nicholaslongstaff.ca

ImproVis-à-Vis 2007 winners announced!
Congratulations to all the participants and their families for a very successful first-annual event, and thank you for your support and participation.

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PRIZES FOR TOP-SCORING TEAMS
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SUPER TOP PRIZE OF ALL: 5Vis
2007> Pineapple Pat and the Fruit Salads
Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School

THE GRAND PRIZE
2007> Ivory Thunder
Central Secondary School

“MY NAME IN LIGHTS” PRIZE
2007> ASTBA
Independent

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DISCRETIONARY PRIZES
Selected by the Senior Adjudicators.
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CLOWNIEST CLOWNY CLOWNS
2007> Incognito
H.B. Beal Secondary School

ROOTINEST TUNERS OF ALL
2007> Thomas
Lord Dorchester Secondary School

AD HOC IMPROVISOPRIZE
2007> The Misfits
Independent

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PRIZE DESCRIPTIONS
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SUPER TOP PRIZE OF ALL
(FIRST Place)
* Showcase performance in the
LONDON FRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL 2007
* Preparation, Training & Dramaturgy with
ArtsCore

THE GRAND PRIZE
(SECOND Place)
* Tickets for the whole team tothis year’s season topper,
Wingfield’s Inferno.
~courtesy of The Grand Theatre

“MY NAME IN LIGHTS” PRIZE
(THIRD Place)
* A Grab-Bag of legible, thrilling, theatrical delights, & (for giggles)a self-inflating whoopee cushion.
~courtesy of City Lights Book Shop

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DISCRETIONARY PRIZES
Selected by the 2007 Senior Adjudicators.
Jeff Leeson and Joel Read
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CLOWNIEST CLOWNY CLOWNS
For the most consistently funny team
* One eatable Banana Cream Pie
* One splatable Banana Cream Pie
~courtesy of The Pastry Garden

ROOTINEST TUNERS OF ALL
For the most convincingly
musical team. We encourage
all teams to use music in their
Improv, whenever possible.
* A Grab-Bag of Musical Delights
~courtesy of BelleAir Music

Written: Monday, March 12th.

Tom (16)

Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I’m back for another weekly update. First, I’d like to start with apologizing for being late on this one, life has got me caught up, but now, it’s March Break, and I have some time to write.

In my last blog, I promised to fill you in on what is taking place in the Design Department. During my visit, the department was made up of April, Melody, and of course, Amber, with Darryl from Script lending a hand because the script was finished. Each member had a job to do.

Starting with Melody. Melody’s job was to work on a list of props and costumes for the play, along with Darryl who was lending her a hand. It seemed like a long and vigorous task, that is essential to the designers, and ultimately, the end result of the play. After the prop list is completed, it would be used so the ladies of the design department can tell what to create for the show, how to create it, and what scene it falls into.

While Darryl was down stairs helping the ladies, he was put to work on setting up bars to hang a fabric April was measuring and cutting, then handing off to Amber to paint over a goo like substance. Darryl hanged chains on the ceiling, so he could fit large metal bars through them, for easy hanging.

April, along with Fanshawe student, Kat, were measuring a green fabric, and cutting it. This fabric will be used for the back drop, or, in terms that one might understand a little better, the background.

Finally, the last member of the design department, Amber. Amber volunteered to take the job of what I personally felt looked like the most boring, but she assured me it was better then it looked. Amber was asked to mix up a substance made up of water, glue, and paint. Stuck with mixing these three substances for a long time, Amber and Nick began to notice that the effects weren’t working like they had planned it too, it was then realized by the two that the paint they were using was oil based, a paint that wouldn’t work for the job they were trying to get down. It wasn’t until after a lot of wasted time mixing nothing, that they figured it out. I’ve yet to give Amber the “I Told You So” speech on how she was stuck with the most boring job of the day, and she found that out the hard way. But hey, at least I got a laugh out of it by the end of the day.

