aapplegate1's Blog

Tuesday- Sucky sucky week. I am going through way too much emotional stress than healthy for a a student that already has enough stress related to school work. But today was actually a good day. Yesterday wasn’t, but today I felt a lot better in Theatre class. And I think it was because I was actually really prepared for the presentation today. I had gone out and bought two foam boards, and has spent an hour or two printing out the pictures of the stock characters and gluing them onto the boards. And I had done a lot of research on the characters, too. I went through all my research and wrote down little facts about all the characters that I would be able to remember when I was up and presenting. And I felt really comfortable while I was presenting. I think I did really well, but as for my partners… Well I had worked as hard as I could to get Midly to actually cooperate, but she’s very stubborn. At first, she was just messing around with me, making me think she had done absolutely nothing to prepare, but, in fact, she had made a powerpoint. Well, good for her. And although we had bit of a scuffle before the presentation about her being the first to talk about Commedia de’ll arte, she did very well. Well, I mean, except for when she didn’t really know anything that wasn’t on the powerpoint. But I had gone through all of her research and told her what she didn’t need to talk about, and what she needed to emphasize so that she understood what her part was in the project. And then Jelise was pretty prepared, too. But I think she was a little nervous, and so her voice was very small, and shy. So when it go to to my time to present the characters, I tried very hard to make sure I was following the rubric. And I feel very good about myself, but I’m afraid when it came to my partners, there’s nothing I could do to encourage them to work a little harder.

Also, we worked on the 10 minute play. I’m partnered with Oleg, which isn’t as bad as I thought. We really liked Ian’s idea of changing an event and mixing up the whole thing, and we thought of a pretty good idea. I mentioned the little kid’s book The Three Little Pigs, and Oleg had no idea what I was talking about. So we went online and researched it and then he recognized the story line. And I think what we’re going to do is reenact that, but with a little twist. First of all, we’re going to make it present day, and we’re going to make it humans instead of pigs. And the event that we’re going to change is going to be when the “wolf” goes to the first “little pig’s” house, he’s going to kill that “little pig” first, and the other two are going to turn around and seek revenge. But there’s a twist at the end that I think is going to be really good. And there’s going to be some hidden comic throughout the whole play, but we’re going to make it as dramatic as we possibly can, because I don’t want it to seem like a comedy to the audience. So we’re going to work more on that next class, and I’m pretty confident in our idea.

Thursday- Today has been really good. I feel so productive! It’s weird, but I think it might be the affirmations. I mean, I feel so much lighter, and I try to look at those affirmations as often as I can remember to. I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but I’m trying to work very hard this quarter. Which is very difficult for me, I’m usually too tired and sick of school by the last quarter that I’m ready to give up. I usually procrastinate with everything. Which brings me to my next topic: the RI. Complete procrastination. I haven’t started the rough draft quite yet, but I feel pretty comfortable with my topic. Especially more so than the Kabuki topic or the Bunraku topic. I really do enjoy learning about the Morality plays, and I am interested in the concept. And I have a kind of mental outline for how I’m going to structure my paper. I just need to sit down and put words to paper. But I’m going to finish printing out all my sources and spend tomorrow highlighting useful information for my question. So shall we move on to today in Theatre? We began the class with Schuyler’s presentation. He was all by himself, and I was really impressed that he had known all of those facts on Noh Theatre. And I was really trying to pay attention to the information, but this japanese theatre really doesn’t catch my interest. Although, I do remember that the ultimate prop is the fan. And there’s something about the pine tree, and that there’s not really one specific significance for it being the background. And I learned that there are 5 categories, and only 4 roles. And I think a couple of the roles have divisions in them too. Like the Shite. But anyways, after we finished Schuyler’s presentation, we moved on to work on the 10 minute plays. Oleg and I made copies of the character concept sheets that we need to fill out and I started designing the set. And Koller gave us some suggestions on what kind of genre we should do. He suggested Black Comedy and Grand Guicore or something like that. I have it written down, I just don’t feel like going to go look it up right now. But I think Oleg and I are going to research those genres and then use that information to incorporate those elements into our play. But I have to keep in mind that it’s only 10 minutes. That might be a little difficult. Now that I think about it, our play is a lot like Sameer’s monologue in the beginning of the year. How it was really dramatic and then at the end it was kind of like a comic relief kind of thing. But we’re going to have some kinds of comic relief in our play. But then again, it has to have a resolution, and I’m not sure what ours would be…? I think me and Oleg still need to brainstorm.

