mkeCHAMBER

Links to Heroes' Reviews

2011-11-30T13:49:00.005-06:00

Here is a collection of links to reviews on MCT's production of HEROES:

JSOnline's Time is running out to attend acclaimed theater productions
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/time-is-running-out-to-attend-2-acclaimed-theater-productions-e33e28j-135551988.html

Postscript: Performing Art's Three Golden Performances Shine in MCT's Heroes
http://www.psperformingarts.com/milwaukee-chamber-theatre/

Inside Milwaukee's "Heroes" and "Sylvia" Two very un-Christmas stories
http://www.insidemilwaukee.com/Article/11282011-HeroesandSylvia

Third Coast Digest's MCT''s Heroes: Humor on the terrace from old soldiers
http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2011/11/mcts-heroes-humor-in-old-age-on-the-terrace/

JSOnline's Chamber Theatre's 'Heroes': A quiet look from 3 scared veterans
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/chamber-theatres-heroes-a-quiet-look-at-3-scarred-veterans-n934n0o-134533368.html

Inside Milwaukee's The Friday Five for Novemebr 25th "MCT's HEROES production ranked #1"
http://www.insidemilwaukee.com/Article/11232011-TheFridayFiveforNovember25th

Shepherd Express' Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's Experienced Heroes
http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-16801-milwaukee-chamber-theatres-experienced-heroes.html

Shepherd Express' Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's Charming Heroes
http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-16944-milwaukee-chamber-theatres-charming-heroes.html

Waukesha Freeman's Chamber 'Heroes' a moving tribute to veterans
http://www.gmtoday.com/timeout/reviews/topstory056.asp

***Be sure to check out MCT's facebook albums or Flickr account for AMAZING pics***

Interview with Robert Spencer

2011-11-17T12:26:00.005-06:00

Robert returns to MCT where he previously appeared in AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, BROOKLYN BOY and A WALK IN THE WOODS. His Broadway credits include BYE BYE BIRDIE (original Broadway cast), ENTER LAUGHING, VIA GALACTICA and SEXTET. Off Broadway he was in THE FANTASTICKS, SING MUSE and THE MANHATTAN ARRANGEMENT. He has worked at many regional theatres throughout the country, including 12 seasons at American Players Theatre. Local audiences may have seen him at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Next Act Theatre, Skylight Opera Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare and First Stage.

To gain further insights about Robert, we asked him a few questions about himself and his upcoming performance as Henri:

1. What have been some of your most memorable moments working in theatre?

There are so many to choose from in the 56 years I've been treading the boards and directing productions, but being cast in my first Broadway show, the original company of BYE BYE BIRDIE in 1960, was certainly momentous.

Being hired at The Washington Theatre Club as a resident actor from 1966-1970, my first foray into regional theatre, where I played everything from 6-year-old boys to 60-year-old men. It was at this point that I was given the opportunity to really begin to develop as an actor and break the 'Broadway Baby' song and dance man syndrome.

Falling off the stage in a production of SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM is somewhat memorable. In the show there were a series of musical numbers that we dubbed the "silly song" section, in which we tossed a straw boater hat to one another and then we'd sing our "silly song." One night Gail Oscar tossed the hat to me and it sailed high above my head. I leapt into the air and remembered thinking, "Look how high I'm jumping." I caught the hat, turned around in mid-air and landed...off the stage. I broke the fall by bracing myself on the edge of the stage and fractured my clavicle. Ever the trooper, I crawled back onto the stage, mangled straw hat in hand, and sang my "silly song." Ignominious flight!

2. You've lived and worked in Chicago, New York and many other cities. You're now based in Milwaukee, in your opinion, what is unique about Milwaukee theatre?

That's true, I have worked at many theatre companies in cities throughout the country including a stint at American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin, as a core company member for 12 years. At the end of each season we would tour one of our productions throughout the state and ended the tour at The Pabst Theater in Milwaukee. It was during these visits that I started to take in some of the local shows. I was blown away by the excellent quality of the productions and the high level of acting talent. Not to mention, the loyal, supportive audiences. During the off season from APT some Milwaukee companies started offering me work and I was amazed at how warmly I was welcomed by this extraordinary theatre community...and that is, indeed, unique. I love it here.

3. Tell us about your first reaction to the HEROES script.

I laughed. I got teary eyed. I smiled a lot.

4. What is your favorite Henri quote?

Henri doesn't indulge in pontificating. He is more reactive in nature. So a favorite quote is hard to come up with, however, there is a delightful passage that I particularly enjoy playing. It's when Philippe and Gustave are trying to convince Henri to join them on their questionable quest.

Philippe says: “What's to stop us Henri? All right, for some unknown reason you don't understand poplars, that's one thing, but what's to stop us going up there?”

Henri replies: “Nothing...nothing except you've got a piece of shrapnel in your skull, and Gustave is clearly deranged-sorry, old boy, I'm just giving you the broad strokes, all right?-apart from that, nothing, these are the only minor obstacles I can see to your little outing.”

5. What message do you hope the audience takes from this play?

I hope the audience leaves the theatre with a renewed sense of hope. After all, if these three old codgers, despite their physical, mental and emotional challenges can hope for a better life with one of adventure and the unknown. Well… there just might be hope for us all.

...And "that," as they say, "is that."

An Interview with Daniel Mooney

2011-11-15T12:22:00.003-06:00

A Milwaukee native, Daniel returns to MCT where he has been seen in MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS, TAKE ME OUT, MISALLIANCE, HAY FEVER, HOMEBODY/KABUL, HOTEL ON MARVIN GARDENS, MEDEA, LOVE LETTERS, MAJOR BARBARA and WAITING FOR GODOT. In addition to 20-some years with Milwaukee Repertory Theater, he has worked with Next Act Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, First Stage, Skylight Opera Theatre and Theatre Gigante. In a career of over 40 years, he has worked at theatres across the country and has appeared in over 200 productions. He has been seen on television in Law & Order and The Untouchables (1993-94).

To gain further insights about Dan, we asked him a few questions about himself and his upcoming performance as Philippe.

What have been some of your most memorable moments working in theatre?

For more than 40 years I have been lucky enough to work with many wonderful people in many wonderful productions so I have many wonderful memories. My favorite was in 1980, I was the narrator in A CHRISTMAS CAROL at The Rep. On opening night my three-year-old son was sitting on his mother’s lap in the fourth row. The house lights went down, the curtain went up, the light came up on me, I took a deep breath and before I could speak the first line: “Marley was dead.” A small voice, which filled the Pabst, yelled, “THAT’S MY DADDY!”

You’re from Milwaukee, but you’ve also worked at theatres across the country, in your opinion, what is unique about theatre in Milwaukee?

Milwaukee is a great theater town because many talented young people choose to stay and work here. We have so many outlets – Renaissance, Next Act, Milwaukee Chamber, First Stage, In Tandem, Boulevard and The Rep.

As a result you will see some of the best, newest most exciting work in the country.

Tell us about your first reaction to the HEROES script?

The first time I read it I thought it was very sad. The second time, I thought it was very funny. It is Tom Stoppard after all. I hope the audiences see both.

What is your favorite Philippe quote?

The favorite line from Philippe is: “It’s a bugger.”

My favorite line from the play is when Gustave perfectly describes the months of the year: “Don’t talk to me about autumn. September and October are living death. November is a funeral… December is the stupidest month of the lot- Christmas! January and February you think are never going to end… March and April can’t make up their minds… Then- God help us- here come May, June, July…”

What message do you hope the audience takes from this play?

There used to be an expression: “If you have a message call Western Union.” Now it would be: “If you have a message post it on Facebook.” I just want the audience to sit down, turn off their cell phone and enjoy what we’re giving them.

Translating HEROES: A Lesson in Adapting

2011-11-10T12:13:00.002-06:00

by Jacque Troy, Education Director/Literary Manager

"One of the attractions of translating HEROES is that it's not the kind of play that I write. It's much more a truthful comedy than a play of dazzling wit." -Tom Stoppard (interviewed by Alex Sierz, The Telegraph, 2005)

Though the list of recognizable, crowd-pleasing plays by Tom Stoppard is considerable, ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, first produced at the Edinburgh Festival in 1966 and a year later by the National Theatre, earned him fame and fortune. Beyond creating compelling original work, Stoppard has also entered the arena of translation.

Tom Stoppard

Tom Stoppard is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage. He co-wrote the screenplays for "Brazil" and "Shakespeare in Love." His achievements include one Academy Award and four Tony Awards.

To quote the astute summation of his work by one journalist, "Stoppard is always written about as if he were an intellectual acrobat. But behind the intellectual high jinx there lurks an often passionate humanist whose writing betrays an increasing concern both with the abuse of freedom and the nature of love."

Gerald Sibleyras

Considerably less is known about Gerald Sibleyras whose play LE VENT DES PEUPLIERS (The Wind in the Poplars) inspired Stoppard's translated work, now titled HEROES. Scant internet information confirms that Sibleyras was born in 1961 in Paris and that his latest play is titled LE BANC (The Bench). LE VENT DES PEUPLIERS has been translated and produced in countries worldwide including the United Kingdom, Germany, and Uruguay. The play premiered at the Theatre Montparnasse and received four Moliere nominations including Best Author.

With two such literary notables collaborating, you might imagine that crafting an English translation of this touching and hilarious play for a West End opening would be as breezy as, dare I say, a wind in the poplars. But a 2005 interview with Stoppard and Sibleyras revealed otherwise. The main concern was about a literal translation of the title. Stoppard revealed, "There was a certain amount of anxiety about that because of 'The Wind in the Willows.' That seemed to threaten some kind of confusion."

Even well into the process, minor confusions remained. Stoppard admitted, "After months of translating, I thought I knew what every word meant-and I've just discovered I was wrong." Assuming that the French word 'niche' meant a recess, the playwright intervened good-naturedly. "Gerald has just politely pointed out that it means kennel; as there's a stone dog on stage that makes perfect sense."

Overall, Sibleyras expressed enormous gratitude for his process with Stoppard. "The first version of the play was too long," Sibleyras conceded. "(Stoppard) asked me every time he wanted to change a line, and slowly, but surely the play improved."

In the past, Stoppard admits that much of his work might be correctly called an adaptation, "I once did a play which Ferenc Molnar set in a castle in Hungary, and which I set on an ocean liner going to New York. (ROUGH CROSSING-directed by C. Michael Wright for Next Act in 2002) That's what I call an adaptation."

Stoppard definitely approached HEROES as a translation, which meant he adhered to self-prescribed rules about the process. "The starting point is to be utterly faithful to the original. But if you abide by that completely you are doing the author a disservice." Stoppard also insists, "You should not translate for more than two hours at a time. After that, you lose your edge. The language becomes clumsy, rigid."

Luckily for all of us, with Sibleyras' faith and Stoppard's careful guidelines, HEROES emerges as a compact, compassionate and witty reminder of how true friendship is an exquisite collaboration as well.

A Message from Michael - November 2011

2011-11-10T11:47:00.001-06:00

Thursday, November 03, 2011-MCT's Producing Artistic Director, C. Michael Wirght, comments on HEROES:
***He is the play's director too!***

Often while I'm playing host in the lobby before a show, patrons will come up to me with thoughts about plays for future production. I always try to listen politely and take in their ideas, even when some suggestions are quite beyond our means. But every so often, someone comes forward with a recommendation that is a little piece of gold. Such is the case with HEROES.

A few years ago (I can't recall exactly how many), long-time MCT theatergoer Pam Seccombe approached me before a performance to tell me about a new Tom Stoppard play she had just seen in London. I remember her saying, "It was very funny and very moving and just perfect for Chamber. It only requires three actors." Needless to say, my ears perked up! Pam generously offered to lend me a copy of the script she had purchased. A week later I received it in the mail, read it in one sitting and became immediately hooked. Stoppard's adaptation of Gerald Sibleyras' LE VENT DES PEUPLIERS ("The Wind in the Poplars") was everything Pam had told me - and then some.

L-R: Richard Halverson, Robert Spencer, Daniel Mooney

The icing on the cake is that this play is a vehicle for three older actors. As many Milwaukeeans know, we are extremely fortunate to have an incredible pool of strong, seasoned theatre artists residing here. I was tickled pink to bring together the estimable trio of Richard Halverson, Daniel Mooney and Robert Spencer for this project. And apparently, the enthusiasm is contagious! These three were so gung-ho to get started that they even insisted we meet over the summer to read through the script at Dan Mooney's home - four months before rehearsals were even scheduled to begin! In addition, Richard became so taken with Dan's terrace and backyard that we decided to return in October for a special photo shoot.

And we have Pam Seccombe to thank for all of this!

I have a funny feeling that very soon all of Milwaukee will be thanking Pam, for helping to bring this wonderful play to our stage!

(HEROES will be playing through November 23 to December 18, 2011)

MCT's HEROES set design inspired by Claude Monet's 1890-91 Poplar Series: Who is Monet?

2011-11-03T14:11:00.002-05:00

Claude Monet was born on November 14, 1840 in Paris.
On April 1, 1851, Monet refused to go into the family grocery store business, so instead he entered the Le Havre secondary school of the arts. Monet also undertook his first drawing lessons from talented artist-Jacques-François Ochard.

On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt (1868)

In 1871, he returned to France. Monet lived from December 1871 to 1878 at Argenteuil, a village on the right bank of the Seine river near Paris, and a popular Sunday-outing destination for Parisians, where he painted some of his best known works.

Impression, Sunrise (1872)

In 1872, he painted Impression, Sunrise (Impression, soleil levant) depicting a Le Havre port landscape. It hung in the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874 and is now displayed in the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris.

Beginning in the 1880s and 1890s through the end of his life in 1926, Monet worked on "series" of paintings, in which a subject was depicted in varying light and weather conditions.

Poplars Session: Key inspirations for MCT'S HEROES:

Four Trees (1891)

Poplars on the Epte (1891)

His first series exhibited as such was of Haystacks, painted from different points of view and at different times of the day. He later produced several series of paintings including: Rouen Cathedral, Poplars, the Parliament, Mornings on the Seine, and the Water Lilies that were painted on his property at Giverny.

December 5, 1926 at the age of 86 and is buried in the Giverny church cemetery.

Producing Artistic Director, C. Michael Wright, talks about MCT'S production of HEROES by Tom Stoppard

2011-11-01T15:29:00.000-05:00

MCT'S HEROES

2011-11-01T15:25:00.003-05:00

MCT 2011-2012 season continues with the Milwaukee premiere of Tom Stoppard's English adaptation of HEROES. This play was originally titled, "Le Vent des Peupliers" (direct translation: The Wind in the Poplars) and written by French playwright Gerald Sibleyras.

HEROES Plot Summary:
It's 1959, Henri, Gustave and Philippe are a trio of cantankerous World War I veterans, who spend their last summer days on the terrace of a remote French hospital exchanging barbs. Although their bodies might not be cooperating fully, they become rejuvenated by dreaming up an escape plan to the poplars beckoning in the distance. As Stoppard is the master of scintillating language and magnificent wit, his adaptation of Sibleyras’s play is at once funny and poignant, clever and whimsical.

Directed by C. Michael Wright
Featuring Richard Halverson(Gustave), Dan Mooney(Philippe) & Robert Spencer (Henri)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Estimated Length: 1 hour, 45 min. Includes a 15min. intermission

When: November 23, 2011 to December 18, 2011
Where: Broadway Theatre Center's Studio Theatre, 158 N. Broadway
How: 414.291.7800 www.milwaukeechambertheatre.com

***Important Notes***
Winner of the 2006 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy
Sponsored by John E. Holland & Konrad Kuchenbach

An Interview with Jonathan West

2011-10-13T11:45:00.001-05:00

Jonathan West returns to Milwaukee Chamaber Theatre (MCT) after appearing in TALLEY'S FOLLY in 2008. He is currently the managing director of Sunset Playhouse in Elm Grove. An actor, director and theatre administrator, he has worked at companies including Bialystock & Bloom, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Skylight Opera Theatre and Next Act Theatre. Next summer, Jonathan will return to MCT to direct the 2012-2013 season opener.

To gain further insights about Jonathan, we asked him a few questions about himself and his upcoming performance as Boolie.

Please tell us how or why you first got involved in theatre?

I had my first experience as an actor at the tender age of 13 in a rousing musical comedy called TAKE ME BACK TO MANHATTAN. I carried a 2 x 4 across the stage and my one line was, "Places, everyone, places!" Clearly, I had tasted the glamour that is a life on the stage and continued by becoming my high school drama club President, studying theatre administration and directing at New York University, and returning to Milwaukee where I ran my own theatre company (Bialystock & Bloom) for twelve years while working with other great companies in town.

Tell us about your first time reading or seeing DRIVING MISS DAISY.

I recall seeing a production of DRIVING MISS DAISY at Milwaukee Rep many, many years ago. I took a date. It was a good date. A gentleman never kisses and tells, I'm afraid.

From your perspective, how would you describe your character, Boolie?

