Sinners and Saints

This Wednesday night I saw the play 'In the Company of Sinners and Saints' and found that, although I had heard very negative things about it, I actually enjoyed it overall. Though certain parts were unrealistic I still found the character's relatable and entertaining. I know of others who have friends like Alex, shy guys like Connor and tag-a-longs like JD. What I enjoyed most was the way the 4 friends could have been virtually any high school students. From the way they acted to the way they spoke to each other, their car rides especially were reminiscent of my own high school days.

I enjoyed the pay mostly because of the entertaining character's and fairly good acting skills of the actors on stage. It was a good learning experience for those who were unaware of the dangers of internet predators and/or simple sharing sites such as Facebook. I definetely recommend it to anyone who has nothing to do on a quiet night.

Well here it goes...

This past Monday, I attended the play “In the Company of Sinner and Saints.” Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the play as much as I hoped to have. I guess it was just not my style but for some reason I could not get myself to like it. The acting was great, definitely the main character, but the music was extremely aggravating. Between almost every scene this irritating song would come on. I think the song said something along the lines of, “the higher I get the harder it is to stop.” I swear these lyrics kept repeating in my head over and over again… The funny thing is I actually liked the song the first time I heard it!

Well I don’t want to completely hate on the play because I really did enjoy some parts. The overall message was great! Sadly on a daily bases, young adults face situations just like the ones that occurred in this play. So even though the play wasn’t that bad, it definitely could make some improvements.

In the Company of Sinners and Saints

So last Monday I want to the play In the Company of Sinners and Saints. I went into it not knowing what to think. All I knew about it was that it had something to do with facebook therefore I was hoping it would be good. Honestly I did not really enjoy it. I didnt think it was awful it just didnt hold my attention. Although I got bored the message was good even though we tend to hear it a lot. All in all, good job to everyone that was involved.

Ok, so last Monday I went to see Sinners and the Saints. Although, I was hesitant about going to see the play at first I gave it a chance and I really enjoyed it. It took a while to get into the point of the play, but most of the scenes were pretty comical so that was fine with me. I learned several things from the play. As many of us should know by now we have to be careful of who we share our personal business with because sometimes it has negative outcomes. Also I learned how outside influences can effect our ability to make the right or wrong decisions. All in all the play turned out better than I thought and they actors were great!!!

In the Company of Sinners & Saints

Last Monday, I attended the play In Company of Sinners & Saints with our US Seminar class. Similar to some of the other classmates, I was apprehensive about going because I had heard many things about the play before I even saw it. Some of the negative comments I had heard I did end up agreeing with, while others I disagreed with.

Beginning with the positive aspects of the play, I thought it was very easy to relate to. Although I have not been in every situation that was brought up in the play, I have heard of similar things happening to people I know. This made it easier for me to have a connection with the actresses/actors. I also thought that each person was casted correctly for the play. Each actor/actress in the play seemed to suit their role very well. Everyone did a good job making their situations believable, which helped the play seem more realistic.

One of the things I did not like in the play was the music. I felt like the music did not suite the play because the play was more modern, while the music did not seem modern to me at all. I also think that certain scenes of the play were drawn out too long, and some of the scenes were not touched on enough. For example, I did not see the purpose of the first scene (car scene) being so long. It could have been shorter and gotten to the point more quickly instead of the people rambling on about things that did not have much importance to the play as a whole. With this in mind, I believe that the last few scenes were too short. At the beginning of the hospital scene, I was completely confused about what was going on. I think if more detail was added into that scene, the play would have come together quicker for me. It took me a few minutes to realize that “Lucy” was the saint, and that she had been in the play before that point as other characters.

Overall, I would recommend this play to other college students. I believe it has a good message that can be carried on throughout life.

Kristen Redwine

In the Company of Sinners and Saints

I was learning how to blog and posted this on my own blog first.

