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Arts Academy

in the Woods

Home // Current Students & Parents // Upcoming Performance Information

Upcoming Performance Information

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Winter Showcase 2021

 

Winter Showcase 2021

Our collaborative winter performance is fast approaching.

Our performance and rehearsals will be held at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts (350 Madison St, Detroit, MI 48226) .

This concert is sure to delight audiences of all ages, so come help us celebrate 20 years of fostering learning through and with the arts! 

Tickets can be purchased at the door, but if you’d prefer to skip that line, we are selling tickets online at Brown Paper Tickets 

(If the link doesn’t work, search for Brown Paper Tickets online. On the BPT site, select December 20, 2021 for the Date and our event will be listed. You can also enter our event number in the search bar 505893)

 

To keep all our patrons and students as safe as possible, we require that all audience members wear masks while they are inside, unless actively eating or drinking. Thank you for understanding. 

Student Performers must be present at the assigned tech/dress rehearsal times, as well as, performance on Monday December 20th.

MANDATORY DRESS REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE CALL TIMES TBA

 

Students will be transported to the Music Hall, but need to make arrangements for transportation home the Music Hall after the performance.

If there are difficulties with finding transportation, please contact our Dean of Arts, Catherine Rayes (crayes@artsacad.net), to ensure your student has a ride.

 

There will be a CLOSED REHEARSAL; only AAW staff members and performers participating in the show are permitted in the space.

General Expectations

Tech and dress rehearsals are essential in the performing arts industries. Performers need to be acquainted with the performance space while the tech crew needs to be acquainted with each piece for the show to run smoothly.

Our staff will provide detailed and mandatory schedules for performer call times. Meeting call times demonstrates professionalism and allows rehearsal to keep moving along.

If there are difficulties with finding transportation for rehearsals or performances, please contact our Dean of Arts, Nicole Collins (ncollins@artsacad.net), to ensure your student has a ride.

Upon arrival, students MUST check-in with their arts teacher(s) in the auditorium. Further instruction will be provided at the time of check-in. Students may leave after they have blocked, performed, cleaned their area and signed out with their teacher(s). For rehearsals, this is typically at the call time for the next group. For performances, performers are expected to remain backstage to support their peers through the end of the final performance.

This is a CLOSED REHEARSAL; only AAW staff members and performers participating in the show are permitted in the space.

Performers, please remember that you MUST be in school on dress rehearsal and performance days to go over any important notes. An absence on either of these days may result in being pulled from the show. Please let your teacher(s) know if there is a conflict ahead of time so arrangements can be made.

Winter Showcase 2019

Our collaborative winter performance is fast approaching.

Our performance and rehearsals will be held at Henry Ford II High School Auditorium (11911 Clinton River Road, Sterling Heights, MI 48313).

Tickets (sold at the door)- $10 Adults & $5 Students

Student Performers must be present at the assigned tech/dress rehearsal times, as well as, performance on Thursday, December 19th and Friday, December 20th.

MANDATORY DRESS REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE CALL TIMES

Thursday, December 19th
4:30 pm Jazz & Concert Band (load-in)
4:45 pm Creative Writing & Acting Performers
5:00 pm Instrumental Music Performers
6:00 pm Vocal Music Performers
7:00 pm Dance Department Performers
9:00 pm Pick Up

Performers MUST be picked up by 9.  Performers can be dismissed after they have blocked, rehearsed, cleaned their area and signed out with their teacher(s).

Friday, December 20th
4:30 pm Vocal & Instrumental Students
5:00 pm Acting, Creative Writing & Dance Students
6:00 pm Doors Open
6:30 pm Show Begins

The times listed above are mandatory for performers.

Students will need to make arrangements for transportation to and from Henry Ford II High School both days.

If there are difficulties with finding transportation, please contact our Dean of Arts, Nicole Collins (ncollins@artsacad.net), to ensure your student has a ride.

Upon arrival, students MUST check-in with their arts teacher(s) in the auditorium. Further instruction will be provided at the time of check-in.

Students may leave after they have blocked, performed, cleaned their area and signed out with their teacher(s).

This is a CLOSED REHEARSAL; only AAW staff members and performers participating in the show are permitted in the space.

Learning the lingo

New to performing arts? Here is a quick introduction to some of lingo you’ll probably hear (and what it all means)!

