All posts by Scott Cooper

2016 Fall at SPC Theater Department

Music, Performing Arts, Theater

Exciting classes are happening in the fall in the theater department and hope that you can join us!

Fall Classes in Theater at SPC:

Class Day/Time Instructor
MUO 1001-1002

Musical Theater Workshop

 Mondays from 6:00-9:00pm.   Gibbs Campus/ Music Center Cooper
THE 2000—Intro to Theater Arts

F2F or Online

 T/R 12:30-1:45pm Cooper
TPA 2200C-1

Stagecraft

 T/R   11:00am-12:30pm Cooper
TPA 2600C-1

Intro to Stage Management

 T/R  2:00-3:15pm Cooper
TPA 1232-C

Intro to Costume Construction

 M/W  2:00-3:30pm Puente—although I will be around!
TPP 1100

Acting 1

 M/W  11:00am-12:30pm Canary

 

We will also be having auditions for our fall production of FEATHERS AND TEETH by Charise Castro Smith directed by Scott Cooper.    I am currently looking for a stage manager (anyone?) and will need at least 3 tech/crew for this show.

Auditions for FEATHERS AND TEETH will be Tuesday, August 23 with callbacks on Wednesday, August 24.   You should prepare a comic 1 minute monologue for the auditions.

AND…..don’t forget to look into our study abroad trip to LONDON (May 2017) and ask about scholarships from the study abroad office—here is the link:  http://www.spcollege.edu/England-Theater/

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS opens April 6

Performing Arts, Theater

Look out, here comes Audrey 2!   The beloved musical, Little Shop of Horrors, opens next week at SPC and it is going to be a good one!   Featuring a cast of 15 (and one theater faculty member on certain days) the rollicking musical will have 6 performances plus an open dress rehearsal (Tuesday, April 5) on the Clearwater Campus in the newly renovated Arts Auditorium.

Based on the 1960’s Roger Corman film, this satire of B Monster movies has made audiences laugh and sing along for over 30 years.   “This production is one of the biggest the theater department has ever presented”, director Scott Cooper stated, “it is definitely the biggest set we have ever put on stage and I am very proud of my students for pulling this together.”   Come join in the fun April 6-9 at 7:30pm, April 9-10 at 2:00pm.   Tickets are $10 for general admission but, as always, free for SPC Students, Faculty and Staff (and all high school students).   For more information, please contact Scott Cooper at cooper.scott@spcollege.edu.

plants sleeping

littlel shop dark

little shop panarama

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LITTLE SHOP OF HORROR Music Workshop

Performing Arts, Theater

On Wednesday, November 18th the Theater Department will host a workshop on the audition songs for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS open to any student. For those who would like to sing through the music for the audition and get feedback from the director (Scott Cooper) and musical director (Tom Guthrie) this is a great opportunity.    The workshop will take place in the Arts Auditorium on the Clearwater Campus from 4:30-5:30 pm.

Exact music selections are now available for students in front of the Costume Shop (SS 103) and include the cut of the song that we would like to hear at the auditions.   This is a great opportunity to try out your audition piece and hopefully make it better for the auditions.   Please join us!

Auditions for our spring production of LITTLE SHOP will be December 1-2 from 4:30-7:30 pm in the Arts Auditorium.   This production is open to ANY student who would like to audition and is willing to sign up for the Acting Repertory class.

 

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Auditions

Performing Arts, Theater

lil-shop-icon

The SPC Theater Department will be holding auditions for the musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS on Tuesday, December 1 from 4:30-7:30 pm in the Arts Auditorium on the Clearwater Campus.  Callbacks will be Wednesday, December 2 from 4:30-7:30 pm.   The production will perform for 6 performances April 6-10, 2016.

