Meet the Artist – Sydneye Olkowski

With only a few short weeks of rehearsal until opening night, Homestead’s music and drama departments are working feverishly to mount their rendition of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical Carousel.  Between cast, crew, and pit orchestra, Carousel is truly a group effort, with over 100 students involved. So come one, come all, and meet the … More Meet the Artist – Sydneye Olkowski

Six Wicked Cool Skills I Got From Being a Theatre Kid

Better bloggers than I have praised the triumph and bemoaned the heartbreak of being a theatre major. While getting my BFA has certainly had its perks, many of my most valuable skills came from the six years I spent in junior high and high school as part of a youth acting troupe. Whether in a … More Six Wicked Cool Skills I Got From Being a Theatre Kid

Backstage

Ever since I joined Theatre, I’ve been fascinated with the backstage areas of theatres – to me, it’s where the real magic happens. It’s where ordinary people become that which is other than themselves. It’s where humans become beasties, and shop assistants become princesses. It’s where through the application of make-up, a person transforms. I’ve … More Backstage

Where the devil are my slippers?

I had an epiphany the other night. Many classic musicals have a not-so-hidden subtext about gender roles and power. Consider the three most popular shows by Rodgers & Hammerstein: “The King and I”: Lower-status woman falls for a higher-status wealthy older man. “The Sound of Music”: Lower-status woman falls for a higher-status wealthy older man. … More Where the devil are my slippers?

Rose and the Rime

  This is our WHSFA One Act competition piece for this year, a 40 minute absurdist physical theatre piece which took home 6 awards at the State Competition this November including Directing, Ensemble Acting, Crew, two Individual acting awards (Alex Gieske and Joe Schwalb) and the highest honor, Critics Choice Award.

Acting 1

I haven’t spoken about my classes this trimester and today, I really want to tell you about my Acting 1 class this year. Right at this moment we are in the Lab and my 26 students are huddled over keyboards typing away, talking and sometimes jumping up to act out something they are talking about.  … More Acting 1

Bonding

Sometimes it’s just the little moments away from the stage that one appreciates the most. I’m remembering a time when I was an Actor/Techie.  Rehearsals and builds were always fun in their own way, but it was the time away in which we really bonded.  In high school we’d head to dinner after rehearsal or … More Bonding

Once Upon a Time…

Capturing the art of extravagance and the sinister relics of the Brothers Grimm, “Rose and the Rime” is no ordinary fairytale. For one thing, it takes place in the “magical” state of Michigan, in a fictional town that hasn’t seen the likes of a beach barbeque in years due to the curse of the Rime … More Once Upon a Time…