Rehearsal Schedule for Friday, April 23

Here we, folks. Our final rehearsal. We'll have all of the Animals back AND we will be adding the orchestra.

6:00 - 7:00 - Leads report to the Gym for orchestra rehearsal/Sitzprobe. Animals report to FAC to work with Heidi and Jeff.
7:00 - 7:15 - Get into costume
7:15 - 8:15 - Run w/orchestra
8:15 - 8:30 - Get out of costume/final notes

Waves and Stephen McConnell - please report at 6:45

DEFINITE Rehearsal Schedule for Thursday, April 22

Our two big tasks tonight are to finish cleaning up musical issues AND to add sound. We will also add more of the lighting. Bring a giant bottle of patience, as you might have to share it.

Davis Burton n/a

6:00 - 7:00 - ALL PERFORMERS report to FAC to work musical problem spots. Tech crew continue work in Gym, including testing of body mikes. Leads using body mikes will be called over to Gym as necessary.
7:00 - 7:15 - get into costume (Leads, please start to use dressing area. Should be Gloucester; we will know for sure this evening)
7:15 - 8:15 - run the show
8:15 - 8:30 - notes

Rehearsal Schedule for Wednesday, April 21

PLEASE NOTICE THE CHANGES MADE TO THIS SCHEDULE SINCE THE ORIGINAL POSTING.

Everyone is sill needed 6:00 - 8:30. How we are using that time has been changed.

The first of our dress rehearsals.

Costumes will be worn. Leads please remember your footwear.
The only animals required to attend are the Youth Chorale. Optional for the rest.
We will be adding lights and possibly some of the sound equipment.

6:00 - 6:15 - Leads (including Waves)and Heidi stage curtain call in Gym
6:00 - 6:25 - Animals and Jeff warm up and review words in FAC
6:30 - 7:00 - All work musical problem spots in Gym
7:00 - 7:15 - All get into costume; stage crew needed
7:15 - 8:15 - Run show
8:15 - 8:30 - All out of costume/notes

Rehearsal Schedule for Tuesday, April 20

This is a big day for the tech crew.
Singers/Animals - stay home, rest and review your lines. Your turn is coming!

3:00 - Jim Beitmann and Brian Garber to begin hanging lights in gym
4:30 - Heidi to join them
tba - Dianne Heard arrives
David Bravo, Katie Merin and Jeff Wilbur are also possible attendees.

We will hang lights and prepare sound equipment, then run through the technical elements of the show.

We hope to be finished by 9:00 pm.

Rehearsal Schedule for Sunday, April 18

Peggy Gregg n/a
Jenny Wilbur n/a

12:30 - 2:30 Costume Run
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Gossips, Waves/Wind, Raven, Dove, Animal Groups (attendance for Animals STRONGLY encouraged)

We're in the final week, folks! Everybody take your vitamins, go to bed early and get ready for a couple of great performances.

Animals - please report to the Fine Arts Center
Leads - please report to the Gym

We Could Use Some Help With The Set

Anyone with a willing pair of hands and some time on Wednesday evening, April 14?

Jeff Wilbur and I (Heidi Hayes) will be working on the set in the gym. We could use a few extra hands.

We'll probably start around 6:30 and end by 9:00.

We'd love to see you there.

Thanks!

Rehearsal for Wednesday, April 14

4:15 - 5:15 - Animal Groups Runthrough
Carol Choir, Alleluia Choir and Youth Chorale
We will run, in order, all of the scenes that have the Animal Groups onstage. This will be the first time the Animals will experience how long they are in the ark. It might feel like 40 days, but it won't be!

Leads are welcome to join us, but are not required to be there.

We'll be in the Gym.

Don't be late!

Everything You Need To Know If You Are An Animal

Here are all of the basic stage movements for all of the animal groups. I've also included who is assigned to which group, just in case you've forgotten which group you are in.

Remember, there's one very important movement that everyone makes together, except for Group 5 (the Cats, Rats and Mice) and that is the move out of the aisles and into the ark. When do you make that move?

AFTER THE CATS, RATS AND MICE MAKE THEIR ENTRANCE DOWN THE CENTER AISLE AND HEAD RIGHT INTO THE ARK!


Group 1
Thomas Bressi Leopard
Olivia Chase Leopard
Sophia Kontra Horse
Katy McCullough Cow
Gavin McKendrick Lion (male)
Lindsay McKendrick Lion (female)
Anna Meyer Horse
Julia Udicious Dove

Entrance - House Right back doors using House Center Aisle.
Ark Position - Top of ark or back stairs of ark.
Tableau Position and Move - Stage Left of ramp. 5th group to move.
Exit - 7th (last group to leave) with Mrs. Noye (Sharon Babcock).


Group 2
Molly Cordray Sheep
Echo Gaugush Goat
Jamie Getty Sheep
Jonathan Jones Donkey
Maddie Jones Goat
Isabella Maloney Doe
Karl Meyer Buck
John Munroe Ox
Luke Preston Ox

Entrance - Stage Left room using House Right Aisle.
Ark Position - Stage Left near tree.
Tableau Position and Move - Down Stage Right; can be on steps. 3rd group to move.
Exit - 6th group to leave with Mrs. Jaffett (Jenny Wilbur).


