Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

September 28, 2009

"Good gravy boat, Marie!" A whole lot of ground has been gained in the last eleven days!

I haven’t been the only one affiliated with "Faith County" trying to kick the dreaded crud/cold/flu, but there was one rehearsal where I thought I was going to toss my cookies on the stage—had to go home in the middle of that rehearsal—or another one where I felt I was about to cough up a lung. But everyone else was toughing it out, so I followed their lead.

There was another rehearsal in particular when just about everyone was missing cues or leaving out lines. But everyone improved after that one painful rehearsal. I’ve been blown away by how these actors combine their lines and expressions and moving around the stage to the direction of Stephanie Makin. It's a grand orchestration and I am thoroughly enjoying being a part of it.

There are a lot of first times with this play: my first time to perform on a stage, as it is also for Jamie Crenshaw; first time Stephanie has directed a play; first time Erin Kays has been in charge of costumes, and the first time Jeanne Crabtree was called in, at the last moment, to sketch out the set, and directed a bunch of us where to paint what color, then finished up everything so that the set looks good, good, great!

Last rehearsal I learned how to apply stage make-up. It seems so contrived to me, as I seldom wear more than lipstick. But I learned that the bright stage lights fade out facial features. So, Julie, our Amazing Mistress of Make-up, showed me how to apply foundation, powder, eyeliner, lip liner and lipstick. Dress rehearsal was tonight and Julie sat out in the audience to check everyone’s appearance. She told me I need to emphasize my eyes more, so we’re adding eye shadow. I really think I look goofy, but what do I know, right?

Tonight was Dress Rehearsal! And, it was GOOD!!!!

Hardly any discernible fumbled lines! I projected! I made appropriate Ruthann facial expressions! I had been frustrated in earlier rehearsals because I would have my lines down pat, at home. As soon as I tried to deliver them onstage, I’d forget them. But tonight it all somehow seemed to gel and it worked. I LOVE IT!
Everyone else in the cast performed incredibly! People in the audience LAUGHED! Christopher Key was in the audience tonight in order to write a review of our play.

WE GOT IT!

Wednesday is Opening Night!

Merci beaucoup Ashley and Jamie for your photographs!

Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

September 17, 2009

While perusing the Claire vg Thomas Theatre website I read that as much as $100,000 per season might be spent by the Lynden Performing Arts Guild to put on their shows.

Production costs for musicals can run:

$4,000-$6,000 for royalties

$1,000-$2,000 for costumes

$1,500-$2,500 for set construction

$1,200 for lights and sound

$2,500 for promotion

Admittedly, "Faith County" isn't a musical, even if the Director did have that nightmare about the cast mutiny. But, I can well imagine production costs adding up, nonetheless. Operating funds and fundraising are necessary for providing quality performances.

Although I'm not a member of The Guild, I don't think there's any doubt that each and every one of them appreciates the financial support which enables such performances to continue being presented on stage for your enjoyment.

Go on their website, if you're interested, to find out how to make a donation, whether of money--every little bit helps--or volunteer your time.

http://www.clairevgtheatre.org/

Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

September 15, 2009

Tonight we rehearsed all of Act 2, many of us still referring to our script for lines. I felt particularly distracted tonight, perhaps tuckered out from my own real life demands and goings on. I missed a lot of cues and felt foolish because of it. Later Stephanie assured me that all of the seasoned performers onstage with me had botched lines and missed cues when they first started. She was supportive and encouraging, but I well knew that I better get my act together, so to speak. Next rehearsal was going to be off script—Practice! Practice!

I have to give Stephanie credit. Even though this is her directorial debut, she handles the cast members well, reassuring when needed, firm and clear in conveying her own vision of how her play should look, never bossy but strong in her directions. She listens to suggestions made by cast members about positioning onstage or body language or use and location of props and then swiftly incorporates or rejects and moves on. She quickly decides and keeps the momentum moving forward. There is no outward evidence of hesitation.

Act 2 is much more swiftly paced than Act 1. There is more moving and doing while delivering lines. As Ruthann, I spend more time looking naturally busy and fussing with props, while the main characters are speaking their lines; talk about multi-tasking! I have to remember to look convincingly and naturally occupied, while remaining actively aware of the rush of dialog so I don’t miss my cues, all the time moving to other parts of the stage as needed—the old dilemma of walkin’ and chewin’ gum! Do I move the chair or leave it? Do I move over to Mildred now to discuss the matter of the easily confused wedding dress designer, or to I move across stage and help up the v-e-r-y pregnant Violet? Do I frown judgmentally at Faye?

I’ve found the latter to be a constant issue. My own natural inclination is to be amused by Faye and her shenanigans and antics, but the pastor’s wife Ruthann is offended and morally indignant. So, I have to remember to change my cheerful, amused expression to a frown and roll my eyes and tsk-tsk.