Boolie is just doing what any good son would do—taking care of his mama. He's in a tough spot because he's really Daisy's primary caregiver, but she is fiercely independent. He tries as best he can to let her be independent while making sure she is safe and is socially connected to others. I

have a 91-year-old mother-in-law who is testing my loving, patient wife in many of the ways Daisy tests Boolie.

Was it difficult for you to learn a southern accent?

Learning it wasn't difficult..maintaining it is. Our dialect coach Michelle was on to me quickly and has tried hard to make sure I sound like I'm from Atlanta, not Texas. I had just finished watching all five seasons of "Friday Night Lights" when we started rehearsals, so I had to shake the Texas drawl out of my head.

Lastly, what message do you hope the audience takes from this play?

I hope audiences relax, enjoy, and are charmed by Ruth Schudson and Michael Torrey. They're worthy of a lovely evening in the theatre.

Thank you Jonathan! We're looking forward to the show!

An interview with Michael A. Torrey

2011-10-07T11:43:00.009-05:00

Michael Torrey makes his MCT debut in DRIVING MISS DAISY as Hoke Coleburn. Past Milwaukee appearances include “MASTER HAROLD” …and the boys at Next Act Theatre and A MIDNIGHT CRY, THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE and THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE at First Stage Children’s Theater. A Chicago resident, Michael has performed with numerous Chicago companies and other regional theatres.

To gain further insights about Michael, we asked him a few questions about himself and his upcoming performance as Hoke.

Please tell us how or why you first got involved in theatre?

I had done a play in high school and a friend's mother was the leading acting coach in town and she offered to work with me after seeing the play. A few years later I took her up on her offer and the rest they say is history.

Tell us about your first time reading or seeing DRIVING MISS DAISY.

I don't really remember the first time I read or saw "Driving Miss Daisy" but I have had the experience of playing the role of Hoke before. I remember reading the story in preparation and being moved by a truly well written and poignant story.

From your perspective, how would you describe your character, Hoke?

A man of quiet grace, dignity and gentleness.

Was it difficult for you to learn a southern accent?

Not really. The play is written to help you with Hoke's speech pattern and it didn't hurt that I grew up in the south.

Do you have a favorite Hoke quote?

Many times during the play people inquire into Hoke's personal business (i.e. finances) and he always, politely refutes it with “Dat for me and him to know."

Lastly, what message do you hope the audience takes from this play?

Through it all we are all really the same and you never know when certain people enter into your life the profound effect that they will have on you. Stay open to the possibilities.

Thank you Michael! We're looking forward to the show!

RUTH SCHUDSON: Milwaukee's Leading Lady

2011-09-26T12:37:00.006-05:00

When MCT co-founder Ruth Schudson takes the stage in DRIVING MISS DAISY this fall it will mark her 65th production with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre! This occasion is a great opportunity to tell you more about our remarkable co-founder.

Ruth Schudson, the daughter of Russian immigrants, was born and raised in Wisconsin. Her father was an actor and director in Russia, which helped inspire her own theatrical aspirations. After graduating from Chicago’s Goodman School of Drama in 1947, she worked at regional theatres and helped found companies in Illinois and Oregon before realizing all she desired artistically was right here in Milwaukee.

In the 1950s, Ruth performed with groups including the Milwaukee Players and Alverno College, where she also taught. During this time she married Armand Schudson and had two children, Nia and David.

As her theatre career continued, she performed regularly at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, which is where she met fellow actor and director Montgomery Davis in the early 1970s. After seeing Ruth as Mrs. Gibbs in The Rep’s OUR TOWN, Monty asked Ruth to be in a production of Shaw's DON JUAN IN HELL, which they performed at Vogel Hall in June 1975. Monty and Ruth followed the success of that show with DEAR LIAR and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre was born!

At MCT, Ruth Schudson has played not only a wife and mother, but also a teenager, Ethel Rosenberg, a princess, Gertrude Stein, a serpent and even a rabbi!

Some of Ruth's favorite roles include:
Title Role - MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION
Mrs. Higgins - PYGMALION
Helene Hanff - 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD
Grace -THE FAITH HEALER
Mrs. Dowey -THE OLD LADY SHOWS HER MEDALS
Mrs. Alving -GHOSTS
Carrie Watts -THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL

Some of her other 65 appearances include WELL, ANGELS IN AMERICA: PERESTROIKA, THE ROAD TO MECCA, LOST IN YONKERS, TALKING HEADS, MISALLIANCE, KIMBERLY AKIMBO, HAY FEVER, JOE EGG, ANDROCLES AND THE LION and THE IMMIGRANT.

Ruth has also performed with Next Act Theatre, Skylight Opera Theatre, Madison Repertory Theatre and Princeton’s McCarter Theatre among others. Her film credits include The Hindenburg and a featured role in Baraboo.

Few actors have had as great an impact on the Milwaukee theatre community as Ruth Schudson. Throughout her career, she has served as a mentor, role model, and friend to countless aspiring and established actors. Milwaukee Chamber Theatre has chosen to honor this occasion by creating “The Ruth Schudson Leading Lady Fund.”

This donor designated fund will celebrate Ruth’s career and legacy by supporting the work of one MCT actress each season. The Ruth Schudson Leading Lady Fund not only pays tribute to this icon of Milwaukee theatre, but allows MCT to establish a more self-sustaining focus for the future. MCT will host a celebratory “Tribute to Ruth Schudson” on Monday, October 24 at the Broadway Theatre Center as a fundraiser for the Leading Lady Fund.

*** The Tribute will feature performances by Gladys Chmiel, Flora Coker, Laura Gordon, Carrie Hitchcock, Marti Gobel, Laura Gray, Mary MacDonald Kerr, Michelle Lopez-Rios, Raeleen McMillion, Dan Mooney, Norman Moses, Sheri Williams Pannell, April Paul, Molly Rhode, Betsy Skowbo, Chase Stoeger, Susan Sweeney, James Tasse, Jacque Troy, Jenny Wanasek and Sara Zientek.***

To make a contribution to the Fund or make a reservation for the Tribute, call MCT at 414.276.8842.

The Lion in Winter - TECH

2011-04-13T17:41:00.005-05:00

Hello! My name is Allie Bonesho and I am extremely fortunate to be playing Alais in THE LION IN WINTER, which opens on Friday, April 14 in the Cabot Theatre! I am a junior, Theatre Arts major at Marquette University and have loved every second of my experience with MCT! From working with seasoned professionals and actors I have admired to re-telling James Goldman’s classic story, the experience as a whole has only increased my desire to pursue a career as a professional actress!

It is Sunday, April 10, and we just finished our final run-through of our 10 out of 12 TECH and the weekend has sparked even greater excitement and anticipation to hear the response from a live audience! The costumes are beautiful and the set’s vastness and depth creates a phenomenal stage picture in the Cabot Theatre. Today started with hair and make-up and we continued to run light and sound cues. Judy’s organization as stage manager and Michael’s remarkable vision made the collaboration with the costume, lighting and scenic designers run smoothly!

After we finished a cue-to-cue, we took a dinner break and Tim Braun (who is understudying Geoffrey and Philip along with serving as MCT’s marketing intern) and Kelsey Lauren (who is understudying Alais and previously served as MCT's marketing intern) went to Milwaukee Public Market and reviewed notes for a Nutrition exam and Theology class.

Following the dinner break, we got in costume again and did a run-through of the show. The run went well and we stopped for any safety concerns regarding entrances and exits that needed glow tape, costume adjustments, and any light/sound cue issues. Following the run, Michael gave us notes and Judy confirmed our schedule for Tuesday.

Throughout the rehearsal process and our TECH this weekend, I have been amazed by the level of professionalism the MCT staff and technicians of the Broadway Theatre Center bring to all that they do! I would not trade any moment of this process and no words can express my gratitude to all involved! I am excited for opening and to hear the laughter of a live audience to the story of a witty, dysfunctional, but loving family!

That’s all for now, I will try to write again soon! Good night! :)
-Allie

Tech begins today

2011-02-12T09:53:00.002-06:00

Sorry I’ve been so out of touch: rehearsals have kept me hopping!

The process of unfolding, discovering and crafting this piece has been equal parts challenge and fun, and I wish I could’ve shared more with you over these weeks, but (with apologies to Las Vegas) what happens in rehearsal, stays in rehearsal. I can share that a few of our biggest challenges has been figuring out which characters know what at what point in the story, what makes each character tick and what the timeline of the story is. But directing a crackerjack cast like this makes it a lot easier. Working with this group of actors has been illuminating and wonderful: Sara Zientek soaks everything up like a sponge, Jonathan Wainwright is unbelievably incisive, Betsy Skowbo always brings in something new every day, and Drew Brhel and C. Michael Wright, being directors in their own right, bring an added perspective to their performances.

But today we head into tech, adding all the design elements. The set is installed in the space, the lights are hung, costumes are at the ready, more new props arrive every day, and sound will be added to the mix. In short, this is when everything begins to come together. All the work we’ve done in the rehearsal room finally mixes with the visual aspects of the piece. And, for myself, this is my favorite time in the process. As a director, the image or idea you have of the show finally begins to resolve itself into three dimensions and you begin to see all the collaboration of the many past months pay off. Concept meets rehearsal meets drawing board and we begin to put it all up today in expectation of an audience on Thursday night. It’s generally a slow process: actors are working hard to adjust to the new environment, designers are working as quickly as they can to get the look and sound of the play just right, and our technical staff (who are amazing!) are working to make sure everything runs smoothly and as designed. Working as fast as we can in four and a half days to move from rehearsal to finished world on stage can be an arduous process. Yet, the world of the play and the audience experience begin to form itself in front of our eyes and it is truly a magnificent experience.

See you at the theatre!

The day of rest.

2011-01-31T11:06:00.004-06:00

OH boy, what a week!HI, my name is Sara Zientek and I will be playing Jackie in MAURITIUS. I am in my last semester at UW-Milwaukee and will be juggling 16 credits while rehearsing 6 days a week for this brilliant show. I thought I would give myself an easy semester with a lot of dance classes, yoga, and one discussion course. Sadly, I was mistaken and realized that I am completely exhausted by the time I get into my car and head on over to rehearsal. LUCKILY, there is PLENTY of coffee to go around and the energy that Andrew and the rest of the actors bring quickly lifts my spirits and I am ready to act the night away!

One thing that I would love to share is the thrill of working on a show that involves fight work. We are lucky to have a brilliant fight choreographer (someone who blocks out the fights and shows the actors how to execute them safely and efficiently), James Fletcher. Fletcher and Andrew have talked over what they both think would be effective during each fight scene and then get to test out their ideas on us and see if it looks believable. This is my first time having to fight in a show so its very exciting and terrifying at the same time! First Fletcher talks about what he wants from us, He makes whoever is doing the fighting walk through it in slow motion to make sure our hand and feet positions are correct. Then, we start to pick up the speed and eventually start doing the fights at show speed. Nothing is set in stone, so if any actor feels uncomfortable and needs to change something that is ALWAYS an option. We want the fights to look as real as possible, but they also need to be completely safe. So we do each fight scene several times with Fletcher there watching from different angles so he can make sure nothing looks wrong and to make sure there isn't a big gap between a persons fist and someones face if they were throwing a punch..that wouldn't look real :)

Once everything looks good and everyone feels comfortable we try and run the whole scene and add the fight into it. Andrew and Fletcher both seemed very pleased yesterday with all the fights and I can't wait to get back to rehearsal tomorrow and work on them a little more.

Cheers,

p.s. we have finished staging the whole show and now are starting to get into detail work about our characters.

Meeting Theresa Rebeck

2011-01-25T11:30:00.005-06:00

I'm Andrew Volkoff, director for Chamber Theatre's upcoming production of Mauritius. I currently live in New York City, but I can't tell you how excited I am to be back in my hometown, directing at MCT. Blogging's a little new to me, but I thought I'd share a New York story with you about meeting Theresa Rebeck, playwright of Mauritius. It really shows that New York is really just a large small town....

So...

I was at Drama Bookshop in New York City last year looking for a few scripts and they're winding up this wine and cheese shindig in the store. I'm poking around on a lower bookshelf and I hear someone say (regarding a woman standing near the wine), "Well, yeah, that's Theresa Rebeck". I chalk it up as insider humor, but I do stand up and poke my nose over the bookshelf to look at who they're referring to. The man at the counter repeats it to the disbelieving woman holding a script: "No, seriously, that IS Theresa Rebeck". I'm bowled over at my luck! I walk over to her and say, "You're REALLY Theresa Rebeck?" She laughs and says, "Yes", and I say "Holy cow! I'm directing a production of MAURITIUS at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre in February!"

The long and the short of it is: she couldn't have been nicer, and when I said I had some questions about the play (Me: "about Mary.." She: "yeah, she's the one everyone has questions about...there are two ways you can play her."), she graciously gave me her email address. I've corresponded with her a few times and it's been great to get some clarification about character and motivation straight from the playwright's mouth, as it were.

After briefly speaking with her, I quickly ran to the Theresa Rebeck section of the store, bought an additional copy of Mauritius and had her sign it, donating it to last year's MCT gala. What she wrote was very cute: she signed it "To You. Theresa Rebeck. May 2010." She even let me take a picture with her... :)

I'm not generally superstitious, but I certainly consider that an auspicious beginning!

Looking forward to beginning rehearsal today,
Andrew Volkoff

Dinner Break....

2010-11-13T18:17:00.003-06:00

Just got back from the dinner break for Tech.

For those of you who care - I had a BBQ Chicken Wrap and it was very tasty.

The afternoon was spent working with lights and cues - working with actual beer bottles with liquid, working with actually making toast onstage and burning waffles. It doesn't sound like much - but all those little things add up to a big ole helping of awkwardness onstage.

When I was in college and working a summer theater job a girl I was working with that summer stopped mid-scene and simply said, "acting's hard." It was something we quoted for the rest of the summer, and years to follow until we graduated college. I find myself saying it every once in a while jokingly, but now out of context and away from those who heard it first and are in on the origin of the joke - it has taken on a different meaning. Mainly, a much more serious one.

Acting IS hard. It is a series of choices. And a lot of them. And to make something that is theatrical seem like it is an everyday scene from the lives of three people is an incredibly difficult thing to do.

Tami Workentin has the hardest job, I believe. As the Mother in this 1946 setting, she has to deal with serving Mr. Tasse and I breakfast - not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES. And none of them the same way. It is a delicate dance of bringing 2 cups, then 2 spoons, then juice, fill coffee, drop bread in toaster, and so on and so forth. Jim Tasse and I only need to eat, drink and talk. I commend Tami for being able to do all of those things and make it seem effortless and just another part of the daily life of these people.

I think a lot of time people don't realize just how much work goes into the 'small things' onstage, or the 'business' that the actor is doing. Often times in talkbacks we will get the question, "how did you memorize all of those lines?" But in a play like this - or any American Realism play - the business is just as much of the magic and craft.

To give you an idea how much thought goes into this stuff. A waffle iron is used for one breakfast. This waffle iron is placed in a cabinet - and it could have been placed in the closest one for convenience, but what story does that tell? Instead, taking into account that waffles are the son's 'favorite' and he has been away at war for two and a half years, the waffle iron was placed in a cabinet high above in the kitchen. So high that Tami has to get a step stool to reach it. The story that we tell with that simple shift in location is huge.

It shows first off that waffles are not an everyday thing. It is an event. One that does not happen often. It also tells the story that since the son has not been there for two and a half years, it has moved to a place for items of disuse. The mother put it away until her son's return, and this is a morning that she has been thinking about for quite a while. So by placing the iron in that location - that simple choice speaks volumes. Does it read onstage? Yes. Will you notice it? Probably not. But for the keen observer and the good storyteller, all of it lies in the details like that.

Heading to Tech

2010-11-13T11:58:00.002-06:00

I am writing this about an hour before we head into Technical Rehearsals for 'The Subject Was Roses.'

I admit I have been neglecting my duties as of the last few weeks of rehearsals, so over the course of Tech, I will try to fill you in on the many happenings of the last few weeks, a bit about the process, the props, and other enjoyable tidbits that you might not otherwise have the chance to hear about or see in the final production.

To begin I should introduce myself to you. My name is Nicholas Harazin and I am an actor. In ROSES, I play the role of Timmy, the son who comes back from WWII to his parents house in the Bronx. I last blogged for Sweetest Swing in Baseball - so you may have read some of my ramblings there as well - for the sake of all involved, I will try to be as eloquent and terse as possible.

I will be bringing my computer with me to Tech and reporting from there when I have the chance. For those of you who do not know what Tech is, it means that it is a Technical Rehearsal, in which all the elements of design come together in the space. The Set is done, and tweaks will be made here and there as we work on it. The lighting is going to be set, we will work on setting levels, as well as working with some 'practical' cues onstage - where one of us actors has to turn on a light switch or a lamp onstage, and the lighting designer has to light the room as though that were the only source of light in it. The costumes will be worn today for the first time and we will see how everything fits and works in the space. And the sound designer will be adding his elements throughout the play.