Group 3
Grace Heard Dog
Nell Jones Fox
Callie Page Fox
Jessica Shields Otter
Gram Small Dog

Entrance - House Left back stairs using House Left Aisle. Remember, you must move to Center Aisle to get to the stage. There will not be enough room for you to move down the House Left Aisle.
Ark Position - Top of ark or back stairs of ark.
Tableau Position and Move - Stage Left of ramp. 4th group to move.
Exit - 5th group to leave with Jaffett (Andrew Burgmayer).


Group 4
Evelyn Bravo Giraffe
Davis Burton Raven
Randy Cheloha Bear
Sarah Cheloha Panda
Julia Getty Tiger
Grace Haupt Zebra
Gabrelle Kontra Elephant
Sophia Maloney Zebra
Cameron McKendrick Tiger
Jamie McKendrick Monkey
Teddy Rogers Bear

Entrance - House Right front doors using House Center Aisle.
Ark Position - Top of ark.
Tableau Position and Move - Stage Right of ramp. 6th (last) group to move.
Exit - 4th group to leave with Mrs. Ham (Virginia Small).


Group 5
All Carol Choir members Cats, Rats, & Mice

Entrance - House Right back doors using House Center Aisle. Run immediately into ark.
Ark Position - Stage Right inside of ark.
Tableau Position and Move - Stage Left stairs. 2nd group to move.
Exit - 3rd group to leave with Ham (Ben Williams).


Group 6&7
Emily Adams Wood Duck
Madeline Briddell Goldfinch
Annie Erb Pink Headed Parrot
Jill Getty Blue Cockatoo
Amelia Korfmann Hummingbird
Emily Pinsk Cardinal
Sophia Udicious Yellow Headed Parrot
Katerina Zisman Toucan

Entrance - House Left back stairs using House Center and House Right aisles. Since you are the last group, GO IMMEDIATELY TO THE ARK.
Ark Position - Inside Center of ark.
Tableau Position and Move - Down Stage Right stairs. 1st group to move.
Exit - 3 of you are the first to leave with Sem (Craig Meyer). The rest of you are the 2nd group to leave with Mrs. Sem (Lauren Meyer).

And Who Says Teenagers Don't Work?

Youth Chorale hard at work during a recent Fludde rehearsal. Wait until you seem them in the final production. They have been amazing at rehearsal!

Rehearsal Schedule for Sunday, April 11

DeAnn Clancy n/a
Peggy Gregg late
Davis Burton excused at 2:15
Julia Udicious excused at 2:30
Ben Williams excused at 2:45
Sharon and Charlie Babcock excused at 3:00

NOTICE SCHEDULE CHANGE.

11:30 - 12:30 - Gossips work music and staging
12:30 - 3:30 - Work Show in Order; Work with Sets, Costumes and Props as they are available. ALL CAST OFF BOOK

God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Gossips, Waves, Raven Dove, Animal Groups**

Gossips - costumes will be fitted at this rehearsal.

**It would be great to have any animals join us for any portion of the rehearsal, but it is not necessary.

You Mean They Sing?

Our fearless music director, Jim Batt, making sure that the right notes are being sung.

That's DeAnn Clancy (one of the Gossips), Sharon Babcock (Mrs. Noye) and Jeff Wilbur (Noye).

He Did It, No - HE Did It

That's right, point the finger at the other guy!

Ben Williams (who is singing the role of Ham) and Jeff Wilbur (who is singing the role of Noye), once again proving that rehearsals can be fun.

Rehearsals are FUN

So...I'm not a great photographer, but here's one of our BIG Waves, John Heard, taking a break before we staged the Storm scene last Sunday.

The Waves are a special feature of this production of Noye's Fludde. I'm not sure how I got the inspiration for this, but I thought it would be cool to have people represent the water. Our four Waves, Pinkie Adee, Peggy Gregg, Rick Bannon and John Heard, are doing a super job!

For The Waves

Okay, here goes Waves! This post should contain all of your stage movements.

Peggy and Pinkie will start the show in the pond. You will be sitting on a small platform just in front of the SR steps. The water fabric will be there as well; you will be sitting in/on the fabric. You will need to make sure you have the small pebbles and shells with you. You'll need them in a later scene.

The two of you can make small gentle movements throughout the entire time you are in the pond. Think a gentle breeze over a lake. It does not have to be constant.

Rick and John will start the show in the hall outside of the HR doors.

Scene 3 (the building of the ark) is the first active scene for Peggy and Pinkie. The Gossips and Mrs. Noye will come sit next to you. They will pretend to drink water, wash their hands, dip their toes, etc. You can use the fabric to cover their feet, you can lift the fabric up (as if to offer them a drink), you can even splash them! You will also hand them the shells and pebbles, as if the water is giving them presents.

This can continue through much of Scene 4 (Noye and Mrs. Noye's spat).

