Aright, here we go.
Let me just say that we are going to need some hard-working kids if we are going to re-claim our title this year. All of the lead roles are completely up for grabs. I need some people to step up and lead us to victory one more time. Work hard on your audition pieces. Many schools we are competing against have already started their training camps. Choose your piece well and get working on it. At the bottom of each monologue, I wrote exactly what I'm looking for. So cast yourself well. Choose what you think you would be best at.
Here we go. Let's begin strong. Enjoy the trip. It starts now...
2012 Hillcrest High School Shakespeare Team Auditions:
WHEN: Thursday, August 30 2:45-7:00pm (sign up for a specific time outside the Theatre Room. A sign-up list will be posted on the first day of school Monday, August 27)
WHERE: Hillcrest High School Room C-202 (the Theatre Room: 2nd Floor)
WHO: Any 10th, 11th or 12th grade Hillcrest High School student AS WELL AS any 9th grade student who is attending a Hillcrest feeder school (Midvale, Union, Albion). All auditioners must be academically elligible (at least a 2.0 and no more than 1 F on last quarter's report card).
WHAT: Hillcrest High School's 2-time defending-champion Shakespeare Team. Approximately 50 student actors who make the team will travel down to Cedar City for a weekend (October 4-6) and compete in one of the nation's largest acting competitions. Check out the post below for more details.
WHY: It will be one of the most memorable experiences of your high school career.
HOW: Select one of the monologues below and have it prepared to perform at your audition. Although it is not required that you memorize your piece (since some students will not have access to these pieces until school begins), you are encouraged to do so.
Select one of the following monologues. Click on the title and it should download the monologue cutting along with acting hints from me. Some of these are actual monologue pieces that we may be competing with this year. Others are from scenes that may be on our team. Therefore, your audition will help me see which roles you excel at as I choose who will be playing the leads this year. Each piece has a different mood/feel/objective, so read through them all and choose wisely. Cast yourself well. :-)
WOMEN:
All's Well That Ends Well - Helena
Antony & Cleopatra - Cleopatra
Henry IV, Part 2 - Mistress Quickly
Henry VI, Part 3 - Queen Margaret
Richard II - Duchess of Gloucester
MEN:
Coriolanus - Coriolanus
Cymbeline - Cloten
Henry VIII - Duke of Buckingham
Richard II - Richard II
The Winter's Tale - Autolycus
If you have any questions, please contact a Theatre Presidency member, or post your question as a comment on this blog and we will be happy to answer it for you. Get excited!
Love This Moment
2014-2015
2014-2015
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
A note from the directing team of "The Will Rogers Follies"
Dear students,
As we prepare for the musical production of “The Will Rogers Follies,” we would like to make some recommendations.
In past years we have been disappointed in the lack of preparation for the auditions. This is the time to put your best foot forward. Roles are not pre-cast. Every role is open. Many of the things we take into account are: the look needed for each character, appropriate acting style, vocal quality, movement ability, and PREPARATION. We also take into consideration other things we have noticed in the past productions and performances involving all fine arts groups. Traits such as attitude, work ethic, trust, and positivity play a huge role in our decisions also. YOU ARE ALWAYS AUDITIONING.
We hope you have been developing your vocal skills during the summer. Some students come back to school, audition for the roles, and are not called back. In most cases it is because the vocals are not prepared well, and students haven’t taken the time to understand the different roles. For this particular production the vocal quality has to be exact and impressive. If you come prepared vocally, and understand the roles, you may have a better chance for a call back. For each role, there is a specific look we are looking for. Also, take note of the acting styles needed for each role.
We have listed the lead roles below. There are other roles that will be cast as needed. Please, please use the rest of the summer to prepare.
Principle Characters and Vocal Ranges for “The Will Rogers Follies”
Will Rogers (warm baritone, low Ab - F, moves well) – star of the Ziegfeld Follies, strong, charismatic performer with the ability to entertain the audience with a natural and calming charm, and a grand twinkle in his eyes; knowledge or willingness to learn to spin a rope; ability to play guitar-elementary guitar is a plus. Must deliver many long monologues, with ability to improvise on current events. Must have a natural and realistic delivery and acting style. Age: 30’s.
Betty Blake (alto Low F - E flat, moves well) - Will's wife, attractive, down-to-earth, engaging warm actress with the ability to sing many musical styles from romantic ballads to belted torch songs, stunning, strong performer. Must have a natural and realistic delivery and acting style. Age: 30’s.
Clem Rogers (character baritone, B to E, comic, moves well) - Will's father, mature actor with strong comic chops, also doubles as Will's butler and ranch pianist (does not actually have to play the piano); gruff and stern, but also able to give fatherly advice. Age: 50’s.
Ziegfeld's Favorite (belter, low G-mid B flat, schwanky mover) - a beautiful show girl, sexy, long-legged and statuesque, with strong comic chops. Age: 20’s.
Wiley Post – Pilot of Will’s ill-fated airplane, who watches the Follies, exhorting our hero with “Let’s go flying, Will!” Age: 30’s-50’s.
