SUMMER WORKSHOP DIRECTOR'S LETTERS

Sleeping Beauty KIDS

Dear Sleeping Beauty KIDS participants, families, and friends,
I cannot wait to get started on our fabulous summer production at Firebird Theatre
with you all! We are sure to have two weeks filled with mayhem, music, and magic
as we unlock the timeless tale of Sleeping Beauty. Please find some useful
information below regarding the day-to- day expectations for the workshop:
Auditions will be on the first day of our workshop, and are meant to be a low-stress,
upbeat, positive experience. Along with getting to know one another, properly
warming up our voices and bodies, and engaging our imaginations with theatre
games that morning, we will get everyone acquainted with the characters and basic
storyline so we all have the same background going into the auditions.
We encourage you to sing, dance, and read from the script with partners (when
applicable) and solo, but if singing solo is not your forte, do not feel pressured to do
so. Bear in mind, however, that this is your time to show us what you’ve got. Take a
risk. Make a bold choice. If you want a solo in the play or a leading role, go for it
from the get go; that is the only way we will know! Everyone is bound to be a little
bit nervous, and my staff and I are totally supportive of your best work. We want to
see you succeed! We want you all to be so amazing that our job of casting the show
is the most difficult decision ever! We are all on your side.

Know that casting is often very difficult, particularly with the level of talent that you
all are bringing to our workshop. Do not be discouraged if you do not get the role
you want; every role is important, necessary, complex, and magical. It will be our
greatest opportunity to use our two weeks to unlock all of the potential in each and
every character, no matter the number of lines he or she may have on the page.
Every day will be a little bit different, and we will craft our schedule according to the
needs of the production. Come prepared every day with:

 A pencil
 Your script (which will be distributed on Tuesday, after casting)
 NON-FLIP FLOP, comfortable shoes that allow you to move
 Water, lunch, and a snack

If you are not actively working on a scene, you will be learning music or
choreography, crafting your character’s backstory, honing the basic skills of
performance (posture, pitch, projection, pronunciation, and presence), or otherwise
working hard and having fun. This production is a serious undertaking, but it is also
filled with wonder, enchantment, and beauty that I cannot wait to explore with you.
Come ready to focus, adventure, buckle down, let loose, and above all else, play.
Please let us know if you have any questions before we begin, and I look forward to
meeting all of you before we know it!

Victoria Rose Bonito, Director, and the Sleeping Beauty KIDS Staff

Xanadu JR

Dear Xanadu Jr. Participants and Parents:

Welcome to the 2016 summer season at Firebird Theatre! I’m so excited to be working with you all this year and to welcome to you to Venice Beach, California and Mount Olympus circa 1980. Below please find some important information for new Firebirds and some reminders for our returning actors.

What Are Auditions Like?:
We will have informal placement auditions on day one, as well as spend time getting to know one another. We’ll sing, dance, and read from the show, starting everyone off on equal footing. Don’t feel pressured to sing solo if you don’t want to, but if you don’t want to sing by yourself at auditions, we’ll assume you won’t want to in the show as well. Auditions are merely a way for us to get to know you and your talents and to decide which role will show off your strengths as well as challenge you to grow as an actor.

Unfortunately there are never enough lead roles to go around, but I’ve spent a lot of time working with the script and finding places to give additional solos and special moments to each character. I’ve also turned the script’s “Greek Chorus” into an entire pantheon of individual Olympian gods and goddesses and every one is equally important to the story I want to tell.

After the first day of workshop, my staff and I will cast the show. On Tuesday morning we will distribute scripts, do a read through, and dive into working on the opening number!

What’s A Normal Day Like?:
Each day is different! We will spend much of the day working on the show, whether that is learning music, choreography or blocking, or doing script analysis or other related dra maturgical tasks. Since our characters are rooted in ancient religion and mythology, we will spend time researching their stories and historical significance and how this affects an actor’s portrayal of the character. We will also practice theatre activities that hone skills such as improvisation, projection, and teamwork.

​Theatre is work, but we also have ridiculous amounts of fun. We have themed dress up days each week, celebrate birthdays, and will watch the recorded Broadway version of the musical (or maybe the terrible 80s movie). Our lunch break lasts between thirty minutes and an hour and we’ll take a short break in the morning and afternoon as well.

Important Things To Bring Every Day:
 Your lunch and a snack.
 A water bottle.
 A pencil/highlighter/page tabs/whatever you want to use to mark up your script.
(Try not to use a pen - sometimes I change my mind!)
 Do not wear flip flops! Wear sneakers, dance shoes, or anything that won’t fly off your feet or trip you up.