I am now starting my Affirmations Journal:

Saturday- I’m trying to understand this task, but I’m a little confused. What exactly is it that I’m accepting? And what does my “creativity” mean? I feel like there could be so many things that this could be. I suppose I’m going to find out this week, though. So I chose my five affirmations, the ones that seemed most straightforward to me: I am a good person and a good artist, My creativity is appreciated, I now treat myself and my creativity more gently, I now share my creativity more openly, and I now accept hope. I wrote them all down in my planner, at the top of this upcoming week, so that I will be able to see them every time I look at my planner. Which is very often, by the way. So for today, I think I’m starting to understand the hope one. I definitely felt a lot more relaxed today, probably because of the different kind of people I was around. But I tried to “accept hope” and I think it worked a little. Also, right now, I’m trying to tackle some homework, and I think I’m getting a lot more done than I would have because I am so relaxed. Maybe that’s part of the “gentle” affirmation? Am I applying some gentleness to my creativity? Maybe.

Sunday- Today has sucked. It’s been a really bad day, not exactly the lazy Sunday I was hoping for. Eventually, I read over the affirmations, but nothing really happened. And I think that’s more my fault. Just because I have the affirmations there, doesn’t mean they’re just going to start working. I know I need to actually apply them to my everyday life, not just expect them to happen. So I think I’m going to try a fresh start tomorrow, after I’ve had a little sleep, and really really try to accept the affirmations.

Monday- Okay, I’m either not understanding this little experiment, or it’s just not working. Or maybe I just don’t believe in it. Yeah, that would probably do it, because this week hasn’t been that great at all, and I could really use some cheering up. And I want to believe in these affirmations, but it’s getting hard to do that. Maybe it’s the affirmations that I chose, that just don’t make sense. But today has been sucking until I got home from school, and maybe it’s just because I’m not looking at them often enough? Hm, well, I’ll just try to look at them more from now on.

Tuesday- So my boyfriend spilled water all over my planner and I can hardly read my affirmations. Splendid. That can’t be a good sign, can it? But actually, today has been a good day, until tonight. I don’t know if it was the affirmations, but I was feeling a lot better about myself than I have recently. And when I look over my affirmations now, I noticed some things that were definitely different about me today that might be relevant to these affirmations. For example, “I now share more openly” is an affirmation that I can control myself. I can be more involved, and don’t hold back as much as I usually do. Well, in some circumstances, because holding my tongue has definitely saved my ass at some points. And the “my creativity is appreciated”? I think that one is really getting to me today, because I’ve been feeling very unappreciated with certain people recently. And I still do, nothing has changed, but I’ve come to accept that I can’t force them to appreciate me, so I need to stop trying. And perhaps accept other people’s appreciation for me, instead of becoming depressed that I’m not receiving it from these certain ones. Let’s just say I’ve had a very emotional week this week, and I could really use a very long nap.

Wednesday- Today was pretty good, kind of just an average day. But I tried to really focus on looking at the affirmations whenever I could. And I suppose it might have been what made my day a little better, but I don’t know for sure. However, one thing that I did notice as a huge step for me was officially accepting the “I now share more openly”. I see that as a way of becoming more open with my personality toward everyone, and that’s definitely a challenge for me because I am a very closed off girl, and I do not let people see me for who I am very often. And when I do, it’s very cautiously. But this morning I kind of opened up to one of my closest friends who I’ve been having a lot of trouble with recently. I’ve been hurt numerous times by this person, and I’m not going to get into the specifics, but it is something that has changed me significantly. And I think this person has been one of the main reasons why I’m so shielded, but I confronted her this morning. And I, well, kind of opened myself up to her. I felt vulnerable, and I didn’t like it. But her reply made me really happy. It was definitely a change, knowing that by opening up allowed me to take a risk like that and ended in a positive way. Perhaps this means I’m going to be more open from now on? Isn’t that what these affirmations are for?