Will’s 6 Sisters – Show girls who sing
Will and Betty’s Children – all sing and dance with Will and Betty: we’re looking for four adorable, precocious kids! (ages are approximate; limited rehearsal)
Will Jr., 10 – 12
Mary, 8 – 11
James, 7 – 10
Freddy, 7 – 10
As we prepare for the musical production of “The Will Rogers Follies,” we would like to make some recommendations.
In past years we have been disappointed in the lack of preparation for the auditions. This is the time to put your best foot forward. Roles are not pre-cast. Every role is open. Many of the things we take into account are: the look needed for each character, appropriate acting style, vocal quality, movement ability, and PREPARATION. We also take into consideration other things we have noticed in the past productions and performances involving all fine arts groups. Traits such as attitude, work ethic, trust, and positivity play a huge role in our decisions also. YOU ARE ALWAYS AUDITIONING.
We hope you have been developing your vocal skills during the summer. Some students come back to school, audition for the roles, and are not called back. In most cases it is because the vocals are not prepared well, and students haven’t taken the time to understand the different roles. For this particular production the vocal quality has to be exact and impressive. If you come prepared vocally, and understand the roles, you may have a better chance for a call back. For each role, there is a specific look we are looking for. Also, take note of the acting styles needed for each role.
We have listed the lead roles below. There are other roles that will be cast as needed. Please, please use the rest of the summer to prepare.
Principle Characters and Vocal Ranges for “The Will Rogers Follies”
Will Rogers (warm baritone, low Ab - F, moves well) – star of the Ziegfeld Follies, strong, charismatic performer with the ability to entertain the audience with a natural and calming charm, and a grand twinkle in his eyes; knowledge or willingness to learn to spin a rope; ability to play guitar-elementary guitar is a plus. Must deliver many long monologues, with ability to improvise on current events. Must have a natural and realistic delivery and acting style. Age: 30’s.
Betty Blake (alto Low F - E flat, moves well) - Will's wife, attractive, down-to-earth, engaging warm actress with the ability to sing many musical styles from romantic ballads to belted torch songs, stunning, strong performer. Must have a natural and realistic delivery and acting style. Age: 30’s.
Clem Rogers (character baritone, B to E, comic, moves well) - Will's father, mature actor with strong comic chops, also doubles as Will's butler and ranch pianist (does not actually have to play the piano); gruff and stern, but also able to give fatherly advice. Age: 50’s.
Ziegfeld's Favorite (belter, low G-mid B flat, schwanky mover) - a beautiful show girl, sexy, long-legged and statuesque, with strong comic chops. Age: 20’s.
Wiley Post – Pilot of Will’s ill-fated airplane, who watches the Follies, exhorting our hero with “Let’s go flying, Will!” Age: 30’s-50’s.
Will’s 6 Sisters – Show girls who sing
Will and Betty’s Children – all sing and dance with Will and Betty: we’re looking for four adorable, precocious kids! (ages are approximate; limited rehearsal)
Will Jr., 10 – 12
Mary, 8 – 11
James, 7 – 10
Freddy, 7 – 10
"What my tongue dares not, that my heart shall say."
That's right, kids, it's time for Shakespeare Team!
Get ready to start your year off in high gear. Everyone agrees that being on Hillcrest's Shakespeare Team is one of the (if not THE) greatest experiences you will have your entire high school career. Come help us defend our 2-time Sweepstakes Championship and 5-time Ensemble Championship. This year, there are some new high-profile schools competing in our division, and due to some calendaring issues, we have one less week of rehearsal than normal to rehearse. Rest assured, defending our crown will NOT BE EASY this year. The pressure is on. Are you ready to deliver?
The centerpiece of a Shakespeare Team is the 10-minute ensemble scene. Hillcrest's ensemble scenes usually use as many kids as we can fit onto the bus (between 50-55). This year's ensemble scene will be taken from "Richard II." We will begin in the last scene of Richard's life (Act 5, Scene 5) and explore how his kingdom was taken from him through flashbacks and memories in his head (Act 2, Scene 2; Act 3, Scene 3; and Act 4, Scene 1). It will be a fascinating psychological study that will challenge your acting skills more than any other piece we've done thus far.
In addition, various duo/trio scenes and monologues will be cast from the auditions to compete to be selected as one of Hillcrest's individual events on this year's team.
Auditions will be held on Thursday, August 30 (yes, that's only one month away) and will be open to any 10th, 11th or 12th grade student attending Hillcrest High. Also, 9th grade students attending HHS feeder schools (Midvale Middle, Union Middle, and Albion Middle) will once again be invited to audition for a spot on Hillcrest High School's 2-time defending-champion Shakespeare Team. The audition sign-up sheet will be up on the first day of school on Mr. Long's door (room C-202).
Now in its 36th year, the Utah Shakespearean Festival's annual High School Shakespeare Competition gathers students from 110 schools in 9 states, and is the only inter-state drama competition in the area.
