The Call Board - Warren Consolidated Schools

Spring 2016 Edition
Page 1
The Call Board
“When you’re an Addams...” By: Rebekah Coy
The Callboard
Editors in Chief
Rebekah Coy, SHHS
Dallas LaCross, CHS
Cierra Spangler, WMHS
Samantha Wajeeh, SHHS
UP NEXT!
It’s that time of year
again, when the WCSPA
students and staff close their
season with the biggest and
most spectacular show of
the year...the annual spring
musical!
On May 20th and 21st,
prepare to laugh, cry, and
cackle as The Addams
Family rolls into town. Full
of laughter and plot twists,
The Addams Family promises
to be a crowd pleaser for all
ages, especially because of
the recognizable characters.
Charles Addams (19121988) made his “family”
known through The New
Yorker in a series of comic
strips. Those doodles created
the iconic characters of the
“Addams Family.” Other
media sources built on their
looks and personality traits.
From a television series, to
multiple movies, and now
a musical, the world’s most
kooky, spooky family has only
gained popularity and fame.
Charles Addams only
drew about two dozen
“Addams Family” comics, yet
they were his most renowned
pieces. All of the “Addams
Family” comics consisted
of one panel of art and a
short quote under the panel
to help explain the joke.
The beauty of these comics
was that each drawing easily
displayed the personalities of
each character without even
needing to look at the quote.
None of the characters even
had names. What was the
meaning behind the darkhumored comics?
The idea that Charles
Addams was striving for was
displaying a different kind of
humor in The New Yorker.
He wanted to show people
(specifically the Addams
Reflecting on Winterfest
On February 5th and 6th, our WCSPA
students performed a dance concert
called Winterfest. To start off Winterfest,
students from levels two, three, and four
choreographed a 30-second dance and
presented it to their level as a pitch for a
Winterfest piece.
Students went through a vigorous
week-long dance audition process, in which
students demonstrated their skills in various
dance techniques and learned several dance
combinations. After this, the students that
were best suited for the selected dances
Level 4, SHHS
Family) acting calmly and
nonchalantly on aggressive
or dark impulses. It was a
new idea for dark humor
that has people still laughing
today.
“I like that he can take
an image with only one
line of dialogue and still
capture the oddball nature
of the Addams Family,”
said Dallas LaCross, Level
4, after seeing two of the
original comics. “He doesn’t
need an elaborate cartoon,
he just has a certain style.
The dialogue is so casual and
morbid at the same time,
and that’s all he needs.”
(Continued on page 2)
Courtney Skrinner
Level 2, CHS
Alina Zhuravel
Level 3, WMHS
were cast in the show. This entire process
gave WCSPA students experience in
creating choreography and helped them
to further develop their dance skills and
technique.
Winterfest not only showed
the students how to work as a team to
accomplish making their dances perfect,
but also helped many of the dancers
overcome challenges.
(Continued on page 5)
The Call Board
Page 2
(Addams, Continued from Page 1)
Of all of the different types of
media that were created for the “Addams
Family,” the most well-known was the
live-action television show from the
1960’s. The show aired for two seasons
with a total of 64 episodes. It was widely
accepted, largely because of the catchy
theme song that has everyone snapping.
The show (originally aired in black and
white) very closely resembled the comics.
However, the characters had names and
more specific character traits. As said by
Charles Addams himself, “Gomez and
Pugsley are enthusiastic. Morticia is even
in disposition, muted, witty, sometimes
deadly.”
Charles Addams continues by saying,
“Grandma Frump is foolishly goodnatured. Wednesday is her mother’s
daughter. Many of the troubles they
have as a family are due to Grandma’s
fumbling, weak character. The house is
a wreck, of course, but this is a houseproud family just the same, and every
trap door is in good repair. Money is no
problem.” Aside from that, the television
series also came with the introduction of
new characters like Thing, Cousin Itt, and
many other family members and pets.
“I never knew a television show
like this existed!” said Erin Esser, Level
3, “I will definitely watch it, though.
It will be very interesting to see the
interpretation of the characters from back
then.”
