A look at our Farewell Show!
Attached are pictures from the farewell show. Videos of the show, as well as of other things during the semester, will be uploaded mid-August. It takes a little longer to put together a video, and I won't have the chance to get to work on them until I'm settled back into the US. As soon as I have things together (before the 20th of August), I'll post links to the video(s) here on the blog.
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First, a quick look at the early-afternoon rehearsal time, as everyone was getting psyched (and make-up applied) for the final show.
Some feats of upper body strength.
One of several group pictures we took in the last few days of the program.
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And then we kicked things off with Aline, welcoming everyone to the show, at 7:15pm.
Andrew, our Cervantes, starting things off with narration.
Henry, our Quijote, paced the floor, about to be transported forward in time.
Quijote awoke to find himself in 2018, watching students from the Ciudad Real IU Honors program having to give up their cell phones (a scene that apparently had been burned into students' minds :-) ).
Chaney, as a taxi driver about to bring Quijote to Ciudad Real.
Our first musical number, of Waka Waka.
Then we had a scene in a bar, as Quijote saw a group transfixed by the television, and decided to attack it.
Spain just won the Soccer World Cup (at least in the theater scene), and so the dancers emerged to celebrate.
Quijote, off in search of Dulcinea.
A scene in a discoteca, with everyone dancing to Danza Kuduro.
Don Quijote proclaims his affection for his Dulcinea...
Only to be rejected.
Poor Quijote.
Led away by Sancha, while the dancers take the stage to sing Amigos para siempre (friends forever).
Quijote, at the center of the dancers, being embraced.
The next scene begins with me niego, a song proclaiming continued love, to express Quijote's continued devotion to his Dulcinea.
Thaddeus on piano.
Ben, doing the rap in the song quite well!
Then the curtains closed and our narrator returned.
Don Quijote, picking out modern armor to wear into battle.
Like this stylish helmet.
The next scene -- Don Quijote and Sancha being spotted by two Snapchatters, and targeted for a selfie.
Finally, the narrator introduced our final scene, a dance-off in the park.
A battle of the dancers!
Whoosh!
After receiving a slap in the face from his beloved Dulcinea, Quijote reawakens in the past.
Meanwhile, everyone joined together on stage for one final song, un beso y una flor (a kiss and a flower).
Everyone gathered onstage as a chorus to support our singers.
Dancing in the background!
And finally, our three groups of dancers, musicians and actors take their bows.
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At the end of the show, everyone brought flowers out to their host parents as thanks for all their work this summer. Here are some pictures of students with their families!
And then a bunch of host parents and students wanted to gather together for a group picture on the stage.
Several photographers, hard at work.
Here they are!
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And finally, after clearing out the theater hall and cleaning up, we instructors headed out. A few students were still hanging around outside, waiting on host parents (who were deep in conversation), so they snagged us for a final pic.
By this point, Jess was apparently making faces to try to convince everyone to head on their way (us included). C'mon, it's for the blog, remember? :-)
There's a close up of that face!
And one of me, for posterity!
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There's one more post coming this evening, with a ragtag assortment of photos from the last week, without any fixed theme -- then I'll be wrapping up the blog for the summer. Like I said above, expect an update with videos sometime within the next month or so!
Thanks for following us this far. The end is near, and the students are almost home (less than 28 hours now until the plane lands in Chicago)!
-M