With the weather forecast we are all holding our breath. With opening night Thursday bad weather can really hurt the box office. Sometimes just the threat of bad weather is enough to effect attendance. Even if we have good weather on Thursday we still have rehearsals, today through Wednesday before the opening. Each of these rehearsals is critical to getting the show open. Each night the actors and tech crews refine and polish the show. I absolutely hate weeks like this when bad weather is predicted for an opening. It's tough enough opening a show without the added element of weather.
Saturday was spent setting the lights, sound and special effects for Southern Comforts. Jim Keeney has built a rain unit so that during the play when a rain storm comes up the audience will see it rain outside the windows of the set. The only problem we had, was the rain unit really sounds like rain and the actors on the stage have to talk really loud to be heard over it. We are trying to adjust the volume of water falling into the plastic tray that recycles the water back to the pump and up to the pipe above the windows. We are using an old sump pump that I donated to the theatre to pump the water through a hose up to the pipe.
We are having to work to reduce glare on the windows we used for the set. They are reflecting all of the stage lights into the audience. If we cover the windows with drapes then you don't see the rain and we are back to square one. Jim is building a tombstone today which is used in the show. The character Tom Dolan plays is a stone mason. We are also trying to figure out how to get large bookcases loaded with books on and off the stage easily.
Kelley Elder came in yesterday to help Tom with his age makeup. Kelley has lots of experience doing a one man Mark Twain show and is very experienced with age makeup. Pam Benzing is stage managing the show for the first time. She is learning all the ins and outs of calling cues and the timing of special effects. Susan Anderson who is a veteran light board operator and Jaimie Smith who is also a veteran sound board operator are working the show. Betty Wise will fill in for Jaimie on Sundays. There are 7 people who need to be here every night this week to get the show open besides the actors Tom Dolan and Renie Barger. Tom and Renie are doing a great job with the play, but still need those last couple of rehearsals before opening to get the final bugs out.
A big thank you goes to Dick Holland, Don Barger and their committee who prepared a great meal for the cast and crew after yesterdays Tech rehearsal. The food as always was great!
There is a board meeting on Wednesday evening. This is the final board meeting before the big fundraiser auction on Feb. 13. Lots of last minute details are still being finalized for the auction. I'm hoping the weather is okay on that night as well. April is rehearsing Ramona Quimby every day at 5pm so the weather is involved for the 30+ kids cast in that show as well. Two of the staff- Marsha and Janice live out of town and are making alternative plans for traveling to and from work if the weather turns bad.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Adult Acting Class Idea
I'm contemplating offering a 1 hour adult acting/directing class on Saturday mornings from 9-10 am. Several times over the past couple of years I've had actors ask me how to improve their acting skills. My idea for a class would be work on a different method of acting/directing each week. I'm down at the theatre every Saturday morning during this time waiting for my daughter Jade while she takes footlights classes. I'm thinking I could offer this class similar to the footlights schedule on a trimester basis. I'm wondering how many people would be interested in this class. Please email me at m.cochran@mhtplay.com if you are interested in a class like this. If I get enough interest I will develop the class.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Having Our Say
Today I sat with Renie Barger who was the director for Having Our Say. We had to make the difficult decision to cancel the production. We were unable to coordinate schedules with the talented people who auditioned and with the need to review all expenditures at this time we decided to cancel the production at the present time. I sincerely hope that we will be able to produce this wonderful show at some point in the future. At the present time our expenses for doing this show in the studio theatre and doing adequate marketing both free and paid are greater than the income from the box office and sponsor.
I have spoken to several other business people and we are all unsure of the economy at the present time. We could have a good year or a really bad year. We don't know yet. We have seen a slight drop in ticket sales for some plays while at the same time seeing an increase in the cost of royalties, marketing and materials. Our Adult studio productions with a sponsorship are budgeted to break even. With the increased costs and smaller audiences for our studio shows we are having a more difficult time producing shows in the studio. We tried to produce Doubt using all the free marketing that we could get. We got lots of great publicity from Ilistpaducah, WKMS, and a nice feature story in the Paducah Sun, but it still was less audience members for the entire run of our studio show than one sold out performance of Doubt-the Movie at the Maiden Alley Cinema. It was at that point that we decided to look closely at what we are producing and consider redistributing our limited funds into the major productions still planned for the season.
It is a tough decision but one that is the responsible decision. My personal thanks to the three ladies who auditioned for the show and to Renie Barger for all the prep work she put in. I hope that next season or two we can look at possibly producing this show again.
