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IB Theater
Journals
Meet the Director Drama
Scrapbook Shakespeare@EHS
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April 25 and 26
What is The Awesome 80s Prom?
Directed by Alyssa Passey
Cast List: Blake Williams-- Ben Ray (12th grade) The Prom Committee Dancers: Alec Bose and Kyle Sykes
Production Dates April 25 and 26
Cast of Characters Blake Williams, The Captain of the Football Team Michael Jay, The Class President Louis Fensterspock, The Nerd Feung Schwey, The Asian Exchange Student Nick Fender, The Bad Boy Whitley Whitiker, The Head Cheerleader Kerrie Kowalski, The Spaz Melissa Ann “Missy” Martin, The Head of the Prom Committee Inga Swanson, The Swedish Exchange Student Dickie Harrington, The Drama Queen Mr. Richard Snelgrove, The Principal Mrs. Patty Lascalzo or Mrs. L., The Drama Teacher Heather Wellington, A Cheerleader Heather Wynters, Another Cheerleader Joshua “Beef” Beefarowski, A Football Player Johnny Hughes, The Emcee Lloyd Parker, The Freshman Molly Parker, The Freshman’s Sister The Mystery Guest
A Note from the Creator of The Awesome 80s Prom Welcome Ridgemont High, Class of 1989! You’re about to travel “Back in Time”, to quote a Huey Lewis tune, to the famed decade of indulgences, when parachute pants were in style and we were all afraid of Gremlins. We played Pacman on our Ataris, listened to Wham and watched Gary Coleman say “Whatchoo talkin’ bout, Willis” every week on Different Strokes. And now it’s your turn! Performing in The Awesome 80s Prom, just like listening to Journey, is like, a totally tubular experience. But don’t think it’s as easy as solving the first level of Donkey Kong. Preparing for The Prom is a lot of work. You’ve got to roll up your leg warmers and do your homework! As an actor in The Prom, you are required to become an expert on The 80s. Since the majority of the action is based on improvisations that you will come up with on your own, you’re going to need to have an incredible knowledge of all things 80s at your fingertips. What if someone asks you who won the Super Bowl in 1989? Who is President? What the most recent Tom Cruise movie? (Chicago Bears. George Bush. Rain Man.) The Awesome 80s Prom is a “living museum”, and you help create that environment with everything that you say all night long. You will also find that the more 80s references you make throughout the night, the more the audience will enjoy themselves. The 80s were an era of one-hit wonders from fads to music to celebrities. From BETA to Mister Mister to Captain Lou Albano, there were lots of things that came and went quickly. And just watch the smile on the face of an audience member when you mention something that they haven’t though about in twenty years. 80s references are the biggest weapon you have in your improvisational arsenal. Unlike other shows, where creating your character’s history is just something you do for yourself, creating your character’s history for The Prom is a necessity. What if someone asks you what your favorite pop group is? Or where you’re going to college? Or why you don’t get along with Louis? At The Prom, unlike at Hamlet, the audience talks back! Ask yourself lots of questions throughout the rehearsal process about who you are. Your rehearsals should include lots of improvisational exercises to help with this, and we’ve included some helpful information, including each original cast member’s “Character History Bible”, at the end of the script. While performing in The Prom, remember that not everything in the unscripted of “Freeform” sections, has to be seen or heard by everyone in the audience. If you’re interacting with a few audience members, don’t feel like you have to do it big enough or loud enough so that everyone in the theatre sees or hears it. The fun of The Prom is that every audience members experiences a different show. One group can be watching Blake and Whitley break up and get back together and break up and get back together, while another group is watching Snelgrove give Fender a detention for loitering in the bathroom. Also, while the characters in The Prom were created to spoof the stereotypical characters from those famous 80s teen movies (which you should all know backwards and forwards), it’s important to not go to far in your characterizations. Your costumes and the environment will do so much of the work in letting the audience know who you are supposed to be, so make sure you keep your characterization real. I’m sure you all had a ‘Captain of the Football Team’ in your high school. These people, just like the characters you are going to create, are all real people and not cartoons. The script is divided into two types of action: scripted and freeform. The freeform action is where the bulk of the improvisation occurs. While there are suggestions throughout the script on what your character can do during these sections, please note that most of these were developed (and still used) by the original company of The Prom, you are more than welcome to come up with your own bits, interactions, etc. throughout the evening. The Prom is like snowflakes and games of chess. No two are alike. Let the energy, and the audience, take you to new places every night and you’ll find all sorts of fun things to do! After each performance, remember the ones that work the best and keep using and perfecting those throughout your run. Conversely, the scripted action should not be improvised. You must resist the temptation to paraphrased or improvise the lines that actually are scripted. These lines must be learned as if you were performing Hamlet . That’s it! Whatever you do. . . have fun! When I created The Awesome 80s Prom, I wanted to create the Prom that I always wanted to go to when I was in high school. No dress code, no fancy dinner, no worrying about whether you were going to stick your date in the chest with the corsage pin. Just a whole lot of fun. So get out there and Wang Chung tonight! Awesomely,
Fairfax
County Public Schools Acceptable Use Policy
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