New online home

In case the Amazon search window didn't appear correctly, you can find it, along with our past correspondence (minus the four letters from my intern--sorry about that!), at RichDrama.com/MasterWits.

I think you'll like the look more than the GoogleGroups page.

Now if something's for the whole group please send it to RichDrama.MasterWits@blogger.com. It will post to the site and be distributed to us all.

In Christ Alone,
Rich

Finding full plays

I'm hearing that some of you are having troubles finding the full play or musical in which your monologues and songs reside.

There is a library at Grace College, but unfortunately students won't be able to check books out. I'm looking into seeing if we can get that changed for us (orchestral students don't have the same need), but since we're on the eve of my flight to IN I'll suggest Amazon as a possibility:

Search Now:

You can have them ship it to:
YOUR NAME
c/o The MasterWorks Festival
PO Box 700
Winona Lake, IN 46590

Also, remember those games you said are your favorites? Those of you who mentioned board games bring them along. We're trying to keep our weekends as unstructured as we can, so we may actually have time to play some of them.

Any of you skilled as worship musicians, please bring your instruments if you can.

See you soon!

In Christ Alone,
Rich

Hey MasterWorks Theatre People!

Hi, everybody!
First, Rich I wanted to let you know that I have been receiving all of
the emails - Thanks!!

Second, I live approximately 4 miles down the road from the Grace
College campus where the Festival is held (but technically I'm from
Pierceton,IN).  As far favorite games go - yikes!  I'm not sure . . .
um, I know it as the hugging game - where you run around the room until
the leader yells out a number and  you have to hug that many people or
else you're out!!

I'm totally excited out the Festive and meeting/working with all of you!

in Christ,
Staci

Christi from Texas

Hi!  I'm Christi from Texas and I have too many favorite games;  Apples to Apples, Settlers of Catan are good board games.  I love to play outdoor games too.  In fact, I probably spend too much time with my friends playing.  :)



thanks

Got the Emails

I've been getting the e-mails.  Sorry I didn't reply sooner.

I'm living in Gulf Breeze, Florida right now, but my dad was in the Navy, so we've lived a lot of different places.

My favorite game to play is definitely Catch Phrase.

Tiffany

Getting Emails

Hello Rich,

I believe I've received all of your e-mails and responded to each that requested a response. However, I will go on to http://groups-beta.google.com/ group/MasterWits and make sure:)

The answers to your questions:
I live in  sunny Sarasota, Fl. and since I love improv. any improvisational game or exercise would be my favorite. I also really enjoy Zip Zap Zop.

I look forward to attending MasterWorks and meeting many new people!

-Kyrra Laurelle

Melanie... again

Oh yeah, sorry I forgot to include the info!!  
  I live in Connecticut and I love playing Ga Ga...it's a funny name, but an easy game.  I'm not sure if it has made its way out of New England though...other than that, I don't have a favorite game...I'm up for anything!

Melanie Yodkins

Hi Rich!
   I'm so excited about Master Works Festival that I just can't wait!  I've been recieving all of your e-mails and get more excited with each one!  Thank you so much for sending them to me and I look forward to meeting you on the 19th!

In His Service,
   Melanie Yodkins

Irene Kao

Hullo hullo :)
 Am getting the emails too =) I'm Irene Kao from Melbourne, Australia. Was
born in Taiwan some time ago ;) Yeshhh, games... A friend taught me this
game which is along the lines of 'ZIP, ZAP, ZOP', but has more action/sound
variations to 'play with'. They include, WHOOOSH, WHOOOA, ZAP, BOING,
GROOOVALATION, & FREAK OUT =) Dunno whether it's a common game or not but it
can get pretty crazy!

Brandon Langeland

Hi everybody, I'm getting the emails now, yay! I am from Grand Rapids, MI (but only for a little bit longer). Games, lessee...As far as theatre games go, I'm a big fan of 0-0-7-Bang!, but otherwise I really like Pictionary Telephone.

Got it!

Hi, Rich! Sorry I didn't reply earlier. I confirmed with Harvey that I was
receiving his emails--I didn't realize that I should have confirmed with
this address, too.