Moving on to last Saturdays rehearsal, Nick presented to the company and idea the promotions team and himself came up with for the poster. I am one of the head designers in the poster, and it seemed like we were having troubles with the creation of the poster, we were giving a new route, we could on use two colours. So, we decided on Silhouettes. With myself put in charge of the look of the poster, we would use out bodies to create the poster, using silhouettes, based on the design I presented to the company. It took most of the day, but the end result couldn’t have been better. Whether it’s the final image for the poster, or if some edits are going into it, you won’t be disappointed with the outcome of our poster.

Written: Tuesday, February 27th.
Tom (16)

The script team today consisted of Darryl and Lily, the two major players in the script department. Everyone in the company has contributed in one way or another to the script, and to the script-writing process, but these two have spent the most time on it.

Lily made it her duty to type up onto the computer, the scenes that she and Darryl wrote (based on notes on improvisations, and on rough work by other company members) during the bulk of the recent rehearsal times, to be later included in the yellow-draft and first draft.

The script is now finished, and one would think their Civic Duty is done. However, script writing isn’t all that easy. Now the problem the two teens face is in editing down the script to fit the appropriate length for which the final product, our play, The Trouble with Fairies is destined.

A Robertson Davies quote I’ll paraphrase about editing novels is “it’s just like killing your babies.” Lily and Daryl are forced to cut favourite lines and change scenes that they themselves created, and took the time to write up.

In a way, they are forced to kill Little Lily and Darryl Jr.

I asked Darryl how he felt on the task, and he responded by telling me that editing a piece of writing is never easy, cutting down hard work that one contributed to, oneself.

But when it’s needed “you gotta do what you gotta do.” Darryl also pointed out that change isn’t always a bad thing. The end result of a scene may turn out to be better then they first expected.

I also managed to visit the strong Music Department, consisting of Jury , Spencer, Laura, Nicole, and their facillitator, musician and composer Richard J. Lehman.

Richard, although contributing to the shaping and finish of the music, is actually sitting back, letting the other younger four contribute the musical styles that will underscore The Trouble with Fairies.

The males of the department are all working with musical instruments, usually guitars, and ultimately, the beat and melody of the songs, while the females are working with vocals and keyboards.

Of course, these songs didn’t write themselves to start with. These four have created all the music for the show, down to the tune and lyrics. All but one song is basically in good shape, including lyrics and rhythmic drive. Currently the team is working on the melody for the “Dahlia and Choleric” song. I managed to catch Spencer, and ask him how he felt about his job in Music.

“Writing background music is hard,
basically all I do is sit with my guitar
and come up with tunes that sound
good, the only problem is I usually
forget some of the stuff I come up with,
before I have the chance to put it down.”

The last department, and the one I didn’t have time to visit Tuesday, was the Design Department. Hopefully, I will have some information up next week from them. But until then, please check out the pictures and designs posted elsewhere on this site.

I am, and still have been…
~ Tom (16)

Nicholas Longstaff,
Founding Artistic Producer
March 1, 2007
I’d like to note here, that Julia (14) is not only working on building the play, but focusing on the production’s publicity as well.

She expressed an interest in interviewing the minico members when I invited ideas towards creating material for a podcast.

In my opinion, her first set of interviews were approached with a rare blend of energy and attentiveness to her subjects’ style of communication, and delightful willingness to play.

All of the of the interviewees has received a lecture, notes and group lessons in self-representation, including interview etiquette, and have been encouraged to consider what s/he wants to communicate to the world regarding this artistic endeavor.

INTERVIEWS:
FIRST SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
with April:
with Amber:
with Katie:
with Laura:
with Nicole:
with Spencer:

Now,
I had offered Julia praise for her many intuitive moments,
her clear responsiveness and for her ability to draw out great words
from each person while making her or him comfortable
just “being themselves.”

I also offered her an opportunity to set a formal critique.
She accepted, and we listened to, deconstructed and
analysed her first steps in the radio medium.

I am thrilled to hear how Julia has refined her approach.

SECOND SET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
with Steven:
with Darryl:
with Lily:
with Jake Levesque:
MINICO:07 Director and Music Director

FLY ON THE WALL . . . .
Fairy Song: in process