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Time for the SHAKESPEARE SMACKDOWN!

Next Monday, NextGen will be hosting the Sixth Annual Shakespeare Smackdown (the ShakeSmack!).  Students from all over New York City will travel to CSC to perform scenes from Shakespeare’s JULIUS CAESAR.  No two groups will present the same scene, and the scenes will be performed in the order that they appear in the play, creating a collaborative, student-driven, mini-production of the play.  Students will be recognized for their efforts with various awards, including tickets to future shows at CSC.

To get an inside look at the competition, follow us on CSC’s Instagram.  We’ll be taking over on Monday, May 7th!

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Francesca James Does it All!

This past Monday, we had the wonderful opportunity to meet with Emmy Award winning Francesca James.  It was fantastic to hear about what an incredible and diverse career she’s had!  Having started as an actor in the TV series “All My Children,” she then became a director, and later a producer of the show.  These days, she’s returning to her theatrical roots and delving into the work of one of our most celebrated American playwrights, serving as the Associate Director of CSC and The Transport Group’s production of Tennesee Williams’ SUMMER AND SMOKE.  She spoke about some of the challenges of being a woman on the other side of the camera in what was at the time a predominately male profession.  She also gave us some very good advice:  never gossip about someone you work with!  You never know who will be listening and how it will affect future opportunities to work with them.  For more information on Francesca, visit her IMDB page HERE.

We also have been preparing for our Teen Takeover performance of SUMMER AND SMOKE, which will take place this Sunday, April 22nd at 3PM.  Teens may purchase $10 ticket for this performance using the code TEEN10 at checkout, and stay after the show for a talkback with the cast.  

You may have heard of some of Tennessee Williams’ other plays-- they include THE GLASS MENAGERIE, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE.  We spent some time this week investigating who this playwright was, and what some common themes were in his work.  As it turns out, many of his plays were inspired by his real life.  Amanda and Laura in THE GLASS MENAGERIE were based on his mother and sister, and Big Daddy in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF was inspired by his own father.  Williams often focused on themes of sexuality, family, and substance abuse, which were all challenges for him in his own life.  We’re looking forward to seeing how these themes figure into SUMMER AND SMOKE, a lesser-known play of his that was written at the same time he was writing A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE.  We hope to see you there!

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Et tu, Brute?

NextGen Member Felicity paid a visit to CSC’s production of JULIUS CAESAR this week.  While there, she chatted with Freddie Fulton, the actor playing the notorious Brutus.  Take a look at their interview below for his thoughts on combining Shakespeare and superheroes!

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Julius Caesar begins performances NEXT WEEK, and  CSC’s production takes place in a superhero universe.  NextGen member Zola has been behind the scenes, observing rehearsals.  Read below to find out more!

I fell in love with the concept of the show before I even entered the rehearsal space: superheroes and Shakespeare. What a perfect idea for the theatre kid that loves Marvelー I was not disappointed. The inclusion of superpowers makes the battle sequences that much more engaging, during which I attempted to decipher what their abilities were and on which each superhero each character is based. It is an effective way to convey the might of Rome, and to distinguish the social divides within each court, and to spruce up costumes.

The stage manager, director, and assistant director welcomed me like one of their own, allowing me to sit with them and hear their conversations, and truly observe the process. I saw all of the thought that goes into every Shakespearean death, every line delivered, every entourage entrance. Before every scene, Ashley Brooke Monroe (the director) asked each of the actors involved to delve into their character’s psyche, consider where they were and where they were going, and analyze the context beneath each line. No interpretation was the right one, and every actor could share their take and have it discussed. It felt more like a conversation than explicit instruction, and seemed a more collaborative approach to building a show. When they were on breaks, I was able to ask Sean (the AD) questions about his career path and responsibilities for the show, and the other showrunners jumped in and talked through their own collegiate paths from a theatre standpoint, inadvertently helping me expand my college guidelines based upon what worked for them. For example, they exposed me to the association between text-related research and the assistant director position that perhaps would apply to my interest in dramaturgy.

I found the experience to be truly helpful and beneficial, beyond simply enjoying the opportunity to observe the production process, and am excited to see the show in its final form, thunderstorm and all. -Zola

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TEEN TAKEOVER: FIRE AND AIR

New year, new takeover: February 11th was the first Teen Takeover of 2018, and the first non-Shakespeare show of the season! But first, let’s rewind a bit to NextGen meeting #8, where we prepared for this world premiere with the help of special guest Sophie Andreassi, Assistant Director of Fire and Air.

For the meeting, Sophie led students through a comprehensive overview of Terrance McNally’s new play: facts about Sergei Diaghilev, his principal dancer Vaslav Nijinsky, his dance company the Ballets Russes. She discussed how the ballet company pushed the boundaries of dance and art in the early 1900’s, employing famous composers and artists in the productions and trying new and radical things on stage. She talked about Diaghilev as a person: his fear of water, and his struggle to run a successful company smoothly. She also touched on some of the more adult themes of the play to prepare students for what they would be seeing, including the tempestuous romantic relationship between Diaghilev and Nijinsky, and the implications of that relationship. Students discussed how this dynamic relates to today’s climate, and how it is viewed today versus the early 20th century. To wrap up, Sophie directed students in a rough staging of the first scene of the play, where characters reflect on Diaghilev’s life.