Hello everyone. I attended the play, " In the Company of Sinners and Saints." Over all I really enjoyed the play. Myself, being a theatre major was able to watch and learn from the actors. That is the best way to improve yourself. The play touched a variety of things from bulimia, dangers of social networks, parents, and relationships. The music was actually created by composer Diane Michelle. The actors did sch a great job at portraying their character. At the end of the play I stayed after for feedback. I met the playwright, Monica Michelle and all of the actors. Only four people stayed after. They asked questions about the play and I gave them my opinion. I told them how it was interesting that every single character was completely different and had their own personality. Since I stayed after for about an hour to speak with the cast I missed the the card swipe. But instead Monica Michelle signed the back of my program saying that I attended the play. " I recommend anyone to see "In the Company of Sinners and Saints."

Joanna Gonzales

In The Company of Sinner and Saints

So this past Monday I went to the see the play, In The Company of Sinners and Saints and honestly, I went into the auditorium expecting the worst. But what came out of it was a very good experience and lesson, may I add. For instance, how the main character (sorry, i don't remember names) pretty much learned from her "saint" that you don't have to be perfect in every shape and form in order to be viewed as good.
In my opinion, I think that the lesson she learned was beneficial, I mean, even tho it was learned the hard way, it was still a learned lesson. I can relate. I had to learn the hard way that forgiving but not necessarily forgetting is sometimes the way to go. My grandmother, someone I never forgave for the way she treated my family and myself, passed away this past December. Knowing that I never made peace kills me inside now. I know she wasn't as mean as I portrayed to be, but it is too late to forgive her in person. So what I took from this play, was that forgiving sometimes is necessary.
Overall, this play was fun to watch. It used a lot of "today's slang" and modern ways. I would recommend it to anyone asking. Even if they didn't ask, I would still recommend it haha. But seriously, go watch the play & learn from it.

This past Monday, we had the honor of attending an new play: "In the Company of Sinners and Saints" hosted by B.F.A. and written by Monica Michelle and directed by Heidi Mendez Harrison. While it was an interesting and cute play with a good message, I felt it was slightly drawn out and the acting seemed to lack something.

The plot was basically some teen movie with a news story warning parents and students about the dangers of Facebook mixed in. Though highly relatable to the masses and funny at times, there were parts like the circus-ring-leader-outfit part that seemed unrealistic even for a high school kid. The acting at times was somewhat over exaggerated and seemed to exude an "I'm in high school! Can't you see how young and naive I am?" personality which seemed over the top but at other times was excellent like Laura Cannon's (the mother) part. The plot was fairly obvious as well at some parts, like for example, who didn't see the video store guy was going to be the creep from the beginning?

All in all, "In the Company of Sinners and Saints" was a fairly good play for the college crowd but anything further would be a stretch as immaturity would overshadow the good traits. There were the points that people laughed and smiled and were generally enthused but towards the end I felt it was more of an "after school special" than a "groundbreaking theatre event."

~Kiva Mcfetridge

In the Company of Sinners & Saints

Monday, September 21 2009, I was one of those lucky students that attended the play, In the Company of Sinners and Saints. I will say going into the play I had my expectations of sitting through a two hour production that wasn’t going to be to my liking. As it started off somewhat corny and tedious, it quickly evolved into something interesting and informing. All the actors did an awesome job in playing their parts and passing on the message to the audience. Kirsten Langham (Alex) looked just like Rachel McAdams (Allie), from the notebook. I found that really funny.

Being based on the world of the internet and its potential dangers, the play conveys a realistic situation. Not many students realize how easy it is in today’s world to get caught up in such a life threatening position. Lucy was lucky in having St. Lucy be her wake up call, but we all know we’re not going to be so lucky. Online social networks can be a great communication resource for keeping up with friends, family, teachers, and just about anyone/anything else. Anything being the keyword, I find it so amazing at how the internet has evolved to be such a playground for online predators. Though the play was not based on your typical internet relationship where the female gets lured to meet her online friend’s domain, it was pretty close. Overall I believed the play to be a great success and awesome message to the audience.

-Ryan Howard

Of Sinners and Saints

Hello everyone!

I attended the play "In the Company of Sinners and Saints" with the U.S. Sem class on Monday. It was a great show! I was a little apprehensive at first, but it turned out great. I applaud the acting in the show. I specially enjoyed the character of the Saint. She had a pretty decent accent throughout the whole thing. The play, over all, had a really good message and tied into the realities of society today quite nicely. Hope all others enjoy it as well! Again, it was great! 

