Everyone Willing Can Have a Part

     My brother, Corey, has always been a big fan of Steven Sondheim.  I don’t think it was until after he was in high school still or college when I was introduced to his “Into the Woods” soundtrack – which I listened to and read along as the characters sang.  Immediately I decided it was a production that I wanted to see.  

     I have seen four or five different versions – though I don’t actually remember the details of each one.  I think the first opportunity was when the production was on tour.  I vaguely remember seeing it with my mom, I think.  I don’t know who else was with us.  I’m wondering if we were given tickets that Corey, himself, was unable to use.  

     My least favorite production was one that he was in.  He played Repunzel’s prince.  Our friend, Jinx, played the baker.  It was a marvelous cast, and each one gave an outstanding performance as I recall.  I did have a little trouble hearing the witch however. 

   What annoyed me about that particular production was the director’s take on separating fantasy from reality.  Each time the lights would go down after certain musical numbers or scenes, a voice would announce the act, the scene, the stage setting   . . . Corey said he didn’t like it either.  Instead of watching a polished production, it was as though we were watching a rehearsal that hadn’t quite worked out for the director. 

    I did enjoy watching the performers and I enjoyed the second act – when the interruptions had stopped.  I really enjoy watching Jinx perform.  Well, I enjoy watching Corey, but Jinx spent a lot more time on the stage.

    When Randy was in junior high, he played both prince and wolf.  I think everybody in the junior high who wanted to be in the musical WAS in the musical.  It ran for five nights.  Each night Randy played one of three princes and one of three wolfs – so that he had a turn being Cinderella’s prince, Repunzel’s prince and the wolf that eats Little Red Riding Hood.  

      I remember PBS broadcast of the Broadway version with Bernadette Peters and Joanna Gleason.  I don’t think it aired until after Roland and I were married.  It had been stretched four or five hours during a fundraiser.  I remember having recorded it on VHS. Although it wasn’t a very good recording, I did watch it a few times. I did like it.

  

       I had a wanted to go see the “Into the Woods” movie on Christmas, but hadn’t arrived early enough for all ten of my family members to get good seats.  We saw “Night at the Museum” instead.  I think Ester’s attention might have gotten lost earlier had we seen  “Into the Woods” – maybe not. She enthusiastically moved from seat to seat - mostly visiting either daddy or grandpa.  She also yelled quite loudly for Jenna - though she was seated right next to her at that particular moment.

    Roland took Jenna and I to “Into the Woods” the next day. I think I enjoyed seeing it without Ester being there.  She was cute.  She was just loud - which I found to be distracting.

     I liked the production, but found myself missing “The Mysterious Man” part of the story, as well as some of the songs.  Still, I told Roland I would like my own copy on DVD next year. 

    Jenna said she wanted to see the stage version.  I couldn’t find the PBS copy, but did put a reserve in at the library.  Meanwhile I figured I had two copies and spent a good part of yesterday morning searching and came upon the recording of the junior high production that Randy had been in.

     I had forgotten there were three wolves and three princes – though I think the one prince was put in for comic effect as the other two princes would sing “agony” and the third prince would try singing along, and the singing prince would stretch out his arm for effect and hit the third prince in the process.  Jenna enjoyed watching that.

     Their production had the mysterious man – though I don’t know if his identity was revealed at the end.  Or if the junior high had gone beyond the first act.  I don’t remember.  And I had evidently run out of tape and so the end was not there. 

     The narrator in my recorded version was female.  There were extra cast members who played the trees, decorations, the beanstalk, villagers, and characters moved their own props.  Randy and another, dressed like wolves, moved the prop for the house as Little Red Riding Hood entered the cottage and then again for the baker.  Randy was playing Repunzel’s prince on the night that we saw him.

     Jenna was not even a year at the time and I could hear her almost better than the cast members at times.  I really couldn’t hear Jack’s mother at all, but pretty much knew what she was saying. 

     As Jenna and I were watching, she apologized for having cried as I was recording.  That’s silly.  She was just a baby, after all.  

