We've just closed up the theatre and everyone has gone for the night. Today was the technical rehearsal for the show. After the rehearsal a group of volunteers -Renie and Don Barger, Stephanie Young and Dick Holland all treated the cast to chili, cornbread, salad and dessert. The cast was very appreciative of the food.
The show has about 30 light cues and about a dozen sound cues. Susan Odum is running sound. Susan is the mother of Audra Hall and this is her first time to work on the crew for a show. Ann Counts is stage managing the show and this is her first time in that position. Vicky Shelby is running the lights and she has worked dozens of shows on the light board and backstage. Starting the show is always the most difficult. There are 5 light cues to get from the time I finish the curtain speech until the actors first line. In greetings there are 3 sound cues to work with in the sequence as well. Ann and Susan both did a great job for their first time in those positions.
The actors had to stop when the scene changes came because they have to help take off (strike) and bring on (set) the various food and hand props used during the scenes. The cast is supposed to be eating meatloaf during the play. Ann Counts has come up with a substitute for the meatloaf that looks like a dark brown meatloaf but is easier to eat cold. I don't want to give away what she came up with but lets just say the actors love eating it.
At this point in the process we are still working out the details of how things happen and the characters are refining how they react to each other. The hardest thing for an actor to do is find the different emotions that are involved in a scene. Most actors start out by thinking about a scene in two dimensional terms. If they are supposed to get mad in a scene they yell a lot and get angry at the beginning of the scene. If they are supposed to calm someone down they talk in a calm voice and deliver their lines at measured rate of speed. The really good actors understand that a scene can have a dozen different emotions all in the build up and resolution to getting angry or calming someone down. The character may be frustrated, confused, threatened, scared, certain, and finally defensive. That's 6 different emotional levels to play all under the guise of angry. The actor also has to create what is going on as it happens. By that I mean that it always has to feel as if this is the first time they've ever done this. A wonderful quote that I found somewhere says that a characters lines are thinking out loud. As a character speaks it is not just telling someone something but discovering what they are saying at the same time. As the performers work on the last three dress rehearsals before opening it is the directors job to continue to work with the actors to create a sense of discovery. Each character has make it feel as if it is happening for the first time right in front of our eyes. In Doubt I described it to the actors as riding a roller coaster. Each time you get on the ride you discover something new twist or bump about the character or their feelings that you never saw before. A good playwright has sweated over every word choice, every pause in order to communicate something about the character and the plot. Comedies are harder to do than dramas because making someone laugh is often harder than making someone cry. Greetings is a comedy with some serious moments.
The cast of Greetings has worked hard along with Phil Counts the director to ride that roller coaster. Four days from now the show opens. My job as the Artistic Director is to give Phil feedback from a fresh pair of eyes and ears. To tell him when something I see doesn't make sense. It is the primary job of a director to be the audience's eyes and ears. To give the actors feedback that helps them to be believable. Actors and Directors can often get such tunnel vision about a show that they stop seeing what is actually happening because they are so focused on what is supposed to happen. The Greetings cast has been working on the show since the auditions on Sept. 8 & 9.
I can see their hard work paying off. There are some wonderful moments in the play with each character. If the company does its job right then it is the audience who gets to ride the roller coaster along with the cast. My note to the actors- Remember to keep your hands up high in the air at all times during the ride so you feel like you will fly out. Phil the director is there to hang on to you so you don't fly out the seat during the loop de loops. Most of all ... have fun!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Holiday Time and promises
We move into high gear for Greetings and take a break all at the same time. The offices will be closed Thursday and Friday so that most of the staff can spend the holiday with family and friends. Tonight is the last rehearsal for Greetings until Sunday's technical rehearsal. The cast will take a break to spend time with family and friends. There is another tradition however. That tradition is that the a lot of technical work has to get done between now and Sunday's rehearsal. Jim Keeney and I will be working on lights, sound, and set this Friday and Saturday in preparation for Sunday. It never fails that a show goes into tech rehearsal on the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Many theatres put on performances on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I've always struggled with that idea. While from an audience standpoint it might do well, from a volunteer and staff standpoint having everyone give up their holiday to be at the theatre seems to be at odds for me with what community is all about. We are an organization with a mission that talks about community values and relationships.
It seems like at least once a week a decision is called for about scheduling a theatre rental during off hours, or producing a show for a special corporate event outside of our regular season. The first thing that happens in planning any of these extra events is asking volunteers and staff to give additional time to do an event. Balancing the needs of the primary program and mission of the theatre against the additional revenue brought in by additional programs. The majority of the the theatre staff puts in 50-60 hours every week. Performers in a show donate 15-30 hours a week in rehearsal time or performance times. Volunteers are coming in to help with the set construction and painting, running the lights and sound for rehearsals and events.
I often think that trying to find the right balance between income and expenses is easier than deciphering what the costs in terms of time truly are. Most people in the theatre aren't just "donating" their time. It means families are donating time to support the people producing the shows at the theatre too. We all strive to create something really special.
The only thing I know to be true is that everyone at MHT works extremely hard to accomplish so much. Other theatres are always amazed at how many shows, classes, and outreach programs we do in the course of a year. My philosophy is that when we work, we all work very hard, and when it is family time- the focus is on family. I know that I don't always live up to that ideal in my own life but I try.