All 4 of you, be prepared to move at the end of Scene 4. Near the end of this scene, you will hear a long speech from God ("...40 days and 40 nights...I think thee to destroye."). Rick and John, that is your cue to enter, quickly running down the Center Aisle, shaking your wrist waves. You run to the Pond. All 4 of you quickly scare the Gossips and then quickly exit through the House Right front doors. I'll warn you that the Animals are about to enter, so leaving will be a little tricky, as the children will probably be in your way.

Scene 5 (the entrance of the animals) is next. You are not in that scene. Coffee break, but not for long!

Scene 6 is the scene where you torment the Gossips. Rick and John will enter from the HR back doors; Peggy and Pinkie will enter from the HR front doors. Your cue to enter is when Sem sings to his mother "look up and see the wind". You enter and stand in the aisles, gently swaying in place. When Sem runs into the ark and Mrs. Noye turns to sing to her Gossips, you take 1 or 2 steps toward the stage. Mrs. Noye's short solo ends "and I may save their life". The Gossips look out and you shake your wrist waves at them, making them scream.

Here, you move very slowly, one step per measure towards the Gossips. When Noye starts to sing, you stop where you are. You basically stay in this place (you can take a few steps forward) until AFTER the 3 sons have sung to their mother. When they start to move to grab her, you also slowly start to move in. Right after the Sons grab Mrs. Noye, you rush in, scaring the Gossips, grab the fabric (one of you can take it) and chase the Gossips down the Center Aisle. You exit through the HR back doors. You have time to catch your breath, but the storm is next.

Scene 7 is the storm. Everyone gets in the ark, the Humans all sing, then Noye sings. Shortly after he finishes singing, you enter - your cue is the sound of the wind in the orchestra. You'll hear a trilling in the recorders. As soon as that melody ends (it is only 4 measures long), the 4 of you enter with the fabric and come down the Center Aisle, waving the fabric. Take your time. This is a long storm.

THIS NEXT MOVE IS A CHANGE AND WE'LL HAVE TO TRY IT OUT TO SEE IF IT WILL WORK. You walk up on stage and walk in a circle in front of the ark. You all hold the fabric in front of you and do a more rhythmic movement of the fabric (I'm thinking 2 little shakes in front of you and 1 big one with arms outstretched). This continues until the Animals scream. You then exit the stage, using the SR steps. Drop the fabric at the Pond and exit down the Center Aisle.

You get a break now. Scene 8 is the Raven and the Dove. Scene 9 is God telling everyone to leave the ark.

Scene 10 is the final scene, your Rainbow scene. Listen for everyone on stage singing numerous "Alleluias". You should have the Rainbow and be ready to enter. Remember that there will be one Bell Ringer in front of you, probably Sandy Martin.

Your cue to enter this time is God saying "such vengeance shall cease". Walk slowly down the House Right aisle. John should carry the Rainbow and it should be rolled up. When you reach the front of the house, the other three start to unfurl the Rainbow. Stay there through one verse of the singing. Your cue to move is "The unwearied sun from day to day". Walk into the SL room. Gather up the Rainbow and enter the stage through the back door. Go to the top level of the ark and display the rainbow over the top railing. Stay there until the end of the opera (we might change this).

Except for your curtain call, which we will stage later, that is it! Any questions, please don't hesitate to post a comment or email me at HeidiLHayes@gmail.com. Thanks again, Waves!

Set Construction Has Begun

There's quite a bit of work getting done on Noye's Fludde on Wednesday evenings. Last Wednesday (March 3), Jeff Wilbur, David Bravo and Eli Bravo got the main set pieces onto the stage. This week the three of them started putting the pieces together.

What you are looking at is the foundation for our two-level ark. I'm not going to give you too many details, so you will keep coming back to check out the progress from week to week.

Behind the Scenes During Set Construction

You can get already get a sense of our two-level ark from this photo. Both David and Jeff are inside the ark. The level above them will be the top level (or deck) of the ark.

By the way, this is a "green" set. Most of the ark made its debut as the set for BMPC's original production of 10th & Luke a few years ago. With Jeff Wilbur's excellent design and construction work, we have been able to reconfigure and reuse the pieces to have a fantastic ark.

Rehearsal Schedule for Wednesday, April 7

THIS IS A CHANGE FROM THE ORIGINAL REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

4:15 - 6:00 - Work Scenes 5, 7, 9 and 10.
All Animals - Carol Choir, Alleluia Choir, Youth Chorale and Sunday School participants. All Leads invited.

ALL REHEARSALS ARE IN THE GYM

Rehearsal Schedule for Sunday, March 14

NOTE: We need to try costumes on all of the leads this Sunday. If at all possible, please come to the gym starting at 12:00, so we can get that accomplished before our 12:30 rehearsal. Thank you!


Staging Scenes 5 & 6

12:30 - 2:00 - Scene 6
Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Gossips, Waves (Mrs. Noye and John Heard n/a)

2:00 - 2:30 - Scene 5
Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Animal Groups**, Noye*, Gossips* (Mrs. Noye n/a)

**Animals are welcome.
* Characters are on stage, but do not sing. Best if they are at rehearsal, but not vital.

See you Sunday!

