week 1

[stagemanagers]

[Well, all escape attempts have failed thus far. None of you have seen the Phantom since his brief appearance on Sunday, or heard from him at all. It looks like, for the time being, you’re all going to be stuck here.

You're free to continue exploring your surroundings to your hearts' content. The only real restriction on your movements is that the kitchen is closed between the hours of 10 pm and 7 am. Better make sure to grab any midnight snacks you may want ahead of time. Also, remember to label any investigation toplevels!

The Merchandise Booth is now open for business as well! The Phantom hasn't deigned to explain how it works, but...well, some of you will start to find mysterious coins in your rooms, and the Booth's got a place to put coins. You'll figure it out.

Should you wish to engage more with your host, you're welcome to drop letters in the box office slot. There's no set way to converse verbally with him, and he's certainly not guaranteed to respond if you just yell at the walls - but that doesn't necessarily mean he isn't listening. Just something to keep in mind.

Enjoy your first week, everyone.]

Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday

(( OOC: This will be the last mod post for this week! Feel free to start submitting regains for any threads that aren't with the Phantom. Remember, song threads mean an extra coin! This is a peace week, so get all that CR while you can! ))

Comments

[isawallflower]

You don't do stretches or anything? [ But, she follows along, jumping jacks is a fine warm-up. ] Flexibility's probably more important in cheerleading than general acting.

[madgiganticfeelings]

You're right about that, but really, stretches are good for any physical activity, including acting! Probably should have started with that...

[Oh well! She counts out twenty, and then starts stretching her arms out. She's pretty sure Riley knows enough of this to follow along, at least.]

[isawallflower]

[ That she certainly does. It's a bit different from her usual routine, but she follows along well enough. And, she's practiced enough to keep up a conversation while warming up! ]

It's fine, everyone has different priorities in their workouts, after all. You are the teacher here, so. I'll listen!

[madgiganticfeelings]

Okay! So, now that we're warmed up... feet apart, hands on your diaphragm!

[She demonstrates by spreading her feet shoulderwidth apart, before placing her hands around her tummy.]

[isawallflower]

[ Following her lead! ]

Aaallright. Hands on diaphragm!

[madgiganticfeelings]

Okay! So now we'll start with some short sounds! Try to focus on speaking from your diaphragm and not from your chest. Feel how it pushes out when you project your voice! And on your mouth too, how they form the words! Just repeat after me!

[She starts going through one syllable sounds, mainly just a vowel with a consonent attached. "Ha, he, hi, ho, hu," and so on.]

[isawallflower]

[ For a moment she's confused, why sounds? But, it's...okay, it's for enunciation, probably, and projection. This she can do easily. Something quite familiar sets in (from fourth grade, with an encouraging arm around her shoulder as Riley stammers to her parents why she wants speech therapy) and she follows along easily. ]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[After a few minutes of that, Christine claps her hands.]

That was really good! After that, I usually recite tongue twisters. But we can skip over that if you want to get into the fun stuff!

[isawallflower]

[ It’s strange, Riley hasn’t needed to do any of this in years, but. It’s all very familiar and nice, almost. ]

What’s the, uh, fun stuff? The basics are always a fundamental, in anything, but... What kind of exercises are we talking about here?

[madgiganticfeelings]

I was thinking if you wanted, we could try some improvisation games? Those are fun. Oh, or just some character work, like I could give you a random name and job and you could make up personalities for that person. It'd, um, be a little easier if there were more people here, but we can make it work!

[isawallflower]

Improv? If everything's all written on a script, how would improvisation help? Aren't you supposed to stick to that?

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Oh, Riley, you sweet thing. Christine just shakes her head as she starts pacing around. She's gotta keep moving or the thoughts will stop!]

Well, number 1, we don't have a script, so we really don't have anything to stick to right now. And number 2, improvisation is a crucial skill for any actor! Sometimes your cast member will forget lines, and you'll have to help cover for them to get the scene back on track. Improv helps with that. Plus, it can really help with stage fright and stuff. If you've already performed with nothing to go off of, having a whole script to follow is easy!

[isawallflower]

[ Forget their lines... Oof. Riley gulps. ]

I...think this is why I never took with theater. I'm not really good at the whole...thinking on your feet in a social performative context thing, unless it's, you know. With pom-poms.

[madgiganticfeelings]

Hm... It sounds like you just need a little confidence boost! How about we do something familiar first? We could do a scene about cheerleaders at a competition?

[She will put those cheers she learned to good use!]

[isawallflower]

Oh! Um. [ Were she a self-aware girl, she might say that might get a bit too real. However, Riley is not a self-aware girl, so. ] Okay. Okay! Yeah, I can do that, I know that.

[ Psyching herself up, rubbing her hands together. ]

You, um. You want to set the scene, or...?

[madgiganticfeelings]

Oh! Of course! Just follow my lead!

[She takes a few deep breaths, and then after apparently centreing herself, turns back to Riley with a confident pose, hands on hips.]

So! Stacy, we meet again! Here to try to take my Pom Pom Queen crown again, are you?

[isawallflower]

[ Okay, Riley's got this!! .......She thinks, for half a second, because then she's looking utterly baffled at the concept of a Pom Pom Queen crown. She mouths the words, getting off to a shaky start. ]

You...don't know what you're talking about, uh, Diane! I'm just here to...do my best for my school!

[madgiganticfeelings]

Psh, don't make me laugh! We all know you were humiliated coming in as runner up last year! I heard you were working on a secret routine to crush me this year.

[Rule 1 of improv, Riley, just go along with it! Christine nods at her reassuringly to try to prompt her to go.]

[isawallflower]

[ Her amiable smile twitches and Riley takes a deep breath. ]

The past is the past. I don't need any special to do my best, because I have been doing my best. [ She stands a little taller. ] I've got my team behind me. What do you have?

[madgiganticfeelings]

Oh nothing at all... except this switch for the stage lights! What are you going to do if I turn out the lights on your performance?

[This is probably a little too evil genius for cheerleading, but oh well!]

[isawallflower]

[ what the fuck this isn't a movie- wait. wait it's. a play. improv thing. okay. uhhhh. ]

That's cheating. No one would stand for it.

[madgiganticfeelings]

Do you know that for sure? I could make it look like an accident, you know. And besides, Pom Pom Queens are known for their morals! No one would ever suspect me!

[Christine lets out a laugh that was probably meant to be evil sounding. It's at least mildly spooky?]

[isawallflower]

[ Can Christine even do evil? Oh, honey. Riley needs to take a moment from the absurdity of it all, but she thinks she's got something. ]

Youuu could try it. If you really think you can't beat me without help. Not so confident in your skills anymore?

[madgiganticfeelings]

Ha! I have all the confidence I need! I challenge you to a cheer off! Right here, right now!

[This should make the scene exciting!]

[isawallflower]

Before the competition? [ She raises her chin. Okay. She's getting into this! ] I've got nothing to prove to you. You really want to lose that badly?