So a funny thing happened in Theater class....

[NeoMikey]

...just a feeling, I think that this thread is going to end up exploding.

Well, Friday was the start of my second level Theater class, Theater 238.  All the 138 and 238 students have class together, so it makes for a nice mixture.  Something I wasn't expecting, though, was for me to be the only 238 student in the whole entire class.    The professor held me after class like she usually does on the first day for her 238 students to talk to them (i.e. me) about what was to be expected of them.  She threw out a couple projects that have been done beforei n the past, some usually by 238 students working together (good luck on that, right?), then eventually she asked me, "So what sort of things are you into?"

I talked a little bit about anime, plus also randomly threw in my Transformers movie adventure.  See, when that movie got released, on opening day, I donned my Supreme Catatonic costume and went to go see it.  I had a lot of fun with the reactions I got from people, so after the movie I thought, "...y'know, I do need some groceries, and Walmart is right there."  Well I won't go on about that story, because that's not what this thread is about.  What this thread is about is when my professor asked about my "Transformers costume," I casually mentioned it was actually from an anime called Samurai Pizza Cats, she asked me to tell her some more about it, and eventually I was assigned the project to recreate in 15-20 minutes an episode of SPC in the Children's Center not far away for 3-5 year olds.

No, I'm not kidding.

She also asked to get some episodes on disk for the people over there to watch in advance, as well as for her.  She wants this show to have only a few people in it, plus she was hoping for me to narrate things while wearing the Supreme Catatonic outfit.  My gosh, people, I'm terrified of this project, but also really excited!  I'll update you all of any progress...and when this is performed, no guarantees, but I'll see if I can get it on digital video and put onto YouTube.  You people take care 

[ouka]

Woah. Good luck.

Which episode are you picking?

[Mechadon]

Awww! I wish I had an opportunity to do something like this.

Go for it! Make the most of it! It's not everyday you're asked to re-enact an SPC episode.

You know what you doing, NeoMikey.
For great justice. 

[Truro]

That's amazing! Best of luck with it! 

[SteC]

I'd be feeling the same way as you are now when an opportunity rises like this. Excited but scared!! 

[KyoZaber]

Very nifty!
Don't worry, you'll do fine.

I wish I could be there. It would be great to see fans acting out an actual episode. I'm very interested in how you're going to do some of the scenes. Especially when Speedy blows something up.

I'm also very interested in whomever you'd pull in to be Guru Lou.

In any case, best of luck. 
If you need any advice or anything, you know we'll help in any way we can.

[TGLucario475]

hehe good luck M8

[Blackcat]

So, you are going to be Teyande Carl?

*If you didnt saw the TMNT movie in 3D you wont get that, just change the Big turtle head for Speedy head...and bingo! Teyande Carl!

[ItsGotSugar]

Awesome. Do your best on it, NeoMikey. That's a great opportunity, and you have the Princess' full support.

(...Assuming you make her the star of all the performances and portray her as the perfect, divine ruler we all know she is.  )

[NeoMikey]

(...Assuming you make her the star of all the performances and portray her as the perfect, divine ruler we all know she is.  )

Actuallyyyyyy...I was hoping to go and use episode 9, "Double Trouble for Princess Vi," where she leaves the castle and enjoys the festival.  Of course, it'll involve heavy editing to the script to fit into the 15-20 minute slot.  The area even has an elevated portion with a staircase, so that could be fun to work off!

There's, um, only one slight problem...and I do understand where the Children's Center managerial people are coming from.  They~ want...there to be no violence.  No action scenes. Yeeee-eah....  I'm told it's because the kids like to emulate what they see on tv right afterwards (she used the example of Power Rangers, coincidentally indicting Saban).  It shouldn't be too hard.  No Cat's Eye Slash, no big battles with ninja crows, no classic action-comedy anime scenes.  It'll likely just be Vi going around, having a fun time, while being oblivious to the efforts of the Ninja Crows to get her and our beloved Pizza Cats protecting her.  I'm also really thankful there's already a Narrator in the series, so I won't have to write too much!

Also coincidentally, I do hope to use the, "It's got sugar!" line!  =)

[Mechadon]

Actuallyyyyyy...I was hoping to go and use episode 9, "Double Trouble for Princess Vi," where she leaves the castle and enjoys the festival.  Of course, it'll involve heavy editing to the script to fit into the 15-20 minute slot.  The area even has an elevated portion with a staircase, so that could be fun to work off!

