Rave Reviews for A THOUSAND WORDS

A THOUSAND WORDS opened on Feb. 17 and the response has been fantastic. Below are some links to local reviews and other press about this world premiere production which is running at the Broadway Theatre Center until March 11th. Don't miss this amazing show!

REVIEWS:

Chamber Theatre offer an entertaining world premiere production
"A Thousand Words" is a smart and entertaining drama that deserves to receive more productions across the country.

- Damien Jaques, OnMilwaukee.com

Milwaukee Chamber's Witty THOUSAND WORDS

Thankfully, it doesn't take “a thousand words” to describe the world premiere that opened at the Broadway Theatre Center's intimate Studio Theatre on Friday. In fact, only a few will do: “brilliant,” “witty,” “well crafted” and “entertaining.” There's also the word “go,” as in, “go see this show.”
- Anne Siegel, Shepherd Express

'A Thousand Words' speaks volumes about art, realism
a tender, thoughtful and wryly funny play by Wisconsin native Gwendolyn Rice.
~Mike Fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Inside Milwaukee.com review
artists struggling to capture truth and beauty
~Paul Kosidowski, InsideMilwaukee.com

One Picture is Worth
a stunning achievement
~Stephen Turner, Examiner.com

OTHER GREAT PRESS:

Journey to 'A Thousand Words' starts with homegrown steps
~Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

WUWM; Lake Effect- A THOUSAND WORDS

Listen to Bonnie North's interview with playwright Gwendolyn Rice
-Milwaukee Public Radio

Footlights Minute - A THOUSAND WORDS
Watch John McGivern's "Footlights Minute" interview with A THOUSAND WORDS actress Molly Rhode!

(A Picture is Worth) A THOUSAND WORDS

- Jenna Kashou, InsideMilwaukee.com

A THOUSAND WORDS- Interview with actor T. Stacy Hicks

As promised, here is another interview with a cast member of A Thousand Words (opening February 16^th). This time it is actor  T. Stacy Hicks, who plays a total of three characters in this production. Here he offers insight into the experience of working on the show.

What has it been like for you to perform in the world premiere of a new play?

It's been a very exciting process originating not one but three new roles.  It's required a certain amount of dexterity and ingenuity to create three distinct characters, each with their own voice and personality.  Working on a new play allows the actor to have a hand in developing the piece, to make suggestions and to have input on how the play will finally take shape, not just in this run of the play but in all subsequent incarnations.  The product that the audience ultimately sees is usually a collaboration between the writer, director, and actors but a new play is even more so.

What is it like to have the playwright in the room to watch the development of the show?  How has this process affected your performance?

This is the second new show in a row on which I've worked and it's been a pleasure to have the playwright in the room both times.  I imagine, if one is a playwright that it's very easy to get too emotionally attached to the words you've written: too close and personal to maintain objectivity.  Fortunately that was not the case in either playwright with whom I've worked.  In both cases the author was open to changes and suggestions made by the cast and the director.  I imagine that a strong playwright would realize that having a group of smart actors work on their play would provide them with an opportunity to make improvements in the text.  Having the playwright in the room has been helpful in clarifying the intentions of my characters and allowed me to know the inspirations used in writing the words I get to perform.

 Do you have any thoughts about the progression of the show as it moves from Madison to Milwaukee?

It's still a working, growing piece which is very exciting.  We continue to make changes so the show the Milwaukee audience sees will be a different one than the Madison audience saw.  We learned things in Madison that will affect how the show is presented in Milwaukee.  We're also putting the show into a slightly different, somewhat more intimate space in Milwaukee so that's going to change how the scenes play and where we'll place our focus.  The Milwaukee audience will have different tastes and aesthetics so I'm really excited to see how they might react differently and what resonates for them, how certain ideas land and are received.

This play is very topical in our current socioeconomic climate. What are your thoughts as an actor as to why this is a positive piece to be pursuing right at this point in American history?

I was somewhat taken aback in Madison by how one of my characters was viewed for that very reason.  Our Madison audience was passionate and often down right defensive when it comes to the subject of funding for the arts and who gets to profit from the work created by others.  I was heartened by their willingness (though I think it was somewhat misguided) to circle the wagons around and defend the creative process from those they saw as exploiters of creativity.  This is a very topical issue as more and more artists and arts organizations are stripped of their government funding and left to their own devices to supplement their work.  I also think, because of the duel time lines in the show, we really get to examine the ideas of intellectual property and controlling our image that have arisen as a result of the social media driven society in which we now live, issues that weren't even considered at the time in which Walker Evans was working.

Great press!

As you may know, our next show A THOUSAND WORDS is a collaboration with Forward Theater Company in Madison. It opened at the Overture Center on Jan. 19 and the entire production (cast, set, costumes, etc.) moves to Milwaukee and opens at the Broadway Theatre Center on Feb. 16.

The Madison run got a lot of great media coverage - here's a complete list of links for your reading pleasure!

