Let there be Light... and it was GOOD!

 New lights have been a dream and journey of ours for many years.  We have diligently and literally battled the forces of darkness to illuminate our space in a pleasing way.  This week has brought us one of our first major victories in this process.  We received a glorious shipment of 30 new instruments for our lighting needs.  The shipment contained 10 new Source Four Ellipsoidal instruments and 20 Source Four Fresnel instruments.   We quickly assembled the pieces in a factory line like process with students and faculty working side by side.  Then we took to the stage to give flight to these brilliant new harbingers of light.  Now, we do admit this is just a beginning and we will have to raise money for a new breaker box and light board, but having taken this first dramatic step is a reason to rejoice.

                Homecoming will feel the true power of these new beasts in the air and allow the attendees of the Fine Arts Spotlight to see and better appreciate not only the many wonderful performances, but also the new vibrant curtains hung by our very own Shane Dawson last May.  So, to the many wonderful Alumni, who donated over the last two years to fund the lights and the curtains we say, “God bless you and everyone you Hug!”

Stage Craft E-Books

Here is a link to a couple of E-books compiled by Prof. Shane Dawson to aid in development of Stage Craft.


https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/cccstagecraft

The Magic of Theater and MacBeth!

 

What do Penn and Teller have to do with MacBeth?  I am sure this the question you are asking right now, either that or who are Penn and Teller?  I hope it is not Who is MacBeth, because then we have issues.

I loved magic as a child, and when I turned 15 took up the art of prestidigitation.  I began doing magic at parties the following year and soon found myself performing at 60-80 business parties a year.  I worked all over northern Missouri, Kansas City, and even had the opportunity to perform close-up magic in a few night clubs in New York City.  I attended all kinds of workshops and conventions in my pursuit of learning more.  Penn and Teller were video conferenced in at one such workshop.  Now, I still dabble in magic for fun to entertain the students or to make a point in the classroom, but I do direct Shakespeare and will be teaching a class in Shakespeare next semester.  Upon looking for scripts for the class I came upon this Folger library companies script.  I always use Folger Library for Shakespeare and this one came with a dvd version from one of their shows, and Lo and Behold Teller was one of the directors.  Pear that information together with the picture on the front and I had to see his interpretation.  I directed MacBeth two years ago, and being a magician I also incorporated some the concepts of magic with the weird sisters, so I had to see his take on a magical MacBeth.  This is a good version that I highly recommend.  It has many extra features and interviews that are great for a classroom setting.  I would also highly recommend the Patrick Stewart version.  It is an interesting interpretation.

The Skit Guys and good Christian Scripts

Theater: the final stage. These are the thoughts of Central Christian College. Its mission: to explore strange new scripts, to seek out new dramas and new interpretations, to boldly go on the stage where no school has gone before.

I have been spending a lot of time wrapped up in this thought or idea of performing more Christian dramas.  I use to help with a lot of church drama, but since beginning to teach here I have directed only one full length Christian script.  Everything we put on stage is clean, but I have not been directing plays where the message is Christian.  I have taken it upon myself to explore the outer reaches of Christian drama and find the best resources for Christian Scripts.

The Skit Guys are a wonderful duo of writers that produce great Christian scripts with a great message.  Much like Ted and Co. they are able to take humor and make it work to deepen our thoughts and understanding of the Bible and it’s teachings.  If you are looking for some dynamite material I highly recommend checking out their site and looking them up on YouTube.  I will continue to keep my eyes peeled and looking for scripts to pass on until the God Lord decides to beam me up.

God Bless,

Chris

Celebration of Friends

AJ is a senior here at CCC.  He has played a huge roll on and off stage in the growth and development of what we do.  If he's not on stage, which is rare, he is back stage helping out.  I found out through his sister that his birthday was on a play practice night.  Not just any practice, but one of tech week.  It is a busy and difficult week where everything comes togeher.  I thought it would be fun to recognize his multiple years of service and have a surprise birthday party.  His sister helped decorate and keep him occupied until the right moment and then...boom party.  The cast and his roommate joined in for a fun evening before practice.  Thank you AJ for all of you enthusiam and hardwork, you will be missed next year!

 

Production Mom

Everyone who is born has a mother.  They are there for the good times and bad.  They pick us up when we fall and carry us a little while if need be.  We share with them in our success and triumphs.  Mom will always be with us and see us through till the end.

When away or working in new areas it is a bond we miss and tend to seek out.  We have a work mom or a school mom or whatever kind of mom comes along.  In high school many of us adopted our friends moms as our own.  They watched over us and protected us when we were around, and we were grateful for that love and protection.  I have three good friends, who have all lost their mothers over the last couple years, all of them before we turned 30.  This is a loss we still feel. 

We had a drama mom in High School.  It was of course our teacher and director Kathy.  We looked up to her and she took us under her wing and guided us.  Adam, Luke, and I were her disciples and we drank in all she had to teach.  We would go over and help with yard work when needed and she tutored me in MacBeth one summer simply because I wanted to learn how to understand Shakespeare better.  We are all now working in the creative field and still doing drama.  Adam helps take care of the business side of things with donors and much more I am sure I have no clue about in Florida and a big theater.  Luke works with school children and is a published author and playwright.  I teach theater here at Central and direct all of our productions.  We benefited from having multiple mothers, who all pulled from us.

Over the last several years we here at Central have pulled on this concept of a Production mother.  Now, Shane and I do our best, but we don’t bring the same skills sets to a production that a mother can bring.  We began importing that which we did not have… a local mom.  Diane was our first, and she really made an impact on our kids.  She would be there from start to finish.  She came first practice with cookies or brownies or whatever she had in mind to bake.  She passed out cards and ask the actors to list a prayer concern and their favorite cookie.  She collected all the cards and told them she would be praying for all of them throughout the production.  She would come to one practice a week and bring cookies (somebodies favorite) or juice or something she thought was little, but made a huge influence on the students.  She was available if an actor needed an ear to listen, or a shoulder to lean on, or just simply a hug.  My actors may be college kids, but they still miss their mommy.

Now, having a production mom every play doesn’t happen.  But, on the really hard or more intense productions, I find a mom in our corner makes for a smoother run with happier and healthier students.  I encourage anyone, who is taking on a grueling production or consider asking your mom or any mom for help.

Best Wishes and God Bless,

Chris

Stage Combat Knife Fights

This is the second unit of the Stage movement Class.  Knife fighting is a lot of fun, and yet it always seems the be the one that puts the most fear in them.  Stage combat is safe and always practiced safe, but there is still something about be that close and see the weapon close up that makes them a little nervous.  Nerves are a health thing in stage combat. Save this on Delicious