The Knaves Iambic

Hither, eanlings . . .
The upcoming season's play is always chosen after I know the size and makeup of the cast. Historically, new Knaves are at least 11 years old. All students are expected to have taken the Beginners' Theatre class I teach in the fall, known as The Wherefore Players. The Reading Shakespeare course offered in February/March is a deep dive into the play chosen for The Knaves Iambic to produce for the spring.  The 5-session class is designed for both the aspiring actor and the student who has no interest in acting but would enjoy studying a play with a group.

Also, attendance at the parent info meeting (5:30 pm, Oct 29) will let me know who intends to audition.  I strive to know the venue we'll be renting and the performance dates by the parent meeting so you can know if you're free to commit to the troupe.  I'll describe how the program will run this season, outline the responsibilities for the students and the families, and answer any questions.

Shakespeare's works are particularly rich and challenging material which is why we do them, but they're not for everyone. It's important for you become familiar with Shakespeare's style BEFORE joining the team.

One of my highest values has been that everyone gets to participate, so I'll continue to creatively find places for everyone who'll be an asset to the group. Students will be encouraged to understudy a part besides their own principal part. (An understudy is an actor who learns the lines and blocking of a role and is fully prepared to perform in the event of an emergency.  Understudies also fill in at rehearsals when a cast member is out sick or traveling.)  Ideally, every role will be understudied by someone else in the cast.  Everyone gains extra experience, and we can confidently plan for performances knowing all the parts will be covered. Some years we find time for an in-house performance by the understudies a couple of weeks before dress rehearsals.

For the audition at 3:00pm on the first Tuesday in December, students must 

1 - come prepared with a memorized and practiced joke or three that has a beginning, a middle and a punchline (NO knock knock jokes).  I'm looking for confidence, good diction, vocal variety, and stage presence.

2 - come prepared with a student audition form neatly filled out BY HAND. Contact me by email no later than a week prior to auditions to request this season's form.

3 - come prepared having memorized 16 lines of Puck's speech from the ending of A Midsummer Night's Dream, beginning with "If we shadows have offended" through "And Robin shall restore amends."  ***Returning Knaves*** prep a 1-minute age-appropriate non-Shakespeare monologue.

Costuming is not essential to storytelling, but the kids enjoy it, so we do it :)  
I want the students to have the freedom to interpret their characters by helping to come up with their own costumes. Mostly we pull things together from thrift stores. Costuming in Elizabethan period dress is elaborate and expensive so we may never go that route. We don't have the luxury of a permanent rehearsal/performance space to erect sets in --- we travel light --- so we try to make the actors as interesting to look at as we can.

Each actor is required to have a pair of shoes that allow for silent movement onstage.  Men's dress shoes are generally heavy, noisy, and make certain types of movement awkward.  Girls are also required to have suitable footwear, but it's easier to come by. Acquire the necessary shoes before the first January rehearsal.

No eyeglasses with lenses in them will be allowed during performance. If you can't safely see without your glasses, then it's time to get a trial pair of contacts. The audience needs to see your most expressive feature!

Parent meeting: 5:30 pm,October 29th

Auditions: 3:00 pm the first Tuesday in December
Table reading of the script: 3:00 pm the second Tuesday in December

Scansion bootcamp for new Knaves: the third Tuesday in December

Tuesday afternoon rehearsals run within the 3:00 - 6:00 pm time frame in January and February and within the 2:00 - 6:00 time frame in March and April.

Some Friday rehearsals in addition to Tuesdays will jumpstart our season in January/February. Several in-person Fridays will be reserved for make-up rehearsals in the middle months. Friday lines-runs will be scheduled via a Zoom-type platform.  Additional days will be expected for part or all of the cast during the last two weeks before performances.  Also, we may have an in-house performance by the understudies a couple of weeks before the dress rehearsal.  

Performances in the spring sometimes include a matinée.

Weekly Knaves Knotes are emailed and parents and cast members must keep themselves updated on the assignments in them. Detailed rehearsal schedules with call times are posted weekly, 5-6 days in advance. 

Any student not in or understudying scenes we're working on a given Tuesday will have the option to not come to that rehearsal. (The full cast is welcome at all rehearsals.)  I do my best to work around everyone's schedules, so if you know your family will be gone a couple of rehearsals over the course of the season I can plan for that if I know in advance.  

2024 -     The Taming of the Shrew

2023 -      Macbeth

2022 -      A Midsummer Night's (Viking) Dream

2021 -      Don't Say "Macbeth"! by Burton Bumgarner

                 The One-Word Macbeth by Dwayne Nancey

                 The Distracted Scholar's Guide to Literature and Drama by Peter Bloedel

                 We're Not Making This Play Up As We Go - Honest! by Bradley Walton

2020 -      [Henry IV, part 1]

2019 -      The Comedy of Errors

2018 -      Shakesplosion!!!

2017 -      Hamlet

2016 -      A Midsummer Night's Dream

2015 -      The Merchant of Venice

2014 -      Twelfth Night