News & Notes #12-2010 Festival-Photos

We welcomed TEAM CNMI back from the International Thespian Festival when they arrived today at 1 AM. (Also heard that the NJFL team arrived back, too.)

Now that they are back, we should have more news and reports and all that good stuff. Photos will be posted here, as people share. Here are the first photos!


Addie & Jenella Photo by Dowen

I love that the tee shirt this year is a lovely green. Wish I had one!!!

In the Narita airport. Photo by Sibylla.

News & Notes #11-2010 Festival-College Audition Feedback

We know that some of our students did very well in college auditions(the technical theatre students in particular) and some of our students generated some interest, but not as much as WE think they deserve.

Why is that?

Here's some insight directly from one of the auditioners (from Florida International University). It may be too late for this year's students, but it is important to keep this accessible for our students who will audition next year and in the years to come.

News & Notes #10-2010 Festival-More News

AUDITIONS:
The 11 callbacks on Performance auditions went as follows:
Dowen-6
Wilden-3
Rochelle-2

On Technical Theatre auditions, there were 30 callbacks!
Rozette-15 UPDATE--22
Rochelle-15 UPDATE--22

PRE-FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES:
The weekend before Festival started, the TEAM 2010 has visited the University of Nebraska Museum of Natural History and toured the Nebraska state capitol.

FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES:
They continue to be busy during Festival attending workshops, main stage shows, chapter select and freestyle shows (one acts), and other activities. They are also rehearsing for Saturday's performance of PULLMAN CAR HIAWATHA at the chapter select showcase. I haven't heard if any of our team have gone to any of the dances.


EXTRA
Want to see what an ITS WORKSHOP is like? Watch this small bit of pop/rock musical theatre workshop:



Updated 6/28/2010 (Per Tina Foster's latest e-mail).

News & Notes # 9-2010 Festival-early reports

For the students in Lincoln--it seems they may be having lightning.
_____________________________

I've heard from both Mrs. Tina Foster and Mr. Harold Easton.

Tina's report (in part):

It's a big festival! The new kids were excited and nervous, but after a couple of days of going to some activities the nerves have settled down a bit. ... All the kids had IE's today. ... They've all been to some workshops and we continue to run our lines and practice whenever we have a break between activities.

Our lay over in Japan (7 hours) was put to great use. Dowen had the kids practicing and practicing. We put up our play on Saturday and by then they should all be ready.

Tonight we saw another play and it was amazing. The "oohs and aahs" I hear from the kids makes me realize that this is a great opportunity for kids from the CNMI to come to. ...

Hal's report (much shorter and bare-bones):

Junior College Auditions are done for the performers-tech yet to go. The three students garnered 11 call backs. In addition, when they visited the call backs, they went as a unit, and attracted further interest from the call-back colleges for the entire threesom.

IE's done, students seem satisfied with their work

"How To Succede in Business without Really Trying" was a great show, we had seats main floor center. Back to the balcony tomorrow.

And then online I found this You Tube video. The comments from the woman who adjudicated six (6) hours of monologues are insightful.



A great big thank you to adjudicators--I can't imagine six hours of student monologues.

News & Notes # 8-2010 Festival-Chapter Select Showcase

The Chapter Select Showcase offers a chance to see other schools' productions of one act plays. You get a good chance to see plays you might not have seen, to watch the talent of other students your age, and to have fun.

All Chapter Select Plays are scheduled for the Howell Theatre

WEDNESDAY

2:00 p.m. I Never Saw Another Butterfly, by Celeste Raspanti. Mississippi State Thespians, Troupe 7261, DeSoto Central High School, Southaven; David Boone, director.

3:00 p.m. The Secrets We Keep From Ourselves, by Brooke Prince. Maryland State Thespians, Troupe 2621, La Plata High School; Jennifer Joyner, director. (About a girl who has been sexually abused.)

4:00 p.m. Wiley and the Hairy Man, by Suzan Zeder. New Hampshire State Thespians, Troupe 6986, Alvirne High School, Hudson; Jennifer LaFrance, director.

5:00 p.m. The Yellow Boat, by David Saar. Troupe 6730, Nevada State Thespians, Liberty High School, Henderson; Joseph Welker, director.


THURSDAY

2:00 p.m. All the Great Books (abridged), by Reed Martin
and Austin Tichenor. Missouri State Thespians, Troupe 3168, Parkway South High School, Manchester; Jennifer Forrest-James, director.

3:00 p.m. The Least Offensive Play in the Whole Darn World, by Jonathan Rand. Kansas State Thespians, Troupe 639, Salina Central High School; Kevin Knak, director.

4:00 p.m. Fortress, by Michael Scanlan. Iowa State Thespians,Troupe 2027, Davenport West High School; Wayne Hess, director. (A 1988 play about a boy grappling with the discovery that he was adopted.)

5:00 p.m. The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza (Iliad! Iliad! Iliad!), by Don Zolidis. Alabama State Thespians, Troupe 7374, Catholic High School, Huntsville; Danielle Neupert, director


FRIDAY

2:00 p.m. Hello, Out There, by William Saroyan. Indiana State Thespians, Troupe 106, Maconaquah High School, Bunker Hill; Ann Hileman, director.