Thursday- Today has been really really good. And I don’t know why! My deadlines and my exams are getting ever closer with each day, but each day, I seem to feel so much lighter and less stressed. But shouldn’t I be getting even more stressed? And I don’t want to say that it’s just because of these affirmations, but perhaps they’re having an effect on me that I’m not conscience of. Because I would like to say that my lighter moods is due to my productivity the past few days. I’ve been getting a lot done, and I feel a lot more comfortable with the exams coming up. But maybe my productivity has to do with the affirmations? I mean, I’m looking at them at regular intervals, and I try to interpret them in my head, but I’m not aware of any changes. Well, except for what happened yesterday. That was definitely an outbreak. But I suppose I do feel a lot better about myself, and I’m for sure appreciating my work. And those are two of my affirmations. And I’m feeling a lot less doomed about the upcoming deadlines, that’s hope, right? However, I really have no idea what “treating my creativity more gently” means. But yes, I’m kind of enjoying this little experiment.

Friday- Today was the last day for this little experiment, so I’m really going to focus on my reflection. When I first got the email, it all sounded like BS, and I really didn’t have that much faith in it. The concept was that by repeating these affirmations, my life would start to reflect them, and maybe cause myself to believe they are true, and, thus, producing positive effects. Personally, I don’t really believe in that kind of thing, and I think that in order to really do this assignment, you have to let yourself give it a chance. So that’s what I did. The first few days I was skeptical, I really doubted that there was going to be any change in my lifestyle by looking at those affirmations. And I really didn’t notice anything until Tuesday. And even now I will admit, there has been some kind of improvement in my attitude this week. In the beginning of the week, I felt very tired and exhausted, and, although I feel very tired and exhausted now, I have been feeling very aware and productive. I’ve been trying to focus on one thing at a time, and to balance all my work so that I don’t become overwhelmed. And to be honest, I still don’t know whether that is because of the affirmations. It’s something that I can only guess at. But not only has my attitude changed, but I’ve had a lot of realizations about myself and about what I refuse to admit. I think that might be the more “share openly” and maybe some of the “creativity is appreciated” and possibly even the “good person” part. But I have realized a lot about myself, that someone who is very close to me has been trying to point out for months. And it’s been hard, because this realization is one of the most difficult things for me to let go. And I don’t know if I will be able to now that I’m aware of it, and now that I have admitted to it. But this week has definitely been changing for me. And I would like to say that these affirmations might have had a lot to do with that. Because I’m going through a really emotional time right now in my life, and I believe these affirmations will only be able to help me. I know this sounds really cheesy, but I don’t really know how else to explain it.

* And speaking of reflecting, I watched Sweeney Todd tonight with my boyfriend because he had never seen it. And, I must have gotten so annoying, I could not stop telling him all about the play, and how we built the set, and how much difficulty I had with certain scenes and the mics. Oh, everything just came back to me tonight, and I really miss Sweeney Todd. I’ve been telling him over and over again that he should have seen the play, and I’m hoping to maybe get some footage from TV Production to bring home and show him, because he has to see how we made it soo much better than the movie

Monday- Today we did an interesting exercise that was supposed to make us consider any negative effects that are caused directly or indirectly by alcohol, drugs, sex, money, food, family, friends, and work. I had to write 5 negative effects for drugs, sex, family, money, and then I had to write 15 effects for friends. However, I found quite a few negative things from my friends. I noticed that this exercise kind of depressed me out because it made me really think about the situation that my two best friends are in right now. It was definitely difficult to write it all out, but it did the job that Koller wanted it to do. It made me realize alot about my friends, both positive and negative aspects. However, I realized that I was thinking more bad things than good things. Which I find very interesting. Also, I had to write 5 negative consequences from sex, money, drugs, and family. I couldn’t really think of much for money, because I’ve never had a serious problem with money in my life. However, I could see that money made me greedy, and also people always came to me for money because I had always been the one to save it. That was definitely a downfall. Sex and drugs really brought insight for me too. I’ve realized how scared I am for some of my closest friends who are being sucked into the drug/ sex life, and it’s been on the back of my mind now for a long time. However, the only negative impacts I could think of for family was pressure, mainly academically, and even that is very minimal. I’ve always had a very supportive family, who have always been there for me. And I’m lucky to have the family I have, and I realize that. When I look at other families, they’re not quite as stable as mine is, and I’m only just now starting to appreciate it. This exercise was really interesting for me to think about, I noticed that I had been sitting far from everyone else, and I wasn’t really joking about what I was going to write. Probably because I was taking it literally and it was really bumming me out because of how these things in my life are affecting me, but I cannot control them.