My mentor in college was a professor who lived at the theatre. He had two daughters who grew up with their father always at the theatre. When I attended the memorial service for my professor, I told them how much their father had been my role model and that I had a young daughter. They both told me they wished their dad had been around a lot more during their childhood. Having a career in the arts for most people blocks out everything else in life. Families tend to suffer the most. When April and I chose to make Paducah our home 25 years ago we did it because we wanted to be part of a community and raise a family. Not because we were driven to do theatre and nothing else in life. April and I love being in theatre and doing what we do. But like all creative people. We lose track of the time involved. So even though it means we have to work that much harder to get ready for Sundays rehearsal. No one is allowed to work on Thanksgiving and the show won't open until Dec. 4. I haven't always been able to keep that promise for myself but I try.
I'll be home tomorrow eating our traditional meal and getting Christmas decorations out to put up even though we open next week. I hope that everyone gets the chance to spend time with family and friends in the true spirit of community!
Greetings will open Thursday Dec. 4 and run until Dec. 14. The theatre will close at the end of the day on Friday Dec. 19 and the staff and volunteers are off until Monday Jan. 5 to focus on family and friends.
It seems like at least once a week a decision is called for about scheduling a theatre rental during off hours, or producing a show for a special corporate event outside of our regular season. The first thing that happens in planning any of these extra events is asking volunteers and staff to give additional time to do an event. Balancing the needs of the primary program and mission of the theatre against the additional revenue brought in by additional programs. The majority of the the theatre staff puts in 50-60 hours every week. Performers in a show donate 15-30 hours a week in rehearsal time or performance times. Volunteers are coming in to help with the set construction and painting, running the lights and sound for rehearsals and events.
I often think that trying to find the right balance between income and expenses is easier than deciphering what the costs in terms of time truly are. Most people in the theatre aren't just "donating" their time. It means families are donating time to support the people producing the shows at the theatre too. We all strive to create something really special.
The only thing I know to be true is that everyone at MHT works extremely hard to accomplish so much. Other theatres are always amazed at how many shows, classes, and outreach programs we do in the course of a year. My philosophy is that when we work, we all work very hard, and when it is family time- the focus is on family. I know that I don't always live up to that ideal in my own life but I try.
My mentor in college was a professor who lived at the theatre. He had two daughters who grew up with their father always at the theatre. When I attended the memorial service for my professor, I told them how much their father had been my role model and that I had a young daughter. They both told me they wished their dad had been around a lot more during their childhood. Having a career in the arts for most people blocks out everything else in life. Families tend to suffer the most. When April and I chose to make Paducah our home 25 years ago we did it because we wanted to be part of a community and raise a family. Not because we were driven to do theatre and nothing else in life. April and I love being in theatre and doing what we do. But like all creative people. We lose track of the time involved. So even though it means we have to work that much harder to get ready for Sundays rehearsal. No one is allowed to work on Thanksgiving and the show won't open until Dec. 4. I haven't always been able to keep that promise for myself but I try.
I'll be home tomorrow eating our traditional meal and getting Christmas decorations out to put up even though we open next week. I hope that everyone gets the chance to spend time with family and friends in the true spirit of community!
Greetings will open Thursday Dec. 4 and run until Dec. 14. The theatre will close at the end of the day on Friday Dec. 19 and the staff and volunteers are off until Monday Jan. 5 to focus on family and friends.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
wrapping paper
We finished Doubt on Sunday with a good but odd performance weekend. On Sat. night one of the audience members who sat in the front row got up during the show and exited to the lobby. When they returned they happened to pick a moment when Sister Aloysius-Renie Barger, was standing just in front of the door in a tense scene with Jody and Jennifer. The person who came back in tapped Renie on the back and asked her to move so she could get back to her seat. Fortunately Renie kept right on going and a moment later Renie moved as she normally did in the scene to the other side of the office. On Sunday Jody was doing a scene with Jennifer and when he stood up and turned his back towards the audience he had a strip of glow tape firmly attached to the back of his priest robe. I thought for sure that Jennifer would see it. I also prayed that Jennifer would wait until Jody got offstage to tell him about it. Having Sister James grab Father Flynn's backside to grab a piece of glow tape wouldn't have exactly fit into the scene! When Jody returned for the next scene it had been removed. We had a small cast party after the final performance and the entire company felt really good about the production. Some plays you can really sink your teeth into and this was one of those plays. I saw all of the actors do some of their best work during the run. It was a joy to work with all of them. Jennifer started to cry every time one of the actors had to leave from the party.
Monday brought lots of work on a fundraising letter to High School Musical audiences, the final push to get my Thanksgiving cards completed and ready to mail, and play selection. The play selection group had a nice little meeting with each member bringing some food item to share. We feasted on Denise Bristol's Cocoa Crispy treats, Diane Byrd's olive spread and crackers, Valerie Pollard's chocolate dessert squares, Mary Margaret Hoffman's fruit platter, and I provided a bottle of wine along with Valerie. We talked about some of the new plays that we were reading. One of them is by the playwright from Smoke on the Mountain called Wedding Belles. Another play that has had positive reviews this year has been Christmas Belles. Several of us like the play Escanaba in da Moonlight about deer hunters in northern Michigan written by actor and playwright Jeff Daniels. We all joked that if we did Escanaba we would have to find a way to make it Escanaba Belles in da Moonlight.