It took a long time for another
form of media to make the “Addams
Family” big again, but the Addams shined
through when a movie, The Addams
Family, hit the theaters in November
of 1991. The movie did well enough to
earn a sequel two years later. Released in
November 1993, Addams Family Values
is the story of the newest member of
the “Addams Family,” Pubert. Starring
Raul Julia as Gomez, Anjelica Huston as
Morticia, and Christopher Lloyd as Uncle
Fester, these movies were nominated for
numerous awards and are always good for
laughs.
As for the most recent adaptation
of the “Addams Family,” it has everyone
in WCSPA singing, snapping, and
snatching up scripts.The Addams Family
musical, which first opened on Broadway
in 2010, is a show for everyone to
enjoy. Unlike some other adaptations,
the musical is more centralized on the
cartoons than the other television shows
and movies. The show takes place when
all of the characters are older. Wednesday
Schoolhouse Rocked!
is engaged to a young man named Lucas
Beineke. Wednesday invites the Beineke
Family over for dinner and asks her
family to just give her, “One Normal
Night.” Instead, chaos ensues.
“I am definitely looking
forward to doing this show,” said Ketura
Bradford, Level 4. “I am looking forward
to working on the costumes and making
them as wacky as the Addams Family
characters themselves. The cast, crew
and audience are going to have so much
fun!”
The “Addams Family” has a legacy
that has lasted for nearly a century, all
thanks to Charles Addams. It is because
of him that the public has comics that
are now considered classics, television
shows that leave everyone snapping
and singing along, movies that can be
watched over and over again, and a
musical to entertain all of the senses.
The Addams Family Musical
performances are proudly sponsored by
Hamilton Chevrolet and will take place
at 7:30 PM on May 20th and May 21st.
Tickets are available in advance online,
and all seating is reserved. Please visit
WCSPA on the web at school.wcskids.
net/wcspa for tickets and information.
math, science, and politics after being
a part of this show. “‘Interplanet Janet’
helped me memorize the order of all the
the credits. Suddenly, the Schoolhouse
By: Alina Zhuravel
planets in our solar system,” said Jaelen
characters burst into chaos when they
Level 3, WMHS
notice that Chris can see them when he is Mayberry, Level 1. The audiences learned
This year, the Level One students not supposed to. Chris, now curious, gets about parts of speech, science, and social
studies, as this show combined learning
closer to get a better look. Clumsily, he
began their WCSPA careers with
and entertainment into one performance.
spills his coffee, the television explodes,
Schoolhouse Rock, Live! on March 18th
Overall, Schoolhouse Rock, Live! was
and he gets sucked into their world.
and 19th at 7:30 p.m. This musical
Throughout the show, the characters give a great success for Level 1. “I couldn’t
was about Chris Kaifesh, a new firsthave asked for a better first show
Chris tips to better his teaching. Each
year teacher who is anxious about his
experience,” said Donovan Jackson. The
lesson is presented in a musical number.
first official day with students in the
One example is “Conjunction Junction,” Level 1 students showed us all that they
classroom. He tries to calm his nerves
by turning on the television. He is happy which teaches about the correct usage of are capable of accomplishing incredible
things. The audience members were
conjunctions.
to see that Schoolhouse Rock, Live! has
amazed at the talents and skills of our
The cast all agreed that they feel
just started. He gets confused when he
first-year students.
much
more
knowledgeable
about
history,
notices the characters moving during
(See pictures
on page 3)
Spring Issue
Page 3
Media’s Home In WCSPA
By: Christina Badia
Level 3, CHS
Media is a relatively new, intriguing
aspect that is becoming increasingly
present in the WCSPA shows. Student
media designers are exploring what
videos and slideshows can bring to
a performance. Every show since
last season’s Chicago has had some
aspect of media in it. Whether it
includes projected shadow dancers or
a homemade version of “Just Dance,”
media is changing the game.
Last year, media was integrated
into many scenes/musical numbers
in Chicago. Aireen Bartolome (Level
3 CHS, media designer) was able to
incorporate shadow dancing projections
into several of the numbers, which
brought something very unique to the
show. By strategically incorporating
“shadow dancers” on the projection
screens, it created the illusion of more
people onstage, especially during
“Nowadays,” which felt like a true
Cabaret show.
