Houston, We Have a Production

Since Caucasian Chalk Circle has pretty much become my life this past week, I'm dedicating another post to it. This time though, I'll let you all know a bit more about how things work backstage (since it was new to me and might be cool to you). Anyway, the show opens this Thursday, so we've been racing through dress rehearsals and trying to get everything put together in time. Tech Week (or as some cast members affectionately call it "hell week") is both very stressful and very exciting.

First off, Chalk Circle, is a very obviously theatrical play, that is to say, we don't care if the audience know it's a play. It was written so that audiences would engage with the ideas behind the play instead of solely identifying with characters (or so says the director's notes in the program). Basically this means that each cast member plays several different characters, with the exception of Autumn Brown (who plays the main protagonist, Grusha Vashnadze) and Laura Childers (the narrator, who never gets to leave the stage). For example, I'm playing Prince Arsen Kazbeki (a villainous noble), Lavrenti Vashnadze, (Grusha's henpecked brother), a soldier (for two lines), and an angry farmer.

In addition to multiple roles, the theatricality of the play means that our set consists of three flats (which as I type are being beutifully painted by the tireless painting team, of whom I'm ashamed to say the only one I know is Angela Beall and a man known only as "Tim".) These flats are moved about and tipped over and angled to make the different locations our play takes place in. In addition we have a truckload of props (including some furniture, like tables and benches) which reside backstage and which touching when not necessary for your character will result in either a reprimand from a fellow actor or a decapitation by Liz Simpson. :)

Costumes in Chalk Circle have been both a challenge and an amazing mood-setter. I call them a challenge because since we're all playing multiple characters (and did I mention that the cast is also the crew as far as scene changes go?) we have to change costumes VERY fast. Fortunately, most costumes consist of nothing more than a vest or a robe. However, several costumes are more complex, including hats, sashes, packs, chainmail coifs, and in one case an extra-padded fake butt.

Since I forgot entirely to mention the music in the last post, I feel obligated to offer a Plus-Sized plug in this entry. (Sorry Justin!) How I managed to forget the music in this play is beyond me, especially such it forms such a massive part of the play itself. In case you didn't read the comment I made to attempt to amend the last post, all of the music in Chalk Circle has been originally composed and directed by Justin Johns, our resident Jim Carrey look-alike (or so he's been told). I'm not musically literate enough to relate for you the name for the style of music he's written, but whatever it is it sounds REALLY good. Half of the time I have to stay backstage when certain songs play or else I'll have the tune from it running through my head instead of my lines. As for the scope of it, we have a piano, a violin, a flute, an oboe, a cello, a bongo, a tambourine, and a xylophone. It's really quite spectatcular, especially when synced with the lights and singing by actors. (not me, we don't want to kill the audience)..

Generally during a rehearsal we'll take some time getting ready (which includes makeup, an entirely new experience for me.). We'll pray and then start running through the from scene one. While actors on stage perform their lines and entertain the imaginary audience, backstage one can always find actors waiting to help with the next scene change, checking charts to make sure they are not in said scene change, gathering props, reviewing scripts, testing the poofyness of Mitchell's chair, or throwing costume pieces willy-nilly (much to Winter's chagrin) as they attempt to get dressed for their scene. It can be chaotic at times, but it's a silent chaos due to the vigilance of the stage managers. Fortunately there seems to be a method to the madness, as tonight everyone got on stage at the right time (except once, but we covered it well) and in the right costume (which sometimes changed as hats and such were added mid-rehearsal).

On stage it's another world entirely. Stage fright won't be an issue, I think, since the lights pretty much prevent us from seeing the audience. Running the lights is Kat Lindsey, who since the project started has managed to juggle being a stage director, tracking missed or goofed lines, and since the original lighting director fell ill, manning the booth all at the same time (I salute you). While on stage, it's easy to get sucked into the story, and really just get lost in the acting. Depsite my use of cliches to describe it, I really enjoy working on stage with my fellow actors (most of whom are much better and I hope to learn a lot from them). I have also discovered that I have an amusing, yet bad habit of upstaging myself behind anyone and everyone I can. Whether I'm hiding behind Cornelius or walking in the only spot on the stage there's no lighting at all, I can pull it off. However, I think my last refuge has been scrapped, so I'll have no choice but to actually appear on stage. :)

Well, we only get one more rehearsal tommorow before this whole thing starts up Thursday night. Wish us luck, don't mention Macbeth, and injure as many lower appendages as possible (as long as they don't belong to us). 'Till next time, see you later!

Stolen Babies and Drunken Solomans

In my last post I mentioned that I had been lucky enough to land a part in Covenant College's production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertol Brect. Since most of my evening and some of my afternoons are now spent rehearsing, it's become a pretty big part of life here at Covenant for me. Thus, I now dedicate an entire blog post to it.

Our production of Chalk Circle is being directed by Theater Professor Claire Slavovsky, (or as we all call her "Prof. Slav") She's an excellent director and has managed to get the play running (more or less) smoothly a week before we open (even though we only had a month to get from start to finish in the first place).

While the plot of Chalk Circle is far too confusing to relate without actually seeing the play, I'll give a basic synopsis. Chalk Circle is a parody of goverment, war, and justice in general. The plot revolves around two main characters, Grusha and Azdak. Grusha, a peasant girl, is forced to take the child of the Governor of a city in Georgia (the country not the state) after a Prince (me!) stages a coup and has the governor's head chopped off. While protecting the baby, she eventually adopts it as her own. Meanwhile, Azdak, a villiage scriviner, becomes the judge of the general area and begins a chaotic reign of "justice" that favors the poor. (He is sort of an analog for Soloman, but that doesn't really come in until the end).

