If anybody would like to see Urban Impact's The Tempest, here's when and where!
8:00, Thursday, July 28, 2011
Allegheny Center Alliance Church
Pittsburgh, PA
8:00, Friday, July 29, 2011
Allegheny Center Alliance Church
Pittsburgh, PA
8:00, Friday, August 5, 2011
Christ Church at Grove Farm
Sewickley, PA
8:00, Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Lake Harbor United Methodist Church
Muskegon, MI
7:00, Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Chapel, Green Campus
Green, OH
One prayer request: LIGHTING
Better updates to come!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Them Not So Dry Bones
Picture this:
A young lady digging through barrels of newly-extricated, cartilage-covered animal bones with her bare hands.
What would drive her to such madness?
Her love of Jesus, Shakespeare, and the kids on the North Side.
"What does this have to do with Jesus, Shakespeare, or the kids on the North Side?" you may ask.
Well, last year, when we began the Shakes program, we realized that, although we know about acting and directing, we don't know a whole lot about Shakespeare as literature. We needed a Shakespeare expert to help us and the kids explore Shakespeare to the fullest. So we sent out a job description to some local Christian colleges, and one English teacher said, "I know exactly who you need."
Enter Brittany- an enthusiastic, bright, Godly woman who LOVES Shakespeare. And I mean LOVES. She was invaluable last year- teaching interactive English classes, helping plan the trips, driving kids home, working on lines after rehearsal and on weekends... she really gave her all. She was also in charge of props last year. She had never before looked for a 1930's gun that fired blanks or a dummy gun that matched exactly. She had never thought about what kind of flowers a priest would have or painted dozens of wooden hangers black. But she dove in enthusiastically and did a fantastic job with the props.
So when we asked her to come back this year, she said yes!
This years show, however, is very different from last year. And one of the props that Eric wants is bones. Real animal bones. Skulls, specifically. So Brittany got to work! She called slaughter houses and meat packing companies around Pittsburgh, until one said, in an Eastern-European accent, "Yes. You may have bones. Come and get."
So Brittany faithfully followed her google maps through a cute little neighborhood, and right in between the picket fences, she found her slaughterhouse. She didn't know what to expect, but she describes it as "a scene out of Rocky" with animal carcasses hanging from hooks in the refrigerated room. "It was a forest of meat," she says, and that image alone would be enough to send me running!
But not Brittany. Our Florida girl waded through a half-inch layer of who-knows-what with her flip-flops until she got to a room with three barrels of bones. "Here you go," the man said. "We no have gloves." He got her a cardboard box, and Brittany dug through three barrels of fresh bones with her bare hands. Let me say that again: She dug through three barrels of fresh bones with her bare hands.
And that's not all. He had also promised her skulls. "Is goat good?" he asked. And he reached into a fourth barrel and pulled out an entire goat head by the ear. The eyes were still there. The brain was still there. The thing still had fur and a tongue! "Yes," Brittany said, keeping her breakfast down, "Goat is fine."
Brittany left with a box full of cow and sheep bones, and the promise of four cleaned skulls if she came back in a few days.
The day before she had started praying for an interesting life. :)
Stay tuned for more updates on rehearsals, the show, the kids, and the bones!
Prayer Requests:
A performance space we're having some problems with.
Tech, tech, tech!
Our wonderful kids' safety.
Sanity for the leaders.
A young lady digging through barrels of newly-extricated, cartilage-covered animal bones with her bare hands.
What would drive her to such madness?
Her love of Jesus, Shakespeare, and the kids on the North Side.
"What does this have to do with Jesus, Shakespeare, or the kids on the North Side?" you may ask.
Well, last year, when we began the Shakes program, we realized that, although we know about acting and directing, we don't know a whole lot about Shakespeare as literature. We needed a Shakespeare expert to help us and the kids explore Shakespeare to the fullest. So we sent out a job description to some local Christian colleges, and one English teacher said, "I know exactly who you need."
Enter Brittany- an enthusiastic, bright, Godly woman who LOVES Shakespeare. And I mean LOVES. She was invaluable last year- teaching interactive English classes, helping plan the trips, driving kids home, working on lines after rehearsal and on weekends... she really gave her all. She was also in charge of props last year. She had never before looked for a 1930's gun that fired blanks or a dummy gun that matched exactly. She had never thought about what kind of flowers a priest would have or painted dozens of wooden hangers black. But she dove in enthusiastically and did a fantastic job with the props.
So when we asked her to come back this year, she said yes!
This years show, however, is very different from last year. And one of the props that Eric wants is bones. Real animal bones. Skulls, specifically. So Brittany got to work! She called slaughter houses and meat packing companies around Pittsburgh, until one said, in an Eastern-European accent, "Yes. You may have bones. Come and get."