Wednesday- Today we did presentations. And, of course, I went first. I had printed out a picture of books, and talked about how academics were important to me. I was unsure of what I was going to say, but when I really thought about it, I really wouldn’t be able to be the person I am today without that motivation I have for academics. I’ve always considered myself a nerd, something I wasn’t particularly proud of in middle school, and something I don’t brag about now. But I am self-confident in my knowledge. And even sometimes I can be a little senseless when it comes to the most obvious things, but I do find myself very hard working and focused. I have noticed, especially recently (maybe because of the exercise on monday), that I’m very different from my group of friends that I hangout with every day after school. These friends don’t take school seriously, they don’t take learning seriously, they really don’t even take life seriously. And this has been a hard realization for me to accept, because they are some of my closest friends, that I have known since I was little, and they have been with me my entire life. It’s been hard to see that they lost their way of life, their motivation to do better. And I hate that I cannot help them, but it did make me realize how thankful I am for my outlook on education and life. Also, Morgan, Oleg, and Sameer presented their group presentation. And I’m starting to regret joining a group with Jelise and Midly. They are my friends, but I don’t think they’re going to take this project as seriously as it needs to be taken. Reminder: Join up with a group who will take things seriously like me. Still, I’m going to do as much as I can to convince Jelise and Midly to really work on this, and then all I can do is make sure my part of the presentation is the best I can do. I am in charge of getting the class to participate, and I think that what I’m going to do is present some of the most famous plays in Commedia de’ll arte and introduce this to the class. I’m going to point out the characteristics of the genre, and hopefully, I will be able to find a play that I can get the entire class to participate in. After all, we do have the masks, and I’m hoping this will give a full understanding of the theatre genre to the rest of the class, since that is the goal of the project. There’s alot of work ahead.

Friday- The weekend is finally here. I’ve been anticipating this day, and I’ve been dreading it. It’s finally a rest from the school week, but it’s just one step closer to more deadlines and exams. Today, we were mainly focused on Nicole, Alex, and Ian. They presented their theatre genre: theatre of the absurd. The way they explained it made me think that it actually sounded pretty interesting. How it’s mainly about the meaningless of life, and the characteristics like how the most random things are mentioned and how there’s absolutely no point to the conversation. I really liked how they got us all to participate by giving us those examples and we had to choose the ones from absurdism. It gave me some ideas of what I might do for my part of our presentation. Also, after we listened to their presentation, we were given a new project. We have to write a play. We’re in partners, I get Oleg, of course. And we liked Ian’s idea of maybe changing some significant event in a common play and changing the whole plot around just by that one little event. Oleg liked it too, so our homework for the weekend is to think about a pretty well known play that the class would be recognizable, and then change the main event that starts the plot, and twist it all around. Looking forward to it. I was thinking that if we were to use a specific genre, we should do something we haven’t really gone over yet. I believe doing something like that would help us prepare for the IB assessments, maybe not only having a background knowledge of different types of theatre, but also completing projects pertaining to that genre. Oh, and good news: Midly and Jelise are taking the presentation seriously. It scared me for a while there, but they did look up a lot of information and they had it all ready today, now they just have to organize their information and decide how they’re going to present it. I think this should be interesting, because we’re next class.

It’s the last week before the quarter ends, so I’m starting to feel the pressure. These last couple of months are going to be pretty hard, what with IB exams, edison classes, my SAT prep classes, and all the schoolwork that’s going to be due in the last quarter of the year. I’m just really looking forward the spring break.

On Monday, Mr. Koller assigned us to put away the rest of the Anne Frank stuff. We disassembled the attic, and that was pretty much all we had to do. I didn’t realize that we weren’t going to put on the play until this moment. I was relieved to find out this small piece of information.

On Wednesday, we discussed doing our projects that were assigned during the summer. Now we have to join up in groups and choose which topic we wanted to present to the class. Mr. Koller told us to spend the class period making an outline for what we were going to do. Midly, Jelise, and I are in a group, and we’re going to go with Commedia dell’arte. We’re going to research the history, the region, the characteristics, etc. and present this information to the class. Also, I think it might help the class to better understand the concept by inviting them to join by interacting with the masks and characters. I was thinking finding a play and having the class choose their characters and we could act out the scene.

On Friday, we discussed the RIs. I have no clue what I want to do for my topic, so now I need to find a new topic, research question, sources, and write the actual paper. Sounds easy, right? I’m depending on the break to help me do enough research and really put me in the right position to start the paper. I really want to do well on this, so that my Senior year will be a little less stressful. I swear, these assessments are going to be the end of me.