I have spoken to several other business people and we are all unsure of the economy at the present time. We could have a good year or a really bad year. We don't know yet. We have seen a slight drop in ticket sales for some plays while at the same time seeing an increase in the cost of royalties, marketing and materials. Our Adult studio productions with a sponsorship are budgeted to break even. With the increased costs and smaller audiences for our studio shows we are having a more difficult time producing shows in the studio. We tried to produce Doubt using all the free marketing that we could get. We got lots of great publicity from Ilistpaducah, WKMS, and a nice feature story in the Paducah Sun, but it still was less audience members for the entire run of our studio show than one sold out performance of Doubt-the Movie at the Maiden Alley Cinema. It was at that point that we decided to look closely at what we are producing and consider redistributing our limited funds into the major productions still planned for the season.
It is a tough decision but one that is the responsible decision. My personal thanks to the three ladies who auditioned for the show and to Renie Barger for all the prep work she put in. I hope that next season or two we can look at possibly producing this show again.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
tough decisions
There are weeks when everything goes smoothly and then weeks when every day brings a new challenge. This was a new challenge week. I finally finished casting the Wizard of Oz almost a week after the call backs. I always tell people that this is a hard job. Some weeks are harder than others. Over the course of 25 years with the theatre I have become friends with many of the people who are cast in the plays. I celebrate with them in the joys of their successes and my heart aches along with them when they are not cast. It seems that casting musicals is always harder on everyone than casting a non musical.
I received a nice email of support from one of the auditionees for the Wizard of Oz that put it succinctly- posting a cast list will make some people happy, some people sad, and some people angry. The stereotype of community theatre as a “clique” has a reason behind it I think. It is much easier for directors to cast all of the people you know in parts and that way you never have to worry about someone being upset with you.
But in order to operate a successful community theatre, it means that you have to encourage new people to audition and give them a real opportunity to get cast in a show in a lead role. Everyone has to be equal in the casting process. In that process you must be willing to disappoint and hurt the feelings of people that you have known for years in order to give a chance to people you’ve never met. I have a calendar note posted on the wall of my office from The Road Less Traveled daily calendar. It says having is integrity is never easy. It takes a lot more courage to operate with integrity than without it. I look at that calendar page a lot at certain times.
The play selection committee met last night and hammered out a preliminary season for next year. We will now apply for performance rights and then see if any of the choices availability has changed since we began the process. We almost always wait until after Jan. 1 to get into the next calendar. Royalty houses don’t like to give out royalty quotes 2 years in advance and for our 2010 plays that would be the case if we applied in 2008. That process was is difficult because you weigh your own feelings about a play against what you think the community would like to see and what the people who audition would like to perform in. Picking a season of plays is like playing the market. If you choose well and do your research you have a better chance of coming out ahead. If you choose badly then it can hurt in a dozen ways. I always find it best if the committee keeps in mind our mission and what our strengths are. The most successful plays the past few years have been Smoke on the Mountain, Beauty and the Beast, and High School Musical. All three are family shows that appeal to a broad audience. In tough economic times that is what we need to focus on.
Southern Comforts goes into Tech rehearsal on Sunday and then Dress rehearsals next week before opening a week from today. In order to save money we are taking the book cases out of our offices and putting them onstage instead of building new bookcases. Marsha and some of the volunteers have spent a great deal of time alphabetizing our scripts and we will need to take extra time to not lose all of that as we take the scripts out and box them up to use the shelves.
Ramona Quimby started rehearsal on Tuesday. April and I have been working on a set design to make the scenes flow quickly without lots of scene changes. There are over 28 scenes in that play. Some as short as ½ a page. The last time we produced the show was a Tilghman HS on a stage where we could fly things in and out. This time we will have to be more creative in how we create the more than a dozen locations called for in the play. Lots of tough decisions still need to be made.
I received a nice email of support from one of the auditionees for the Wizard of Oz that put it succinctly- posting a cast list will make some people happy, some people sad, and some people angry. The stereotype of community theatre as a “clique” has a reason behind it I think. It is much easier for directors to cast all of the people you know in parts and that way you never have to worry about someone being upset with you.
But in order to operate a successful community theatre, it means that you have to encourage new people to audition and give them a real opportunity to get cast in a show in a lead role. Everyone has to be equal in the casting process. In that process you must be willing to disappoint and hurt the feelings of people that you have known for years in order to give a chance to people you’ve never met. I have a calendar note posted on the wall of my office from The Road Less Traveled daily calendar. It says having is integrity is never easy. It takes a lot more courage to operate with integrity than without it. I look at that calendar page a lot at certain times.
