Summer Drama Camp

I'm back and glad to be back to my normal routine, although normal may start tomorrow and a nap may happen later today.

The two-week summer Drama Camp concluded this weekend with two performances, one Saturday evening and one Sunday afternoon. Then we had the cast party, followed by a quick meeting to debrief with all the camp leaders and make some plans for next year. Yes, we start thinking about next year right away.

Here are a few pictures from the show. We had some incredibly talented young people who did make-up and parents and grandparents who came up with amazing costumes.

L-R: Mother Nature, Pacha, Alligator and Tree

A Rapping Elephant and a Valley Girl Parrot

El Tigre and Elephant

Some of the Festival Kids

One of the biggest thrills for me during the camp was seeing some of the young people who have been with the Young Players for years who were able to step up to leadership roles as stage managers. Wow. For the first time in seven years, I did not have to be in the back herding kids on and off stage.

It was also so neat to see some of the more reluctant players really shine on stage. The young lady who played the tree had a real breakthrough in this production and played her role superbly.  She had some very funny lines that she delivered with great comedic timing and she was the most believable tree I have seen on stage. I had been working with her for years to get her to understand what "being in character" means, and the proverbial light-bulb went off during the camp. I am so proud of her.

I'm also so proud of the rest of the cast who all did such a great job. The audiences loved the show and there was a lot of magic in Winnsboro this weekend. Kudos to all the kids and the young man who led the camp and directed the show.

A to Z Challenge - Z is for Zonk

The A to Z Challenge is winding down and some of the bloggers have posted some kind of a wrap-up. I was so honored to find out that Thelma, at Widowsphere, included my blog as one of her top 26 favorites. I was also blown away that she visited all one thousand and something blogs participating in the challenge. I'm impressed.

Anyway, if you have a moment, stop by and visit her blog. It is a good one, and be sure to check out her X is for x-rated words. You will be shocked at what the New York City school system has put on a censored list. 

And now back to our regular scheduled programming. In keeping with my nature theme, I could write about zebras. They are interesting animals that I have always liked. Maybe because they look like a horse that just escaped from prison? And who couldn't love this little foal. 

But the z word that keeps popping into my head is zonk. I keep hearing the lines from a play I recently directed at the local community theatre that had this word. The two players were so good and gave their lines just the right inflection that this little snippet of a scene has stayed with me.

The play is "Woman in Mind" by Alan Ayckbourn, and the scene is between Susan and her husband, Gerald. Susan is not happy, and she has been trying to talk to him about the fact that she can't sleep.

"Perhaps it is because I'm not very happy, Gerald."
"Well, who is? Very few these days.
"You seem happy."
"Do I? Maybe I'm just better at hiding things. Who knows."
"At least you sleep at night."
"Only because I'm exhausted from a full day's work. I give my body no option."
"Zonk."
"I beg your pardon?"
"You just zonk out"
"I have no idea what that means. Zonk."

At this point, the players would always get a little chuckle from the audience, even though this was a serious scene. The light touch of humor was a good way to lift the audience up a little, and is a trick used by many playwrights.

I am so lucky to work with a talented troupe of players who can make lines and scenes so memorable.