Despicable Me 2 “Bottom” gag will do for A Midsummer Night’s Dream what Disney’s Little Mermaid’s Ariel did for The Tempest

The name “Bottom” in A Midsummer Night’s Dream is already funny, but I expect my students will likely snigger at it, thinking of the “Silas Ramsbottom” gag from Despicable Me 2. I read The Tempest before I saw Disney’s Little Mermaid, so when I think of Prospero’s spirit Ariel, I do not think of a…

Professional or college Shakespeare productions in the Pittsburgh area this fall?

Does anybody know of any local (within an hour or so of Greensburg) professional or college productions of Shakespeare this fall? I’m taking students in my “Shakespeare” lit seminar to see Seton Hill’s “Comedy of Errors” in September. “Romeo and Juliet” at Pitt Playhouse in mid-December is too late for me. Similar:By Inferno's Light #StarTrek…

13: The Musical Promo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40MbeApiXXI Here are some clips from a heartfelt, belty ballad that my daughter and her good friend will be singing this weekend in “13: The Musical.” They’ll each be playing the part of Patrice (the protagonist’s love interest) on different nights. The song is “The Lamest Place in the World.” We spent a fun afternoon…

The Reading Project

Literature majors and students otherwise drawn to literature courses can be an introverted bunch. Students overall can at times resist course projects that fall outside the expected parameters of a given discipline. Yet my class proved my assumptions wrong. Many of the students were nervous, to be sure, but overall they seemed to enjoy the…

Shy Preschooler Won’t Say Her Lines in “Peter Pan” Rehearsal (Stage Right! Greensburg)

Little Maggie isn’t so sure she wants to say her line, but during a rehearsal, director/choreographer Renata Marino and the cast of home-schooled children do their best to encourage her. On the night of the show, Maggie steps forward for her big moment. What will happen? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNFw1gslwU Similar:By Inferno's Light #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5,…

Oh the Overthinks You Can Overthink: Horton the Elephant, the Wickersham Brothers, and Masculinity in Seussical

Yesterday, I performed in a school matinee for Suessical, dashed back to campus to advise with students working on their 20-page term papers for Literary Criticism, served on oral exam panels for four graduating seniors, then went back to the theater for an evening performance. Somewhere along the way, I found myself chatting in an…

What about Socialization?

Sometimes, I worry that by homeschooling my kids, I’m depriving them of the opportunities to gain confidence, face challenges, and develop social skills. Just kidding. Here’s what my kids did last weekend. Similar:By Inferno's Light #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 15) Dominion / Cardassian edg…In Purgatory's Shadow #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 14)…

More split-screen acting

Similar:By Inferno's Light #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 15) Dominion / Cardassian edg…In Purgatory's Shadow #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 14) Garak's answers a code…This morning I awoke to YouTube’s live footage of crowds circling a mosque in Mecca. For m…My crowd simulation handles 2000 capsule NPCs at 130fps. I’m really pushing my…

Preteen Acting Scene Version 2 – YouTube

I had a free evening and a copy of Blender 3D. Preteen Acting Scene Version 2 – YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DkyVb3y_fI Similar:By Inferno's Light #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 15) Dominion / Cardassian edg…In Purgatory's Shadow #StarTrek #DS9 Rewatch (Season 5, Episode 14) Garak's answers a code…This morning I awoke to YouTube’s live footage of crowds…

Alas for You (Godspell, Stage Right)

Three weeks ago tonight, I got an email from the director saying he thought he could use me in the cast. A whirlwind of rehearsals, a week of run-throughs, three performances, and we’re done. Wow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0tbJj5Jpjo The first act of Godspell is almost entirely fun and games, but the second act quickly moves through the…