The play selection committee met last night and hammered out a preliminary season for next year. We will now apply for performance rights and then see if any of the choices availability has changed since we began the process. We almost always wait until after Jan. 1 to get into the next calendar. Royalty houses don’t like to give out royalty quotes 2 years in advance and for our 2010 plays that would be the case if we applied in 2008. That process was is difficult because you weigh your own feelings about a play against what you think the community would like to see and what the people who audition would like to perform in. Picking a season of plays is like playing the market. If you choose well and do your research you have a better chance of coming out ahead. If you choose badly then it can hurt in a dozen ways. I always find it best if the committee keeps in mind our mission and what our strengths are. The most successful plays the past few years have been Smoke on the Mountain, Beauty and the Beast, and High School Musical. All three are family shows that appeal to a broad audience. In tough economic times that is what we need to focus on.
Southern Comforts goes into Tech rehearsal on Sunday and then Dress rehearsals next week before opening a week from today. In order to save money we are taking the book cases out of our offices and putting them onstage instead of building new bookcases. Marsha and some of the volunteers have spent a great deal of time alphabetizing our scripts and we will need to take extra time to not lose all of that as we take the scripts out and box them up to use the shelves.
Ramona Quimby started rehearsal on Tuesday. April and I have been working on a set design to make the scenes flow quickly without lots of scene changes. There are over 28 scenes in that play. Some as short as ½ a page. The last time we produced the show was a Tilghman HS on a stage where we could fly things in and out. This time we will have to be more creative in how we create the more than a dozen locations called for in the play. Lots of tough decisions still need to be made.
Friday, January 16, 2009
casting call backs and time
What a wild week it has been and it still isn't over.
Monday and Tuesday were auditions for 4 plays. We had over 150 people audition. Having our Say directed by Renie Barger will announce her cast next week. She is still working on getting the auditionees schedule conflicts so she can look at who to cast. She had 3 strong actresses audition for two parts. The play is based on a real conversation with the Delaney Sisters who were born in the 1890's and lived to be over 100 years old. These two African American sisters talk about their parents and their lives in context with American history. At the end of one of the scenes the sisters agree that it may be another hundred years before the US will elect a black man president. It was a great deal of fun to hear that in light of the inauguration next Tuesday.
April had almost 80 children and adults who auditioned for Ramona Quimby. She selected a terrific cast and it looks like it will be a great show.
I auditioned the Sugar Bean Sisters and we had approx 10 women read for 4 parts. The cast list has been posted and it should be a great show as well. On Tuesday night after auditioning The Sugar Bean Sisters from 5-7 pm I walked across the street and conducted the second night of The Wizard of Oz auditions. We had over 70 people audition. I am still struggling with the cast list for Oz. I know that this is causing a lot of angst among those 70+ people as they wait for the list to be posted. We had so many good people that I've had a really hard time choosing a couple of the parts. I have to keep about 5 people who auditioned outside of the group audition process in my head as well as thinking about those who were able to make call backs.
In addition because there are so many good people I'm having a hard time cutting the cast down to a manageable size. In my first count I had almost 50 people in the cast. The stage can really only handle 30 well. That means I will have to eliminate over 20 very talented performers. In many cases it is not easy to identify one person who was better than another. One may have sang better than another, but the other person acted better in the readings. I've resorted in some cases to looking at who has more conflicts, the heights and ages of performers and how that relates to the principal roles or other performers. I'm still working on reducing the chorus. I've called a few people back to read for me individually one more time.
On Wednesday at call backs I had such tunnel vision about how people matched up acting and in combinations with other people that I accidentally never had one person who I called back read. I was not only mortified when Denise and Doug told me of my omission but I really needed to hear that person read because they were being considered for one of the principal roles. I was fortunately able to get that actor back in the next day to give them a full chance at being cast.
Thursday was spent all day frantically trying to get the grant for the Kentucky Arts Council completed. That required budgeting for next year and analyzing what is going well and what we want to change for the future. Thursday night at 5:30 were call backs for the Sugar Bean Sisters and then at 6:30 was rehearsal for the murder mystery troupe that performs tomorrow night at Lone Oak High School. It was after 10 when I finally had a chance to sit down and start working on cast lists for Friday morning. I just ran out of time.
Today was spent with Michael Brewer dressed as the Cowardly Lion, Anna Brewer dressed as Dorothy, Sarah Bynum dressed as Glinda the Good Witch, and Melisa Mast who is leading the committee on our fundraising auction event. We toured Paducah Bank, Lourdes, US Bank, and Western Baptist Hospital to give out posters and kick off the fundraising competition among those businesses. Each business is raising funds to buy the part of the lollipop kids for their CEO on June 20. All of the businesses were very excited to raise funds to see their CEO on the MHT stage dressed as one of the Lollipop kids singing and dancing. The business that raises the most money for MHT wins the part! This is in conjunction with the Feb. 13 auction event where we will auction off parts like the Wicked Witch, the Wizard, Glinda the Good Witch and a couple of other munchkin roles. Many thanks go to Mike, Anna , Sarah and Melisa Mast for their help. We had a couple of really nice moments at Western Baptist when the Wizard characters got to visit with some of the children who were in the pediatric area of the hospital and cheer them up a bit. All of the companies were really great! We turned lots of heads as we walked through the various departments! Look at the photos on the home page of the website to see our visits to the businesses.