The actors have had weeks to rehearse this play, and now, essentially, it is the designers chance to rehearse their play with us and see how we all come together to make what is sure to be an incredible production.

Report back soon.

If the shoe fits!

2010-11-03T10:46:00.005-05:00

You might remember me as MCT's Audience Development Coordinator, but this time I am wearing another hat - designing costumes for THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES! It is a big job to design and produce period costumes (this play is set in 1946). The smallest details are so important - especially in the Studio Theatre!

Today my biggest dilemma is that I can't decide which shoes to buy for my leading lady, so I have to buy three pairs. Thank goodness for places like Zappos that have super speedy shipping and free returns! Now I can bring three pairs to my fitting and determine the perfect shoes with the help of the most important person - the one wearing them! After she decides, I will return the other pairs. Tami Workentin (Nettie) will be wearing these shoes for a few hours every performance for the duration of the run. As a designer, when I am thinking about which shoes to provide, not only is it important that the look is correct, but that they last the duration of the run and provide comfort for the actor. Many actors have been on their feet all day and the last thing they want to do is come to their performance after a long day and put on a pair of uncomfortable shoes! So, even though it would be nice to save some money and go to a cheap shoe store, I have to splurge a little for the actor's sake! Instead of buying multiple cheap pairs of shoes, I will buy one good pair. This also benefits the actress when she has quick changes and doesn't have to worry about changing her shoes!

So there you have it - a little insight on shoes from the costume designer for today. Now, I am off to my favorite vintage boutique - Vintageous in Bay View, to continue my search for Tami's (Nettie's) wardrobe!

www.zappos.com

Check out all of this great press for MAIN-TRAVELLED ROADS!

2010-10-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

Main-Travelled Roads behind the scenes YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awN-YweCyy4

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – review
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/105101384.html

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – advance story
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/104914214.html

OnMilwaukee.com – advance story
http://onmilwaukee.com/ent/articles/maintravelled.html?24038

Third Coast Digest – advance story
http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2010/10/those-rhode-girls-and-mcts-main-travelled-roads/

WUWM Lake Effect interview
http://www.wuwm.com/programs/lake_effect/le_sgmt.php?segmentid=6478

do you know where you're goin'?

2010-10-08T15:28:00.004-05:00

Hello MCT blog-world!

I can hardly believe MAIN-TRAVELLED ROADS is officially one week from opening! Time certainly flies when you are doing what you love most in the world, especially when you have the support of such a wonderful team. When I accepted the part of Aggie about one year ago, I thought that fall of 2010 was eons away, and here we are about to head into tech week after a great rehearsal process.

My experience at MCT is unlike anything I have had the opportunity to experience. From the initial audition and throughout this entire process I have felt so welcomed and at home with the MCT family. Everyone is so genuinely invested in creating something special and I feel blessed to share this experience.

I’ve learned a lot in rehearsals, from the scene work to charming music. The most challenging aspect of the show so far has been learning the “air piano.” There is a certain scene in which I get to play an imaginary piano in space, and let me tell you it is not as easy as one might think! Unlike jamming out on an air guitar, (a skill that many can claim they have mastered) “air piano” requires acute concentration and precise execution of finger placement. I gave up learning piano at an early age, a decision I regret as I prepare my “air piano” debut. However, I have the advantage of getting to play with the awesome Scott Haden during the scene, so I’m not too worried. Wish me luck. :)

I recently heard a writer on NPR say something to the effect of “At the very end, life is the story you tell.” This idea made me so excited to be apart of MAIN-TRAVELLED ROADS and have the opportunity to share Hamlin Garland’s touching stories. At our first reading, Michael said these stories were 'old world Wisconsin.' I grew up visiting Old World Wisconsin on school field trips, where I could live out my Little House on the Prairie dreams. This play reminds me of those stories I fell in love with as a little girl and live out the make-believe world of a simpler but more difficult time.

More about Garland’s stories later…which everyone should read! They are fascinating and it is so great to see how Dave Hudson translated the stories to the book/lyrics. I was surprised to see how much was taken directly from the text and how it adds authentic truth to the play.

Happy Friday! :)

Minnie the Moocher

2010-08-21T01:24:00.003-05:00

Hullo.

Tomorrow at about two thirty in the afternoon, Jeeves and I will be having tea with many of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's patrons. If it were entirely up to my Aunt Agatha we would solely be drinking "oolong" tea. She would also try her utmost to make sure that I get nowhere near the piano, or sing a song of any kind. Therefore, I will be doing just that. I have been fooling around with "Minnie the Moocher" - some 'Cab' fellow wrote it, or some chap wrote it in a cab... I can never be certain - either way, I will be playing that ditty. The words still don't make all that much sense to me, but I think I will get Jeeves to explain their meanings. I might even ask him to join in on the chorus. He's never been much of a musical person and it's nice to know that I can at least best him at one darned thing. Hopefully everything will turn out to be a smashing success.

See you then!
-- Bertie

One endeavors to give satisfaction, sir.

2010-08-18T12:20:00.002-05:00

Although one takes great pride in executing one's duties faithfully, one is not often used to seeing one's praises enumerated in print. I had not considered the amount of fame I might incur by being a part of this production. I do not wish to alarm Sir Rupert or Mrs. Spencer-Gregson, however, it seems members of the press have not only been invited to our theatrical, but have written about it, effusively.

Our skit has become somewhat of a critical darling, and now, I fear I will never hear the end of it from Mr. Wooster.

-Jeeves.

Such Potential

2010-08-14T11:56:00.004-05:00

Our little production of one of my exploits is finally open and ready for public viewing! It was ever so delightful to run around on stage in front of so many Americans. The show went off without a single hitch (even Bassy somehow managed to come away without a single blunder - his first time since we began this whole rigmarole) Even if something were to go wrong, I'm always assured knowing that Jeeves is right there with me. He certainly is quite the marvel. The audience was laughing the whole way through, and I think they rather enjoyed it! It's an honor to be working with my friends and family for the next few weeks (even though Aunt Agatha is a bit of a dreadful woman - always staring at me and judging my every move). This is only the very beginning of the process and I cannot wait to continue this romp. Unlike Bassy and myself, It has such potential.

Ta!

- Bertie

Gad, what a time!!!

2010-08-13T01:01:00.002-05:00

Dear Mr. Blog,

Tonight we previewed our theatrical endeavor for a real, live audience! I don't know why they call it a preview, because we did he whole thing for them. At any rate, they seemed to enjoy it almost as much as I did. I must say, it took me a few tics to relax and become comfortable, speaking infront of so many people (I'm told that even more people will be at the actual "run.") Once I settled in though, the show seemed almost to run itself. All that "rehearsing" really pays off, when you're a sweaty, panicky mess, grasping for your next "cue."

Speaking of sweat, I must say, one would have to travel to the jungles of South America to simulate the conditions on that blasted stage. The lamps used to illuminate us are quite powerful and give off considerable heat. That, coupled with woolen garments and our quite aerobic spectacle, turns me into bit of a mobile sauna. There is little relief upon leaving the theatre, as the outside conditions are very similar. I was told that if I didn't like the weather in Wisconsin, America, I would have only to wait, and it would change. Well, I'm waiting.

Dearest Mr. Blog, I am overflowing with excitement for your and the Mrs. attendance of our endeavor. If you do or do not have children, please do or do not bring them as our show is appropriate for the whole family, that you may or may not have. There is love, laughter and some pretty solid lessons. Above all, Mr. Blog, please remember that the only reason we are performing is to make you laugh. It really is a cure-all.

Sincerly,

Eustace Bassington-Bassington

You may rely on me, sir.

2010-08-12T10:01:00.004-05:00

Last night we completed our final practice session for our theatrical. This evening we shall endeavour to give it the first public performance.

Over the last week we have smoothly integrated the technical elements of the production, including adding lighting effects, timing the sound of the wireless, acclimating to the three-walled representation of Mr. Wooster's flat, and learning to change clothes much faster than any human should, by right, have to do. Our intrepid team of director, designers, stage managers and crew agilely navigated through the, I am told, sometimes treacherous waters of technical rehearsals, and we seem to be quite ready to share our adventures with an audience.

It is my sincere hope that ill effects of the revelling in which Messrs. Wooster and Bassington-Bassington no doubt took part following the rehearsal will have subsided by the time doors open this evening. If not, it proves lucky that among the very first actions I take in the presentation is the handing of a refreshing glass of Gentlemen's Relief to Mr. Wooster.

Remarkably, some things never change.

-Jeeves.

I did think perhaps the circus was in town.

2010-08-06T14:35:00.004-05:00

I must admit, my perception of Mr. Wooster's habits may have been forever altered by the event I just experienced.

Mr. Wooster gave me the morning off, and I have just returned from a sojourn to what seems to be an American tradition: the State Fair.

The fairgrounds are a strange mix of Picadilly Circus, Covent Garden, The Drones Club, and a barnyard, dotted with numerous livestock pavilions, carnival attractions, and food stands. I was taken aback at the simultaneous ingenuity and propensity to disgust exhibited by the myriad stands devoted to foods on a stick, which foods ranged from the ridiculous (Irish Stew?) to the sublime (Caramel apple). I was treated to the fair's official treat, the cream puff, and admit that I was quite taken by the silky pastry wonder. In fact, one imagines the entire culinary enterprise of the fair could have been devoted to dairy, pie, and various sausages without any sticks whatsoever, and still have been a success, without the humiliation of spaghetti-and-meatballs-on-a-stick. (I note that as an Englishman, I may not have much room to speak on this subject.)

I was able to watch the judging portion of some sort of bovine competition, although one would be hard pressed to elucidate what, exactly, the criteria were upon which the beasts were judged. There was rather a great deal of lowing and cud-masticating, but I do feel certain the animals were judged on other points, as well. Additionally, I took in the majestic splendour of the magnificent Clydesdale workhorses, and the somewhat silly attitudes of the braying goats and sheep. Although Mr. Bassington-Bassington encouraged me to find the poultry pavilion, I admit the task was daunting, and I was unable to comply.

I have never in my life been accosted by so many people in such unfortunate suits of clothing. If one did not know any better, one might infer that some of the gentry were completely blind when selecting their costumes from their closets, or, at the very least, were dressing as circus clowns to better enjoy the festivities.

There were a number of spectacular mechanized contraptions upon which patrons could enjoy wildly spinning out of control. This, combined with the odor of the livestock, the fried-cream-cheese-and-bacon-on-a-stick, the seemingly free-flowing taps of beer, and the omni-present flourescent T-shirts went, one imagines, a long way toward what must have been the intended goal of making oneself ill.

Certainly, nothing compares to this in England, nor do I expect anything ever shall.

-Jeeves.

A Strange Air-tight Box of Room

2010-08-05T12:06:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday the second of August, I was driven to a radio station to record an advertisement for our upcoming theatrical. It was a small building filled with even smaller cube-like structures that held people of all kinds - mostly using the telephone or small computron devices like I am using this very moment. We snaked our way through this office maze and they locked me inside a strange air-tight box of a room. The walls were padded, and for a brief moment I thought that I may have been coerced into admitting myself into a psychiatric hospital. (Something that Bassy has tried - and failed - to do to me on many occasions.) Luckily, all I was asked to do was read from a piece of paper through what appeared to be a silk stocking. I completed it satisfactorily in what a very kind gentleman with ear coverings called "one take." He could hear me perfectly well even though his ears were entirely blocked. He then complimented me on my "accent work," I thanked him kindly, then laughed knowingly that I never do any work of any kind.

Tune your dials to 93.3 FM beginning Monday the ninth of August to hear my voice over the waves. I do hope that they play it during The Champion Spark Plug Hour or The Clicquot Club Eskimos Show, as I will be listening at those times.

Ta!

-- Bertie

It would seem a most daunting task, sir.

2010-08-02T11:04:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we completed the first fortnight of our rehearsal process. The day was capped with what is termed as the "designer run," whereby all of the ladies and gentlemen who are recreating Mr. Wooster's flat and the lighting and musical effects therein gather to watch an entire "run-through" of our little story.

Knowing we would have to make this presentation, we spent the last several days rehearsing both acts, by running long segments and then repeating them, over and over, not unlike a polo or rugby team repeating plays out on the pitch. Also not unlike rugby, there was a great deal of grunting, falling over, gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments. Fortunately, all of the furniture remained intact over those days, so we were able to continue using it for yesterdays presentation. When the rehearsal process has come to a close, I will certainly need to send it for reupholstering and repair. More likely, I shall just have it replaced altogether. Mr. Wooster will never notice the difference, I suspect.

The designer run, remarkably, was quite well received. I do believe it was the first time our full complement were able to recite our roles without the help of playscripts, though certainly we all required a little help now and again. There is a most curious habit in the theatre whereby a participant who has misremembered a segment may call out "Line!" in the middle of the showcase and it will be repeated to him by stage management. I wonder: if Mr. Wooster were able to call for "line" in his life, would I be able to more efficiently deliver him from trouble? Too often I am forced to rescue him (mainly from himself, might I add) by some sort of secreted means.

The designers, one hopes, were able to start to see how the entire production might look. I will admit it has been rather strange to rehearse in a facsimile of the flat which only represents Mr. Wooster's sitting room and hallway. It is my understanding that while that facsimile will gain more verisimilitude upon moving into the theatre, we will still be without the basic structures of bedrooms, dining room, parlor, foyer, and kitchen. Further, we shall be able to see the innards of the walls from the "offstage" at all times -- it is pure façade, as if we are living inside-out. What a strange world this is. Although, as I think about it, no stranger than the life Mr. Wooster leads. One cannot help but marvel at the sheer volume of backward situations in which he finds himself.

Next week we shall continue running the play in its entirety to ferret out scenes in need of fine-tuning. At week's end, we move into the theatre proper. One can only imagine what Messrs. Wooster and Bassington-Bassington will turn topsy-turvy down there.

-Jeeves.

From Eustace

2010-07-31T18:59:00.004-05:00

Dear Mr. Blog,

I hope this electronic letter finds you well. We are halfway through our "rehearsal process," and it is going splendid. Although I must admit, some nights I leave the rehearsal hall with my brains more scrambled than my morning eggs. Our director tells us that we must not only say our "lines" but do so in a way that furthers the "plot" to the "audience." This sometimes involves saying something that means the opposite of what it appears to mean. I have been informed that this is called "irony," and that it can be quite funny...even "comedic." I think you and Mrs. Blog will appreciate it.
We are having a ripping time and much anticipate your attendance. We are apparently going to perform the skit more that once. So you will have many chances to join us and possibly view variances between each night's performances. (Although, I'm sure it will work out exactly the same every night.) My best to the Mrs. and your possible children.

Sincerely,

Eustace Bassington-Bassington

Freddy Widgeon would be proud.

2010-07-29T11:29:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, during a twenty minute resting period between rehearsal blocks, I found myself coming up with a cunning way to pass the time. Being here in the United States of America, I have been educated with the ways of their American "football" - although the "foot" is hardly ever utilized in the game. Using the rules that I have become familiar with, I simply folded up a piece of paper into a perfect equilateral triangle. Bassy sat across the table from me, and held up his fingers to form "field goal posts." We then spent the next twenty-odd minutes trying to finger flip the triangular football through our own hand-made posts. (Secretively, I was actually trying to knock Eustace on the nose with it) Quite the jolly way to spend the interval.

-- Bertie

Hidey Hidey Hidey Ho, sir.

2010-07-28T09:58:00.004-05:00

Last night, after our rehearsal, I accompanied Mr. Wooster and Mr. Bassington-Bassington to the pub. This particular establishment had been converted for the evening into a makeshift music hall of a sort. Patrons were encouraged to choose a popular song and sing it to those assembled, while the wireless pumped out the accompaniment.

Mr. Bassington-Bassington and Mr. Wooster are both accomplished vocalists, and had the pub cheering with every selection. Their decorum, on the other hand, left something to be desired.

After a libation, the gentlemen convinced me to try my hand at what the Japanese have taken to calling Kerry-Okey, or "Empty Orchestra." I chose a song, informed the young miss operating the wireless, and proceeded to deliver. Even in my school days I was loath to take the stage, but the liquid encouragement allowed a modicum of esprit de corps, and I led those assembled in a rousing sing-along.

Mr. Wooster seems to be feeling the ill effects of last night's endeavors. I don't imagine he'll stir much before noon; I shall be sure to mix him a dram of my patented Gentlemen's Relief upon his awakening.

-Jeeves

With remarkable frequency

2010-07-27T15:09:00.002-05:00

Over the past week, Mr. Wooster, Mr. Bassington-Bassington, Mrs. Spencer-Gregson, Sir Rupert, Miss Winklesworth-Bode, and I have been running through the first half of our little skit, working out what seems to be called stage business along the way. We have run through the first half now a number of times, each time adding a small bit of action here or removing a bit there.

