It's All in the Timing
Fall 2012: "Law and Order: Fairy Tale Unit" by Jonathan RandPlot
This fun twist on the hit TV show follows two detectives through a slew of various characters from fairy tales and nursery rhymes in their quest to see if B.B. Wolf is the true culprit for blowing down the pile of straw, among other heinous crimes. Notes This year's productions saw an increased emphasis on comic timing, and the fall show alternately challenged and delighted the performers as they mastered the art of moving a script at just the right pace to delight an audience. Projected sets were also further utilized, and this ended up being one of the largest, most enthusiastic ensemble casts to date. |
Spring 2013: "The Rules of Comedy" by Peter BloedelPlot
Two narrators guide the audience through the ins and outs of what makes things funny: from wordplay to slapstick; from cream pies to banana peels; from fullstage chase scenes to impromptu musical numbers. To prove their point, they demonstrate the most serious material they can think of - HAMLET - and then blitz through it a second time applying as many silly gags as possible! For years after, this became the show that joined "Revenge of the Space Pandas" in most-requested repeat status. And rightly so! Notes As a teacher, this was a landmark achievement for me in my short tenure at SBJHS so far. The comedy was genuinely funny, and despite sitting through weeks of rehearsal and patiently coaching the students through various lines, relationships, and gags, it still made me laugh every time. More importantly, they truly learned and took ownership of the serious Shakespearean section in the middle. In order to unlock the comedy of the show overall, they had to learn Hamlet on its own terms first, and they vastly exceeded my expectations. This was a script I was definitely going to want to do again. |