NHCT Announces Auditions for "13 the Musical"

Upcoming NHCT Auditions for 13 The Musical!

(Full Audition Packet)

Geek. Poser. Jock. Beauty Queen. Wannabe. These are the labels that can last a lifetime. With an unforgettable rock score from Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown, (Parade, The Last Five Years, Bridges Of Madison County) 13 is a musical about fitting in - and standing out! This high energy musical requires a very talented and dedicated cast, intent on having such a great time on stage that the fun spills into the audience.

Casting males and females, ages 13-young adult, for 13 primary roles, understudies, and ensemble roles. Casting musicians for bass, drums, two guitars, and keyboard, ages 13-young adult.

AUDITION INFORMATION (Preparation is Necessary)

• Acting auditions will be held on Thursday, July 14th (6pm) and Saturday, Ju1y 16th (by appointment) at New Horizon Theatre in downtown West Point, GA. Email amy@amymcdow.com to schedule an audition.
  
• Band auditions will be arranged by appointment only. Email amy@amymcdow.com for information.
  
• Callbacks (if necessary) will be held Sunday, July 17th at 3pm.
  
• ALL conflicts (specific dates and times) from July 19th to August 27th, must be listed on your audition form.
  
• Headshots and acting resumes are encouraged, but not required.
  
• Singing: Auditioners will be asked to sing (two minute maximum) of a song of their choice. This song should be in the style of the show, while showcasing vocal ability and the ability to to convey character through song. For primary roles, please choose a song from 13 The Musical (karaoke versions will be available) that features the character you wish to perform.
  
• Reading: Scripts will be provided for group scenes. Prepared monologues (two minute limit) are highly encouraged, especially if seeking a lead role.
  
• Dancing: All performers in 13 The Musical will be required to dance with a group. The dance portion of the audition will include both choreographed and unchoreographed segments.
  
• Additional Skills: Come prepared to show the casting committee any special skills that may be valuable to the show. For example, cheerleading, skateboarding, flips, beatboxing, etc.
  
• Come prepared to move and dress comfortably in closed-toe shoes.
• Only the casting committee and those auditioning will be allowed into the auditorium during auditions.

REHEARSAL DATES

• Rehearsals begin on Saturday, July 19th at 1pm.
  
• Three rehearsals will be held each week. Saturday rehearsals (7/23, 7/30, 8/6, 8/13, and 8/20) will be from 1pm to 6pm and weekday rehearsals will be arranged to minimize cast conflicts. Extended daytime rehearsals will take place until school is in session. Once school begins, weekday rehearsals will be held from 6 to 9pm.
  
• Band rehearsals will be scheduled after conflicts are received.
• Performance/tech week is August 22nd to 27th. It is mandatory for all cast and band members to be present at all rehearsals and performances during this week (no conflicts).

PERFORMANCE DATES at NHCT in West Point

• August 25th at 8pm, August 26th at 8pm, August 27th at 2pm and 8pm.
• Full company mandatory strike and optional cast party will follow the last show.

Directed by Amy McDow.

For more information, email amy@amymcdow.com or call/text 706-518-9089. 

*All times listed are Eastern Daylight Time. 

(NHCT's 13 the Musical Audition Packet)

A Day of Remembrance: The Lafayette Theatre Academy Performs "I Never Saw Another Butterfly"

Yesterday I had one of those moments.   You know the feeling of traveling on a rollercoaster at crazy speeds, being twisted and turned without mercy?  Then, in the middle of the ride, you fly to this insane height and the car stops, your stomach starts to unknot, you take a breath and look around at an absolutely incredible view.  And although it isn’t over, that glance of your world from a distance is something you take with you for the rest of the ride.

That moment came for me yesterday, standing in the tech booth at the the Breman Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.  I brought the lights up for the last time, my cast came together to bow for their audience, and every person immediately stood, filling the room with the sound of applause.  That is when everything seemed to stop, my view widened, and the depth of this journey was made so clear.

Yesterday was Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.  We spent this day at the Breman Museum, surrounded by artifacts, recorded histories, celebrated lives, and so many memories from the Holocaust.  We were invited to perform for an intimate group of their docents, amazing individuals dedicated to preserving the museum, sharing the value of their heritage, promoting peace and tolerance, and providing continuing education for all of their visitors.  In attendance were survivors of the Holocaust, family members of survivors, and even a lovely gentleman introduced as the designer of the museum. As I looked around the auditorium, I could not have imagined an audience that could bring more value to this production, for myself and our cast.

