Sunday's Performance

I changed the critiques so that you could look at the one marked everyone, then look at the remarks for your child. This may make it easier. I want to thank you so much for helping us with this play. I do not know where we would be without the parents. Please know that I appreciate your help and work. Mrs. Hamilton stayed with the kids during the ballgame and sold noisemakers. It added $100 to our coffers, and we spent most of it on makeup. Another rehearsal is tomorrow at 7. I need the kids at 5 for makeup. IF they need to stay after school, I will be here and can put them to work.
We have a clinic on Wednesday and I need the kids here at 7AM to do makeup. We will not have the high school kids so it will be up to a few to help do the makeup.
If we have problems with working with basketball practice, we may need a Saturday rehearsal.

Critiques for the public performance – November 1, 2009
EVERYONE
· Watch levels. Watch straight lines – Don’t do it. Do NOT look at the audience.
· We need ANIMAL noises and GESTURES.
· Watch blocking.
· Don’t sway!
· REMEMBER LINES!
· STAY IN CHARACTER. IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THE AUDIENCE AND WANT TO LAUGH, YOU ARE NOT ACTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
· DO NOT MESS WITH COSTUMES!
· The ending was good. If we have enough time, let the music continue and lights stay on until music ends.
· DON’T STAND IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN WEASELS ARE DISCOVERED.
· DON”T YELL EVERY LINE. PEOPLE USUALLY DO NOT YELL ALL THE TIME AND IT IS USUALLY MORE EFFECTIVE IF YOU ARE QUIETLY MENACING.
· DON’T HIT THE CURTAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WEASELS
· Villagers, react to lines. Be bigger about this.
· Keep laughing as Badger makes his way with Portly behind him. STOP when he sees Portly.
· VILLAGERS, SCREAM with the crash!
· Weasels, good reaction in your scene.
· Weasels’ entrance was amazing. Great job. You were quiet on most entrances.
· Jack Weasel, very Johnny Depp today – Great job.
· Chauffeur, great job keeping the nose up from beginning to end. Tucker, I LOVE it when you run off with Portly’s book.
· More noises when Portly is being chased!
· Crazies need to laugh crazier and louder and keep the craziness going until you are offstage.
· When Jack says that the otters have no brains, overdo the laughter. Wes, you have such a good laugh, we could use it here.
· Cook, enunciate more. Were you feeling okay today? You were great collecting money.
· Weasels, CELEBRATE after Jack’s short speech.
· EVERYONE NEEDS TO ENUNCIATE!
· Dipprey weasel, good job being consistent with your character.
· Macy, Savanna, & Hannah, great job acting like you LOVE TO DANCE!
· Jen, great job with your lines when you are tired.
· Jailer, good job with reactions. BE EVEN BIGGER!
· Policeman, you were good today. You changed up your part. I like the way you do this each performance.
· Tom Weasel, great job with your entrance before getting Portly.
· Tilly, good job always being in character.
· Wes, great job helping with the coat and hat. With the hat, twirl it then stick it on Toad’s head.
· Dipprey, don’t kick the horn!
· DON’T STAND IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN WEASELS ARE DISCOVERED.
· Jack, we saw the idea come into your head. Don’t lose this.
MUSIC
· The music was too loud in the beginning. If you cannot hear the dialogue, it is too loud. Use the decibel levels that you wrote down.
· Music was too loud during Toad’s trance.
· Wild Woods music was too loud.
· Music was good around Toad’s being in the car! This was the right level.
· Music was too loud in the jail scene.
· Music was too loud when Jack was speaking to fellow weasels.
· Music needs to flow and be almost undetectable.
· The ending was good. If we have enough time, let the music continue and lights stay on until music ends.
·
LIGHTS
· Have light on Mole as she is approaching Chauffeur’s car.
· When Penelope moved out of the light, you did great in finding the right light to shine on her face. Great job!
· Lights need to be on faster when Mrs. Otter enters left stage mad.
· The ending was good. If we have enough time, let the music continue and lights stay on until music ends.
·
BADGER
· Badger, be bigger with taking off the hat and do it toward the audience. ENUNCIATE. Hit the consonants.
· Tip hat with upstage hand.
· EVERYONE NEEDS TO ENUNCIATE!
· BE BIGGER! Make ANIMAL NOISES AND MOVEMENTS!
· Great job looking older!
· You are reacting bigger and you did not step back. Now, be even bigger. I love that I can always hear you!
· After you say BE QUIET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your next line to Mrs. Otter should start out screaming, then clear your throat and remember to act gently to her.
· Badger, vary your voice from angry to calm to soothing.
· DON’T STAND IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN WEASELS ARE DISCOVERED.
·
RAT
· Rat, slow down! Rat, don’t look at the audience. Where is the paper?
· Enunciate more. You and Mole are doing a great job interacting with each other. Do it more.
· EVERYONE NEEDS TO ENUNCIATE!
· BE BIGGER! Make ANIMAL NOISES AND MOVEMENTS!
· I love your relationship with Mole. Be even more “pushy”. I love being able to hear you.
· Rat, Nathan suggested not doing “air quotes” because they would not have done that then. Just use a gesture as if you will choke him.
· Say Wild wood with more fear – over do it.
· DON’T STAND IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN WEASELS ARE DISCOVERED.
· You might go to the bench left stage and sit with exaggeration, then when Badger says he is snooping, move toward them and agree with Badger.
MOLE
· Mole, keep your hat off your face. We cannot see your cute expressions.
· Mole, keep the intensity up after you deliver your lines. It is up during the lines, but then you lose energy.
· You and Rat are doing a great job interacting with each other. Do it more.
· Yell throughout when Rat hits you. Then yell again when you hit yourself.
· Mole, don’t block Otter when she says she has a broom. Be sure you are out of the way.
· Don’t look at the audience.
· Mole, make the vocals as if you are in character not trying to be heard.
· EVERYONE NEEDS TO ENUNCIATE!
· BE BIGGER! Make ANIMAL NOISES AND MOVEMENTS!
· Mole, you have the first lines of the play for a purpose. You set the mood. Great job!
· Mole, watch taking off Toad’s aviator’s hat because we lost his makeup and some warts. We will work on this. The makeup is my fault.
· DON’T STAND IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN WEASELS ARE DISCOVERED.
·

