My name’s Hazel and I am the Stage Manager for this semesters’ production. These first few weeks have been a crazy blur. It feels like it was just yesterday when we were reading the script for the first time in class. I swear we all probably have it memorized by now! These past weeks have all been about getting the blocking down, making notes for the costumes, props, etc, and chasing people with a stick to get their lines memorized. The whole experience is very nice and our whole team has really developed into a comfortable community. Practice really feels like a welcome escape from school life. And, boy is it fun to have people listen to you and do exactly what you say!! Ankita and Jhanvi, the assistant Stage Managers, have been a great help throughout the whole process and their willingness to help makes me very grateful.

Thanks for reading out my rant! Dominic – memorize your lines!

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photo by Abhishek

Hi, My name is Abhishek Mehra. I am a student in grade 10 and I am the head of the costume and make-up team for the spring play Around The World In 80 Days. As the title suggests, this play follows a journey around the world, and so, there are characters from countries all over the world. We in the costume crew have the incredible task of creating distinctive looks for each character as they all come from such unique cultures. So far, we are done with all the designs and are soon going to start making the costumes to bring them to life. We (costume crew) are at the moment bang on schedule, but we do have to work fast and dilligently as the show is approaching in less then a month. Thanks to having a stunning team with tremendous dedication, I am sure the costumes will be ready and the characters will look nothing short of spectacular on the final day!

We hope you enjoy the show :)

Abhishek & Crew

(in alphabetical order: Amber, Mansi, Nivedita Pema, Sasha, Sonam, Supriti, Tanya & Tseki)

For the production of Around the world in 80 days I will be co-designing the lights with Kethayun. My main job as lighting designer will be to clean, fix and rewire Parker Hall, along with the other members of the lighting crew. This will involve purchasing lighting bulbs and lamps, rolls of lighting wire and color gels. The show relies heavily on different lighting effects to portray different places and scenes. For some of the lighting effects we will be using projectors to show the effects of the pagoda, ocean and storm scenes. The lighting throughout the show will have to be able to follow the blocking and divide up the stage to show different places around the world. 

I will also be playing Phileas Fogg. I look forward to completing our tour around the world.

Michael

Hello,

My name is Gultaj Sangha. I was born in India, raised in America, and I recently moved back to India in November 2007 and joined Woodstock School in 2009. I am currently in the eleventh grade and am working in collaboration with Mrs. Okie, Juliana Pesavento, and Ariella Blank to direct our school's spring play Around the World in 80 Days. I am one of the three student directors taking part in the spring play and my job along with the other student directors is to help mold the second drama performance of this year into something akin to the amazing Brigadoon. I am really looking forward to the outcome of this show and I hope it will be on par with the wonderful performance that Mrs. Okie directed from Brigadoon.  

Gultaj

photos by Gultaj and Juliana

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directing-team-gultaj-iHrdofwIgjhDplDpFrbI.zip (29.61 MB)

photo by Mrs. Okie

Hola, my name is Ariella and I am the Set Designer and Assistant Director for our 80 Days show! Working on the set has been a rewarding experience. When I read the novel, my mind brimmed with ideas of the central theme of risk and time. I also wanted to incorporate the means of travel so prevalent in the story. What resulted is a design in which the gears in the background help us to creatively communicate our central theme and thru-line, "The risk of a lifetime," and also turn into the steering wheel of the ship or the wheel of the locomotive. Paired with these gears we have a clock hand that will become the mast from which the sail will be hoisted. Right now we are in the process of building the 18–foot revolve that will make the action and blocking a lot more exciting. Many thanks to Mr. Charles Limbach and ALL of his work to get this project accomplished!

As Assistant Director I've also been involved in directing scenes and working individually with our excellent group of actors. It has all been a lot of work, but super fun too, and I can't wait until show day!

Ariella

From left to right: Ariella, Gultaj, and Juliana

Hello Readers!

My name is Juliana and I am one of the co-directors and set designers of Around the World in 80 Days. For me this is a great opportunity because I have been in many past productions, but have never experienced the behind-the-stage toil. This time I get to see the making of a production with new eyes. When auditioning students for the cast I started to understand what a person should do in auditions to get the director’s attention. I realized how important leadership, creativity, and over exaggeration was to becoming visible in the director’s eyes. This realization will greatly help me for future auditions. As a director my job is to help block the scenes and work with the actors on character building. So far I have enjoyed this new and wonderful experience of being a director!

Juliana

My name is Kate, and I have the privilege of working as the props master for Woodstock School’s spring show, Around the World in 80 Days. I must admit, coordinating props for this show has entailed much more work than I originally expected, but it is quite a satisfying, fulfilling job. Knowing that I am helping put together this play is both exciting and daunting, but I am looking forward to the challenge. My main job as of yet has been procuring the multitude of props necessary for the show. As the characters are traveling to many different parts of the world, and subsequently meeting people of many different cultures and ethnicities, many props are needed. Although finding these worldly props has not been easy, especially in the hills here in Mussoorie, I am enjoying the challenge as I am finding myself exercising my creativity more than usual. I have greatly enjoyed shopping in the local bazaar for many of the props because I have visited shops I would normally ignore and met and spoken with many members of the local community. Overall, I am quite excited to be working as props master, and I cannot wait for everyone to have a chance to witness the final product.

See you at the show!

Kate Mieher

Lighting plays a very important job in this play, well in any play for that matter. A play without lighting would be less entertaining and very rigid. It can add dynamics and layers to a character and even to the stage. In this play, lighting is a necessity as it is used to help depict different locations in the world. The mood and emotion too can be set with lights depending on what the director wants the audience to feel at a given moment.

The process taking place right now is that we are getting to know the play and the ideas of the directing team. For us right now, we try to figure out the character’s positions and to make sure the actors are not in shadows and the shadows that are created for effect do not distract the audience. Not just that but as ideas we go around campus taking pictures of something that might catch the eye that could end up coming  in handy once we need to start with the designing.

Here are some lovely lighting effects that take place just within out school itself…

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I am excited to reveal our show poster which was created by 10th grader Phuriwat Chiraphisit (aka, Fuse).  He has done an excellent job and we cannot wait to post them all over town!

To see more photos and digital work by Fuse click HERE.

I am Nyomi and I am the House Manager for the upcoming spring play Around the World in 80 Days. My initial role involves the box office- coordinating and ensuring the smooth operation of the invitations, responses, and ticketing. Along with this, the setting up of stalls, programmes, and the seating arrangement all fall under my department. Most importantly, the House Crew is responsible for hospitality and ambience on the show day. Having a talented bunch of students in the House Crew, I am looking forward to working with them and setting up for the show. So far, things are going great! We have invited external schools to preview a performance and have already heard back from a few schools =). The Entire House Crew is looking forward to the show and hope to contribute wholeheartedly to make the show a success!

Sincerly,

Nyomi and Crew

Apurva, Armaan, Daniel, Dhananjay, DongHyun, Gan, HyunYoung, Inwook, Ishana, Istuti, Jungshi, Kheytsun, Priam, SangHyun, Stuti, Namrata, Seerat, Srishti, Filiona

photo credit: Phuriwat Chiraphisit