Sunday April and I will go to Nashville and watch the National Touring company perform The Wizard of Oz. I'm hoping it will give me some inspiration as I look at our potential cast and help me finish up the cast list. Maybe they will have a way to use more cast in the show that I haven't thought of. For most of the those waiting breathlessly that means don't look for a list until Monday morning. Sorry!
Monday and Tuesday were auditions for 4 plays. We had over 150 people audition. Having our Say directed by Renie Barger will announce her cast next week. She is still working on getting the auditionees schedule conflicts so she can look at who to cast. She had 3 strong actresses audition for two parts. The play is based on a real conversation with the Delaney Sisters who were born in the 1890's and lived to be over 100 years old. These two African American sisters talk about their parents and their lives in context with American history. At the end of one of the scenes the sisters agree that it may be another hundred years before the US will elect a black man president. It was a great deal of fun to hear that in light of the inauguration next Tuesday.
April had almost 80 children and adults who auditioned for Ramona Quimby. She selected a terrific cast and it looks like it will be a great show.
I auditioned the Sugar Bean Sisters and we had approx 10 women read for 4 parts. The cast list has been posted and it should be a great show as well. On Tuesday night after auditioning The Sugar Bean Sisters from 5-7 pm I walked across the street and conducted the second night of The Wizard of Oz auditions. We had over 70 people audition. I am still struggling with the cast list for Oz. I know that this is causing a lot of angst among those 70+ people as they wait for the list to be posted. We had so many good people that I've had a really hard time choosing a couple of the parts. I have to keep about 5 people who auditioned outside of the group audition process in my head as well as thinking about those who were able to make call backs.
In addition because there are so many good people I'm having a hard time cutting the cast down to a manageable size. In my first count I had almost 50 people in the cast. The stage can really only handle 30 well. That means I will have to eliminate over 20 very talented performers. In many cases it is not easy to identify one person who was better than another. One may have sang better than another, but the other person acted better in the readings. I've resorted in some cases to looking at who has more conflicts, the heights and ages of performers and how that relates to the principal roles or other performers. I'm still working on reducing the chorus. I've called a few people back to read for me individually one more time.
On Wednesday at call backs I had such tunnel vision about how people matched up acting and in combinations with other people that I accidentally never had one person who I called back read. I was not only mortified when Denise and Doug told me of my omission but I really needed to hear that person read because they were being considered for one of the principal roles. I was fortunately able to get that actor back in the next day to give them a full chance at being cast.
Thursday was spent all day frantically trying to get the grant for the Kentucky Arts Council completed. That required budgeting for next year and analyzing what is going well and what we want to change for the future. Thursday night at 5:30 were call backs for the Sugar Bean Sisters and then at 6:30 was rehearsal for the murder mystery troupe that performs tomorrow night at Lone Oak High School. It was after 10 when I finally had a chance to sit down and start working on cast lists for Friday morning. I just ran out of time.
Today was spent with Michael Brewer dressed as the Cowardly Lion, Anna Brewer dressed as Dorothy, Sarah Bynum dressed as Glinda the Good Witch, and Melisa Mast who is leading the committee on our fundraising auction event. We toured Paducah Bank, Lourdes, US Bank, and Western Baptist Hospital to give out posters and kick off the fundraising competition among those businesses. Each business is raising funds to buy the part of the lollipop kids for their CEO on June 20. All of the businesses were very excited to raise funds to see their CEO on the MHT stage dressed as one of the Lollipop kids singing and dancing. The business that raises the most money for MHT wins the part! This is in conjunction with the Feb. 13 auction event where we will auction off parts like the Wicked Witch, the Wizard, Glinda the Good Witch and a couple of other munchkin roles. Many thanks go to Mike, Anna , Sarah and Melisa Mast for their help. We had a couple of really nice moments at Western Baptist when the Wizard characters got to visit with some of the children who were in the pediatric area of the hospital and cheer them up a bit. All of the companies were really great! We turned lots of heads as we walked through the various departments! Look at the photos on the home page of the website to see our visits to the businesses.
Sunday April and I will go to Nashville and watch the National Touring company perform The Wizard of Oz. I'm hoping it will give me some inspiration as I look at our potential cast and help me finish up the cast list. Maybe they will have a way to use more cast in the show that I haven't thought of. For most of the those waiting breathlessly that means don't look for a list until Monday morning. Sorry!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Stress
Over 150 people auditioned for 4 shows. We had lots of new faces and lots of veterans who auditioned. The call back lists have been posted for the shows. The difficult part now becomes the casting decisions. Several auditionees couldn't make the call back auditions so we have to keep them in mind as we hear those who could make the call backs a second time. Some of the auditionees have possible conflicts with rehearsals because of future shows at Tilghman or other possible professional acting jobs. That has to be taken into account in the casting decisions. Do you take a risk casting someone who might have to turn down the part later.