Sophie directing students in a staging of the opening scene of the play

With that, students were ready to see the show!

NextGen student Lark took the reins of CSC’s Instagram page, posting scenes of the stage and the theater pre-show.

Lark welcomes followers to her takeover of CSC’s Instagram page

“A rainy day in NYC is a great day for theatre! Only 30 mins til showtime!”

Zola joined Lark to post some shots to the Instagram story:

With the social media team underway, front of house team got to work preparing programs and learning the ropes from the house manager, Carrie. Before long it was time to open the house and rip tickets!

“The doors are open and the theatre is filling up! Exciting!!”

After the first act, audience members filed out in the lobby to discuss the show and get a little fresh air. Social media expert Lark conducted an interview with a friend to get a teen’s perspective on the show; check it out here!

After a moving second act, it was time for a talkback with the actors.

NextGen member Felicity came well prepared with a list of thought provoking questions in hand, both for the audience and the actors. The questions she typed up can be found below; check them out for a great place to start when discussing the play with friends, or as a jumping off point if you attend the Tuesday Talkback on February 13th!

Taking on the role of a historical figure can be daunting. How much research did it take to get into your characters and how did you approach the research process?

Did any of you have a ballet background? And, if not, how did you get into the mindset and/or physicality of a dancer?

Recently scandals involving people (especially men) in power abusing others that work for them have come to light. What do you think that Fire and Air says about these relationships?

Why were you attracted to this particular project?

What do you believe is the reason this play is called “Fire and Air”?

Relationships between mentors and protégés can be fraught with difficulties. Who were your mentors and what was it like to work with them?

Do you believe that Diaghilev & Nijinsky’s relationship contributed to the Ballets Russes’ exploration of the male body as opposed to the previous classical focus on the female form?

Actors discuss questions from Felicity and the audience

An attentive audience hears from the actors

After questions from an engaged and curious teen audience, it was time to wrap up. Many thanks to the actors and all of NextGen for another successful takeover! The next takeover will be for Summer and Smoke by Tenessee Williams, on Sunday, April 22nd. If you’re a teen who’d like to join us, you can book tickets for $10 here using the code TEEN10 (tickets subject to availability). Hope to see you there!

Additionally, stay tuned for info on our Act Young production of Julius Caesar, featuring third year MFA acting students from Columbia University. Limited performances are open to the public; tickets here. Check back here for some behind-the-scenes perspective on the rehearsal process and production!

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TEEN TAKEOVER: TWELFTH NIGHT

Sunday December 17th was our second Teen Takeover of the year. As you may know, the Teen Takeover is a special matinee performance of the mainstage show, where members of NextGen perform various jobs related to the performance and learn more about how the show goes on. NextGen members get complimentary tickets, and any teen interested in the show can book tickets for $10 using the code TEEN10. The show also includes a talkback specifically for teens (as opposed to Tuesday Talkbacks, which are open to the public).

Teams for the Teen Takeover include Behind the Scenes Team, who takes a tour of backstage to see what goes on before the show starts; Front of House Team, which comprises ushers and a box office assistant; Social Media Team, who documents the experience on our Instagram page; and Talkback Team, who helps Kate to facilitate the talkback with actors after the show.

Behind the Scenes team started off the day with a tour of the theater, led by Light Board Operator Alan Waters and Wardrobe Supervisor Sarah Dixey. Alan took students through his pre-show routine checking all the lights to make sure they were all in top shape, as well as explaining how the lighting grid works. Then Sarah took students backstage to the dressing rooms, where she has a setup complete with steamer, ironing board, and washer/dryer to keep costumes looking fresh. Students also got a closer look at CSC’s (cozy) dressing rooms.

After the tour, it was time to get started on some social media documenting. Social Media Team Members Felicity and Wengelyn were on the case!

Felicity (right) runs the Instagram page for the day while Wengelyn (left) runs the Instagram story

Felicity gives viewers a peek at the nautically inspired set

More of Felicity’s contributions to the takeover can be found on our Instagram page under the hashtag #CSCTwelfthNight.

Closer to showtime, students in the box office helped distribute tickets to patrons, while student ushers ripped tickets under the direction of the house manager. At curtain, it was time for ushers to take their seats and for the show to begin!

After a fun-filled, ensemble-driven, text-focused production of Twelfth Night courtesy of Fiasco Theater, it was time for the Talkback Team to kick off the post show while actors got out of costume.

NextGen student Spencer (far right) helps Kate generate discussion with the audience while actors Emily Young, David Samuel, and Paul Coffey (left to right) field questions.

Actors are joined by castmate Javier Ignacio (left)

After some great questions from an enthusiastic crowd, it was time to wrap up. If you’d like to learn more about our Teen Takeovers, click here! The next Teen Takeover is on Sunday, February 11th, where students will be seeing the world premier of a brand new Terrance McNally play, Fire and Air.

If you’re a teen interested in seeing the show, tickets can be found here. Click the link, then click “Have a promotion code?” in the top right corner and enter “TEEN10,” then select your seats. (You can also visit the box office in person, or call at 212-677-4210 ex10). The promo code entitles the user to up to two tickets, and while at least one of you has to be a teen, your guest can be anyone: a friend, a younger sibling, a parent, a neighbor. So find someone you know and join us for what is sure to be an exciting afternoon of new theater! (Tickets subject to availability; see site for details).

