Live Theatre - Lounger's Appearances and Stories

[Rhofal]

You just have to love the elderly folks...

The group I belong to have opened their productions in the last 25 years with a free matinee for the elderly people in homes nearby. This is actually a very good extra dress rehearsal for the actors. And the old folks got a nice day out with free drinks and nibbles...

As an added bonus, you know that you're in the clear when you can still remember your lines whilst constantly hearing (muffled, though pretty loud -) conversations along the lines of:

"So Charles, is that gout still acting up then?" "Hah! Don't get me started on that Bob!" or:

"Pssst Mary, do you think they'd notice if I went to the bathroom now? Can't keep it up for 15 minutes straight anymore after my operation."



But they stopped doing the matinees two seasons ago. They had performed a "play in the play" which was actually about actors rehearsing for a theatrical performance. In the first act you saw them rehearsing and fumbling about. Then it was curtains for the break and in the second act you saw the "play" again, with costumes on this time, but things still going wrong, as it is a farce after all.

But quite some of the elderly folks hadn't really caught up on what it was all about. And the group got a lot of bad mouth-to-mouth publicity "They were so bad they forgot their lines all the time. They even had to pull the curtains on them to get everyone properly dressed; had to start all over again and then they still messed up!"

Cheers,
Peter

 

[dhermann1]

Was it "Noises Off"? It's a heck of a play, MOIDER to put on.
In my last production (Caine Mutiny) one of the old dears mumbled VERY audibly to her companion as one of the guys entered "He looks like a fairy. Don't you think he looks like a fairy?" The poor guy was mortified. (I have no idea of his sexual orientation, he was just portraying an effete character.)
And of course when someone has a bathroom emergency, just let them get the heck out.
When we get very old, we return to almost the toddler stage. Old folks (meaning 80 and over, usually) can be incredibly oblivious to the needs and feelings of those around them.

 

[Rhofal]

Was it "Noises Off"? It's a heck of a play, MOIDER to put on.
In my last production (Caine Mutiny) one of the old dears mumbled VERY audibly to her companion as one of the guys entered "He looks like a fairy. Don't you think he looks like a fairy?" The poor guy was mortified. (I have no idea of his sexual orientation, he was just portraying an effete character.)
And of course when someone has a bathroom emergency, just let them get the heck out.
When we get very old, we return to almost the toddler stage. Old folks (meaning 80 and over, usually) can be incredibly oblivious to the needs and feelings of those around them.

I always thought Noise Off would be nearly impossible to stage in a theatre, especially the part in the movie where they are behind the scene and have the chases. I would love to see it performed live though.

On the fairy guy's pain, I had the opposite playing Tournel. The suggestions between some of the old dears of what they would do if given half a chance where not only higly improbable in a physical way (given their age) but also enough to make your average platoon sergeant blush.

My grandfather, who's 93 and still lives by himself next door to a home for the elderly keeps referring to his neighbours as "those old guys next door"; though I think not a single one of them actually matches his age lol

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Socrets]

I haven't really done much outside of the usual high school and undergrad fare. Although I had a real blast as an assistant stage manager, properties designer/master and stage crew for Tragedy! (A Musical Comedy). The musical (A satire of modern society through making fun of Titus Andronicus. Here's the link with some of the songs: http://www.tragedythemusical.com/songs.htm) was written by a friend of mine who I knew in high school and just happened to currently go to the same college. Anyway, the show had been accepted to be part of the NYC Fringe Festival and my friend decided to draft most of the original crew from the William and Mary run.

We ended up doing full day rehearsals for a week and were pretty much plagued with everything from budget shortages to housing shortages to set transportation issues (the set designer went through four drafts in less than 24 hours because the producers were changing the size of the truck. Although, he did manage to construct the set in less than 36 by himself.) But the real kicker didn't come until the very day we were set to leave for NYC. Apparently one of the actors got lost in D.C. and couldn't find his way to Union Station. Needless to say, the logistics producer was pissed. So we all left and told him to take the next train to NYC. Anyway, nothing interesting happened other than the play and various touristy stuff associated with New York City (although I did get to see a bunch of cool groups at the subway stations). Oh and we got a kick a$$ venue for the week: The Lucille Lortel Theater. How do you like that?

Overall, the play got pretty mixed reviews. Some people loved the tongue-in cheek humor, others thought my friend has a special place reserved for him in Hell (Given the nature of one of the songs, I don't blame them. Although I thought it was funny in a very, very dark (Darker than Springtime for Hitler) kind of way.). I thought we did pretty good considering we were all liberal arts majors who were mainly there to have a good time. The show was pretty much an overall success for us at least (trip to NYC and having clean, harmless, hedonistic fun. that sorta thing.).

