Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sleepy Bear's Book Club - ROOM ON THE BROOM
I'm too scared to dress up in a costume and go trick or treating. But I'm not too scared to dress up my whippy cream! It's a ghost. Yum!
I have the perfect book to go with my afternoon ghosty whippy cream on top of hot cocoa, too. It's called ROOM ON THE BROOM by Julia Donaldson. This is a super fun book to read because it rhymes. Do you know what that means? Well, it's when the ends of words sound alike.
Here's the beginning of the story, it goes like this:
The witch had a cat
and a hat that was black,
And long ginger hair
in a braid down her back.
Cat rhymes with hat and black rhymes with back. Books like this are great to read out loud. Now you try it.
I'm going to read the next page. Hey, I have an idea, let's see how many words we can find that rhyme. You can use this book or a different book you have at home.
Check back later and we can share.
Bye for now,
Sleepy Bear
Sleepy Bear Invites Kathleen to Blog about ZOMBIE CAESAR
Happy Halloween!
Guess what? My reading and writing teacher, Kathleen, saw the play, ZOMBIE CAESAR, at The Bathhouse! Zombies are too scary for me. I stayed home with my cup of hot chocolate and whippy cream and a Halloween book. Kathleen will tell you about the show.
Thank you, Sleepy Bear. This is quite an honor to write on your blog.
Intense Drama, political intricacies, captivating monologues, and complex characters all come together on one stage at The Bathhouse in Green Lake. That would be true for almost any production of a Shakespearian play, but what makes this performance all the more unique and special is that the cast is a group of 11-14 year olds!
ZOMBIE CAESAR takes place in the late 1950s – early 1960s but the language is authentic iambic pentameter of Old English. This version takes another turn from the original when zombies come to life after Caesar meets his fate at the other end of Brutus’ fake knife. Yes, this performance even uses stage blood! Sleepy Bear, good thing you stayed home for this one. The Zombie makeup was a tad bit too real even for me! Add to that the sound of thunder and rain and lightning illuminating the sky at just the right intervals and you have the makings for a perfect show for a Halloween weekend.
Hats off to Shana Bestock, for directing the cast from self-written character bios to an engaging live performance. Unfortunately, there is only one more performance. They all deserve a longer run for their dedication to each other and the art of live theater.
Parents, gather the older kids for a fun Halloween afternoon at The Bathhouse Theater. The final performance of ZOMBIE CAESAR is today at 2pm, and the tickets are free! I look forward to seeing more productions by the
Youth Program at the Seattle Public Theater.
Sleepy Bear, back to you.
Thanks, Kathleen! Sounds like a good show, except for the super scary parts.
Friends, check back later today. I’ll tell you about the Halloween book I read. It was scary enough for me! It’s called, ROOM ON THE BROOM by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
Bye for now,
Sleepy Bear
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Sleepy Bear Brushes Up On His Shakespeare!
Yesterday I got to visit another rehearsal for a show put on by the Youth Program and the Seattle Public Theater. This one is called ZOMBIE CAESAR. It's a Shakespeare play that has been changed a little bit so now it's a Halloween play, too. The cast is a group of kids in 5th through 8th grade. And they are really good! But, I have to warn you, it's a little bit scary and a little bit grown-up for kids my age. It would be perfect for an older brother or sister to enjoy.
Here's a picture of two cast members in costume. Wow! They're just a little bit older than me. Oh, and everyone was "off script" for the entire rehearsal. Sometimes the Assistant Stage Manager, Augustine, would tell them their lines if they forgot.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sleepy Bear Visits The Wizard of Oz Rehearsal at Seattle Public Theater
As you know I'm blogging about my visits to the Seattle Public Theater Youth Programs. Right now the 3rd and 4th graders are rehearsing THE WIZARD OF OZ. They will share their performance with their family in another two weeks!
I thought I would read the book, THE WIZARD OF OZ. It's fun to compare and contrast the book with the show on the stage. Oh, in case you don't remember what 'compare' and 'contrast' mean, I'll tell you. Compare means how things are the same and contrast means how things are different. I'll tell you more after I read a few pages of the book.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Sleepy Bear Is a Contributing Blogger for the Seattle Public Theater!
I’m very excited to tell you about some good news! I have been invited by the Seattle Public Theater to write about their youth programs!!! Have you ever wanted to act in a play on a stage? If you answered “yes” or even “maybe” then the youth programs are for you! It’s a great way to get started on your acting career.
The Seattle Public Theater has classes for kids that teach you how to act and move on stage. Right now there is a group of 3rd and 4th graders who are rehearsing for The Wizard of Oz. I got to visit them while they worked.
I made some new friends at the Seattle Public Theater. Sean, Aliza and Makena each helped me to understand choreography. They said it’s planned dancing or movement while you’re acting like a character from a play. That sounds very difficult. But there’s more! Sometimes you even have to sing, too! I don’t know if I would ever be able to do all that at the same time. But these kids are good. They were all following Todd’s choreography instructions.
I also learned what the stack of papers is called. That’s the script and each actor has one. They told me it is the story typed on paper and it tells which character says which words. Sometimes it also tells the characters what they are supposed to do on stage. When Todd tells them, “off script,” that means they can’t look at the words typed on paper! Yikes, that sounds very difficult.
Todd has invited me to visit them again while they rehearse. In a few weeks the kids get to perform the show for their parents. It’s not a real performance for the public to watch because the kids are learning what to do right now. Sometimes I’ll get to visit rehearsals for shows that you can see at The Bathhouse On Green Lake. I’ll let you know which shows those are, too.
So, if acting on stage sounds like something you want to do, then you should ask your parents to visit the website for the Seattle Public Theater and sign you up for the classes. Here’s the link: http://www.seattlepublictheater.org/education-programs.htm.
Be sure to check back next week when I write more about how to audition for a show.
Your Friend,