KidVids Part 2: French Connection

During Boot Camp, the first three weeks of rehearsal for Signature in the Schools: Revolution, the cast and crew learned all about the history behind the play. At the end of Boot Camp, they were asked to put together videos showing off what they'd learned.

Below is the video created by the second group: the French Connection. The group was assigned to create a video explaining how the French Revolution got started, including the monarchy's financial crisis and the beginnings of political upheaval. They chose to put their story in a modern setting - the overbearing King Corporation and its employees.

Check out the video below!

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An Update from Max

Actor and high school sophomore Max plays a troubled teen named Patrick in Signature in the Schools' premiere production of Revolution. We've asked Max to answer a couple of questions about his experience being part of the show:

What is your favorite scene in the show? Why? 

My favorite scene in Revolution is the final scene. The potential for shock it has is so immense. It is quite beautiful. 

What’s the funniest thing that has happened in rehearsal?

During rehearsals we were working on the scene where Caroline attempts to talk to me, and Ariel, who is playing Caroline, chokes on her own saliva mid-monologue. The awkwardness was hilarious.

What have been your favorite parts of Signature in the Schools so far?

My favorite part of Signature in the Schools has to be how the directors, cast and the ones who make the show WORK are all able to input valuable information that will make a certain scene or the performer themselves more authentic. It's almost like a family (as cliche as that sounds). 

Max hard at work.

The final scene being rehearsed, with Max in the center.

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Zak and Sean Discuss Sean and Zak

Zak and Sean play best friends in the Signature in the Schools premiere production, Revolution. In order to help you get to know them a little better, we thought we would put their friendship to the test. Are they friends off-stage as well as on? We'll let you be the judge.

	Zak according to Zak	Zak according to Sean
Name	Zak	Zak
Age	16	16
Role in the Production	Andy Cranston	Andy
Favorite Musical/Play	Rumors by Neil Simon	Spiderman
(Rehearsal) Snack of Choice	Clif bar and water.	French fries/onion rings
Catch Phrase	VIVE LA LIBERTE.	Guys come on!!!!!
Little-known fact	Loves Taylor Swift. <3	He has an exquisite collection of chartreuse rubber bands
Special Skills	Juggling	Can grow a ponytail
Ten years down the road I will be…	26	Mayor of Acupulco, Mexico

Sean being Sean.

	Sean according to Sean	Sean according to Zak
Name	Sean	Sean
Age	15	15
Role in the Production	Marcus	Marcus Bennington
Favorite Musical/Play	Death of a Salesman	Revolution by Joe Calarco (obviously)
(Rehearsal) Snack of Choice	Cheddar and Sour Cream Chips	Yoo-hoos.
Catch Phrase	Pay attention to me!!!	"I know way too much about David Zobell."
Little-known fact	My freckles make the little dipper on my left arm	Knows way too much about David Zobell.
Ten years down the road I will be…	The night security guard at the New York Museum of Natural History	An NFL All Star

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In With the Interns: Marcella Toronto

Name: Marcella Toronto

From: Beijing, China (but I’m not Chinese…)

School: Brigham Young University

Favorite Musical: I’m a sucker for the classics - Les Mis, Into the Woods, West Side Story, etc – but I also love The Light in the Piazza

Favorite Play: Asylum by Jerome McDonough is definitely one of my favorites.

Favorite Movie: A Series of Unfortunate Events or Star Trek, depending on my mood.

Internship: Education Intern

Internship Start Date: Jan. 7^th, 2013

Internship Duties: Assisting with the Signature in the Schools show, teaching workshops at local high schools, emailing, photocopying, and helping out our amazing Education Director however he needs me to!

Favorite things about DC: The food, the architecture, the culture.

If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be? Apple pie (minus the flakiness). Who doesn’t love pie?

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KidVids Part 1: The Dolphin Revolution

During Boot Camp, the cast and crew of Revolution spent three weeks exploring the history behind the production, learning about revolutions in general, the Arab Spring and the French Revolution. In the final days of Boot Camp, they created videos to pull together everything they'd learned. Below is the first of these projects: The Dolphin Revolution.

This group was assigned to create an imaginary revolution that followed the four phases of revolution outlined in Crane Brinton's The Anatomy of Revolution, using a protest scenario about dolphins that we had used earlier in Boot Camp. The four phases of revolution are as follows:

1. The old government is failing
2. A combination of spontaneous uprising and organized resistance bursts into violence
3. The extremists take over
4. The terror subsides and there is a period of reaction

Check out the video below! 

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Signature in the Schools: Revolution

On December 17, the cast (and some of the crew) of the 2013 Signature in the Schools play, Revolution, met with playwright Joe Calarco to do a first read of the script. This week, we'll be continuing rehearsals with script work and staging.

Check out these pictures from our first read!

All photos courtesy of Adrian, our production archivist.

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KARAOKE: Dreamgirls Student Night

DREAMGIRLS Student Night is coming up!

Friday, November 30

There will be dancing, food, a photo wall, AND... a karaoke contest! In case you want to prepare yourself, here's a brief sampling of songs that are available to sing - there are many more!

1. Gangnam Style (Psy)

2. Living on a Prayer (Bon Jovi)

3. No Woman No Cry (Bob Marley)

4. Call Me (Blondie)

5. Material Girl (Madonna)

6. Since You’ve Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)

7. Sweet Child of Mine (Guns’n’Roses)

8. Hollaback Girl (Gwen Stefani)

9. Hound Dog (Elvis)

10. Summer Nights (from Grease)

11. Say My Name (Destiny’s Child)

12. My Heart Will Go On (Céline Dion)

13. Love is a Battlefield (Pat Benatar)

14. Genie in a Bottle (Christina Aguilera)

15. At Last (Etta James)

16. Love Story (Taylor Swift)

17. Halo (Beyoncé)

18. My Humps (Black Eyed Peas)

19. I Kissed A Girl (Katy Perry)

20. Yellow Submarine (The Beatles)

To purchase tickets for Student Blowout Night at Dreamgirls, use code EDU25 when purchasing. A valid college or high school ID is required. 

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Signature Academy: The Art of Public Speaking

Check out this video and meet Naomi Jacobson, who will be teaching her Art of Public Speaking workshop at Signature on December 17. Ms. Jacobson is an award-winning actress who has worked in DC for over 20 years (and was recently seen in Signature's critically-acclaimed production of God of Carnage.)

Register NOW for Naomi's class! The deadline is December 7.

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