Scene 10 Staging

Scene 10, pp. 64 - 76, m. 111 - end

God tells Noye there will never be such a flood again and that the Rainbow will be the sign of this promise. The Sun, Moon and Stars appear. Everyone sings a hymn of gratitude and leaves to begin their new lives. Noye is left alone to receive God's blessing. He exits. The stage is empty. The story is told. The end.

All Humans and Animals are in the tableau from the end of Scene 9. After singing their last alleluia, each turns and hugs or acknowledges the person next to them. EVERYONE hears God's voice. This is important. Every other time God has spoken, only Noye has been able to hear him.

As God speaks, the Waves enter through the HL back doors with the Rainbow rolled up. They are led by one Bell Ringer. They walk down the HL aisle, stopping when they are at the front. They then slowly unroll the Rainbow, staying in the Left aisle. Everyone on stage sees and responds to the beauty and wonder of the Rainbow through the singing at m. 113.

THIS IS A CHANGE - The Rainbow stays in the aisle until m. 114.

At m. 114 (the words are "The unwearied sun from day to day"), the Sun is revealed above and off of SR. Everyone on stage turns to look, again with wonder and awe. The Waves then move with the Rainbow to the top level of the ark via the SL room.

At m. 115, the Moon is revealed above and off of SL. As with the Sun, all turn to look at it.

Stand or kneel and sing as beautifully and as joyfully as you possibly can through m. 118.

At m. 119, all begin to leave the stage using the Center Aisle as directed in the score (and listed below). As each group begins to sing, the human assigned to the specific Animal Group will move to the group to cue them to leave. Walk slowly down the aisle and out the HR back doors into the hallway. Don't go anywhere! You have to come back for your curtain call!

Here's the order:
Sem and Group 7
Mrs. Sem and Group 6
Ham and Group 5
Mrs. Ham and Group 4
Jaffett and Group 3
Mrs. Jaffett and Group 2
Mrs. Noye and Group 1

Noye is left on stage with the Dove. The Dove bows gracefully to Noye and runs to join the rest of the Animals.

Noye is left alone. He returns to his tree and hears God's final words. He exits using the Center Aisle, pausing to look back at the ark.

The end.

Rehearsal Schedule for Sunday, March 21

Jenny Wilbur n/a

12:30 - 1:15 Scene 7 (pp. 40 - 50, m. 67-93)
Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Waves, Animal Groups**

1:15 - 2:00 Scene 10 (pp. 64-76, m. 111 - end)
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Animal Groups**

2:00 - 2:30 - Scene 8 (pp. 50-58, m. 93-107)
Noye, Raven, Dove

**It would be great to have one leader/representative from each animal group, but it is not necessary.

Scene 9 Staging

Scene 9 is at the end of the storm, after the Raven has left and the Dove has returned. God commands Noye to take everyone out of the ark and start their lives on the earth again. On paper this looks like a simple scene. On stage, it will take some time to stage because EVERYONE is on stage!

Scene 9, pp. 58 - 64, m. 107 - 111.

As soon as God finishes his dialogue, the animals begin to leave the ark and stand on the stage and steps leading to stage. Humans, remember to assist Animals in getting out of the ark. When they have all found their designated spot, the Humans leave the ark and stand behind the Animals to sing the hymn of praise ("Lord, we thanke thee through thy mighte"). Noye and Mrs. Noye are Center Stage (CS); their Sons and Daughters-In-Law are on both sides of them. No straight lines! More of a gentle arc.

Everyone's visual focus by m. 110 (when everyone sings "Alleluia") should be the square on the back wall just about the basketball hoop. That's where God hangs out :)

That's it!

Scene 8 Staging

Scene 8, pp. 50 -58, m. 93 - 107

The storm ends. Noye sends a Raven and Dove out of the ark in search of land.

Noye, still on the top deck, looks over the railing to see that the storm has ended. He calls a Raven to his side and sends him out of the ark. The Raven descends down the side ladder. He walks to the edge of the stage (SR, by pond) and still sees the water. He then walks across the stage, looking up at Noye. Noye encourages him and the Raven leaves the stage using the SL stairs. He dances down the Center Aisle, stopping twice to look back at Noye. Noye encourages him both times. The last time the Raven waves to Noye.

The Dove moves next to Noye and pokes him. After Noye's line, the Dove uses the side ladder to get to the stage. She jetes to CS with a pose on the fermata before 102. Her dance takes her across the stage to SL steps and she runs out using Center Aisle. She gets olive branch and returns after Noye's line at 103. She runs down Center Aisle, pausing as if to look for Noye. She pauses in front of the stage and graciously waves the branch at Noye. She runs up on stage and ascends the side ladder, graciously presenting the branch to Noye and then turning away from him.

Noye sings of his joy and gratefulness.

End of scene

Scene 7 Staging

Scene 7, pp. 40 - 50, m. 67-93

Scene 7 is the STORM. As the scene begins, all of the Animals are in the ark. All of the Humans have just entered, the Sons successfully getting their mother in the ark in Scene 6. The Gossips have been scared off by the Waves.

Noye enters and with the assistance of his Sons, closes the door. At m. 69 he signals everyone to their specific places - Sem SL; Ham CS, possibly BSL, depending on need for animal crowd control; Jaffett back to the top; Mrs. Noye SL to join Animal Group 5 (cats, rats and mice). Wives go with the appropriate Husband!

