Theatrikids Rocks the Blog!: Monday Class has GREAT IDEAS!

This is not your average boy with a furry blue head--No-no! This is Christopher, improvising a scene with a "monster" character he created. We proceeded to take it in a direction he didn't like, so the monster may or may not make an appearance in the final script, but it was TOTAL CREATIVITY IN ACTION! With a furry blue head. :)

Jackson decided he'd like to try this scene as a, forgive the pun--"Jack"-Rabbit. His ears needed some placement before we read thru the scene...

The ears were a nuisance, and for that reason I almost want to write in a little flip-floppy-earred Jack-Rabbit into the show, but it'd probably get annoying 4 Jack.

Let's not ignore Katie's "ensemble," as she read for royalty. She did a loose wrap-around look here, as the Mean Princess...

Jack already had his lines MEMORIZED after we read thru the scene like 2wice! HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!

It was SO AWESOME, in fact, that as a closer....

Jack had a "dramatic death scene."

Now, here's where we start picking up some energy! Get Logan on Stage & He may burst spontaneously into dance!

Curiously, so does Kaley, whom he reads this scene with. The camera catches only blurrs of these sensationally animated actors quite often!

They had AWESOME stage chemistry, too! From a director's view, I think they'll work EXCEPTIONALLY WELL together...

They would stand really far apart from each other....

Then one of them would do something to freak the other one out, like lunge forward suddenly, as Logan did here...

So, Kaley dashes to his Right, staying in character...

And then--WHOA!! We actually were in Wonderland for a second! TRIPPY!

"On behalf of all the madness that surrounds us, I welcome you to Wonderland"

"Right, well...I'm just gonna go..." CUE LOGAN: blocking her exit route!

And then suddenly he steps very far away....

And, he lunges back suddenly, getting a tiny giggle out of Kaley, who only broke character because it was the end of the scene. We all had a giggle--it was a nice touch of spontaneity that Logan brought to the scene, and Kaley responded by giving it right back! AWESOME DIRECTOR MOMENT! (tear! :)

I would like to point out that my Gentle-hearted teacher's assistant, Logan (in the Orange shirt) not only agreed to do this scene on his knees (actually, I think he wanted to, he felt tall--what's that like?), but also helped the younger actors read the more difficult words in the scene, making it flow smoother. THANKS, LOGAN!!

That looks like a "No, it was you" Moment between Christopher (far right) & Brendan (Center)

What a GREAT FACE!! LOVE IT! :)

Kaley was a real mentor to Jack in this scene that they read together. OMG--SO CUTE!! HAPPY DIRECTOR MOMENT (Tear! :)

Here, as Brendan takes a Gladiator-like stance for this scene, we see that the lovely Katie has chosen 2 use the same Very Long Scarf, but Tosses it as a Royal Shawl around her neck as she reads for The Queen...

Wow, how'd she make it look like a Royal Robe? Like a cape... Cool! And Brendan is pointing at something that isn't actually there, BUT--that's good ACTING, because it looks like he's looking & pointing at something or someone... WOWWW....

Logan entertains us all with his antics throughout class. Here, he is reading for the King of Hearts, whom he and I discussed a few "directions" the character could "go."

He did a funny, absent-minded King, and used his script as a prop, being clumsy and yet graceful, like a clown!

Ah, here we have a nice calm scene with very little movement....

AHHH! Wait! I was wrong! I most definitely spoke too soon on that one, and like everyone else, we did NOT see that action comin'! Christopher wanted it that way... And then....

Things became normal in the scene again...Ahh, nice and calm and relaxing, until...

Alivia! starts waving her scarf wildly in the air, and Christopher, not wanting to see the DANGER, pulls his hat over his eyes....WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?!

Christopher makes a dash outward, an interesting and unique way for the "Hatter" to introduce himself in this scene... Curiouser and curiouser.... :D

And they are still for the end of the scene... STANDING OVATION, BRAVO! BRAVA!!

Now, where could Jack have gone? Has anyone seen him? Uh-oh. We lost Jack!!

OH YEAH! He was waiting patiently to be unveiled! I love the look he has on his face as his character is mad at my character for taking him prisoner.... Doesn't he look like he might burst from the pent-up anger! LOVE IT!

And then he falls right into place as the "smart-alec" or the "wise-guy" also sometimes referred to as the "Sarcastic Mr.-Know-It-All" of this scene, and it's like he'd studied for the role!!

Sometimes he needed a cue line read to him. Sometimes he didn't!

AWWW! Kaley's helpin' him out again, except she's supposed to be the evil Queen in this scene...

Wait for it...

JACK: BLEEAAHHHH! (Director Screams, falls over frozen in terror, Logan--lovliest of teaching assistants-- picks Erin back up, puts her back into the scene, then says "Action!" Scene is over, Logan says "Cut! That's a Wrap!"