This afternoon we will embark on part two, wherein all manner of things go wrong before I am able to right them. I do hope at the end of all this I will be able to have a bit of rest and relaxation, though I suppose the only way to ensure that would be to find my way out of Mr. Wooster's service. Even on holiday, he has an incredible knack for finding himself in a scrape.

~Jeeves

Title:

2010-07-25T20:33:00.009-05:00

Right. Bertie said I should write a few words to you. We have never met, but my name is Eustace Bassington-Bassington. I live in London. I enjoy rugby and dogs. What do you enjoy?

This past week I have been participating in what is called a "theatrical endeavor." It is where we all tell a story out-loud and move around as well. It is very difficult to remember what to say and when. Lucky for me, the story we are telling is about me. So, I know a lot about it.

I am quite looking forward to the day we shall perform our endeavor on a real live stage, and you and I will meet. I promise to do my very best for you. My best to Mrs. Blog and your children, if you have any.

Sincerly,

Eustace Bassington-Bassington

Hullo.

2010-07-25T19:32:00.002-05:00

What, ho! What, ho! What, ho!

Bertie Wooster, here! And I am so very pleased to be able to punch out a few tid bits into this little machine and share them with the entire planet.

One full week of hard work is behind us and I cannot stress more how tired this whole process has made me. I am currently sipping on a new whiskey concoction that Jeeves whipped up of his own making. The only thing left to do today is take my nightly bath, which Jeeves no doubt is drawing this very moment.

I wonder how Bassy is coping with the so very close proximity of his Uncle Rupert. My Aunt Agatha is a fire-breathing dragon, but ever since Sir Watlington-Pips found out that we would be performing a theatrical, he has been quite the handful. He seems to think, that in the process, Bassy will manage to disgrace his family name. He no doubt will, but after filling Sir Rupert up chock full of lies, he seems to be warming up to the idea.

I have finished my beverage, and Jeeves has just informed me that my bath is at the proper temperature. Somehow, he always times it out perfectly. I had better go.

Ta!

-- Bertie

As you say, sir.

2010-07-22T12:13:00.002-05:00

Yester-eve we commenced to staging our theatrical. Even in the service of Mr. Wooster, I have never been involved with such an undertaking. The sheer amount of information one must retain is staggering: one must remember the words coming out of one's mouth, recall where one is to stand or walk, imagine different furnishings and properties from the ones at hand, and, perhaps most importantly, attempt to prevent one's master from diving headlong into the soup. I haven't the slightest notion how professional actors do such a thing year in and year out.

We started, as one does, at the beginning, with page one of our our playscript. Sir and I begin our skit together with a rather elaborate routine of cat and mouse, which one might mistake for farce if it weren't so very grounded in the reality of our past. After an hour and a half we had covered a grand total of five pages (out of 91). Things were looking a bit grim. However, we had a lovely turnabout when Mr. Bassington-Bassington arrived to begin work upon his section of the play. Although he and Mr. Wooster often needed separating, I am very pleased to report that due to the pacifying effects of Mr. Bassington-Bassington's need to perch on the sofa, the next section progressed swimmingly, and we were back on schedule by the time Mrs. Spencer-Gregson and Miss Winklesworth-Bode arrived. Here things took a slight turn for the worst, again, as Mr. Bassington-Bassington's tongue-tied, stumbling antics created quite the obstacle to our forward progress. After numerous suggestions by those assembled, and a great deal of rehearsal, and re-rehearsal, we were finally able to solve a number of questions. (Or, at the least, have them solved "-ish", as our fearless leader, Ms. Tami Workentin-Snoose so quaintly puts it.)

Fortunately, although I was often required to do a sort of juggling act one rarely sees outside of the Variety Theater or Picadilly Circus, no China was broken and no furniture needed to be sent out for repair. Of course, one should never be so thoughtless as to presume a streak of one day will extend the six and one-half weeks stretched out before one, but I shall endeavour to do my very best.

-Jeeves.

Good afternoon, sir

2010-07-21T10:53:00.003-05:00

Allow me to introduce myself: I am Reginald Jeeves, personal valet to Bertram Wooster, esq. It is my distinct pleasure to write in this electric journal for the next several weeks to share with you the trials and tribulations of the Wooster household as we prepare for a little theatrical representation of our lives.

Yesterday, at tea-time, I had the rare (mis)fortune to meet Mr. Wooster's school-chum Mr. Eustace Bassington-Bassington, along with Mr. Bassington-Bassington's uncle, Sir Rupert Watlington-Pipps, Mr. Wooster's aunt, Mrs. Agatha Spencer-Gregson, and her god-daughter, Miss Gertrude Winklesworth-Bode, as everyone gathered at the new flat to discuss preparations for our little adventure. Also invited were a number of sir's friends, including (but certainly not limited to) Mr. C. Michael Orville-Wright, Ms. Tami Workentin-Snoose, and Ms. Judith Farnsworth-Martel, whose birthday was also being celebrated. I had set out a lovely luncheon of fruits, cakes, and cucumber sandwiches, which were summarily snapped up by all present.

We commenced to bat around a few ideas for our presentation, including how to dress up the flat to show it in its best light, which suits would be most preferable for sir to wear, and which furnishings should be used. We then set to reënacting a particularly engaging account of one of sir's misadventures with his friends and relations. This particular story almost kept us from enjoying a scheduled holiday in the Riviera, but it (once again) fell to me to keep Mr. Wooster's head above water, and in the end, all survived and went on swimming as if nothing had ever chanced.

After we concluded the skit, most of the guests returned to their homes, and the remaining few fell to relating stories of how and when we met, and what has happened in the intervening years. Sir Rupert regaled us with tales of the Jute business, Mrs. Spencer-Gregson took great pains to mold Mr. Wooster, Mr. Bassington-Bassington told of his life of leisure on the golf course, Miss Winkleswoth-Bode waxed rhapsodically on German philosophy, and Mr. Wooster sat, as usual, stunned. I, of course, took copious mental notes of all that was said so as to better explain it to Mr. Wooster in the morning, after the effects of his Martini had worn off.

We agreed our little tale of mistaken betrothal and false ownership would be a fanciful one for American audiences, and decided to meet again this afternoon to begin work in earnest. I will be sure to keep you up to date with all the goings on at the flat, as I am sure there will be plenty upon which to ruminate.

-Jeeves

What one can find on the internets.....

2010-04-26T11:40:00.002-05:00

So after a second week of shows and a fine lot of audience members, I found myself relaxing and surfing the web. I was in the midst of researching roles and plays for this coming summer at American Players Theater, but also for fun, I just happened to google 'baseball playing chickens' and this lovely 1955 article found its way onto my screen.
The wonders of the internet never cease to amaze me. I have shared it with the cast and crew already - but now I figure I should share it with our audience as well.
It's crazy to think they actually DO exist.
Check it out. Enjoy.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19550527&id=640SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=p_YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3562,1544577

Our home opener....

2010-04-20T13:21:00.003-05:00

As many of you know we opened Sweetest Swing in Baseball this past weekend. It was great to finally get an audience in the theater and to hear their reactions to the show.
It is the addition of you, the audience, that really creates the theatrical experience. You are what makes theater happen.
A lot of times you will hear people talk about adding the audience as the final 'character' or the final 'element', and this is absolutely true.
The thing that makes live theater such a vital experience and something that film and television will never come close to doing is that we share the same space, breathe the same air for a brief moment in time while we share a story.
And that makes the audience just as vital a part of the experience as the actors, technicians, playwrights, directors, and designers.
We cannot exist within a vacuum, creating our art on our own, for our eyes only. We need to share, and we need to share with a community, to complete the circle.

And this opening weekend felt like just that. So I thank all of you who came out this weekend and shared the show with us. Those of you who laughed, moaned, stood up and cheered, I want you to know that makes all the difference. We feel that onstage. It feeds us. It teaches us as actors. We are there live in the room with you and we are listening and reacting to you as much as you are to us.

And to those of you who have not yet made your way out to Sweetest Swing, we have two more weeks left of performances and plenty of chances to see this wonderful show. The reviews are out if you want to check them out online. But I think maybe you should just take my word for it and stop in to see this show. ;)

On one final note, I really must say once again - it is the audience that makes the show. You are the finishing touch. And as we continue to perform you teach us how to hone moments from rehearsals, where to hold for laughs, what makes you cringe. Mary even said there was a moment this weekend when somebody in the audience blurted out "oh, no. please don't", when her character starts inquiring about her doctor's failed dance career, and Mary said that it kind of put that moment in a new light for her. In that instant, that particular audience member's reaction, shined a light on a part of human experience that we maybe missed in rehearsal. And moments like this happen more often than you think. We will walk offstage and head to the dressing room and think 'why did they laugh at that?' - 'Why that reaction?' - and it helps us to better understand a moment and hone our craft as artists and hopefully better understand the human condition and the story which we are telling.

So I thank you once again. I thank you for supporting Milwaukee Chamber Theater and live theater in general. It is vital to the idea of community in a day and age where interpersonal communication is brought to a minimum in pursuit of the most efficient, almost always electronic, mode of delivery. Any coffee shop in the nation, you will find a lot of people in one room connecting to their online communities, paying no attention to the community around them. But that is a story for another time.
I am happy to say that Milwaukee has a community - I think - that sees the value of live theater, and the importance of that storytelling ritual that makes a community whole and vital. Thank you.

Speaking of the set...

2010-04-16T10:43:00.003-05:00

Read Nick's post below about transitioning into the new space, and then to see what he's refering to watch John McGivern's Footlights Minute in the link below!

http://www.footlights.com/milwaukee/johnmcgivern/a/article/john-gets-a-sneak-peak-of-sweetest-thing-in-baseball-1653.html

Transitioning to the Space....

2010-04-16T08:56:00.003-05:00

As I promised, I am back and I wanted to quickly talk about the transition from the rehearsal room to the stage. I began talking about it before but did not get too far into the subject.

No matter how you look at it - even if it looks easy - Art is hard.
Partly the simple act of putting yourself out there to be judged and criticized.
But also the creative act and process itself.
In theater, in particular, it is a struggle to tell the story in the best possible way that serves the author's vision and director's intent. And we spend weeks in a room working through scenes, sculpting each moment beat by beat, tracking the progression through to the very end.
We make good choices, and sometimes we make very bad choices. I am one who is just getting used to making the bad choice to make certain it WILL NOT WORK. And that too is beneficial, as afterward, I can mark that choice off the list completely.
And over the weeks of rehearsing and sculpting scenes, we get used to the surroundings, the intimacy of the small rehearsal room, the warm wooden floor and the rest of the 'white noise' in the visual background behind our scene partner that we, as storytellers, really begin to connect with the language and the person with which we are speaking.

And then .... Tech week strikes!

We move into the theater and we begin adding all of the technical elements to the show. Lights, sound, the set, and costumes. All of a sudden, the intimacy of the tiny wooden floored room is gone, and we a thrust into a larger space, surrounded by the all white set, bright lights and a sound scape we are not entirely used to. And even though we knew this was going to happen - and we knew the set was going to look the way it does, and things were going to sound like they do, we are all of a sudden out of our element.

Peter Reeves and I have told each other - "acting really shouldn't be that hard. All we have to do is walk and say some words" - but somehow, that simplest little thing is sometimes an impossible task.

And it is somewhere within the transition from the rehearsal room to the stage during tech week that we end up losing a lot of the work that we did in rehearsal to simply get used to playing in this new space - with all of the new elements added. And it becomes a process of getting back to that comfortable place again, where you are able to become used to the 'white noise' of a towering set, or costume pieces that you have not seen before. After that happens you can again begin focusing on the text and telling the story. Which is why we are there in the first place.

In Tech.....

2010-04-11T19:27:00.003-05:00

Today is our first ten out of twelve. Which means we work from 11am -11pm, with a 2 hour break for dinner. Hence the term Ten out of Twelve.
We have been in the space for three days now, on a BEAUTIFUL set, with great lighting, and a really solid and at times chilling sound scape.
Walking into the space the first day and seeing this all white set was amazing. And then when any of the actors come out onstage - you literally cannot take your eyes off them. Any shred of color in costume just pops out against the white. It is truly going to be a beautiful.

And now it is a matter of us all getting used to playing on the set - used to the sound cues and the shifts, and making sure we are still telling the story. More on that a little later, Judy Martel just called us back from break.

The Designer Run....

2010-04-04T13:57:00.004-05:00

As many of you are probably already aware of, the designer run is NOT a 10k or anything, but rather an opportunity, often the first opportunity for the designers working on a particular show to see how far it has come along.

It allows the designers the opportunity to see the play in a full run, before they have to add their individual technical elements. It also allows us actors the opportunity to follow our character's arc through the whole show - sometimes for the very first time in sequence, since the original read through.

I can say that this particular designer run was one of the best of which I have ever been a part. 'Line' was called by actors made three times - and we were all on top of our game. Listening, telling our story, making sure that moments hit when they needed to land. That everything was in place to take our lead character Dana along her path, to help her end where she does in the play. It was also great to hear people reacting and laughing after being alone in the room for two weeks.

There have been other designer run-throughs that have not been as lovely as this one - and I think that this one, is a testament to the artistic team that Michael has assembled for this project - and how we all jump into it 100%.

So, the function of a designer run, is not only for the actors, but as I mentioned before but moreso for the designers. It allows a sound designer to see how actors are playing certain moments, and how their sound design might support those moments. If there is something that is particularly soft, then maybe a music or sound cue will not be inserted there. Also, if there is shift music between scenes, I can only assume, seeing what note a scene ends on, helps inform what music gets put between that scene and the next to help further the story.
I can only assume that for a lighting designer, it is incredibly helpful to see how the stage space is being used as far as blocking, so they know exactly how much of the stage they need to light and when. For a set or properties designer - I can see how it would be beneficial to see how the actors use the set, if tables are being stood on and need to be braced, if chairs are being thrown against walls or knocked over -and sometimes, not as extreme as that.

But the point I am trying to make, is that these designers sometimes only get this one opportunity to see the landscape of the show before tech week when all their elements get put into practice. And it always amazes me that they are able to design the show well in advance of the first rehearsal, see a run through like this, and then make the alterations needed (if any) off site, and come back a couple weeks later all set to go.

And it reminds me just how collaborative an art form Theater is. How one story, relies on so many different elements working together, in tandem. How, much like I mentioned in an earlier blog that the building of a character is a sequential string of choices, the technical elements of a play, from lights, set, props, costume, and sound, are all themselves created in that similar sequence of choices to support the same story the playwright set down on the page.

So once again, I tell you that this production is going very well. I am extremely proud to be part of this cast and this process, and I cannot wait for you to see the final product.

And we are on our way....

2010-04-01T15:41:00.003-05:00

Today rehearsal starts at 5pm so I thought I would drop a quick line before heading in.
Last night we finished blocking the entire show. So now from top to bottom we have a frame work of how the show is going to play, and now, we are charged with the task of playing moments, and filling out the story.
I can say that personally, these next couple of weeks are key for me. I need this time to actually ground myself more within the world of the play and the life of my character. Solidifying choices, and sequences to help tell the story of Michael and Brian, but also to support the overall arc that the character of Dana needs to travel. As a supporting role in a show, it is always a fine balance I try to find. I want people to be engaged by my character and want to see more of them, but I also know that I cannot distract from what the story of the play really is. Whatever choices I make should help showcase, in this case, the story of Dana. The playwright has placed all of the characters into this story to serve a purpose, teach a lesson, form a choice, that will eventually lead Dana from the beginning of the play through to her final moment onstage.
And this is what makes the job of being an actor enjoyable and fun for me. To have that challenge of telling my own character's stories, while at the same time I am staying true to the author's intent.
On a similar note, I have decided since my character of Michael is going through rehab, that I too, as the actor, am going to stay away from alcohol for the run of the show. I know that some people may say that this is too 'method' - and that I should simply act the part... that I do not need to live that part of the life of the character. But I think in this case, it is a very important part of telling the story of Michael, as truthfully as possible. I have had several people in my life, who were/are addicts. To alcohol, to drugs. Some close, and some not so much.
For those people, it is a challenge to stay away from that addiction. I think it would do dishonor to them to play a character trying to recover, and turn around after the show and have a drink.
It may sound crazy, but as I mentioned before in an earlier post - acting and creating a character is, for me, a series of sequential choices that make up a man's life.
This is just one choice in that sequence.

The Sweetest Swing on Radio?

2010-03-31T14:43:00.003-05:00

I have been absent for several days, but rest assured that I will not be absent for long. Pretty soon I will not only be on your computer but the air waves as well.
To explain what I mean, this morning I had the wonderful opportunity to head into the radio station with Cara and tape a radio spot for The Brew. Next week we are doing another one as well for a separate radio station.
So when I said what I said before - that is what I meant. By no means do I have a morning talk show on the radio. As much fun as that would be. ;)

It's a small world after all....