Team members benefit not only from being adjudicated by professional actors and directors from across the country, but are also given the opportunity to see professional theatre. Last year, Hillcrest had 5 students walk away with scholarship awards. In addition, workshops in dozens of areas related to the theatre world are offered. There is honestly, nothing else like it. Don't miss your chance!
The competition will be held October 4-6, 2012 in Cedar City, UT. The trip will cost no more than $200 per participant and includes transportation, hotel, some food, team hoodie, play tickets, and entrance fees. Fee waivers do not apply. In order to participate, a student must be UHSAA elligible (ie. must have had higher than a 2.0 GPA and no more than 1 F on their last report card).
Rehearsals for the ensemble scene are held on Saturdays and some evenings throughout the month of September at HHS.
In the past, some of the honors and awards Hillcrest has won at the competition have included:
*1st Place Sweepstakes (2011, 2010)
*1st Place Ensemble Scene (2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007)
*Larry Lott "Best Actor" Scholarship (2011, 2010, 2008, 2007)
*1st Place Duo/Trio Scene (2011, 2010, 2008)
*1st Place Monologue (2011, 2010)
*In addition, Hillcrest's ensemble scene was the first scene to ever be asked to perform in front of the thousands of competitors at the competition's Closing Ceremonies in 2008.
For more information on how to audition, please bookmark this website and check back shortly. You will be required to perform a monologue from a list of pieces that will be posted on this website very soon.
For more pictures from last year's competition, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/26293772@N07/sets/72157627800176103/
 |
| Hillcrest's 2011 1st Place Ensemble Scene performing on the Shakespeare stage |
That's right, kids, it's time for Shakespeare Team!
Get ready to start your year off in high gear. Everyone agrees that being on Hillcrest's Shakespeare Team is one of the (if not THE) greatest experiences you will have your entire high school career. Come help us defend our 2-time Sweepstakes Championship and 5-time Ensemble Championship. This year, there are some new high-profile schools competing in our division, and due to some calendaring issues, we have one less week of rehearsal than normal to rehearse. Rest assured, defending our crown will NOT BE EASY this year. The pressure is on. Are you ready to deliver?
 |
| The 2011 Individual Events team preparing for their first round |
Auditions will be held on Thursday, August 30 (yes, that's only one month away) and will be open to any 10th, 11th or 12th grade student attending Hillcrest High. Also, 9th grade students attending HHS feeder schools (Midvale Middle, Union Middle, and Albion Middle) will once again be invited to audition for a spot on Hillcrest High School's 2-time defending-champion Shakespeare Team. The audition sign-up sheet will be up on the first day of school on Mr. Long's door (room C-202).
 |
| Team members watching other performances from the balcony |
Team members benefit not only from being adjudicated by professional actors and directors from across the country, but are also given the opportunity to see professional theatre. Last year, Hillcrest had 5 students walk away with scholarship awards. In addition, workshops in dozens of areas related to the theatre world are offered. There is honestly, nothing else like it. Don't miss your chance!
 |
| Performing a fight scene during their award-winning performance |
Rehearsals for the ensemble scene are held on Saturdays and some evenings throughout the month of September at HHS.
In the past, some of the honors and awards Hillcrest has won at the competition have included:
 |
| 2011 Best Actor scholarship winner Bradley Mackay |
*1st Place Ensemble Scene (2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007)
*Larry Lott "Best Actor" Scholarship (2011, 2010, 2008, 2007)
*1st Place Duo/Trio Scene (2011, 2010, 2008)
*1st Place Monologue (2011, 2010)
*In addition, Hillcrest's ensemble scene was the first scene to ever be asked to perform in front of the thousands of competitors at the competition's Closing Ceremonies in 2008.
 |
| The 2011 team rehearsing in their "magic" field. |
Please spread the word to all of your friends (especially 9th graders who may not be aware they can audition) about auditions. They are the first week of school. There is no time to lose!
For more pictures from last year's competition, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/26293772@N07/sets/72157627800176103/
Sunday, July 22, 2012
The 2012 Hillcrest High School Performing Arts Musical
Charming, honest and plainspoken, the show epitomizes the wit and homespun wisdom of the famed entertainer, cowboy, comedian, philosopher and movie and Broadway star. The life of Will Rogers, from his career as an entertainer to his campaign to run for President of the United States, to the plane crash that eventually ended his life, is told through giant follies-style production numbers that include rope tricks, performing dogs, and a grand entrance by his wife who sings while being lowered to the stage sitting on the moon.
The positive legacy of Will Rogers is given tribute in the musical, reminding audiences of the many thoughts and ideas he used to share with the American people through his popular radio show during the great depression.
"I never yet met a man that I didn't like. When you meet people, no matter what opinion you might have formed about them beforehand, why, after you meet them and see their angle and their personality, why, you can see a lot of good in all of them."---Will Rogers
Congratulations to Tyler Emeney who was the first person to send in the correct guess.
Friday, July 20, 2012
More Hints
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Special Announcement
Hey everybody, we have some news regarding our theater season for next year. Please follow this link to see the innovative video created by Mr. Long MrLongsvideo
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