To keep the momentum going,
a slight touch of media was added in
HONK! Jr. For example, the scenes
where Drake was on “The News”
pleading for Ugly and Ida to come back
home, the media crew was able to go
on stage with a hand-held camera and
film Drake. Meanwhile, the live video feed
was projected onto a screen in view of the
audience just behind the actor. This minor
touch transformed that scene and made it
feel like an authentic news broadcast. This
also allowed the actors to act out a little
more because they were projected onto a
mammoth screen.
The next show to incorporate
media was The 1940’s Radio Hour. While
it was not present throughout the entire
show, it served as a wonderful opener.
Aireen Bartolome put together a short
montage of clips from World War II.
These clips included soldiers going into
battle and Generals speaking to a crowd
about the war. This segued flawlessly into
the opening of the show and gave the
audience a deeper understanding of that
period in history before they entered the
actors’ world.
All of that media was preparing us
for the potent media in 2016’s Winterfest.
Media was a core element of two of the
dances: “WING$” and “Just Dance.” In
“WING$,” Aireen Bartolome created a
very touching video that portrayed the
meaning of the dance. The whole message
of the dance piece was that consumerism
is taking over our society; and how as a
society, we base people’s worth on the
price of their shoes. She juxtaposed
pictures of poverty-stricken kids next
to kids opening up expensive gifts on
Christmas morning. Twenty different
corporate logos, such as Apple and
Nike, flashed across the screen in rapid
succession. It is one thing to listen to the
song and its message, but it is another
to watch the visuals that accompany it.
Her media brought the message of the
dance to new heights. “The media gave
a much deeper meaning to ‘WING$’,”
said Aireen Bartolome, Level 3. “It was
as if the media was another dancer in
the piece.”
In the other piece, “Just Dance,”
Gabriel Balowski and Aireen Bartolome
filmed the dancers on a green screen
and (through the magic of media)
turned another student’s dance into the
“Just Dance” video game. The dancers
for that piece were the avatars in the
game. This was a very dynamic piece
in Winterfest, and the media made that
happen.
Media is raising the bar in
WCSPA shows. Every show is trying to
top the last one in a vigorous attempt
to add uniqueness to each performance.
From live video feeds to an organic
“Just Dance” game, WCSPA is
expanding what is possible to have in a
performance.
The Call Board
Page 4
MS-VPA: One of a Kind
By: Bernadette Magner
Level 2, SHHS
MS-VPA (The Middle School
Visual and Performing Arts
Program) is not your everyday,
run-of-the-mill program. MSVPA is a unique program for 7th
and 8th graders that incorporates
American History, Spanish, Visual
Arts, Integrated Arts, and Integrated
Music all into one. The program has
only been running for two years and
it is booming!
MS-VPA’s Integrated Arts
program has put together a show
called A Moment in Time, an
hour-long, student-created comedy
that contains musical numbers and
interactive dialogue. A Moment in
Time was designed to showcase
what the students of MS-VPA have
learned: stage directions, physical
expression, costuming, and props
and set design! A Moment in Time
combines comedy with an educational
experience! This is one way to make
learning history fun. Combining core
curriculum with the arts provides exciting
possibilities for engaging students.
MS-VPA’s Integrated Music
focuses on vocal and instrumental
music education within the program. In
this class, they work on harmonizing,
which combines multiple voices and
different notes to get one cohesive
sound. The students are also learning
Laban’s efforts, a method and language
for describing, visualizing, interpreting,
and documenting all types of human
movement. Finally, MS-VPA’s Integrated
Music utilizes locomotor pathways.
Locomotor pathways are the ways
that the body moves, whether that be
swerving left to right while walking in
a curved line, skipping in a diagonal
pattern, or jumping in a zig-zag line
on a low level. The options are endless
with locomotion.
MS-VPA is putting incredible
effort into creating a uniquely
integrated arts experience for its middle
school students. They have definitely
been busy this year, but there is no
doubt that they are having a blast. For a
two-year-old program, they create a lot
of interesting activities. MS-VPA is a
great start for blooming actors, singers,
and dancers. MS-VPA is “unlike any
other learning experience you’ve ever
had!”