We hope to see you at the Takeover, and stay tuned for more updates on NextGen!

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NEXTGEN MEETING: GUEST OWEN HORSLEY + ENSEMBLE WORK

The most recent NextGen meeting featured a special guest: CSC’s Director in Residence Owen Horsley. Owen has worked extensively with Shakespeare’s texts, having directed productions at the Royal Shakespeare Company (located in Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford-Upon-Avon), as well as serving as associate director for Cheek by Jowl, an international theater company that focuses on classical works.

As part of Owen’s residency here at CSC, he is teaching several workshops on Shakespeare’s text both for professional actors and for Shakespeare enthusiasts (more info here). For the NextGen meeting, he gave students a preview of his approach to Shakespeare.

Owen started by explaining that many people get tripped up by Shakespeare’s text because we no longer talk that way in everyday life; it can be seen as inaccessible, snobbish, or overly cerebral. While the language is certainly heightened––even in Shakespeare’s time, no one spoke in verse off the stage––that doesn’t mean we should be overly precious with it. Owen likes to emphasize that the language can connect with our bodies as well as our minds: to illustrate that, he led the group in a few physical exercises to break the ice.

Before diving into the text itself, Owen started the group off with a mirroring exercise wherein two partners face each other and try to synchronize movements without communicating verbally. The fast-paced nature of the game helps to get students out of their heads and more in tune with their partner. Albeit simple, the exercise was by no means easy: working together takes work!

Once warmed up, Owen took students through an exercise of physicalizing certain words within a monologue from Twelfth Night. He set the parameters by providing a sort of physical vocabulary of gestures: reaching up high, reaching forward, crouching down, etc. Within this vocabulary, he asked students to act out certain words in the monologue. In keeping with the theme of minimizing any overthinking, students had five seconds to pick a word and then pick a physical gesture to represent it.

Owen (right) demonstrates an action within the physical vocabulary, while Twelfth Night actor David Samuel (left) follows along.

Students look over monologues from Twelfth Night

Owen then transitioned into an exercise that shows the importance of punctuation within the text. To do this, students partnered up again to recite the monologue together, switching speakers with every major change in punctuation (periods, colons, and semicolons), as well as specific gestures for every punctuation mark. This exercise shows how much information can be gleaned just by paying attention to punctuation: whether a character is reflecting on something, changing their train of thought, feeling unsure of themselves, feeling very sure of themselves. Yet, although the exercise pays close attention to details within the text, it is still very physical: more doing than thinking. Owen helped show students how the text can come alive, off the page and into our bodies.

Zola and Spencer demonstrate their version of Viola’s ring speech for the group

After an informative session full of speaking the text, jumping, high-fiving, and more, it was time for Owen to run and for David to take over.

If you’ve read this blog before, you may recall David Samuel from a previous workshop on actor musicianship in As You Like It. David is at CSC once again, playing Fabian and Antonio in Twelfth Night. Since Twelfth Night is a production in collaboration with Fiasco Theater, an ensemble-driven theater troupe, David came to speak to students about building a production as an ensemble.

Ensemble work is an approach to theater that focuses on the group as a whole working together to create a theatrical piece. (It comes from the French word ensemble meaning “together”). Fiasco Theater is an acting troupe founded on that same philosophy. The core group of actors that make up Fiasco all met in grad school at the Brown/Trinity Rep M.F.A. acting program (the same program from which David recently graduated), and have been doing collaborative work together ever since. For Twelfth Night, they use a similar approach to one they learned in the program, where two of the actors in the show also serve as co-directors––in this case, Noah Brody and Ben Steinfeld, who play Orsino and Feste. This approach creates a more equitable environment and gives everyone a chance to contribute their ideas, which often leads to more experimentation and exciting outcomes. You can read more about Fiasco’s philosophy on their website, here.

With that, it was time to wrap up and discuss the Teen Takeover for Twelfth Night, which took place on Sunday, December 17th. Stay tuned to read more about it!

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NEXTGEN MEETING: CAREERS IN THE THEATER

NextGen meeting #3 was all about jobs in the theater that don’t involve reciting lines on stage. And for that, who better to talk to than the people who do that work: the staff of CSC!

Teresa and Brendan speak to the students, while in the background the crew strikes the set (takes down set pieces from the previous show)

First up were the people who make the shows happen: the management team. Teresa Gozzo (left), Brendan McNamara (right) and Jeff Griffin (not pictured) met students at the theater to talk about their role in the grand scheme of things at CSC.

Teresa started off, explaining how the three of them work as a team to handle logistics and planning of varying immediacy: she as the General Manager is concerned with things happening in the coming months, Jeff as the Executive Producer is thinking ahead through the next year or two, and Brendan as the Assistant General Manager addresses day-to-day particulars. Teresa talked about her personal strengths and how they help her in her job, such as decisiveness and attention to detail. She has always loved theater but knew she didn’t want to be on stage, so management was a natural fit. She mentioned that she holds a theater degree, which she finds useful, but explained that many people with different college degrees find their way to this kind of work simply through their love of and experience in the theater, either formally or informally. 