So Brittany faithfully followed her google maps through a cute little neighborhood, and right in between the picket fences, she found her slaughterhouse. She didn't know what to expect, but she describes it as "a scene out of Rocky" with animal carcasses hanging from hooks in the refrigerated room. "It was a forest of meat," she says, and that image alone would be enough to send me running!
But not Brittany. Our Florida girl waded through a half-inch layer of who-knows-what with her flip-flops until she got to a room with three barrels of bones. "Here you go," the man said. "We no have gloves." He got her a cardboard box, and Brittany dug through three barrels of fresh bones with her bare hands. Let me say that again: She dug through three barrels of fresh bones with her bare hands.
And that's not all. He had also promised her skulls. "Is goat good?" he asked. And he reached into a fourth barrel and pulled out an entire goat head by the ear. The eyes were still there. The brain was still there. The thing still had fur and a tongue! "Yes," Brittany said, keeping her breakfast down, "Goat is fine."
Brittany left with a box full of cow and sheep bones, and the promise of four cleaned skulls if she came back in a few days.
The day before she had started praying for an interesting life. :)
Stay tuned for more updates on rehearsals, the show, the kids, and the bones!
Prayer Requests:
A performance space we're having some problems with.
Tech, tech, tech!
Our wonderful kids' safety.
Sanity for the leaders.
Monday, June 13, 2011
And it begins...
Every time I start to panic about Shakes this year, I remember last year. I remember the miracles that happened! Here are just a few:
The billy club:
We needed a billy club. Not a fake plastic one, but a wooden one that could actually do some damage if the user wanted it to. It needed to do some serious stage combat and couldn't have that awful, fake, hollow plastic sound. It was a week before the show. We had looked everywhere. Our marvelous intern, Brittany, Shakespeare expert and props mistress, finally found one at a costume supply store for around $20. Kind of pricey if you are doing a show for next-to-no budget. She walks in, looks at it, and the young guy behind the counter (who was previously chatting up a pretty girl, also behind the counter) goes over to her and says, "I'll give it to you for $10 if you leave right now." Done! Brittany buys the billy club and leaves immediately. Thank God for miracles! (and starry-eyed young guys)
The tuxedo:
One of our characters needed a tuxedo. A fancy, high-class, high quality tuxedo. Nobody sells tuxedos. People rent them, they sell tuxedo vests or t-shirts or bowties, but they do not sell a full tuxedo. I was going to one of my (many) estate sales. I had a hard time finding this one, and when I finally did, it was nearly over. I walked into the garage into the furthest back corner and found... not only a tuxedo, a 100% wool, authentic, 1930's tuxedo. In perfect shape. With seams that could be let out and taken in, as only a hand-fitted tuxedo can. I brought it to the front, said, "How much for the tuxedo?" and she looked at it and said, "I don't remember seeing that at all... let's see... how about $15?" Done! Paris had his tuxedo.
The set (now this is a good one):
Eric had designed a beautiful set. He had one corner dedicated to Friar Lawrence, one as Juliet's dressing room (she was, after all, a 1930's movie star), one with a pile of crates for the rag-tag Montagues, and a final corner that had a 2 foot rolling platform that locks in place with a red carpet, a lit marquis and steps on both sides. Well, he hoped to have a 2 foot rolling platform that locks in place with a red carpet, a lit marquis, and steps on both sides. He planned on having one. He had blocked tons of action around it. It was our most necessary set piece. But we didn't know how to build it. We didn't have the tools to build it, either in our heads or in our hands. It's getting down to the wire: 3 weeks before the show opens, 2 weeks until tech week, and we need that platform. We plan a trip to Eric's family's house, hoping to put something together that will function. And three weeks before the show opens, a woman walks into the Urban Impact offices and says, "Hi, my name's Rachel. I don't know if you can use me, but I'm a professional set designer." Done! We had a 2 foot rolling platform that locks in place with a red carpet, a lit marquis, and steps on both sides. And this year we have a set designer named Rachel.
"Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27
That being said... prayer requests:
* Pray that God will prepare and protect the kids in the program this summer.
* Pray for somebody with expert knowledge of theatrical puppets. (Doesn't that make you want to see the show?!)
* Pray for one scene that really knocks it out of the park- we need a 3-minute scene to show to churches that are thinking of supporting Shakes.
