"The summer still doth tend upon my state"

Happy Midsummer!! Yesterday was the true beginning of Summer, as well as the Summer Solstice for us here in the Northern Hemisphere!! We are coming up fast on August, which will begin our Shakespeare Camp!! As of last Friday, we should all have up to at least three-fourths of our lines memorized, and in the upcoming weeks, we should all be working out our costumes as well as the settings.

I hope you can keep up with us all!! I can't wait to see what fun we'll have during Shakespeare Camp!!

"Is't enough, is't enough?"

If anybody has an advertisement they wish to submit to the "Globe Newsletter," please feel free to leave it in the comments below or send it to me in a message. Anything goes, from advertising the tragedy and mirth of Pyramus and Thisbe to putting out a search for a purple love flower near a river. Thanks!!

"Draw a bill of props, such as our play wants"

Props are an essential part of any play. We use them on the stage to elaborate on our actions and detail the story in tiny ways. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from scrolls to baskets and masks to swords. Props give an element beyond anything costumes and setting can provide; the element of interaction.

Now as with our costuming, our policy for props has been "if you use it, you bring it." The props don't have to be anything too fancy; simply something manageable that you can work with to elaborate or suggest.

The most difficult aspect of props is their maintenance and management. We're carrying props back and forth between either side of the stage, dropping them here and throwing them there. We have tables on both sides of the stage for storing our props, but more often than not, we're careless with keeping our props arranged and organized, especially during the moment to moment stress that is the performance night.

As a general announcement and with few exceptions, all props must be brought and placed on our prop tables by the first and second days of Shakespeare Camp!! It makes it much easier to manage the stage if the props that are so often littered about have designated areas to store them. Bringing them earlier in the week gives us more time to find a space for it on our tables. If you fail to maintain your props, it's not our responsibility to find it for you, especially when you find yourself running around searching for it during our last rehearsals!!

If you're hoping to bring a prop with you, especially one that is particularly large, please leave a comment, discussing the object in depth. It may be useful to check out what others are bringing, especially if you're in an opposite cast, since you may be able to borrow it during your performance. (There is no since in having two enchanted flowers on our prop table!!)

"Who is here? Weeds of Athens he doth wear"

As of last Friday, the costuming for the afternoon cast has finally been decided. There was a lot of discussion, with quite a bit of argument as to how we should theme the costumes. Many of us wanted near authentic greek clothing, while many others wanted the more traditional costuming that we usually do year by year. There was also a lot of consideration put into how the fairies should be costumed and coordinated. Although most of the specifics remain undesignated, most of the more broad decisions for costuming have been decided and assigned.

{(Please keep in mind that these are the costuming desicions for the afternoon cast, which have nothing to do with the costuming for the morning cast. If you are wondering as to what the morning cast will be wearing, check out this blogpost published a couple of months ago by Coach McPherson. Thanks!!)}

"Enough; hold or cut bowstrings."

For those of you who will be attending our next partial performance, please be sure to bring your script and your pen, as we'll be marking up the exits and entrances for both the morning and afternoon casts!! (It'll be your responsibilities to listen up and scribble down fast!!)