I live in NYC, and as for games...hmmm...I really liked that ball-throwing
pattern exercise that we did when I was there in 2002.

See you soon!

~Sarah Keyes

Joel Clarkson

Hey Everyone!
I'm Joel Clarkson, currently from Colorado Springs, CO, and yup, I'm
getting the messages! Hmm...Games, well, I like stuff like Scategories
and Cranium, but also anything outdoors as well.
On Jun 7, 2005, at 4:15 PM, Rich Swingle wrote:

Two Songs

I had said to bring one song, but if you can bring a second  
contrasting piece that would be great!

Also, we haven't heard back from all of you.  We want to make sure  
you're reading your email boxes or we'll have to resort to (gasp)  
snail mail.

Please send an email to MasterWits@googlegroups.com and let us know  
you've been reading these.

While you're at it please answer the following:
Where do you live?
What's your favorite game?

If you feel you've missed any letters they're all stored at
http://groups-beta.google.com/ group/MasterWits

See you soon!

In Christ Alone,
Rich

Song Selection

Greetings, everyone!

I'm so sorry it's taken so long to get this note to you!  June 19th is
almost here, and I'm looking forward to meeting you all in a few weeks!
 Rich's advice to you is right on for song selection.  Since I don't
know any of your backgrounds, I have some questions for you to
condsider:  Have you had any vocal training?  Are you comfortable
singing in a pop/belt style or a more legitimate/classical style, or
both?   What have you sung in the past?  What do you enjoy singing?

You can find arrangements of many songs for all voice types (soprano,
alto, tenor, bass, low, medium, high) in books such as THE FIRST BOOK
OF BROADWAY SOLOS or THE SINGERS MUSICAL THEATRE ANTHOLOGY.  Song books
and musical scores can be found online or in some public libraries, but
teachers and friends are a good place to find them, as well.  Stephen
Sondheim (INTO THE WOODS, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE), Adam Guettle
(SATURN RETURNS) and Jason Robert Brown (PARADE) are wonderful
composers to look at, but you may want something younger or hipper.
Shows like MOVIN' OUT, HAIR SPRAY, WICKED, GREASE, and LITTLE SHOP OF
HORRORS are a few ideas.  I would also suggest looking at songs by
George Gershwin or Cole Porter for something lighter/jazzier.
Composers from the beginning of musical theater, such as Rodgers &
Hammerstein (OKLAHOMA, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, etc.), Jerome
Kern (SHOW BOAT), and Irving Berlin (ANNIE, GET YOUR GUN) are all
excellent and have songs for almost every vocal range.  Please forgive
me if I'm overwhelming you, but there is so much to choose from out
there!  I've even used contemporary Christian songs in a few auditions
when I've needed a pop or jazz style that shows what I can do, and they
were well received.  So, look at what you already have!

In selecting songs for auditions, you may know that you will usually
need an up-tempo (fast) song and a ballad (slow).  Songs should also be
able to be easily broken down into sixteen or eight bars/measures, as
sometimes you are given time enough to sing only a short excerpt.

Please feel free to email any questions or more information so I can
further help you find some music.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the
Lord, not for men,"  Colossians 3:23

Blessings!
Susie Somerville Brown

Some Additional Information

To this summer MasterWorks Theatre Company:

Although this presently does not affect you directly, I need to make you aware of a script change that is in the works.  The script I was referencing in my last email is Anne of Green Gables dramatized by Joseph Robinette from the novel by L.M. Mongomery and handled by Dramatic Publishing.  Since that email I have found another adaptation that I believe is much more appropriate for our work.  It is Anne of Green Gables dramatized by Anne Chadwick and handled by Samuel French.  Several reasons why I prefer this one.  First the character work is much more substantial.  Ms. Chadwick has created characters that have much more depth as compared with those of Mr. Robinette.  Second Ms. Chadwick does a much better job of telling the story with clarity and with only two settings compared to the eleven required in the Robinette version.  And third, the Chadwick version fits much better to the size of our company.