Very few auditionees this time wanted to be considered only for a specific part or nothing. The vast majority said they would take anything. Those actors have my deepest thanks and I will do my best to cast them in principal roles. Some actors worry that if they say they will take anything it diminishes their chance of getting a major part. In fact generally the opposite is true. That puts more pressure on the actor to be clearly better than all the others to get the part. I know that for some people the time commitment can clearly be an issue and they would rather not be in the show if they don't have a principal role. However most directors will tell you that they prefer to cast a person in a major role who will take any part. Actors limit themselves when they refuse to be considered with everyone else for a role. That doesn't mean they won't get cast in the role. It is a risk that you take auditioning. In addition we really try to cast new faces whenever possible. Generally about a quarter to a third of the cast are people making their first appearance at MHT. This is something that is very important to the theatres growth.
There is a tremendous amount of work going on behind the scenes. Our big fundraising auction event on Feb. 13. begins with the business campaign which kicks of this Friday. The Kentucky Arts Council Grant is due tomorrow. Lots of audition preparations for the call backs and casting are still going on during the day for the evening auditions. Southern Comforts is still in the building construction phase. Marketing ads and press releases are still going out for Southern Comforts. If the staff looks a little stressed at the moment now you know why.
Very few auditionees this time wanted to be considered only for a specific part or nothing. The vast majority said they would take anything. Those actors have my deepest thanks and I will do my best to cast them in principal roles. Some actors worry that if they say they will take anything it diminishes their chance of getting a major part. In fact generally the opposite is true. That puts more pressure on the actor to be clearly better than all the others to get the part. I know that for some people the time commitment can clearly be an issue and they would rather not be in the show if they don't have a principal role. However most directors will tell you that they prefer to cast a person in a major role who will take any part. Actors limit themselves when they refuse to be considered with everyone else for a role. That doesn't mean they won't get cast in the role. It is a risk that you take auditioning. In addition we really try to cast new faces whenever possible. Generally about a quarter to a third of the cast are people making their first appearance at MHT. This is something that is very important to the theatres growth.
There is a tremendous amount of work going on behind the scenes. Our big fundraising auction event on Feb. 13. begins with the business campaign which kicks of this Friday. The Kentucky Arts Council Grant is due tomorrow. Lots of audition preparations for the call backs and casting are still going on during the day for the evening auditions. Southern Comforts is still in the building construction phase. Marketing ads and press releases are still going out for Southern Comforts. If the staff looks a little stressed at the moment now you know why.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Auditions prep
I've been rereading the scripts to The Wizard of Oz and Sugar Bean Sisters in preparation for the auditions. As I read the scripts it is hard for me to maintain my focus on auditions. With each reading my mind is filled with images of how we might accomplish this scene or that scene. How will we do the twister scene. Several ideas immediately pop into my head for different effects. Ultimately time and money will determine which route we will follow.
The auditions tomorrow will be something new. We've never tried to audition this many shows all on the same nights. April will audition Ramona Quimby from 5-7 pm in the classroom while at the same time Renie Barger will audition Having Our Say on the Main stage from 5-7 pm. Then from 7- 9 pm in the classroom will be The Wizard of Oz auditions. Tuesday night everything is the same except that The Sugar Bean Sisters will audition from 5-7 pm on the main stage while Ramona Quimby auditions in the classroom. Then the Wizard of Oz again in the classroom from 7-9 pm.
Several people have asked me what I'm thinking about for the characters of the Wizard of Oz. To be honest I'm waiting to see all the different people who audition and then try to see what group of people will fit together the best into a complete cast. I had an older actress ask me about the physical requirements for the Wicked Witch. The script calls for her to ride a bike, appear in the top of a tree, and ride a broomstick in the air. If we were going to produce the play in a large theatre like WKCTC or the Carson Center I would be thinking about a much bigger spectacle with elaborate rigging of flying harnesses. Since the Market House Theatre can't fly I have to come up with other creative ways of getting the same effects. My answer was that you need to be able to ride a bike and climb a tree.
Another difficult character is Toto. Is he a real dog or a stuffed dog? The answer is I don't know. If I had a well trained dog we would probably use a real dog. However dogs are so unpredictable that most productions go with a stuffed dog. Once again I will wait and see.
The Sugar Bean Sisters presents its own set of problems for our stage. We need a front porch and outside along with a living room/bedroom and kitchen, along with a back door and an outhouse. Characters in one part aren't supposed to see characters in the other part of the house. There are definitely times when I wish that I could turn to a scenic designer and say "so how are we going to do this?" Unfortunately for me, that is my job as well.
