Thoughts

*Spread the word: Next year's 9th graders from Midvale, Union and Albion Middle Schools will be allowed to audition for Hillcrest's Shakespeare Team this year. Auditions will be held on Wednesday, August 25 which is only the third day of school, so help us get word out over the summer. If you know any of next year's 9th graders, let them know and tell them to spread the word. Mass text messaging! Tell them to come to this website where I will post details about the team and the auditions. Also, some announcements about some minor changes to our team for next year will also be posted soon. Keep your eyes peeled (what does that mean?).

*I've been studying and preparing "Cinderella" for the big show. It has some really interesting ideas and thoughts in the script (which has a version which was updated in 2004). Surprised me. It's actually a really cool script. It should be a really great show to work on. Remember to have a song ready for auditions. In the style of classic 1950s-1960s musical theatre would be a smart choice. :-)

*For the Productions Company: When I was in New York, I watched a video recording of the original production of "Metamorphoses." This is going to be awesome. :-) Boys, I need you as strong as you can get for when we start rehearsing this when school starts...and girls, I need your fear gone...K? Oh, also, "The Wedding Singer" is playing at Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley right now. So, if you want to get an idea of how the show works as a musical (much different than the movie), go see it!

*So when I was in New York, I saw 19 Broadway and Off-Broadway shows in 12 days. It was awesome! Although it wasn't the greatest season in Broadway history by any means, there was a show that was super-though provoking. It was called "RED" and was about painter Mark Rothko and his assistant boy. It won the 2010 Tony Award for Best New Play. There were so many interesting thoughts and ideas about art and why art is important. At one point, Mark Rothko gets frustrated with modern ideas of what art should be and says the following:
"You know what people like? Happy, bright colors. They want things to be pretty. When people tell me one of my pictures is 'beautiful' I want to vomit. 'Pretty.' 'Beautiful. 'Nice.' 'Fine.' That's our life now! Everything's 'fine.' It's our constitutional right to be amused all the time, isn't it? We're a smirking nation living under the tyranny of 'fine.' How are you? Fine. How was your day? Fine. How are you feeling? Fine. Well, let me tell you, everything is not fine! HOW ARE YOU?! HOW WAS YOUR DAY?! HOW ARE YOU FEELING?! Conflicted. Nuanced. Troubled. I am not fine. We are not fine. We are anything but fine! Look at these pictures. Something feral and primal and REAL. Not nice. Not fine. Real. And whatever it is, it's not pretty and it's not fine. I AM HERE TO STOP YOUR HEART, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?! - I AM HERE TO MAKE YOU THINK! I AM NOT HERE TO MAKE PRETTY PICTURES!"
It was pretty intense...just something to think about as artists. :-)

*Also while in New York, I bought a whole bunch of new awesome theory and exercise books for Theatre 4. The class is going to blow your mind! Bogart, Chekhov, Adler, Meisner, new people... If you've taken Theatre 2, you should really look at getting in this class this year. It is going to make some kick-butt actors for sure!

*Oh, also, any seniors wanting to audition for scholarships this year (either at UTA or somewhere else) should be working on your pieces now. Use this time over the summer because things start getting crazy once school begins and the next thing you know, you're one week away from the auditions. Do it now. Seriously. 2 contrasting monologues. Or 1 monologue and 1 song (also contrasting). No more than 2 minutes for the whole thing. Get going, kiddos...

*We will probably begin some set-building work next week at the school. If you're willing to come help out, contact one of the presidency members.

Ate logo!
---Long

2010 Performing Arts Musical

Well, children, school will be officially out for the summer in one hour and ten minutes. And we have an announcement to make (not a moment too soon...)

The 2010 Performing Arts Musical will be:


Mixing a world of fantasy with classical musical theatre, Hillcrest will attempt a fresh look at a story about dreams and inner worth.
For an idea of the direction we will be going with our production of "Cinderella," watch this Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpeLwDRjBg4
We of course will not be copying this production, but it is the closest to what we are hoping to do with it.

We will need some great classical voices, physically out-there dancers, ballroom dancers, and comic actors (both physically and vocally), so start working on those things over the summer. And if you want to be considered to play a lead role, you now have plenty of time to research the style of the show!

So, kids, this is turning out to be a fantastic season of theatre. We will have Shakespeare in October, classic musical theatre in November, avant-grade mixed with greek mythology (and a swimming pool...)in January, British comedy dinner theatre in March, and cutting edge contemporary musical theatre in May. What more could you want?