Anyone interested in auditioning must prepare one of the following songs:

Men:   (16 bars of one of the following)

  • Grow For Me
  • Feed Me— Seymour’s “I don’t know….” Section
  • Dentist

Women:  (16 bars from one of the following—Anyone auditioning for Audrey must sing from both)

  • Suddenly Seymour
  • Somewhere That’s Green

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is about Seymour who works at a flower shop, attending a plant who he has named Audrey II (after the love of his life, Audrey). However, his plant is no normal plant and it needs a special food to grow.  Roles available are listed below.  For more information about auditioning please contact Scott Cooper at cooper.scott@spcollege.edu.   The rehearsal schedule will be posted next to the costume shop door  (SS 103) by November 15 and be available at the auditions.

We are also looking for theater technicians (spot light operators, sound and light board operators and backstage hands) for this production.

Roles Available:

Seymour Krelborn—- An insecure, put-upon florist’s clerk and eventual hero. He is a genuine, well-meaning man who is taken for granted because of his clumsy ways and poor social skills.        Male, 20-30 yrs old       Vocal Range: Tenor

Audrey— Bleached-blond, Billie-Dawn-like, secret love of Seymour’s life. She has poor self-worth and education, but incredibly good looks and a sweet and vulnerable demeanor.    Female, 20-35 yrs old    Vocal Range: Soprano with Belt

Mr. Mushnik— The seasoned owner of the failing East Side flower shop and Seymour’s nosy boss. He is profit-driven, greedy, and manipulative.          Male, 55-65 yrs old         Vocal Range: Tenor 2 (will be possibly double cast with Scott Cooper)

Orin Scrivello —An egotistical dentist with a passion for leather and sadistic tendencies. Audrey’s abusive boyfriend, who is targeted by Seymour.  Male, 30-40 yrs old                Vocal Range: Baritone with some high notes

Voice Of The Plant— An actor/vocalist located offstage. The voice is that of a conniving, street-smart ‘villain.’ A funky Rhythm and Blues voice is best.   Female, 20-25 yrs old  Vocal Range: Alto with belt. (will be possibly double cast with Scott Cooper)

Crystal, Ronnette and Chiffon (x2)are street urchins, acting as the occasional Greek Chorus. Young, hip, and smart, these girls are the only ones who have a grip on reality.          I will cast 6 girls (of any ethnic type) to cover these roles.   Female, 20-35 yrs old            Vocal Range: Ab3 – F5

Puppeteer:   the actual manipulator of the Audrey II puppets.   Will need a strong back as well as be a good physical actor.    Male or Female (any age)   no singing required.

Chorus:

There really isn’t a chorus to this show BUT there are customers, agents, etc and some group numbers so I will be looking to break these characters out to let everyone have a moment in the sun.   I hope I can cast up to 15 students in this production.

SPC Theater presents The Amish Project, opening Oct. 8

SPC Theater presents Amish Project
Theater

The SPC Theater Department opens their production of The Amish Project on Oct. 8. This play is a fictional account of a real-life tragedy that allows us to glimpse into the world of Amish culture, and to come to grips with the true limits of compassion and forgiveness.

Directed by SPC Theater Professor Scott Cooper, this production will be different for SPC audiences. The seating (only 70 seats per performance) will be on stage with the actors. This type of staging, which is immersive for the audience and very exciting for the actors, is not new to SPC Theater. Previous productions of The Laramie Project and Fool for Love have been done in this style with great success.

“This type of staging really allows the audience to connect with the characters and makes them really confront the issues brought up in the play,” said Cooper.

This play contains mature themes and language.

The Amish Project runs Oct. 8-10 and 15-17 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 11 and 18 at 2 p.m. in the Arts Auditorium on the Clearwater Campus. Admission is free for high school and SPC students, faculty and staff. General admission is $10 (proceeds support SPC Theater Scholarships given each semester).

From acting, stage production, costume and set design to house management, the SPC theater arts program empowers students to explore their creativity and hone their stagecraft. ou can take theater classes as electives for your Associate in Arts degree or to meet common prerequisites for your chosen four-year major.

Visit www.spcollege.edu/theater for more information, or call 727-791-2548 or e-mail cooper.scott@spcollege.edu.

Auditions for THE AMISH PROJECT

Theater

Want to understand the power of theater?   Come be a part of our fall production of THE AMISH  PROJECT which will audition this week on the Clearwater Campus.   This fictional account of the shooting of 10 Amish girls in their school house in Nickel-Mines Pennsylvania explores what happens to communities that go through these tragedies and how individuals can make a difference in helping heal with kindness, forgiveness and love.

