I Will Be Presenting...

Alexandra, one of our many talented Overtures students, has taken over our blog. Check back for daily updates and come to the Overtures showcase Saturday at 11 AM in Signature's MAX Theatre! 

Today was the day: auditions. Auditions are nothing new to the 17 members of the Overtures company. We auditioned to get into the program, after all! Many of us have lost track of the number of calls we have been seen at, let alone those we were not seen at, and we are sure to forget many more in our long careers. But today’s call with casting directors from Arena Stage, Olney Theatre Center, Shakespeare Theatre Company and, of course, Signature’s Matt Gardiner, certainly had our nerves on edge. Though the past two weeks have amply prepared us for today’s casting session, the inevitable jitters arose right on cue. But when the time came, we gave it our all.

There is a moment in a performance when the actor’s eyes widen slightly, their breath connects, the hair on the back of their neck rises in anticipation of that note they just recently discovered was in their range, and as the crisp clear sound of a perfect pitch meets the audience’s ears, a smile spreads across the actor’s face. There were many well-deserved smiles in today’s auditions.

We have spent the past two weeks intensely training for moments just like today – standing in front of casting directors and delivering a performance to remember in hopes of landing that gig and another chance to perform. We can second-guess material, we can over think an outfit and feel uncomfortable performing, or we can hold tight to the confidence we have gained and trust in the smart choices we have learned to make. Of course, it helps to have 16 other company members going through the exact same thing looking on with only admiration and support for all the work you have done!

As we shared dinner conversation after a long afternoon of auditions, it was so clear how much our company has grown to care for one another. Heartfelt congratulations and words of reassurance were not in short supply. Our work, all of our work, was and is something to be extremely proud of. With only one more day together and a final showcase Saturday morning, we will, no doubt, pass along many more good vibes and sentiments of affection. We have watched each other grow as students and artists, and I can only imagine how far we will all go in the very near future. Watch out!

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A Multi-Talented People Who Need People

For the next two weeks, Alexandra, one of our many talented Overtures students, is taking over our blog. Check back for daily updates and come to the Overtures showcase Saturday at 11 AM in Signature's MAX Theatre! 

Wednesday, June 26

We were never told that Overtures would be easy. We have come to expect the highs, the lows, the tears when our confidence waned and the moments of pure joy as we make new discoveries. Through it all, we have also come to create incredible friendships with our fellow company members.

Competition in acting is partly inevitable and can be stiff, but there are also strong bonds formed through shared trials and successes. A master class with Signature’s Artistic Director, Eric Schaeffer this evening reminded us, “There is no better family than your theater family.” For the six weeks of rehearsal, the month or so of a run, or for the two weeks of a musical theater intensive, your company is family. They see you at your best and your worst. They are there to give you a word of encouragement, share song suggestions, or give an honest opinion about your audition outfit. We can learn so much from our family.

Outside of a classroom we do not often have the opportunity to see other actors work and gain insight from their processes. Overtures has given us the chance to see how someone else does it. Of course we have been sponges to every note and piece of advice our instructors have imparted to us, but we have also benefited greatly from watching our cohorts take on their own challenges. With the incredible range of experience, training, ideas and personalities among our 17 company members, there is plenty to learn from.

And so, as we anxiously prepare for tomorrow’s casting session in front of four of Washington’s biggest casting directors - worrying over 32 bars and our monologue choices, frantically printing headshots and resumes, hopefully getting at least a little sleep - we can all keep one very important thing in mind: as our adrenaline rushes and apprehension takes over, we will have a 17-person family smiling back at us because they have seen how far we have come and how much, much further we will all go. 

Overtures students chat during a break in their master class with Eric Schaeffer.

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Words to Live By

For the next two weeks, Alexandra, one of our many talented Overtures students, is taking over our blog. Check back for daily updates and come to the Overtures showcase Saturday at 11 AM in Signature's MAX Theatre! 

Overtures student Ines listens to words of wisdom from Marcy and Zina.

Tuesday, June 25

We hear it every day - there are thousand of aspiring artists competing for many of the same roles. Just like us, many of them have trained to belt a high A, others have “the right look" and still others have more experience, more training and stronger credits on their resumés. However, none of us entered into this business wanting to be just like all the others. Our little kid dreams were to be stars, each entirely unique and truly captivating.