This week was long. It was a full 5 day week, compared to last week when I only went in on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. So by Tuesday, I was already sick of school. Fortunately, in Theatre we were only finishing up the play, “Sunday in the Park with George”. The second act was George’s great grandson, George. And, how convenient, it was the same actor. Also, his grandmother Marie was played by George’s mistress from Act I. And the setting was completely different. It was 1984, and George was presenting his great grandfather’s painting in a Museum. Later on in the act, he visits France and the park where the painting was set up as, and there is nothing that can be recognized except a possible tree. Everything else has been destroyed by buildings.

This musical was really insightful; I’m glad we watched it. It not only had some familiar themes like how this world is changing before our eyes, but also some new theatrical elements I hadn’t recognized. The panels on each side of the stage was set up to show distance, and the size of some of the characters were to express how near or far they were to and from the audience. Also, the musical numbers were pretty cool. But most of all, I really liked how the play was based on the painting. The whole script and songs and everything was built around the play. Act I was there to develop the setting and the themes of the play; possibly the background of the characters in the painting. It was really cool how they made the painting more and more realistic by giving a little story behind everyone. Like the two young girls and the soldiers, the baker, the couple, etc. It offered an alternative viewpoint for the viewer of the painting.

Anyways, on Thursday we listened to the IB orals of the seniors. This was kind of scary for me. Not just the idea of an IB oral, but how much you need to be prepared for it and how the majority of it comes from the journals. Now I really understand how important these are, and I really do appreciate Koller’s consistency with them. After listening to the seniors, I want to make sure I make these journals more detailed and reflective to help me more in the oral. I think that by the end of this year, I should start working on an outline for the oral, where I can talk about my Junior year, before I go through the summer vacation and forget most of it. I know that the journals are here to help remind me, but I don’t think I’ll know what I really need to know for the oral if I start outlining what I need to say a few weeks before the oral. So I’m going to work on outlining my junior year. There’s probably a certain way the seniors developed it all, but I think having an idea of what I’m going to talk about will give me more of a head start.

It’s FCAT week, and the juniors and seniors are finally getting a well deserved break. We only had class on Monday and Friday this week, and it was a pretty relaxing break in between. On Monday, we started rehearsing Act II. Now that it has been decided that the play won’t be put on in front of the whole school, some of the pressure has lifted. Also, we don’t have to do both acts, we’re only doing the second one. Those definitely had a huge effect on our attitudes during rehearsal; now the atmosphere isn’t quite as tense.  However, the sooner we get to the opening night (whenever that is), the more stressed we will all be. Even if it is only in front of a few parents or so.

On Friday, the storm that had been raging for a good 18 hours brought the HL Music into our classroom. Actually, I don’t know if that is even why they were with us, maybe it was because Dahlberg was busy with something. Anyways, we watched a play based on the life of the artist Georges Seuats, or something like that. He’s a painter that painted using pointalism or something. Where all of his paintings were made up of little dots. It’s a pretty cool idea and the play was pretty good, too. We only got through part of the first act, but from what I saw, it’s pretty well developed.

It was about this painter who went to the park every sunday and would use the people in that town as his models for another painting. And one of his models is the woman he loves and she loves him back. However, after he neglects to show her his love, she leaves and begins to date the baker. After she becomes pregnant, she plans to marry the baker and leave to America. She begs George to tell her not to go, but he does not. That’s all I remember right now. Oh, and he’s working on this huge masterpiece, too.

This week was pretty laid back for me, regarding theatre class. On Tuesday, we rehearsed pretty much all of act 2. My last part is going to be pretty difficult for me; I have to announce the invasion, and I have to be overly excited about it. I’m not that great at expressing excitement, even if I’m not acting. But I have to remember, I’m in my mid 30s, I’ve been hiding this family for 2 years at the risk of getting shot everyday, I’ve been out in the streets watching the soldiers swarm over the Jews, and, finally, after long last, help is on their way, and I’m the one who gets to break it to these starved, desperate families. Riiight. With this in mind, I have to act on a stage, in front of everybody. Well, Practice makes perfect, right?