Next up was Brendan, Assistant General Manager. Brendan started at CSC as a theater management intern, which he did while commuting from college in Connecticut. He has since graduated with a degree in business management, which helps him in his daily work balancing CSC’s budget, but he also did a second major in theater. In addition to budgets, Brendan acts as liaison between the office and the stage, often going to the theater on show nights and checking in with the stage manager, actors, and box office to make sure everything goes smoothly. He talked a bit about his favorite class from college, which was unrelated to business or acting: it was a theater history course where he read and analyzed classic works from the ancient Greeks up until the turn of the twentieth century. He explained that his fascination with the history of theater and his passion for seeing it continue is what drives him to do his work, more than any business savvy ever could.

Finally Jeff spoke a bit about his role as Executive Producer, describing how he is the one to make things happen. He used the recent renovation of the theater as an example: Artistic Director John Doyle had the idea, and Jeff put the wheels in motion to make it happen. John wanted to brighten up the space, so Jeff figured out a way to make the painted-black walls look like exposed brick, and found a source for reclaimed wood to use as flooring. He mentioned that he holds a film degree, pointing out that what you study in college isn’t the be-all end-all of your professional fate, and that your personality and strengths are equally, if not more, important.

Kate and students listen intently to the intricacies of theater management life

After that, students broke up into two groups to tour the space.

Jeff led students upstairs to where the tech booth used to be, which is now covered over with the same reclaimed wood that makes up the floor. He explained that this makes the space a little more streamlined and helps create a more immersive environment for storytelling, instead of having the stage manager completely visible to the audience while calling the show. 

The view from the balcony, as Brendan leads the second tour group downstairs

After seeing the space and hearing from the management team, it was time to travel north to East 20th Street to the CSC offices!

The beautiful offices of E 20th Street

At the offices, students heard from the people that get patrons into seats: Leah Cox, Gina Cimmelli, and Jennifer Lam.

As Patron and Events Manager, Leah’s main job is to ensure CSC’s patrons have a positive experience. CSC is a nonprofit, which means it relies largely on gifts from individual donors, and Leah wants to make sure these donors know how grateful CSC is for their contributions. This gratitude can manifest in a number of ways: sometimes it’s through special events thrown just for patrons, which Leah organizes; other times it’s something a little simpler, such as a hand written thank you note left on a theater seat, which Leah writes. However she does it, Leah is all about making human connections with donors to help them feel connected to and included in the CSC community.

Next the students heard from Gina Cimmelli, Director of Audience Services. Gina wears many hats at CSC. To name just a few, she manages the ticketing software; works with marketing on special ticket offers; oversees the social media accounts; organizes staff and schedules for the box office and front of house at the theater; sells membership packages; and much more. To do all this, she must be hyper organized, which she is, and have excellent customer service skills when dealing with the public, which she does. In a way, Gina is the bridge between patron services and marketing (both metaphorically and physically, as her desk sits between Leah’s and Jen’s).

Lastly, students got an intro to the marketing side of theater from Director of Marketing and Communications, Jennifer Lam. Jen talked about the unique challenges (and benefits) of advertising for an off-Broadway theater company as opposed to a bigger company, such as the size and breadth of the audience she’s trying to reach and what she can do with her advertising budget. She touched on the recent rebranding of CSC, and the importance of maintaining visual consistency across mediums. Though time was running short, students can learn more from Jen in a later NextGen workshop focused on digital content!

And with that it was time to wrap up. We hope you learned a little something about the workings of an off-Broadway company, and if you have more questions, feel free to reach out! Email education@classicstage.org, learn more about the productions at our Tuesday Talkbacks, or visit us at the theater. Check back next time as we workshop CSC’s latest production, The Stowaway, aimed at younger audiences. And we hope to see you at the show! Tickets here. Till then, we wish you many happy theater adventures.

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TEEN TAKEOVER: AS YOU LIKE IT

Sunday, October 15th was the first Teen Takeover of the season. If you’re at all familiar with NextGen, then you may know something about the Teen Takeover: a special matinee performance of our main stage shows where we offer $10 tickets to teens + a talkback with the artists. 

NextGen members all contribute to the success of the show, as a part of one of four teams: Behind the Scenes (learning more about the technical side of the show), Social Media (documenting the show on Instagram), Front of House (working as ushers and in the box office), and Talkback (leading the talkback with cast members after the show). 

The afternoon started off with the Behind the Scenes team taking a tour of backstage to learn more about how the show goes on. The assistant stage manager, T.J., started the tour, showing students some of the spaces within the theater. First stop was the new balcony playing space, which offered a great view of the “house” (seating for the audience). 

DID YOU KNOW: This area, now exposed, used to be completely closed off because it housed the offices at CSC!

After that, stage manager Kat took over the tour and showed students more of backstage, including the dressing rooms. She also pointed out the bulletin board, a hub of backstage information where actors sign in every day, can check the schedule for the rest of the show’s run, and see messages and announcements. As stage manager, Kat creates order out of backstage chaos.

From there, Kat handed the tour off to Alan, the light board operator. Students went into the lighting booth to get a closer look:

Then students split into smaller groups to take a closer look at a map of the lighting grid and all the lights that are set up within it, while Alan explained his pre-show check of all the lights in the show to make sure they are all functioning. 

While Behind the Scenes team studies lights, Front of House team stuffs programs with an insert giving more information about the takeover.

