Category: speech

acting, artist, audience, backstage, bible, Blog, Blogging, broadway, christian, christian blog, communication, entertainment, family, Fear, speech, theater, theater professions

If You Don’t Stand Up For Yourself No One Will

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Recently a friend of mine updated her blog and started it with something like this, “I’m writing in my blog…is that even a thing anymore?”

I will admit, I’m slow to follow the crowd. I waited until people didn’t really read blogs anymore to start mine. I waited until the craze of YouTube died down to start my own channel…you name it…I probably waited too long.

In thinking about my weaknesses—I think I wait too long to stand up and speak out as well. I don’t like being attacked…I don’t like arguing (I’m bad at it..I could never be a debater because I don’t make my arguments well.) I don’t have confidence in the way I read the facts, so I hang back until I think I understand them. So I keep quiet.

How many of you are like me? We just want to get along. We want to show the love of God, even now, as we see the attack on Christianity growing stronger and the number of Christians speaking against the evils of the world growing smaller.

The power of evil. The power of hate.

It’s frightening.

Here is the truth: If we don’t stand up for ourselves no one will.

You might not agree with every Christian with every stance they make, but I hope you will applaud their right to do so.

Watch our video below…it is sad to see how many hate comments have followed Chad as he took this stand.
What do you think?

Until next time-this is just me-talking to you-from the wings,

Reba

audience, christian, christian blog, christian theater, communication, family, speech, theater, theater education

The Second Rule of the Effective Speaker

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When I was a freshman taking beginning speech we all had to memorize “The Ten Rules of Effective Speaking.” When we talked about it last year I’m sure I said that I didn’t really appreciate those rules in speech class and certainly didn’t really understand them.

I do now.

I want to be effective in my speech. I want people to listen to me and I want my words to matter.

Is it possible?

I think it starts with the core essence of who you are.

If you want your words to matter—you need to be the kind of person that I respect enough to listen to.

You can watch one of our very first videos where we talk about that philosophy here: https://fromthewings.org/2020/12/02/how-you-can-be-an-effective-speaker-the-first-step/

We have so much that competes for our attention. We have social media, and a constant stream of Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV, that gives us a 24-7 watching window. Each and everything you watch or listen to has a message it is sending. How do you choose what or who is worthy of your time and respect?

Would it make a difference in the world if we all started to ignore the message if the messanger wasn’t worthy? I hope it would.

Let me know what you think about the second rule of the effective speaker!

Are you more worthy to be taken seriously as a speaker if you follow this rule?

Until next time this is just me taking to you from the wings–

Reba

artist, artistic vision, audience, backstage, bible, Blog, Blogging, broadway, christian, christian blog, christian theater, entertainment, family, speech, theater

Why Do You Watch What You Do? Part Two.

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“Why, if you are interested in the country only for the sake of painting it, you’ll never learn to see the country.”

“No, You’re forgetting,” said the Spirit. “That’s not how you began. Light itself was your first love: you loved paint only as a means of telling about light.”

“Oh, that was ages ago,” said the Ghost. “One grows out of that. Of course, you haven’t seen my later works. One becomes more and more interested in paint for its own sake.”

“One does, indeed. I also have had to recover from that. It was all a snare. Ink and catgut and paint were necessary down there, but they are also dangerous stimulants. Every poet and musician and artist, but for Grace, is drawn away from love of the thing he tells, to love of the telling till, down in Deep Hell, they cannot be interested in God at all but only in what they say about Him. For it doesn’t stop at being interested in paint, you know. They sink lower-become interested in their own personalities and then in nothing but their own reputations.“
–C.S.Lewis. The Great Divorce (pp. 78-70)

And that’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it? We have to fight to still be interested in God. We rationalize and reason and the next thing you know we don’t even see the snare.

It is a very interesting world we live in . More opportunities and technology than you could ever imagine. Entertainment has been redefined and envisioned and is BREATHTAKING. What is your responsibility? Do we have one?

I say, yes.

Just like God has given us responsibility and wisdom to take care of our earthly world and nature to perserve it while we are here–I think-He wants us to redeem entertainment for Him as well.

How do we do that? Where is the line on what is Okay to see and portray if it is done for Him?

Join the discussion here:

Thank you Rebecca Leland and Katie VanderKooi for being such wonderful guests!

Until next time!

acting, artistic vision, audience, audition, auditions, backstage, broadway, christian theater, communication, productions crew, speech, stage, theater, theater education, theater professions

How is Your Audition Process Different From Professionals or Is It?

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We filmed this almost a month ago, but when I watched this last night I was struck with how appropriate it was for my week.

Those of you who follow me on instagram (rebahervas.direct.plan.read) know that the audition process grieves me. Yes, it acutally makes me sick. It isn’t just a process for me. I feel the emotions of those of you who audition. I cheer for you, I want you to fit the part and I want to choose you. Sadly, there can be only one Belle or Gaston or whatever part you are going for. So, someone will be crushed. It’s like I hold your hopes and dreams in my hand and just like the evil queen did on Once Upon a Time (If you haven’t seen that show you simply must watch it!) I ripped my hand into your chest, pulled out your beating heart and crushed it until you stopped breathing. Too dramatic? In some cases…no.

I know that no amount of words can make it better. Thank you for auditioning. Thank you for wanting to be a part of theater.

So, can I help at all???

Maybe.

Watch this video that is part two from an interview with Darren Lawson, Dean of the School of FIne Arts and Communication at Bob Jones University. (For part One click here: https://wp.me/p9JkzU-Tc It was a joy to hear what he thinks as he goes through the audition process for their professional productions.

Thank you again, Rebecca Leland, Darren Lawson, David Lurtey and Kathryn Gamet. The time with you all was a blessing beyond words!

If you enjoy these moments From the Wings I hope you will follow me and share this site!

Until next time!

Reba

acting, artist, artistic vision, Blog, broadway, christian, christian blog, christian theater, communication, directing, speech, theater, theater education, theater professions

Love God. Love Others.

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Many of you know that the catch phrase of Overshadowed Theatrical Productions is “Theater With a Difference.”

There are many things that make us “different.” At the top of that list is that we don’t produce and perform primarily for entertainment. We perform because our God is a creator and has given us the means to tell stories. Some of these stories entertain, but many of them inspire or point others to Christ.

At the heart of being “different“, we also want to treat others with love and kindness and show them what it would be like to be in Christ’s family.

This month I had the chance to sit down with Darren Lawson, Dean of the School of Fine Arts and Communication at Bob Jones University. To say that I was treated with kindness and love would be an understatement. True to their educational philosophy, they loved on me and shared wisdom and education to both Rebecca Leland (From the Wings editor and videographer) and me.

Have you ever wondered what kind of student you would be if you could go back and do it again? Or how great it would be if things were like they are now–back then? Or maybe even wondered if you should have majored in something different?

Darren answered all the things I have always wanted to know.

There are many reasons you should watch the video below, but I’ll start with this one–

If you have ever wondered if there is a place for you in the arts and what that would look like on many different levels…start here.

I am so humbled to have had Darren, David Lurtey, and Kathryn Gamet take time out of their busy schedules and encourage us, insprire us, and teach us. Thank you all for pouring into, not only your students, but us old grads and friends as well. It was an amazing experience.

I hope you will all watch the video below. Remember to follow us on this platform as well as YouTube.

Dean Discussions | Interview with Darren Lawson Pt 1

Until next time–this is just me talking to you–from the wings.