'A Thousand Words' considers the power of pictures
~Lindsay Christians, 77 Square

Play asks: Who owns art? Who should profit from it?
~Michael Muckian, Wisconsin Gazette

Forward Theater Company premieres thought-provoking A Thousand Words
~Jennifer A. Smith, Isthmus

'A Thousand Words' review: On perception before and after the shutter clicks
~Lindsay Christians, 77 Square

Forward Theater's A Thousand Words blends fact and fiction
~Andrew Winistorfer, A.V. Club

Picturing the Past
~Katie Vaughn, Madison Magazine

Stage presence: Gwendolyn Rice's 'A Thousand Words' exposes work of photographer who met Hemingway
~Gayle Worland, Wisconsin State Journal

A THOUSAND WORDS: An interview with Libby Amato

A THOUSAND WORDS is just on the horizon for MCT (opening February 16th) and the excitement is definitely growing. Despite busy schedules, the actors were kind enough to take time out to answer some of our questions. I will be posting their responses here as they
come in starting with Libby Amato who portrays not one, but two characters in A THOUSAND WORDS: Jessica Shoemaker and Abbie Lehman. Below Libby shares her perspective of the experience.


What has it been like for you to perform in the world premiere of a new play?

It's pretty exciting that we're bringing these characters to life on stage for the first time. We've all had a hand in shaping the world of the play. It feels like a big responsibility! I wonder how other actors, directors, and designers might envision this world in the future, and I feel fortunate to have been here for the first full production.


(From Left: Georgina McKee, Libby Amato;
Photo by Nick Berard)



What is it like to have the playwright in the room to watch the development of the show? How has this process affected your performance?

Gwen is such a talented writer, and she was very open to all of our ideas and thoughts about the play. We were able to have some great discussions and she welcomed our questions. I think there was the potential for it to be a difficult situation, but instead it was lovely. Everyone came in with their own interpretation of the script, and it was a room full of smart, talented people. It was wonderful to see all those ideas come together to create this production.

Do you have any thoughts about the progression of the show as it moves from Madison to Milwaukee?

The theatres are very different, so there will have to be some adjustments to technical aspects. But I think the most interesting difference will be in our audiences. Milwaukee and Madison both have unique atmospheres. I can't wait to see how Milwaukee patrons will react to the show!

(From left: Molly Rhode, Libby Amato, Josh Aaron McCabe; Photo by Nick Berard)

This play is very topical in our current socioeconomic climate. What are your thoughts as an actor as to why this is a positive piece to be pursuing right at this point in American
history?

My brother came to see the show right after learning about Walker Evans in a college class
and it gave us the opportunity to talk about many of the issues raised in the play. I love the questions this play asks about art. What is the cost of art, versus the value of art? What compromises need to be made in order for art to survive? Where is the balance between maintaining the purity of the artwork, and treating the subject with respect? It was interesting for me to learn more about the FSA (Farm Security Administration) and how art was used as a tool for change. Makes you think about how that might be happening today, in less obvious ways. I hope we'll really get people thinking.

A THOUSAND WORDS and The Federal Theatre Project

The Great Depression was a bleak time in American history. However, it was also a time of great innovation and creativity that is responsible for the art that we value today.  Our next production A Thousand Words highlights the photography of Walker Evans who was commissioned through the government by way of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). These photographs, originally purposed for the documentation of those suffering during the dust bowl, are highly recognizable pieces of art that instantly evoke the sense of turmoil those who experienced the Great Depression endured.

These photos are relics from the WPA as are many of our roads, bridges and dams.  But did you know that the WPA also made an endeavor into creating a federal theatre?  It was called the Federal Theatre Project (FTP) and although short lived it brought us theatre artists, technicians, and buildings that would not have existed otherwise.

The project, established in 1935, was challenged from the start as the economically devastated stage unions and artists opposed the idea of government controlled theatre.  The idea might have been lost from the start if not for the National Theatre Conference which provided the infrastructure for regional theatre and artist communication throughout the country. Hallie Flanagan, the head of the FTP, used the existing system and encouraged FTP productions both creatively and monetarily from coast to coast.

  FTP laborers built theatres where there had never been theatres before. They used scavenged materials or revamped former factories and school houses or built entirely new buildings. They also trained technicians and designers, and gave actors, playwrights and directors the chance to flourish within the economic confines of the Great Depression.   

The FTP is even responsible for the training of many minorities in theatre arts and created the Negro Theatre Project who famously presented a Haitian “voodoo” Macbeth to a Harlem audience. The project not only enriched the minds of 1930’s audiences, but provided future audiences with revered artists such as Orson Welles, John Houseman, and Eugene O’Neil. 

This project not only provided assistance and enrichment, but gave a source of lightheartedness and entertainment that was greatly needed in America at the time. Sadly, the program was cut short in 1939 as the government grew more suspicious of liberal leanings the productions may have portrayed and Hallie Flanagan was unwilling to compromise the artistic integrity of the productions to accommodate governmental censorship.

 Perhaps the Federal Theatre Project was shut down because it worked too well. It created art that both represented its time as well as questioned its status. Hallie Flanagan, just as Walker Evans, was successful in creating art that not only was profitable, but meaningful as well.

 

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fedtp/fthome.html

Links to Heroes' Reviews

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

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."