Wow, nothing, and now three posts in one day! Okay, so I will not prolong this for too much longer I promise. On March 8th 2018, the Da Vinci School for Science and the Arts traveled to Wink High School in Wink, Texas to compete in the 2018 District 6-2A U.I.L. One Act Play competition, where we competed against shows from Anthony, Fort Hancock, Van Horn, Wink, McCamey, and Iraan High Schools. Here were the results: All Star Crew...............................................................................................................Warren Goodell Honorable Mention All-Star Cast..............................................................................Martha Garcia Ethan Summer Alternate Production.....................................................................................The Actor's Nightmare Da Vinci School for Science and the Arts Cast and Crew of The Actor's Nightmare By Christopher Durang. Great job everyone!!! Now we have a set of these. Next year's award will read "Advancing Play"!! One final note of thanks I must give, and that is to a woman, without whom, none of this would be even remotely possible. Each year, she takes time off from her day job, to transport set pieces, and pick up borrowed costumes, she helps police hotel hallways, and makes runs to get emergency supplies, and food for our students, and more often than not, she puts up with a husband who often pays for things for his productions out of his own pocket, without hope of recouping it, as he tells her by doing it he is "investing in his program". She has supported her husband, who has had as his lifelong dream the burning desire to direct young actors and actresses on stage, helping them to be the best that they can possibly be. mentoring and helping them to hone talents many of them never knew they even had, instilling in them confidence in their work, and in their creative process, much as his own mentors once did for him. That very special woman who wears so many hats, and does so cheerfully, is my muse, and my precious wife, Rhonda Davidson. Thank you so much, Sweetheart! I love you with all of my heart!!
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Our 2018 U.I.L. One-Act Play production for 2018 was The Actor's Nightmare By Christopher Durang. We had well-attended public performances here at Da Vinci on March 2 & 3rd ahead of our District 6-2A U.I.L. One Act Play competition in Wink, Texas on March 8th. More about that contest's results in another post, but for now, this post is so the entire cast and crew may take a well-deserved bow.
The Da Vinci School for Science and the Arts and The Mighty Dragon Theatre Company Proudly present Our 2018 U.I.L One-Act Play Production of The Actor’s Nightmare By: Christopher Durang Cast (In Order of Appearance) George Spelvin…………………………………………………………………….……Richard Needham Meg, the Stage Manager…………………………………………………………………Victoria Garcia Sarah Siddons…………………………………………………………………………….....Martha Garcia Dame Ellen Terry…………………………………………………………………………....Amelia Rubio Henry Irving……………………………………………………………………………....…Ethan Summer Alternates……………………………………………………………………………….Jimena De La Torre Jose J. Garcia Morales Atziri Reyes Crew: Stage Manager…………………………………………………………………………Christopher Wright Lights………………………………………………………………………………….......…..Warren Goodell Sound…………………………………………………………………………………..........…..Valeria Vilchis Props/Dresser……………………………………………………………………………………Citlali Reyes Stage Crew……………………………………………………………………………….........Cesar Becerra Directed by……………………………………………………………………………Mr. Wayne Davidson Travel Sponsor………………………………………………….…………..……....Ms. Jamie Livingston Sound Designer.............................................................................Mr. James David Hamilton Special Thanks to: School Principal.........................................................................................Ms. Delia Longoria District Superintendent............................................................................Dr. Joe E. Gonzales Superintendent Emeritus...........................................................................Ms. Iris Burnham Period Costume Dresses...........................................................................Ms. Vici Anderson Coronado H.S. Theatre Department Okay, so we will take another run at this "blogging" thing. Admittedly this has so far not been a very frequent report of goings-on in the Da Vinci Theatre Program, which we now refer to as the Mighty Dragon Theatre Company. But this does not mean that nothing has been happening. So before I tell you about our results for UIL One-Act play for 2018, let's talk about a few things that have come about for our program.
