Tuesday, June 21, 2005

To Kelly and Anonymous

I just wanted to clarify my intent behind the last post. VBS is 100% for the kids. I understand that and the cast understands that. It doesn't make me upset at the kids when they clap or scream because we want them to have fun. I loved hearing them go nuts tonight during the disco medley when the plagues were flying around everywhere. But what really bothers me is the teenagers who start it because to them, clapping with the music and screaming when the lights go out has nothing to do with enjoying the show, they do it purely because they think its funny when the kids clap off beat and try to see if they can throw the actors off. Their motives are what bug me. And the reason I don't like clapping with the music is the same reason I don't like it when people don't speak loud enough for mics to pick them up - it drowns out the music and as a wise man once said, "If we can't hear you, you might as well have stayed home tonight." So to sum it all up - kids = good ; vbs = for kids ; emily's blog = not meant to upset people ; emily = sorry

15 comments:

Danny Sims said...

I agree with Kelly and Trey...

Be careful to ascribe motives. The teens are really having good fun. One told me (a kid who has grown up at ACC and has come to many VBS shows) he's having more fun than ever. I don't think that's anything but good. His motives are not what you judge them to be when you say the teens clapping has "nothing to do with enjoying the show" and "they're trying to see if they can throw the actors off."

You're great and the show this year is top shelf. Thanks for all you have done to make it so.

Katie McB. said...

I agree with danny we don't know whats in those kids heart and I am sure that most of the clapping is in good spirit, but there should have been an announcement on monday like there was on Sunday and Tuesday. However that is in the past and the kids are oblivously enjoying the show. It's nice to have kids come up and say they loved the show and that we were funny. However everyone is entitled to have there own opinion including emily and like her the clapping bugs me, but the show isn't about me it's about the kids and emily and I know this. We can still have pet peeves and rant on our blogs, that is what there here for that and sno cone club.

Danny Sims said...

Yes, true true. One pet peeve I have is that no one has brought me a snocone. Okay, I realize that it would melt, but if anyone wants to know I'm a fan of the grape or strawberry... small size, no fancy flavors...

SubBlogger said...

I was among the ones who didn't want the excellent narrator drowned out by the teen-clapping. However, over-all everything is great!! I love the kids screaming - it's a tradition.

Trey Laminack said...

Emily,

I'm very proud of the way VBS turned out and I think it mostly your hard work that made it so. When we started writing this thing I thought it would be 60/40 with me doing the lion share. But it turned out to be 60/40 with you in the 60. (You also had to correctly the spelling on my forty so that's like 5% more for you.)

I hope you've been geting as much good feedback as I have. Although some seem to think i did it alone, I usually correct them, usually. But people think I'm being modest when I say you did a lot of the hard stuff. But it's true, I couldn't transcribe a song if my life depended on it. I just wanted to set the record straight.
Good job on your 65%. (My 35% I just phoned in.)

Trey

Ps. This is the longest comment in the history of blogs.

Emily said...

Thanks trey! If I wrote the script though, it wouldn't be nearly as clever as what you wrote! Can't wait to see it at Saturn Road next year!

nairb said...

I have a pet pieve...

"Actors who neither asssist setting up nor tearing down sets." After the first couple of years I am getting more used to it and some are getting better at hangin out helping. Traditions are alive. ;,\

Both of you guys did a great job given your appropriate share (65/35 or whatever). BTW I think some of our actors may have taken some further percentage away from Trey and Emily for that matter by imposing there own lines/singing. My guess is that its now 64.5/34.

Katie McB. said...

Hey! Someone has to load and put back alllllll of those song books! It may look small but we sweated just as much, especially when your told they go one way only to have to fix it when you find another incredibly large stack across the room, thanks Brad! (this is a light hearted post)

Trey Laminack said...

I told my entire cast that "Strike" was a theatre tradition and that it was manditory for all actors and crew memebers. I'd say 75% of the crew stayed at least an hour, then half of them left. But we managed to down the set, vacuum the building, and put things in order. We were done in 2 hours and off to IHOP.

Well done SR... tough luck brian

nairb said...

I knew I should have started cleaning sooner. Stuben you should have known about Brad. He is a surprise around every corner.

Thanks Trey.

Danny Sims said...

OK... I did show up to help but fell apart at about my ususal bedtime. So I left a bit before 11 PM... Actually that's a bit later than my usual bedtime. I did 0.0873% of the entire workload but I did 100% of the work that I did.

Jenn said...

all i have to say about cleaning up that night is after sweeping those stairs...i have a HUGE new amount of respect for wezie and preston. my arms are sore today!

Jenn said...

p.s.
emily, you and trey % or whatever... GREAT JOB!!! it was so much fun!

Emily said...

let me say, I had a moment of panic when I saw that I had 13 comments! I half expected to look outside my window and see people with pitchforks and torches! Brian, I hope that our pew help was halfway useful...I'm kind of a klutz when it comes to taking apart things that involve screws and nails!

Keith Hollar said...

As an egotistical actor I can tell you that I get quite a rush from the kid's screaming during the blackouts. It lets me know that they really like what we're doing. And it's also the closest I'll ever get to feeling like a rock star. ;-)

From a practical standpoint, the screaming also helps to mask any sounds we might be making on stage while changing sets, exiting the stage, etc.

To their credit they do a good job of quieting down quickly when the lights come up.

The clapping during musical numbers is also a sign that they are enjoying themselves. They probably just don't realize that it can interfere with the music tracks or the video.