Poetry: The Spoken Word...At Its Finest
By: Sasha McCullom
Level 3, CHS
Poetry recitation can be an excellent gateway
to expressing emotions through eloquent language.
Poetry (as defined by Webster’s Dictionary) is, “writing
that formulates imaginative awareness in language
through meaning, sound, and rhythm.” One important
component of reciting poetry is not only taking time to
understand your poem, but also connecting the poetry to
performance.
In order to connect poetry to performance, a poet
must acquire one thing before anything else: commitment.
Committing to your poem is essential to having a
successful delivery. Once you begin to believe in the words
that you are saying, performing your poem becomes much
less nerve-wracking.
In addition to having commitment to your piece, you
must also avoid performing it as a monologue. Contrary
to popular belief, poetry recitation and monologues are
two vastly different types of performance. For instance, in
a monologue, it is good to incorporate physical movement
and to have a dramatic interpretation of the piece. This is not
the case for poetry. In poetry, you should recite as if you are
simply telling a story. Capturing the purpose of your poem
through unique use of the voice (rather than using physical
movement and heavy dramatic delivery) is the ideal approach to
reciting a poem. Focusing on the underlying message of your
poem will allow you to truly integrate poetry and performance.
I recently had to learn for myself how important this difference
is. I placed third in Michigan’s Poetry Out Loud Competition
(2016) and felt proud to be among some of the finest young
poets in Michigan for this event.
Spring Issue
Page 5
Blast From The Past
By: Sydney Baranski
Level 4, CHS
WCSPA has always created
the perfect learning atmosphere for
children who are looking to continue
their career in theatre. Students who
attend WCSPA have an advantage that
almost every other theatre student
in the country lacks, which leads to
their very successful futures. WCSPA
alumni David Clauson is one of these
outstanding students who has taken
his knowledge of theatre (provided by
WCSPA) and molded it into his passion
and career in adult life.
David Clauson graduated in 2009.
What first pulled Clauson into theatre
was the community that he became a
part of while trying it out. “I became
attracted to theatre because I was able
to be part of a tight-knit community
where I could make concrete
contributions and spend my time
serving the goals of the whole group,”
Clauson said.
While he was in WCSPA, David
excelled and enjoyed both performance
and technical theatre. David talked
about some of his most memorable
roles during his time at WCSPA. “I
really enjoyed playing Harding in One
Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest because
it was such a fantastic ensemble. Treves
in The Elephant Man was a particular
challenge because the character’s
Victorian worldview crumbles over the
course of the play,” said Clauson..
WCSPA teaches lessons that
last in theatre—as well as lessons for
life in general. Clauson added that
WCSPA taught him about the value
of volunteering and commitment.
“Volunteer your help and labor
whenever and wherever you can. Not
only does it give those around you a
hand, it allows you to make a connection
with another person and develop skills,
too.” Clauson said. Through WCSPA,
he learned to donate his time whenever
he could; whether it was in one of the
shops or by helping the teachers. He
continues to use that skill in his everyday
workplace. He has worked extremely
hard to achieve the personal character
he upholds and will never let down his
sense of work ethic.
Clauson is currently a graduate
student at the Yale School of Drama,
earning his MFA (Master of Fine Arts).
It is his third and final year in this
program for Dramaturgy and Dramatic
Criticism. The program puts students
through intensive training to prepare
for careers in three different categories:
to work in theaters as dramaturges,
artistic producers, or literary managers
and related positions. This is one of the
hardest and most important positions
Reflecting on Winterfest
“I worked really hard to overcome doing a toetouch to a split in one of my dances,” said Isabelle
Wither, Level 3. Most dancers do not have an extensive
background in dance and even some of the more
experienced dancers gained more knowledge from
being in Winterfest. “I learned that good communication
skills and constant repetition are so important in
rehearsals,” says Megan Pecararo, Level 3.
Winterfest taught a lot of people to become more
confident and brought them a newfound passion for
dance. “You just really have to let go and be yourself on
stage,” said Xavier Williamson, Level 2.
in theatre. Students are training in studies
of literature, theory and criticism, and
history. Yale’s School of Drama aims
for students to attain a comprehensive
knowledge of theatre and dramatic
literature.