Even if we learn nothing else this week, we'll have learned to be ourselves. Every session discussing the business of show business, each master class, every time we slip into old habits of performing songs the way we think our instructors want them performed, we are encouraged to revisit the work and make it our own.

This evening’s reminder came from contemporary lyricist, Marcy Heisler, and composer, Zina Goldrich. The duo, whose “Taylor the Latte Boy” and “Alto’s Lament” are just two of the incredibly witty compositions in their songbooks, offered us each personalized advice on our song choice and interpretation. It wasn’t long before we recognized a theme to their suggestions – be yourself. There may be 20 other girls singing the same song, “but no one in the room has heard you sing it before,” said Zina.

Candid casting critiques are invaluable at this early stage of our careers. So often we are corralled through 90 second monologues or 32 bars of music in an audition room and hurried along with a “thank you” or, even worse, the dreaded “that’s all we need today”. We long for feedback. After all, we are in the business of being judged! Without feedback it is all too easy to worry ourselves for hours about what we could have done better, what notes we might have missed, what acting points we forgot to hit.

Marcy and Zina offered us their honest opinions as well as suggestions on ways to further work on our performances. But they, along with all the Overtures instructors we have had the privilege of working with this past week and a half, also gave us an important mantra to live by: “Yay me! I make art!” We can spend every audition concerned about our look, being the wrong “type”, or singing a wrong note, or we can be our most confident, art-making, high A-belting selves. “Yay me! I make art!”

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Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch. Again!

For the next two weeks, Alexandra, one of our talented Overtures students, is taking over our blog. Check back for daily updates!

Choreographer Karma Camp works with students on their tap technique.

Thursday, June 20

Someone once told me that a dance call for a non-dancer is just a good workout. While I have six years competitive ballroom on my resume and am certainly more than just a mover, I have often felt apprehensive when called in for choreography. Not unlike fellow Overtures company members, I was wary of stepping up to a ballet bar for the first time in two years and doubly unsure of the racket I would make when I laced up my hardly-worn tap shoes. But then again, working on my dance and choreography skills was one of my reasons for applying to Overtures in the first place.

Enter Karma Camp, Signature choreographer-extraordinaire. This past Sunday, I joked about our first warm-up being enough to potentially scare away the faint of heart and Karma herself warned that we would be screaming her name when we woke up in the morning sore. But after a week together, our groans brought on by aching muscles and moments of frustration are nearly gone, replaced by points of clarity, confidence, and can-do attitudes. And that warm-up (even the ab workout that goes along with it) is fun; especially when stretching to a Norm Lewis original while Karma records an iPhone video to send to her friend, Norm Lewis!

The choreography is certainly nothing to scoff at either. Our big showcase number, “King of New York” from Newsies (including an 8x8-count dance break) is definitely testing everything we are learning. And expectations are high. While we may slow something down briefly, we are constantly asked for more. We are learning to attack choreography, rely on our “buddy system” with our fellow company members to run phrases in our downtime, and trust in what we have already learned in just a week while also pushing ourselves to be better. We are discovering the mechanics of a double pirouette, working out the sounds in a shim sham (or at least most of the sounds for the non-hoofers), and breaking down the story of the dance. We are realizing that we are perhaps dancers after all.

Martha Graham once said, “No artist is ever pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction; a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.” With midterms tomorrow, followed by a well-deserved day off, I have a feeling the 2013 Overtures company will “keep marching” - running lyrics while folding the laundry, checking tap sequences in the aisles of the supermarket, and we will be ready and eager to jump right back into the work on Sunday morning.

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Breakthrough

For the next two weeks, Alexandra, one of our talented Overtures students, is taking over our blog. Check back for daily updates!

Wednesday, June 19

The dictionary defines “breakthrough” as an act of breaking through an obstacle, a sudden advance, or a person’s first notable success. As Day Four of Overtures came to a close, I could no longer count  the number of breakthrough moments our company had already had.

So much of what we do as actors, musicians and dancers is done behind the scenes in table work and rehearsal that it is easy for the audience to forget the effort that goes into a final performance. But with two weeks devoted entirely to working through our own individual preparation processes, as well as learning from others’ practice, our company is seeing so many of those vulnerable moments of frustration, so many of the incredibly satisfying moments of discovery - those breakthroughs.

