Playwright, A Definition

Today, in our first class of the day with SoS staff/teacher Natasha Smith, I learned the true meaning of the word playwright. To wright something is, by definition, a "maker or a builder". Therefore, a playwright is more than just an author of a play; playwrights are fabricating and producing art that can be supported in formats that go beyond the paper. 

Shoutout to Bella and Natasha, thanks guys.

SoS 2014 Cast List!

SoS Student Guest Writer: Maddie Miller

    I am not positive of any method of writing that will make this not sound like an angsty blog entry of a preteen in 2003 so I might as well just take that and roll with it. 

    Ugh, *sigh*. *Logs into Myspace* *opens up AIM and logs in under "AngstyGurl1993"*     

    Auditions. Some actors are shaking with excitement at the mention of the event. That wasn't the case for me. At all. I cannot stress that "at all" enough. 

    My parents raised me to have a "if not me then who else" attitude. In short, I was taught to always approach situations as if I already had the job. Smile. Straight posture. Eee-nun-see-ate. 

      So auditions should feel like a breeze, right? Well, that's wrong. My hands always shake. I begin to feel like I have a hazy vision. Walking into the room full of Arizona Theatre Company professionals, wheeeeew. Nearly 6 times? WHEEEW. I had slight comfort in the idea that these people had already built a relationship with me, but there's always going to be that BUT. 

      But after the audition experience had passed, I felt this wave of accomplishment. It's tough, yes, but that's what makes the entire result worth it. You have to give them your all so you can continue to meet the high standards at which they produce pieces of art. 

       Waiting 3 hours for a cast list was a different story, but let's just save that for another day. I feel so unbelievably lucky to get the chance to work with ATC in their production of Laurence Boswell's Beauty and The Beast: a fairy-tale thriller. I'm stoked for the next couple weeks and I know the audition process- although it made me have an undeniable urge to cry and puke at the same time, was just one big learning experience.

Bananas, lint rollers and music

Mat Balicki, Dani Ochoa, Kim Laney, Maddie Miller, Danielle Turnbull and I are ready for audition day! 

The company of SoS 2014!

The first of many to come!

Who's ready for round two?

Hello again! My name is Alec Coles-Perez, and I am a second year participant in Arizona Theatre Company's Summer on Stage program for young actors. Last year, I began this blog to document my journey through SoS, and I am so honored and ecstatic to be back online. First, a little background on myself and why I chose SoS, and then we'll get to the awesome stuff.  I am eighteen years old, and a recent graduate from Marana High School. At Marana, I was given incredible opportunities and exposed to amazing theatre within our Arts Academy, which inspired my plans for next year; I plan on attending the University of Arizona to study theatre in the BFA Acting Program. At Marana, the arts building is held in the "F" building, and I am proud to say that I am what Marana Folk refer to as a "F Wing Kid."  I am an avid believer of the community that is created by and thrives within the fine arts, and truly feel that theatre is a vital social, creative, and learning process that can benefit people of all ages, whether or not they intend to take theatre into their professional lives.

That being said, Summer on Stage is a place where such an idea is not only a belief, but it is a living, breathing entity created by the students and its faculty. Last year, SoS gave me the best summer of my life. As soon as the curtain closed, it wasn't even a question that I would be returning again for my final year of SoS. The culture that is created during these classes is unparalleled. SoS pushes their students, and makes them think beyond what they even believed was capable. Not only are our brains challenged and our skillset expanded, but we are taught how to take the lessons and skills we learned, and how these abilities can benefit us outside theatre. Among many things, we learn collaboration, innovation, and how to  reflect on ourselves and our own personal journeys.

Today was the first day of SoS 2014, and I guess you could say I had high hopes for the first day. I am happy to tell you I wasn't disappointed.

There are so many new faces to the program this year. As I walked into the lobby of the Tornabene, the energy and the atmosphere was entirely different, yet the faces of our phenomenal leaders, such as April Jackson and Stephen Wrentmore, to name two of the many brilliant artists on the team, were a familiar sight. First day jitters were quickly pushed away with orientation and the obligatory name games and  get-to-know-each-other ice breakers. The group was fun, excited and ready to begin. That's the best part of the first day,  meeting new people who share the love for what you're all doing together. Everyone is friendly and smiling, and we get to do our own artsy kid, weird versions of introductions. We do weird voices, shoot each other in games of Bang, and we reenact Beauty and the Beast in anime style, it's what we do. Speaking of Beauty and the Beast, this season's shows were announced: Beauty and the Beast, directed by Katherine Monberg, and Anyone Can Whistle, directed by Amber Tibbitts. The students were presented with the concept ideas for both shows, and then read through both scripts, and that's when the second best part of the day was realized: there is so much work to do in the next five weeks. As each scene was read, and new layers of both stories were uncovered, you could see the excitement in the room grow. That's why we're all really here, to get to work, and to create beautiful art together.  Or be each other's speed bumps, but you had to be there to get that one.

Day one was a success. I can't wait for the rest of my summer with my old, and new, friends.