At m. 70, all sing as they go to appropriate places, checking that ark is safe, animals are safe, etc. Noye moves to top level to shut window at m. 73.

IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THERE WILL A LIGHTING EFFECT AT MEASURE 73. BE READY.

At m. 75 Waves enter from back HR doors with water fabric. They slowly walk down Center Aisle, waving the fabric. Using SL steps, they go up on stage and forcefully wave the fabric (storm is more intense).

Around m. 79 - 80, Noye tries to open the upper deck window. He is thrown back by the force of the Waves. This causes the Animals and Humans on the upper deck to scream. The Animals and Humans on the lower deck hear the scream and cry "NO". Humans immediately move to closest animals to comfort them. Waves move offstage using SR steps, dropping the fabric at the pond. They exit through Center Aisle and back HR doors.

At m. 85 (second verse of hymn), Humans instruct all Animals near them to either stand or kneel, facing the front of the stage.

At. m. 86, all put a hand on the shoulder of the closest Animal or Human and look to God (square above basketball hoop at back of gym; where else does God hang out?!?!?).
When the words "O hear us when we cry to thee" are sung, all Humans reach out an arm, palm facing up, to God.

At m. 87, all begin to settle down to rest. Humans make sure all Animals are comfortable, either sitting or lying down.

The Storm subsides.

Scene 6 Staging

Scene 6, pp. 30 - 40, m. 50 - 67

This is the most complicated scene for the leads, as just about everyone is involved. Keep reading and keep your wits about you!

Noye and his sons try to convince Mrs. Noye to get into the ark. The Gossips are scared by the rising waters. First they drink, then they run.

All of the Animals, the Sons and the Daughters-In-Law are in the ark (Jaffett and Mrs. Jaffett are on the top level). Noye is just outside of the ark (SL). Mrs. Noye and the Gossips are still at their pond (SR).

Noye cross CS to Mrs. Noye. Mrs. Noye stays SR.

Noye calls to Sem, who comes out of the ark and crosses to Noye. Noye speaks to Sem and then crosses SL. Sem crosses deliberately to Mrs. Noye.

After Sem's line, "look up and see the wynde", the Waves enter from the HR doors (John and Rick back door; Peggy and Pinkie front door). They move slowly so they are just in aisles.

2 measures before m. 55 Mrs. Noye shoos Sem away. At this point, the Waves move in the aisles, about 4 feet closer to stage. Sem runs back into the ark.

At m. 55 Gossips look up at Mrs. Noye, turning out to smile as she finishes "and I may save ther life". Waves give one menacing shake of their waves, Gossips see them and scream.

At m. 56 Waves slowly (one step per measure) start to move towards Gossips. Gossips are frozen and watch them as they sing. Waves stop moving when Gossips stop singing. Gossips remain almost frozen (as little movement as possible) through Noye's line.

At m. 58 Gossips do a quick move into each other. Waves stay in place, with small menacing arm movements.

At m. 59 Jaffett sings from top of ark and then moves down to Noye.

At m. 60, the Gossips stand up and start to encourage each other to drink, still keeping an eye on the Waves. The 3 sons are CS, strategizing about how to get their mother in the ark.

At the end of their "drink, drink, drink", the Gossips do a toast up with their arms and then flop down. They drink drink drink!

Sons stand just right of CS to sing to their mother. Mrs. Noye stands and looks at them as she responds(m. 63). She turns back to her Gossips at m. 64 and the Sons sneak in behind her. After her "my gossipes, my gossipes, my gossipes", Sem puts his hands on her shoulders and turns her around (Mrs. Noye leading). Ham takes her DS wrist; Jaffett takes her US wrist. They steer her towards the ark.

AT THE SAME TIME, at m. 65, the Waves sweep in and chase the Gossips out via the Center Aisle, all exiting through the HR back doors.

Mrs. Noye must be in the doorway of the ark by "And gette thee a newe wiffe!". Sons must be behind her in the ark. Noye is SL of her outside of the ark. After the boxing of the ears, Noye delivers his next line to to audience.

See what I mean? Complex. But it will be stunning when we get it all in place.

Scene 4 Staging

This is one of my favorite scenes in Noye's Fludde. Noye and Mrs. Noye have a marital spat, showing all of us that they are truly human.

Scene 4, pp. 18 - 22, m. 27 - 33.

The Sons and Daughters-In-Law put the finishing touches on the ark throughout this entire scene. They must look like they are really working, but they must keep their movements small so they do not steal the focus of the scene from Mr. & Mrs. Noye. They are allowed to move up and down on the ark, in and out. They can speak to one another, but no stealing focus!

Mrs. Noye and the Gossips are seated on the SR stairs, enjoying the 2 Waves and the Pond. The Gossips must also be careful not to steal focus. They can chat to each other, put their toes in the water, have a drink of water, take a nap, but do not steal focus!