2010-03-26T19:07:00.003-05:00

As the title says - I was reminded how small of a world the theater community can be, even when it spans from coast to coast.
Yesterday at rehearsal, as we were proofing our bios for the program, Linda Stephens and I found out that we both had a mutual friend. Her ex-husband, Kent Stephens.
As it happened, I was talking about some of the MN theaters I had worked for, and she asked how long I stayed in MN. I said from about 1981 to 2005, and then she asked me if I knew Kent Stephens. Crazy thing is - He was my mentor and teacher while at the U of MN. He was an acting coach and friend, and I even bought his 1995 Saturn Sports Coupe before he left for the East Coast.
He is currently out there now and has created a theater called Harbor Light.
But yesterday, I was just so pleased that the world is so small and that I had the opportunity to finally work with Linda Stephens, after hearing so much about her, and then finding that we are all a little more connected than we think we are.

This is our job....

2010-03-25T02:20:00.003-05:00

Today I woke up and rehearsal did not start until 3:30pm.
Now I must say for someone who used to wake up at 3:30am to make his way to serve lattes in the Third Ward for almost three years - and THEN go to a serving job and THEN rehearsal or a show and finally hit the sack at 11 or 12 at night, only to start it all over again in a few short hours ... this shift in timing is a welcomed change.

But this is our job now. We get to play. And that is wonderful.
And trust me, the late start time is nice, but there are also times - as I remarked to Michael Wright today in rehearsal - that I am pleasantly surprised when I am reminded we actually get paid for this.

The worst part about our job is memorizing our lines. Hopefully this is gotten out of the way fairly early on - because after that - it is not necessarily smooth sailing - but it is always a pleasant journey. Even when it is hard. Sometimes, especially when it is hard.

But today the journey seemed smooth. We blocked the first scene in Occupational Therapy, with Mary, Peter and me. Much like how we are all still feeling each other out as actors and artists on the second day of rehearsal, this scene had to deal with three characters and how they navigate getting to know each other for the first time - which informs the relationships as we progress through the rest of the show.
At one moment, we find ourselves spending a great deal of time talking about Peter's character's 'drawing' - which is not even there on the page, but since we as characters see it, we discussed what it might look like.
Just to say, it is not a nice 'drawing' - blood, knives and whatnot as the script indicates, but we sat and talked about it, tried to pose it in our minds, Peter even used Mary and I to demonstrate what he thought the script might be indicating. And that was ten minutes of our day. Playing out what a stalker/psycho's 'drawing' might look like. Finally, it was suggested that we all draw our own interpretation and bring it in and we would vote which one we thought fit best.

You may read that and think .... really, that's your job? And I will say, Yes ... and it is incredibly important work. We get to imagine for a minute what a particular moment in time is like, for an entirely fictional character. To breathe life into words - to form a sentence - and a sequence of events - that develop into a character. Hopefully one that you believe in, are intrigued by, can relate to and care about. And sometimes, it is our job to make you hate them.
But that is what we have the honor and opportunity to do.
It takes time to wonder, to think, to open your eyes to all the sorts of possibilities why a character is constructed the way they are, and it takes a lot of ten minute sessions - like the one regarding Peter's drawing, to create a sequence of precise choices to tell the story you want the audience to hear.

Our job is to rehearse our imagination. And that is wonderful.

The First Read.

2010-03-24T01:18:00.004-05:00

Howdy Everyone -
My name is Nicholas Harazin. Just thought I would introduce myself as I am new to this forum. I am pleased to say you will be hearing from me a fair bit in the months to come - so I simply wanted to introduce myself. And there we are, first thing is out of the way.
I have the honor of being part of the fantastic cast of THE SWEETEST SWING IN BASEBALL- the final show to wrap up the 35th season at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre which celebrates artists. And let me tell you how cool it feels to have a theater choose an entire season to celebrate little ole you. ;)
Today was the first time the entire cast, director, and designers had the opportunity to meet in the same room and start to play. An added pleasure with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre is that there is also an audience of patrons, friends, board members and administrative staff that join us for this first stumble through.
For me the first read is always a wonder. I think for each actor it is something different and for me, I know it is something that has changed over time. Even though my acting career has been short - I remember when the first read still felt like the first audition. That if I did not do well then I may not get to keep my job, that I had to prove that they made the right choice in hiring me. Now I find that a lot of pressure is off. I already signed the contract. There is no going back. The first read is, as Linda Stephens put it today, a great opportunity to 'just hear the voices'. And with this cast it was precisely that.
In hearing each of the actors speak the words Gilman put down to paper, I heard things that I would NEVER have heard when reading the play in my head. Choices that were made that I would never have come to as an actor all by myself. And it was the combination of this, hearing Michael Wright speak about the play, and the designers talk of their visions, that I once again realized how important this story is, and how necessary our work in the theater can become.
There are certain productions as an actor that stand out in your history and other ones that fade away. I think the ones that stay with you are the ones that are truly creative, truly collaborative, and also vital. Both to those that are telling it and those experiencing it. This already feels like a show that is in good hands, all around. A precious metal of sorts that we want to hold onto, to protect and to finally share with every audience member who walks into the theater. It is an opportunity to tell one final story this season about artists, but moreover of simple people trying to simply get by the best they know how.

It is a beauty, and I look forward to sharing it with you every step of the way.
Be well,
Nick

A Resonating Story

2010-03-04T16:48:00.006-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of being a guest speaker for Talk Theatre along with two other young theatre artists in Milwaukee, Brandon Campbell and Michael Cotey. We each had the opportunity to introduce ourselves and our backgrounds in theatre. Then we discussed how we've been involved with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre this year, especially regarding the production of DUET FOR ONE and what we've taken away from the experience.

For me, DUET FOR ONE is a story about facing reality and finding a realistic way to cope with the pain and struggles that life throws at you. As an artist, I relate to the character Stephanie’s passion for music and the violin. And although something as drastic as MS probably won’t affect most of us, this play really examines the question of identity and how do you move forward if you can no longer be the person you’ve been in some vital way. What would I do if I had to give up theatre? I mean, I have no idea how I would cope with that. And actors and artists of any sort, like anyone really, all need to find balance in life and joy in other things like family and friends or other interests in life or else we’d go crazy - whether from failure and rejection when it doesn't work out, or simply from not having something else to escape to. When an unexpected factor like MS is the reason why you are forced to give up your art, that’s just so tragic and unfair. So I may not be able to relate to that extreme of what the character is experiencing, but I do think this play has an immense power to influence an audience! You don’t have to be an artist to fear what it would be like to have to forfeit a vital piece of yourself and then try to move forward and fill that void.

And one of my favorite things about the art of theatre is its power to speak to an audience and to move them in some way. There is such depth to both characters in DUET FOR ONE and they cover such a range of emotions and subjects that something is bound to reach each audience member, whether it is related to struggling with a disease, crushed hopes and goals, relationship struggles with parents, or the depth of love with a spouse, and even the question of faith and the value of life. This is a truly powerful play that I believe any audience member can relate to on some level.

10 Questions with C. Michael Wright

2010-03-03T10:37:00.003-06:00

Our question and answer series is back, this time with C. Michael Wright, producing artistic director of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and actor in DUET FOR ONE. Since Michael wears two hats, he gets two sets of questions.

As Artistic Director
Michael Cotey, education assistant: For the folks at home, describe your main day-to-day function at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre. How has that evolved since you've taken the position?

C. Michael Wright, artistic director and actor: My days can vary drastically, depending on what projects we’re in the middle of. Of course, much like everyone, a good portion of each day is devoted to generating and answering emails and phone calls. There's always a meeting or two with staff members, artists, production personnel, board members, donors and/or educators. There's generally some writing involved, newsletter articles, narrative for grant proposals, interview questions, speeches or just jotting down notes for the next meeting. There are always artistic decisions to make, scripts to choose, artists to hire or design presentations to respond to. There are always reports to review, budgets to study, marketing materials to react to and "Thank You" letters to sign. I'm a list-maker and a long-range planner. I do a lot of organizing and scheduling. My calendar is almost always open, and often I'll be looking at two or three years down the road. Of course, I'm constantly reading (and re-reading) lots of plays, but my office hours are so busy, I tend to do that in my "free time."

I also direct two shows a season and hope to continue acting in one on occasion. Once I'm in rehearsal, I try very hard to focus most of my energy on that particular production. That’s a little easier now that we have a solid staff and management structure in place.

MC: What makes a play right for MCT? Specifically, why was DUET FOR ONE chosen this season?

CMW: Milwaukee Chamber Theatre was founded by a group of actors that had a strong commitment to and an affinity for great literature. We’re still following that lead. I firmly believe that the word "chamber" in our organization’s name should be an integral part of our identity. Taking a cue from the world of music, I consider a "chamber piece" to be an intimate work presented by a small ensemble of highly-skilled players. The main focus should be on the power of the writing. Cast sizes don't always need to be minimal, but I don't ever want to lose sight of the “chamber” style. We’re story-tellers first and foremost; everything should stem from and revolve around the words and the story being told.

I always enjoy having a theme that threads through each season. Because this is our 35th Anniversary, the theme this year is “Celebrating Artists.” I really wanted to include a play about a musical artist and DUET FOR ONE just happens to be about a female violinist. It’s also a wonderful chamber piece for two actors, so it’s a perfect fit for MCT and for our current season.

MC: As a young artistic director myself, I am curious if it is difficult to wear the hats of both the artistic director and actor in a show at the same time. How does your administrative relationship with a production change when you are also an artist working inside it?

CMW: That’s a tough one. I’m still learning how to strike the right balance. I love theatre because it’s such a collaborative art form. I guess the answer is to make sure you surround yourself with people you trust and that you’re always clear (with yourself and with others) about what hat you’re wearing at any given time.

MC: Did you always have yourself and Jacque Troy in mind for this play, or was that an afterthought?

CMW: I’ve been itching to act again and I’m a big fan of Jacque’s work. DUET FOR ONE has been on my shelf for at least twelve years, just waiting for the right moment. Once we started planning this season, I pulled the script out and presented it to Jacque, hoping she’d be interested in doing it with me. Once she said “Yes,” I approached Paul Barnes about the possibility of directing us in it.

MC: Recently you've announced that you'll make a greater push to mentoring the next generation of Milwaukee theater artists, beginning with the collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on PICNIC. What's the next step in this plan and why do you feel it is important for the theater community?

CMW: I fear that as a society, we are losing sight of the importance and power of communal events, like theatre-going. Really good theatre can be magical, healing, even life-altering. I feel very strongly that we need to actively target and nurture the next generation of not only theatre artists, but theatre administrators and theatre patrons as well. We have a solid internship program in place, but I wanted to enhance that with a strongly-focused collaboration with an area university once a season. It’s an opportunity to get more options and scope into our mentoring process.

Our next university collaboration will be in spring of 2011, when we produce THE LION IN WINTER with Marquette, and we’ve already begun serious talks with UW-Parkside for a project in 2012.

As an Actor
MC: This is your first onstage role in FOUR years. What kept you from the stage for that time? What has brought you back now?

CMW: When I was first hired here, MCT had a large deficit, the debt was growing substantially each day and the budget couldn’t support the staff size we had at the time. I quickly realized that turning the organization around was going to require a lot of extra time on my part and very specific focus and attention, so I put my acting career on hold for awhile.

The company is in a much healthier place now; we’re definitely on more stable ground. I’m a little freer to focus my attention on the artistic side of things, which can now include diving into productions as an actor.

MC: Jacque Troy has described you as a mentor of hers many, many years ago. What have you learned from her while rehearsing DUET?

CMW: Gosh, where to begin. Jacque and I already had a very strong relationship established when we entered into this project. That bond has grown even stronger and deeper through the rehearsal process. She’s pretty fearless. And incredibly focused. This piece is very daunting for both of us, but I feel surprisingly at ease with her onstage at all times. I guess the biggest thing I’ve learned from Jacque is the power of trusting your partner implicitly.

And she operates a mean wheelchair…

MC: Your role as Dr. Feldmann requires an incredible amount of focus through listening. I think often listening on stage is taken for granted by young actors and audiences. Describe in your own words the role of listening as an actor, especially in regards to DUET.

CMW: Playing a psychiatrist is a terrific challenge for an actor; it really makes you test how still and economical you can be without completely disappearing.

An actor always attempts to be “in the moment,” alert, spontaneous and responsive. You need to believe that everything you say and hear is being spoken for the first time. So all good acting is listening and reacting, being available, taking the energy sent by your acting partner(s) and sending energy back.

MC: When you approach a script as an actor, how do you prepare yourself for the first day of rehearsal? For DUET, was there any research that you did in preparation.

CMW: A lot depends on the project, but I particularly enjoy watching films that relate to the specific time, place, or subject matter of the piece I’m about to work on. In the case of DUET, I watched a few films about Jacqueline Du Pre, on whose life the play is loosely based, as well as films with German characters, because Dr. Feldmann is German. Plus, I read and reread this script more times than I’ve ever read any script in my life. Because the language is so complex, I wanted the words to become second nature, to get them under my skin.

MC: Can you share a specific moment in rehearsal or in the process that surprised or excited you?

CMW: The moment that sticks in my mind right now actually involves a sound cue. There’s a moment in Act Two when the stakes get extremely high. Jacque and I have our eyes locked and the tension is very thick in the room. And then a clock chimes. When the sound cue for the clock played during our first technical run, the chime became part of the energy in the room. It was like a third party adding a wonderful new dimension to the dynamics, a tangible reminder that time is very important to these two people and their relationship. It’s become one of my favorite moments in the play.

DUET FOR ONE in the press...

2010-02-23T12:35:00.006-06:00

Here is all the latest press we've gotten for DUET FOR ONE in one convenient place for those of you bloggers looking for some more reading!

Shepherd Express Review:
"Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's Touching 'Duet for One'"
http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-9976-milwaukee-chamber-theatrerss-touching-lsduet-for-oners.html

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Review:
"Chamber Theatre plays 'Duet' bravely, brilliantly"
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/84866132.html

Third Coast Digest Review:
"Troy and Wright pair well in 'Duet for One'"
http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2010/02/troy-and-wright-pair-well-in-duet-for-one/

Milwaukee Magazine: Culture Club Review:
"MCT's DUET FOR ONE, Beautiful Music"
http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/cultureclub/default.asp

ExpressMilwaukee.com Review:
"One Man and One Woman: Milwaukee Chamber"
http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/blog-4937-one-man-and-one-woman-milwaukee-chamber.html

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article:
"Wright Returns to stage for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's 'Duet for One'"
http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/84421322.html

onmilwaukee.com Article:
"Actress gets her wish in Chamber Theatre show"
http://onmilwaukee.com/ent/articles/chambertheatreduet.html?21686

WUWM's Lake Effect Feature:
Duet for One (Scroll down to the bottom of the page to listen to MCT's piece)
http://www.wuwm.com/programs/lake_effect/view_le.php?articleid=914

5 questions with MICHELLE LOPEZ-RIOS, dialect coach

2010-02-18T09:03:00.007-06:00

Continuing in our series of questions for the cast and crew of DUET FOR ONE, I sat down (via the wonders of the internet) with Michelle Lopez-Rios. In addition to her work on DUET FOR ONE, Michelle appeared in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of BROOKLYN BOY last season. She works full-time on faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee theatre department.

Michael Cotey, education assistant: What's the difference between an "accent" and a "dialect"?
Michelle Lopez-Rios, dialect coach: I distinguish the two by language origin. For example, American English is spoken with NY Dialects, Southern Dialects, Midwest Dialects, etc. However, when an American speaks French they speak it with an American Accent. So Dialects are the regional sounds of a language and Accents are the influence of the speaker's original language when speaking a different language.

MC: How do you encourage actors to approach learning a dialect?
ML-R: Everyone learns differently, I try to do what is most comfortable for the actor. I like to give the actors authentic samples of the dialect as early as possible so that they can have time to listen to the speech pattern, sound changes, and sound placement. I give them a sheet of typical sound changes and tips for executing the dialect. If the dialect is new to the actor or if it is a difficult dialect we usually meet one on one before rehearsals even begin. I encourage actors to listen, listen, listen to as many sources as possible (TV, film, youtube, websites) and then practice, practice, practice in the dialect. I usually visit rehearsals about once a week to take notes on dialect and voice work.

MC: In DUET FOR ONE, where both characters speak with different dialects, how did you prepare yourself as dialect coach to assist both actors?
ML-R: The dialects are only a piece of the puzzle. The sounds we make (our dialects) are influenced by language, class, education, family, society, personality, age, career, race, and many other factors. I take all of the clues from the script and work with the director to help the actors find the character's voice. The specificity of that voicework coupled with the listening, listening, listening, and practicing, practicing, practicing is usually enough to keep the actors in their own dialect.

MC: Is there a dialect now that, even after your years of training, is still challenging for you to learn?
ML-R: Australian was a nice challenge in THE SUM OF US (at MCT in 2009). I think the challenge isn't so much about learning a new dialect, the challenge is learning it well enough to teach it to someone else!

But wait...that's only 4 questions. Here's your chance reader. Ask your own question below as a comment. I'll pick the most thought-provoking question for Michelle to answer.