It can often feel that as actors we are constantly throwing ourselves to the wolves in auditions and cattle calls. We can spend months scrambling for work. We can be proud to put something up on its feet and then be devastated by that one really horrible review. So when we do have the opportunity to revisit how we prepare, the chance to repair our creative routines, the freedom to explore once again, we may find ourselves somehow both reluctant and anxious  for the sting of honest feedback. We were warned on Sunday that we might need to invest in Kleenex after all. Acting is work. Acting is emotional.

But we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t truly love it. All of it (the joys and the tears). Over the next two days, as we wrap up Week One of Overtures 2013 with midterms (a word that, I’ll admit, brings back many an unnerving memory from my college days!) we are bound to have many more breakthroughs. Sure, those moments may follow near breakdowns, however, those critics offering brutal honesty and insight are also our closest friends (our fellow company members) and our greatest advisers (our reassuring instructors). We could not be among more encouraging people as we work through dance phrases, practice monologues on lunch breaks, or check in with each other after particularly frustrating classes or one-on-one sessions. Just like one of our final showcase songs says, “I could almost go to pieces, but I’m not quite there yet.”

Instructors Tracy Lynn Olivera and Matthew Gardiner give Sarah Anne feedback on her performance.



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What Do You Do with a BA in Theatre?

For the next two weeks, Alexandra, one of our talented Overtures students, is taking over our blog. Check back for daily updates!

Overtures students during a Tap class.

Monday, June 17

On our first morning of Overtures, group introductions included the standard answers to “who are you,” “where are you from” and “what’s your background”. A few of the college graduates in the group, sounding only slightly jaded and world-weary, claimed diplomas declaring theater or, more precisely, “glorified placemats”.  Quick to add a litany of goals and hopes for near-future successes that would change our feelings towards those fancy pieces of paper, we also recognized we had perhaps skipped a few steps along the way and still had much to learn.

Enter “The Business of Show Business," a class with Matt Gardiner, Signature's Associate Artistic Director. Following a second go at Karma’s ballet class (two and a half hours of strong technical breakthroughs, if you could make it through the warm up!), half our company pulled out headshots and resumes for an insider’s scoop. Feeling like a high school English student again, dreading the red correction pen, I readied myself for circles and x’s all over the 8”x10” page. After all, as young actors entering an often trying industry, we are all too familiar with the stories of bags of trashed headshots in the hallways of New York’s casting agencies, auditions gone horribly wrong and many young actors simply giving up to follow a “more sensible” career path.

And yet, there was no scary red pen. Sifting through copious notes this evening I find myself perusing insightful questions from a fellow company member, a funny anecdote from our Matt, a “NO” in all-caps followed by several exclamation points next to possible outfit choices for an audition (perhaps a little retail therapy is in my future). And tucked away in a margin are the words “persistence” and “respect”.

           

Overtures students warm up at the start of dance class.

        
Persistence has helped bring many of us to Overtures. Daily persistence is needed in our fledgling careers, especially when the industry is at its most unforgiving. Persistence will undoubtedly lift us over the next two weeks when we are at our most vulnerable, learning new skills and breaking down old habits in pursuit of our artistic goals. But persistence must be countered with respect. Respect for the industry and the incredible professionals we have the opportunity to learn from over these next two weeks. Respect for our fellow company members who have just as many questions as I may have . And especially respect for ourselves and those 8”x10”s that really aren’t all too horrible, those turn outs that even after only two days are already better, those discoveries we continue to make in voice sessions on songs that were intentionally picked for us to be challenges.

So, what do you do with a BA in Theater? Proudly list it right at the top of the “Training” section of your resume, just above your “Special Skills” and right below your growing list of “Theater Credits.”

Don't miss the Overtures Showcase! Saturday, June 29 at 11 AM in the MAX Theatre. Admission is free and seating is on a first come, first serve basis.

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Summer at Signature: Stage One and Overtures

It's generally acknowledged that it's in the theatre industry's best interest to nuture the next generation of talent: The best way to ensure the quality of your future shows? Provide top-notch training. Signature is no stranger to this principle. In fact, Signature has been hosting summer musical theatre programs for young performing artists for over ten years. In both Stage One Workshops and Overtures, students are given the opportunity to further develop their performing skills in a professional and focused environment.