Miraya, Spencer, and Lynn take a closer look at the grid map.

As the tour wrapped up, it was time to get ready for the show--which meant giving patrons their tickets, handing out programs, and, of course, documenting the entire thing on social media. 

NextGen member Raechel gives tickets to teen and adult patrons alike

Wengelyn from the Social Media team covers the Instagram page

And Misa Love is coming to you live from the Instagram story!

Once the pre-show excitement was over and everyone was settled into their seats, it was time for the show. A fun time was had by all, especially those cheeky actors. 

Cass Morgan shows her gratitude to a receptive audience.

And then it was time for the talkback!

Kate, Director of Education, got the ball rolling, then Talkback team Katherine and Tali guided the audience and cast in a discussion about the show. Actors Cass Morgan, Kyle Scatliffe, Leenya Rideout, and David Samuel shared some of their personal experiences as they related to the themes of the play, and to the theater in general. Teens also shared thoughts on moments in the play they found interesting, and questions they had for the actors.

Kyle Scatliffe speaks about how he relates to his character in terms of feeling disenfranchised.

After hearing some thoughts on Shakespeare, theater life, and unrequited love, it was time to wrap up. First Teen Takeover of the year: complete!

Check out CSC’s Instagram page to see the complete collection of photos Wengelyn contributed to her takeover of the account. And if you’re still hungry for more Takeover, then stay tuned for the next one! The Teen Takeover for Twelfth Night will be happening on Sunday, December 17th at 3pm. Any teen can buy up to two tickets to this performance for $10 using the promo code TEEN10. Tickets subject to availability; see CSC’s website for details: http://www.classicstage.org/education/for-students/

See you next time, when NextGen members will meet the staff at CSC, learn what each person does within the company, and learn more about job opportunities in the theater world! 

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NEXTGEN MEETING: ACTOR MUSICIANSHIP

Welcome back to NextGen 2017! If you read the last post, you may know what we covered in this week’s NextGen meeting: actor/musicianship, a favorite technique of CSC’s Artistic Director John Doyle. The concept is to eliminate the pit orchestra of a musical and have the actors on stage play all the music in the show, as their characters. John Doyle is well known for employing this technique in such productions as Sweeney Todd and Company.

Though As You Like It is not a musical in the modern sense, Shakespeare wrote song lyrics into the play that can be set to music. And with John Doyle directing this production, he of course gave his actors the task of playing the music written by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Wicked). 

So to learn more about actor/musicianship as it plays out in As You Like It, who better to talk to than two of the very actors who play the instruments: Leenya Rideout and David Samuel!

Leenya and David helped us dip our toes into the world of As You Like It by asking students to give a brief plot synopsis, then dove in through the lens of actor/musicianship. To help illustrate how drastically the nuances of a scene can change based on how the instruments are used, they acted out a few different versions of a scene they have together as Phebe and Silvius.

The versions ranged from one of the earliest ones they tried in rehearsal to the scene as it is now in the production. We talked about how the instruments add layers to the scene: Phebe wielding such a large instrument gives her power, and makes it even clearer that she is not paying attention to Silvius. Even though they’re not performing a song, the instruments can still be tools in storytelling.

After the demonstration, it was time for a little more participation. First David led us in an exercise where we built an improvised song as a group, with each person keeping a beat, playing a riff on an instrument, humming a line, etc. He added text on top of the improvised song to show how Shakespeare’s words can fit in with music and rhythm. Then, armed with printed copies of Jacques’ Seven Ages of Man speech (”All the world’s a stage...”), Leenya led us through a music-filled ensemble version of the speech, interspersed with singing and some notes played on various instruments that students had brought. 

Leenya and David then fielded some questions about being an actor/musician, such as whether it has helped them get jobs. (Short answer from Leenya: yes, though you sometimes risk being unfairly put in a box. Short answer from David: he just finished grad school so only time will tell.)

Before long it was time to address business for the upcoming Teen Takeover and to say goodbye until then. Before departing, Leenya requested a group photo to post on the CSC Instagram page, as the following day was her turn to take over the account. The group photo was a great success: 

And you can check out the rest of her takeover photos on CSC’s Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/classicstage/ 

Many thanks to David and Leenya!! You both provided valuable insight into the world of a working actor/musician. Until next time, when NextGen takes over a matinee performance of As You Like It.

If you are a teen interested in seeing the show, we’d love to have you! Any teen is eligible for $10 tickets to the matinee performance on October 15th using the promotional code TEEN10. Tickets are subject to availability; see website for details: http://www.classicstage.org/education/for-students/

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NEXTGEN 2017: FIRST MEETING

Monday, September 18th was the first meeting of our new group of NextGen members. Lots of new faces, a few returning faces, and plenty of excitement and anticipation in the air.

For this meeting, we had a few activities planned. First thing on the docket was “graffiti boards” (aka giant post-it notes) on which everyone wrote words or phrases that come to mind when they hear the words “classic,” “stage,” and “company.” (See what we did there?) After writing ideas down, we discussed what came up: for classic, thoughts of timelessness; classical music; tradition. For theater, a stage; live performance; the presence of an audience. For company, a group of people working towards a common goal; corporations; an ensemble.

