I recently just tried out for my school play, it's a production of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. I was really happy when I got the part of Don Pedro (one of the major parts for those unfamiliar with the play), especially considering I've never acted before in my life.

Anyway, it's really fun. The language takes a bit of getting used to, but it's hilarious when you understand it. Shakespeare was a master of comedy, but what's also interesting is he could get away with some pretty vulgar stuff. Some of his jokes we edited out of the play because we thought they went a bit too far (plus we're having to cut down a 3+ hour play into a bit under 2 hours).

The hardest thing at the moment is just memorizing all the lines. Once I've got that, it should be fairly smooth. I have pretty good inflection and expression overall, but I'm having a hard time knowing which emotion to display at any given moment. At a glance, the meaning behind words can be ambiguous. People are joking with me that I'm perfect for it, because I'm English (and have an accent) but live in North Carolina. It is kind of funny I guess.

It did help me, also, to have recently seen the Kenneth Branagh version of the film, which I though was exellent. While Branagh a good actor, he has a much higher opinion of himself. People at my school seem to revere him though.

So, has anyone else been in a school production, what production was it, what part did you have, and how did it go?

Kenneth Branagh rocks
and no I havent been in any productions, I prefer to act for a camera than an audience.

hehe im in one as we speakj! weve done two shows thurs and fri and todays are last show. its just a show thats given a theme. its called concept so this year the theme was fairy tails and it was called Once Upon a Concept. its got lots of skits (comedy only) of just mutated fairy tails that we made funny. lots of muisc and differnet kinds of dance. the show went very well specially last nights, there was soooo much energy in the audience! about 500 people!! a little over or under im not sure but it was great. i was in drama

Does doing the lighting count?

Wow, that's great Wolvie! It certainly sounds very orignal, what part were you?

Now I'm at uni I do improvised comedy, but I was once 'Carrots' in The Machine Gunners' at school. We had a rusty old wing off a WW2 bomber as part of the set. It was amazing to see!

Never is a school play. I was in the choir in 7th grade and we had a performance at the end of the year. Not really the same thing though.

i played the hunter in snow white. except that my character is supposed to try to kill her but im a good (i hit myself in the face with my sword as im taking it out of my pants) then i faint when she pricks her finger on a rose n shows it to me, then i wake up and tell her, her step mother sent me to kill her and she has to flee because i cant do it!..then after she leaves im like 'waht am i going to do now?! she expects her heart..' and then ipull out construction paper and scizzors from my pocket, cut out a big red heart and go perfeect...she'll never know!..and yeah..it got laughsfrom the crowd :p it was funny at the moment. and i played background dancer in prince cinders (cinderella but male), the jury in this scene called divorce cuort where all the fairy talecouples were gettin divorces and just litlte things like that

4th grade. i was goerge washington. best play evar.

I was in the 2nd bass of the choir for the Carmina Burana. It was really a great show, we got standing ovations on both evenings we performed. The art-class was doing some dances and stuff with fire behind the choir. That was really exciting to feel the flames in your neck without ever having seen them do it.
We were filmed but I never got a copy so I still don't know what they've been doing behind us.

I have, but it was over a decade ago, and I dont remember anything about it... :\

I was never in a play, but I was in a dance performance in front of prob. half the school, they had to turn people away since the auditorium filled so much. talk about nerves! but it was sooo much fun! good times, good times, ahh all the memories are flooding back :p

Laura

Yes, we just watched his rendition on Hamlet, it's excellent.

As for plays, sometimes I do tech (lighting and set construction, sometimes sound) at my High School, but I don't like the director so I usually steer clear. Instead I get work at the local community college sometimes. I gt to work with professionals (mostly) and I get paid.

my cousin plays concentration camps with his friends, i was sat in on a game. it was pretty offensive. i was the "funny jew" and he was the "nazi". well it goes without saying that he ended up in the hospital with a sword wound in his leg. true story.

Out of curiosity, does the pertain to this thread in any way?