Claire Kibodeaux 

In the Company of Sinners and Saints

This past Monday I attended the play In the Company of Sinners and Saints with my University Seminar class. I had heard some not so great reviews of the play from others. Awaiting the play I had no idea was to expect and the props weren't conveying much. However, when the actors came out and began the first scene everything came together for me.

In the beginning of the play, I though it was a little corny. Once the characters got to the movie store is when it got interesting for me personally. My favorite part of the play was definitely the ending though. I never would have guessed any of that. I thought Alex was doing all of horrible pictures of Lucy. The "saint Lucy" character was also a very good twist. I had no idea she was the old lady in the movie store.

The play brought an overall good message across that many people can relate to. Its moral lesson is a thing that pretty much everyone deals with. We should all stop and think sometimes about the right decision and what can come from making bad decisions. I think there are a lot of kids trying to find themselves and make a statement but you have to know how to go about it. The play was not one of my favorites but it was decent. It was a good to experience the theatre part of Texas State which I am interested in.

Taylor Francis

In the Company of Sinners and Saints

On Monday night I attended the play, "In the Company of Sinners and Saints," with some of my classmates. When I first walked into the teaching theater, where it took place, I thought the set up on stage was a little confusing. The actual props and furniture weren't confusing, but the background was strangely colorful and had a weird design. When the characters first came out, I could immediately figure out their personalities, which I liked. The first scene dragged on a little too much, but with the characters humor, it kept it interesting. I also liked how the boy, Conner, didn't talk at all in the first scene because it made me question who he was and what his character was like. 

As the play went on, I started to get into it more and get a feel of what the characters were trying to portray. At first, when the "video guy" was introduced, I thought he was going to be someone unimportant. But I had no idea that he was going to later turn into the creep that started all of the drama. I really liked how everyone kept the audience amused and entertained throughout the whole play. When the "video guy" threw in his dance moves in the middle of the play, I couldn't stop laughing. He did an amazing job at his part.

I enjoyed this play a lot because it was easy for most of the audience to relate to. Everyone has wanted revenge at one point in their lives, and we have to sit back and decide if that's really what we want, or if that's just out of anger. Sometimes we make the right decision and sometimes we make the bad one, but everyone learns their lesson over time. Luckily, the main female character in the play, made the right decision by forgiving and forgetting. The rest of the characters also learned their lesson, and the creepy "video guy" got caught, which was very good. In the end, we all learned that making the right decision is never the easiest, but it gets you a lot closer to forgiveness than revenge ever will.

By: Anna Silberman

In the Company of a Critical Audience

Well here goes. I'm not a big fan of blogging, in fact I resent it. Either way, I've never done it, so I'm just going to go ahead and post a little essay I wrote about that show we saw this last Monday, September 21st. I tried to keep it as brief as possible and (believe it or not) I cut about half of what I wrote.