Jim worked on redoing some of the broken dry wall around the two balcony doors in the large apartment that we are trying to rent out as of Dec. 1. It is the last of the repairs before after having had the outside of the building re-tuck pointed. Marsha was in working on the database for the fundraising letter that Cindy Miller and I have been crafting. It takes at least a week and several re-writes to make the case for support without it being too wordy or too harsh. I always look at what everyone else is doing to see if there are better ways for us to make our case. As I was writing this letter it occurred to me that many people don't know that MHT gives hundreds of tickets a year to other organizations for auctions to raise money for food pantries, school projects, cancer walks, and dozens of other needs in our community. Being a member of this community doesn't just mean that we receive when it comes to donations, we must also give from the theatre to help others in need. We give of our talents and our hard work so that others may benefit.
Maybe it is just because it is Thanksgiving (which is my favorite holiday of the year) but I 've been thinking a lot about community. I think the words community theatre have gotten a bad rap. I know that we often produce plays with as much talent and production quality as professional theatres. But the real thing that makes community theatre special is the cross section of people who come together and create something. These people give of their time and talents to make this a better place for our need to tell stories that matter and create laughter and tears. I received a comment from someone who came to see Doubt that they are always so impressed by how much talent is present in our community. They wished that they had grown up in a place with the opportunities that we have here for theatre, for music, and for art. It is a very special place in which any one of any age can develop and share the talents that have inside with others. That is the real gift of community and community theatre. It is such a gift to be a part of something special like that uplifts our whole community. As I wrote my "Thanks Giving" cards I was moved by the number of people who have supported this little theatre for so many years. They have become not just supporters and patrons but friends.
On behalf of the theatre- Thank you to everyone who gives of themselves in this community to make this a better place to live. For me personally- Thank you to all of the people who have let me be present as you shared your talents with others. It has been a true blessing.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday brought lots of work on a fundraising letter to High School Musical audiences, the final push to get my Thanksgiving cards completed and ready to mail, and play selection. The play selection group had a nice little meeting with each member bringing some food item to share. We feasted on Denise Bristol's Cocoa Crispy treats, Diane Byrd's olive spread and crackers, Valerie Pollard's chocolate dessert squares, Mary Margaret Hoffman's fruit platter, and I provided a bottle of wine along with Valerie. We talked about some of the new plays that we were reading. One of them is by the playwright from Smoke on the Mountain called Wedding Belles. Another play that has had positive reviews this year has been Christmas Belles. Several of us like the play Escanaba in da Moonlight about deer hunters in northern Michigan written by actor and playwright Jeff Daniels. We all joked that if we did Escanaba we would have to find a way to make it Escanaba Belles in da Moonlight.
Jim worked on redoing some of the broken dry wall around the two balcony doors in the large apartment that we are trying to rent out as of Dec. 1. It is the last of the repairs before after having had the outside of the building re-tuck pointed. Marsha was in working on the database for the fundraising letter that Cindy Miller and I have been crafting. It takes at least a week and several re-writes to make the case for support without it being too wordy or too harsh. I always look at what everyone else is doing to see if there are better ways for us to make our case. As I was writing this letter it occurred to me that many people don't know that MHT gives hundreds of tickets a year to other organizations for auctions to raise money for food pantries, school projects, cancer walks, and dozens of other needs in our community. Being a member of this community doesn't just mean that we receive when it comes to donations, we must also give from the theatre to help others in need. We give of our talents and our hard work so that others may benefit.
Maybe it is just because it is Thanksgiving (which is my favorite holiday of the year) but I 've been thinking a lot about community. I think the words community theatre have gotten a bad rap. I know that we often produce plays with as much talent and production quality as professional theatres. But the real thing that makes community theatre special is the cross section of people who come together and create something. These people give of their time and talents to make this a better place for our need to tell stories that matter and create laughter and tears. I received a comment from someone who came to see Doubt that they are always so impressed by how much talent is present in our community. They wished that they had grown up in a place with the opportunities that we have here for theatre, for music, and for art. It is a very special place in which any one of any age can develop and share the talents that have inside with others. That is the real gift of community and community theatre. It is such a gift to be a part of something special like that uplifts our whole community. As I wrote my "Thanks Giving" cards I was moved by the number of people who have supported this little theatre for so many years. They have become not just supporters and patrons but friends.
On behalf of the theatre- Thank you to everyone who gives of themselves in this community to make this a better place to live. For me personally- Thank you to all of the people who have let me be present as you shared your talents with others. It has been a true blessing.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
On your mark, get set....
We enter the final weekend of Doubt, next weekend is the tech rehearsal for Greetings, the Designer Home Tour is the following week, and the after show Greetings party and final weekend of performances is the week after. ......Go!
Last night the theatre held its monthly board meeting. We usually meet the 4th Wednesday of the month but because of Thanksgiving we moved this month and next month up a week. The board of directors discussed several fundraisers that are about to happen and some still in the planning stages. Randy Davis has been hard at work getting the houses lined up for the Holiday Designer Home Tour. That happens Dec. 7 from 2-5 pm. The Gault home with designer Laura Kaufmann and In Bloom, the McGinty home with designer Betty Hall of the Green Door, and the Graves home with designer John P. Gust. Board members signed up to volunteer at the different houses during the event to act as guides and ticket sellers. Sarah Bynum echoed the sentiment of everyone wanting to know if she could clone herself to work at all the houses to see all the beautiful decorations. Several board members will all pitch in to decorate and host the Greetings after show party on Dec. 12 & 13. We will serve wassel with rum for those who want and without for those who don't along with lots of sweet holiday goodies to eat. We talked about the planning for the big Wizard of Oz auction on Feb. 13.
