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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

"The Giver" in the news!

Check out this great article from The Herald-Sun about our upcoming production of "The Giver"


‘The Giver’ paints dystopian future in shades of gray


The Herald-Sun | Christine T. Nguyen
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Blake Dunkak plays the part of Jonas during rehearsal on Tuesday for "The Giver."  The Durham School of the Arts Theater Department will present a play adaptation of “The Giver” by Lois Lowry at the Durham School of the Arts Black Box Theatre Dec. 13, 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m.
The Herald-Sun | Christine T. Nguyen

Blake Dunkak plays the part of Jonas during rehearsal on Tuesday for "The Giver." The Durham School of the Arts Theater Department will present a play adaptation of “The Giver” by Lois Lowry at the Durham School of the Arts Black Box Theatre Dec. 13, 14 and 15 at 7:30 p.m.
By Wes Platt

wplatt@heraldsun.com; 919-419-6684

DURHAM – The first time Blake Dunkak read Lois Lowry’s “The Giver,” he was in elementary school.

It’s a pretty grim tale of dystopian science fiction, in which a boy learns both the vivid beauty and stark horrors of a lost world and the dark truths of his own seemingly bland society.

“It really stuck with me, the lack of so much in the community,” said Dunkak, a 15-year-old in 10th grade at Durham School of the Arts. “No sunshine. No colors. No love. There are feelings – it’s not like robots – but there’s nothing beyond happy and sad. That’s important.”

Dunkak makes his DSA theater debut next week as Jonas, the lead in this 90-minute theater adaptation of the 1993 novel.

The show’s director, DSA teacher Tom Nevels, was drawn to the material because of its similarity to the wildly popular “Hunger Games” novels.

“That whole genre of young adult fiction with dystopian societies and teen protagonists was really catching on when I first heard about it,” Nevels said. “People were passing around ‘Hunger Games’ and a teacher said ‘If you liked ‘The Giver,’ you’ll like this.”

He had never read “The Giver.” Intrigued, he sought it out.

“I read it and I really thought it was an interesting story,” Nevels said. “I could see the potential for it to be dramatized in some way.”

Bringing the bland world of the book to life, while also providing cues to alert the audience to the changes in Jonas’s point of view, gave students working on the show a chance for creativity.

Costumes, which look like a cross between surgical scrubs and Star Trek uniforms from the 1979 movie, are drab gray. Tables are gray. Chairs are gray. Cushions are gray. Comforters are gray.

Even red delicious apples are gray, until a tricky scene when Jonas is tossing an apple with a friend and one toss comes back in vibrant red.

It’s that pivotal moment that heralds the boy’s special ability, to “see beyond,” which makes him an ideal candidate to become the community’s next Receiver of Memory. Basically, he is destined to become the living storehouse of all the community’s memories, from mundane to extreme, from pleasuring to excruciating, so that his people don’t have to trouble their minds with it all.

The blandness – or “Sameness,” as it is known to those who dwell in the community – provided an enticing design challenge.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to put their brains together,” Nevels said. “We just painted everything in shades of gray so that when color is introduced into the story, it really makes the same impact for the theater audience as it would make for a reader.”

Another challenge students face in the show is the necessity to make frequent scene transitions without set changes or lights going down.

“We have a script with seamless scene changes,” Nevels said. “Our lead character can turn from one conversation to be in a different place, on a different day, in a different conversation. We’ve had to get comfortable with the conventions this play brings. We know we are in a few basic locations and we weave in and out of them like you weave in and out of memories.”

A pared-down performance of the show, which lasted one hour, took three prizes for design and an award for excellence recognizing Dunkak’s performance in a lead role at the North Carolina Theater Conference in October.

Dunkak said he would like to pursue acting as a career after graduation, although he’s not sure whether he would prefer theater, television or movies.

“I just want to do any kind of acting, really,” he said. “I like to be able to express emotions that I might not be able to do in my normal life and it’s great building a relationship with the cast.”

Follow on Twitter at @wplattheraldsun. Connect on Facebook at facebook.com/wesplattheraldsun.

WHAT: “The Giver”

WHEN: Dec. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 15, 3 and 7:30 p.m.; and Dec. 16, 3 p.m.

WHERE: Durham School of the Arts Black Box Theatre, 400 N. Duke St., Durham

TICKETS: $10, at box office or online at seatyourself.biz/dsa

Online at: 
http://www.herald-sun.com/view/full_story/21019661/article-%E2%80%98The-Giver%E2%80%99-paints-dystopian-future-in-shades-of-gray?

Monday, December 3, 2012

Cast Lists Are Up!






Don't forget to initial next to your name to accept your role! Congratulations!

Monday, November 19, 2012

The Wizard of Oz Audition Info



GENERAL INFO
Download the following audition packet to fill out your audition form (must bring completed to audition), see list of characters and read the auditions hints.

Audition Packet http://www.mediafire.com/view/?1ovo044j7zeij4p

ACTING

All auditionees will be expected to read at least one of the scenes from the following list:

Acting Sides http://www.mediafire.com/view/?xhsx0ug8b7f3rjq

MUSIC

All auditionees will be expected to sing at least one song cut from the following list:

Ensemble
Sheet Music: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?6geywh8s09s960a
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/?fb99ud0wvxgvcp3

Glinda
Sheet Music: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?49twovehfytj3uj
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/?6y61ebm1jkrnorn

Dorothy
Sheet Music: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?3egyu96x3csg305
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?3trkbf6a943k1ta

Munchkins
Sheet Music: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?lio1w83xo8768y5
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/?4pmnfrnlwxgxw3f

Scarecrow / Tin Man
Sheet Music: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?kro0krysvl5fulb
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/?sojhe49yc39aw4p

Lion
Sheet Music: http://www.mediafire.com/view/?w49izkt8c75t2e6
MP3: http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?sxfed1apooxuyxx


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE AUDITION CUTS ARE UP!!

GO TO:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/dsa-theatre/thoroughly-modern-millie-audition-cuts/288883444492112

Sunday, January 8, 2012

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE AUDITION CUTS

Coming soon!! Check back here or join our FaceBook page (DSA THEATRE) for updates!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

GREENSBORO: A REQUIEM CAST LIST

EXCITED TO BEGIN OUR JOURNEY WITH GREENSBORO: A REQUIEM!!

CAST MEMBERS:

MARIKA BALL-DAMBERG
ISABELLA BREZENSKI
BENJAMIN CONNOR
DARIEN FAISON
ANGELINE FUQUA
MIRA KESSLER
NOAH MLYN
KHYLA RASHADA
OWEN RYAN
ABIGAIL SHARPLESS
ELLA WILSON

Thoroughly Modern Millie Information

THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE AUDITIONS!! JANUARY 25, 26. CALLBACKS ON THE 27TH!

Click the link below to access characters and vocal ranges:

Thoroughly Modern Millie (Musical) - StageAgent.com