Overtures students rehearse for their final showcase.

Stage One Workshops: A Musical Theatre Intensive for Ages 14-17

In Stage One Workshops, high school students go through two weeks of all-day training in singing, dancing, and acting. An audition-based admission program, Stage One is competitive and those admitted have their work cut out for them. Trained by some of the best in the DC Metro area, students learn what will be expected of them as theatre professionals.

Overtures: Signature Theatre's Musical Theatre Institute 

Overtures in the next step in a musical-theatre hopeful's training. It is designed to benefit college students, recent grads, and early professionals seeking to advance their performing abilities. While two weeks in length like Stage One, Overtures requires longer hours, includes mock auditions in front of real casting directors and master classes with NY actors, provides individual as well as group coaching, and concludes with a public showcase performance. Overtures is grueling, but ultimately rewarding: "I have gotten some of the best training I have ever received here at Overtures... I really love that we are pushed out of our comfort zone... I can feel my growth as a performer" (2012 Overtures participant). Students leave Overtures with a better understanding of the business and more mature as artists.

 

"It's amazingly complete... I feel like I learned more that was practical for a life in the theatre than I did in four years of college." (2011 Overtures participant)
2011 Overtures Showcase. Photo: Dennis Deloria

Auditions 

Auditions for Overtures and Stage One typically occur in April and May, although this year we're having an additional day of auditions for Stage One on June 1 (read more here). For both programs, auditioners are asked to prepare to contrasting vocal selections and demonstrate their movement abilities in an open dance call.

The Pay-off

Do these programs really produce "good" performers? We'll let you be the judge:

• Matthew Gardiner: Associate Artistic Director at Signature Theatre. 
• Michael Mainwaring: DC actor currently in Thunder Knocking at the Door at Creative Cauldron, recently in Signature Theatre's Dreamgirls.
• Florrie Bagel: NYC actor, recently in the US National Tour of Sister Act.
• James Gardiner: DC actor currently in Company at Signature, book writer for the musical Glory Days. 
• Hannah Willman: DC actor, recently in My Fair Lady at Arena Stage.
• Nick Blaemire: NYC actor, recently in the Broadway revival of Godspell, lyricist and composer for the musical Glory Days.
• Aaron Reeder: DC actor, currently in Show Boat at The Kennedy Center.

Looks like Signature should simply keep up the good work!

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Different Every Time: Spontaneity in Acting

"The supreme skill of the actor is to appear spontaneous while being very deliberate in everything he does."

- Dorothy Heathcote

Different Every Time
Saturdays, May 18–June 22
No Class May 26

11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

Instructor: David Zobell (Education Director)

Tuition: $200 

REGISTRATION CLOSES MAY 13.

To register click here.

Acting, by nature, can be very repetitive: say the same lines, stand in the same places, find the same emotional notes. So what is it that makes some actors so brilliant? Why do we find their performances so engaging and moving? The secret is spontaneity - the minute improvisations that happen within each line without disturbing the framework of the play that create the "illusion of the first time."

While this seems like a simple concept, putting this theory into practice can be remarkably challenging. Here's where our class comes in.

In "Different Every Time," teen actors will learn to make each time they approach a piece as exciting as the first! Through a variety of techniques involving individual and group exercises, the class will focus on fundamentals: spontaneity, listening, verbal and non-verbal communication, relaxation, and more. This course for the growing actor will help students avoid falling into habits onstage and give them the confidence necessary to communicate honestly and create a live experience in performance every time.

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Call on Dolly!

Opel and the cast of Hello, Dolly!, a co-production between Signature Theatre and Ford's Theatre.
Photo: Carol Rosegg

Opel as "Mama" in Memphis.
Source: http://bit.ly/qxu3KL

It's been a while since Dolly Levi has been on the scene in DC - 18 years, to be exact. It's only fitting that her return should be performed by a Broadway veteran like Nancy Opel. A Kansas native, Opel has spent most of her career in New York City on Broadway performing in shows like Evita, Sunday in the Park with George, Memphis and  Urinetown (for which she garnered a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical).

Watch the original Broadway cast of Urinetown perform at the 56th Annual Tony Awards:

Hello, Dolly! is actually Opel's first show in the DC area and she certainly arrived with a bang:

"Nancy Opel is glowing, crowing, and going strong. Taking on the titular role of Dolly, Opel brings an impish stage presnece to Ford's Theatre, and she handles her considerable duties with ease and charm. Dolly fits Opel like a well-tailored glove."