Like all organizations the theatre is looking at ways to trim our expenses at this difficult economic time. That is hard to do since we start with a trimmed budget but you have to get creative. We removed telephone lines from the classroom, scene shop and main building since April, Jim and the box office are using cell phones when operating out of those buildings. I've been on an energy hunt replacing most of the light bulbs with incandescent lights. We are changing over thermostats to programmable ones to help keep building heating and cooling more efficient. Everything from how much paper we use to making sure computers are turned off at night instead of leaving them on are all being implemented.
We cancelled the performance of Doubt for Thursday night. Ticket sales for that evening were not enough to cover the cost of the performance. The ticket holders on that night were all able to move to a different performance this weekend where ticket sales are much stronger. This was another cost based decision. The cast will use tonight as a brush up rehearsal instead of a performance. Unfortunately because of keeping costs as low as possible we had no money to purchase advertising for Doubt and have relied solely on press releases and word of mouth. The show is wonderful and you won't want to miss it if you have any chance of coming on this final weekend.
Greetings is moving into its last couple of weeks. It is interesting working with two shows that both have religious ideas at the same time. Both shows are very different but have a couple of things in common. Doubt lets us look at situations where there are multiple truths and nothing is black and white as much as we would like that simplicity. Greetings brings into view a family dynamic that looks at a miracle from different perspectives. Is it truly a miracle? Is it just a bizarre occurrence? Is it imagination? For the faithful it is a sign from God. For the doubting it is a bizarre coincidence. It is up to the audience to make the final decision.
The process of getting to that decision is where the play takes place. Just like the world around us we have to interpret what we see with the limited knowledge that we have. I am in the fourth and final year of a course from Sewanee Theological Seminary. It is a course for lay people to study and deepen their faith. One of the philosophers this year has been Kierkegaard. He made a statement that if God held the ultimate truth in one hand and the search for truth in the other that he would choose the search for truth. Because having the ultimate truth is too difficult for us and only God can comprehend it. Greetings and Doubt both search for the truth, but neither play wraps up everything like a TV sitcom by the final commercial break. We are left to use our minds and our own understanding of faith to move on. The joy of Greetings is that the playwright has looked at this from a humorous point of view. You laugh and have to think about it at the same time!
I have been handwriting Thanksgiving cards every night this week to the donors and sponsors of the theatre. This is very labor intensive but I find that it is really something I enjoy doing. Some of the names have been supporting the theatre since I first began working here. Other names are ones who not only donate to the theatre but are in the audience for every show. Still others are individuals and families who volunteer, attend shows and donate. It feels like writing to lifelong friends. This theatre is blessed by so many wonderful people who give of themselves and believe in sharing the talents of local people with the community. I feel at a loss for words to express my deep gratitude and appreciation of how special all these people are. It truly is a Thanks-giving for me personally and the theatre to have so many people who have made our community a better place and whose presence has blessed me personally.
I feel like I should say Amen to end this!
Last night the theatre held its monthly board meeting. We usually meet the 4th Wednesday of the month but because of Thanksgiving we moved this month and next month up a week. The board of directors discussed several fundraisers that are about to happen and some still in the planning stages. Randy Davis has been hard at work getting the houses lined up for the Holiday Designer Home Tour. That happens Dec. 7 from 2-5 pm. The Gault home with designer Laura Kaufmann and In Bloom, the McGinty home with designer Betty Hall of the Green Door, and the Graves home with designer John P. Gust. Board members signed up to volunteer at the different houses during the event to act as guides and ticket sellers. Sarah Bynum echoed the sentiment of everyone wanting to know if she could clone herself to work at all the houses to see all the beautiful decorations. Several board members will all pitch in to decorate and host the Greetings after show party on Dec. 12 & 13. We will serve wassel with rum for those who want and without for those who don't along with lots of sweet holiday goodies to eat. We talked about the planning for the big Wizard of Oz auction on Feb. 13.
Like all organizations the theatre is looking at ways to trim our expenses at this difficult economic time. That is hard to do since we start with a trimmed budget but you have to get creative. We removed telephone lines from the classroom, scene shop and main building since April, Jim and the box office are using cell phones when operating out of those buildings. I've been on an energy hunt replacing most of the light bulbs with incandescent lights. We are changing over thermostats to programmable ones to help keep building heating and cooling more efficient. Everything from how much paper we use to making sure computers are turned off at night instead of leaving them on are all being implemented.
We cancelled the performance of Doubt for Thursday night. Ticket sales for that evening were not enough to cover the cost of the performance. The ticket holders on that night were all able to move to a different performance this weekend where ticket sales are much stronger. This was another cost based decision. The cast will use tonight as a brush up rehearsal instead of a performance. Unfortunately because of keeping costs as low as possible we had no money to purchase advertising for Doubt and have relied solely on press releases and word of mouth. The show is wonderful and you won't want to miss it if you have any chance of coming on this final weekend.
Greetings is moving into its last couple of weeks. It is interesting working with two shows that both have religious ideas at the same time. Both shows are very different but have a couple of things in common. Doubt lets us look at situations where there are multiple truths and nothing is black and white as much as we would like that simplicity. Greetings brings into view a family dynamic that looks at a miracle from different perspectives. Is it truly a miracle? Is it just a bizarre occurrence? Is it imagination? For the faithful it is a sign from God. For the doubting it is a bizarre coincidence. It is up to the audience to make the final decision.
