...And Scene!

Deconstructing Mike

2010-07-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

1. First – tell us a little bit about yourself, Mike Siracuse!!!
I am originally from Buffalo NY, and landed my first hotel desk job at the Holiday Inn near the Buffalo Airport. I moved away to Normal IL in 1982 taking a promotion to front office manager for a new hotel we purchased which was a Sheraton Inn. From there, I changed jobs and started working as a General Manager for a group that was building brand new Hampton Inn hotels, and I moved to Luisville, then Lexington, Ky. All in all, I opened 4 new Hampton Inns in Illinois and Kentucky. From There, I moved to Lansing in 1991 and have been here ever since. I started with the Riverwalk Theatre in 1995 and have stayed here since!

2. You’ve been at the Riverwalk for 15 years – over the course of that time, what is the strangest thing you’ve ever seen at the theatre while you’ve been there alone? (There is a myth that all theatres are haunted!) Please elaborate as much as you can! And who have you "seen" at the theatre when you know you've been alone?
I was doing a mailing in the lobby about 2 years ago, and I was diligently working away, and kept noticing movement just outside of my peripheral vision. It was enough to make me look up. Each time I looked up, there was no one there, and it was getting aggrevating… So finally I said, “Knock it off Jack!!!” as I just felt it was Jack Dunlevy playing tricks and chuckling the whole time! (It stopped).

3. How many times have you been on stage at the Riverwalk? Twice. I played the rude ticket taker at the greyhound bus terminal for “The Trip to Bountiful” in 1997, and I was a horse in “Equuis” in 2001. Bountiful wasn’t too much of a problem, but It was impossible to do my job up front dressed as a horse, so that was the last gig.

4. How old were you the first time you made a stage entrance (if you started when you were younger), and when was the last time, and what shows? The VERY FIRST time was in 1997 for Bountiful, and the LAST time was for Equuis.

5. What do you enjoy most about being the House Manager for the Riverwalk? It is so SOCIAL. I love visiting with everyone. Its like MY party, and I’m making my rounds around the room as Host for every performance.

6. What REALLY grates on your nerves in the line of duty? Answering to things that are not under my control. Ie: the parking lot….. when our neighbors (whom we share the parking lot with) have an event on a day that we have a show, not only do the patrons come to me and complain, but so do the volunteers… the same volunteers who have been here longer than me, and KNOW why its so busy in the lot, but feel compelled to ask me anyway. It is very frustrating and I’m sure my answers have been rather “short” in the past.

7. What is one of your most touching moments while at the Riverwalk? Not sure how to answer this one… Touching how? I can say that I am most touched when we loose someone who we all love to be around, and they die. It is very hard to take sometimes. I have lost many friends over the last 15 years, and I miss them all! My mother passed away in 1999, and from that moment on, whenever someone I am close to dies, I ask her to introduce herself, and show them around. I’m sure she’s going to give it to me good when its my turn, as I’m making her work so hard in the afterlife!

8. Is there a show that sticks out in your mind as being “cursed”? If so, why? YES! Boomers, in August of 2004. There were several illnesses during rehearsals, to the point that most rehearsals were missing SOMEONE, then we lost all power on the entire eastern half of the country on opening night, so that didn’t happen, and then 2 days later, we had a tornado warning! No show ever had that much to deal with!

9. How have you seen Riverwalk evolve since you began, to where it stands now, and what was your role in its growth (from your perspective)? When I first started, we did approx 7 main stage shows and 2 fundraising events per season…. We now are scheduled for 27 total events in the upcoming year, which includes main statge, black box, fundraisers, music concerts, and play readings. We’ve expanded and improved our green room and workshop, built a props loft, and a furniture warehouse, a black box stage, the rehearsal hall, a board room, and renovated our lobby, restrooms, and concessions area. Not to mention we bought the building to boot! That’s a lot of change, and evolving in my mind. We also used to pay others to do our box office reservations for us, and we started our own operation in 2000. We went from no website to one that Bob Gras designed and we used for 10 years, and we are now on facebook, have our own e-mail, and are re-vamping our website as we speak. I was knee deep in most of it, but most prevalent was the box office, as I installed the software, and manage the box office and personally answer the majority of the reservation calls. I also managed all of the online reservations which are at the moment stalled due to the website problem.

10. Why is theatre important to the community? I feel that a community theatre is a place where all members of the community are welcome to come and play, doing what we all have in common….. Theatre! I tell people its like our “Club” where anyone can join, and when they do, they inherit a HUGE family who welcomes them with open arms. As a result, we have a large presence throughout the community and get involved in so many things! We are involved with the Renegade festival & Silver Bells, and we open our doors to groups who want to perform and co-produce shows on our stage, like the singers on the grand, the doowops, Peppermint Creek Theatre co, All of Express Children’s theatre, and even LCP did a show here back in the 90’s. I think our little theatre gives the folks in our community an option of getting involved, whether as a participant, or an observer.

11. What is your opinion of actors as a “type” of people (have you ever eaten with one?)
I Love actors! What a fun, dramatic group of people that are just like me! LOL! I always said that life is a huge DRAMA, and thank God we are all actors, so we can all play the part correctly!

12. Is there actually “risk” (as far as content – i.e. nudity in “Equus”) involved in putting on a show? If so – what is it for the theatre, the actors and the community? Whenever you do a show, you have to look at the whole PIE. The Pie is the entire group of people that could come and see it.. When you add nudity, or a focused theme ie: Gay, opera, ethnic, etc… you remove slices of the pie. The more slices you remove, the less audience you will have. If you do a show that the entire pie would love (not possible) you will have a large audience, and great participation. When you limit the number of slices in that pie, so do you limit the revenues produced, and the number of butts in seats.