Noye moves slightly R of CS to speak to Mrs. Noye. He does not go all the way to her. Mrs. Noye stays seated for her first line. She stands after her "By Christe!" at m. 28. Noye turns away 4 measures later ("Lorde, that wemen be crabbed aye"). Mrs. Noye crosses to Noye after "daye and stare, daye and stare". They end CS, looking at each other with a great deal of venom in their eyes.

The low F octaves 1 measure before 30 tell Noye that God is wanting to speak to him. He stares out and listens. As he does this, Mrs. Noye continues to talk to him, crosses behind him to putting her hand in front of his face to get his attention (which fails), becomes concerned (perhaps he is really ill), turns to see her Sons at work, gets frustrated, gives up and crosses back to join the Gossips.

Noye is shocked at God's anger and realizes he must get everyone moving. At m. 31, he commands everyone, including the Gossips to get going. At this point, 2 of the Waves come running down the House Center aisle. They give one strong shake of their wrist waves, get the 2 Waves from the pond and all 4 Waves rush out, through any entrance.

Everyone - Sons, Daughters-In-Law and Gossips are surprised and frightened by the Waves, and by Noye's insistence on action.

The Animals should be in place, as their entrance is next.

That's it!

Scene 1 Staging

Scene 1 pp. 1 - 6, beginning to m. 8

The story begins. We meet Noye and hear God begin to give his commands to Noye.

Preset before the scene begins are 2 of the Waves (Peggy and Pinkie) as part of the Pond.

The story starts with the congregation singing a hymn. During the hymn, Noye enters using the Center Aisle. He stops at his tree, as if preparing for another day of work. God's voice shakes him out of his daily routine. As Noye and God speak together at m. 5, Noye starts to take down the masking that hides the ark.

At m. 7, Noye calls out SL to his sons and their wives.

End of scene!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Ah, Monday. The beginning of the work week for most of us. Two of our co-producers also went to work this past Monday morning. Linda Bressi and Kiki McKendrick, along with Gabi Bressi, spent the morning with the animals. Not their children! The animal costumes. We've got some pretty amazing costumes for this production, which were used for a previous production of Fludde at BMPC. I stopped over to see what was going on and remembered to take some photos.

We've got an Elephant.

What's this? One of the Cats! All of the cats, rats and mice will be performed by the Carol Choir. Their fearless leader, Sandy Martin, has their costumes all ready to go. They will be assigned their official parts at rehearsal on Wednesday, March 10.


Gabi kindly put on a Bird headpiece for me.


Finally, Linda and Kiki, in the midst of the Animal Census.











Aren't these great? Thanks to all who made them back in the 90s and thanks to those who stored them so well. Most are in excellent condition and ready to go.

Rehearsal for Sunday, March 7

We'll be in the Gym this week. Here's what's happening:

12:30 - 1:30 - Staging Scene 9
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Animal Groups**
1:30 - 2:00 - Staging Scene 4
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Waves, Sem*, Ham*, Jaffett*, Mrs. Sem*, Mrs. Ham*, Mrs. Jaffett*, Gossips*
2:00 - 2:30 - Staging Scene 1
God, Noye

*Characters are on stage, do not sing, but might have staging. It is best if they are at rehearsal, but it is not absolutely vital.
**It would be great to have any animals join us that would like to, but it is definitely not necessary.

Please let Kiki McKendrick (kikimc@verizon.net) or Heidi Hayes (HeidiLHayes@gmail.com) know if you cannot be at rehearsal. Thanks!

I Wanna Be A Producer

Then you have to talk to David Bravo, Kiki McKendrick and Linda Bressi, as each one of them agreed earlier this week to be co-producers for the Fludde.

So what does a producer do, anyway? The short answer - they are the people behind the scenes who take care of all the nitty-gritty details that the audience never sees, and I mean ALL the details. They work tirelessly to make sure the costumes fit, the set is built, the rehearsals are happening, the tickets are being sold - you get the idea. It is a commitment that doesn't end until the curtain drops on the final performance. Some would call it a thankless job, but let's not let that happen. The next time you see David, Kiki or Linda, make sure to say THANK YOU for the hours and energy they have already given and will continue to give over the next couple of months to Noye's Fludde.

Scene 5 Staging

Our first staging rehearsal was so efficient that we were able to block the leads into an extra scene. Way to go!

Scene 5 pp. 23-30, m. 33-50

Movement for leads is rather simple. They stand on the stage and respond as the animals approach from their various points of entry. Again, each person has their own individual response. Some are amazed, some are surprised, perhaps Noye is grateful. Some might move out to get a closer look at the animals, but they must do this when they are not singing. Mrs. Noye can't believe this! Another hair-brained idea from her husband! She has to have another drink and laugh with her Gossips. Mrs. Noye and Gossips will probably have to move off of the steps, but stay by the pond.

Each Animal Group has a specific point of entry. They will move as a group down specified aisles. They will move slowly, stopping to look at the people in the audience. They will also stop moving to sing. Their initial movement should get them into the audience. They will stay in the aisles, looking at the audience members (as if the audience is in a zoo).

Good chance there will be changes, particularly with the timing of the entrances, but here's where we start:

Group 1 enters 2 measures before m. 33 through the HR (House Right) back door. They will come down the center aisle.

