This is a while beside the fact, but I realized I hadn’t posted. I just wanted to say that this experience was truly amazing. It was a lot of fun, and I feel like I grew as an actor. Getting to meet the professional actors and all the other kids was awesome as well. I liked that I was sharing the experience with other kids around my age. On the performance day, I was so nervous. Lianna was in the vom doing her thing and I was freaking out down there, waiting until it was time for our scene. She was just telling me how its ok and i didn’t mess up in the dress rehearsal, so it was going to be fine, and just like that. So, as the knocking started i took a deep breath and LENDALLed my little lungs out.  Everything went smoothly and it was over before I wanted it to be. I loved the feeling of being on stage and actually knowing what to do and knowing that i knew what to do. Thanks to everyone for a lovely experience.

~Hannah

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This is a while beside the fact, but I realized I hadn’t posted. I just wanted to say that this experience was truly amazing. It was a lot of fun, and I feel like I grew as an actor. Getting to meet the professional actors and all the other kids was awesome as well. I liked that I was sharing the experience with other kids around my age. On the performance day, I was so nervous. Lianna was in the vom doing her thing and I was freaking out down there, waiting until it was time for our scene. She was just telling me how its ok and i didn’t mess up in the dress rehearsal, so it was going to be fine, and just like that. So, as the knocking started i took a deep breath and LENDALLed my little lungs out.  Everything went smoothly and it was over before I wanted it to be. I loved the feeling of being on stage and actually knowing what to do and knowing that i knew what to do. Thanks to everyone for a lovely experience.

~Hannah

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The Stage Door Project has been an incredible journey and, as tired as that analogy may be, our collective trip has done for us what all good travel should do: It has both delighted and challenged us. It has provided us with personal and creative insights and it has stopped us short with the frustrations that come to bear when life and art collide. It has enriched us and, sometimes, unsettled us. And that, of course, is part of the beauty of exploring the places we’ve never been before– we get to share those lovely moments of wonder that erase any unease we might feel on the road, outside the bustle of our everyday lives. Sitting in the darkened theatre last week, watching John and Chelsea perform their final scene, buoyed by their shared love as they rediscovered one another and settled onto that bench to gaze in appreciation at the twinkling stars beyond the skyline, I had one of those moments. I am not a crier– by any stretch of the imagination– but the singular beauty of that instant, of the culmination of their– of ALL of the participants’ collective artistry– found my soft spot and so, like all good travelers must, I gave myself over to it– hoping that its memory will serve as a gorgeous token of what it means to be human, to be alive in this sometimes complicated world.

It’s true that this wonderful journey ends this evening: We arrive at the theatre, both exhilarated and exhausted from the dust of the road and the time it has taken us to get where we are going. But no matter. We meet familiar faces and share stories of our adventures before finally settling in to await nightfall in Maine, ready to luxuriate in the place that so many of us call home.

Posted in Directing, Rush-Henrietta High School, Schools, Teachers | 2 Comments »

This whole experience has been amazing. It was awesome doing the workshop and I now use the inner monologue all the time. Talking with actors and asking them about how the developed thier characters really helped me in developing Sandrine. Our school did this play last year and I feel in love with it then, and yet, participating in this project has helped me learn so much more about each character. Asking questions and talking with John was WONDERFULL! I really loved this whole experience and would do it all over again.
-brooklynn ruggieri

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Posted in Acting, Irondequoit High School, Schools, Students | No Comments »

My husband is out of town, and when he called to see how my day went, he asked me if it met my expectations. My response? Way beyond! What a fantastic day. It was fascinating to watch the students perform, see Skip collaborate with school directors, and then watch him work his magic with the young actors. The growth and results from just a few important adjustments really enriched what we were all able to accomplish. Whether we were actively working or observing others at work, there was so much to learn. Three of my favorite moments came right near the end: the bowing circle; “my old friend courage”; and “acknowledge and move on.” Getting an opportunity to watch and learn from the other schools’ directors was also a rare and much appreciated opportunity. Thank you Skip, Kathryn, Eric, and Lianna for working so hard for us today.

- Judy Shomper

Posted in Brighton High School, Directing, Schools, Teachers | No Comments »

Our experience with Stage Door so far has been absolutely incredible.  First of all, for all of us over in West Irondequoit, this project has given us a chance to revisit a show that we had so much fun producing last spring.  The cast and I have missed working on “Almost Maine” since the day after it closed last year – this material is just too much fun.  It really can be described as a “boomerang show.”  Once you’ve had an experience with it, you’ll just want to revisit it again!  Lucky for us, Geva has given us that opportunity.  Over the past couple months, we’ve really had time to delve deeper into one specific scene, “Sad and Glad” – Geva has given us some amazing tools to help us look even further into these characters.

The opportunity to attend a few rehearsals for the Geva production was extremely beneficial.  Every time I was there, something new surfaced – character development, blocking ideas, rehearsal techniques, the list goes on.  I’ve also really enjoyed watching the excitement build in Brooklynn, Keighley, and Aaron (our actors) – They were bursting with excitement after any given event at Geva, so we made sure to schedule rehearsals shortly after these events – as we left the building, we could not wait to rehearse again!  It’s really cool to see how much these students have benefited from acting workshops, rehearsal visits, and conversations with professional actors and directors.  Rochester area schools are so fortunate to have Geva in the area – what an incredible resource!

I personally have enjoyed being able to meet and work with eight talented theatre educators from the area.  There is such a wide range of experience in the group of directors – I’m a beginning director, so to be able to take a directing workshop with Skip, learn how the other directors in the group approach a show, have conversations about how rehearsals are going… these experiences are invaluable.

Many thanks to Skip, Kathryn and Eric for heading this whole project up!  Patrick, Regan, Alexis and David – your encouragement and guidance throughout this process has been extremely helpful, and your excitement has been contagious!  We can’t wait to see this collaboration of all the schools involved come to life up on the Geva stage!

-Rob Line

Posted in Directing, Irondequoit High School, Schools, Teachers | 2 Comments »