May I begin this by saying that, on the whole, I enjoyed "In the Company of Sinners and Saints." It was a relatively entertaining way to spend an hour and a half which, at the end of the day, is all you can really ask from a play. With this in mind, allow me to explain that I am a very cynical individual who happens to be a major critic. Being an actor/singer myself (I've attended summer camps from the age of five to the age of fifteen and I can assure you I am by no means an amateur), I feel the need to pick apart the weaknesses of a play regardless of how good it was as a whole. This is why I chose to say that I enjoyed it. Now I can assertively state my critiques and opinions without people assuming I am just "hating on the show." I will begin where any sensible thing would begin: at the beginning. Which, coincidentally, is precisely my first problem; this show did not start at the beginning (or am I alone in assuming it seemed to start somewhere in the middle?). I feel as though starting us in a car with four people who are apparently friends (though one is male and doesn't speak and appears to not be accepted by the others) assumes a level of understanding that we simply do not, and cannot, possess. Who are these people? Why doesn't the guy talk? Where are they going? Why are they all piled in? Yes these questions were all answered later on, but this is precisely the problem! It is simply ludicrous to begin a play with such ambiguity. It would have been more prudent to begin with Lucy and her mother in the morning, giving some dialogue so as to explain the situation. Perhaps something like: "Why are you still here, Lucy?" "Alex is running late mom, she's almost here though." "I see. Is Conner still carpooling with you? I've always felt sorry for him; having to ride in a car full of girls..." "yea mom, he's Alex's cousin and he's not old enough to drive. How else is he gonna get to school?" "Well..." "Besides riding the bus." *insert car honking sound effect* "Oh, that's her! Gotta go mom, love you!" This would've been a perfectly acceptable way to begin a play. It introduces us to the main character in a natural setting, introduces her mother, and answers all the aforementioned questions.
I'm trying to keep this brief, so I'll skip right to the end and leave out the five possible paragraphs of other things I could nit-pick. Two things: St. Lucy and the Video Guy. Firstly, wow, the main character was named after the Saint. How clever. Anyway, I might be alone in this, but I realized as soon as that woman walked into the video store that it was also the police officer from five minutes before. At the time, I assumed they were simply reusing the same actress so that one person could have a large role, rather than three people having small roles. Then Lucy mentioned the "old woman" who was giving away her "wordly possessions" and i immediately realized that this was not the case, they were legitimately the same person who could obviously be no other than St. Lucy (owing to the ten plus references to Lucy's pendant). It was at this moment that I realized more or less exactly how the show would end. I knew that somehow Lucy would have an out of body experience where she had a moral discussion with St. Lucy. The squirrel was kind of a surprise. Ok, I suppose that's not TOO bad, just a little obvious. The Video Guy, however, was just awful. I sincerely hope the writer wasn't trying to make that a legitimate plot twist because it was the most obvious plot twist since Princess Leia ended up with Han Solo. So obvious in fact, that I'm surprised Lucy didn't figure it out! For goodness' sake, he takes pictures of you, shows you he has the ability to mess with things electronically, and says "Alex isn't done with you, I know what I'm talking about." I suppose he could've said "Hey Lucy, I put that picture of you drinking up on Facebook," but this is the ONLY thing he could've done to make it MORE obvious.
For the sake of time, I'll stop there, but rest assured I could go on. And on. And on. Let me remind you, however, taht I enjoyed the show. It was...adequate I would say. I suppose I would give it a 6 on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being Les Misèrables and 1 being Cats.) Could I ahve written this show? Most likely not, as such I respect and admire the work. Could I have improved upon a few things? Most definately, as such, I reserve the right to critique it and offer my opinion. After all, that's what blogging is for, right?

Learning to blog

We are learning to blog in US1100. Blogger is our blog of choice, but many other blogging programs exist.

You might try WordPress or Moveable Type.

Questions of Death!

The most deadly of all questions, are the questions of death.

How to Post: First, write your headline here

Start writing your blog post. Do not indent the paragraphs. In the world of Internet writing, it is easier to read if there is a space between paragraphs. So after you complete a paragraph, space once and start the next paragraph.

You can add links by highlighting a word and selecting the link button the top of this text box. Before I link, I got to the Web site I want to link and copy the URL so that I can just paste it in the link box on the blog. That way a typo won't ruin my link. Enter the URL to which you want to link in the box that pops up when you click LINK. If you would like to insert a photo, click the photo icon next to the word LINK. That will let you browse for the photo you want to insert. The photo must be on your computer so you can find it.

You can preview your blog post to see what it will look like by clicking on PREVIEW at the top right.

Please edit yourself before you post your blog entry. Check for GSP (grammar, spelling and punctuation) and just make sure you are pleased with the way your entry is written. But don't panic if you post and find an error. You can go back to edit your own blog posts at any time by clicking the pencil icon at the bottom of the post from the main blog screen.

Please add your name to the top or bottom of the post. It is professional and it will help me locate your posts in the event your Blogger user name is not your full name. I like to put my name in Ital at the bottom or Bold at the top. If you use photos, be sure to add a photo credit for who took the photos. Full credit for using any material is very important.

You may add labels (sometimes called tags). A label is sort of a subject word. I might label this: assignment.


By Kym Fox, photos by Kym Fox