Schools and Rules are Tools for Fools-- Part II of IV

This is part of a four-part post about art and schoolwork. To see the introductory post, click here.

I mentioned that as a homeschooler, I am able to take classes this year that I almost certainly would not have the opportunity to participate in were I in public school. The first of these classes I would like to discuss is not really a class at all, but a discussion group for literature.

This discussion group is held at one of my friend's houses. Every Thursday, seven of us gather to have a really great, nearly entirely student led discussion about whatever work of literature we are currently reading together, drink tea, chat after the discussion, drink tea, talk about fandoms and writing, and drink tea. Did I mention the tea? We like tea.

I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such a great group of like-minded peers like this. We all are very interested in writing and reading. Many of us are actors as well. Our shared excitement for a good story and fascinating characters that can be related to is definitely perceivable in our discussions. (In fact, a few of us went to the children's section in a book store the other day, and we found ourselves discussing the characterization of Lucille from the Junie B. Jones series). Although we are definitely interested in all elements of a good story-- plot, pacing, setting, description, etc. --I think it is safe to say that it is the characters in a book hold the most interest for many of us. And we're all fans of Doctor Who, to cap it off. Really, I just love this whole group to pieces, if you couldn't tell already.

We have a wonderful adult facilitator who picks out books, provides discussion topics if we need them, and gently steers the conversation back on track when we deviate to topics such as gay rights, Doctor Who, human nature, Doctor Who, feminism, or Doctor Who. Other than that, the discussion is completely student led.

I believe that the thing that makes all this possible is that this 'class' is mandatory for none of us; we all really want to be there. In a public school, the discussion of literature in this fashion would probably be mandatory, which, depending on the group of students, could take a lot of the joy and purpose out of it. If just one person doesn't want to be in a class like this, they sort of put a damper on the whole group. It's not that large-scale education facilities really have a lot of choice in this matter; their job is to educate and broaden the horizons of as many people as possible, and I appreciate that the difficulty of this task increases with each additional student who walks in through their doors. But my point is, because of the small size of my group and the honest desire of each of us to ascertain more knowledge about the fascinating psychology of the crazy, terrible, wonderful, mad species known as human beings though the study of literature,  we are able to have some really fascinating, scintillating discussions.

So far, we have studied The Dead (James Joyce) and The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald). We are currently reading A Passage to India (E.M. Forster), which is a fascinating social commentary on the colonized India of the twentieth century. I'll spare you all my rants about each of these fascinating books. I admit that I probably would not have made my way through most of these stories without the relative structure of the group to answer to, as A Passage to India in particular can be a bit of a slog at first (it's worth it once you get to the middle, by the way). That's another thing the group is useful for. It really motivates me to finish a work I might not even have picked up otherwise, because if one of us doesn't do the reading, the discussion pretty much becomes pointless.

I'll end with one of my favorite quotes. "When I learn something new--and it happens everyday-- I feel a little more at home in this universe, a little more comfortable in the nest." --Bill Moyers. I'll admit that I have no earthly idea who Bill Moyers is or was or why he said that, but I think he's on to something. Stories are, and always have been, a way for us to explore our own humanity through the eyes of another: an author or a fictional character. Sometimes the view of an outsider is needed in order to let us see what should be obvious about our own lives, and that's something that stories (and art in general) gives to us.
 

White Queen portrait

I've been drawing again. The scanned picture really doesn't give you an accurate idea of the shading or of the details, but here it is:

(I'm sorry that the graphic had to be so big that it has begun to choke the right side of your screen). Yep, that's me dressed as the White Queen from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass, which, along with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is one of my absolute favorite stories. I played the White Queen in HTT's Alice in Wonderland (which combined elements from both books, by the way). I based this self-portrait off of a photograph that someone took of me in the green room, before the performance. That's why I'm wearing only one glove and have got on horrible fake eyelashes. (Side note: I also had to wear falsies in the next play. A friend and I had a joke about me having small tarantulas on my eyes.)

I am beginning to resent my nose. It's a nice enough looking nose, I suppose, but it's an absolute nightmare to draw. I mean, there's this bit down the side where you think it should be raised, but it's straight! And in profile the knobbly bit on the end has got no outline. And don't get me started on the shading around my nostrils! In the spirit of Alice in Wonderland, I've resolved to give my nose a firm talking to. It shall go without its supper until it has promised me that it will make an effort to be easier to draw.

Fair farren,
~Naddie

Tech Week

Tech week.

Those two particular words, when placed in that particular order, become a particular phrase that wields great power. This phrase can strike fear in the heart of the most seasoned director. It has been known to create great excitement and anticipation in the minds of actors. Perhaps most importantly, this phrase has the power to make a whole cast freak out so much that they band together out of fear and become a single, driving force with one goal: put on a good show.

For all you non-thespians out there: tech week is the period of time when a cast gets serious and practices a play the way they are going to perform it at the shows. If you don't know your lines by now, I think the director gets to sell you as a test subject to scientific research. Tech week means hours of dress rehearsals, blocking, sitting still while people slather your face with foundation, re-blocking, hot costumes, standing still on stage doing nothing while the light crew figures out what lighting works best in your scenes, re-re-blocking, sitting still and being quiet so that people can actually work, practicing sound and light ques, and then going home for some sleep before you drive to the theater to do it all over again the next day. It pretty much becomes your life.

You've probably guessed by now that my theater group, HTT, is now in the middle of tech week. Actually, tech weeks. Yes, we habitually spend two weeks in this manner whenever we put on a show. Great for the show, not so good for the sanity of actors (whose sanity, I might add, was never quite confirmed in the first place).