We discussed the rebranding that CSC recently completed (new logo, new website, etc!), and how the staff learned through that process that the word “classic” sometimes brings negative ideas to mind: stale, boring, passé. Kate (Dorman, Director of Education at CSC) explained that CSC’s mission is to turn towards the future while remembering the past; to reimagine classic pieces of theater as they are relevant to us now. People who find the word “classic” unappealing may in fact enjoy our work - even if they think they will not! CSC aims to make work that resonates with a diverse range of individuals (not just the old school die hard Shakespeare fans).

She also talked a bit about the history of the theater, and how a “company” can refer to a core group of actors who act in all the plays put on by the theater. At one time CSC did function in such a fashion, though that is not the case now. And speaking of the stage... the theater used to be a carriage house. #funhistoryfacts

After the introduction to CSC as a company, it was time become more acquainted with each other, as a company of young aspiring theater professionals. For that purpose we had planned a TASK party. If you don’t know what that is, you can read more about it here: https://oliverherringtask.wordpress.com/make-your-own-task/

The basic gist is that everyone writes down tasks on slips of paper and places the tasks in the task bowl. Then everyone pulls out tasks and tries to complete them. Some tasks involved using craft supplies (“Give a birthday card to a friend”); others needed merely one’s own person and imagination (“Be an animal for 2 minutes”).

Though many of the tasks were solitary, a few brought the room together, such as forming a human chain and playing duck duck goose. Others produced some lovely artwork:

“Present someone with an award”

“Bake a cake”

Note the “apple” headband made of a clown nose: “Do your hair with food products”

After about a hundred tasks and perhaps even a few new friendships later, it was time to clean up.

We tidied, we took some group photos, and then it was time to bid farewell. Parting is such sweet sorrow! But fear not, for NextGen will convene again on Monday, October 2nd. There we will talk about the actor/musician model that John Doyle, Artistic Director, uses often and has employed in CSC’s production of As You Like It. Complete with guest speakers from the show! Stay tuned.

P.S. If you’re curious about the tasks completed in our first meeting, here is a full list for your reading pleasure:

Adopt a pet giraffe

Tell someone about your summer

Change your appearance significantly. Remain that way till the end of the party.

Give everyone in the room a high 5!

Lead the room in an exercise class for 30 seconds

Take off your shoes and pretending you’re skating

Call the first person of your contacts

Compliment someone!

Serve someone a gourmet meal

Make up a dance move (name it)

Have someone tell a minorly embarrassing story (that they are comfortable with, of course)

Win an olympic medal

Move about the space like a dog/cat/animal of your choice

Propose to Shakespeare

Pet a very large dog

Choreograph a dance

Try and do a split

Give someone a genuine compliment on their appearance or personality

Whisper grapes in a person’s ear in a British accent!

Try to sell someone your shoe

Start a conga line

Play hide and seek

Sing a Disney song REALLY LOUD

Play tag!

Pretend to be a zoo keeper

Make more tasks!!!

Yell out pineapples in the harshest (but loudest) whisper!

Do a yoga pose!

Tell a funny story about yourself

Create a nickname for yourself (and for CSC NG to call you)

Yell out your birthday at any random time

Bake a cake

Get two people to tell the stories behind their names

Be an animal for 2 minutes

Make jewelry

Do your hair with food products

Sing the first verse of the first song in your head.

Drive an ice cream truck

Give a birthday card to a friend

Give someone a token of your affection

Turn off your phone from now on to tomorrow

Tight rope walk

Square dance

Perform this scene: “1: Hello! 2: Hello.1: Goodbye? 2: Goodbye….”

Teach someone a new song

Make up a poem about frogs

Go bowling

Make something out of yarn

Trade shoes with someone

Draw yourself

Dance like no one is watching

Make a new handshake with three people in the room

Do a split

Direct an orchestra

Write/perform a poem dedicated to someone in the room

Lead the whole group in a cheer

Get lost + ask someone to help you

Ask someone what their favorite holiday + food is

Join the circus

Get three people to recreate a famous scene from a famous movie

Sell someone something they don’t need

Count to 500 by 5s

Learn everyone’s name

Make a human chain

Make everyone play duck duck goose

Make a puppet

Recite a line of Shakespeare for the whole room to hear

Make up a riddle

Turn someone into a mermaid

Braid a guy’s hair

Become a bird

Recite the alphabet backwards

Finger knit something

Walk like a zombie for 10 minutes

Play night at the museum

Teach a bad lesson

Cross your eyes + squeal like a pig

Draw your spirit animal

Build a house

Make a human spiderweb

Say Sally sold sea shells at the sea shore 3x fast

Choreograph a group dance with at least three other people

Play hot potato

Find your light

Present someone with an award

Do 100 jumping jacks then make someone else do it too

Play football w/ 5 people

Solve this: There are 2 floors. On the first floor are 3 switches. On the second 3 lights. You can only go upstairs twice. The switches do correspond with a light. How do you find out which light goes to which switch?

Braid someone’s hair

Choreograph a music video

Take a group selfie

Impersonate cookie monster

Wear a helmet (make one first)

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Guest Post Series: My Internship Experience at Classic Stage Company–Caitlin Macahilig

Hi everyone! My name is Caitlin Macahilig, a NextGen Alumni, and I will be the first in a series of ‘Guest Posts’ on the CSCNextGen Page! 