The process of getting to that decision is where the play takes place. Just like the world around us we have to interpret what we see with the limited knowledge that we have. I am in the fourth and final year of a course from Sewanee Theological Seminary. It is a course for lay people to study and deepen their faith. One of the philosophers this year has been Kierkegaard. He made a statement that if God held the ultimate truth in one hand and the search for truth in the other that he would choose the search for truth. Because having the ultimate truth is too difficult for us and only God can comprehend it. Greetings and Doubt both search for the truth, but neither play wraps up everything like a TV sitcom by the final commercial break. We are left to use our minds and our own understanding of faith to move on. The joy of Greetings is that the playwright has looked at this from a humorous point of view. You laugh and have to think about it at the same time!
I have been handwriting Thanksgiving cards every night this week to the donors and sponsors of the theatre. This is very labor intensive but I find that it is really something I enjoy doing. Some of the names have been supporting the theatre since I first began working here. Other names are ones who not only donate to the theatre but are in the audience for every show. Still others are individuals and families who volunteer, attend shows and donate. It feels like writing to lifelong friends. This theatre is blessed by so many wonderful people who give of themselves and believe in sharing the talents of local people with the community. I feel at a loss for words to express my deep gratitude and appreciation of how special all these people are. It truly is a Thanks-giving for me personally and the theatre to have so many people who have made our community a better place and whose presence has blessed me personally.
I feel like I should say Amen to end this!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Highs Lows Pride
Getting to the opening of Doubt has been filled with highs lows and pride.
On Tuesday Todd Hatton of WKMS came and recorded parts of the show to air on the Front Page of WKMS today. He did a nice interview and you can hear it on www.wkms.org and click on the Front Page for Friday Nov. 14. Mary Thorsby also came and took photos and interviewed some of the cast for www.ilistpaducah.com .
Trying to promote this show has been difficult. We have no money in the budget to market the show since it is in the Studio Theatre and the seating is very limited. We rely primarily on word of mouth and all the free sources we can get.
I spent most of yesterday, opening night, working on Greetings, the newsletter, postcards, and banners for the mainstage show. At 6:30 pm I walked into the studio theatre to prepare for the show and Alexis asked me where the programs were. I had completely forgotten to create them. I ran back to my office and pulled together all the information and put it into a format to print. Of course the printer decided to not cooperate and I had to export the program to a pdf file and then print it from that. Needless to say it was 7:10 when the programs were run back down the street to the studio theatre. In the mean time Dvonne Miller knocked on the office door while I was creating the program to remind me she need a purse and Jennifer Carder needed a gold band ring to wear as Sister James. I ran to costume storage and of course couldn't find any of what I was looking for. I ran back to the studio and told Dvonne to just go on without the purse. I was the one who told her the night before that she needed it. I took my wedding ring off and gave it to Jennifer to wear making her promise to give it back to me at the end of the performance. Next Wednesday is April and my 25th Wedding Anniversary. Then I made the tea for the tea scene for the show and called places in time to run out front, do a little curtain speech welcoming the audience and then run sound for the production. I was wiped out before the show started. The cast did a great job and the small audience for opening night was very enthusiastic. Many of the shows more humorous moments came through and had the audience laughing and then riveted by the drama which followed.
As I got my ring back at the end of the show I thought back about other shows I've been in. I've literally given an actor the shoes off my feet so that he could perform. (That night I did the curtain speech in the mainstage in my sock feet- no one noticed.) I've given the shirt I was wearing to a different actor at another time who forgot to bring back in his dress shirt and only had a t-shirt. I've even given my socks for one actor who forgot dark socks and wore white socks. Most of the furniture pieces at our home have been onstage in a set at some point. I remember having one actor who was ill and I grabbed a quick costume out of the costume shop to run over and play the part. This was supposed to be a much younger character. I grabbed a men's wig out of the costume shop as well. I now have an emergency costume and wig in my office just in case. (Black shoes, black pants, white shirt) Hmmmm it strikes me that other business people probably couldn't (or wouldn't) say that.
Last night during the performance of Doubt the actors were exploring their characters in new ways. It is always great to see actors discovering new things about their characters during the run of a show. The really good actors are always finding something new. A new way to say a line that makes more sense. A look or an expression here or there.
Story Theatre is out on tour and on Thursday they did 3 shows- one in South Fulton TN and two in Murray, KY. The cast was exhausted. They left Paducah at 7 am on Thursday morning to start the days tour.
I'm trying to work out the details for a murder mystery show for a local High School in early December. We are also looking at dates and shows for another High School for the class fundraiser. We've done it for them twice before.
I'm spending the rest of today printing more programs for Doubt and replacing incandescent lights with fluorescent lights-trying to save the theatre money on utilities.
On Tuesday Todd Hatton of WKMS came and recorded parts of the show to air on the Front Page of WKMS today. He did a nice interview and you can hear it on www.wkms.org and click on the Front Page for Friday Nov. 14. Mary Thorsby also came and took photos and interviewed some of the cast for www.ilistpaducah.com .
Trying to promote this show has been difficult. We have no money in the budget to market the show since it is in the Studio Theatre and the seating is very limited. We rely primarily on word of mouth and all the free sources we can get.