- Broadway World

"Nancy Opel, who has a touch of Debbie Reynolds' winsomeness about her, plays Dolly in a refreshing, straightforward way. She can be very funny, without underlining things, and she allows a vulnerability to peek through"
- The Baltimore Sun

Did you also enjoy Opel's performance? Tweet her a compliment @NancyOpel.

If you haven't seen the show yet, buy your tickets here. Only 22 performances left!

Hear what Dolly! director Eric Shaeffer and Opel have to say about this unique production:

Tomorrow's Brown Bag Thursday guest will be Opel's incredible co-star Edward Gero, currently playing Horace Vandergelder in Hello, Dolly!

Be sure to join us on Thursday, May 2nd at 1pm in the Mead Lobby.

Can't make it in person? Follow @sigtheatre on twitter and use #sigbrownbag to ask Gero your questions.

COMING UP
For our May 6th Page to Stage, we'll be have a special movie night where we will be showing the 1969 film adaptation of Hello, Dolly! starring Barbra Streisand and directed by Gene Kelly. Please note that we will begin at 6:30pm instead of 7pm and as always it will be held at the lovely Shirlington Library.

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Inside the Lines: An inside Look

This spring Signature Theatre is offering a class for teens called "Inside the Lines: Text and Performance."

The class will be Mondays, April 29-June 10th (no class on May 27th) from 6:30-8:00 PM. Tuition is $240. Registration closes on Monday, April 22nd! REGISTER HERE.

So what exactly is this class about?

You’re given a part, handed a script, and then what? Learn to use every word for your advantage by breaking the script down to its essentials, including structure, subtext, beats, and objectives. Once you’ve mastered the text, you’ll learn how to take that knowledge to create a detailed and engaging performance.

Who will be teaching the class?

Jack Novak, a professional actor, writer and teaching artist who has worked with several renowned theatres in Chicago, including the Filament Theatre Ensemble and the Mime Company.

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Company Seminar: Sondheim's Secrets Revealed

Source:http://bit.ly/14z2N8u

DID YOU KNOW?

• The original title of Company was "Threes."
• Dean Jones, who originated the role of Robert on Broadway, was shortly thereafter replaced by Larry Kert, who is also famous for originating the role of Tony in West Side Story.
• Company is considered one of the first "concept musical" - a musical where the show's central imagery, metaphor or message takes precedence over traditional narrative structure. 
• The recording session for the Original Cast Recording of Company stretched into the wee hours of the morning. Elaine Stritch, who played Joanne, was the last to leave. A critically acclaimed documentary, following the recording sessions for Company, was created by D.A. Pennebaker. 
• The first FOUR HOURS of rehearsal for the original production were spent on just the first page of the show.
• The final song of the show was changed three times before it was finalized.

Want to know more of the secrets behind Sondheim's Company? Or find out how Signature is putting their own spin on the show?

Register for Signature Seminar: Side by Side with the Creative Team of Signature's Company

Sign up today for a special six part look into Signature Theatre’s 2013 production of Company. This unique opportunity will take you right into the center of this timeless musical examination of marriage, loneliness, and commitment. This production is brought to life under the direction of Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer.

For more information about Signature Seminar or how to register, click here.
REGISTRATION CLOSES ON MONDAY, APRIL 22nd!

Enjoy a taste of this classic musical:

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The Last Five Years: What's Not to Love?

If you’re a musical theatre person, you’ve probably heard of Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years, and if you’ve heard of it, you’ve probably listened to it and subsequently become obsessed with this show.

The Last Five Years has enjoyed more than 500 productions in America (many in colleges and high schools) and thousands more overseas. The question then is, “Why is everyone so in love with this show?”  What is it about this story that has people lining up outside theaters around the world?

In search of an answer, we checked out blogs and talked to people within our own offices:



Credit: Teresa Wood

"I love The Last Five Years because the songs show such masterful musical theatre songwriting, but at the same time they feel fresh, simple, and catchy. I also love the show because its modest scope allows for the poignant moments to come across in a clean and elegant way… the show doesn’t hit us over the head with how sad it is."