Then I looked at the stage and saw twelve of the best and brightest young people I know.  They embraced the challenges of this production and diligently worked to provide their best for this moment.  Their intense appreciation for the honor of performing in this location, on this date, and for this audience speaks volumes.  For all of us, this was far more than another activity or another show to participate in after school.  The empathy they used to connect with the characters they portrayed and their compassion for those who endured the events of the Holocaust touched me more than I could ever express. 

And in that moment, looking out from the tech booth, I knew that I was seeing a view I would never forget.

Following the end of our production, I listened to reflections on the life of Werner Spiegel, one of their members who passed away this week.   After narrowly escaping capture during Kristallnacht, he spent his youth providing for his family under the persecution of the Nazi regime, until his family escaped to the United States in 1941.  As I looked around the room, filled with his friends and people whose lives shared so much in common with his, I realized that this small audience was really the biggest audience for which we could have performed.

*Following the successful production of the full-version of I Never Saw Another Butterfly at the Lafayette Society for Performing Arts in LaGrange this January, the director (Amy McDow) was contacted by a representative of the Bremen Jewish Heritage and Holocaust Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, to invite the cast to provide a program for the museum. 

I Never Saw Another Butterfly shares the story of how the children, held in the Terezín Concentration Camp, used art to inspire, entertain, comfort, and strengthen themselves and each other. After liberation, pieces of the children’s artwork, poetry, and prose were found and used as the material for the play and the book on which the play is based. 

The cast traveling to Atlanta included 13 students, in the sixth through twelfth grades, from Troup and Harris counties in Georgia and Chambers county in Alabama. 

Please visit www.LSPARTS.org for more information about the Lafayette Theatre Academy.

Brothers Grimm: Out of Order Performance

Brothers Grimm: Out of Order from Amy McDow on Vimeo.

Sit back and enjoy the entire performance of Brothers Grimm: Out of Order (Pioneer Drama Service).   We had so much fun bringing this show to our community and the members of our troupe are always thrilled for an opportunity to share their love of the theatre on stage.

PRESENTING The Brothers Grimm: Out of Order

On January 10th, the Artistic Moment's Theatre Geeks will be performing an upbeat, one-act comedy that brings the Grimm Brothers to a modern day high school theatre department. 

Performances will be held at New Horizon Theatre in downtown West Point, GA at 2pm and at 7pm. 
Tickets are General Admission and only $5 each. 

Don't miss The Brothers Grimm: Out of Order, written by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus!

Brothers Jake and Will Grimm battle over a script for their high school theatre department, with Jake inserting blood and strife among Will's fluffy bunnies and happy endings.
The result is a mix-up of your favorite fairy tales, thrown together in a rush performance to save their theatre department from a take-over by the football team. Sit back and enjoy the chaos as Prince Charming rescues Rapunzel, who ends up falling in love with Hansel, following his escape from the evil witch Cinderella. Even Jorinda and Joringel join the show, but crash Cinderella's story when no one remembers their fairy tale. When the principal arrives to see the show, the six minute and twelve second performance is nothing short of hysterical.

A Grimm 2015 Calendar Available Now!

A Grimm 2015 Calendar is now available for purchase!

The calendar can be purchased locally for $10 at Hawkes Library, West Point Soap, and Papadolly's Boutique (upstairs at Resurrect).  Delivery for larger orders is available locally (please email amy@amymcdow.com for arrangements).  Calendars may also be purchased online for an additional charge of $3.50 to cover packaging and shipping.  Drop shipping is available as well, if you would like us to mail one as a gift.

$10 pre-order of the calendar (+ $3.50 S/H)

Calendars ordered online will be mailed during the second week of November

(please email orders for local delivery to amy@amymcdow.com)

Each month of this unique calendar features a scene from a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm.   Costuming was designed in the style Steampunk and provides a new look for classic tales, such as Cinderella and Little Red Riding Hood.  The settings were all locations in Troup County, Georgia and included Fort Tyler, the West Point Woman’s Club, West Point Lake, Hawkes Library, and Bishom Manor in LaGrange.

As a part of our efforts to promote artistic opportunities in our rural area, we began holding creative writing workshops for aspiring young authors, also known as Word Artists.  We meet at Hawkes Library in West Point, Georgia and have members from across Troup County, as well as Chambers County in Alabama.  Our Word Artists incorporate a wealth of artistic talents and creativity into each of their projects and goals.  Their latest adventure was the creation of A 2015 Grimm Calendar.

Proceeds from the calendar sales will help provide the necessary resources for the group’s ambitious goals. We anticipate their first publications to be released in May 2015 and also plan to create a program designed to bring Word Artists into local schools, advocating literacy and promoting an interest in creative writing.