Backstage

The area in a theater that is out of view of the audience is called “backstage.” It includes the wings, dressing rooms, props area, and the shop.

Theaters typically are designed to have great acoustics and we often perform in fairly small spaces. That makes it all the more important that the cast and crew keep very quiet throughout the entire production. Otherwise, they might be heard by the audience (and “break curtain”). This is a big challenge, especially for excited and nervous performers! Each night of the production as well as tech week, a backstage parent is assigned to help the directors.

Backstage parent

When it is time for a performance, the performers are usually full of energy and nerves. For each night of tech week and for each show, a volunteer parent assists the directors backstage as an extra set of eyes and hands, as well as a soothing and calming presence. Their responsibilities are to keep the performers quiet and to assist the director in various ways. The backstage parent should arrive at call time and be prepared to stay after the show until all the children have been signed out and picked up.

If you would like to volunteer to be a backstage parent, please contact Mrs. Collins (ncollins@artsacad.net)

Break curtain

After the house opens, performers and crew should be backstage and completely quiet. They should not allow themselves to be seen or heard by the audience. This is called “Breaking curtain,” and it is bad etiquette!

Most theaters have a side entrance in front of the curtain. This is considered part of the stage. Everyone involved in the show (cast, crew, directors, etc.) should avoid coming and going through that entrance once the house is open. If needed, you may go out the back of the shop and come around to the front of the theater.

Children will be supervised at all time, and anyone under the age of 12 must be escorted by an adult when going outside.

Call or call time
The director will announce “call” for each night of rehearsal and for each production of the play. This is the time that everyone should be present. Cast and crew members should not enter the theater (even if the door is open) prior to call time.

Cast and Crew
The cast is made up of all performers in a production. The crew is made up of those who work backstage with props, moving sets, working with lights or sound, and so forth.

Costumes
Parents are responsible for their performer’s costumes.

If your costume is hung, make sure that the hanger is labeled with your artist’s name.

Crew

See “Cast and Crew”

Director
The director is the person in charge of the show. He or she rehearses with the actors and manages the crew in order to create the best production possible. Each director is unique. Some are involved in more areas of the production (like set design, props, costumes, etc.) while others focus on preparing the performers and let others handle the other aspects of the show. Usually, if you have a question or concern about the production it is best to contact a director first.

At the Academy’s performances that involve multiple art departments, Mrs. Collins is the Director. For performances of single departments, the lead teacher is the Director.

Director’s notes

See “Notes”

Dress rehearsal (also known as “dress”)
Near the end of tech week, all cast members will be required to wear their full costume and makeup. This is a full production, including sound. It can be nerve wracking for younger artists, and often runs a bit longer than regular rehearsal.

Fourth wall
This is the imaginary boundary between the audience and the stage. Unless the performance calls for it, artists should not speak directly to the audience or acknowledge its existence. Doing so is called “Breaking the fourth wall.” So, parents, we discourage your from waving to your young performers or trying to get their attention!

Hair

See “Makeup and Hair”

House
“The house” actually can mean two things.

First, it’s the seating area of the theater (the auditorium). The cast will often meet in the house before the show to receive any last minute instructions from the director (called “notes”). Once the “house is open” (usually ½ hour before the show) all actors must remain back stage and be completely silent. Remember not to break curtain.

Secondly, “the house” is the people attending the show, the audience.

Intermission
Between the acts of the play or performance a short intermission gives the audience a chance to get up, stretch, visit the concession stand, and use the bathrooms.

Please be prepared to quickly return to your seats when the lights in the lobby blink off and on.

It is considered bad manners to exit the auditorium during a performance. If you must leave, please consider waiting near the back of the auditorium for a break in order to minimize distractions.

Lines
Actors memorize from the script the words that their character says during the play. This dialogue is called “lines” (as in “lines of text”). If an actor can’t remember the words during the early rehearsal, he or she can call “line” and someone will prompt. If the director tells the actors to be “off book” then they are not allowed to call for lines!

“Running lines” is how you help your actor’s learn their lines. They say their parts of a scene, and you read the other character’s lines.

Load in
This is the time when performers and crew set up for a performance. It is usually prior to dress rehearsals. We bring in all the instruments, pieces of the set, and props. It is a busy time, and requires a lot of workers and a lot of patience! The Directors will provide more information closer to the time.

See also: “Tech week”

Makeup and Hair
The director will give instructions on the type of makeup each performer should use. Many performers will be required to wear some (even the boys) since the strong lights of the theater do funny things.