3:00 p.m. The Last Night of Ballyhoo, by Alfred Uhry. North Carolina State Thespians, Troupe 5887, Hibriten High School, Lenoir; Joshua Scott, director.

4:00 p.m. 9th Grade Nothin’, by the cast. Minnesota State Thespians, Troupe 7539, Perpich Center for Arts Education, Golden Valley; Tory Peterson, director.

5:00 p.m. The Diary of Anne Frank, by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. Arizona State Thespians, Troupe 6901, Willow Canyon High School, Surprise; Storm Girkin, director.


SATURDAY

2:00 p.m. This, Uh, Body, by Michael Lee. Texas State Thespians, Troupe 3543, Round Rock High School; Michael Lee, director.

3:00 p.m. Something’s Rotten in the State of Denmark, by Joseph Wallace. Arkansas State Thespians, Troupe 6338, Alma High School; Shane Bocksnick, director.

4:00 p.m. Story Theatre, by Paul Sills. West Virginia State Thespians, Troupe 2561, Huntington High School; Helen Freeman, director.

5:00 p.m. Pullman Car Hiawatha, by Thornton Wilder. The Thespian troupes from the Northern Mariana Islands,Saipan. Directed by the cast (really Dowen).

News & Notes #7-2010 Festival-Emergency Contact

From the Festival Guidelines:

Emergency Incoming Calls must be channeled through the 24 hour desk at (402) 472-1010. Reference must be made to the Delegate's attendance at the Thespian Festival 2010.

Or you can contact coach Sibylla Leon Guerrero at 1-702-580-0031.

News & Notes #6-2010 Festival-I.E. Support Schedule

Because we are a TEAM and not just individual students from various schools in the CNMI, we agree that our participation is mutually supportive. We don't leave it to chance; we plan how we can make sure every team member is cheered on in their individual events.

Below is a mutual support schedule. Please take your responsibilities to heart. If you want to attend other IEs, you may do so, BUT NOT if it risks you missing or being late to the IE for which your support is scheduled.

Pullman Car Hiawatha-tonight

FREE SHOW! Please come.



Besides the play, the Team CNMI Thespians will present their individual event pieces for their competitions in the showcase.

(Nice write-up in the Marianas Variety today. Jojo Alepuyo's group photo is great, too.)

News & Notes #5-2010 Festival-Dance Themes

When you're considering what to pack, don't forget the dances this year. The themes are

Superheroes (take your cape!)

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids (wear red)

Through the Ages (anything from loin cloths to the latest fashion--pick your era!)

Black and White (self-explanatory)

You don't have to dress to the theme to go to the dances. But be sure to take your dancing shoes and energy!

First NFL Report & Thespian Update

Team CNMI Students are in Kansas for the NFL competitions. On Sunday, June 13, 2010, they joined the NFL's FOOD FOR HAITI project and helped fill meal bags.
_____________________________

Thespians are preparing for their ITS competitions (individual events and a chapter production in the Chapter Select Showcase). Please help support them by coming to the FREE showcase on Thurday, June 17, 2010 at 7 PM at the American Memorial Park Auditorium.

News & Notes #4-2010 Festival-Team CNMI

Our Team roster looks like this:

TECHNICAL THEATRE
Costume Design: Rochelle Dimapalis
Scenic Design: Rozette Bunao
Film: Kevin Jardinero

PERFORMANCE THEATRE
Duet Acting: Annabel Manzo, Amy Liu
Duet Acting: Adeleyah Mojica, Dowen Jocsen

Mime: Christine Aninzo, Jackilyn Rafois
Mime: Wilden Mangahis

Monologue: Maria Castro
Monologue: Ann Mariel Flores
Monologue: Matt Wheat

Solo Musical: Jenella Nelmida
Solo Musical: Miki Nadia Dela Cruz

Our coaches include Wesley Foster, Jonel Alepuyo, Sibylla Leon Guerrero, Kathy Barja, Allison Walker, Tina Foster, and our Chapter Director, Harold Easton (who stays only until Tuesday).

News and Notes #3-Festival Schedules

Festival schedules are available online. You can see the Workshop Checklist to start figuring out what sessions you want to attend. There are a lot to choose from--acting on camera, Shakespeare, masks, puppetry, auditioning Broadway, portfolios, selecting a college, learning how to choreograph hip hop, directing, sorting through royalties and rights, using theatre as a social voice, clowning, yoga, singing improv, songwriting, stage combat (falling, rolling, flipping, fisticuffs, quarterstaff!), tattoos, magic, wearing wigs--AND MORE!

The problem of figuring out which workshops to attend is complicated, not only by the great selections competing for time slots, but also because there are other demands and draws on participants' time--indivual events (schedules are also online-linked on the main page of Festival at EdTA); college auditions and exhibitor tables and booths (worth a visit by any student interested in going on to college); tech challenge (learn by watching other students compete!); and Chapter Select and Freestyle Theatre plays. The full schedule is mind-boggling, so better start checking it out now!