get me wrong, those prepubescent selfies are totally hilarious, but it is always a good time busting a move just before you strut on stage. Thanks for reading!!!
Ally Knizner Class of 2018 I want to save this feeling in a bottle and carry it around in my pocket with me all the time. Right now is my favorite part of the rehearsal process. Songs, dances, and lines are memorized and our main goal shifts towards assembling that with our ever-growing characters and energy. It feels like we are constantly going through songs, working through dances, and improving our art; that is the best way to be. Each time we run a number, it seems to fourish with more life. The number of weeks until opening can be counted on one hand. The general feeling among us all feels complete with anticipation, excitement, and tons of love both for each other and our performance. The show is developing and becoming something easier and easier to love with each passing day. Personally, I am really cherishing each moment that we have rehearsing and being together from here on, even more so than originally, because the end always sneaks up on me. We are all growing closer as cast and crew since seeing each other daily has become our habit every Tuesday through Thursday. Rehearsals to work on All Shook Up are what I look forward to, especially when the stress of school starts to catch up with me. Nothing means more to me than seeing my friends and working on a show together, two things that I appreciate more with each passing hour. Nothing can replace that feeling. We are working hard, loving each other more and more, getting better and better, being a part of something greater than ourselves alone. This is a show that you won't want to miss. -Ally Knizner Class of 2018 Today we received some news that took us all by surprise: McAuley and Mercy are going to merge into one school. The class of 2018 will be the last to graduate from McAuley High School. For more information about this, go to this link: https://www.sistersofmercy.org/south-central/south-central-newsroom/. There was a nervous buzz and flurry of questions, so many left unanswered because of all of the decisions left to be made. My mind immediately went to the future of our drama program. We have been so blessed with the leadership, talent, hard work, and a huge number of passionate people that makes up the program that so many of us are so dedicated to being a part of. This program has created irreplaceable friendships and bonds, too many for me to name in a single post, that have undoubtedly made me the person that I am proud to be today. We have memories stored in the green room in physical forms of props and costumes. For some just entering the space reminds them of countless brown squirrels, warm ups, and whatever inside jokes may have cultivated during a show. It is a blessing to have this space of such high quality and the opportunities for our group of theatre kids to use it a few more times.
No other program or club has influenced me as much; I have learned about my strengths and how to love completely unconditionally. Now is our time to make it count. It is so important to give every production our all in the first place, but now it is even more important. A loving community is something we have always been and it is why we always have such a huge list of cast and crew involved in every show. That isn't going anywhere. That is a spirt and passion that each of us has developed and nurtured within ourselves and we are so lucky to have the chance to experience this so wholly for ourselves. Now is our time to seize the beautiful performing opportunities that we are given. I never imagined this would be something for me to write about but somehow we are approaching final opportunities to exist exactly as we are now. Of course we all graduate at some point and no longer are able to actively be in McDrama's shows, but this is not the same circumstances. No one else will get the same director, crew, cast members, and general atomsphere that exists here. Now is our time to live in the moment, as fully as humanly possible. Now is our time to give thanks for what we have gotten to create and still have yet to create. We never can run out of that precious creativity that we bring to each show. Dig deep into your heart and bring all you have to offer. Now is our time to even more shamelessly embrace the love for theatre and our program. It means a lot to us and that should never remain hidden. Now is our time to take that and start to turn our minds towards the future and what good is yet to come. We are built to do great things but that will never come without a fair share of struggles. Today Mr. Minelli shared with us the quote, "Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope," which really spoke to me and I hope others can find comfort in it as well. Change is hard but nonetheless necessary. It is bringing us room to grow and share our experiences and gifts with more people. The compassion and love that we boast about is going to keep things like our drama program, in a condition that we can remain to enjoy while allowing it to expand with incoming gifts and traditions. -Ally Knizner Class of 2018 The cast is off-book for act one. Act two is in the works and shaping up to be just as stunning. Now that we are getting used to singing, dancing, acting, and moving all at once for this musical, developing character is all the rage. Luckliy for our future audience members, we have an incredibly talented cast that is already working hard to bring their character to life. Each charcter is facing their own sort of struggle and the entertaining story that results comes from how they go about taking care of those problems. Our characters are lovestruck, sentimental, outrageous, and ready to break through some boundaries. To get a taste for who will be sharing the "All Shook Up" story with our audiences, I chatted with some of our cast members concerning the increasingly important question: who is your character?