I hope you’re all as excited to begin work on Xanadu as I am. I’ve been working on costumes and props since October and have tons of fun and interesting staging ideas. This show is very funny and yet surprisingly heartfelt and lovely. It’s an unorthodox choice, but I’m confident you’ll love it as much as I do and I can’t wait to get started.

As always, if you have questions don’t hesitate to ask us or take a look at the new FAQ page on our website. See you soon!

Courtney Boches, Director, and the Xanadu Jr. Staff

Seussical the Musical JR

Dear Seussuical participants and families,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss! We are thrilled to have you join us for our production of Seussical Jr., and cannot wait to begin our journey together. This letter contains some important information about our day-to- day schedule, as well as useful info about what to bring.

Auditions will be held on the second full day of workshop. There is no need to prepare anything ahead of time. We will spend our first day getting to know one another, as well as familiarizing ourselves with the story and characters in this fabulous show. We will then go over the audition music, and you will have the opportunity to take it home with you. Auditions will happen at the beginning of day two. Our goal is for everyone to be as comfortable as possible with the process.

I realize some of you have performed in many shows, while for others, this may be an entirely new experience. DO NOT WORRY, we are a team, we are all cheering you on, and you will have fun – I promise! While there are never enough parts to allow everyone a lead, Seussical is a show with a crucial and varied ensemble. With very little dialogue in the show, every song tells an important story. Everyone will have opportunities to shine!

Each day will be a little different, but we will spend much of our time just putting the show together – learning songs, choreography, blocking, etc. We will also spend time really connecting with the characters and stories in the Dr. Seuss lexicon. We’ll delve into his transcendent stories that were written for children, but contain messages about life, and character, and difficult choices. He spoke in simple words that delivered powerful messages, and we will explore many of them as we move through Seussical.

Hard work doesn’t mean there is no time for play! We will spend time laughing and getting to know one another. We will have themed days, celebrations, games and movies. Every day, we will have short breaks in the morning and afternoon, as well as a 45-60 minute lunch.

You will need to bring the following items:
 Your lunch and a snack
 A water bottle
 A pencil and highlighter for marking your script
 Comfortable clothes and shoes (no flip flops, please!)
 After the second day, your SCRIPT

We are all so excited to meet you, and begin working together on this wonderful show. Many of us are strangers now. After four weeks together, we will be family. Get ready to laugh, play, dance, work and sing. Our hope is that you will grow as performers and come together as friends,
as we move our way through this smart, funny, imaginative show. See you all in a few short days!

Michelle Horoho and the Seussical Jr. Staff

Music Man JR

Dear Music Man Jr. Participants and Parents:

Welcome to the 2016 summer season at Firebird Theatre! I’m so excited to be working with you all this year and to welcome to you to River City, Iowa. Below please find some important information for new Firebirds and some reminders for our returning actors.

What Are Auditions Like?:
We will have informal placement auditions on day one, as well as spend time getting to know one another. We’ll sing, dance, and read from the show, starting everyone off on equal footing. Don’t feel pressured to sing solo if you don’t want to, but if you don’t want to sing by yourself at auditions, we’ll assume you won’t want to in the show as well. Auditions
are merely a way for us to get to know you and your talents and to decide which role will show off your strengths as well as challenge you to grow as an actor.

Unfortunately there are never enough lead roles to go around, but Meredith Willson was very careful to fill River City with many interesting characters, all with an individual backstory and personality, so everyone has a moment to shine.

After the first day of workshop, my staff and I will cast the show. On Tuesday morning we  ill distribute scripts, do a read through, and dive into working on the opening number!

What’s A Normal Day Like?:
Each day is different! We will spend much of the day working on the show, whether that is learning music, choreography or blocking, or doing script analysis or other related dramaturgical tasks. Since our characters are based on real inhabitants of Meredith Willson’s hometown, we’ll spend some time learning about Mason City, Iowa in 1912 and what was going on in the world at that time to influence the way our characters act and how they feel about society.

Theatre is work, but we also have ridiculous amounts of fun. We have themed dress up days each week, celebrate birthdays, and will watch the film version of The Music Man. Our lunch break lasts between thirty minutes and an hour and we’ll take a short break in the morning and afternoon as well.

Important Things To Bring Every Day:
 Your lunch and a snack.
 A water bottle.
 A pencil/highlighter/page tabs/whatever you want to use to mark up your script.
(Try not to use a pen - sometimes I change my mind!)
 Do not wear flip flops! Wear sneakers, dance shoes, or anything that won’t fly off your feet or trip you up.

I hope you’re all as excited to begin work on The Music Man as I am. This show is very funny and yet equally heartfelt and lovely. It’s also one that is close to my heart since I’ve performed in it twice.

As always, if you have questions don’t hesitate to ask us or take a look at the new FAQ page on our website. See you soon!

Courtney Boches, Director, and the Music Man Jr. Staff