 

[dhermann1]

I'm not in it but . . .

I'm not in this particular production, but if anyone in the NY area wants to see an absolutely screamingly funny, and brilliantly realized production of "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940", here's the link:
www.heightsplayers.org. And here's a review:
http://communitytheaterny.squarespace.com/journal/
You will be transported back to the evening of Dec. 10, 1940, for a devoon evening of murderous madcap mayhem.

 

[scotrace]

Opening Night Approaches

I'm playing Joe Keller in the Arthur Miller play All My Sons, which opens this Friday night at The Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County (Ohio). This is the first show I've done in a long time and it has been a welcome, terrifying challenge.

It's set in about 1947. I'm supplying my own costumes. First full dress is tonight.

 

[Caleb Moore]

I'm playing Joe Keller in the Arthur Miller play All My Sons, which opens this Friday night at The Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County (Ohio). This is the first show I've done in a long time and it has been a welcome, terrifying challenge.

It's set in about 1947. I'm supplying my own costumes. First full dress is tonight.

Break a leg, Scotrace!

I have an audition coming up in a week or so myself.

 

[scotrace]

Thanks! It has been going very well, I think. Such a magnificent script. Studying it is never tiresome.

 

[dhermann1]

You'll be swell! You'll be great! I wish I couild be there!

 

[scotrace]

You'll be swell! You'll be great! I wish I couild be there!

This will be our last weekend. Six shows done so far.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Good for you Scotrace. :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[scotrace]

In December, I'll be Scrooge in A Broadway Christmas Carol.

For a part of it, I'm Scrooge as Christine in Phantom, singing falsetto. It's good to find out where the edge of the envelope is.

 

[Foofoogal]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap is right.

 

[KeyGrip]

"Moving Voices", a double feature for which I was a lighting designer, just opened and plays Nov 5th through the 8th at the Barn theatre (UCSC, base of campus.) I now move on to a production of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Looks exciting.

 

[scotrace]

Scrooged

My vintage schtick is suffering these days. Having grown muttonchops to play Scrooge in A Broadway Christmas Carol, fedoras look silly on me. A bowler really works though.

Scrooge sings "I'm in the Money"

And with the Ghost of Christmas Present(s).

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Very nice Scott....Congratulations...:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[$ally]

What a fun thread. It will take forever to look through everyone's posts, but I'll catch up.
I don't have many pictures handy, but yeah that's my thing (behind the scenes mostly, but I perform too). I'm costuming for three different projects right now and also work in a theme park. I love creating a pretendland for people to play in. Sure beats spreadsheets and fax machines!

 

[$ally]

How about some funny stories that went on backstage, on the stage, at the after party, and during rehearsals? Appropriate ones, of course.

I had several until I read that last sentence.

 

[scotrace]

Me, Last Night

Coming Together Stark County Presents: An Historic Chat.

Susan B Anthony, Martin Luther King Jr., W. E. B. Du Bois, Mahalia Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. A presentation for Black History Month. Was supposed to be one performance, but it looks like it might pick up corporate backing for some others. I'm fine having done just one as it is very dialog heavy.

With Susan B Anthony (Member "Heroin" here)

 

[dhermann1]

The Cradle Will Rock

This production doesn't really qualify as Community theater, since it's actually an Equity Approved Showcase, but since I've posted it elsewhere, I thought I'd mention it here too.
I'm playing Dr. Specialist in Marc Blitzstein's 1937 "folk opera", "The Cradle Will Rock". I'm really ecstatic about it, because out of a cast of 19 I am 1 of only two who are not Equity members. That means the talent level is dazzling.
The company is Theater 1010, located in Manhattan. They're the oldest Equity Approved showcase company in New York, dating to 1955. They live in a proverbial church basement at 1010 Park Ave. (hence the snappy name).
There is so much history to this show and this production. The director, David Fuller, was in the 1983 Acting Company production, that was directed by John Houseman, who produced the original in 1937. That production starred Patty Lupone. And I have a friend coming who was the girlfriend of the producer of the 1964 production, which was directed by Howard DaSilva, who was also in the 1937 cast. She went to production meetings with people like DaSilva, Jerry Orbach, who starred, and Leonard Bernstein, who was musical director.
Here's more info:
http://www.theater1010.com/
http://www.newlinetheatre.com/cradle.html
There's also a phenomenal 1999 film by Tim Robbins about the original production, which was closed down by the authorities before it could open, for being too left wing. A lot of history to this show.

Scott: You look totally belioevable as the Great Emancipator! Wish I could see you perform!