There's, um, only one slight problem...and I do understand where the Children's Center managerial people are coming from.  They~ want...there to be no violence.  No action scenes. Yeeee-eah....  I'm told it's because the kids like to emulate what they see on tv right afterwards (she used the example of Power Rangers, coincidentally indicting Saban).  It shouldn't be too hard.  No Cat's Eye Slash, no big battles with ninja crows, no classic action-comedy anime scenes.  It'll likely just be Vi going around, having a fun time, while being oblivious to the efforts of the Ninja Crows to get her and our beloved Pizza Cats protecting her.  I'm also really thankful there's already a Narrator in the series, so I won't have to write too much!

Also coincidentally, I do hope to use the, "It's got sugar!" line!  =)

I acted out my favourite SPC scenes when I was a kid; it was fun. I guess fun is concidered too dangerous these days. 

[NeoMikey]

Unfortunately, procrastination has struck again.  Before I give details about the assignment, I want to tell everyone here...when it comes to theater and memorizing lines...do NOT procrastinate!  EVAR!!1

Well now...the script has been mostly finalized.  Unfortunately, my partner has given me no feedback on the project (she's ub3r busy, but I'm still disappointed ), so I've had to fly solo with getting everything together.  The script is virtually finalized.  Unfortunately, due to cast, time, and audience constraints, I've had to cut a lot of characters.  Our three feline heroes will be there, but no Francine.  The Big Cheese, Bad Bird, and Jerry Atric are absent too.  The group of "evil ninja crows" is now considered the bad guy.  Al Dente and the princess's deer aide have kind of been condensed into one character.  Princess Vi, though, will be there, and possibly Lucille (not finalized quite yet!).  Oh...and me, dressed as the Supreme Catatonic, standing off to the side, will be the Narrator (without a goofy voice, sorry).  Aside from my costume, most of these costumes likely won't be all that extravagant like my past cosplays (...whose armors are deteriorating  ), but they'll serve their purpose.  I'd really like to borrow a friend's blue kimono for Vi, at least...!

The plot will revolve around episode 9 with bunches of script changes.  Princess Vi decides to mingle amongst the common people with her brilliant Clark Kent-esque disguise.  The ninja crows keep trying to slip her "amnesia powder," so they can take over Little Tokyo, while the Pizza Cats keep thwarting their plans, all the while Princess Vi is completely oblivious.  At the very end, some moral is given about listening when people tell you not to wander off or you could get hurt, the children applaud, and hopefully I get an A.

Also, I'm really hoping to borrow a friend's digital camcorder, and record the production and put it on YouTube.  If conditions aren't great during the performance to record, I'm hoping to convince my actors to repeat it before/after the scheduled performance for the purpose of filming.  It'd then be just like shooting a tv show!  =)

At the suggestion of the Children's Center staff, the children might get involved in the production as well!  At some point, Vi attends a play, and has to go sit with "the crowd."  I was thinking to have the kids beforehand make animal masks, so they can be citizens of Little Tokyo too!  ...and no, during that scene, no smoke bombs or blowdarts will be used.

Finally, concerning the costumes, I'm not entirely sure what to do, but I'm thinking grabbing plain colored clothes from the Salvation Army, doing some editing to them, and hopefully making them Japanese...-like.  I'm certainly no tailor (my terrible sewing is partly why my armors are deteriorating...!), so any and all suggestions from you folks could be greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah...and it's October 29th.  Two days before Halloween.  Hey D-Mac, can ya make it 8 hours and past Customs to come see possibly the first Pizza Cats play?  ;D

[ItsGotSugar]

(...Assuming you make her the star of all the performances and portray her as the perfect, divine ruler we all know she is.  )

Actuallyyyyyy...I was hoping to go and use episode 9, "Double Trouble for Princess Vi," where she leaves the castle and enjoys the festival.  Of course, it'll involve heavy editing to the script to fit into the 15-20 minute slot.  The area even has an elevated portion with a staircase, so that could be fun to work off!

There's, um, only one slight problem...and I do understand where the Children's Center managerial people are coming from.  They~ want...there to be no violence.  No action scenes. Yeeee-eah....  I'm told it's because the kids like to emulate what they see on tv right afterwards (she used the example of Power Rangers, coincidentally indicting Saban).  It shouldn't be too hard.  No Cat's Eye Slash, no big battles with ninja crows, no classic action-comedy anime scenes.  It'll likely just be Vi going around, having a fun time, while being oblivious to the efforts of the Ninja Crows to get her and our beloved Pizza Cats protecting her.  I'm also really thankful there's already a Narrator in the series, so I won't have to write too much!

Also coincidentally, I do hope to use the, "It's got sugar!" line!  =)

In that case, the Princess is pleased. She's basically the focal point of the skit, that classic line will hopefully be used, and you'll be showing the young people what a fun ruler she is.