Excited...

And the 2010 CALlie Goes To...

The 2010 CALlie Awards were held on Saturday, May 22. The following awards were given out:

Jason Long Foundation $1,000.00 Scholarship: LUCAS LI

Husky Thespian Circle $500.00 Scholarships: MATTHEW CHRISTENSEN, RACHEL EDWARDS, DANIEL KAPLAN, KENT LLOYD, ANNIE OAKESON, PAIGE STEADMAN

Stage Crew of the Year $500.00 Scholarship: ANDREW CUTAK

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role: KENT LLOYD - "Curtains"

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role: KATE MIKELL - "Light"

Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role: BEN WILKINS - "Curtains"

Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role: JULIA TURNER - "Henry V"

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Member: MAGGIE FREEMAN - "Troilus & Cressida" and "Curtains"

Outstanding Performance as an Ensemble: MATTHEW CHRISTENSEN, JOSHUA GOATES, COSETTE HATCH, KENT LLOYD, KATE MIKELL - "Next to Normal"

Outstanding Performance in a Competition Piece: COSETTE HATCH - "Rabbit Hole"

Theatre Student of the Year: MANDI TITCOMB

Outstanding Student Director: ADAM PRICE - "The Waiting Room"

Outstanding Student Design: ANDREW CUTAK, HILLARY THACKER - "Light"

Achievement in Stage Crew: ARIEL HERBERT-VOSS, RUSSELL JOHNSTON, HAYDEN ROWBERRY - "Curtains"

Smoothest Stage Crew: BACKSTAGE CREW of "Curtains"

Stage Crew Walk of Fame: ANDREW CUTAK, BEN WILKINS

Special Service Award: JOSHUA LLOYD, ANDY MEDEIROS, BRIAN MEDEIROS, DALLEN STEADMAN, RACHAEL WRIGHT - "Light"

The following "Fruit Basket" awards were all voted on by students:

Kokiest Kook: TAYLOR LARSEN - "Curtains"

Creepiest Creep: KENT LLOYD - "The Long Goodbye"

Most 'Revealing' Performance: MATTHEW CHRISTENSEN - "Next to Normal"

Manliest Man: MAGGIE FREEMAN - "Troilus & Cressida" and "Henry V"

Most Threatening Army: TROJAN ARMY - "Troilus & Cressida"

Best Director's Quote: "A hoosegow? Ya, it's that center part of a donut that gets removed." - Mr. Long

Cutest On-Stage Couple: JOSH GOATES & ANNIE OAKESON - "Rock of Ages"

Most Dramatic Death: KENT LLOYD - "Troilus & Cressida"

Most Memorable Moment: "Gabe...Gabriel..." "Hi Dad" - "Next to Normal"

What Took You So Long?! Award: LUCAS LI

Productions Company 2010-2011

I am so excited and humbled by the amazing gifts you all have.
I look forward to working with ALL of you who auditioned in the various shows next year. Remember that the Shakespeare Team, the giant musical, the Spring play, and the Region/State Team are open to anyone to audition. You don't have to be on the Productions Company to be involved next year.
I hope to see you all using those gifts you have acquired to positively affect our audiences. Thank you for having the desire to do so.

The following students have been selected to be on the Productions Company next year. We are having a mandatory meeting on Wednesday (May 12) at 5:00pm in the Theatre Room. This will be followed by a Parents Meeting at 6:00. Make sure and have at least one parent or guardian at the 6:00 meeting. You, however, need to be there at 5:00. Make sense? Ask Mr. Long if you have questions.

There will also be a barbeque/football/relax party right after school on Thursday (May 13) for members of this year’s and next year’s company. Please plan on coming if possible.


Kyrsti Anderson
Joshua Burri
Kelsey Durrant
Amelia Espinoza
Bridger Freeman
Maggie Freeman
Elias Gerber
Joshua Goates
Benjamin Graul
Cosette Hatch
Taylor Larsen
Sarah Larsson
Lindsey Lloyd
Bradley Mackay
Cindy Manwill
Katie Maxwell
Kate Mikell
Malia Morley
Vashti Musig
Alicia Myers
Kohlton Nelson
Nikolaos Nikols
Zachary Olson
Christopher Pedersen
Sarah Penrod
Clarissa Pieper
Mitchell Price
Nathan Schrenk
Markus Sharette
Miles Sharette
Rebecca Simmons
Brandon Smith
Donella Walker
Ian Wright
Russell Wright
Amanda Young