Group 2 enters 2 measures before m. 35 from the SL (Stage Left) room. This means they will spend the first part of each performance in the SL room. They will come down the HR aisle.

Group 3 enters 2 measures before m. 37 from the HL back steps. They will come down the HL aisle.

Group 4 enters 2 measures before m. 39 from the HR front door. They will go up the center aisle.

Group 5 enters 2 measures before m. 41 from the HR back door. Since these are the mice, rats and cats, all of the other animals get out of the way, as if they are afraid of them. The humans might also be afraid, some might find it humorous that the larger animals are afraid of the smaller animals. GROUP 5 RUNS UP THE CENTER AISLE, STOPS AT A POINT TBD IN REHEARSALS TO SING THEIR KYRIES, AND THEN RUNS IMMEDIATELY INTO THE ARK. Sem, Ham and Jaffett assist them with their movement into the ark.

The other animals begin to move toward the stage to get into the ark. All stairs may be used.

Groups 6 and 7 enter 2 measures before m. 43 from the HL back steps. Depending on their comfort with movement and singing and the general movement of the rest of the animals (are most of them in the ark already?), I would like them to swoop down all 3 aisles, ending at the front of the stage in a group to sing their Kyries. They will then immediately enter the ark.

M. 45 - 46 is the final chance for all of the animals to get in the ark. Noye, Noye's Sons and Wives all assist the animals, making sure they are comfortable. Mrs. Noye and her Gossips are incredulous, next to their pond.

End of Scene 5.

Rehearsal Schedule

All rehearsals are in the Gym, unless noted


Sunday, Feb. 28
12:30 – 1:30 – Scene 2
Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Mrs. Noye, Gossips

1:30 – 2:30 – Scene 3
Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Mrs. Noye,* Gossips*


Sunday, March 7
12:30 – 1:00 – Scene 9
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Animal Groups**

1:00 – 2:00 – Scene 4
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Waves, Sem*, Ham*, Jaffett*, Mrs. Sem*, Mrs. Ham*, Mrs. Jaffett*, Gossips*

2:00 – 2:30 – Scene 1
God, Noye


Sunday, March 14
12:30 – 2:00 – Scene 6
Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Gossips, Waves

2:00 – 2:30 – Scene 5
Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Animal Groups**, Noye*, Mrs. Noye*, Gossips*


Wednesday, March 17
4:20 - 4:35 - Stage Scenes 5 and 9
Carol Choir Animal Groups

4:35 - 5:00 - Stage Scenes 5 and 9
Alleluia Choir Animal Groups

7:00 - 7:30 - Stage Scenes 5 and 9
Youth Chorale Animal Groups


Sunday, March 21
12:30 – 1:15 – Scene 7
Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Waves/Wind, Animal Groups**

1:15 – 2:00 – Scene 10
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Animal Groups**

2:00 – 2:30 – Scene 8
Noye, Raven, Dove


Wednesday, March 24
4:20 - 4:35 - Stage Scenes 7 and 10
Carol Choir Animal Groups

4:35 - 5:00 - Stage Scenes 7 and 10
Alleluia Choir Animal Groups

7:00 - 7:30 - Stage Scenes 7 and 10
Youth Chorale Animal Groups


Sunday, March 28
possible this will be cancelled or rescheduled
12:30 – 2:30 – Stumble Thru
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Gossips, Waves/Wind, Raven, Dove, Animal Groups**


Sunday, April 4
Easter – No Rehearsal


Wednesday, April 7
4:20 - 5:00 - Review all staging
Carol and Alleluia Choirs Animal Groups

6:45 - 7:30 - Review all staging
Youth Chorale Animal Groups


Sunday, April 11
ALL CAST OFF BOOK
12:30 – 2:30 – Work Show in Order; Work with Set and Costumes that are available
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Gossips, Waves/Wind, Raven, Dove, Animal Groups**


Wednesday, April 14
4:20 - 5:00 - Review all staging
Carol and Alleluia Choirs Animal Groups

6:45 - 7:30 - Review all staging
Youth Chorale Animal Groups


Sunday, April 18
12:30 – 2:30 – Costume Run
God, Noye, Mrs. Noye, Sem, Ham, Jaffett, Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham, Mrs. Jaffett, Gossips, Waves/Wind, Raven, Dove, Animal Groups (attendance for Animals STRONGLY encouraged)


Wednesday, April 21
6:00 – 8:30 – Full Cast Dress Rehearsal
Optional for littlest cast members

Thursday, April 22
6:00 – 8:30 – Full Cast Dress Rehearsal
Optional for littlest cast members

Friday, April 23
6:00 – 8:30 – Mandatory Full Cast Dress Rehearsal

Saturday, April 24
6:00 - Call
7:00 Performance #1

Sunday, April 25
3:00 - Call
4:00 - Performance #2


*Characters are on stage, do not sing, but might have staging. Best if they are at rehearsal, but not absolutely vital.

**It would be great to have one leader/representative from each animal group at these rehearsals.

The First Worker Bees

Were Naomi Maloney and Kara Udicious. They volunteered immediately at a choir parents' meeting on February 3 to assist with props. 2 weeks later, we found ourselves in a secret location at BMPC, climbing on chairs, hauling down set pieces (from previous BMPC productions, banging our heads and hands on pipes to find ----

TA DA

a Rainbow. Yup, can't do Noye's Fludde without a Rainbow.