The most difficult part for me because of all of these auditions happening at the same time is that all of these shows require scenic designs at the same time. Scenery, lighting, and sound concepts all have to be fleshed out for rehearsals to start. I'm still working on Southern Comforts which opens in just over 2 weeks. I still haven't picked out paint colors for the set.
The joy of working for a small theatre like the Market House is that I get to be involved in so many aspects. The killer of working for a small theatre like MHT is that I have to be involved in so many aspects. While we are auditioning the actors for the shows we are also looking for people to volunteer to help with costumes, sets, lights, etc. and it can be a lot of fun without the long rehearsal process of being in a play. We are currently trying to find running crews for Southern Comforts. For that we need a stage manager, lighting and sound person. We do all the training for those who haven't ever tried it. If you can click a mouse or push a button you can run sound or lights. If we fail to find crew for the shows then Jim Keeney and I fill in on the technical positions.
I'm hoping for a big turnout for all of the shows! That makes my job easier on the one hand and much harder on the other. I always say I would like to have one more seat in the theatre than the number of people who want to buy tickets to see the show. That way I never turn any audience member away. I always hope that I can cast everyone who auditions, because that way I also never have to turn any performers away.
I've got my fingers crossed that the next couple of days will bring MHT lots of performers both new and old for all the shows that are auditioning.
The auditions tomorrow will be something new. We've never tried to audition this many shows all on the same nights. April will audition Ramona Quimby from 5-7 pm in the classroom while at the same time Renie Barger will audition Having Our Say on the Main stage from 5-7 pm. Then from 7- 9 pm in the classroom will be The Wizard of Oz auditions. Tuesday night everything is the same except that The Sugar Bean Sisters will audition from 5-7 pm on the main stage while Ramona Quimby auditions in the classroom. Then the Wizard of Oz again in the classroom from 7-9 pm.
Several people have asked me what I'm thinking about for the characters of the Wizard of Oz. To be honest I'm waiting to see all the different people who audition and then try to see what group of people will fit together the best into a complete cast. I had an older actress ask me about the physical requirements for the Wicked Witch. The script calls for her to ride a bike, appear in the top of a tree, and ride a broomstick in the air. If we were going to produce the play in a large theatre like WKCTC or the Carson Center I would be thinking about a much bigger spectacle with elaborate rigging of flying harnesses. Since the Market House Theatre can't fly I have to come up with other creative ways of getting the same effects. My answer was that you need to be able to ride a bike and climb a tree.
Another difficult character is Toto. Is he a real dog or a stuffed dog? The answer is I don't know. If I had a well trained dog we would probably use a real dog. However dogs are so unpredictable that most productions go with a stuffed dog. Once again I will wait and see.
The Sugar Bean Sisters presents its own set of problems for our stage. We need a front porch and outside along with a living room/bedroom and kitchen, along with a back door and an outhouse. Characters in one part aren't supposed to see characters in the other part of the house. There are definitely times when I wish that I could turn to a scenic designer and say "so how are we going to do this?" Unfortunately for me, that is my job as well.
The most difficult part for me because of all of these auditions happening at the same time is that all of these shows require scenic designs at the same time. Scenery, lighting, and sound concepts all have to be fleshed out for rehearsals to start. I'm still working on Southern Comforts which opens in just over 2 weeks. I still haven't picked out paint colors for the set.
The joy of working for a small theatre like the Market House is that I get to be involved in so many aspects. The killer of working for a small theatre like MHT is that I have to be involved in so many aspects. While we are auditioning the actors for the shows we are also looking for people to volunteer to help with costumes, sets, lights, etc. and it can be a lot of fun without the long rehearsal process of being in a play. We are currently trying to find running crews for Southern Comforts. For that we need a stage manager, lighting and sound person. We do all the training for those who haven't ever tried it. If you can click a mouse or push a button you can run sound or lights. If we fail to find crew for the shows then Jim Keeney and I fill in on the technical positions.
I'm hoping for a big turnout for all of the shows! That makes my job easier on the one hand and much harder on the other. I always say I would like to have one more seat in the theatre than the number of people who want to buy tickets to see the show. That way I never turn any audience member away. I always hope that I can cast everyone who auditions, because that way I also never have to turn any performers away.
I've got my fingers crossed that the next couple of days will bring MHT lots of performers both new and old for all the shows that are auditioning.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
new challenges
I’ve been reading the newest American Theatre magazine with its focus on the challenges facing theatre both economic and artistic across the country. Some theatres are trying to find the biggest box office show titles to bring in more earned revenue. Other theatres are cutting back on staffing and pre-show and post-show events that cost money but don’t bring in income. What is interesting to me are the theatres who are looking for alternative ways to operate and changing the dynamic of the very nature of theatre.