This play will be staged with the audience (70 per performance) sitting on stage with the actors and being immersed in the world of the play.   A great challenge for actors to perform for an audience up close, it will also bring a sense of community to the performances.

With a cast of 12, there are many parts available and auditions are open to all SPC students.

Auditions will be Tuesday, August 25 and Wednesday, August 26 on the Clearwater Campus in room ES 104.   Please prepare a 1 minute dramatic monologue and be prepared to read from the script.

Performances will be October 8-11 and 15-18.

To see the rehearsal schedule or the character breakdown of this play, please go to the costume shop (SS 103) where all of the information is posted.

For more information about this great opportunity, please contact Scott Cooper at cooper.scott@spcollege.edu.

Theater Department revs up for busy fall

Theater

Fall 2015 is looking very busy for theater students at SPC with many theater courses  being offered, Scott Cooper  teaching a Musical Theater Workshop on the Gibbs campus and  presenting Jessica Dickey’s THE AMISH PROJECT for two weekends in October.

Jessica Dickey’s THE AMISH PROJECT is “a fictional account of a real-life tragedy which allows us to glimpse into the world of Amish culture, and to come to grips with the true limits of compassion and forgiveness”.   The play will be presented with  seating on stage (only 70 seats per performance) with the actors moving in and around the members of the audience to give them a fully immersive experience.   Auditions will be August 25 and 26 from 4:30-6:30 pm (ES 104 on the Clearwater Campus) with students presenting a one minute monologue.   There will be a cast of 12 for this production.

On Wednesday, August 12 at 6:00 pm, Scott Cooper will hold auditions for SPC’s fall Musical Theater Workshop (MUO 1001).   Students will be asked to sing their favorite musical theater number and then will be invited to join the ensemble of performers to learn about musical theater styles and acting.   This audition will happen on the Gibbs Campus (HS 117) and the class will be on the same campus.   Cooper is thrilled to get a chance to teach about musical theater and will hopefully find some talented students for the Theater Department’s spring production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.  If students can’t make the audition on the 12th, they are encouraged to come to the first day of class (Monday, August 17–6:00 pm–Music Center) and they can audition at the beginning of class.   This class is for beginners–please know that we will start with the basics!

 

SPC showcase set for May 1

Dance, Music, Performing Arts, Theater

Get EXCITED for our SPC SHOWCASE!

Please support SPC students on Friday, May 1, at 6 p.m. in the Arts Auditorium on the Clearwater Campus as they perform spoken word, original poetry, sing, dance and act in an evening of entertainment.

This production is put together by students for students so come and enjoy the talent that SPC has to offer (and take an hour off of studying for finals—-you need that!).

There will be 12 acts featuring 15 SPC students, providing a great evening of entertainment, including a spoof of Cell Block Tango with nine theater students.

This event is FREE.

SPC Theater Students attend, and work on, final dress rehearsal for FIRST DATE at the Jaeb Theater

Performing Arts, Theater
First Date Dress RehearsalEight SPC Theater students attended the final dress rehearsal of the musical FIRST DATE at the Straz Theater for the Performing Arts Sunday night while another student, Micah Doutrich, was the assistant lighting designer for this production.
Micah was hired by lighting designer, Joe Oshry (USA) , to assist him after they worked together during Doutrich’s ongoing internship at American Stage.
Oshry stated, “Micah is a one of a kind find […] a hard working student who really loves working in the theater.  I can definitely see myself hiring him on future productions.”  
The other students were able to see the backstage workings as the show came to a stop and continued after a small technical glitch momentarily stopped the performance. The set for this production was designed by SPC Theater Faculty Scott Cooper (USA) who made it possible for the students to see the production at the last dress rehearsal.  
“I think it is important for students into see as much professional theater as possible and attending rehearsals is a great way to do that,” said Scott Cooper. “When I am professionally working on a production, at some point, I usually can usually get them in for free.”