Thanks for being first, Naomi and Kara!

Surprise!

We changed the performance venue.

After a Thursday morning meeting and a couple of phone calls, the production team decided to move the performances out of the Sanctuary and into the Gym.

This means we can rehearse in our actual performance space, which is a huge asset. We can also set up the scenery (read - the ARK) much sooner and start to work with it sooner. Since we are using a 2-level ark, this will be incredibly helpful.

Another positive is that the Gym is a smaller space than the Sanctuary. Sight lines should be better for the audience. Also, it will be easier to fill the house and performing to a full house is always better!

The only possible negative we could think of is the sound issue. Being a Gym, it is a pretty resonant place. However, the positives were so strong, we decided we could work with this.

Scene 3 Staging

General Staging for Scene 3(pp. 13 - 18), m. 18 - 27

Mrs. Noye and her Gossips sit SR, relaxing and enjoying a tiny bit of drink. They will have the pond/Waves to enjoy.

The others begin to build the ark. Throughout this scene, there is movement and work, BUT everyone stops wherever they are to sing the "at the coming of the fludde", etc., which comes at the end of each phrase. Do not worry about facing the audience, you should be frozen in action. There's one exception. Read on.

At M. 18, the Sons and Wives listen to Noye. First, he removes the masking from the ark. At M. 19, he motions them to work. Sem, Ham and Jaffett cross SR (behind Noye) to pick up boards. The Wives cross SL to pick up boards.

THIS NEXT DIRECTION IS A CHANGE FROM WHAT WE BLOCKED AT REHEARSAL:

At M. 20, Noye motions to(or moves toward) the tree trunk which is SL. Sons and Wives continue to put boards in place.

At M. 21, the Wives move to the second level of the ark and begin to work there. The Stagehands will probably join them. The Sons continue to work on the lower level. This continues through M. 25.

At M. 25, everyone stops working and faces front to sing the final "at the coming of the fludde". Each individual is thinking what this means to them as an individual. Some are scared, some are confident, some are questioning. We see this emotion on their faces.

End of Scene 3.

Scene 2 Staging

General Staging for Scene 2 (pp. 6-13, m. 8 - 18)

In this scene, we meet Noye's Sons (Sem, Ham & Jaffett) and their Wives (Mrs. Sem, Mrs. Ham and Mrs.Jaffett) We also meet Mrs Noye and her friends, known as The Gossips.

The Sons and Wives enter from the House Left door closest to the stage, hereafter known as HL front door. Each individual should enter at the time noted in the score and with the prop that is mentioned. The basic movement is that each enters, comes to Noye and shows him the tool and/or idea they have to help with building and continues to sing to their respective partner and the others.

We discussed character ideas - how will you enter? Are you running, walking, skipping? All of you want to help Noye, but you might have different ways of showing that.

At M. 13 (bottom of p. 10), Mrs. Noye and Gossips enter from the HL back door. The Gossips are carrying 2 bunches of kindling and one wooden flask. They walk through the audience, initially not noticing what is happening on stage. When they are halfway through the audience, Mrs. Noye notices her family and her mood changes. The entire group must be Stage Right (hereafter known as SR) on the floor by M. 15. Mrs Noye walks up the steps, carrying one small twig to tease Noye with. The Gossips stay off the stage (there's a good chance there will be a SR platform that they will stand on). At M. 16, Mrs. Noye torments Noye a bit and the Gossips move into the SR stairs. Mrs. Noye then crosses to join the Gossips. They need to be there by M. 18.

End of Scene 2!

Taking The Plunge

Welcome to Creating The Fludde. This blog was created to be an online meeting place for Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church's April 2010 production of Noye's Fludde. Many people are already involved in this production and more are coming on board. As the stage director, it is my intention that this blog will keep all of us on the same page, in the loop, knowing what is going on with the many aspects of this production.

We had our first staging rehearsal today. After the hours of discussing and planning, it certainly felt good to get started. There was so much enthusiasm in the room, and, true to form, the wonderful talent pool of Bryn Mawr Pres. is already at work.

I'll try to post the general staging after each rehearsal. I'm hoping those who couldn't be at rehearsal can use this for basic ideas of the staging. For those who were at the rehearsal, I hope it will be a resource to remember what we did.

To keep this easier to use, I'll post the staging for every scene in a separate post.

Some housekeeping, particularly for those who have solo roles:

Everyone should have a copy of the rehearsal schedule, as well as the character and scene breakdown. I'll post those to the blog as well.

I've really tried to make the rehearsals as minimal and organized as possible, so please do your best to be there. If you absolutely must miss rehearsal, please let me know as soon as you can. You can reach me at: HeidiLHayes@gmail.com or at 610-574-8605. The sooner I know, the better.

The focus of these rehearsals is staging, not music. We'll stumble through with scores in hand initially, so don't worry if you don't know your music perfectly yet.

Our first rehearsal was in the Fine Arts Center, but all other rehearsals will be in the Gym.