The generosity of many local sponsors made this project a possibility.  As the primary sponsor of the calendar and the home of the Youth Writing Workshop, Hawkes Library and the Friends of Hawkes Library have provided much support for this program and its members.  Hooked on Art, in conjunction with David and Becky Guinn, donated most of the costuming used. The fairy-tale environment of Bisham Manor offered the perfect backdrop for a number of stories told. The West Point Woman’s Club provided additional settings and have supported the writing program from its beginning. Additional sponsorsinclude Papadolly’s Boutique, West Point Soap, Eagle 102.3, We Print Ink, Blue Train Books of Hogansville, ProAudio Georgia, Timeless Antiques, Kitchen Cupboard, El Jimador, Celitic Traditons of Auburn, David’s Automotive, Prime Time Restaurant, Attorney Julianne Lynn, Kellie Hubbard of Premier Designs Jewelry, Girl Scout Troop 5165, and numerous private sponsors.

The photography and design services for the project were provided by Amy McDow, who also facilitates the workshops.  You can view more of her artwork at www.amymcdow.com.

A Grimm 2015 Calendar Release!!!!

Join us on

November 2nd, 2015

at Hawkes Library in West Point, GA

from 2 to 4pm EDT

for the first look at the Artistic Moments' Word Artist Calendar!

The Word Artists featured in this calendar are a part of the Artistic Moments' Visual & Performing Arts Education Program in West Point, GA.  Aspiring young writers meet bi-monthly at Hawkes Library to strengthen their writing talents and encourage each other as they work toward the goal of becoming published authors.  The group is also actively working to advocate for literacy and promote an interest in creative writing throughout their communities.  The combination of writing with other artistic interests has created a unique workshop environment that appeals to a diverse group of young people, as illustrated within these pages.

Our Word Artists are already picking out costumes and enlargements of the calendar's artwork will be on display at Hawkes during the release party.  We are even bringing in a special printing of the calendar that will allow you to collect as many autographs as you like!  Of course, we will provide refreshments and and a relaxed environment that can be enjoyed by your whole family.

$10 pre-order of the calendar (+ $3.50 S/H)

Calendars ordered online will be mailed during the second week of November

(please email orders for local delivery to amy@amymcdow.com)

Here are a few sneak-peaks of some of the images used in the calendar and others that were just too much fun not to include.

 Property: Bisham Manor in LaGrange, GA (www.bishammanor.com)

 Property: Bisham Manor in LaGrange, GA (www.bishammanor.com)

2015 Word Artists Calendar is on its way!!!!

ACCEPTING SPONSORS AND PRE-ORDERS now through October 12th!!!

Spend 2015 exploring the original source of many well-loved fairy tales, as written by the Brothers Grimm, with scenes portrayed in Steampunk fashion, by youth in West Point and surrounding areas.  The Artistic Moments' Word Artists are combining their love of literature, creativity, and theatrical skills in a unique wall-calendar for this upcoming year.  Proceeds benefit the Artistic Moments’ Word Artist program, which enhances members’ writing skills, provides resources for self-publication, and promotes young authors.  

Your contribution will help cover the costs of writing workshops and publication expenses for members works. The program hopes to expand opportunities for lower-income residents, as well as allow members to visit local schools advocating literacy and promoting an interest in creative writing, by sharing their publications with other students.  Thank you for supporting the development and growth of this program.

$10 pre-order of the calendar (+ $3.50 S/H)
Calendars will be mailed during the second week of November
(please email orders for local delivery to amy@amymcdow.com)

$25 calendar sponsorship includes:

~ one copy of the calendar ($10 value)

~ listing on the calendar’s sponsor page

~ recognition on the Artistic Moments’ website and Facebook pages  

$100 calendar sponsorship includes:

~ five copies of the calendar ($50 value)

~ featured listing on sponsor page (with logo and contact information)

~ recognition on the Artistic Moments’ website and Facebook pages 

$250 calendar sponsorship includes (limited number available):

~ fifteen copies of the calendar ($150 value)

~ business name and website featured on one month of the calendar

~ recognition on the Artistic Moments’ website and Facebook pages 

$200 Word Artist Program Scholarship

~ sponsors an individual Word Artist through one year of the program

~ scholarship is provided in your name

~ recognition on websites and promotional material

$350 Publication Scholarship

~ provides the resources for a Word Artist to self-publish their work

~ scholarship is provided in your name

~ recognition on websites, promotional material, and in published work

~ Accepting contributions now through PayPal ~

For more information, please contact Amy McDow 

(amy@amymcdow.com or 706-407-1210).