Believe it or not, I actually enjoy tech week, most of the time (just not the energy crash I get when I go home at the end of the day). I love acting, and I've found it's always easier to get into character if I'm wearing a costume on stage. And I really like the way that everything comes together and the show becomes better and better.

But because everything is still being worked out, there are some funny and embarrassing moments. For instance, a completely silent fight scene (the guy at the sound board wasn't paying attention). Or yesterday, when the evil fairy entered in one scene, someone played the wrong sound effect so that instead of the sound of thunder there was gentle, cheerful music. But after all, I guess this is the whole reason that we rehearse: so that we don't make those same mistakes during the actual show.

If I had to choose something to dominate my life for two weeks, tech week wouldn't be a bad way to go. I get to see my friends every day, and, of course, I get to act. As a close friend of mine always used to say, "The play's the thing."

~Naddie

Beauty and the Beast

Here comes the obligatory HTT post for the spring! For those who are sadly ignorant, HTT stands for Homeschool Theatre Troupe. This is my acting group, and possibly the finest conglomeration of teenage actors in the country (at least, that's my slightly slanted opinion). Each spring and fall, HTT puts on a very professional, highly produced show. This spring it is... (drum roll) Beauty and the Beast. I have had such an awesome time being a part of this production. In many ways it's one of the most ambitious shows we've ever attempted: there are special effects, a complicated set, complicated costumes, various musical, dance and performance elements and more. Note: this is NOT the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast. If you come to the show hoping to encounter big yellow ball gowns, singing teapots, dancing cutlery, and flirtatious candelabras you will be sorely disappointed. No, we're doing the original French fairy tale version. It's very different from the Disney version, and really interesting.

If you're wondering who I am, I play Beauty during the dream sequences. (In the original version, the prince appears to Beauty in human form in her dreams). The official name of my character is "Dream Beauty." So in a weird way, I'm playing Sleeping Beauty in Beauty and the Beast. Ha ha.

Below is the show's information. If you live nearby, I strongly urge you to come see us!

Toodles!

~Naddie

Homeschool Theatre Troupe announces:

Beauty and the Beast

Based on the original tale by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

Beauty is the child of a forbidden marriage between a fairy and a king of a great realm. The fairy mother is imprisoned and the child spirited away by an ambitious and jealous enemy attempting to win the favors of the mortal king. When the king spurns the attentions of this malicious fairy, she makes an attempt on Beauty’s life, and then resorts to wooing a prince in another kingdom to gain power. The prince rebuffs her as well, and the angry fairy curses the prince to live his life as a ferocious beast, setting the condition that only the love of a young girl can cure him.

In order to save her father’s life, Beauty enters the beast’s palace willingly and discovers that the rooms are delightfully enchanted, aimed to please her every whim. At night she dreams of a handsome prince who tells her that he can be rescued if only she is able to look beyond appearances. Beauty is confused by these messages and she must fall in love with the beast before she comprehends the prince’s full meaning.

The enchanted rooms and dream sequences provide excellent opportunities for performance art including live vocals and music, dance, acrobatics and an exploration of the genres of commedia dell’arte and puppetry. Join Homeschool Theatre Troupe as they present this beloved traditional fairytale.

Come see the show!

Performance Dates
June 14 @ 7:00pm, June 15 @ 7:00pm, and June 16 @ 1:30pm

General Admission:

$8, available at the door before each show or at the Sharron Baucom Dale City Recreation Center. Members of the cast also have tickets. Ages 3 and under are free.

Group Tickets:

$6 each for 10 or more tickets. Groups can receive special benefits too, such as reserve seating. A 15-20 minute Q&A and tour of the set is also available. Contact julielittle@verizon.net for more information.

Location:

The Dr. A. J. Ferlazzo Auditorium, 15941 Donald Curtis Drive in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Count of Monte Cristo

My theater group is putting on this play. I am not in this one, but I strongly urge you to go. My group always does very professional productions, and they are great to be a part of and to watch.

~Naddie

******

Homeschool Theatre Troupe presents:

The Count of Monte Cristo

book by Alexandre Dumas, adapted by Julie Little

Edmond Dantes was a young man with a future filled with promise: a promotion to ship’s captain and engaged to the beautiful Mercedes—until he was betrayed by his jealous associates, arrested, and sent to prison on false charges of treason. Years later, deep in the dungeons of Chateau d’If, Dantes meets scholar Abbe Faria, who teaches him patience, as well as the intellectual pursuits of philosophy, science, and languages. When Faria, who considers Dantes a son, dies, he bequeaths to him an enormous treasure. Dantes escapes from prison, and emerges back into aristocratic society as the fictitious Count of Monte Cristo, a highly skilled but ruthless man, promising revenge on all those who plotted against him. This is the ultimate story of betrayal, greed, and vengeance. This is The Count of Monte Cristo.

Come see a classic come alive!

Performance Dates
November 17 @ 7pm, November 18 @ 7pm, November 19 @ 1:30pm

General Admission:

$8, available at the door before each show, at the Sharron Baucom Dale City Recreation Center, or from members of the cast. Ages 3 and under are free.

Group Tickets:

$6 each for 10 or more tickets. Groups can receive special benefits too, such as reserve seating. A 15-20 minute Q&A and tour of the set is also available. Contact julielittle@verizon.net for more information.

Location:

The Dr. A. J. Ferlazzo Auditorium, 15941 Donald Curtis Drive in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Please feel free to repost this announcement.