Directorial Thoughts

I am attempting (yet again) to return to the blogger world.
News that probably has not been discussed on Cease Repining: I am directing a show at my theater in fall!!! Despite my being incredibly young compared to all of our directors (I'm a college student!) I get to direct a murder mystery.
Now, this summer I was/am in Singin' in the Rain, (the run isn't over yet) and in my opinion, the direction left a bit to be desired. So, to prepare for my own show, I have come up with a list of things I will NOT do when I direct.

I will NOT...set rehearsal time to be 6:00 then spend half an hour talking and waiting for people to get there to start. I will try to be prompt and not waste anyone's time.
I will NOT...put off rehearsing and setting major technical things until a week before the show starts.
I will NOT...make a long director's speech before every show. Mine will be short and sweet.
I will NOT...be closed minded at auditions. In fact, I will most likely let my casting advisor do all of the casting.
I will NOT...ever, ever, ever block a scene where all the actors do is stand in a line the whole time.
I will NOT...be unprepared in my rehearsal schedule. I will have a plan for every rehearsal and stick to that plan.
I will NOT...put off running the show until three rehearsals before we open. We will have at LEAST three or four run-throughs before tech rehearsal.

I will NOT...be without a plan.
I will NOT...ever take anyone who assists with my show for granted.


So, yeah. That's the general plan.
In other news, other than Calculus 2, all I'm taking in fall is business courses! Joy...

Death Wears a Suit

As I've been rambling on about for the past, oh month or so? My company has been planning two major films. One was code-named Bookmark of Doom the other Death Wears a Suit. Filming was last Tuesday. But through a series of unfortunate events, plans got messed up and the actress I had planned to use for Marie couldn't come. So... piningforthefjords took over the part I was going to play, and I assumed the role of Marie. And this is the result. Enjoy!

EDIT: Mom tells me that when you watch it here, it stretches the video. So...if you want to see the non-stretchy version, go to the actual youtube page.

And Then There Were None~1945 version

I have to say, I think they did a great job. As I've ranted before, films these days (for the most part) do not have the same quality that they did back then, and this movie confirms that. The story is perfectly executed, the characters were human, and the mystery was chilling.
As with the book, ten people are brought to Indian Island by a U.N. Owen, but they are accused of murders that cannot be proven. As the story progresses, each of the members of the party are killed off in accordance with the Ten Little Indians rhyme.
Another reason I really liked this version was that it happened alot like I imagined it when reading it.
And for those who have read the book: the ending is different, but I still liked it.

My review of the book
Classic movies reviewed: 1/50

And Then There Were None

The title of "world's bestselling mystery" belongs to the classic And Then There Were None, by Agatha Christie, the queen of crime. The story starts with the account of how ten people came to an island for various reasons. They soon find out they are each accused of a murder that cannot be proved and that they are trapped on the island. The only clues as to what is going on are a record accusing them and an old nursery rhyme known as the Ten Little Indians.

One by one, people are killed in perfect accordance to the nursery rhyme. A thorough search of the island clearly points out that one of them must be the murderer and planner of this scheme, but it is impossible to prove who it is. As they dwindle in number, life on the island becomes full of terror, suspicion, and alertness as each fights for his life.

This book is amazing. Just when the reader thinks he has figured out who the murderer is, something happens that throws the whole theory off. Even as the last of the ten dies, he doesn't really know who the murderer is. If it weren't for a revelation in the epilogue, we would have an unsolvable mystery.