Amanda Wood is playing the role of Matilda, the town mayor. Amanda described her as assertive and stuck in the past. Matilda wants to hold on tight to the traditional way of livng while the town around her is about to burst into something completely opposite. Chad, the spunky man trying to reinvent the town, is not on the list of people she wants to have dinner with. In fact, she is taken aback by him and wants to protect her son Dean from the outlandish things that he is trying to introduce. The role of Dean is played by Bryan Barry. Bryan described Dean as awkward and restricted, we're looking at you mom. Having Matilda as his mom hasn't really allowed him to experience life as a teenager should. All of a sudden he catches sight of the beautiful Lorraine and feels a connection to the fun life he has never gotten to live. Lorraine gets him and gets him into trouble. Lorraine is bossy, risky, and dreamy according to Gabrielle Mouch. Those are three unsual descriptions which make for an interesting character. Her mom, Sylvia, owns the town diner which casts a critical shadow on all that either of them do. Gabrielle let me in on a strategy that she learned from her acting teacher to portray the different relationships that Lorainne is in. When around her mother, she has an aura of attitude about her which leads to things like popping her hip. Lorraine's hands are near her heart or out and expressive when she is with Dean because he brings a whole new sensation to her. The last character that I want to introduce today is Sandra. She is played by Jordan Zulli. Sandra runs the town museum but feels a tad isolated from all of its inhabitants. Her mind is sharp and quick-witted which supplements her sassy and sarcastic attitude. Like everyone else, Sandra's eye is out for a man specifically who can share her artistic passion. Each of these folks, among others, get their lives all sorts of intertwined as the story progresses and the Elvis songs carry us through. Thanks for reading! -Ally Knizner There aren't any dull moments around here anymore. Songs are constantly flooding the stage. Dancing is happening in every spare space our auditorium has to offer. Repetion will bring together our components that we have accumulated thus far. We have no other option than to keep singing and dancing! Off-book rehearsals begin next week so the whole singing-and-dancing deal will really start coming to life. It will be a challenge at first, but if we are never challenged in such a way throughout the process we would never grow or continue reaching our potentials of such great things. While on the topic of great, I need to say how incredibly amazed I am every single week with the variety of things that the cast and crew can get done. Today I talked to the sound crew squad and I heard about what they have been doing. They were quite enthusiatic to share these things with me. Check out these photos and their captions for the most exciting blurbs of information that you will have read today guaranteed! Well, maybe not exactly that, but I am a bit of an optimist so I am hopeful that all of this is just as exciting to you as it is to me.
-Ally Knizner Between scenes of our act one run-through this week, I talked to Sam Baxter and Sarah Newsom, two wonderful seniors on our costume crew. Sam and Sarah, along with the other dedicated girls working on costumes, have totally knocked my socks off. The primary project that they have been tackling for the past few weeks is going to make All Shook Up even more memorable for our audiences. They have taken on the task of making circle skirts for a majority of the girls in our cast. Each skirt that they make takes around two and a half hours. These costumes aren't just pretty to look at but they are also going to make for a cool technical aspect of the show. I am going to give you all the inside scoop of their intricate process, though I will not be able to do it justice. We need to appreciate the work that these costumers, with the help of Mr. Kent, have been creating so specially.
The first order of business is to cut out two half circles with the pattern. Two days were spent, all hands on deck, just cutting out the pieces that would be needed. The two half circles are meticulosly sewn together. There are strips cut off during this time that are saved for something later instead of being thrown away (yay for resourcefulness!). There is another layer attached to the back of the now already existing skirt and then the whole piece is flipped inside out. On the inside they attach something called interfacing. I had no idea what that meant and they described it to me as the fabric that makes costumes stiff. The skirt is flipped rightside out again and now has a neater look because of the influence of interfacing. The strip removed earlier comes back now and after about a half hour is it attached towards the bottom of the skirt, adding a lovely detail to the design. It is sewn a few inches above the hem. The finishing touch is a fastener of some sort, either velcro or a button. At least two and a half hours have passed by the time the skirt is completed. Though this was a fairly general exposition of their undertaking, I hope you have a little bit of new knowledge and appreciation for some of our behind the scenes hands. -Ally Knizner |
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March 2018
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