5 questions with PAUL BARNES, director

2010-02-16T12:21:00.008-06:00

In a play about asking hard questions through psychiatry, it's only fitting that we ask those involved with DUET FOR ONE some hard questions about their jobs and their personal processes. This is the first part of a series of brief interviews, set to coincide with the opening of the production. My first set of five questions are with Paul Barnes, director of DUET FOR ONE.

Michael Cotey, education assistant : What drew you to DUET FOR ONE and why do you think it is an important story to tell?
Paul Barnes, director: What drew me to DUET FOR ONE was Michael [Wright]'s invitation to direct the play with him and Jacque Troy in the two roles. It's been a few years since I've directed in Milwaukee, and I think this is one of the most vibrant theatre communities in the country...so much interesting work being done at such a wide variety of companies. There is a really healthy interchange of theatre artists who respect each other no matter at which theatre they're employed. Plus, Milwaukee has large, supportive audiences for the full range of work being offered.

But the play itself is absorbing and challenging and addresses some pretty tough subject matter. The question of what happens when what we have worked to achieve all of our lives -- and what has actually come to define us in the world -- is taken from us, never to be regained -- is an important and difficult one to face head-on. The challenges to one's sense of self-worth and to one's faith are enormous, but so important to confront if one is going to hold onto a sense of, as [Michael Wright's character] Feldman puts it in the play, life being meaningful.

MC: Every play must have its own set of challenges for a director. What was challenging about DUET FOR ONE?
PB: DUET has been challenging because essentially, it's two actors, one of whom plays a character who is confined to a wheelchair, the other of whom plays a psychiatrist. So, there's inherent and built-in physical stasis in the play. This means it's incumbent on the actors and the director to find a sense of movement and activity in the play without over-staging and making the production so physically busy that it strains credulity. I am a great fan of stillness on stage and have come to believe that good actors working with a good script can fill stillness if they just trust themselves and the material on which they're working. It's scary, but possible. Actors often like to hide behind excessive movement or business because they don't necessarily trust themselves to be enough to just tell the truth.

At the same time, we're performing DUET FOR ONE in the Studio Theatre, which means the audience will be on three sides of the stage. Thrust staging always presents challenges in terms of keeping actors open to as much of the audience as possible. My job is insuring that no one actor has his or her back to a particular section of the audience for too long -- or during key passages of text. It's the kind of challenge I relish, though -- and at this point, now that we're just about ready for our first audiences, I feel like together we have conquered the obstacles of staging a play that is dependent on two people sitting and conversing in a 3/4 thrust situation.

MC: How do you approach blocking in away that keeps the play visually interesting?
PB: Thrust staging requires playing on diagonal rather than horizontal lines. By placing actors at the corners of the stage, it gives them maximum openness to the most number of people. I also have a lot of faith that actors' backs can be as expressive and as engaging as their fronts, and that much can be conveyed to an audience by a good actor who may not necessarily be facing a particular section of the house. Subtle shifts of position (when an actor is sitting still, as is the case for much of DUET) will reveal the actor to playgoers who might have been deprived of the actor's countenance for a passage of text, and then choosing moves selectively so that the actors do not become "moving targets" (i.e., always in motion -- or so continually in motion in such a way that the audience misses what's being said) but are open to as many people as possible for key moments or portions of the script. Also, the ability to get to those positions in a way that does not seem stagey or improbable is an important part of the work of a director in a thrust theatre situation.

The staging process evolves gradually over the weeks of rehearsal; a key component of the process is working with the actors' own impulses -- and getting them to trust that they can be still for fairly long periods of time, that they don't need to feel compelled to move, and that the eyes of the director are going to serve and support them while they are also serving and supporting the audience experience. In general, I like to do a lot of repetition in rehearsal. I think it helps the actors gain confidence with what they're doing and confidence leads to familiarity and familiarity leads to freedom. Iit also gives me the opportunity to move about the rehearsal hall, checking audience sightlines and making sure that the story is being shared as equally as possible to all sides of the room.

MC: With practices in psychiatry and medicine advancing at lightspeed, how do you feel DUET fares against the test of time?
PB: I think DUET holds up well against advances in psychiatry and medicine since its debut in 1980, mostly because it is not so much a play about psychiatric practices or medical advances, but about the goals of therapy -- which for me, at least, are to help people deal with what seems to be the impossible. Not only to confront what may seem insurmountable and move to a place of acceptance and grace in their lives, but also to move to a place where against the odds they find a way to move their lives forward. That challenge has existed for years and years, and though we know much more about depression and treatment for psychological difficulties now, the hoped-for outcome remains the same today as it did in 1980 and as it did when Sigmund Freud developed the first theories of modern psycho-analysis.

MC: What have you learned from your actors over the course of rehearsal?
PB: I think I've learned from Jacque and Michael what I often learn in rehearsal, and that's if you give good actors good material to work on, and let them do what they already know how to do, you'll get good results. I think there are a few universal truths about directing:

Don't play the end of the scene or the moment before you get to the end of the scene or the moment.

There's much tension in distance.

Don't have such a huge emotional experience yourself that the audience doesn't get to have their own experience.

Avoid playing mood or attitude -- always find the action of the moment or the scene.

The truth can often be found in your acting partners' eyes.

It's always important to find humor in even the most serious of situations -- it's human and makes the characters in the story that much more compelling.

It's also that much more painful when the bottom drops out and a character's most raw emotions and needs are suddenly revealed. Michael and Jacque have reaffirmed these directing lessons for me -- and it's been a pleasure to get to work with them on this unique and challenging play.

Duet's Final Touches...

2010-02-15T18:41:00.002-06:00

We’re into the final days before Opening Night! Sunday was another busy day of running the play with the designers around to keep their eyes open for any last minute changes and things that need to be repaired or touched up. I’ll give you a quick run down of the weeks major events. With the show being in really, really great shape, there’s not much to inform for last minute.

Monday is a day off for the actors and stage management. The shop worked on their list of things to do and complete.

Tuesday is the final day to review the show before a dress rehearsal with an audience. This will be another run of the show to take care of any issues that haven’t been yet. This is a typical moment in the process where just going through the play again and again is the most beneficial to solidify a great performance by opening night. Also, this is also when some publicity shots are taken for advertising and marketing.

Wednesday is a closed dress rehearsal for an invited audience only. These are beneficial for a variety of reasons, because it can tell the actors and director what worked and didn’t work based upon their reactions and feelings and thoughts at the end.

Thursday is the preview performance for a paying audience. This performance can technically be stopped at any moment if something horribly goes wrong. Typically everything is complete by this performance, but the company always reserves the right to stop.

Friday is the big night! OPENING NIGHT! This is the night the full run begins for four weeks! The show runs February 18 – March 14! Check out milwaukeechambertheatre.com for the calendar and details for tickets.

This has been a very educational and wonderful opportunity to go through the process of working on a show without being incredibly hands on and more of an observer. I’ve been so involved that it’s hard to look at the process from the outside before. Producing a production is certainly quite an interesting feat many companies take on, and it’s just a unique beast to undertake for art. I hope you all get a chance to see the show and appreciate the many, many hours the many people have put in to make this show a success.

Brandon

Duet in Tech...

2010-02-13T15:53:00.001-06:00

Greetings! The last few days have been very busy for everyone involved in DUET. On Thursday, the Skylight shop completed installation of the set in the studio theatre, sound equipment was set up for the next few days of tech, and many of the props, dressing, and furniture was placed on the set. It was the final rehearsal for the actors and stage management in the rehearsal hall, which is always exciting to move into the theatre. In my opinion, the set is very nice to look at and Rick, the scenic designer, did a wonderful job with the painting of the floor and walls!

Friday too was a busy day! The lights were all focused after being hung on Thursday. Jan, the lighting designer, was able to write some cues throughout the show and Chris, sound designer, worked on setting sound levels for music and sound cues. Meghan finished some more touch ups on furniture and dressing. The actors had rehearsal for the first time yesterday on the stage and took some time in the beginning to merely get ‘spacing’ and an understanding of what the world is now with walls and the real furniture. After that, they ran the show and Paul, the director, was able to watch from a variety of seats in the studio theatre to make sure every audience member would be able to see everything based on their blocking from the rehearsal hall.

Today, costumes were loaded into the dressing rooms in the basement of the theatre. It was also the official start to tech where all the designers, director, backstage crew, and support staff were in the theatre watching a run of the show while adding all technical elements: lights, sound, costumes, props, scenic. Sometimes in tech, the designers and actors find many challenges that need to be worked out and sometimes it goes really well with few decisions to be made. It all is based off of how many decisions have been made within the last year of planning the show. The business will continue until opening night, February 19!

Brandon

Duet's Designer Run

2010-02-07T15:06:00.002-06:00

“Because the purpose of life, Miss Abrahams, is life itself; yes, the very struggle to live itself.” – Dr. Feldmann, Session 5

Today, the designers and other select production staff saw a full run of the show after two weeks of rehearsal. Personally, I have only seen act one, so seeing the second half of the show was exciting. Act two is much deeper than the first in terms of the discussions and growth of complexity in the story. Dr. Feldmann offers lots of intuitive and psychological ideas to the struggles Miss Abrahams is facing. The interesting part that I took away from seeing act two was how universal the concept of struggling is to human beings. Not everyone in the world deals with a physical disease, such as multiple sclerosis or cancer or AIDS. But having their own personal struggles in life is what makes life living, as Dr. Feldmann says in the play. The good and bad are all what we as humans face. Being able to look into ourselves, find not only the confidence but support within and from others closest to us, is probably one of the hardest things we could deal with on a daily basis.

What Miss Abrahams makes us see, as many of us do in our lives, is sometimes we internalize our feelings and negative memories, until they are triggered by some sort of impulse, releasing all this information. This is a tip of the iceberg of emotions and psychological dilemma’s that are discussed in this play.

Get ready for an enlightening and moving play of finding one’s self confidence and support to live!

Duet in rehearsals continue......

2010-02-03T19:25:00.001-06:00

“I am suggesting nothing. I just want to hear what you feel.” –Dr. Alfred Feldmann, p. 3 – Session I

Stopping back into rehearsal, I was able to sit in on a full review of act one. Both Michael and Jacque were doing very well getting off book (having their lines memorized) for a quick definition for those who are not familiar with theatre lingo. Being able to come back and see act one after a few days was insightful and interesting to see how the arc of the play and character development has grown. I’m very interested in seeing how act two is coming along because I have not seen any of it other than hearing the first read through when rehearsals began.

I’ve continued to notice the understanding and growth of both multiple sclerosis and the importance of music, both to Dr. Feldmann, and especially, Stephanie as characters and how these two topics affect their lives in the present and future. Finding out how an individual deals with a loss as large as Stephanie does, is very relatable to all human beings. Watching the dynamic of both characters handling a loss and how to live with that is not only something dealt with on the stage, but also in each of our lives. The key is acceptance. Once that key has been internalized, progress through the present to find the next step is usually going to occur naturally.

I’m looking forward to seeing the full run of the show on Sunday for a designer run. This is typically when the show is still in the rehearsal process and all the designers are welcome to witness what has been discovered and if there are any new challenges that need attention. Look for more coming on Sunday!

Brandon

Duet in Rehearsals...

2010-01-30T20:49:00.001-06:00

“Music, Dr. Feldmann, is the purest expression of humanity that there is. Because, you see, it’s magic; but real magic, true mystery, not trickery.” –Stephanie Abrahams, p. 24.

Today, I sat in on the afternoon portion of rehearsal reviewing act one and witnessing a variety of discussions and collaboration. Some of these discussions include both very simple choices and more long-term on-going work.

For those who are not familiar with the rehearsal process in theater, the main objectives at this point in rehearsal is working the basic movement of the actors on stage as well as making sure this movement is not only appropriate for what is happening in the play, but also allows for all audience members on all sides of the stage to see the action. Along with keeping blocking in mind, alternate questions arise. Some of these include how the transitions between the sessions work. This turned out to be a greater inquiry, because in reality a number of things are happening in this moment. One would be how both actors exit the office to make a costume change for the next visit. The next would be having enough room in the back hallway to allow for Jacque to turn around the wheelchair to re-enter. Another discussion is who would be able to close and/or open the office door for the actors to return or exit. Among this entire transition, a sound cue of a solo violin Bach sonata is being played to cover the transition.

Rehearsals seem to be shaping up well as I left seeing a run of Act One. It sounds that Act Two will be worked on this evening and will continue to deepen and fine tune as needed. That's all for now...

Brandon

DUET FOR ONE Begins!

2010-01-27T11:48:00.001-06:00

Good Afternoon-

Let me begin by introducing myself for all of our MCT blog followers. I am Brandon Campbell and I will be assisting Brandy Kline, the production manager/company manager at MCT, throughout the run of DUET FOR ONE. My history with Milwaukee Chamber began in July, when I was away working at the Utah Shakespearean Festival, and I sent Brandy my resume with interest in working on Around the World in 8o Days! Before long I was apart of the production staff as the stage management intern taking care of the basic needs of the production as would an assistant stage manager. But I had the joy of being in costume and ‘performing’ on stage with the other actors and stagehands working the elephant, moving the trains, ships, and the infamous cap guns Western scene! After the show closed I decided to come back over my winter break from UW-Milwaukee, where I will be graduating in May with a theatre studies and business administration degree. I wanted to find what my future career goals could be and where my skills fit into the theatre management world. While working out these plans I found that production/company management followed by the goal of moving onto higher management is what I desire. So, we thought joining Brandy on DUET would be a wonderful way to observe and experience another professional opportunity.

I will continue to blog about my experiences throughout the rehearsal period of the production with my thoughts and observations for an ‘inside peak’ into the world of theatre most patrons do not get the opportunity to see!

Brandon

How embarrassing!

2009-12-15T10:19:00.004-06:00

Yep, I took a nose-dive into the floor last night. Not long after, I also tripped backwards and got stuck in the heavy layers of my skirts. Ahhhh, the comedy that is a first dress rehearsal. The frustrating part is that I have experience wearing elaborate costumes with a corset and a hoop skirt and 50 pounds of fabric (ok, that's an exaggeration, but it can sure feel like that much). A hem should fix most of the problem, but I think the adjustment to the poofy, weighty dress was more difficult than I anticipated because we hadn't taken it into consideration when blocking, and now it was first yesterday a factor that affected some of our more physical blocking. Tonight I am going to request that we take some extra time to look at some of those issues (on the side so as not to take time away from teching) and hammer them out so they're no longer causing concern!

Tech for YPF

2009-12-14T18:20:00.002-06:00

So this is when it all falls into place. Whether the "fall" is more like a laboring effort or a graceful landing has to do with everyone's preparation prior to this week as well as the professionalism of each person involved during this week's process. Tech week can be so exciting because all of the technical aspects like lights, sound and costumes - it's when the production really comes to life! Without crews and designers, there wouldn't be a show, so it's important to remember that Tech rehearsals are really a collaborative effort!

From the administrative side, I helped Jacque Troy lay out the playbill for the show. It is quite the detail-heavy task, requiring lots of coordinating and editing several times, so it helps to have multiple pairs of eyes to proofread because it's nearly impossible to get every detail straight the first time and not miss a single typo!

Astray The Sun rehearsals over the weekend were primarily for fine tuning. A couple of minor, very specific changes were made with how actors deliver a line or two, but mostly we just used the rehearsals to run through the show without stopping, keeping in mind the most important performance aspects: our energy, connection with each other, and diction. We had some really fantastic runs, despite the fact that one of our actors was very ill and had to stay home.

Well, my call for Tech is in 40 minutes and I'm nearly jumping out of my skin with anticipation! I'll keep you posted on our progress!!!

Bethany

Progress with ASTRAY THE SUN

2009-12-11T15:34:00.002-06:00

Last night's rehearsal went well enough. Although when we had another run through, we all felt that our performances were a little inconsistent. We each made a handful of really strong choices that we were very happy about, but then we all had "duhh" moments of forgetting a line or dropping our energy from time to time... And that'll happen in a rehearsal or even sometimes during a performance, but the trick is to really maintain your focus and energy as an actor to make sure you stay on your toes and in the moment!

One thing that our director Carol really stresses too is to keep our energy up for the whole show. There are incredibly high stakes in this short play, and so it takes a ton of energy, passion and intensity to convey this epic play in half an hour!

Another important thing that we're really working to perfect is the connection between characters. We've had lots of fun in rehearsals playing and discovering the levels of the relationships, and now we're just tweaking minor details in their interactions to really highlight the different moments that the characters experience in the play.

We also tried on costumes last night. Amelia Figg-Franzoi (Marquette student) brought over some beautiful Elizabethan costuming for us to look at and get a feel for how they will affect our movement. So that's another aspect we're looking forward to adding during tech week because adjusting our movement due to our clothing will be another fun challenge (especially for myself and Peggy Strand, the other female actor in the play, who will wear hoop skirts!)