Although this job seems like a large
load to handle, Clauson enjoys it very
much. “I quite like it, since I get to read
and experience such a diversity of new
and experimental works.” Clauson said.
“It’s also great to feel like I’m right in the
thick of the work with playwrights and
directors, trying to achieve the larger goal
of storytelling.”
Lastly, Clauson left the upcoming
WCSPA students some parting wisdom
for success. “The best advice I can give
is to seek out viewpoints that directly
contradict your beliefs. It will help you
refine your values, and expose you to
new ways of thinking about the world.
That’ll make you a better artist. I’d also
advise setting aside time—even if it’s
just a few minutes each day—to work
on something you’re extraordinarily
passionate about. Whether it’s an art
project, a dance piece, a play, cooking, or
researching biology. That time will pay
off.”
(Continued. from page 2)
The choreographers also faced many challenges that they
overcame during the process of Winterfest. “I found it difficult
to teach my own dance in a room without mirrors,” said Corey
Turner, Level 3. The students who were not a part of Winterfest
cast helped out in the technical areas. “For this show, the
media was more complex because I had to make the videos
from scratch,” said Aireen Bartelome, Level 3. She and Gabe
Balowski, Level 4, learned how to create and animate video
media using advanced programs like Adobe’s AfterEffects and
Premiere Pro.
In conclusion, Winterfest was a huge success and a lot of
fun. All of the students and crew learned a lot about themselves
and pushed each other to become better.
The
TheCall
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Page 6
There’s Only One Word Left to Sing: ♪ Goodbye ♪
said Sarah Gunter, Level 4.
This performance is a time
where the four WCSPA teachers can sit
Seniors are anxiously awaiting
back and look at how they have taught
graduation, but before we send them
these seniors to create their own theatre
off, they are preparing for their last
and to “live truthfully in imaginary
performance in WCSPA, Senior
situations.” Many students come and go
Showcase. In this mini show, the Class
in WCSPA, gaining all of their theatre
of 2016 joins together to create their last knowledge from Mr. Gillespie, Mr. Hart,
goodbye and to reflect on their last four Ms. Wygant, and Mr. Osenberg. Senior
years in the program.
Showcase is going to be a bittersweet
In years past, students have
goodbye, but we wish the seniors all the
made an introduction video and then
best in whatever they end up doing.
performed different pieces (monologues,
“I didn’t have any theatre
scenes, dances and songs). experience before WCSPA, so everything
Senior Showcase is often an
I’ve learned has been because of the
emotional experience for most seniors.
four amazing teachers here,” says Gabe
As their last performance and last chance Balowksi, Level 4.
to showcase their talent, emotions tend
WCSPA creates friendships
to take over and the tears start to flow.
that will never die between students in
“I fully expect to be sobbing by all levels, not just their own. Because of
the end of Senior Showcase. I’m going
this, Senior Showcase can be equally as
to miss WCSPA and all the friendships
emotional and saddening for the lower
that I’ve made over the last four years,”
levels. Students from Levels 1-3 often
By: Christopher Kaifesh
Level 4, SHHS
Photo Highlights
Winterfest 2016
WCSPA Photos
by Frank Lombardo
See More on Shutterfly!
Senior Miranda Wilking
Re-Creates Millie’s Epic
“Chair Dive” (Showcase 2015)
go through the program looking up to
the seniors as performers, but more
importantly as role models and friends.
“I’ve spent the last six years of
my life with some of these seniors, and
it’s going to be so hard saying goodbye
to them. I look up to them as role
models and almost like older siblings.
I really couldn’t imagine my WCSPA
career without any of them,” says Kevin
Mazur, Level 3.
All in all, the 2016 seniors have
worked endlessly to get where they are,
and are wrapping their time up here in
one last performance. No one knows
what this year’s Senior Showcase has in
store, so come experience it yourself in
the Little Theatre, June 7th at 7:00 p.m.!
Page 7
Spring Issue
The Face Behind The Music
By: Courtney Skrinner
Level 2, CHS
A small round of applause at the
end of each show is all the band gets.