So I have instructed the MasterWorks office to order the script and forward it to you if time allows.  Not to worry if you do not get the script before our first meeting.  I will have the office run off several sides for auditioning along with the character descriptions that Ms. Chadwick included in her preface to the play.  These will be given to you upon your arrival.  This I believe will give you enough information to deal with auditions.  I am hoping to do the auditions on Monday, June 20th.

If you have any questions do not hesitate emailing me.

With much anticipation,
Harvey

You are a Target of Prayer

You are about to have someone you don't know send you an email asking for
your prayer requests. Don't sick your spam blocker on them. They're not nuts.  
I've assigned individuals to pray for you specifically every day from now until
a week after MasterWorks is over.

In Christ Alone,
Rich

Rich Swingle
@ The Helen Hayes Theatre
240 W 44th St, Ste 7
New York, NY 10036
www.RichDrama.com
Itinerary: www.RichSwingle.com

Picking Monologues and a Song

I'm getting some queries on how to go about selecting monologues and a song.  
 By the way, if you can pick two songs, all the better!

Look for characters that are about your age and type.   Often casting
directors cast according to type: are you quirky, morose, athletic, fun, serious,
etc.   The idea of finding contrasting monologues is to show your range, so you
don't have to type cast yourself into one category.   Think of plays and
musicals that have inspired you.

You may choose to read through a book of Monologues.   Once you find a
character and a speech you like, read the whole play (which you need to do anyway).  
 You may find a monologue that fits you even better and isn't being done by
everyone who bought the same book of monologues.

I'm inviting Susan Somerville Brown, who will be one of your instructors for
the first two weeks to give tips on picking a song.

In Christ Alone,
Rich

Rich Swingle
@ The Helen Hayes Theatre
240 West 44th Street, Suite 7
New York, NY 10036
www.RichDrama.com
Itinerary: www.RichSwingle.com

Change the world for one person: sponsor a child through Compassion.

"I have found the greatest power in the world is the power of prayer."
—Cecil B. DeMille

To all of the Theatre Students

Dear Brothers and Sister in Him:

My thanks to Rich for introducing me to you.  I too am exciting about the time we will spend together creating theatre and growing in our relationship with Him.  I trust you are preparing yourself for this time of growth and development.  May I give you some direction as we anticipate our first meeting and the times of rehearsals and performance.  As you know we have selected Anne of Green Gables as our performance script.  The uniqueness of this script is that it will give many of you opportunity to develop several characters as a number of the roles will be double and triple casted.  This will demand you make specific choices out of your physical, psychological, and emotion existence to produce characters that are distinctly different.  In anticipation of this we will spend some of our rehearsal times exploring these areas.  I am asking that you bring rehearsal clothes in which you can stretch and are not afraid to get dirty.

Also you have gotten word from Rich on the monologue and additional work of which you will need to prepare.  I am available at hjohnso...@comcast.net or hjohn...@geneva.edu for any questions or assistance you may need.  Thanks for your decision to develop your gifts under His Lordship and guidance and your commitment to honor His Lordship in the Theatre.

Your remain in my prayers,
Always,
Harvey

Welcome to MasterWorks 2005

(To see with live links go to http://groups-beta.google.com/group/MasterWits/browse_thread/thread/14a2a6af9ebbffba)
I'm Rich Swingle, and I'm directing the MasterWorks Theatre Program this summer. I'm very excited about the artists who are coming on board. If you haven't already, I encourage you to check out their bios.
You'll be hearing soon from the director of our play, Harvey Johnson. I know some of you have already heard that we're doing Anne of Green Gables instead of Much Ado About Nothing because of casting issues. We're very excited about the choice and know it will be a joy for us and for our audiences.
Please come with two contrasting monologues: one modern, one classic/one dramatic, one comedic. They should be two to three minutes in length. Please read the entire play from which it is taken and bring it with you.
Also, choose a song from a musical. Bring the sheet music along, and as with the monologue, bring the entire musical (you only need the book: not all the sheet music). Even if you don't consider singing your greatest strength, having some singing experience will greatly increase your opportunities. Also, Susan Somerville Brown will be working with you on the song, and you'll be glad she did!
If you have any questions don't hesitate to shoot me an email: Rich@RichDrama.com.
Looking forward to working with you!
In Christ Alone,
Rich