So today is our last day off. We are super excited going into technical rehearsals and the performances this coming week! It will be busy and exhilarating, so tonight is the time to rest and stay healthy before we forge ahead through the last rehearsals!

- Bethany

Rehearsals for ASTRAY THE SUN

2009-12-10T12:23:00.005-06:00

This week we moved over to the Chamber Theatre to work in a rehearsal hall so we could practice in a space comparable to what we will have on the stage. For the most part we had been rehearsing with a similar space, but we ran into some differences with entrance/exit options, so we had to adjust a little to that.

We're all feeling pretty great about the show overall. There is some fight choreography, and we are lucky that one of our actors, Randall Anderson (a local professional), has 20 years of experience and has helped us to be safe in the process of planning out exciting violence that appears as realistic as possible. We have all been memorized for over a week and just ran lines last night to check and make sure we were getting every detail correct.

Update from Sam!

2009-12-01T20:48:00.002-06:00

Hello again! Thanks Bethany for explaining everything, I probably should've done that.

Anyway...my cast has started to rehearse and so far it's going great! Our first meeting was yesterday (11/30) and we met again today. Right now we're working on blocking and pacing. We're focusing on getting the energy where it needs to be, and putting the movements in with it. The actor and actresses are doing wonderfully. They're mostly memorized which makes it much easier to just keep working away at blocking and getting the emotions and intentions right. We didn't get quite as far as we wanted yesterday, but I know it'll all come together quickly.

I love working with Sheri (my director). We're pretty much always on the same page and she's got awesome ideas for how everything should be staged. I'm having a lot of fun watching everything begin to come together and I can't wait for the next rehearsal Saturday!

Samantha

Acting in Young Playwrights Festival

2009-12-01T10:15:00.007-06:00

As an actor, I was thrilled to be cast in Astray The Sun as Aurora! It's a fantastic play, Charles (the playwright) did an amazing job with the language. Of course, Samantha and Kevin (the other winning playwrights) are wonderful too, we have three great plays for the festival! They are all so unique and interesting.

Astray The Sun is a one-act set in Vesper, a fictional Renaissance town. It is an inventive play with themes about love, friendship and duty. Vibrant characters provide for colorful relationships, unexpected humor and clever dialogue written entirely in verse!

These first two weeks of rehearsal have been a blast! We started out by working through the text in a read-through to analyze the character relationships and intentions. Then we worked out the blocking to help our bodies get an overall sense for the flow of things. This was especially helpful to our cast for memorizing since the language is hightened and takes a little more to get to a place where it comes naturally. Carol, our brilliant director (and a founder of Windfall Theatre), also had fantastic tips for how to use the language given to us. As with Shakespearean lines, it is powerful to use the sounds in the words to feed your emotion. For example, words with soft sounds like "fff" "ww" and "sh" help to connect to sad feelings, just as plosive sounds like "k" "T" "D" and "B" can help feed the frustration in the moment.

So we're all finishing up our memorization so we can really dive into the details of our character relationships and their emotions in each moment!

About Young Playwrights Festival (YPF)

2009-11-16T16:47:00.007-06:00

Greetings. My name is Bethany Ligocki, and I have been given the opportunity to blog about the Young Playwrights Festival from both the administrative and actor viewpoints.

For the past handful of weeks, I have occasionally assisted Jacque Troy as the Administrative Coordinator. My major responsibilities were to create publicity for the auditions, set up and help Jacque run the administrative end of the auditions, and I am currently working on creating the program with the bios of everyone involved in the YPF production. I am happy to be able to assist even in this small way because it takes a lot of time and hard work to collaborate any production.

Young Playwrights Festival is such an awesome project and I am honored to have the opportunity to be involved. The Milwaukee Chamber's initiative to cultivate new art is greatly appreciated from everyone involved because The Young Playwrights Festival encourages emerging artists to collaborate. From area actors and directors, to student designers and playwrights (of course!), everyone is provided the opportunity to create something new together.

The Milwaukee Chamber Theatre partners with area high schools and local theatre professionals to develop three brand-new one-act plays written by high school students. Chosen from a large pool of entries, which were reviewed by a panel of local theatre professionals, the three winning plays are awarded with the opportunity to be brought to life on Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's stage!

Performances will be December 17 - 19 at 7:30 p.m. and December 20 at 2 p.m.
Please come out and support all the aspiring artists involved!

Thank you,
Bethany Ligocki

Greetings from a YPF Playwright!

2009-11-06T20:56:00.003-06:00

Hi anybody and everybody! I'm Samantha and I wrote "A Brother's Goodbye," one of the plays selected for this year's Young Playwright's Festival. I have to say that I'm INCREDIBLY excited to work with all the amazingly talented professionals at the Chamber and I can't wait to see the finished product come December.

I had a lot of fun at rehearsals in October. I learned so much from watching the directors and the actors interact. It was really different from auditions for schools plays, which are so informal, but I enjoyed every minute of it. The first read through with the casts last Monday (11-2) was awesome. I got to hear the other two plays in full for the first two times and I loved them. Hearing them it's hard to believe that my play was deigned worthy to be performed alongside them. Right now I'm just waiting for full rehearsals to begin, which will be on the 30th of this month. If anybody has questions for me I'll be happy to answer them if I can.

Up next

2009-11-06T17:15:00.003-06:00

MCT opens the Milwaukee premiere of MOON OVER THE BREWERY on Fri. Nov. 13. Angela Iannone makes her MCT directing debut with this charming romantic comedy. The show features Amanda J. Hull, Dan Katula, Travis A. Knight and Melinda Pfundstein. Performances will be in a newly reconfigured Studio Theatre.

Get more info here: http://www.chamber-theatre.com/3rd_of_season.html

Thank You

2009-10-30T10:48:00.002-05:00

As we go into some of the final performances of Picnic, I wanted to take a few moments to say thank you. It has been such a joy to perform with our wonderful cast every night and for such great audiences. You all have been generous, giving and active participants every night. It makes doing what we love so much more rewarding, knowing you all are enjoying yourselves. Thank you for taking this journey with all of us. Truly, without loyal theatre goers such as yourselves, where would we be?

Thank You,

emily

Reviews Are In

2009-10-22T15:24:00.006-05:00

Hi Everyone! I am Michelle Grimm and I work in the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre office part time as the Audience Development Coordinator. Since we haven't heard from anyone in awhile because they are busy in performance, I thought I would post all the reviews so you could see what the press has been saying! It seems like all the hard work has paid off. Well, here they are!

Shepherd Express
http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-8414-milwaukee-chamber-theatrerss-delightful-lspicnicrs.html

Third Coast Digest
http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2009/10/review-picnic-at-milwaukee-chamber-theatre/

OnMilwaukee.com
http://onmilwaukee.com/ent/articles/chambertheatrepicnic.html

Waukesha Freeman
http://www.gmtoday.com/timeout/reviews/topstory436.asp

Milwaukee Magazine
http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/cultureclub/default.asp?NewMessageID=25070

Russ Bickerstaff’s Express Milwaukee Online Blog/review
http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/blog-4447-picnic-in-october.html

Amazing Review!

2009-10-19T15:19:00.001-05:00

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/64675902.html

Checkout Bill & Andrew on WUWM!

2009-10-17T13:22:00.000-05:00

http://www.wuwm.com/programs/lake_effect/view_le.php?articleid=825

Opening Night!!

2009-10-16T18:59:00.004-05:00

Hey all...just wanted to check in before the opening! I've been here for about 2 hours now...I am feeling great and I can't wait for you all to see the show...it is truly a wonderful piece of theatre! I have a superstition that I've followed since my first show 3.5 years ago...I walk to the theatre for every opening night! So today was a bit of a long walk, but it's no good messing with tradition...it took about an hour...very relaxing. I hope you all love the show and thank you for following our show on it's journey, and supporting this wonderful theatre! Cheers,
-Andrew

Another Openin'...

2009-10-16T18:21:00.006-05:00

Here we are! It is Opening Night and we have made it to the next chapter in PICNIC: the run of performances. Everyone has been working very hard, and after last night's Preview performance are excited to open the show and to continue to share their artistry with an audience.

There is a line in the show where Mrs. Potts exclaims, "I think we plan picnics just to give ourselves an excuse. . . to let something thrilling and romantic happen to us-", and there is no better sentiment than this to describe the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre on the verge of their run of PICNIC. The groundwork has been set, and now the depth and beauty of the characters told in William Inge's Pulitzer Prize-winning play will be felt by all who attend the performances.

The journey is just beginning...

Fight Choreographer

2009-10-16T18:11:00.002-05:00

"I love fight scenes" Mark Weinberg exclaimed many times throughout our talk, and his creative energy and fondness for stage combat proves infectious. Mark, a fourth degree black belt karate instructor and UW-Milwaukee Theater Professor has been teaching for 36 years. A self-taught fight choreographer, he has coupled his vast theater teaching and directing experiences with the knowledge and discipline of his karate achievements to create exciting and memorable fight sequences for the stage.

Many details have to be minded when staging a fight, including first and foremost the safety and abilities of the actors. The goal is to create realistic looking movements that do not cause the audience to be worried for the safety of the actors, but allow them to believe the action that is seen.

For PICNIC, Mark needed to create fights that were appropriate and reasonable for the characters that were involved. They needed to be 'quick and simple' in look and able to be done on surfaces that were not flat, including on a large dirt mound and on the steps of one of the back porches that is featured in the set design. While the sequences are not long, they took much practice to make them appear natural, and Mark asks the actors to rehearse the fights before every performance to keep them consistent.

While it was challenging at times to split his time between UWM, rehearsals, and the Black Belt Leadership Academy that he owns in Wauwatosa, Mark has enjoyed the pleasure of working on PICNIC and the collaboration that he has been able to do with Michael Wright and the actors, who did a great job of modifying the movement to make it their own. Furthermore, he has enjoyed working with his wife, Jenny Wanasek, who plays Flo Owens in PICNIC. Not only will the time, talent, and training that Mark has dedicated himself toward be apparent, but his strong sense of family and collaboration will be unmistakably discernable through the work that he has created.

Backstage Beauties

2009-10-16T18:02:00.006-05:00

Here's a shout-out to the lovely ladies that are working hard to keep the backstage orderly and efficient. . .

Eva Rebholz is the Stage Management Intern for PICNIC. A UWM student, she has worked many hours in assisting the Stage Manager in the organizing and setting up of furniture and props, keeping the rehearsal hall orderly, giving the actors line notes during rehearsals, and doing an assortment of jobs that need to be done. She has been an invaluable asset to the production.

Kat Danielsen is the Deck Chief, and she makes sure that everything onstage and backstage is properly set, clean, and safe for the actors. It is her duty to see that everything functions efficiently and timely backstage to ensure that every performance runs smoothly. She must always remain calm under pressure and be resourceful to correct or tend to a wide range of backstage demands.

Long days journey into preview!!!

2009-10-15T17:35:00.004-05:00

Last night went well! I was really happy with the feedback we got from the audience. I felt a bit more tense than usual, but I am confident and excited. The Cabot Theatre is a tricky space to try and fill with your voice, and were a few scenes Michael wanted to look at today with Michelle. But Max and I had a great work session, and found some cool things that I think will help! I just listened to my interview on WUWM.com ...I missed it at 10:30am , because I thought it was on at 11! Oh well, check it out on the WUWM web site, it's pretty fun! I think we are expecting a full house tonight, and I can't wait...This has been so much fun...I really hope you all enjoy it! I must leave now to prepare plus I'm hungry and haven't eaten all day...adieu!
-Andrew

First Audience

2009-10-14T18:35:00.005-05:00

Hey...It's been a couple days since I've last written, but I was trying to think of something to keep me from getting nervous about tonight, and I thought I'd write a few lines. Tonight is our first audience and it couldn't come at a better time. I'm feeling great about the show and cannot wait for the injection of energy and life that an audience brings. This is it...this is what we have been waiting for. Nothing beats a live audience and it is as true today as it was 4 years ago when I first stepped onto the stage at UWM. Tonight we learn what's working and what's funny...what I really love about the first audience is that we can just play...and feed off their energy and really soak in what they're giving us. I could keep writing but I've discovered writing about being nervous doesn't help...so I am going to go sit alone in a dark room! Ha ha, not really...but I am excited! Hope to check in soon...wish us luck!
-Andrew

Scene & Re-seen part 3

2009-10-14T12:29:00.004-05:00

Here is a third look at the scene that we have been following since the read through. In this clip, the actors are onstage for the first time. The scenery is not finished and there are no costumes or set light cues used during this first run in the space. The actors are focusing on their physical spacing and filling the Theater with their voice and presence. A large adjustment needs to be made from the rehearsal space to the stage, and this rehearsal was set up to allow everyone the time to become comfortable in the performance space.

Emily on The Morning Blend

2009-10-13T17:51:00.004-05:00

PICNIC cast member (& MCT blogger) Emily Vitrano was interviewed on TMJ4's The Morning Blend today. If you missed it, you can check out the segment online:

http://www.themorningblend.com/NewsArticle/tabid/1474/xmid/36976/Default.aspx

"'Picnic' is young at heart - and in fact"

2009-10-12T12:38:00.005-05:00

Check out this great story Jim Higgins wrote in yesterday's Journal Sentinel!

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/arts/63812277.html

Properties Designer

2009-10-10T12:55:00.006-05:00

Meghan Savagian, the Properties Designer for PICNIC, is kept very busy in her roles of hunting for props and decorating and dressing the stage.

The process for Meghan begins with research to understand the types and style of props that are needed for the production. She works closely with the scenic designer to make sure that they both have a coherent vision. For PICNIC, many props are needed, including a bottle of Moonshine, a Lady Baltimore cake, a bicycle, and furniture that is appropriate for a 1950s setting.

In order to be successful as a properties designer, you have to have a little knowledge of a lot of different things. Meghan's interests and experience has provided her with the skills needed to be a success. Her career as a student began at UW-Milwaukee where she studied music. An elective in mask-making led her to change majors and pursue technical theater. She gained experience in prop design with Milwaukee Shakespeare before going on to build props with the Big Apple Circus Production Co. While she enjoyed painting pinstripes on balls, working on 15 foot puppets, and accidentally parking Donald Trump in with her props van at Trump Tower, she also worked for other productions in New York before coming back to Milwaukee and working with the MCT on several productions.

For her work on PICNIC, Meghan has enjoyed the 'nice, stream-lined, and realistic' props that she needed to hunt and gather. Since she was able to find and utilize items that are from the fifties, she also appreciates the stories and collective history that is told by these artifacts. She is fond of the family of talent that has come to be a part of her experience within the Milwaukee Chamber Theater and the range of productions of which she has been an integral contribution.

Scene & Re-seen part 2

2009-10-10T12:40:00.004-05:00

Here is another look at the scene that we last saw in the read through. The rehearsal hall has been arranged to give the actors a sense of what the stage setting will eventually be. It is important that the actors wear rehearsal skirts, aprons, and shoes that will give them a feeling for what the actual costumes will feel like. While the rehearsal setting is very different from what the stage will look like, focus needs to be placed on timing and characterization to make the transition to the stage as easy as possible.

In the next post we will see the scene as the actors perform it onstage for the first time.

Movin' Out

2009-10-09T13:24:00.004-05:00

Today we move from the rehearsal hall to the performance space, the Cabot Theatre. Everyone will have to adjust their blocking and timing on the stage as it is much different from the rehearsal space, but it is exciting to see the scenery and to be working in such a beautiful venue.

The set construction crew has been working nonstop to make sure that everything is ready for the actors, and the set is looking amazing. Each day new elements will be added to the rehearsals-sound, lights, costumes- and it is great to see it all begin to take shape.

In PICNIC, the character of Millie sketches another character, Hal. After each rehearsal, the sketches have been posted to showcase Millie's 'Art Gallery', and it is now time to say goodbye to the collection. If you look closely, you can really see the artistic development throughout this rehearsal process...

Feeling Good

2009-10-07T15:50:00.005-05:00

Last night's work through went really well. I'm not sure if it's the anticipation of being in the theatre space on Friday, but I feel like we are ready to be on the stage and have things to climb, run, jump, swing, sit and lean on!! Michael's ability to direct continues to amaze me. We have a strong sturdy foundation poured and the frame is built, so this week becomes about the details, filling the moments in the play that we have discovered over the past two weeks, and finding new ones. There a few beats that I feel I haven't found completely, but I trust Michael and I know we will get them ironed out.
Overall I am impressed with our progress.The dancing has been a journey!! When I was young my parents would take ballroom dancing lessons and we had so much fun when they would come home and teach us the steps. So when I considered the dancing that Hal does in the play, I wasn't worried at all...Ha Ha..Boy-o-Boy! Let's just say I have a new appreciation for "Dancing with the Stars." It has been a challenge, but Tony is wonderful and I'm having fun!
We have a run through tonight and hopefully we can take a peak at the stage. Everyone should read the Cue section of the Journal Sentinel this Sunday for interviews with Michael and myself as well as pictures of the fateful dance rehearsals. Also Bill Watson and I are doing a radio interview on WUWM tomorrow...which will air next Thursday. I'm on my way to rehearsal (not literally, but I'm about to leave.) ...gotta go early and practice my dance moves... Stay tuned...Bye!