Many of the theatres are incorporating technology more and more into the fabric of the production. They are using digital projections and sound as an integral part of the play. Playwrights who have grown up in this technological age are already writing into the scripts elements that include technology.
Over the past couple of years you have seen digital imaging used on the Market House Stage. The majority of the MHT youth shows now contain digital scenery. This not only allows us to jump from one location to the next in an instant it is much more cost effective. On the mainstage it is primarily the musicals that have incorporated digital imaging Beehive, My Way, Oklahoma, Beauty and the Beast. The most effective use of multiple imaging was in our holiday production of a Christmas Carol. We used multiple projectors and not only was the scenery digitally projected but the character of the ghost of Christmas past was live video of an actor in real time behind the stage performing for a camera interacting with the live character of scrooge on the stage.
With Ramona Quimby coming in March and the Wizard of Oz coming in June we will expand our use of digital imaging again. I’m currently thinking about the many scenes in the Wizard of Oz that will incorporate technology. Over the holidays I spent time with my sister in law who is using Apple’s Garage Band software to create her own music. You don’t have to be able to play a musical instrument to create music. I purchased a low cost software package to play with this to see if I could create music and digital sound effects for some of the Market House Theatre plays. It sometimes takes weeks for an idea to percolate in my head. That time is very important for creative ideas to develop. Sadly most of the time in production is spent more in the I need this yesterday kind of creativity.
Southern Comforts is in rehearsal. I’m going through the scripts for Sugar Bean Sisters and the Wizard of Oz looking for audition scenes and preparing for the auditions next week. It will be a new experience to have 4 shows all auditioning on the same nights. Even our auditions process is evolving and changing.
Many of the theatres are incorporating technology more and more into the fabric of the production. They are using digital projections and sound as an integral part of the play. Playwrights who have grown up in this technological age are already writing into the scripts elements that include technology.
Over the past couple of years you have seen digital imaging used on the Market House Stage. The majority of the MHT youth shows now contain digital scenery. This not only allows us to jump from one location to the next in an instant it is much more cost effective. On the mainstage it is primarily the musicals that have incorporated digital imaging Beehive, My Way, Oklahoma, Beauty and the Beast. The most effective use of multiple imaging was in our holiday production of a Christmas Carol. We used multiple projectors and not only was the scenery digitally projected but the character of the ghost of Christmas past was live video of an actor in real time behind the stage performing for a camera interacting with the live character of scrooge on the stage.
With Ramona Quimby coming in March and the Wizard of Oz coming in June we will expand our use of digital imaging again. I’m currently thinking about the many scenes in the Wizard of Oz that will incorporate technology. Over the holidays I spent time with my sister in law who is using Apple’s Garage Band software to create her own music. You don’t have to be able to play a musical instrument to create music. I purchased a low cost software package to play with this to see if I could create music and digital sound effects for some of the Market House Theatre plays. It sometimes takes weeks for an idea to percolate in my head. That time is very important for creative ideas to develop. Sadly most of the time in production is spent more in the I need this yesterday kind of creativity.
Southern Comforts is in rehearsal. I’m going through the scripts for Sugar Bean Sisters and the Wizard of Oz looking for audition scenes and preparing for the auditions next week. It will be a new experience to have 4 shows all auditioning on the same nights. Even our auditions process is evolving and changing.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Doubt the play and the movie
I saw Doubt the movie tonight. The theatre was packed! Apparently the run is doing very well at the Maiden Alley Cinema. My first thought was "Where were all these people when we produced the show last November!" Of course we didn't have Meryl Streep or any of the other talented people that are in the movie or the marketing budget of the movie.
It is always interesting for me to watch a movie that has been a stage play and especially one that MHT has produced and I've directed. As I watched the film I was struck by how different the screenplay was from the script. I learned long ago that you have to do things very differently in a film than you do on stage. Small intimate scenes with close ups of characters that work well in a film almost never work onstage. The opposite is true of something videotaped on stage and then watched on television.
I enjoyed the film. The visuals were great. The school hallways and the exterior shots of the school and the neighborhood. A scene with Sister Aloyiusus and Mrs. Mueller shot on the street had some wonderful visual images with wind and leaves and rain. I thought some of the screenplay choices didn't work as well for me as the play script but that is just personal taste. I love the words that the playwright used. Each word was carefully chosen. With a film it is more about the visuals than the words. That was the most apparent. In the opening scene of the play Father Flynn gives his sermon on Doubt. In the film that was background. We tuned out the sermon as we watched Sister Aloyisus prowl the pews and back hand students who were talking or sleeping.