I spent most of yesterday, opening night, working on Greetings, the newsletter, postcards, and banners for the mainstage show. At 6:30 pm I walked into the studio theatre to prepare for the show and Alexis asked me where the programs were. I had completely forgotten to create them. I ran back to my office and pulled together all the information and put it into a format to print. Of course the printer decided to not cooperate and I had to export the program to a pdf file and then print it from that. Needless to say it was 7:10 when the programs were run back down the street to the studio theatre. In the mean time Dvonne Miller knocked on the office door while I was creating the program to remind me she need a purse and Jennifer Carder needed a gold band ring to wear as Sister James. I ran to costume storage and of course couldn't find any of what I was looking for. I ran back to the studio and told Dvonne to just go on without the purse. I was the one who told her the night before that she needed it. I took my wedding ring off and gave it to Jennifer to wear making her promise to give it back to me at the end of the performance. Next Wednesday is April and my 25th Wedding Anniversary. Then I made the tea for the tea scene for the show and called places in time to run out front, do a little curtain speech welcoming the audience and then run sound for the production. I was wiped out before the show started. The cast did a great job and the small audience for opening night was very enthusiastic. Many of the shows more humorous moments came through and had the audience laughing and then riveted by the drama which followed.
As I got my ring back at the end of the show I thought back about other shows I've been in. I've literally given an actor the shoes off my feet so that he could perform. (That night I did the curtain speech in the mainstage in my sock feet- no one noticed.) I've given the shirt I was wearing to a different actor at another time who forgot to bring back in his dress shirt and only had a t-shirt. I've even given my socks for one actor who forgot dark socks and wore white socks. Most of the furniture pieces at our home have been onstage in a set at some point. I remember having one actor who was ill and I grabbed a quick costume out of the costume shop to run over and play the part. This was supposed to be a much younger character. I grabbed a men's wig out of the costume shop as well. I now have an emergency costume and wig in my office just in case. (Black shoes, black pants, white shirt) Hmmmm it strikes me that other business people probably couldn't (or wouldn't) say that.
Last night during the performance of Doubt the actors were exploring their characters in new ways. It is always great to see actors discovering new things about their characters during the run of a show. The really good actors are always finding something new. A new way to say a line that makes more sense. A look or an expression here or there.
Story Theatre is out on tour and on Thursday they did 3 shows- one in South Fulton TN and two in Murray, KY. The cast was exhausted. They left Paducah at 7 am on Thursday morning to start the days tour.
I'm trying to work out the details for a murder mystery show for a local High School in early December. We are also looking at dates and shows for another High School for the class fundraiser. We've done it for them twice before.
I'm spending the rest of today printing more programs for Doubt and replacing incandescent lights with fluorescent lights-trying to save the theatre money on utilities.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Off and running
Story Theatre had its first performance at Clark school last Friday. April is continuing to do some adjusting here and there with how the performers interact with audience in order to minimize the "boot scooting" as April calls it. Times in the show when the kids start to scoot or get unfocused. Sometimes it can be as simple as a big gesture to replace small movements that get the kids attention back. Story theatre performed this morning at Maple Grove Elementary by the Joppa Power plant. This afternoon they performed at St. Marys. April said the few small changes they made after the morning show really made a big difference in the afternoon show.
Jim and I went to the warehouse this afternoon and brought back a couch, dining room table and a couple of flats for the set for Greetings. Tonight was the first night on the main stage with the show. We have set up the basic wall structure and platforms for the show.
Play selection met today and the committee members reviewed several plays under consideration. We are still about a month and a half from selecting the final season. A discussion was held at the meeting about audience members accepting certain shows. It will be critical for the theatre next year to select plays that actors want to audition for as well as audiences want to see.
I recently read an article in drama biz magazine discussing that theatre should have a freedom of expression policy. Some of the questions in this policy would address how we respond to complaints from audience members, the use of warning labels on promotional materials, what criteria the theatre uses to judge whether a play can be presented on our stage. Last year the selection committee looked at several plays that were popular in other community theatres around the country. One of the surprises was that plays like The Full Monty were big hits- even in what was considered conservative areas. Another popular play is Urinetown, a very funny and provocative musical about a water shortage where a local utility company charges people to urinate. One of the big production numbers is "You gotta pay to Pee". Plays like La Cage Aux Folles which has a large list of gay characters (many people know the story as The Birdcage with Robin Williams from the movie adaptation) have been big hits for several years. Avenue Q is available to community theatres now. Avenue Q is a big musical that has puppets like Sesame street but with a definitely adult theme. One of the big opening numbers for Avenue Q is "It sucks to be me!" The age old question is still- do we select a season to sell as a package of shows for season tickets or appeal to single ticket buyers on a show by show basis? With all these questions selecting plays is not something that is taken lightly. We can recover from one or two badly attended shows, but not three or four badly attended shows. Our next meeting is 2 weeks from today.
Doubt had its tech rehearsal last night and its dress rehearsal tonight. The cast has been working hard and doing a good job. We still have several technical details to finish before the show opens Thursday night.
Jim and I went to the warehouse this afternoon and brought back a couch, dining room table and a couple of flats for the set for Greetings. Tonight was the first night on the main stage with the show. We have set up the basic wall structure and platforms for the show.
Play selection met today and the committee members reviewed several plays under consideration. We are still about a month and a half from selecting the final season. A discussion was held at the meeting about audience members accepting certain shows. It will be critical for the theatre next year to select plays that actors want to audition for as well as audiences want to see.