After our initial year competing in U.I.L. One Act Play, we began to undertake steps that would help to ensure that our program would be able to continue to build into a first-class top caliber Theatre Arts program. One of the first steps we took was to secure for Da Vinci, our very first U.I.L. Unit Set., The Basic Unit Set is 28 pieces of generic scenery, consisting of platforms, ramps, step units, pylons, and stage flats, that are standardized at each contest site, and made available to all schools equally. Schools have 7 minutes to set up their set, 40 minutes to perform, and 7 minutes to take down their set and return the set pieces to the designated area. Not having our own unit set upon which to practice, put us at a marked disadvantage to other schools. This addition helped us a great deal. In the next few school years, we will order some of the larger pieces, which include door, window, and French Door units, which will make our ability to put together complete interior sets complete. Phase two of the improvement of our performance capability will begin this summer with the increase of the area of our stage by extending the front of our stage to the front of the area that is currently carpeted with the green carpeting. This would effectively double the total area of our existing stage, which had only originally been configured for the worship center of the Harvest Christian Center that preceded Da Vinci at this site. Gone will be the carpeted stairs, wheelchair elevator, and portable parquet dance floor, The entire stage floor will be covered with actual materials more commensurate with the space's new duties as a Performing Arts venue. In addition, a Proscenium arch will be constructed, to "frame" the stage space, and provide performance groups with off-stage areas from which they may enter, unseen to the audience. Phase three will be the addition of theatrical lighting, and a lighting control board, as well as integration of the sound equipment obtained by Mr. Hamilton into our Light and Sound Booth, so that our students will be able to present the highest quality theatrical productions, as well as musical performances, concerts, and other school presentations. Having theses things will also help our technical theatre students be able to practice running lights for a production, rather than having their only exposure to a lighting board be the one hour rehearsal before Da Vinci competes, and the performance itself. It is my hope, as it is the hope of all of the other Fine Arts teachers here at Da Vinci, that when these initial steps are taken, that we will be able to produce a 3-4 show season of Theatre at Da Vinci each school year, with at least one of these shows each year being a musical that would incorporate all branches of Da Vinci Fine Arts-Theatre, Choir, Music, Dance, and Art-into one production that showcases the hard work and talent of our students each year. Wow!! What an exciting time for the Da Vinci Theatre Arts program! On March 10, 2017, the Mighty Dragon Players and I traveled to Van Horn, Texas to compete for the very first time in the UIL One-Act Play competition, competing in District 6-2A against Anthony, Fort Hancock, Van Horn, Iraan, McCamey, and Wink High Schools. All of these schools have contest experience, as well as UIL unit sets, theatre budgets and facilities that are far better suited for theatrical production than our own. Very intimidating, as you can imagine, for our students, as you can see below in the photo our Stage Manager Jorge Valadez shot from center stage, looking out into the house right before our rehearsal in Van Horn.
I just wanted to take an opportunity to introduce everyone to the proud Dragons that are about to go out and represent Da Vinci School for Science and the Arts for the very first time in U.I.L. One-Act Play competition. These fine student actors and technicians have put in many long hours in preparation for this inaugural production, Sunday Costs Five Pesos by Josephina Niggli, so I just wanted to give them, their parents, other teachers, and our Administration my heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all of your support and hard work, by recognizing them here:
Sunday Costs Five Pesos By Josephina Niggli Cast(In order of their Appearance) Fidel Duran.........................................................................................................Ethan Summer Berta Cantu...........................................................................................................Wensey Saenz Salome Molina.....................................................................................................Victoria Garcia Tonia Sanchez.......................................................................................................Valeria Vilchis Celestina Garcia.................................................................................................Jessica De Leon Crew Stage Manager/Assistant Director...........................................................................Jorge Valadez Lights...............................................................................,...................................Richard Needham Sound................................................................................................................Yasmileth Villalobos Stage Crew..........................................................................................................Emiliano Mayorga Cesar Becerra Alternates...............................................................................................................................Luis Paz Christopher Wright Travel Sponsor..................................................................................................Ms. Kimberly Magana Directed by..........................................................................................................Mr. Wayne Davidson Campus U.I.L. Coordinator...............................................................................Mr Ramiro Esparza Special thanks also go out to the finest colleagues I as an educator could have, the Da Vinci Faculty and Administration for their support, including Michelle Velasquez, Carlos Garcia, David Hamilton, Katherine Boward, Shane Edmonson, Pedro Hernandez, Amy Hensley, Phenicia Massaquoi, David Phillips, Maestero Phillip Garcia, Mark Shetty, and Desire Espinosa. While some of you helped in very significant ways, others provided much needed encouragement, support, and willingness to do whatever needed to be done. I thank you all, and am proud to call you my colleagues and friends. I would also like to thank my administration, Ms. Laura Alvidrez....while you have only been on board a short time, you have been very encouraging and supportive of our program, and the efforts that have been made. And last, but certainly not least, I would like to take the opportunity to thank Ms. Nydia Gonzalez-Magdaleno, our fine Superintendent, who gave me the opportunity to come to Da Vinci to continue my dream, and supporting all that we have done as we strive toward building a top-caliber Theatre Arts program here.I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Preparations are currently underway on the Da Vinci Dragon Players' first foray into the wild and crazy world of U.I.L. One-Act Play competition. For those of you that may not be familiar with the contest, which founded in 1927, is the largest high school play production contest or play festival in the world. More than 14,000 Texas high school students in more than 1,200 plays participate in 300-plus contests, which take place from the beginning of March through the three-day, 40-production State Meet One-Act Play Contest. The One-Act Play Contest is supported by more than 300 members of the Texas Theatre Adjudicator and Officials Organization. The League's theatre program is considered by historians to be the foundation of educational and community theatre in Texas. It continues to be a major factor motivating increasing numbers of schools to offer theatre arts as an academic subject.The U.I.L. One-Act Play contest is a competition where similarly sized Texas schools present an 18-40 minute play and may be adjudicated by a panel of three judges or a single judge. The contest is held on a single day and open to the public. There are six possible levels of competition: Zone, District, Bi-District, Area, Region, and State. At each level of competition a judge awards individual acting awards as well as selecting three productions to advance to the next level of competition up to the Regional Level where only two will advance to the State Level. After the awards are announced a Judge gives an oral critique to each of the schools. Because of the wide participation and diversity of plays produced certain rules and guidelines have been adopted by the State One-Act Play Office. These rules are in place to ensure safety, allow for equity, satisfy legal standards, and make the running of the contest practical.