– Hunter (Signature Publicity and Communications Manager)

“I think people find Jamie’s enthusiasm and artistic success inspiring and inviting. Artists like it because it’s at least partially about the experience of being an artist (both succeeding and failing). Actors like it because it is full of great audition songs. Anybody who’s ever been unsure about dating someone likes it because it speaks to a lot of common difficulties in relationships.”

– Joan (Signature Education Intern)

“As much fun as it is to see shows about people who sing and escape Nazis (The Sound of Music) or free flying monkeys (Wicked) sometimes it’s therapeutic and personally enlightening to see a show that feels like it’s about your life.”

– Kari (blogger)

New York Post blogger Elisabeth Vincentelli believes that for the younger generation, it comes down to the show's “specific yet romantic depiction of life in New York City. Brown might as well have written an open letter to creative small-town kids who can’t wait to graduate and move to the big city.”

– Elisabeth Vincentelli (NY Post Blogger)

Credit: Teresa Wood

“There’s a warmth to that voicing and orchestration that just draws you in from the start, and for the next 90 minutes, I sat there watching a master class in how to construct an intimate chamber musical about what it is to love and lose… I wouldn’t experience the pain of romantic heartbreak for the first time until three years later, but The Last Five Years was the only thing I wanted to listen to during that period, because there was something so universal about the storytelling that it was the only thing with which I could identify.”

– Gregory Jacobs-Roseman (blogger) 

Regarding Signature's production, Washington Post reviewer Nelson Pressley remarked "[The show]hurtles with energy: The story-rich songs soar with youthful expectation and cut with the fury of thwarted desires... Both characters have abrasive qualities — it’s a strength of Brown’s writing — yet Weaver and Gardiner (who ages convincingly) are appealing enough to keep your rooting interest high."
Read the full review here.

What do you love about the The Last Five Years?

Tell us by tweeting @sigtheatre and using the hashtag #sigL5Y.

Credit: Teresa Wood

Signature is lucky to be working with a fantastic team of actors, designers, musicians, director, etc on this production. Click here for some of James Gardiner's thoughts on his character and check out "A Quick 5 with Erin Weaver."

 

P.S. If you enjoyed his performance, give a shout out to James on twitter: @jamesdgardiner. As for the talented Erin Weaver and Aaron Posner, you’ll just have to give your regards in person.

Watch the video of Signature Theatre's Page to Stage at the Shirlington Branch Library with guests Aaron Posner (director) and wife Erin Weaver (Cathy).

To find out how to purchase tickets, click here.



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Happy World Theatre Day!

Today is World Theatre Day!

If you didn't know that, don't worry, you're in good company. We here at Signature Theatre only recently discovered it, but we think it's a pretty great idea.

World Theatre Day (WTD) was instituted by the International Theatre Institute (ITI), an organization that has centers in more than 100 countries all over the world and seeks to promote the arts and communication and collaboration between artists across continents. The first WTD was celebrated on March 27th, 1961 and its popularity has only grown since.

Every year for WTD, an International Message is composed. This message is written by a prominent figure (usually from an arts-related field) and is a reflection on "Theatre and a Culture of Peace." On WTD this message is broadcast via radio, television, and the internet in more than 20 different languages in countries and ITI centers worldwide.

This year's message is composed by Dario Fo, a renowned Italian theatre artist. Read a little bit about Fo and his exceptional career below:

Dario Fo is an Italian satirist, playwright, theatre director, actor, composer and recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature. Fo and his wife, the actress Franca Rame, founded the Campagnia Dario Fo–Franca Rame in 1959, and their humorous sketches on the television show Canzonissima soon made them popular public personalities. In 1968 Fo and Rame founded another acting group, Nuova Scena, and in 1970 they started the Collettivo Teatrale La Comune.Fo has written about 70 plays, coauthoring some of them with Rame. His plays have been translated into 30 languages, and upon awarding him the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature, the committee called Fo a writer “who emulates the jesters of the Middle Ages in scourging authority and upholding the dignity of the downtrodden.”