MRS. OTTER –
· You did a good job enunciating. It is obvious you have been working on this.
· Good LOUD whisper.
· EVERYONE NEEDS TO ENUNCIATE!
· BE BIGGER! Make ANIMAL NOISES AND MOVEMENTS!
· Great job, Otters in the back!

PORTLY –
· Great job being cute! Capitalize on this and make all movements BIGGER, especially in Toad Hall with the weasels.
· After you say “Go with you” stick your tongue out at Badger. Let him get angry at you. EVERYONE NEEDS TO ENUNCIATE!
· BE BIGGER! Make ANIMAL NOISES AND MOVEMENTS!
· Great job, Otters in the back!
· Portly, don’t block Mole at the beginning.


TOAD
· Where was the Whack ‘em?
· EVERYONE NEEDS TO ENUNCIATE!
· BE BIGGER! Make ANIMAL NOISES AND MOVEMENTS!
· Toad savors the moment. Everyone needs to do this.
· Toad, we will get your face fixed, I promise. What did your granny mean by R rated? Have we done something I missed?
· Good job always being consistent with your character.
· Nathan Caballero suggested that you would hide from the policeman when he comes to take Jack off. I agree and had not thought of this.
· Toad, have aviators hat undone around the neck before your entrance.
· Toad, you and the policeman were great and timed jumping in the water just right.
· DON’T STAND IN A STRAIGHT LINE WHEN WEASELS ARE DISCOVERED.
· Don’t cover up Rat’s lines with coughing.

PENELOPE
· Great job! If people did not know it, they would not discover that you play two parts. Remember to cover the pillow with Toad’s coat.
· EVERYONE NEEDS TO ENUNCIATE!
· BE BIGGER! Make ANIMAL NOISES AND MOVEMENTS!
· Move in front of the ladder when talking, not behind it.
· Great “figure” line.

CREW PLUS LANE AND COLE,
THANK YOU FOR SETTING THE STAGE UP.
LANE AND COLE, YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOUR EXPERTISE.
Alternates, thanks for being conscientious and attending to every detail. Thanks for writing critiques, Nathan and Mac. Nathan, you came up with Toad hiding from the policeman at the end. This is why it helps to have alternates. We cannot begin to thank all the alternates for your dedication. I know you do not receive the accolades, but the audience does not know that you put as many and sometimes more hours into rehearsals when you cover for people who are gone. I appreciate you more than you will ever know.
The high school kids, you made today run so much smoother.
Kylee and Molly, where would we be without you? You take charge. Please use this in your application to college.