High School Drama, by Derek Smith

When I was in high school, we had these daily announcements every morning and it was one of those things that you were sort of forced to listen to. All the teachers made you be quiet during them because heaven forbid you don’t hear that the intramural lacrosse team’s game was cancelled due to lack of participation, or that the M.E.A.T. club (Men Eating Animals Together*) would be barbecuing outside of the commons during lunch. Anyways, as , I was an officer in the drama club (President my senior year, to be exact) so I would always put in announcements for drama club meetings and such. One of the things I will never forget about these daily announcements are two things:

1. They would end EVERY daily announcement with “Have a GRRRRRIZLY DAY!” (We were the Grizzlies.)

2. Every time there was a drama club announcement to be made (like show dates, meetings, movie nights, and national mime day), they would always say “Drama, Drama, Drama…” before following through with the actual announcement. And it wasn’t like “DRAMA! DRAMA! DRAMA!” it was more like “drama, drama dramablahblahblah” type of thing. As if to say “you can stop listening to this if you’re normal.”

Anyways, just a little memory.

On to things of the Shakesing nature…

The two-week camps that I’m heading start on Monday which is really exciting. Like the first day of school! …that you’re in charge of.

I had the parent/student orientation which was really fun, but I never thought that I’d get nervous in front of the parents. I’m usually really comfortable in front of crowds (unless they barricade you in the artistic learning office singing with birthday cake ... THANKS GUYS!), but for some reason I got really nervous, fumbled words and rushed through. Thankfully, Emily Morrison, Artistic Learning Programs and Outreach Manager (who I so lovingly call “Mama Bird") came up and helped me out.

This week of prep work has been really long but the work is definitely going to pay off, and Playbill Radio helps immensely.

See you at camp!!!

Peace and Love,
Derek

*Yes, that was a real club. Of which I was not a member. I preferred mime day.

The Return/Debut of Linkmaster Smith

Hello Shakers!

I like that. Shakers. You know how most Broadway musicals have named fan bases? For example; RENT has "rent-heads," Altar Boys has “Altarholics,” and Xanadu has "the 'Du Cru?" Well I think our fan base for Cal Shakes should be named Shakers*.

Anyways, HI! I'm Derek Smith. I started at Cal Shakes as an intern for Artistic Learning, then went on to work with the New Works/New Communities Program. Now with my internship finished, I'm the official new 2-Week Camp Coordinator for Artistic Learning. You may recognize me from the Cal Shakes Intern Blog where I would discuss things like events in Musical Theatre, 80's fashion and my life as an intern at Cal Shakes. Recently I left the Intern Blog to join this new, professional blog and I feel welcomed and comfy! But this blog is going to be different. I'm movin' on up in the company so now I've gotta be professional! So I'm not gonna talk about unimportant things like Broadway or Project Runway. I'm getting serious and strictly talking about things like Shakespeare and inner company workings. Crunching numbers and Patrick Stewart kind of gig. Like Anne Hathaway to Meryl Streep type ah stuff.

For example: If this were that raggedy old intern blog, I'd talk about the fact that IN THE HEIGHTS won BEST MUSICAL at the TONYS on Sunday!!!!! And In case you were wondering: Yes, I DID call that it would be the one to watch this season at the bottom of this blog. I’d probably also talk about how much I LOVED Patti LuPone’s acceptance speech for Lead Female and how intrigued I am by Sunday in the Park With George. I also might have confessed that the RENT reunion performance may have made me shed a few tears.
I’d also talk about the fact that I picked up the cast recording of Xanadu yesterday and how I think Cheyenne Jackson is God’s gift to musical theatre.

Then I’d definitely post a video like this one:

VIDEOoftheWEEK

Sweatin’ to Sondheim! A Musical Theatre Workout

Okay but in all professional seriousness, I wanted to create a list that described all the things that are different now that I’m an employee and not an intern:

1. I have my own interns which is the WEIRDEST thing in the world

2. I am in the office every day as opposed to once a week.

3. I get these weird envelopes every other week that have all these numbers on them. I stopped opening them cause I didn’t understand.

4. I have my own phone extension and email!

5. I received a fax today. That was strange.

6. I have easily doubled my espresso intake.

7. I’ve discovered the greatest invention since musical theatre. PlaybillRadio.*

Okay y’all that’s it for today!

Peace and Love,
Derek

*With complete knowledge and understanding that The Shakers are a prominent, well-respected religious group; these two "Shakers" are definitely not the same thing. But that doesn't mean that California Shakespeare Theatre doesn't love and respect the Shakers, as California Shakespeare Theatre loves all Americans and America (including Puerto Rico).

**Which is embarrassing to play in the office so I bring my earphones and tell everyone that I’m going into “internal mode” so that I can listen to Andrea McArdle sing about the day to come.