Camera Check!

Hello readers! Have you seen our video on Youtube yet? Well you should! The video is about the production teams working on The Front Page, and in this blog post I got to interview the boys behind the camera!

These two trouble makers are Sophomores Jordan (Left) and Drew (Right), they have been filming and editing videos as part of the publicity team. Both boys have experience editing and filming, but this is the first time they have ever done it for publicity!

Drew tells me why he likes editing and filming videos, "It's really cool to see all the little pieces come together at the end of a project!

Video here!

This video took the boys four and a half hours to edit and they had to stay after school until 5:30 getting the right camera shots for it! It turned out pretty well though!

Be sure to come see The Front Page  this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7pm!

Lights, Camera, Action!

Check out our first publicity video for The Front Page!!! It features all of our hardworking and dedicated production teams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmx-Z3CpIbc

Credits to our talented filmmakers Drew and Jordan.  Stay tuned for more videos!!!

VOLUME! ENERGY!!

If you know Mr. Monk, you know that "volume" and "energy" are probably the two most commonly heard words coming out of this man's mouth. You would also know that by being in his presence, you are consenting to his humorous judgement (and if you don't know him, you have been warned). But there is so much more to this director than just yelling and sarcasm. Did you know that he has been a theatre teacher since 1990 or that he was the director for not 30, not 60, but 73 Chantilly High School productions?

"The Front Page" marks his 74th production, and, as always, this show will fall nothing short of phenomenal, largely thanks to his directing. Although Mr. Monk does not have a degree in theatre (but a degree in history, if you're curious), there are few directors who could match his ability. Ask anyone within the Drama Department about his talent, and you will pretty much receive the same response.

"He has great ideas for the show and he's constantly giving the actors new ideas. It also helps that he's a ton of fun to be around!" remarked Claire Fogle, one of the stage managers. Similarly, Fiona Kisiday believes that Mr. Monk is "one of the most talented directors and one of the funniest teachers [she's] ever met."

If you want some credentials for his directing, just examine the number of Cappie nominations his shows have received. Last year's show "You Can't Take It With You" received 11 nominations, including the nomination for "Best Play".  But if you ask him how many nominations and wins he has received, he will honestly respond, "I don't know. I don't care about Cappie nominations. I care that we put on the best show possible." And he has made it very clear that in any aspect of the show, everyone should be putting forth their best effort, regardless of if there is a Cappie at stake.

His dedication is very apparent at rehearsals. In Vi Trinh's opinion, Mr. Monk is "brilliant and terrifying in the best way possible, and he is seldom appreciated as much as he should be. He has the best tolerance and patience of anyone [she] knows, despite often being yelled at." Besides all of this, he has a "wicked" sense of humor and this keeps rehearsals enjoyable and interesting. But he does put all effort into the production and takes his work very seriously.

So naturally, he is most excited about "seeing all of the hard work come to fruition." And although there is still a lot of work to be done by next week, including incessant corrections on volume and energy in addition to mistakes that literally fill entire notebooks, we all know the show will be spectacular.

Don't believe a word I just said? Come to the show. Believe everything I just said? Still come to the show.

Getting All Dolled Up!

Hello readers! Fiona here again, and this time I'll be telling you guys about the hair and make up for this show!

So I talked to one of the heads of hair and make up, Aubrey, and she told me about the struggles the make up team faced when they began planning the actors looks.

"We had to keep the hairstyles time period, which was especially difficult for Karin's character, since she's a prostitute we had to make her hairstyle messy but also appropriate to the era."

One of the actresses even had to cut her hair to obtain the hairstyle that the make up team envisioned.

This is the hairstyle the team is creating for the main character, it's also the hair style that required a haircut!

Here is another early 20th century hairstyle that inspired the hair and make up team, most of the female hair styles will be based on these curls and short style.

Boys require a whole different kind of hair and make up too!

         "We had to incorporate facial hair into the process, which is something I'd never done before" Aubrey tells me," We learned how to make stubble for one of the actors, and we even had to order a mustache! Also a few of the characters wear hats, which doesn't seem like it would be a big deal, but we don't want to create and elaborate hair style just to be ruined by a hat, so we had to take those into accounts too!"

Come and see all the glamorous hair and make up in the show on May first through the third!

Adding Class with Sugar Glass

Hey everyone!

As opening night (May 1st) draws nearer, more and more is being added to the show to improve the production, and here's an inside look at one thing that is sure to enhance the performance!

A few days ago, some of the set designers developed what will be the source of one of the coolest effects of The Front Page: sugar glass. The sugar glass will be used to make windows, "but with a twist" said Mia Rickenbach, the creator.

But first off, let's discuss what sugar glass really is and how to make it.

Sugar glass is made of a pure form of sugar called Isomalt, derived from beet roots, and this is combined with other ingredients to make a clear glass-like substance (opposed to an amber color when regular sugar is used). This tip came from research on makeyourownmolds.com and from the past when The Front Page was last performed at Chantilly.

