Why the New Web Address?
When we started our first web site, it was an experiment. The Island Players had never
had a web site before, and we wanted to see if our patrons and the public would be interested in our having one. The idea
that one source could contain most of the information about our season and what's currently going on seemed appealing and
logical.
Well, it's worked out quite well, indeed! Not only do we get a large number of "hits" locally,
people from all over the country who are planning to visit lovely Anna Maria Island have been finding us, too! Thanks to partnerships
with people like the Anna Maria Chamber of Commerce, we're getting the word out far wider than ever. And then there's the
e-mail Newsletter, which allows us a fast and easy way to update large numbers of people on the current play and news....
and spend fewer of your generous dollars on printing and postage. It's been a hit all around! Our mailing list (which
we NEVER divulge to anyone) currently has about 650 names on it. Venice Little Theater, which is much larger than we are and
has had a newsletter for many years, has around 2,000, so we're doing very well! We appreciate your support and interest.
There was only one problem: the "old" web address, www.home.earthlink.net/~islandplayers/, is complicated and hard to remember. The Board considered the whole matter and decided to purchase our "domain name", which
allows our site to become the easy-to-remember and more obvious www.theislandplayers.org. Now our web address is exactly who we are!
What can you expect with the change? Well, for a while, we will maintain both, until people get
to know where the new site is. The old one one will retain its current format, and the new one will resemble it for a
little while. But, over the summer while the theatre prepares for the 2007-2008 season, your friendly neighborhood Webmaster
will be using the resources and capabilities of the new server to make the new site even better, more attractive, and add
more features for you.
We hope that you'll continue to use & enjoy our site, and please: spread the news to others!
Thanks!
How Do They Do It?
How do the actors memorize all those lines?
Everyone has their own way of doing it, but it's the process of rehearsing the play that's the key.
Some actors simply sit down with the book and study. Others have a family member or friend run lines with them.
Still others record their lines and listen to them over & over, especially if they spend a lot of time in their car.
And, of course, some people just have a knack for it.
At some point in rehearsal, the director calls for everyone to be "off book"; that is, they're no longer
allowed to rehearse with the script in their hands. That's when memorization is put to the test. What if you get
stuck? The actor calls out "Line!", and the stage manager calls out the first few words of the line, which hopefully
gets the actor back on track. As performances approach, the actors are no longer allowed to call for a line.
After all, you can't do that in a performance! But wait - what if an actor DOES "go up" on his/her lines in a performance?
Then you rely on the other actors, with whom you've developed a close feel for the play, a lot of trust, and their knowledge
of the script. Ideally, one of them will execute some form of "save", and you out in the audience never know that something
went awry. We hope!
Now, if you're onstage alone, doing a monologue, what do you do if you "go up" on your lines? Your friendly
Webmaster here has had that happen, and all I can say is, it ain't fun. Bite your lip, remember what you're talking
about, and at least get the critical information out.
Any actor will tell you: The time in between you dropping a line, and either remembering it or having
a "save" come in is the longest time in the world!
