Week 4: Directing, Recording, and Publicizing--Our Campers' Other Hats!

Our talented YSP actors are now only nine days from their debut production of Shakespeare's As You Like It (July 31st, 7pm, Dartmouth Hall, free admission)! But they aren't only actors--they are also directors, workshop-game champions, interviewers, publicists, and writers. In Week 4, our campers tried their hands at all sorts of creative work, with great results.

This year, our actor-directors have created the blocking (movements included in the production, including entrances and exits, gestures, crosses, and counters) in the show. This means that not only do they have creative control over their own acting choices; they also shape the stage pictures and movements of the show. We started Week 4 with a directing workshop that required campers to watch Jaymes directing a sample scene and track specific techniques that he used to direct effectively. One team answered questions about Jaymes' techniques for starting and stopping his actors, one team followed his tone and the mood he set for the scene work, one team listened closely to the content of Jaymes' artistic comments, and one team made notes on Jaymes' use of questioning to draw his actors into the scene work. After the workshop and our discussion of the components of positive and constructive directing, camper-directors applied their knowledge by leading other camper-actors through scene work. As we've cycled through blocking the majority of the play, many campers of different ages and experience levels have stepped up and led scene work. We've also had campers devise their own improvisations and direct each other in scenes of their own creation.

Our campers have also focused their artistic talent in our "Recorders' Journals." Jaymes and I have circulated three journals through the hands of our camper-writers. Our YSP 2014 "recorders" have interviewed other campers about various subjects--the program, their characters' histories, their own interests; they've reflected on their YSP experiences; and they have written in-depth "character confessions" laying out the innermost thoughts of their characters. This latter category has caused much hilarity and fun to be had amongst the YSP campers.

In addition, our campers have created publicity materials for the upcoming production of As You Like It, crafting handmade posters as well as digital flyers and posting them around the Upper Valley. These visually-talented campers have worked hard to draw a crowd to whom they can show off their acting and directing talents!

As we move into Week 5, our actor-director-improviser-recorder-publicists are combining their various specialties to move from blocking rehearsals into off-book (fully memorized!) scene rehearsals in which they will tweak blocking choices and bring the show together. Our first "stumble-through" today, in which we ran the rough draft of our show from top to bottom, promised a great production that will get even better in the next nine days!