The billy club:
We needed a billy club. Not a fake plastic one, but a wooden one that could actually do some damage if the user wanted it to. It needed to do some serious stage combat and couldn't have that awful, fake, hollow plastic sound. It was a week before the show. We had looked everywhere. Our marvelous intern, Brittany, Shakespeare expert and props mistress, finally found one at a costume supply store for around $20. Kind of pricey if you are doing a show for next-to-no budget. She walks in, looks at it, and the young guy behind the counter (who was previously chatting up a pretty girl, also behind the counter) goes over to her and says, "I'll give it to you for $10 if you leave right now." Done! Brittany buys the billy club and leaves immediately. Thank God for miracles! (and starry-eyed young guys)
The tuxedo:
One of our characters needed a tuxedo. A fancy, high-class, high quality tuxedo. Nobody sells tuxedos. People rent them, they sell tuxedo vests or t-shirts or bowties, but they do not sell a full tuxedo. I was going to one of my (many) estate sales. I had a hard time finding this one, and when I finally did, it was nearly over. I walked into the garage into the furthest back corner and found... not only a tuxedo, a 100% wool, authentic, 1930's tuxedo. In perfect shape. With seams that could be let out and taken in, as only a hand-fitted tuxedo can. I brought it to the front, said, "How much for the tuxedo?" and she looked at it and said, "I don't remember seeing that at all... let's see... how about $15?" Done! Paris had his tuxedo.
The set (now this is a good one):
Eric had designed a beautiful set. He had one corner dedicated to Friar Lawrence, one as Juliet's dressing room (she was, after all, a 1930's movie star), one with a pile of crates for the rag-tag Montagues, and a final corner that had a 2 foot rolling platform that locks in place with a red carpet, a lit marquis and steps on both sides. Well, he hoped to have a 2 foot rolling platform that locks in place with a red carpet, a lit marquis, and steps on both sides. He planned on having one. He had blocked tons of action around it. It was our most necessary set piece. But we didn't know how to build it. We didn't have the tools to build it, either in our heads or in our hands. It's getting down to the wire: 3 weeks before the show opens, 2 weeks until tech week, and we need that platform. We plan a trip to Eric's family's house, hoping to put something together that will function. And three weeks before the show opens, a woman walks into the Urban Impact offices and says, "Hi, my name's Rachel. I don't know if you can use me, but I'm a professional set designer." Done! We had a 2 foot rolling platform that locks in place with a red carpet, a lit marquis, and steps on both sides. And this year we have a set designer named Rachel.
"Who of you, by worrying, can add a single hour to his life?" Matthew 6:27
That being said... prayer requests:
* Pray that God will prepare and protect the kids in the program this summer.
* Pray for somebody with expert knowledge of theatrical puppets. (Doesn't that make you want to see the show?!)
* Pray for one scene that really knocks it out of the park- we need a 3-minute scene to show to churches that are thinking of supporting Shakes.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
I'm back!
Well, this isn't actually Eric.
After many beggings and pleadings from forlorn former readers, I, Laura, have taken up the honor of blogging! My schedule is much more flexible and my writing standards are slightly lower, so I was happily chosen to update you all on the inner workings of inner city ministry. Hopefully, this will happen once every couple of weeks.
To begin, I'll give you the Cliff Notes for the past year...
*Summer Shakespeare program was GREAT. Wonderful cast, wonderful rehearsals, wonderful show, wonderful tour. The kids loved it so much that nearly all of them are coming back to do it again this summer! Last summer's show: Romeo and Juliet. This summer's show: The Tempest.
* Fall semester of the Performing Arts Academy was great. We had a good chance to build on the skills we were teaching last year, and our Shakes kids became closer friends in their weekly class and Bible Study. The new Children's Choir was a huge hit and all 60 slots filled up immediately.
* Christmas, 2010- Eric and I bought and house and a puppy! We are truly a North Side family now, living in the community we love. Our puppy, Trooper (short for Sand Trooper, all you Star Wars fans), is a lab/mastiff mix and his goofiness and wagging tail make us so happy! At 6 months now, he's around 55 pounds and still growing.
* February, 2011- Our Shakes kids entered the Pittsburgh Public Theatre's Annual Scene and Monologue Competition. They were the very first group to perform out 1,200 students. Two of our eight students placed in the top 75. That's right- 25% of our group placed in the top 75 out of 1,200 students. We couldn't be prouder!
* April, 2011- The Urban Impact Choir sang at Heinz Hall! A benefit concert featuring Jerry Butler was held for Urban Impact, and the choir opened the show spectacularly. Eric did all of the print work (posters, flyers, bookmarks, t-shirts, programs, etc, etc) and it was so classy, Heinz Hall was proud to display it!
* Spring semester of the Performing Arts Academy was a huge success. The final show was attended by many parents. In fact, more parents attend the final PAA show than any other Urban Impact Activity! Eric wrote a gameshow-style short play for his Elementary Drama class called "The Choice is Right," and it was a huge hit. Picture the Israelites (along with the Angel of Death) vs. the Egyptian Pharaohs (aka the Tut family) in a Family Feud-style game in which the winners get to go to the Promised Land! All the questions had to do with the 10 Commandments, and the Burning Bush was one of the phone-a-friends. My High School Acting class did a Human Video (movement set to music that tells a story) called "Storms," which told the stories of people feeling attacked, but also showed the power of God to rescue them.