For about a year, I returned to CSC as their external relations intern (marketing & development departments) and I’ve been the individual responsible for writing the Tumblr blog posts during the 2016-2017 NextGen Season. Today will be my very last day as CSC’s intern, a bittersweet moment. 

Reflecting on the past few months, this post is going to give you an inside scoop on my internship experience and what I did day-to-day at the office. As a Communication major at the College of Mount Saint Vincent, the internship allowed me to work with overlapping departments in order to gain experience and discover possible career goals post graduation next spring.

Through this post, I also hope to encourage others to apply for CSC’s internship program: http://www.classicstage.org/education/for-students/. It is worth the experience!

  •CSC’s Artistic Director, John Doyle, and I after a meeting at a rehearsal space                                               for DEAD POETS SOCIETY•

Development (Fundraising)

During the first half of internship, I worked with CSC’s Development Department. This department is responsible in building a financial case for CSC productions and operations through numerous means including ticket sales, subscription revenue, and donations. I was able to understand the importance of keeping strong relations with various individuals/groups and how a non-profit organization operates through donations and foundational giving. 

•(Left to Right) John Doyle, Myself, Kate Dorman (Director of Education), Katie Hayes (Associate Director of Development), and Catherine Gambardella (External Relations Assistant)• 

       •Assisting the Development Department send out annual appeal letters•

Some of my duties as the external relations intern included:       

Mailing out membership letters

Updating patron and board member information through Constant  Contact/Ovationtix

Preparing seat notes for each show

Draft social media posts for Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram

Preparing annual appeal letters

Reviewing advertising material           

Marketing                                                                    

Halfway through my internship, my interest in advertising grew and I was soon transferred to work under the Marketing Department. I was able to observe CSC’s rebranding process as they enter their 50th Season this coming fall – having a completely new logo and new productions lined up. In preparation for next season, the Marketing department is responsible in promoting ticket sales and research ways to expand CSC audiences. I learned the effective ways to advertise towards a specific audience through online ads and outreach campaigns. 

Projects I executed in the Marketing Department included: 

Affinity Marketing Research for next season’s productions

Distribute flyers and brochures to local schools and bookstores

Organize the photos and videos in the office server

Select and prepare ‘Throwback Thursday’ Instagram images to celebrate CSC’s 50th Anniversary 

CSC’S Gala

The most memorable moment of my internship is when I spoke during CSC’S Annual Gala. This year, the Gala honored the music of Stephen Schwartz and revealed CSC’s 50th Season productions and the new company logo. John Doyle, the Artistic Director, hosted the event, introducing each talent onto the stage. 

During the event, I had the opportunity to speak on stage about my experience as both a NextGen Alumni and CSC intern. I explained how NextGen taught me the importance of education and leadership, which inspired the career path I am taking in college. Now as an intern, my supervisors are teaching me the necessary skills I need for a successful future. 

•Speaking at CSC’s Gala with CSC’s Resident Teaching Artists, Mikey Mullen, about how CSC has shaped us, from the perspective of an educator and a student•

NextGen Alumni

Aside from working with the Development and Marketing Departments, I also created content for the NextGen Tumblr blog. I would review each NextGen meeting and write a post, summarizing the meeting and highlighting key points the teens learned. Kate and I also launched a Facebook group page, CSC NextGen Alumni, that we have been working on the past few months. Through this page, CSC aims to reconnect with previous NextGen Members and offer numerous opportunities from internships to tickets for future productions. Kate hopes to reestablish relationships with past students and keep them involved with CSC, just like how CSC reconnected with me! 

*Me with the CSC staff at this year’s annual gala*

Overall, working as Classic Stage Company intern truly helped me gain knowledge and experience necessary for my future career goals. My relationship with CSC has grown since NextGen, continuing to educate me on a collegiate level. I am very thankful for CSC’s contribution to my career and encourage others to intern at CSC. As my first internship, this experience has allowed me to leverage the skills I learned in college in the real world. Entering my senior year this fall, I am confident and excited about my last year in college. I can not wait to see what the future holds for me. 

Thank you CSC! 

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At our final meeting, NextGen got some ice cream and pretended to ‘slate’ as their ice cream flavor. Slating is when the actor will state their name and a brief background on the themselves during an audition. Check out our previous post to understand what we are talking about! 

Here is a video of some members (and CSC’s Director of Education, Kate) performing their ice cream slates! 

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NextGen’s Final Meeting of the Year!

NextGen had their final meeting for the 2016-2017 Season! After a group survey, the teens voted to have a workshop on... auditions and casting!! Joining the meeting was Kea Trevett, an actress who was featured in CSC’s play THE COMEDY OF ERRORS as Luciana this year and in OTHELLO as Desdemona last season. 

Kea gave NextGen insight on what the audition process is like for a professional actor and a basic understanding of the role of casting agencies in theater. Here is a little of what everyone learned. 

HOW TO LAND AN AUDITION. Some actors have a talent agent, who will submit them for roles. If the actor is booked, the agent will usually receive 10% of the actor’s check. Some actors may do self-submissions, sending out their headshot and resume to a casting director to be considered for a role. And some actors would try open calls, where they wait on line for a specific audition. These are usually listed on the online casting service or by the theater. If an actor makes a good impression at an open call, they might be given an appointment to audition for the creative team. 