-Andrew

Costume Designer

2009-10-07T15:05:00.012-05:00

An important factor to any production that gives credibility and integrity to the script and aids the actors in forming their characters is costuming. For PICNIC, the person in charge of the costumes is Louella Powell. While her progression to costuming has not been direct, she had always worked with and around clothes before making costuming her profession, currently at UW-Milwaukee where she is on the faculty.

Louella's history in costuming began when she started dressing her cats up at age 7. Later, she earned a degree in Psychology and worked as a manager for a clothing store. She credits her interest and study of psychology to be a boon in figuring out the personalities of the characters that she clothes, particularly in PICNIC where the characters need to be believable as real people. Later, she became fascinated with costumes and began to make them for the Ice Follies in Anchorage, Alaska, leading her to earn a second degree in Theater and Design. She went on to work for Caspar College and the Utah Shakespeare Festival before moving to Milwaukee and working for the Milwaukee Rep and later UW-Milwaukee.

Her role in the production process starts with reading the script and doing research on the particular period and location that the play takes place in. Then she begins to gather all possibilities of clothing, hats, gloves, shoes, aprons, and any other clothing accessories that she might need, and she begins the long process of fitting costumes to the particular characters who will wear them. This is followed by alterations and repair to make the costumes suitable for the run of the production as well as guidance with hair and make-up.

Louella has particularly enjoyed her work on PICNIC due to her fondness for the time period, the 1950s, in which it takes place. She has been challenged by working with such a large cast of characters that needed very particular 'looks' depending on their social classes and interests, but the process has given her a chance to include her students at UWM, giving them a hands-on vantage point of the realities of life in the theater. This type of insight is not easy to come by, and her students will have the opportunity to view a final dress rehearsal to see all of the fruits of her labor in action on the stage. What they will see is the result of a strong commitment to the integrity of the time period that will delight audiences with authenticity and style.

Joan Darling is Really Smart

2009-10-06T16:54:00.003-05:00

My senior year of college, Joan Darling came to do a workshop with the theatre department on acting. She was a fabulous character; huge round glasses, bright red lipstick and a personality to match. At the end of the session she turned to us and said, "We owe them who we are and what happens to us." To this day, even as I type those words, I have to take a pause. They have so much weight. So much truth.
At the time, I didn't fully comprehend what they meant. I just remember nodding my head and thinking, "Wow. Yes." And now, almost four years later, I am finally beginning to grasp the weight of those words.
Picnic is such a beautiful play for so many reasons. It is beautiful in it's hope, in it's despair, it's humor and it's sadness. Mostly, though, it is beautiful in it's characters and it's story. Who we are. What happens to us. I have to say, as an actress, it doesn't get much better than this. Every day I come to rehearsal and revel in what I get to do. I have the privilege of being with this young girl on her journey into womanhood. I have the privilege of living her firsts. The kind of firsts we dream about.
And as I spend time reveling and playing every day, Joan Darling keeps coming to mind. Because this story is so incredible, so beautiful, so real. Because I believe in this story and these characters, I now understand just how much we owe you. Just how important this is not only because theatre is our passion and we love to share it, but because this story must be told. It must be shared.
I hope you will join us for our journey. I hope you will fall in love with us, fall out of love with us. Hope for us, cry for us, live and breathe with us. I think I can speak on behalf of everyone and say, we can't wait!

emily

Rehearsal Recap

2009-10-06T13:13:00.007-05:00

The second week of rehearsals is through, and there has been much accomplished. The whole play has been blocked and rehearsed with careful attention to all details. Mark Weinberg came to rehearsal to teach some effective moves for particular scenes that required his expertise in stage combat. The dance sections of the play were also rehearsed and the busy week ended with a run of the whole show for the production and technical teams.

Sound cues, including dance music, car horns, explosions, and a very important train whistle are continually being refined and added to rehearsal to make sure that their timing is consistent and precise. It is always a little humorous at this point to hear cues that may not be timed quite right and to see an actor, for instance, arrive into the scene before his car is later heard approaching. These things will all be smoothed out this week.

Costumes are being fitted and tweaked as are props, and everyone is gearing up for the load-in into the performance space that will occur very soon. It is full speed ahead...

For your enjoyment, I will include this clip from the movie, PICNIC. While the movie had some questionable casting and took great liberties with the original play, altering it quite a bit, it was very popular when it first appeared in 1955, and earned two Academy Awards. Here is a little music and dance by Ernie Higgins and his Happiness Boys to give you a taste of the times...

Inge-isms

2009-10-03T12:03:00.014-05:00

At the start of the rehearsal process all those involved in the production were given a resource guide that provided information on PICNIC, including biographical information on the playwright, William Inge. There has been much written about the life of Inge, and he spent a great deal of time in his life talking not only about his work, but his ambitions as a playwright. The following are some quotes that I have found very pertinent to finding the deeper meanings of PICNIC and to provide understanding of the nature of its complex playwright.

ON PICNIC:

"I wanted to write a play that took place in the sunshine"

"When I was a boy in Kansas, my mother had a boarding house. There were three women school teachers living in the house, and they were nice to me. I liked them. I saw their attempts, and even as a child, I sensed the sorrow and the emptiness in their lives, and it touched me"

"What I have wanted most to do is to present the lives in PICNIC with all the warmth and humor and fondness and dismay that attended me when I recalled them. In such tranquil lives, I have found the 'mysterious quiet' that precedes a Kansas cyclone"

ON PLAYWRITING:

"My path in the Theater is to find all that I can in the human lives that I know and are available to me- and find the meanings in those lives secondarily, rather than take a theme and work in the characters secondarily."

"I hate a play that tells me what to think. I have to leave my characters for the audience to make their own judgements of."

"All my plays represent something of me, some view of life that is pecularily mine that no one else could offer in quite the same style and form. Success, it seems to me, would be somewhat meaningless if the play were not a personal contribution."

"I regard a play as a composition reather than a story, as a distillation of life rather than a narration of it."

"I compare a play to a journey, in which every moment should be as interesting as the destination. I despair of a play that requires its audience to sit through two hours of plot construction having no reference outside the immediate setting, just to be rewarded by a big emotional pay-off in the last act."

Wow

2009-10-01T21:33:00.006-05:00

Well, I just finished all my scenes, and I have to say it feels pretty good. Tonight was difficult, more so than any other, because it was the first time visiting some of these very heavy and layered scenes at the end. I am so proud of this cast, and incredibly excited to feel the whole play conected for the first time this weekend. So far everyone has been really supportive, and I feel a great sense of collaboration...In every rehersal process that I've been through, there has always been a certain day that I get home and realize that everything will be okay, and the show will piece together. Tuesday was that rehersal for me, we went back over acts 1 & 2 after a day off and they felt a little better than we left them. This is by far the earliest I have ever gotten that feeling, sometimes it doesn't come untill the dress rehersal!! The rest of this week will be used to deepen the scenes in act 3 and get ready for our first days in the space!! Time to go, I'm getting a ride because it's raining too hard to ride my bike!! Ciao,

Scene & Re-seen part 1

2009-10-01T15:58:00.002-05:00

Today's post is the first in a series that will track one scene from PICNIC through the whole production process. The following video clip is from the first read through:

Soon we'll follow this scene and view it as it has been blocked in the rehearsal space.

Stage Manager

2009-09-29T22:47:00.008-05:00

While tracking rehearsals and the process of producing a play, I will also shed light on some very key roles that are vital to the operation. The first profile will be of Lydia LaGue (great name, by the way), the guest Stage Manager for PICNIC.

I chatted with Lydia to discuss her ideas of the specific role that a Stage Manager plays within a production as well as to find out a little of the history that led her to work with the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre.

Lydia views her role as the hub of the wheel, linking the production team with the director and actors. She is the eyes and ears of everyone throughout the rehearsal process, supporting the director's vision while also serving as an advocate to the actors. The Stage Manager is later crucial in the transition that occurs as the play progresses into technical rehearsals and Lydia will also be present for all performances, overseeing that the stage and all props are taken care of in addition to calling the light, scenery, and sound cues and working with the House Manager to ensure that the Theater is nightly prepared for an audience.

Lydia was born the eldest of five children and had a hammer in her hand by the time she was ten, helping her father with repairs at her family's lake house. She gained an appreciation and enjoyment of theater from her mother and as a child would put on plays in the 'proscenium arch' of her parents' dining room. While at the University of Texas she became a Technical Production Theater major, and found her passion at a time when not many females went into this type of study. Later, while working in Kansas City and then at SUNY- Purchase, she found that when working behind the scenes in technical theater that she missed the rehearsal process and strong connection to the actors. This led her to become the Production Stage Manager for the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival before moving to Wisconsin.

Having taken some time off from working in the theater to raise her family of five children, she is now ecstatic to be active with acquaintances that she has not worked with for quite a while, and on a play that she considers to contain great characters and plot. She is further looking forward to calling the performance cues, her talent and experiences providing the essential link that joins the artistic with the technical to present a memorable theatrical experience. Though the audience does not see her, the management and organizational skills that she employs are critical to the success of every performance.

Bein' Pretty Ain't Easy

2009-09-29T14:59:00.002-05:00

I can't believe we are only on the second week of rehearsal and already we've run two of the three acts!!!! What an amazing week this past week was. I am having such a great time playing within Madge's world. I feel as if each day I learn so much about this fascinating character and yet I feel as if I haven't even begun to scratch the surface. I don't want to give too much away, but I can tell you this...being pretty ain't easy!
Today we are going back and working through each act to solidify and sharpen what we've already created. I am anxious to get back to work and to continue playing.

'Till Then!

emily

Rehearsal Recap

2009-09-28T20:18:00.005-05:00

The first week of rehearsals is over...and we'll start on the second week tomorrow. To catch you up to speed, I'll do a recap of all that has transpired. In a very short time (5 days, count them!...) both Act 1 and Act 2 have been blocked, and this is a tremendous accomplishment. The actors are a bit shell shocked, having spent many hours in the staging and rehearsing of their blocking while becoming comfortable in the memorization of their lines and the dialect in which they are delivered. The complexities of each of the characters are becoming even more apparent as each actor continues to examine their own character's unique relationship on stage to every other character in the play. One evening was also spent on dancing, as a scene requires certain characters to dance with each other. The coordination of counting the dance steps, mastering the jitterbug, and remaining in character while delivering lines can be challenging!

This past week there have also been numerous costume fittings to make sure that everyone's costumes and accessories carry the look and feel of the play. This is the first time that the costumes are examined together, and hats, shoes, gloves, purses, aprons, and hair styles are continually decided upon.

The scenery and props are also adapted to fit the needs of the actors and script and to portray the yard between two houses where the action takes place. Here's a peek at a model of the 'grass' that will carpet the stage:

Here's to another productive week!

Mind your Manners

2009-09-25T12:24:00.002-05:00

Since its Friday, I thought it might be nice to have a bit of fun... As the actors continue to research and experiment with their own characterizations, one useful tool is to find out as much as possible about the culture and time that their particular character lives in. Often within these investigations, humorous things turn up that provide great fodder for many laughs...

Ah, where to begin?

2009-09-25T11:14:00.005-05:00

Ah, where to begin? There are not enough words in the English language to express how excited, elated, thrilled and terrified I am to be playing Madge in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of Picnic. Excited, elated, thrilled, because it's an amazing role, in an amazing play, with an amazing company...I don't think I need to explain why I'm terrified. During the first read through, I found myself overwhelmed with emotion. Finally, finally it was time to dig into this script and these characters. Not often have I felt the serendipitous energy that I felt on Tuesday. It seemed everything and everyone had fallen into place so perfectly.

In a foreword, written by Inge, introducing four of arguably his most successful plays, he writes, "I think every line and every situation in a play should 'pay off,' too, and have its extensions of meaning beyond the immediate setting, into life. I strive to bring meaning to every moment, every action." Inge has certainly done this with Picnic. Every second of that play is so full of life, meaning and experiences. As Michael told us on the first day, "Everything we say has weight." We've only just begun, and already, I feel as if Madge has traveled so far, experienced so much, felt so much. This is my favorite part of acting. The experiences. The opportunity to experience the character's most important moments. Like Inge, I, too, am striving to find meaning in every moment, every action. To bring life to this beautiful character and what is, in my opinion, the most amazing moment in her life; finding her soul mate. I can only hope to do her justice.

So much more to come. Thank you for coming along this journey with me and all of us involved with Picnic!

Emily

Color Inspiration

2009-09-24T11:03:00.005-05:00

A powerful influence to the look of PICNIC are the paintings of Thomas Hart Benton, whose colorful works whimsically depicted American life in the 1950s. Two particular paintings, Butterfly Chaser and Picnic (great title!) provide the color palette for the scenery and costumes: the scenery taking cues from the more neutral earth tones and the costumes from the brilliant colors that pop from the paintings. As the production continues to progress, it is interesting to see the impact that all of these factors have on shaping the overall outcome.

Day one and two

2009-09-23T20:26:00.004-05:00

I was feeling pretty confident and excited about our first read through yesterday. I have been reading Picnic to myself for what seems like an eternity. We all gathered for a delightful hour of snacks and greetings to welcome everyone to the process. And then we read the play...it was just as satisfying as I imagined to hear all the voices of such an amazing cast.

Today we are on our feet for the first time, playing around in character...tons of fun! Had to go because break was over...little frustrated because I keep turning my back to the audience … but I think we've nipped it in the bud...Time for bed!

Putting it Together

2009-09-23T14:02:00.007-05:00

The company had their first read through of Picnic yesterday and after months of preparations on their own, read through their parts with the others in the show. It is always exciting when all of the characters are brought to life and begin to interact with one another, their written sentiments becoming vivid. For the first time the words of the script leave the pages and become living and breathing emotions. The context, richness, and depth of each of the characters and their relationships to one another begin to form.

The cast sat around tables and carefully read through the script, concentrating on the rhythms and meanings of the dialogue. Periodically the reading was stopped to allow for discussion and insight regarding anything from a character's motivation to an examination of the themes that are being presented.

Endless Summer

2009-09-22T11:39:00.012-05:00

Hi, howd'ya do?

I am Jonathan Zautner, a Directing Intern for the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's upcoming production of William Inge's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Picnic. This blog will take you through the complex and a bit mysterious process of mounting this piece from the moment it was just a twinkle in Director C. Michael Wright's eye right up to its exciting Opening Night. Along the way, I'll also introduce you to the people whose talents and elbow grease will mingle to create the finished product that the audiences will view.

So, back to that twinkle. It would be natural to quizzically ask yourself where a person would even begin to get a production of this sort off the ground. To jump-start this process, several key concepts were considered by the Director to get the creative forces flowing. These include a look into the dramatic life of the playwright: William Inge, the location of the play: small town Kansas, the year that the action takes place: 1953, and the time of year that the play is set: Labor Day. These four details provide a plethora of powerful microscopic springboards that will steer the course of all the pre-production planning, ideas ricocheting through the air at terminal velocity.

It's quite dramatic. For instance, by understanding the life, the depth, and very tortured fiber of Inge, and the way each character represents a part of him, certain character choices taken from the script begin to make sense. Also by examining what life in small town Kansas, particularly in 1953, was like influences many creative choices that will find their way onto the stage. Everything from dialect to the makeup of society, music, costume, commerce, and class will be considered. Collectible Life magazines will be perused to understand the colors and designs that were popular in this era, and everything will be contemplated from the style of bicycle to yes, the delectable Lady Baltimore cake, to remain authentic.

Since the play takes place on Labor Day and the day after, this holiday will have great significance on the tone of the production as well. I think that everyone probably feels a little sense of dread when Labor Day arrives and the carefree, lazy, and long days of summer begin to come to an end. After Labor Day, schedules seem to get busier and days shorter, and the realities and responsibilities of daily life are a bit more apparent. Some of the drama we'll examine in Picnic is due to these startling realizations.

The calendar has officially marked the season as Autumn and the leaves have already begun to turn. With Picnic, it is refreshing to go against nature and spend a few more weeks enjoying the heat and reckless joys that occur before the sun finally goes down on a seemingly endless Summer.

Are we there yet?

2009-09-15T22:47:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone...My name is Andrew Voss and I am a senior in the acting BFA program at UWM. I have been given the amazing opportunity to play Hal Carter in Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of "Picnic." I have to admit that I am a little anxious as the first read through is finally only a week away. I was cast as Hal in January and have been working on the part as much as possible since...meeting about once a month with C. Michael Wright our amazing director, just to play around with some character choices, and keep up a dialogue about the play. The sessions have been incredibly helpful, and I am grateful to Michael for all his wisdom and insight. I am ready, and am counting down the hours...for now it's back to work on Act III! Hope to write again soon.
Thank You for time,
-Andrew