Happy Monday, everyone!
We hope everyone had an exciting weekend--because we certainly did! Auditions for The Music Man, Grease, and Around the World in 80 Days happened and were a huge success. Check out the cast lists:
The Music Man
Around the World in 80 Days
Grease
Congratulations to everyone; we can't wait to see these shows grow!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Balancing Acts: Managing School and Theater
It's almost fall, and everyone knows what that means: back to school! We can almost hear you groaning out there. Improv Playhouse is offering fall classes and productions to make the transition smoother! For our Libertyville schedule, click here and for our Highland Park schedule, click here.
Whether you perform with us, with your school, or another group, it isn't always easy to balance theater and school. Check out these tips on how to manage both from those of us who have lived through it too.
-Before you audition, make sure you know as many dates as possible when the show will require your presence. This includes rehearsals, tech, and the performance! (Generally, rehearsal schedules aren't completely finished by audition time, so just knowing the range of dates is the best you can do.) The better you understand the commitment, the better you understand what will be expected of you. Prepare wisely. And sometimes preparing wisely may mean you need to let something go!
-If you're in school and theater at the same time, that probably means you would prefer to spend every waking moment living, breathing, and eating theater. But don't forget that school is a priority! Make sure you're getting your homework done.
-Sometimes, if it's a full cast rehearsal, you won't be needed onstage the whole time. Fun as it is to talk with friends, instead you should bring your homework and get it done then! It's way better than staying up late--especially when you have school again the next day.
-The best way to focus both in school and in theater is to make sure you're getting enough sleep! It's hard to get theater kids to go to bed early, but it's one of the smartest things you can do to stay focused, energized, and healthy. Plan your schedule wisely to make sure you can be in bed at a reasonable hour.
-When you're busy, do you know what's just as important as giving your best to all your commitments? Relaxing! Make sure you give yourself time to watch TV, read a book, play a video game, or hang out with friends. You're no use to any of your commitments if you run yourself ragged.
We hope you'll be able to master this balancing act. Being a theater addict isn't always an easy life, but it's definitely a rewarding one. Take it from us--if you can pull it off, it will be worth it!
-Allie
Whether you perform with us, with your school, or another group, it isn't always easy to balance theater and school. Check out these tips on how to manage both from those of us who have lived through it too.
-Before you audition, make sure you know as many dates as possible when the show will require your presence. This includes rehearsals, tech, and the performance! (Generally, rehearsal schedules aren't completely finished by audition time, so just knowing the range of dates is the best you can do.) The better you understand the commitment, the better you understand what will be expected of you. Prepare wisely. And sometimes preparing wisely may mean you need to let something go!
-If you're in school and theater at the same time, that probably means you would prefer to spend every waking moment living, breathing, and eating theater. But don't forget that school is a priority! Make sure you're getting your homework done.
-Sometimes, if it's a full cast rehearsal, you won't be needed onstage the whole time. Fun as it is to talk with friends, instead you should bring your homework and get it done then! It's way better than staying up late--especially when you have school again the next day.
-The best way to focus both in school and in theater is to make sure you're getting enough sleep! It's hard to get theater kids to go to bed early, but it's one of the smartest things you can do to stay focused, energized, and healthy. Plan your schedule wisely to make sure you can be in bed at a reasonable hour.
-When you're busy, do you know what's just as important as giving your best to all your commitments? Relaxing! Make sure you give yourself time to watch TV, read a book, play a video game, or hang out with friends. You're no use to any of your commitments if you run yourself ragged.
We hope you'll be able to master this balancing act. Being a theater addict isn't always an easy life, but it's definitely a rewarding one. Take it from us--if you can pull it off, it will be worth it!
-Allie
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Ah-CHOO...oh no! Fighting sickness during a show
Everyone in theater has had that sinking feeling upon discovering a tickle in the back of the throat right before opening night. While it most noticeably affects actors, it's still no fun to need to blow your nose when pulling the curtain, to hold back a cough over the stage manager's headset, or to try not to sneeze while aiming the spotlight. And since an exhausting tech always comes before a show opens, it seems almost inevitable that the cast and crew can come down with the sniffles.
Here are some tips that come mom-approved to help you stay healthy for opening night!
-The most widely known way to fend off a cold is Vitamin C. Make sure you're getting a good amount by eating oranges, drinking orange juice, and, if you feel the cold starting, you can even take a Vitamin C supplement. Check here (http://www.webmd.com/
-Gargling with Listerine not only gives you good breath and a healthy mouth--it also kills cold germs! Swishing it around your mouth is the best way to get good breath, but make sure you spend some time gargling to get those germs in the back of your throat.-This one sounds the strangest of all, but pay attention: heat up a mug of water and pour about 1/4 teaspoon of salt into it. Stir it up and dip a Q-tip in. Rub the dipped Q-tip on the inside of one nostril. Use the other end of the Q-tip for the other nostril and repeat. (Make sure you get each nostril twice, each time with a new Q-tip end!) Then blow your nose (for bonus points, use the Kleenex antibacterial tissues)!
-If you have a scratchy throat (especially when you wake up in the morning), one of the best ways to calm it down is to drink tea with honey mixed in. Choose a flavor of tea that won't mix badly with honey (I recommend English Breakfast) and stir continuously while you drink. You don't want all that delicious honey to pool at the bottom!
-The number one way to fight a cold is to get enough sleep! I know it's useless to tell this to theater kids--sleep is hard to come by during rehearsals and tech week--but do everything you can to get at least 8 hours a night!But do you know the absolute best way to keep yourself healthy to start with? WASH YOUR HANDS!!! Tempting though it may be to reach into a common bag of chips during tech, remember that's how the germs latch on! (On a similar note, if you're the one who has a cold, please be courteous and wash your hands/use hand sanitizer as often as you can, especially after you blow your nose.)
Good luck getting better. It's awful to get a cold, but being in a show at the same time adds another level of horror that only theater kids understand!
-Allie
Here are some tips that come mom-approved to help you stay healthy for opening night!
-The most widely known way to fend off a cold is Vitamin C. Make sure you're getting a good amount by eating oranges, drinking orange juice, and, if you feel the cold starting, you can even take a Vitamin C supplement. Check here (http://www.webmd.com/
-Gargling with Listerine not only gives you good breath and a healthy mouth--it also kills cold germs! Swishing it around your mouth is the best way to get good breath, but make sure you spend some time gargling to get those germs in the back of your throat.
-If you have a scratchy throat (especially when you wake up in the morning), one of the best ways to calm it down is to drink tea with honey mixed in. Choose a flavor of tea that won't mix badly with honey (I recommend English Breakfast) and stir continuously while you drink. You don't want all that delicious honey to pool at the bottom!
-The number one way to fight a cold is to get enough sleep! I know it's useless to tell this to theater kids--sleep is hard to come by during rehearsals and tech week--but do everything you can to get at least 8 hours a night!
Good luck getting better. It's awful to get a cold, but being in a show at the same time adds another level of horror that only theater kids understand!
-Allie
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