* Eric and I just finished a fascinating and fun vacation to Scotland to visit my sister and her family. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we were thrilled to have bought our tickets before gas skyrocketed! Joy was the perfect travel agent, David was a very knowledgeable tour guide, and our niece was a remarkably bubbly and flexible traveler! We had such a blast catching up with them and being introduced to their lives, as well as seeing sheep, highland cows, castles, churches, ruins, cemeteries, monuments, gorgeous mountains, waterfalls, islands, bed and breakfasts, fudge doughnuts, sticky toffee pudding, kippers, and haggis!
Now that we are back and rested, it is full-speed-ahead for this summer's Urban Impact Shakes. We are praying hard, as neither of us can see how this summer can top last summer. God's provision was so evident last year, we are trusting Him for more miracles this year!
To God be the glory, great things He has done!
Opportunities to pray for us at Urban Impact:
* Our Shakes kids this summer (that God would grow in them and they would grow in God)
* Our Shakes staff this summer (Brittany, Rachel, Matt, me and Eric- for peace amidst the stress)
* Our Shakes audiences this summer (that God would prepare them for the message)
* All of the production aspects of this play (costumes, set, props, lighting, sound, etc)
After many beggings and pleadings from forlorn former readers, I, Laura, have taken up the honor of blogging! My schedule is much more flexible and my writing standards are slightly lower, so I was happily chosen to update you all on the inner workings of inner city ministry. Hopefully, this will happen once every couple of weeks.
To begin, I'll give you the Cliff Notes for the past year...
*Summer Shakespeare program was GREAT. Wonderful cast, wonderful rehearsals, wonderful show, wonderful tour. The kids loved it so much that nearly all of them are coming back to do it again this summer! Last summer's show: Romeo and Juliet. This summer's show: The Tempest.
* Fall semester of the Performing Arts Academy was great. We had a good chance to build on the skills we were teaching last year, and our Shakes kids became closer friends in their weekly class and Bible Study. The new Children's Choir was a huge hit and all 60 slots filled up immediately.
* Christmas, 2010- Eric and I bought and house and a puppy! We are truly a North Side family now, living in the community we love. Our puppy, Trooper (short for Sand Trooper, all you Star Wars fans), is a lab/mastiff mix and his goofiness and wagging tail make us so happy! At 6 months now, he's around 55 pounds and still growing.
* February, 2011- Our Shakes kids entered the Pittsburgh Public Theatre's Annual Scene and Monologue Competition. They were the very first group to perform out 1,200 students. Two of our eight students placed in the top 75. That's right- 25% of our group placed in the top 75 out of 1,200 students. We couldn't be prouder!
* April, 2011- The Urban Impact Choir sang at Heinz Hall! A benefit concert featuring Jerry Butler was held for Urban Impact, and the choir opened the show spectacularly. Eric did all of the print work (posters, flyers, bookmarks, t-shirts, programs, etc, etc) and it was so classy, Heinz Hall was proud to display it!
* Spring semester of the Performing Arts Academy was a huge success. The final show was attended by many parents. In fact, more parents attend the final PAA show than any other Urban Impact Activity! Eric wrote a gameshow-style short play for his Elementary Drama class called "The Choice is Right," and it was a huge hit. Picture the Israelites (along with the Angel of Death) vs. the Egyptian Pharaohs (aka the Tut family) in a Family Feud-style game in which the winners get to go to the Promised Land! All the questions had to do with the 10 Commandments, and the Burning Bush was one of the phone-a-friends. My High School Acting class did a Human Video (movement set to music that tells a story) called "Storms," which told the stories of people feeling attacked, but also showed the power of God to rescue them.
* Eric and I just finished a fascinating and fun vacation to Scotland to visit my sister and her family. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and we were thrilled to have bought our tickets before gas skyrocketed! Joy was the perfect travel agent, David was a very knowledgeable tour guide, and our niece was a remarkably bubbly and flexible traveler! We had such a blast catching up with them and being introduced to their lives, as well as seeing sheep, highland cows, castles, churches, ruins, cemeteries, monuments, gorgeous mountains, waterfalls, islands, bed and breakfasts, fudge doughnuts, sticky toffee pudding, kippers, and haggis!
Now that we are back and rested, it is full-speed-ahead for this summer's Urban Impact Shakes. We are praying hard, as neither of us can see how this summer can top last summer. God's provision was so evident last year, we are trusting Him for more miracles this year!
To God be the glory, great things He has done!
Opportunities to pray for us at Urban Impact:
* Our Shakes kids this summer (that God would grow in them and they would grow in God)
* Our Shakes staff this summer (Brittany, Rachel, Matt, me and Eric- for peace amidst the stress)
* Our Shakes audiences this summer (that God would prepare them for the message)
* All of the production aspects of this play (costumes, set, props, lighting, sound, etc)
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