I recently read an article in drama biz magazine discussing that theatre should have a freedom of expression policy. Some of the questions in this policy would address how we respond to complaints from audience members, the use of warning labels on promotional materials, what criteria the theatre uses to judge whether a play can be presented on our stage. Last year the selection committee looked at several plays that were popular in other community theatres around the country. One of the surprises was that plays like The Full Monty were big hits- even in what was considered conservative areas. Another popular play is Urinetown, a very funny and provocative musical about a water shortage where a local utility company charges people to urinate. One of the big production numbers is "You gotta pay to Pee". Plays like La Cage Aux Folles which has a large list of gay characters (many people know the story as The Birdcage with Robin Williams from the movie adaptation) have been big hits for several years. Avenue Q is available to community theatres now. Avenue Q is a big musical that has puppets like Sesame street but with a definitely adult theme. One of the big opening numbers for Avenue Q is "It sucks to be me!" The age old question is still- do we select a season to sell as a package of shows for season tickets or appeal to single ticket buyers on a show by show basis? With all these questions selecting plays is not something that is taken lightly. We can recover from one or two badly attended shows, but not three or four badly attended shows. Our next meeting is 2 weeks from today.
Doubt had its tech rehearsal last night and its dress rehearsal tonight. The cast has been working hard and doing a good job. We still have several technical details to finish before the show opens Thursday night.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
quick turn around
The songs from High School Musical are still running through my head as we prepare for 3 shows in rapid succession. This morning is the final rehearsal for the Fall Story Theatre Tour. Currently the True Story of the Tortoise and the Hare set is on the mainstage. A few step units from High School Musical are still pushed to the back of the stage along with the flats (walls). Greetings moves from the classroom to the main stage tonight. Jim and I spent a couple of hours at the warehouse on Tuesday loading stock doors and their frames into the theatre van to use in Greetings. That means a big push today to get the stage ready for the Greetings cast. In addition I have to move most of the lights back to the studio today along with the sound system to get ready for Tech on Sunday of Doubt. Doubt opens one week from today. Doubt rehearsals have been moving along very well. The rehearsals were put on hold for a week while High School Musical was in its final prep week. The cast for Doubt was getting nervous about the opening. We have been rehearsing from 7 pm - 10 pm each night this past week. Renie and Jennifer have been wearing the rehearsal bonnets the last couple of days. Renie said it is like having blinders on. You can't see to the sides and everything seems to sound different because your head is in a cone. Kind of like a radar that you have to point in certain directions to hear and see. The last couple of nights we have made lots of discoveries with each of the characters. What we thought was the ideas behind certain lines have given way to different ideas and a deeper meaning. A great play is like peeling an onion. It has layers that we keep trying to peel back to get to the very center. (Suddenly the argument in Shrek about layers pops into my head.) Jody worked on the basketball monologue last night. He laughed and said his father would get a big kick out of watching him playing the basketball coach.
It is funny how sometimes things go from one show to the next. I played a basketball coach in the last show and Jody plays Father Flynn who is the basketball coach in this show. We had two sign language interpreters for many years who discovered that in almost every children's show the word chicken was always in it somehow. The one interpreter would always end up flapping her arms to say chicken at some point in every show.
Marsha Cash boxed up all the scripts, music and materials that we rented to produce High School Musical and those will be shipped back to Music Theatre International today. We also boxed up all the unsold Sharpay hats to send back to Heartland Costumes. This past weekend a group from a theatre who will produce High School Musical in about two months came to watch our production. They are interested in renting the tables and benches that we built for the show. Jim has already stored those at the warehouse for future use.
I went to the insurance agent yesterday and worked through all of the details to renew our current policies. Our policies cost the theatre just under $18,000 a year for all the things that we do. Our policy actually went down a little from last year so that is great news! Part of our policy is based on the number of admissions to the theatre. If we have a great year it costs us more in liability insurance. Two years ago was a huge year with Beauty and the Beast. Last year was a little lower so the the cost went down. Success costs!
If you drive by the office building on Kentucky Avenue you will see scaffolds up. A crew is tuck pointing the side of the building. They should be finished by Monday.
The board of directors are working on finalizing the last designer home for the Christmas Tour of homes.
It is funny how sometimes things go from one show to the next. I played a basketball coach in the last show and Jody plays Father Flynn who is the basketball coach in this show. We had two sign language interpreters for many years who discovered that in almost every children's show the word chicken was always in it somehow. The one interpreter would always end up flapping her arms to say chicken at some point in every show.
Marsha Cash boxed up all the scripts, music and materials that we rented to produce High School Musical and those will be shipped back to Music Theatre International today. We also boxed up all the unsold Sharpay hats to send back to Heartland Costumes. This past weekend a group from a theatre who will produce High School Musical in about two months came to watch our production. They are interested in renting the tables and benches that we built for the show. Jim has already stored those at the warehouse for future use.
I went to the insurance agent yesterday and worked through all of the details to renew our current policies. Our policies cost the theatre just under $18,000 a year for all the things that we do. Our policy actually went down a little from last year so that is great news! Part of our policy is based on the number of admissions to the theatre. If we have a great year it costs us more in liability insurance. Two years ago was a huge year with Beauty and the Beast. Last year was a little lower so the the cost went down. Success costs!
If you drive by the office building on Kentucky Avenue you will see scaffolds up. A crew is tuck pointing the side of the building. They should be finished by Monday.
The board of directors are working on finalizing the last designer home for the Christmas Tour of homes.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Personal Anniversary
Today marks 25 years to the day that I started at Market House Theatre.
At this moment in my history with MHT I'm currently acting in the show High School Musical as Coach Bolton; I've designed the scenery and the lighting for the show as well; I'm directing Doubt- A Parable which opens Nov. 13 along with designing the sets and lights for that production; I'm designing the sets and lights for the play Greetings which open Dec. 4; and I'm still working up the sound equipment for The True Story of the Tortoise and the Hare which starts touring 3 states Nov. 7.
