I have been mulling over what to write for the past week, this post marks our 100th post. So it seems fitting that the 100th post be a year in review. Just a little under a year ago Homestead Theatre started this blog and I’m surprised it’s lasted this long… yes there were a lot of weeks and even months where nothing was written, but I feel that for some people this blog helps us all feel more connected, or at least tell our parents what we were doing in rehearsal that day (since teenagers don’t talk to parents, ew gross!)
So, lets us look back at this year. (Does anyone else feel that the New Year comes at the wrong time of the year? It loves to land smack dab in the middle of the year…sigh).
To begin 2012 last year, the Theatre and Music Departments produced the musical Pippin, it was a feat in every aspect. Our Stage Crew built a a massive set two stories tall, the actors learned how to dance and the dancers learned how to sing, our pit orchestra jammed with the music and Meri Bobber’s dancing and art was made. Pippin was a very special musical in the fact that we could do whatever we wanted with it, which meant we played with parachutes, bikes, canes and more.
The One Act class then performed three diverse shows in the Black Box, The Pillowman, Alice in Wonderland, and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. All challenged the class and allowed them to grow into better actors.
March rolled around to Treasure Island, a play of many words and bad accents. Who doesn’t want to be a pirate? We built a massive ship and figured out ridiculously hard scene changes. It was a great show for the seniors to leave with, and the Strike was filled with tears from me.
All through this the Seminar Class was filming a murder mystery and they finally finished filming the week of finals! Hopefully Summer 2013 will mark the world premiere of said film.
Once school was out, we relaxed, worked, traveled and made memories to share when school started again. Out with the old and in with the new, as much as we loved the old, the new was ready to dominate.
We started off our school year right, with Shakespeare workshops filled with teens who
wanted to get better acquainted with William Shakespeare’s words and plays. The fall show was A Midsummer Night’s Dream and it was a hit if I do say so myself. As Alex Gieske states, “I just want to thank everyone in the cast and crew for making this show amazing. Though I am sad to have it end so soon, I will forever be grateful to the bonds that have formed and the friendships that have blossomed. I am so grateful to be a part of the drama family and cannot wait for the spring show!” We set the action in a junk yard and the actors learned flips, tumbles and lifts to create the action of the scenes. Fairies danced and sang while mischief was made in the wood. The show was also filled with ice packs and crutches as apparently the guys don’t know how to walk or jump over people.
And let us not forget our epic car in the Homecoming Parade this year! Drama Club rocked everyone’s socks off.
We closed Midsummer only to immediately start rehearsals for the AFS Variety show, which was another year of songs and acts that amazing the audience. The talent our school has astounds me.
During the fall, the One Act Class was competing with Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, and took home five awards at State, including two individual acting awards, the Ensemble Award, Crew Award and Critics Choice Award.
Finally a break for the theatre department, but wait!
We have auditions for the musical! This year we started our musical rehearsals in December and the cast of 45 9-12 graders all learned four dances in two weeks!
Looking back on that number, I’m really impressed with what we accomplished, now if only they will remember them!
It’s impressive what we do in this department. When I get asked what I do for a living I always smile and tell them, normally the person then says, “That’s so cool,” or “That’s so hard.” They are both correct, but the coolness out weighs the hardness. It’s something to be able to work with talented and eager young adults, challenging them to better themselves and others, finding out who they are and producing a work of art… at least three works of art a year. That is unheard of for high schools. We are blessed to have a community the supports us and allows the hundreds of students to work on their craft daily. Happy New Year! Let us hope 2013 is just a fun as this year!
Act Out 
❤