Here are some ways to join the celebration:

• Listen to or read Dario Fo's message:
• www.iti-worldwide.org
• Watch a video of John Malcovich sharing the 2012 WTD International Message:
• http://bit.ly/GUAwXr
• Watch videos of people from all over the world reading WTD International Messages: 
• http://www.nycwtd.com/messages.html
• Tweet about the WTD message or about WTD festivities using the hashtag #WTD13
• Learn more about the Around-the-Globe Chain Play
• Share a facebook status about what you love about theatre
• Buy a ticket to see a show! (Signature Theatre's "The Last Five Years" begins previews on April 2nd)
• Check out some cool world theatre traditions by browsing the pictures below:



Japan: Butoh

 

Italy: Commedia dell'Arte


 



 

 



 




France: Mime



England: British Pantomime



India: Sanskrit Drama

 




Bali: Wayang Kulit (shadow puppets)

 




China: Peiking Opera

 

SOURCES

http://www.world-theatre-day.org/aboutwtd.html

http://www.tcgcircle.org/2013/02/dario-fo-to-give-world-theatre-day-message/

http://www.keralatourism.org/images/artforms/per37b.jpg

http://www.ascentmagazine.com/images/31-butoh-image__10232006114954AM.jpg

http://www.sacramentopress.com/uploads/images/prod/6f4c20ba83bb4bb2938e163f453511eb_s.jpg

http://artcaro.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/kabuki1.jpg?w=640

http://macfoto.com/sites/default/files/images/22_WayangKulit2.jpg

http://digital.library.northwestern.edu/fava/images/tablemasks.jpg

http://www.dellarte.com/UserFiles/image/Dell'Arte%20students%20in%20commedia%20finals.jpg

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ezine/2007-05/31/xin_21050431095181675573.jpg

http://www.chinaopera.net/english/upload/Peking-Opera-Da-Jiaozan-8.jpg

http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1997/fo.jpg

http://www.pcs.org/assets/uploads/Theatre-Day-Header1(2).jpg
http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-AQ620_mime1_20070924132023.jpg



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Of "Revolution" and Reflection

Now that Revolution is said and done, we've asked the students who made up the cast and crew to share some of their thoughts about being part of Signature in the Schools:

"Signature in the Schools is phenomenal. The program has helped me grow so much as an actor, a student, and as a person over such a short period of time. The sense of community and family SIS creates is just mind blowing and the commitment from everyone involved is simply fantastic. It is difficult for me to articulate all of my positive feelings for this program so just trust me when I say SIS is a beautiful thing."

- Brandi, Actor (Basma)

Patrick and Basma share a quite moment. Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria



Andy reads a moving story with the class. Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria

"Signature in the Schools is what inspired me to continue theatre in college and into the future. Without this program, I would probably have no idea what to do after high school. I also can't think of anything I would have rather done these past four years than come to rehearsals and hang out with David, Ellis, Laura, Joan and Marcella!" 

- Max, Stage Manager

Larissa and Marcus perform characatures of King Louis
and Queen Marie Antoinette for a class presentation.
Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria

"I will never forget my great experiences and the friends that I gained through Signature in the Schools. Signature brings you into a new world of theatre like no other. I will miss Signature the most after I leave high school."

- Sean, Actor (Marcus)

"Signature in the schools has been one of the best programs I have ever participated in. Not only did I learn how to work on a professional play in a professional environment, but it also broadened my interest in theatre. I have met so many wonderful people and worked with such amazing mentors and I will definitely be back next year."
- Marwa, Lighting Board Operator

The cast of "Revolution" creates a tableau to depict Arab Spring protests.

Larissa, with the help of Caroline, puts her own spin on "protest."
Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria

"It’s been amazing to have the opportunity to work alongside such talented actors and dedicated directors. Signature Theatre has provided me great exposure to the field of theatre which has broadened my view on the arts, culture and life."

- Karl, Actor (Zerah)

 

"Perhaps one of the most astounding thing about Signature In The Schools is the sense of professionalism, yet at the same time a cast and crew bond equal to that of family. Your light operator, sound operator, crew, prop crew, stage managers, and fellow actors are all there to make you feel like you are actually part of this environment that is being created. I love, and all audiences love, what Signature Theater is able to present, and this year's performance of Revolution, written by Joe Calarco, was a fantastic example. I hope everyone is able to experience the insurmountable amount of joy that I have experienced while being able to participate with Signature in the Schools." 

- Max, Actor (Patrick)


Basma watches on as Mr. Stieper comforts Patrick. Photo Credit: Dennis Deloria

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