Yesterday morning as I was pulling the curtains open to start the school matinee performance of High School Musical I was thinking about standing in that corner of the stage next to the same brick wall in the theatre 25 years ago looking at the same broken brick in the wall that hasn't changed. I've changed in many ways. On my first day I was single. I was getting married two weeks later. I had a full head of hair and a full beard. Life was stretched out before me and it was a new adventure in something called community theatre. I planned to stay in Paducah maybe a year or two before taking another theatre job on my way to what I thought was going to be a career in professional theatre.
My first play at MHT was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I designed the costumes, sets, lights, and sound for the production. It was also my first children's theatre production that I had designed. Next March I will have worked on over 400 productions at MHT since that first day.
Those 400 shows have taken a toll in the lines around my eyes and the gray hair in my beard. My back goes out more often than it did when I first started. (It was just out this past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and just started to feel good again Thursday.) I wear glasses now with bi-focals so that I can see my script and see the stage sitting in the audience. I've lost the extreme high end of my hearing so that very high pitches are unheard by me. My hands and knees ache from arthritis when the weather is changing. After climbing ladders hanging lights I wake up in the night with leg cramps more often than I used to. I can't blame all those things on 400 productions, but they certainly contributed. But despite the aches and pains I still find myself thinking about the same things that I did that first day at MHT on Nov. 1, 1983. How to make Market House Theatre a better place. I also find myself constantly refreshed by the really wonderful people who volunteer at this place. Many of the adults who now participate in the theatre and grew up doing shows at MHT have never known the theatre without April and Michael. Having been here for 25 years now I know that someday April and I will move from making history at MHT to being a part of its history along with all of the others who gave of themselves to make this theatre something special. We will be in good company.
As I mark this anniversary I look back at all the people who I've had the great gift of knowing. Some of those people have passed away and others are young kids just starting out in the world. All I can say is that there have been great times in my life in Paducah as well as really tough times. But through it all it were the people who made this place special. It is only fitting that my first show at MHT was a show with youth acting in it (Jeri Ryan, Patrick Kerr Jr, Glen Denton were all elementary school kids) and this show today has over 30 middle and high school students. I never ceased to be impressed with the talent and dedication of the kids and adults who work on the shows here. Twenty five years ago I thought I was stopping off in Paducah for a brief time before heading off to New York and a professional career. The people who I have had the gift of getting to know at MHT have made my 25 years something more precious to me than any career in professional theatre ever would have given me. With time comes wisdom and that is something I know is true. Thank you to all of you who have given me a life in the theatre and in a community that I am truly grateful for.
At this moment in my history with MHT I'm currently acting in the show High School Musical as Coach Bolton; I've designed the scenery and the lighting for the show as well; I'm directing Doubt- A Parable which opens Nov. 13 along with designing the sets and lights for that production; I'm designing the sets and lights for the play Greetings which open Dec. 4; and I'm still working up the sound equipment for The True Story of the Tortoise and the Hare which starts touring 3 states Nov. 7.
Yesterday morning as I was pulling the curtains open to start the school matinee performance of High School Musical I was thinking about standing in that corner of the stage next to the same brick wall in the theatre 25 years ago looking at the same broken brick in the wall that hasn't changed. I've changed in many ways. On my first day I was single. I was getting married two weeks later. I had a full head of hair and a full beard. Life was stretched out before me and it was a new adventure in something called community theatre. I planned to stay in Paducah maybe a year or two before taking another theatre job on my way to what I thought was going to be a career in professional theatre.
My first play at MHT was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I designed the costumes, sets, lights, and sound for the production. It was also my first children's theatre production that I had designed. Next March I will have worked on over 400 productions at MHT since that first day.
Those 400 shows have taken a toll in the lines around my eyes and the gray hair in my beard. My back goes out more often than it did when I first started. (It was just out this past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and just started to feel good again Thursday.) I wear glasses now with bi-focals so that I can see my script and see the stage sitting in the audience. I've lost the extreme high end of my hearing so that very high pitches are unheard by me. My hands and knees ache from arthritis when the weather is changing. After climbing ladders hanging lights I wake up in the night with leg cramps more often than I used to. I can't blame all those things on 400 productions, but they certainly contributed. But despite the aches and pains I still find myself thinking about the same things that I did that first day at MHT on Nov. 1, 1983. How to make Market House Theatre a better place. I also find myself constantly refreshed by the really wonderful people who volunteer at this place. Many of the adults who now participate in the theatre and grew up doing shows at MHT have never known the theatre without April and Michael. Having been here for 25 years now I know that someday April and I will move from making history at MHT to being a part of its history along with all of the others who gave of themselves to make this theatre something special. We will be in good company.
As I mark this anniversary I look back at all the people who I've had the great gift of knowing. Some of those people have passed away and others are young kids just starting out in the world. All I can say is that there have been great times in my life in Paducah as well as really tough times. But through it all it were the people who made this place special. It is only fitting that my first show at MHT was a show with youth acting in it (Jeri Ryan, Patrick Kerr Jr, Glen Denton were all elementary school kids) and this show today has over 30 middle and high school students. I never ceased to be impressed with the talent and dedication of the kids and adults who work on the shows here. Twenty five years ago I thought I was stopping off in Paducah for a brief time before heading off to New York and a professional career. The people who I have had the gift of getting to know at MHT have made my 25 years something more precious to me than any career in professional theatre ever would have given me. With time comes wisdom and that is something I know is true. Thank you to all of you who have given me a life in the theatre and in a community that I am truly grateful for.
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