It's quite funny, and my synopsis doesn't do it justice. Anyway, the other actors are really great. I was even "adopted" by Senior Alysha McCullough. Basically it just means that we get into poke fights backstage. :) Other cast members include "Mitchell" Mitchell (who refuses to go by his first name because he shares it with a certain college which we are rivals with), Janel Corbett, Jacob Corbett, Adrianne Belz, Katie Jenkins, Johnathan Davis, Kevin Hartzell, Liz Simpson, Cornelius Hegeman, Autumn Brown, Wes Simmonds, Ben Burge, Krista Burnett, and Kate Serafolean (I really hope I spelled that right).

We open next Thursday (Oct. 1) and so far things are running well. We have great costumes thanks to Winter Cawley (an exact clone of Megan Ring, for those of you who know Megan). Hopefully things go well. I'm really enjoying doing Chalk Circle, and I'm looking forward to our rehearsal in half an hour. Anyway, until next time. M'aa Salaama (Arabic for "Peace be with you" or "See Ya!")

First ON AIR message.

Greetings! Since this is my first post, and most of you are probably hearing from me for the first time in a while (I apologize, I've had a busy schedule these past few weeks), I figure I'll try and catch you up on everything that's happened since I arrived at Covenant.

I arrived in late August for Orientation Week with my family and moved into my dorm. I'm living on Brethren Hall this year (which by the way is awesome). At Covenant, "Hall Community" is a big deal. Each hall is kind of a mini family, led by the RA. Each hall has events, meetings, discipleship, and wacky traditions. For example, Brethren goes to Chapel during Convocation and Preview Weekends in Monk Robes (preview weekends being those weeks that prospective students are invited to experience Covenant).

After moving in I met me "O-Team", basically a group of other Freshman (almost all in the Business program as well) led by two Sophomores. My team's leaders were Brett Borland, a guy on my hall, and Anne McNutt, one of the most energetic and enthusiastic people I have ever known. The team got to know each other pretty well during the week as we played games, attended orientation meetings, and went to downtown Chattanooga to check out the town (It's AWESOME!).

Classes started a week after I moved in. Now that I was "orientated" I was supposed to have some idea of what I was doing. For the most part I did, and what I didn't know I picked up fast. One thing I learned was that, while I may have been able to get up at 6:30 AM every morning at home, doing that here would kill me. It's physically impossible to sleep before 11:30, just due to the level of homework and ambient noise around the hall. Another thing I learned was that just because a class has no homework, doesn't mean you don't have work to do once class ends (don't worry, no bad grades, just a realization :) ).

We've had a couple of major social events so far, including Swingfest and Kilter. Swingfest isn't actually a Covenant event. The city of Chattanooga puts on a festival for swing dancing/awkwardly standing around watching other people swing dance. (there was free popcorn!) In an awesome twist of fate, I bumped into Rebecca Lee from CFC and Christina Morgan/Marianne Stern, my misled friends who attend Bryan.

Kilter, on the other hand is a Covenant Event. It's essentially a costume party (but we got to have it inside the Tennessee Aquarium. Woot!) This year's theme was Kastaways (yes they had that whole aliteration thing going.) I went as a pirate, and had a great time with some guys from my hall (Michael Bowser, whom we all call Bowser, and Will Young, my RA) as well as some girls from Jungle (another hall) who invited us to come. (Yes, you have to be invited by girls to go to this thing. No snide comments allowed. I have deletion power.)

Aside from those major events we've had some Hall dinners and we're getting ready for Around Founders, in which we decorate the hall according to a theme (this year we have Sam I Am, by the Hon. Doc. Seuss.) I can't say what we're doing till a later date, but suffice to say it'll be awesome, and I'll miss it entirely. I have rehearsal that night.

In one of the most awesome twists of fate that has happened since I arrived here, I tried out for "The Caucasian Chalk Circle" by Bertol Brecht to kill a Friday evening and actually got a part. (Several actually, we have a small cast). This has been one of the coolest events I've had the pleasure to be involved in. The plot is way to hard to explain, but its basically a satire of govenment and justice in general (very funny). It was also written in German, which led to a funny line which probably would not have been as funny in German. "The town is rioting! We'll all be slaughtered like chickens as always." As in multiple times? It's become something of an in-joke with the theater crowd.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention my class schedule. This year I'm taking English Comp (taught by a man I heard aptly described as the "coolest grumpy old man ever"), Christian Mind (the basic "here's what being a reformed college means" class), Old Testament Introduction (very interesting class, but way too early in the morning.) Concepts in Physical Education (taught by the most eccentric person I've ever encountered. He made one of this PE course's goals "to instruct the student in the proper navigation and usage of the internet" ???????) Modern Standard Arabic 101 (AWESOME!! And taught by a Prof. who's actually from Jordan.) and lastly Principles of Accounting (which is cool both because it's my only actual business related class this semester and because I took it in high school meaning that a) I already know most of it, and b) I am very popular.)

Hopefully I can keep up this blog in order to keep up with everybody back home. My schedule can be erratic and I am horrible at remembering to call people. Oh, and about the title of this blog: it's a lame attempt to sound like a radio station. I just figured I should have a theme for this thing. "83091" is my birth month (August) followed by day (31) and year (91). Anyway, until next time this is DJ P signing off. (Look! Another lame radio reference!)