In some instances, the director will also provide information on hairstyles. Once a performer accepts a role in a production, he or she should not get a haircut without first talking to the director.

Usually all makeup and hair styling should be done at home before arriving at the theater.

Notes
As the time draws closer to the performance night(s,) most directors will have the cast perform long sections of the performance without interruption. He or she takes notes during this time, then goes over the notes, indicating areas for improvement and giving out compliments. If rehearsals run late, the director may email notes. Please be sure to review them with your performers before the next rehearsal.

Off book or Off page

The director will announce which rehearsals will be “off book” meaning that all performers are expected to have their music, lines, and blocking prepared and/or memorized.

Playbill 
The playbill is the printed program given out to members of the audience. It includes information about the show, greetings from the Directors as well as short biographies of select cast and crew member.

Props
A prop (short for “theatrical property”) are the objects that actors handle or use during the show. They are kept backstage in a special area. If a production has a lot of props, one of the techies may get the title “props master.”

Not all objects are props, though. If something is on stage for display and isn’t used by an actor, it is part of the set.

Run and Run through
A “run through” is a rehearsal where the entire cast performs a complete set, act, or a complete play without stopping.

Running lines

See “Lines”

Script
A booklet containing all the dialogue and stage directions for a play.

Set
The set (short for “setting”) are all the decorations, scenery, and furniture used on stage. If an object is handled by an actor, it’s called a prop.

Shop
This is the open area backstage outside the dressing rooms. This is where the sets and props are stored. It is the only place where food or water is permitted (although no food should be eaten while in costume).

Strike
This is the opposite of load in. After the last performance of the show, everything has to be removed from the theater. Cast and crew are responsible for disassembling and removing the set, props, and instruments.

This is a mandatory activity for all cast and crew. The performers will change into street clothes and must take all their personal items out to a family vehicle. Everyone will receive a cleaning assignment, which will be posted at the theater.

No one leaves strike until everyone is finished or they are dismissed by a Director.

Superstitions
Performers are a superstitious lot! Here are a few fun ones…

“Break a leg”— This is a popular phrase which means “good luck.” It is typically said to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform. On the flip side, it is considered bad luck to say “good luck” to someone who is going on stage.

“Don’t wear blue, unless it’s countered with something silver” — This superstition goes back to the days when blue dye was expensive. Failing acting companies would wear blue to try to fool the audience as to their success! Wearing silver proved that you weren’t broke!

“Never give flowers before a performance” —It’s considered bad luck since there’s no guarantee that the actor will have a great performance and “earn” the recognition.

“Never bring a mirror onstage” — This one is both superstitious (bad luck) and practical (mirrors might reflect light on the audience or show hidden parts of the set).

“Every theater has its ghosts” — usually friendly, ghost stories are common at theaters. Most troupes have at least one night off, with the theater empty to confuse the ghosts (and to give the actors a break!) This is all in good fun and we discourage anyone from trying to scare the young performers!

“Macbeth” — The worst luck for an actor comes from saying the word “Macbeth” in a theater! Instead, actors call it “The Scottish Play” or “The Bard’s Play.” Say it by accident? Quickly recite a couple of lines from Shakespeare to ward off the bad luck!

See also “Greeting the audience”

Tech and Techies
“Tech” handles the technical aspects of the production. Crew members who help with tech, such as lights, sound and props, are known as “Techies.” The crew usually wear all black. They assist with props, scene changes, lights, sound and other behind the scenes functions.

Tech week
During the week of performance, there are many preparations that must be finalized. Tech week activities include load in, rehearsals, dress rehearsal, and running through the final rehearsals before the big night!

It is a week of dress rehearsals at school and at the venue (although costumes may not be necessarily required each time).

This week is incredibly important, and all cast members must be at all rehearsals. Rehearsals tend to last longer.

The director will provide information on what will be required each night (costume, makeup, etc.).

Wings
These are the dark areas on the sides of the stage that are hidden by curtains. These are part of backstage (entrances and exits) as well as the stage (can be seen by some seats in the house), so no one should be in these areas until they are ready to make an entrance.

Winter Showcase Notes

Winter Showcase Note 2019

DVD Order Form Winter Showcase 2019

DVD Order Form 2019

Dance Department Performance Information

Dance Department Info

Instrumental Music Performance Information

Instrumental Music Info
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