     I just ran across the program (which was quite a surprise on my part). There had been six cast as wolves and princes. I admire the coach for having included so many students and in various roles.  I counted 80 different names - though at a glance it appeared that there were over 200 names.  Many were duplicates cast in different roles. Randy also received credit for playing Red's grandmother (out the four cast members)

The Amazing Ever-Hair-Style-Changing Hair Band

        Many of us have sat through primary programs that have had participants who would never make it to poster child for illustrating reverence.  Sometimes we laugh at the misfortunes; some roll their eyes and come up with all the answers for how to discipline.  Some parents take it with a grain of salt.  Some are mortified and embarrassed. 

I don’t remember Jenna being so ill mannered in our last ward, but she was making faces during the program last year. This year she displayed her fidgety fingers as she bit her nails (while waiting in line at the pulpit) and fussed over her hair band and seemed to create a different hairstyle with each adjustment. 

The hair band fell off her head as they stood up to perform one of the songs.  She did sing, but frantically looked all around to see where it had gone.  Jenna’s among the tallest girl – if not the tallest – which made it more obvious.

Still not as bad as my brother’s ward – which had a HUGE primary when Kimball and Ellen were four and six.  I don’t know whose brilliant idea it was to put the six four year olds on table tops.  Kimball was quite reverent, but the two next to him were kicking one another and pulling hair (as I recall) elbowing, fist fighting.  

That was my view.  Those three four year olds sitting on the same side as I was.  Most everybody who was on my side saw those two four year olds fighting and missed most of the program.  I actually think that was more irreverent than Jenna’s amazing hair-style-changing head band.

Four more years and Jenna will be in young women’s. Perhaps by then she will learn to keep still.

Back to the Bus

         Today is the last day of second grade for Jenna. It is also the last day that I’ll be driving the car for a while.  But I’m at the point where I actually don’t trust it anymore.  Plus there is a ton of construction happening just outside of my husband’s work.  Not having a car also means no dealing with construction.

          There is still the matter of visiting my mom.  On Wednesdays Jaime and I will walk to the TRAX station and purchase an all day pass.  We can go see mom and take the bus to the high school for her theatre class. 

          She has three parts.  Only Dorothy is in the first scene.  But she will be a munchkin for the next two.  She’ll be a tree in scene four and will enter as the lion on scene five and remain on stage as the cowardly lion.

          I think it’s exciting that she gets to play more than one role.  I hope she understands that as well.  My brother, Corey, may appear in many scenes – but he is usually cast as ensemble – sometimes a given name – and even as an understudy.  And though it may not seem significant to the performer, it does make a difference to the production itself. 

          I did not pursue a career in acting for several reasons.  One was because I simply don’t have the patience for it.  Rehearse, block, off stage, let’s do that scene again, take it from the top, off stage, let’s try it this way, rehearse, off stage . . .  too much time – for me personally. 

          Corey is really good at it.  Knows how to utilize his time and prioritize, etc.  Can’t say the same for all the people that he has ever worked with during his life time.  I’m certain that there have been situations (hopefully all in the past) that it has felt like junior high as some co-workers have been quite immature or amateur whether in their performance or following direction or being able to get along or present a civil personality while off stage.  One might as well be teaching junior high school.

          But then I’ve never dealt with the professionalism that he does currently.  But I know he puts in long hours that I’d just assume not have to deal with.

          I need to meet my husband in about an hour.  We are planning on driving to my daughter’s school to pick her up.  Roland will drop us off at home.  And he will have the car for the rest of the summer – except for certain occasions when I’ll need to go shopping or will have to move things.  For example, I would like to record the final production of “The Wizard of Oz” and I would also like to pick up mom so that she can go with us.  Don’t care to do the camera or mom on the bus however.

          Hopefully we’ll be able to get another car before the summer ends.  Meanwhile, I am grateful that I do at least have other options.

A Really Great Theatre Teacher

         Jenna LOVES to sing, and dance, draw, learn, explore . . . I have wanted so badly to enroll her in dance lessons, or music lessons, art classes , etc.  I have even considered sports when she has shown interest – but it was always out of reach financially - even on those rare times when it looked like the class itself might be in reach, I knew that the costumes (or uniforms) would get out of hand.

          Last summer I had the opportunity of enrolling her in a peewee theatre class taught by a gal who had instructed children’s theatre in New York.  Jenna would have an opportunity – not only to act, but to sing, to dance and perform and hopefully make new friends.

          The play is never done in its entirety.  The instructor has been given only six to eight weeks to rehearse before putting on the show. 