And I’ve been told again to speak louder. Mildred is very loud so Ruthann has been told to say her lines more forcefully for balance. To my ear it sounds like I’m yelling, but I have to remember how it sounds to the audience. Oh my!

Perspective or point of view was made evident to me on another occasion, too. Bubba rolls out a podium from which to officiate the wedding. On stage it looks HUGE, but sitting down in the audience, that podium looks just right. I’m intrigued by how such logistics work.

A lot of jesting and laughter is woven in and around the lines being delivered. We're all trying to nail down our lines and parts, but having a good time together is also a major component and it's so much fun to be a part of it.

This Saturday we'll set aside scripts and pick up brushes to help paint the background boards.

And so the theatrics continue …

Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

September 12, 2009

9:00 a.m. Saturday and we’re back rehearsing and blocking pages 47-57. The director tells us where to move and what to do while lines are being said. Everyone is reading lines and making pencil notations in the script margin as to where they are on stage. There is a noticeable increase in the pace. There are more rehearsals and everyone feels the torque as we get closer to September 30th.

The weekend blurred with real estate business that demanded attention, practicing lines, writing my blog entries and editing photographs, more lines practiced, doing the laundry and picking up dog food.

I managed to squeeze in a tango lesson and dinner Sunday night at Semiahmoo Resort. Now there’s another instance of play-acting … the Tango.


The above photograph (me, Olivia Shrum, Ashley Hanson, Laura Nelson) was provided by Jamie Crenshaw who plays Naomi in this production. Thanks, Jamie!

www.clairevgtheatre.org

Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

September 11, 2009 … continued

I e-mailed my cast bio, such as it was, to Chris Jones, who in addition to playing Luther in this play, is also assembling the information and art for the playbill. He also designed the wonderful poster and promotional postcards; architect by day, thespian by night. I understand he has directed other plays and has designed stage settings; very talented fellow. What can I tell the audience about theatrical roles I’ve previously done, when I haven’t done nut_n_honey? So, I wrote about all of the theaters around the world in which I had been a member of the audience … until now.

As I mentioned, this evening’s rehearsal was off book. Although nerve-racking, not constantly referring to the script did allow for freedom of movement and expression.

After rehearsal a number of the cast went down to Syros Italian Greek Restaurant/bar. Jamie Crenshaw and I, the new kids on the block, were regaled by stage stories of other plays and musicals, snippets of history about the Claire vg Thomas Theatre and about the Lynden Performing Arts Guild. We were even introduced to The Theatre Pizza … Canadian bacon covered with feta cheese and tomato slices. It was delicious!

Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

September 11, 2009

Just bullet items of theatrical doings today …

Tonight we did a complete run through of Act 1—in costume—from memory. No frantically referring to a script with highlighted lines gripped in a clammy fist tonight! Egads! I thought I had all my cues and lines down pat, but standing backstage waiting to go on my mind went blank and I could NOT recall my cue. Thank God this isn’t brain surgery! Whew! It was actually easier with the script eliminated and I could concentrate on the other characters and my expression and body language. What FUN!

Today happened to be the birthday of one of the cast members, Chris Jones, and although unbeknownst to him, the rest of the cast was clued in so when Carol started playing the piano, as called for in the script, she would make a slight deviation and start playing “Happy Birthday to YOU” and we would all join in singing, as a platter of cupcakes was presented to Chris. The poor fellow blushed and stammered his thanks. What FUN!

Even the director, Stephanie, was nervous about her directorial debut. She related a dream she had the night before wherein the entire cast decided they wanted to do the play as a musical and wouldn’t listen to her directions; they totally mutinied! She remembered being overwhelmingly frustrated by the situation that she stomped out of the theatre, ripping down one of the show posters at the entry. It appears none are immune to a healthy dose of nerves! What FUN!

Costume fitting was an experience. I’m not a clotheshorse by any stretch of the imagination, but it was odd to be wearing something in character that I wouldn’t wear otherwise. I took off all my earrings and bangles and rings because Ruthann the pastor’s wife would frown on such hussy trappings. I’ll also remove the harlot red fingernail polish for the performance. Once I was able to wrap my mind around the costume, it did help me to disengage from Kay and settle into Ruthann. Erin Kays is in charge of costumes. She, too, has acted in other performances, but is Mademoiselle of the Garb for this production. Erin’s enthusiasm is infectious, in her youthful glee at finding the tacky white shoes to go with the tacky wedding gowns she also found and altered for the various body shapes and sizes represented in the cast. What FUN!

Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

September 8, 2009

Since becoming involved with the play "Faith County," practicing lines, observing how the director requests actors move around the stage in a specific way or recommends body language or expression, seeing firsthand how it is coming together, I’ve acquired a totally different perspective about other aspects of my life.

Take television commercials, as just one instance. Before this play staging exposure, I would have watched a commercial purely as a consumer from an entertainment vantage. I would respond positively or negatively to the message or the sales pitch, the music, and to the people in the commercial.