WHAT TO PREPARE FOR AN AUDITION. For most auditions, the actors should have a monologue prepared. In choosing a monologue, the actor should avoid ‘showy writing.’ It is important to pick monologues that are appropriate for the actor, building a strong relationship, need, and change in the scene. Sometimes, sides (excerpts from the play or film) are provided at the audition to perform. If the side is given to the actor prior to their audition, they should look over the text and try to memorize as much as possible. Also, the actor should always do research before the audition. (What is the tone? Who is on the creative team? Past productions? etc.) The actor should bring a headshot and resume and wear appropriate clothing entering their audition. 

FILM AND THEATER AUDITIONS ARE DIFFERENT. Before a taped audition, an actor will “slate”. This is when the actor will state their name and a brief background on the themselves. This is a great moment for the casting director to see ‘you.’ A slate should be sincere and confident. The actor should be aware of who they introduce themselves. Sometimes, it is helpful to have a specific person in mind before an actor slates. 

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY... The actor should be positive and confident! The audition should look spontaneous, not rehearsed. After the audition, the actor must thank the casting directors and let the audition go. Hopefully, the actor will get a callback!

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CSC’S Fifth Annual Shakespeare Smackdown (SHAKESMACK)!

On May 8th, NextGen hosted CSC’s Fifth Annual Shakesmack Competition! The event featured middle and high school students performing scenes from the Young Company Show: THE COMEDY OF ERRORS! The competition presented the play in order, showing a mini production to the audience. 

Check out some of the talented students that performed!

Though it was a tight competition, the judges chose the first, second, and third place winners! The winners were awarded tickets to future CSC shows and workshops for their schools. They even gave an honorable mention to a participating school. 

But no one went home empty handed! All participants were awarded a SHAKE SMACK t-shirt for their hard work!

      Congratulations to all! Until the next Shake Smack! “Watch thy back.” 

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TEEN TAKEOVER TALKBACK– PACIFIC OVERTURES!

Last Saturday, April 30th, NextGen hosted another Teen Takeover for CSC’s current musical production, PACIFIC OVERTURES. PACIFIC OVERTURES looks at a first encounter between two cultures, America and Japan, exploring what happens when their worlds collide. During the talkback, the actors explain the meaning and history behind the show. 

                               Check out photos from the event below!

       Here is a view from the lighting booth right before the show started!

After the show, the audience stayed to ask questions during the TalkBack.

Here is the cast explaining the purpose and importance of PACIFIC OVERTURES.

Teen Takeover was a great success! Be sure to go see PACIFIC OVERTURES at CSC running until June 18th. 

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Exploring PACIFIC OVERTURES!

At our last meeting, NextGen prepared for CSC’s next musical production of PACIFIC OVERTURES. During this meeting, the teens examined how Japanese culture influences the United States, a major theme in the musical.

NextGen started the meeting by brainstorming ways that Japanese culture is present in America. Western culture has adopted many things from Japan, including their food and technology. From their first initial interaction to present day, Japanese cultures continues to flourish and become a part of American culture. Here are some examples of Japanese influence in the US below: 

Food

Sushi

Wasabi

Miso

Tempura

Gyoza

Industry

Electronics (Toshiba, Yamaha, etc.)

Cars (Honda, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Subaru, Mazda, Nissan, etc.)

Culture

Judo, Sumo

Manga, Anime

Entertainment (Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, Transformers, Power Rangers, Hello Kitty, Godzilla, Tamagotchi, Nintendo, etc.)

Origami

Haiku

NextGen continued the meeting by learning about traditional Japanese art forms. PACIFIC OVERTURES was deeply rooted in Kabuki Theater, a form of dance-drama. It roots back to early the 1600s where it was used to visualize every day life on stage. In Kabuki, performers wear elaborate makeup and sing dramatically. 

NextGen also explored two popular Japanese art forms: haiku and origami. Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry, which is usually written in three lines. There are five syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line, and 5 syllables in the third line (5-7-5). Haikus tend to focus on nature and express how an individual feels by describing nature. For example, if a winter sky makes the poet sad, the poem will describe that specific sky to relate the emotion. In PACIFIC OVERTURES, haiku poems are often metaphors that relate to the challenges of Japanese and American culture coming together. NextGen wrote this own haikus, relating to their sense – sight, hearing, touch, steel, and taste in relation to images from the musical. Through this exercise, they experimented with new ideas and perspectives. The teens also learned how to make origami, folding paper art. “Ori” means folding and “gami” means paper. They made two pieces of origami: a samurai hat and a boat, in honor of the two main characters in this story, Kayama (a samurai) and Manjiro (a fisherman).  

Lastly, the teens examined music from PACIFIC OVERTURES. The musical’s music conductor, Greg Jarrett, taught NextGen the opening number (”The Advantages of Floating in the Middle of the Sea”). Jarret also spoke to the teens about Stephen Sondheim, a Tony Award winning American composer and lyricist. Sondheim wrote the music for PACIFIC OVERTURES and was inspired by reflecting the characters and the story, which makes his music difficult to learn. However, the payoff is a sound that is beautifully unique. 

Be sure to sure to follow CSC on Facebook, Tumblr, and Instagram for more NextGen updates!