         

          We met for eight weeks initially.  One hour per week.  Realizing that she would need more time, she made arrangements for the children to do their dialogues on a Saturday at her home.  I thought that was so awesome of her to be willing to do the extra work.

          So the first play was “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”.  Six parts and seven children showed up – four being girls.  And the “Charlie Brown” has two girls with speaking parts.  Four boy parts.

          Two girls were asked to split up lines for Lucy.  Jenna chose to read for Schroeder.  The youngest of the cast was asked to read for Linus – and actually sounded just like the cartoon character.  That night the parts were cast for Linus and Lucy.  Who in the world would she get to play Charlie Brown?

          None of the three boys seemed like the right candidate.  The four (going on five) year old had been cast as Linus leaving a boy who was not so fluent in English, and one who appeared to have ADD as he was all over the place or hiding behind his mother.  I understood what had possessed his mother to enroll him, but was seriously wondering if he’d be able to pull it off.

          The not so fluent was cast as Snoopy – and the instructor saw great potential with casting our ADD as Schroeder.  He was fabulous.  Knew all of his lines.  Stayed on page.  I was actually very impressed.

          Jenna had read for Schroeder and Sally – and because Sally was the only girl’s part left, Jenna memorized her part (actually she had started memorization on all of the parts except for Charlie Brown)

          After two of the girls dropped out (they had attended the first night only) the instructor thought she could split up Sally’s part among the rest of the cast and asked if Jenna would be interested in playing Charlie Brown. 

“He’s the main part!” I told Jenna.  Her enthusiasm did not match my own.  How could she possibly play a boy?  She didn’t.  We made Charlie Brown a girl.  Instead of dreaming about a little red-headed girl, we changed Jenna’s line to say that she liked a red-headed boy

But then it was realized that Sally’s part was needed.  And so the instructor asked a neighbor to take her class – she learned her lines and dance numbers and songs in just four weeks.

There was no costume expense – it was whatever is in your closet.  I liked that. The shirt that Jenna wore was one we had purchased the prior year as I had enrolled her in a dance class and the instructor provided us shirts to make jagged edges for the “George of the Jungle” number they’d be performing.

All of the class members pulled it off.  Unfortunately Jenna didn’t get to sing and dance as much as the other children (it wouldn’t make sense for her to sing “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown”) and she never got to learn her solo because of the time frame.  But she did a beautiful monologue and she actually did very well.

Her professionalism was surprising as she was truly sick that night.  Not a contagious sick necessarily.  She had just eaten something that hadn’t agreed with her.  And the drive to the school only added car sickness.

She had puked twice on our way into the school – did an awesome performance – and then made a b-line to the garbage can to heave up some more.  Poor child really had nothing left to throw up.

School House Rock was announced for the next production.  Excitedly Jenna made her approval known.  But because of the location of the school and my inability to see at night, I said I didn’t think I would be able to keep her in.

I was so touched when the instructor offered to come get her and drop her off.  I could take her – that was no problem.  But my house is not on the way home to the instructor’s house (hers would actually be on the way to mine) and so I made arrangements to drop Jenna off at the school and meet her instructor near her house after class.  It worked out well except for one day when I gave the instructor the option of keeping Jenna home or asking the instructor to drive out of her way to drop her off – she chose the latter.  And I feel blessed.

The class hours had been extended to an hour and a half a week instead of just one hour. School house rock didn’t seem to have any specific roles except for Tom – the teacher (also played by a girl) – though they all had speaking parts and solos.  And the attendance had gone from five to fourteen.  My husband filmed most of it as I was laughing so hard I couldn’t seem to keep the camera still.

The last play that they did was “Alice in Wonderland”.  They had moved to a high school much nearer to my home (as well as the instructors) and I have been excited about that. But because of earlier schedule conflict and lack of funds, Jenna did not participate – although Jenna and I went and saw it the same week Randy and Carrie were married. It turned out really cute. 

All of the children wore black with quick costume change on top. The instructor had allowed three different girls to play Alice – one at a time during various scenes.  The costumes were a bit more elaborate than whatever was in the closet, but still kept simple.  The kids pulled it off rather nicely.  I was impressed.

I promised Jenna that we’d put her in the next show – Wizard of Oz.  Am looking forward to attending classes again.  It appears that they will rehearse just six weeks (nine hours) though before they put on their final production.