The process of making sugar glass is slightly complicated. This is Mia's step-by-step "recipe":
"For each pan, use 10 cups of Isomalt and about 2 cups of distilled water and mix those until it comes to a boil (at around 220°). Check with a thermometer every once and a while until it reaches 333°. Then take it off the heat and wait until it reaches 338°

Then, dunk the bottom of the pot in water to stop the cooking process and put it in an oven at 290°
Leave it in the oven for at least 15 minutes so the bubbles can rise out of the mixture.

"We had to pre-build and paint the window so we could use it as a mold. I layed out layers of heavy duty aluminum foil and then set the frame on top of it and fold the aluminum over the edges.
Then I poured the mixture into the mold and waited!"

7 total windows have to be made for the show. Some of the biggest challenges faced were making all of the windows in a short amount of time and transporting the windows to the set without them breaking. Another concern is the safety of the windows if they were to break, which is likely considering that they are very fragile. Luckily, Chantilly's culinary academy class has offered to allow Mia to use their kitchen to alleviate some stresses of space and transportation.

Now that you know all about sugar glass, you should come see the show to see exactly what it will be used for; we assure you that you won't be disappointed!

But What About the Wardrobe?!

Hello readers! Fiona (from the publicity team) here, and yesterday I was able to catch up with some of the costume girls and hear about what they're doing!This year our costume team is trying to get nominated for a Cappie!

Our two main costume girls are Bekah and Assie,

Bekah has been sewing since middle school, Assie also learned how to sew in middle school, she's made pajamas before and learned how to cross stitch! Both these girls admit it's very hard to find time to sew with their other busy schedules.

For costumes the girls are hand-making two pairs of pants, a skirt, a dress, and have to alter many shirts and pants for the other actors. The most difficult piece is the dress because it requires the most measurements and material!

The show consists of mostly reporters "Reporters generally wear boring clothes" the costume girls tell me. "We wanted to make the costumes interesting, so we started looking for colors like blue, and fun patterns for them to wear that could be fun, but also appropriate for their character and time period."

The hardest costume piece for these girls to find so far were the police uniforms. Since they had to be correct to the time period they couldn't just use any police uniform. "We actually had to order chef uniforms," Bekah admits. "They are the right color but we'll have to remove the buttons and sew new ones on and spray paint them since they aren't in the right place or the correct color. We'll also have to adjust the collars and possibly make our own hats."

Seems like these girls are really working hard! Be sure to come to the show on May 1st-3rd to find out how all the costumes turn out!

Inside Scoop with the Actors!

Tick, tock. Only three and a half weeks until the show opens! With opening night pushing closer each 

passing day, the actors are getting set into the character and acting their hearts out. Today at rehearsal, I had the wonderful privilege of interviewing three of the cast members about their role The Front Page.

First, I spoke with the lovely Alycia Adams.

"What character do you play in the show?"

"I'm Mrs. Rant. She is the mother of Peter and the mother-in-law of Hildy, who Is the lead."

"What's your favorite thing about your character?"

"She's a really feisty old lady. She's old but she comes in large and in charge."

"Where are you guys in terms of rehearsal right now?"

"We just got off book, and we've finally set the blocking. We're finally at the point where we can really start interacting and start developing our characters. It's really coming along at this point."

Next, I was able to talk with Asriel Walker, who plays Mrs. Schlosser.

"How would you describe your character?"

"She is a middle-aged woman and she is looking for her husband who is a reporter, but she can't find him anywhere. She goes to the other reporters in the press room to try and find him."

"What's one thing that makes your character fun to act?"

"I get to be really angry and mad. I think I actually scared Ava [who plays McCue] that last time we rehearsed because I looked her right in the eyes and yelled my line at her (laughs). It's great."

"What's your favorite things about the show?"

"My favorite thing I think is...the time period. I loved the way they dressed in the 1930's. I like the shoes I get to wear (laughs)."

Finally, I spoke with Eric Ransom, who plays one of the cops in the show.

"Which character are you?"

"Woodenshoes, he's a cop. He's very intelligent and quick. He's kind of a nice guy, but he's a pushover, which is fun to play."

"What is your favorite scene in the show?"

"The scene where everyone is trying to find Earl Williams. It's really intense and mesmerizing to watch to other actors perform the scene."

"Because the show is set in the 1930's, there are a lot of unique props that we get to use. Which one is your favorite?"

"I get to carry on a bag of cheeseburgers. That's definitely my favorite."

Several actors from the show, including Antonio Ribeiro (left), Ava Schwarz (middle), and Abby Gwin (right), practicing their scene before rehearsal begins.

All of the actors are excited to be able to utilize their skills and portray characters from generations past and perform with one another. As the show date draws near, every one's excitement continues to build both on the stage and behind the scenes.