Da Vinci's inaugural entry into the competition will be Sunday Costs Five Pesos by Josephine Niggli. Well, hello, and welcome to my first attempt at entering the Blogosphere. It is such a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with my students here at Da Vinci School, as I strive to build a Theatre Arts program from the ground up out of whole cloth. So out of all of the questions I could go about answering for you in my very first post, I have decided to tackle the one that I am sure would keep the majority of those who do not know me or my background who read this awake for many a restless night. That is, of course, "Why Zeppo Marx???" My answer to you is, "Why not Zeppo Marx???"
Okay, seriously, let me explain. Long long ago, in a galaxy far, far, away, in a place called El Paso, a young aspiring actor (that would be me) was wending his way through the Theatre Department at the University of Texas at El Paso as an undergraduate student. Deep in the recesses of the Fox Fine Arts complex, in the bowels of the Theatre Department lay a room filled with chairs, couches, tables, and the prerequisite Coke machine, that would sometimes spit out two cans if you smacked it on the side just right when you made your selection. It was known as the Green Room, the lounge area for Theatre students underneath what was then known as the University Playhouse (now known as the Wise Family Theatre), and adjacent to the Studio Theatre. The room seems almost antiseptic these days, compared to those days back in the early 1980's when smoking was still allowed inside the buildings at UTEP, and a thick blue haze of second-hand smoke permeated the air, at times looking almost like a mini inversion layer over the sofas, and reminiscent of the familiar visual of Cheech and Chong driving along in their smoke filled van (although the Green Room smoke was all tobacco in those days). Tucked away in one corner of the room, amidst all of the Theatre Department posters of an era gone by, was an old-school chalkboard. The chalkboard was used by students in the department to communicate with one another in these days before cell phones and text messages. Lunch plans, rehearsal times, pithy quotes, and one liners could often be found there. On the upper edge of the chalkboard an ancient sign that had been printed on yellow card stock about 8 1/2x11 inches in size, read in a font that was reminiscent of vaudeville simply, "THE ZEPPO MARX MEMORIAL CHALKBOARD". For those of you who are not quite up to speed on movies of the 1930's, Zeppo Marx was the fourth Marx Brother in the act, after Groucho, Harpo, and Chico. His job was simple. He was the straight man, often serving as the foil to Groucho's acerbic wit and wisecracks. He was the glue that held the act together, and made the comedy work. He appeared in the Marx Brothers first five movies, from 1929 to 1933, and then left the act to launch a second career as an engineer and a theatrical agent. The Marx Brothers would go on without him, but I always felt that the act lost that steady presence to cut through all the zany goings on with the other three, and they were never quite the same after that. At least that was my opinion. So fast forward to the present. We have been asked by Ms. Granados, our new principal at Da Vinci, for each teacher to put together a website for their classes. I made the choice to include a blog page, to communicate with parents, student body, theatre students, and friends, to let them know what is going on with our program, and I will later use it to post rehearsal schedules, etc. for my various casts and crews. I could think of no better name for this blog, to call attention to that long-since replaced chalkboard, and a simpler time, than to name it the Zeppo Marx Memorial Blog, bringing the name into the digital age. And as the zanyness goes on around us, I will endeavor to be the quiet steady one in the back, who keeps everything in check, and helps make the magic happen on the stage. So now you know... |
AuthorJust me, Wayne Davidson, your average, run-of-the-mill Da Vinci Theatre Arts Teacher Archives
April 2018
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