Now I observe commercials from a completely different viewpoint. I’m now acutely aware of how the actors interact, how close or far apart they stand, how they and even extras move around in that very tight space, how they deliver their lines, the tone of their voices, how they are dressed up or dressed down, the lighting and staging.

I observe “theater” now with a more multi-dimensional, layered appreciation, and I marvel that it’s all been ignited by, on a lark, having participated in an audition for a small community play.

This coming Wednesday evening we'll rehearse all of Act 1. I'd better quit playing around with this blog and go practice my lines!

For more information about the Claire vg Thomas Theatre in Lynden, WA or about upcoming performances, click on www.clairevgtheatre.org

Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

September 7, 2009

I asked for suggestions to help with memorizing my lines. Both Stephanie Maksin (director) and Laura Nelson (Mildred Carson) recommended writing cue lines on one side and my lines on the other side of index cards and just keep reading over the cards. It has helped considerably. However, I do keep referring back to the script to keep it in context.

I also found that if I put myself in character--I don a little straw hat--and then I play around with my lines as Ruthann, it makes more sense than if I'm just Kay memorizing words.

I'm going to be able to do this!

Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

September 1, 2009

Tonight I received a phone call from “Southern” California from my older son, Paul. He said he had been sitting in his den in front of his computer reading my blog out loud, and with a chuckle, said he must definitely have some of my whacky genes because as soon as he read about the Southern accent, he started ta'kin’ wi’ uh so’thern draw'. His wife, walking by, asked what in the world was he doing and when he told her, Rebecca just shook her head and assured him he was crazy as a loon.

I think a little insanity does run through my family; okay, perhaps a good measure of insanity runs rampant and unabated.

I think everyone becomes a little touched, though, when it comes to performing and affecting regional accents. There are two gals in our office who have offered to coach me in the proper articulation of Southernese. One of them lived in Atlanta for a goodly number of years, and the other is from Texas. I have another friend who offered to make suggestions on how to improve my accent.

In one scene of the new QuentinTarantino movie out now, a German security officer becomes aware of the “accents” of German soldiers carousing in a bar, and approaches one man, who is an undercover Brit, posturing as a German officer. Mayhem ensues resulting in the letting of much blood. I won’t give away any mo’ about the movie in case y’all wanna see it.

I bring this up because each of the cast members in "Faith County" imagines themselves speaking with some variation of a Southern accent. Lordy! Lordy! What would an authentic Southerner think of the mélange of accents bantered about during our rehearsals?

I declare, one can jus' get tooooooo serious about the most insignificant of matters! Don't y'all agree?

Breakin' a Leg ... a blog-within-a-blog ...

August 28, 2009

Tonight was the first time the cast met and read through the “Faith County” script from start to finish. One role had yet to be cast, so Stephanie Maksin, director of the play, read those lines. This was also the first opportunity to get a feel for the total storyline. During the auditions, we were assigned various roles and there wasn’t enough to put it all in context. It’s a hilarious script and everyone in the cast was fleshing out their part right from the git go.

The pace at which things are happening is a bit intimidating, but I can see that with a specific target date, a great many details must be attended to. Thank goodness all I have to do is memorize a few lines (or so I thought)!

Since another cast member, Jamie Crenshaw, and I had never been in the Claire vg Thomas Theatre, Stephanie and Olivia Shrum, who plays Faye McFaye, took us on a behind-the-scenes backstage tour.

As we were shown the location of the bathroom, the kitchen, the make-up room, the wardrobe and dressing rooms, etc., it all had an unreal, make believe feel to it. I had only seen such rooms in movies, never in real life.

The extent of what I was undertaking was starting to sink in, and at that point although it was exhilarating, I was petrified!

Sorry ... I neglected to identify the good ladies in these photographs:

Jamie Crenshaw -- Stephanie Maksin -- Olivia Shrum -- Stephanie -- Jamie -- Olivia

August 31, 2009

Rehearsal and blocking of pages 20-26 from the script. Ruthann Barns (moi) had lines in those pages, so I was at the theatre promptly at 7 pm.

Olivia Shrum -- Stephanie Maksin -- Laura Nelson -- Olivia -- Jamie Crenshaw

I’m learning a whole new terminology. Tonight the director was blocking pages 20-26, which entailed determining where actors would stand during the course of the scene, whether we entered stage right or stage left, how the movement of the cast flowed around the stage for best effect, what our body language should be to convey the action or emotional impact, the tone of our voices. So, as we read our lines, we were also trying out different placements on the stage, and determining what to do when we aren’t actually speaking so that it looked natural and was appropriate to the scene.

OMG! So much to absorb! So much to remember! Can this ol’ dawg learn new tricks?

... and on top of all, I have to write a bio for the playbill ... Egads!



If you want to know more about the Claire vg Thomas Theatre in Lynden, WA or about upcoming performances click on www.clairevgtheatre.org