Guest Blogger: Amanda Grillo - Page 2

School is back in session at the University of New Haven. One week of classes is officially in the books as we look forward to the rest of the semester that lies ahead of us. In the theatre department, we are particularly excited to begin the process for our Fall Production of Thorton Wilder's Our Town which is the first show of this season. We have an exciting season lined up so far and more announcements to come!

Whether it be a physical warm up, group bonding, or prayer, everyone has something they do to center themselves and get 'in the zone' before a performance. Whether it is an intentional ritual that you are superstitious over, or just something that makes you feel good, everyone has at least one thing.

Alas, the summer of 2016 draws to a close and I pack my bags for back to school in just a few short days. This summer has been one for the books. I learned a lot about myself, theatre, and life. If it wasn't for this production, I probably wouldn't have grasped those lessons as quickly, which is why I appreciate my friends and supporters that just tell it like it is. They know what I need to hear to get the point across. They know how to help me grow and aren't afraid to knock me down a few pegs if I get too high and mighty.

It's that time in the process yet again. Welcome to Tech week. Some call it tech week, hell week, production week, or show week. It all means the same thing though. It is the week leading up to the first performance. It is graced with long nights, malfunctions, and unfortunately a good deal of stress. I, however, hope to alleviate some of that stress with a few tips and tricks to get through the week. Being that we are in tech week, ourselves, at The Comedy of Errors, this article could not be more relevant. Here we go!

As we now are roughly two weeks from opening, I thought I would be a little punny. Two weeks from opening, I decided to do a 'double feature'. That's right, I am interviewing both sets of twins! In this 'twinterview', we will hear from both Dromios and Antipholuses Antipholi?

This week, we call our attention to a position that is necessary for any production to run smoothly. Whether it be a play or musical, professional or community, no production is complete without a stage manager. They keep you organized and aren't afraid to take that script from you when you were supposed to be off book last week. They are a wealth of knowledge, glue that keeps the show together. Here at the West Haven Council on the Arts/ Theater West, our stage manager for The Comedy of Errors is Dana Kaplan.

It is summertime! Whether it be community theatre, regional theatre, all the way to the professional level, summer is a prime time to take in a show. There is a lot of thought and work that comes into creating the experience. Experiences can range from the traditional indoor theatre to taking in a production while enjoying a picnic at a local park. This week we are taking a look at some of the positives and negatives to outdoor theatre productions.

This week I had the pleasure of discussing the progress of The Comedy of Errors as well as the progress of our Summer Youth Theatre production of Les Miserables School Edition, with West Haven Council on the Arts President, Barth McNeil. He has been a part of the Council on the Arts since it was first established in 2007.

Diving into week three of rehearsals with a bang! Between running lines and research to rehearsals with the whole cast, I discover new things about Luciana every single time. There are so many elements that come into play when trying to figure out a character.

Welcome to the first behind the scenes article for The Comedy of Errors, presented by West Haven Council on the Arts. This production is being put on by the adult theatre group called Theater West. This program has been in place for about seven years and most recently has gotten into doing an annual Shakespeare production on the green in West Haven, CT.

It finally happened. The cast list got posted and you are cast. Congratulations! Now what's the next step? Prep work. It's time to get familiar with the character you are going to portray. Here are some of the key steps to getting to know your character, so that you can make your performance the best it can be.

Whether it be for a job interview, a sports team try out, or auditions for a show, we've all been kept waiting anxiously for results. 'Did I do well enough?' 'Did they like it?' 'It would have been better if I had done this.' Cue 'I Hope I Get It' from A Chorus Line. You begin to over analyze the performance you gave. You crave a sense of approval and validation. The audition haunts you until you get that email, phone call, see the physical list posted on a bulletin board, or however the director shares the information. I don't like thinking that things are a 'sure thing'. If it's my first time auditioning for a group/director or they are a close friend of mine that I've sung for dozens of times, I always make sure to bring my A game and the nerves are still there. How do we deal with post audition anxiety? How do we deal with the waiting? Cue Sutton Foster singing that C# for a near fourteen counts in 'I Know It's Today' from Shrek the Musical.

We all have our proudest moments. They may not always be the day you got the 'starring role', but maybe it is. Everyone has that one instant in their life that makes them smile. This week, we're going to talk about your proudest moment in theater. Whether you pursued theater your entire life, only did it in high school, or maybe still getting your feet wet; your experience in theater has an everlasting impact on your life whether you realize it or not. I love asking questions and I love getting to know people, so I went out and found out people's proudest moments in theater.

And just like that, the school year goes by in a blink. If you're anything like me, you always had a show. Whenever one show ended, another show began. This year was a record for the most shows I had done in the course of a year. Now all of my school shows are done and I await the next audition announcement. I know what you're thinking, 'Wow, that's great! You finally have a break to just relax and have fun!' Wrong. I went from doing four back to back (and some overlapping) productions fall semester, to doing three productions spring semester (again back to back and overlapping), to nothing. Some people spend so much time balancing a busy schedule that they don't really know what to do with free time. I am one of those people. Not to worry friends, we'll get through this together!

Last week I shared the growth of the University of New Haven's Theatre Department from the student perspective. Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with a few of the faculty to hear their views of the program's growth.

Since the theatre program first came to be, the University of New Haven has not been the same. Watching the program grow has infected the rest of campus with the theatre bug. Student organizations have been inspired to take on more theatrical events around campus. To quote Cabaret cast member Katherine Lutz, 'Theatre is no longer a group of misunderstood outcasts; theatre is now a welcomed part of student life on campus!'

Making friends is not always easy for people. Sometimes you just can't think of the right conversation starter. Sometimes you crave a more interesting introduction at a table read or meet up than 'Name, Role, Fun Fact about yourself'. If you're like me, you don't know what fact about yourself would be considered fun. You can learn a lot about someone as a person and as a performer if you just ask the right ice breakers. I've learned more about cast mates and fellow crew members from talking to them and asking these questions than any random fun fact could ever bring me. These are a few favorites of mine, including answers from yours truly (Because why not take this opportunity to introduce myself)! Here we go!