Near the end

We're getting very close (performance day is Thursday). Here's a rehearsal for the murder of Banquo. (Later on, we both get to be ghosts and scare the beejeepers out of Macbeth)

One Week to Go

Rehearsals for The Scottish Play have taken a new aspect. We're actually making progress. The squirrelliness has virtually disappeared, people are hitting their marks, and most of the cast is fully "off book". Just this afternoon, the Thane of Ross, who has a long speech right at the beginning, nailed it.

I've been fitted for my costume, but still haven't seen my makeup. I don't know if my ghost persona will be merely pale or Kabuki-flat white. We have another rehearsal tomorrow, and then a full dress rehearsal on Wednesday before performance on Thursday.

on with the show, this is it!

More Shakespeare

Rehearsals for the Scottish Play continue. We've done most of the blocking, and are working on timing. Most of the kids are good, and dedicated -- but we've got a couple of real squirrels (especially the drummers -- yikes!).

We've also had some issues with dedication -- kids flaking out, not showing for rehearsal, and just being too dang busy. Our director is going quietly nutz.

We're going to have two actual performances, one for the students during school, and another later that evening. I'm being a real trooper (if I do say so myself), since the date is the same as the Dodgers/Angels preseason game at Blue Heaven on Earth (aka Dodger Stadium) - Thursday, April 2.

No more this Thane of Cawdor shall deceive our bossom interests. Go, proclaim his present death. And with his former title, greet Macbeth.

(Except our Thane of Cawdor is being played by a girl -- so I'll say 'her')

Fossils

The seventh graders did a quick activity Friday, creating model fossils. They had fun, and some of them even remembered that these were "cast" fossils. I had them write about their experience.