Auditions are next week for the Wizard of Oz. Although we are doing the script based on the screenplay we will be focused on characters and the words, the music and the relationships. That is theatre at its best.
It is always interesting for me to watch a movie that has been a stage play and especially one that MHT has produced and I've directed. As I watched the film I was struck by how different the screenplay was from the script. I learned long ago that you have to do things very differently in a film than you do on stage. Small intimate scenes with close ups of characters that work well in a film almost never work onstage. The opposite is true of something videotaped on stage and then watched on television.
I enjoyed the film. The visuals were great. The school hallways and the exterior shots of the school and the neighborhood. A scene with Sister Aloyiusus and Mrs. Mueller shot on the street had some wonderful visual images with wind and leaves and rain. I thought some of the screenplay choices didn't work as well for me as the play script but that is just personal taste. I love the words that the playwright used. Each word was carefully chosen. With a film it is more about the visuals than the words. That was the most apparent. In the opening scene of the play Father Flynn gives his sermon on Doubt. In the film that was background. We tuned out the sermon as we watched Sister Aloyisus prowl the pews and back hand students who were talking or sleeping.
Auditions are next week for the Wizard of Oz. Although we are doing the script based on the screenplay we will be focused on characters and the words, the music and the relationships. That is theatre at its best.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year
First I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Jan. 1 marks the mid point in our current season. We have seen some fundraising challenges this year but we are dealing with the challenges and the theatre continues to be on stable financial footing. It's hard to believe but the play selection committee is about to make some final choices for our 46th season which starts next July. Without giving away anything I can tell you that many of the plays that we are reading deal with rural or small town life. Most of these plays are comedies about everyday people with very funny outlooks on life. In January we will apply for rights to the proposed season and then if they are available we will move toward announcing the selections in late Feb. or early March.
There are still 3 more days left on the holiday break but some things are still happening behind the scenes to get ready for the next play. The promotional and marketing campaign for Southern Comforts is moving along. A new banner ad was purchased on the ilist Paducah site. We have so many people telling us they use the ilist site to see what is going on we thought we would try a little more Internet advertising. A new billboard with the Southern Comforts information should be going up before next week. I'm working on getting the television ad photos completed. Press releases will go out either tomorrow or Monday for Southern Comforts. The Paducah Sun newspaper ad will start appearing in the Sunday paper the week before the show opens.
The fundraising committee is getting ready for the big Wizard of Oz auction on Feb. 13.
I've been reading several interesting articles and books about the current trends and future of theatre. As we start the new year we are constantly looking for innovative new ways to connect and provide value for all of the people who make up the Market House Theatre. We can't sit back and expect performers to audition and audiences to attend just because we are putting on a show. We consistently have to work towards giving everyone an experience that is meaningful on lots of different levels. Some are looking for a social event to get together with existing friends while others are seeking a way to meet new friends. Some are looking for challenges that create personal growth. Audiences want to be entertained but they also want to support something that they can be involved in. Finally everyone has limited time and limited funds to invest in activities.
There are some new ideas being tried all across the country to make theatre more interactive. We are already doing some of them right now. Some will work and some won't. That won't stop us from continuing to strive for a deeper and more meaningful connection to everyone associated with theatre.
I hope that everyone has a Happy Healthy and Prosperous 2009 and I'll see you at the theatre!
There are still 3 more days left on the holiday break but some things are still happening behind the scenes to get ready for the next play. The promotional and marketing campaign for Southern Comforts is moving along. A new banner ad was purchased on the ilist Paducah site. We have so many people telling us they use the ilist site to see what is going on we thought we would try a little more Internet advertising. A new billboard with the Southern Comforts information should be going up before next week. I'm working on getting the television ad photos completed. Press releases will go out either tomorrow or Monday for Southern Comforts. The Paducah Sun newspaper ad will start appearing in the Sunday paper the week before the show opens.
The fundraising committee is getting ready for the big Wizard of Oz auction on Feb. 13.
I've been reading several interesting articles and books about the current trends and future of theatre. As we start the new year we are constantly looking for innovative new ways to connect and provide value for all of the people who make up the Market House Theatre. We can't sit back and expect performers to audition and audiences to attend just because we are putting on a show. We consistently have to work towards giving everyone an experience that is meaningful on lots of different levels. Some are looking for a social event to get together with existing friends while others are seeking a way to meet new friends. Some are looking for challenges that create personal growth. Audiences want to be entertained but they also want to support something that they can be involved in. Finally everyone has limited time and limited funds to invest in activities.
There are some new ideas being tried all across the country to make theatre more interactive. We are already doing some of them right now. Some will work and some won't. That won't stop us from continuing to strive for a deeper and more meaningful connection to everyone associated with theatre.
I hope that everyone has a Happy Healthy and Prosperous 2009 and I'll see you at the theatre!
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