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Welcome
to Dear Edwina FHT
Drama Program Auditions Auditions are a part
of every performing experience. Everyone
on our staff has been through an audition and understands that it can be
scary and intimidating for even the most experienced performer!
We work very hard to ensure that each child is prepared and
confident for their audition. For this show, we
will teach the entire group the same piece of music that they will be
asked to sing in their audition. After
breaking up into smaller groups of about 8 – 10, we will review the
piece and a scale. Each child
will then be asked to stand center stage and sing both the audition piece
and the scale. I will also ask
them to read a very short scene. Casting of roles is
based on a number of factors: pitch-matching,
energy and enthusiasm, size, hair color, acting ability, flexibility,
risk-taking, etc. BUT…The number one factor in casting at this age is
VOLUME. I sit in the back row
of the auditorium to assess each student’s vocal strength; and very
often what you hear in your living rooms is not what I hear in the
auditorium! Often students
sing very well pitch-wise, but are not yet strong enough vocally to carry
a large or solo part, even with the amplification that our technical
resources provide. Please be assured
that much thought goes into casting. We
do our best to serve both the needs of the show and the needs of each
student. Also, please realize
that casting is objective. If
your child doesn’t get the part they wanted, it doesn’t mean that they
are not talented! It just
means that they didn’t get it this time…and there’s always
next time! Your attitude as a
parent will go along way toward making your child’s experience
satisfying. Your child
deserves praise for auditioning and being brave enough to do a show! Tell them so.
Find the positive: a
great costume, an exciting solo line, the chance to learn a new dance,
meeting new friends…. It’s going to be a
great show! Kelly Drama
Club Dear Edwina, Jr. General
Info 1)
Important Dates: February
12th, 3:30 to 5:30 Kick-off Meeting in the FHTMS chorus room.
(For Parents and Students: tech and/or acting) *Meet the Artistic
Team, get audition and schedule information, pick up an audition form,
hear the show music, see friends, have some fun! Monday,
February 18, 3:30 to 5:30: Dance
auditions for ALL. You must
attend this audition! Tuesday
or Wednesday, 2/19 and 20, 3:30 to 5:30: Choose one day!
Singing and March
6th, Parents’ Meeting at FHTMS at 7:00PM March
28th, Drama Social at FHTMS April
12th, Move Set into SBHS May
7th: School
Performances May
8th, 9th and 10th: Showtime, 7:00PM! 2)
Auditions...What to Do! 1…
Come to kick-off meeting on 2/12 2…
Pick up audition forms at the meeting 3…
Fill out the form with your parent or guardian 4... You’ll come to
auditions on two days: Monday, 2/18 for your dance audition and EITHER
2/19 or 2/20 to do your singing and reading audition.
. 5... Sign up on the
drama office door for the day (2/19 or 2/20) of your choice.
6... Bring a
completed audition form with conflicts and a recent picture to the dance
audition, Monday, 2/18. 7... Meet in the
lobby on the day of your auditions. 3)
Audition Form, Rehearsals and Conflicts Most rehearsals will
be held at either the middle or high school from 3:30 to 5:30, Monday
through Friday. Although most
students will NOT have rehearsal everyday, being in the musical is an
undeniably large time commitment for a student and his or her family.
A student can expect to have at least two to three
after-school rehearsals a week; possibly more if he or she has more
material to sing or dance. Every
effort is made to work around listed student conflicts, (for example:
sports, lessons, other clubs) and the rehearsal schedule is built around
students’ availability. However,
there is a large amount of material to learn and a student who is
available 3 to 5 afternoons a week is much more likely to be cast than
someone who has available only one or two days a week.
A maximum of 45 students will be cast. A student’s
conflicts will be listed on a master calendar, and they will be excused
from any rehearsals that day. They
do still need to learn any material that was covered on that day.
A student will be dismissed from the cast after 3 unexcused
absences. An unexcused absence
is one that is not listed on the audition form as a conflict.
Family emergencies and illness can be excused.
The entire cast will
be expected to rehearse most days from April 7th on.
There are costume fittings for cast on Saturdays in March and
April, as well as tech work time. All
cast and crew have extended rehearsals from May 1st to May 10th,
including Saturday and Sunday. We
do not rehearse during school vacations, although we do meet for tech
work. Production dates are May
8th, 9th and 10th
at 7:00PM. Students
and parents are expected to participate in the strike and take-down of the
show after the Saturday evening performance. 4)
Auditions Auditioning is a
scary thing, and anyone who does it deserves credit!
Here are some things that we look at when casting a middle school
show: 1)
Volume:
Is the student loud? Can
they be heard in a 400 seat auditorium over a pit band? 2)
Intonation and Quality:
Is the student singing on pitch?
Is their voice pleasing to the ear? 3)
Physicality:
Could this student look like this character? Can the student move
like this character? 4)
Acting:
Can this student engage the audience?
Can they tell/sell the story to the back row? 5)
Responsibility:
Will this student practice and come to rehearsal?
Can this student be a leader? Sadly, not everyone
is cast in the musical. If
this should happen to your child, acknowledge their sadness and
disappointment. It doesn’t
mean that they don’t have talent; it just means that they weren’t
right for this show. Encourage
them to work on one of the many pre-production technical crews, and to
stay involved. Please contact director Kelly Kendall (kkendall@sbschools.net) if you have specific questions or concerns about the play. For
comments or questions about this web page please click here
Barbara Gill
FHTMS
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