I know how hard you must be working to put this whole thing together. It drives me nuts when I can't depend on a partner to help me with a project...that's why I prefer to work alone. But at least you've got the basic characters, although it's a shame there can't be any action. People are so paranoid about kids these days.

But the advantage here is that, since it's for a group of kids, you'll probably get an A even if it doesn't go perfectly. Unless you've got a really picky teacher.

(I thought the Princess' aide was a gazelle, though...)

[NeoMikey]

So tomorrow/today is the day of the performance.  I admit I'm a little anxious, but at the same time, I know that it'll go okay.  A lot of my actors are going to be doubling up their parts (throwing a ninja uniform on is a convenient way of being someone else!), some of the props will have to be grabbed tomorrow, mere hours before the show's to start, but my actors still have their stuff down and things are good.

Something my professor is allowing (thank God!!) is that we're allowed to bring and read our scripts.  Please keep in mind that most of my actors are not involved in Theater class!  They're just my friends taking pity on me and being charitable!  XD  I owe every one of them so much after this is all done....  The two who are part of my class are going to be playing the parts of Speedy and Guido (plus Random Ninjas 1 and 2).  Speaking of students...my partner for this project got dropped from it, because she neither able to put in the needed effort nor attend regular meetings to get things together.  Instead, she has added responsibility for the class's Finals project, so...things work out for everyone!

Costumes are cheap.  Production is cheap.  And as for filming...well, I'm hoping to borrow our camcorder, record it, then find someone/somewhere later to transfer that to digital media so I can share the embarrassing--I mean, triumphant display I'll have put on.  Thankfully, though, I'm being cheered on by many people out there, all of you included, I'm sure.  So for your silent encouragement, thanks 

Something that occurred to me, though, after I'd learned the Children's Center faculty actually went ahead with the construction of animal masks for the kids...was if I'm going to inadvertantly help to raise these kids to be furries    No offense meant to any furry folk here...but still!

Oh...oh yeah, and a final note -- on Halloween, I wore my Supreme Catatonic outfit around campus, as well as to my first two classes.  The desks were too small for me to wear it in my third class...so I just wore my head instead!  After doing all this, I accidentally won a costume contest in the cafeteria I just heard about today!  XD  Victory for the Pizza Cats on the campus of Purdue University Calumet!!

[NeoMikey]

...oh crud, I forgot to mention in here before our performance date got changed     Well...it did!  And it's tomorrow!  So...okay, finished for real this post!

[D-Mac]

All the best, Mikey! Have fun out there, and I know you and your team will do us proud!

Bless!

[Mechadon]

May the Force be with you, always. 

[NeoMikey]

Well, Mechadon, it was the force of something, though I think it might have been Improv.

Good news, everyone!  The children's production, like I thought, was a disaster!! XD  People accidentally kept talking over others' lines, timing was off on a couple things, costume changes weren't properly followed, and the children sometimes liked to start talking amongst themselves or making noise.  But y'know what...?  I don't care!  It's over!!  XD  It's over, it's over!  It really shouldn't have been that stressful, but unfortunately it ended up that way, and the end result would make snooty "ac-tuh" people cringe.  But I don't ca~re...!  We did it, we performed it, and at the very end, everyone who was part of the play said they thought it was all right and they had fun    'Course...I owe each of them dinner now...but it'll likely be something from the Dollar Menu at McDonald's.  People at conventions who see me in the Supreme Catatonic costume like to ask me what I transform into.  I like to reply, "A poor college student."

Anyways, I also have some bad news.  See...our performance got recorded.  On a digital camera.  And once I get a hold of the footage, I'll edit it and post it on YouTube.  Then the rest of the internet can witness the at-times awkward performance (of course, the video editing is there to make it less awkward! ).  Overall, though, I'm pleased with everyone's effort.  Things worked out in the end, and the important thing is that the children were entertained ("Wowwwww, a robot...!" "Hey! I like ninjas!!"), the faculty appreciated our effort, and my Theater professor said we did well and liked how we had to improv things when things went awry.

I'll post once again when I can get the footage up, then if the need is great, I'll attach the original script so you can tell better what folks were saying.  Anyways, you all take care, and thanks!  =)  <3 for SPC!

...

It's done!!!

[Mechadon]

It's the effort that counts! So what if not everything went according to plan? The kids loved it, and that's all that matters. You did good. I'm proud of you for keeping the dream alive.     

I can't wait to see that video.

[Blackcat]

Yeah, disasters are part of any true SPC fan, like you know, crashing on the mountain because the writers where fired or something!