On Thursday, I almost fell asleep. Well, first I tried on my dress for Miep. It’s too long and too big, especially compared to my small frame. But I suppose we’ll get it to work. It’s really not bad for a 33 year old woman in the 40s, I’ll admit. The coat I’m not too fond of, it’s really big and bulky, and heavy as well. Not to comfortable to move around in. I believe I already tried on the shoes a while back, and they’re a tad small, but they’ll have to do. After all, I only go on stage four times. So, I’m good to go.

Even at the news that we might not actually be putting on the show, I’m still really nervous about this whole acting idea. I’m much more comfortable behind the scenes. Not to mention, all the stress on characterization and everything, not really my expertise. But, I understand everyone else is having a lot more difficult with that than I am.

Let’s just say, I’m ready for spring break, fo sho.

Interim week, time for our grades. Just so happens, I had stayed up the previous night trying to finish my RI rough draft. I get into school, and it’s been postponed. Excelleeeent, with a hint of sarcasm. However, now I can work harder on it, and make it even better. Possibly get some more sources and quotes. Perfect the critique of sources. But here’s some more stress added to my agenda: the PPP is due on friday. Now I know I need to take the blame for my procrastination. I’ve procrastinated way too much, and I really need to get it finished. Especially since Koller emphasized the grade for turning it in on time.

So not only am I working on my PPP, I am trying my hardest to bring myself into character. Koller finally gave me some advice on how to act as Miep. I need to get more information, but I know that my posture is really important. I’m most likely in my early 30s, and I’m scared out of my mind for these families, as well as for my own safety. I need to be anxious, alert, and, pretty much, just sketchy. I’ll have to write more down when I read more information about Miep.

Hm, I wrote this draft and then saved it before the week was up and then I forgot to finish and publish it. Well, here goes for what I remember happening that week.

I finally finished my PPP by Friday though. I turned it in, and it was such a huge relief. Now I don’t have to worry about it anymore. It was more rehearsals, and I’m still having difficulty with getting into character. I’m starting to envy Jelise and Midly more and more everyday.

Three day weeeeek It was a nice little break. And I’m officially seventeen! And it was a one class week. We were to have our scripts memorized, and I had been working on it before I came in, so I had my two parts memorized. I brought my script up onto the stage as a comfort, just in case, but Sally got mad. It was my fault, I didn’t think we couldn’t have our scripts. But I understand everyone is really tense about the show, especially Sally, who is getting the most pressure. However, I succeeded in remembering my parts.

But I feel kind of pathetic in a way. Here’s Morgan who is memorizing paragraphs over paragraphs, and I have maybe three lines everytime I come onto stage. And I’m having difficulty. It doesn’t seem fair; the least I could do is do my part. But I’m still struggling with fitting into my character and playing the part. I want to talk to Sally, but with everything going on, I don’t think she needs any unnecessary questions about such a small part.

Koller wants us to look up some information about our characters to help us understand our parts a little better. I really hope that helps, because this is becoming less fun and more humiliating.

It’s been a hard week; we’ve been working nonstop on the play, and I’m getting more and more anxious about it. Even though I have a very minor part, I don’t understand how to get into character. I don’t know much about miep, but I guess I probably should. We’ve got the set designed, and some props, too. I’m not on the stage very often, so while everyone is rehearsing, I go into the prop room and look around for things I need. I looked through the script and have made a mental list of what I need:

Groceries (I found a possible crate I can use), a “ficelle”, red high heels for Anne, a plate with a cake on it and a napkin to cover it, and a map of Normandy. 

Also, we need some sound effects for the ambulance, the bombs, and the buzzer, as well.  There’s still alot of preparation to cover if we’re going to be ready for the play. And we need to get started on the set. This week we finally determined what we’re going to do for the set. Stage left will have the kitchen, with the stove and the dining room table. In the background, there will be two doors, to Peter’s room and to the W.C. In the center of the stage, we are thinking of how to raise the level. There are some small platforms that we can use, and I think that it’s reasonable enough. The living room is pretty simple: an armchair, a bookcase, and a coffee table. This is also the room of Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, but I don’t know if there is enough room. On stage right, is Anne and Dussel’s room. There’s a desk for Anne and Margot, and there will be a door in the background as Mr. and Mrs. Frank’s room. The attic will be raised on a tall platform, and the stairs will be located behind the armchair in the middle of the stage.

By next week, we all have to have Act I memorized. It’s a four day weekend, my birthday weekend, and the RI rough draft is due next class. Woo.