Every time WCSPA has a production,
the audience sees the actors and the
finished product, but they never see
the mastermind behind the music. Ms.
Cleaveland helps WCSPA with most
music-related pursuits for shows. Ever
see a WCSPA performance and were
amazed at the vocals? Most of the credit
must be handed to Ms. Cleaveland.
In the fall, Ms. Cleaveland
taught a vocal class every day to
WCSPA students for the first time.
Although this was the first time Ms.
Cleaveland had a class dedicated to
her every day, she is not new to the
program. She has worked with WCSPA
since 2005.
Cleaveland works closely with the
WCSPA students and devotes many
hours after school to train them. She
recently helped Level One get ready
for their show, Schoolhouse Rock Live! by
being there in the morning every day
to help the students learn the music.
Additionally, she helped the upper levels
once a week in order prepare them for
auditions for the spring musical, The
Addams Family.
The students appreciate her
presence immensely. “She helped me
learn how to read notes a lot better
and how to sound better as a soprano,”
said Racquel Tompkins, a Level 2
SHHS student. It is evident that Ms.
Cleaveland is dedicated to making our
productions sound as phenomenal as
possible.
“I do it because it’s fun!” Ms.
Cleaveland said. She has always loved
music, acting and theatre. She has
always known how to play the piano.
Ms. Cleaveland primarily studied acting
and musical theater in college at New
York University. Ms. Cleaveland still
acts now, but since she knew how to
play the piano, teaching people vocals
just seemed right. “My favorite part of
WCSPA is the kids,” she explained. Ms.
Cleaveland loves to see the different
talents and what happens when you put
all of them together.
Ms. Cleaveland’s love for
teaching is evident. Her hard work pays
off every time as the audience cheers
for each show, leaving them with a glow
in their eyes. Not only does she help the
students, but she does so passionately,
which is what makes her so loved by the
WCSPA family.
Hamilton Chevrolet cares about Family and Future!
“Our community is our reason for being. It is the reason we have been in business
for 59 years, and the reason we continue to serve!” - David Hamilton, Owner
Hamilton Chevrolet is proud
to be the top sponsor of WCSPA’s
25th Anniversary season! From
our founding, Gene Hamilton
was a dedicated member of the
Warren Rotary club—as well as
being involved in many other
community events. Hamilton
Chevrolet continues to lead today
through community involvement
& investment. Hamilton’s second
generation of owners continue the
tradition by supporting many nonprofit events and organizations in the
community. Owners Mike Hamilton,
Sam Cupp and Mike Boguth support
the Make-A-Wish foundation,
Winning Futures Mentoring,
Michigan Sting Hockey club,
American Cancer Society, Gleaners
food bank, Warren Jets football, the
Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure,
and the Warren Consolidated School
of Performing Arts.
www.hamiltonchevy.com
WCSPA’s Jonathan
Gillespie expresses
our deepest gratitude
to Hamilton Chevrolet
for their continued
sponsorship of WCSPA.
David Hamilton
(pictured left) and his
family of employees
are proud supporters
of the arts, the WCS
Community, and the
families they serve.
Warren Consolidated School
Of Performing Arts
Sterling Heights High School
12901 15 Mile Road
Sterling Heights, MI 48312
NON-PROFIT
US POSTAGE
PAID
STERLING HIEGHTS, MI
PERMIT NO. 212
Current resident or
This newsletter was published with the generous support of
the WCS Print Shop & Mr. Bill Shreeve.
The Addams Family - May 20 & 21, 7:30 pm.
WCSPA - Upcoming Events:
We’re on the Web!
www.wcskids.net/wcspa
Apr 2 – Apr 10
Spring Break
Wed
May 18
Booster Club Meeting, 8:30pm
Fri
May 20
ADDAMS FAMILY, Performance 7:30pm
Sat
May 21
ADDAMS FAMILY, Performance 7:30pm
Mon
May 30
No School, Memorial Day
Wed
Jun 1
WCSPA Banquet
Tue
Jun 7
Senior Showcase Little Theatre
Mon
Jun 13
WCSPA Exam, Last day for WCSPA
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