Down & Dirty Questions

1. Favorite line of any show? “La Cage au folles”, “Have you ever seen so many legs in the air?”….. “I’ll bet YOU have” as she is pointing at someone in the audience.

2. If you could play a character of any show, what would it be? Mayella Ewell in “To Kill a Mockingbird”

3. If you could direct any show, what would it be? I would love to direct a talent show. Like “Riverwalk Idol”

4. Have there been any lyrics of a song you can’t get out of your head from a show that randomly haunt you, like while you’re brushing your teeth or getting dressed or trying to read, for example? Almost every musical comes to mind….. I find myself waking up at 3am and the songs in my head are driving me crazy! Hairspray comes to mind, and we haven’t even done it yet…… that’s just from the movie!

5. If you could do anything else to the theatre space, what would it be? New heating and air conditioning system so that we could operate them silently DURING a performance, and better sound.

6. Why is theatre important to you, specifically? Are you kidding? For the past 15 years its been my life… not only what I enjoy, but my livelihood too.

7. What stereotypes do you battle about theatre people and annoy you? I really dislike DIVAS. We are all in this together, and have a common purpose… those who think its all about them just P*** me off.

8. So rumors have it that you tackle people for opening candy and answering cell phones during performances - is this true? I actually did it as a joke in front of the audience once, and got a standing ovation! I just put that in my curtain speech so that it didn’t sound like such a hard ass rule.

9. You've been the House Manager for 15 years at the Riverwalk - congratulations! And - any advice you would have to pass on to others about working with people? Leave your petty, pre-conceived notions about people outside of the job, and get along with everyone, no matter who they are. I learned a long time ago in the service industry that you accomplish a lot more with sugar. Its not that I’m phony mind you, I CHANGE my attitude to meet the situation.. Attitude adjustment really works when you are dealing with so many different types of people…. No one is right, and no one is wrong.

10. Thank you for your time, and one last question: what are you most proud of as the theatre Manager of the Riverwalk? I am most proud of what we as a group have accomplished here. SO MUCH to be proud of, and so proud to be a part of it.

To Award, or Not to Award...

2010-05-19T17:21:00.000-07:00

For the record, I do believe that the people in community theatre by and far realize that the “awards” that are given out at the end of the season could be compared more accurately to those high school nominations that people are given in their senior year: “Most likely to succeed,” or “Best Smile,” or “Cutest Couple.” Nobody wants to be given the title “Most likely to end up as Jail Bait,” “Best Mullet on a Chick,” or “Best Party Host when the Parents are Away” – (okay, maybe that one would be kinda cool if you’re 17 or 18), but those titles come out anyway – unofficially.

And that’s if you’re a senior in high school, or in theatre, it seems.

By many standards, I’m a baby to the theatre experience in Lansing. I’ve been involved for almost ten years, however, and I think I have some observations of actors and “theatre types” in general that are relevant, real, and revealing. There have been a lot of shows that are done because of the parties that go along with them. There are shows that are more business-like and the actors go home after and treat the show more like a job…professionally, even. There is often a mix of these kinds of people in shows; party people can be professional sometimes, and sometimes professional people can party. Usually, though, the cliques tend to stick to themselves.

There’s a bit of incest in the theatre world as well – directors tend to have their favorite actors and techies, and actors have their favorite directors and actors to work with; aside from all of the sexual intrigues, of course. Theatre-folk tend to be high maintenance, needy, drama-loving, vulnerable, emotional and attention-craving creatures; this isn’t a put-down, it’s an observation of many of the people I’ve met over the years (and some insights into myself). They tend to stick closer to the people they know, but once they accept an outsider it is with one open arm and another with a knife in hand to plunge at an opportune moment. The backstabbing and gossip alone makes teenage girls look like amateurs. However, they accept everybody into their fold, unlike most other organizations. You don’t have to be super smart, like a MENSA dude, or be a doctor, or farm land, or do anything special in particular except show up, show interest, and you’re in. Theatre also tends to draw to it misfits of all shapes and sizes…I have to believe that everyone in theatre has a little bit of a twist to them that pulls them to the sawdust, paint, and lights…

And for all of their vain, cock-crowing flaws, thespians can also be some of the most compassionate, gentle, loyal and driven people you will ever meet. Many take their craft intensely seriously, and the payoff for their hard work is the thrill of performing in front of a live audience, or working backstage to make the show a success. It’s a high – an adrenaline rush. Even from a backstage perspective, when I’ve said “PLACES!” – my own heart will skip a bit faster and I look forward to not knowing exactly – EXACTLY – what lies ahead. Costumes rip, sound effects fail, wigs fall, furniture breaks, actors walk into walls or fall in blackouts, lines are sometimes simply lost – figuring out how to fix the problems as they happened was my personal “high.”

And I too have been involved in backbiting, being harsh on performances when a lot of my view was skewed by a dislike of a person, and wanting to be in on the latest gossip. I know of various awards ceremonies that were rigged by people who were obsessed to obtain one for themselves (doesn’t it defeat the point of recognition by your peers if you finagle an award to give to yourself?), and I know that the categories, over many years, have been tampered with by judges in many ways. Their intentions may have been good – maybe to spread the awards over a larger pool of shows, let’s say – but if you want a fair assessment then you have to take the sheets turned in by the judges and go strictly by the numbers. And you have to keep the shows in the categories in which they were submitted, along with the actors. There hasn’t been a year yet in which I haven’t seen something hinky with all of the awards shows that happen in Lansing, and it bothers me that so many people put so much stock into a piece of plastic with their name on it, or a mention in the paper. And putting all that aside, what about the personal prejudices of the judges themselves? Or their knowledge of theatre, or lack thereof?

What about the audiences? What about feeling that the award you’ve earned is a connection with the audience, a great show, and something to be proud of?
I’ve won awards. I was thankful that I was thought of, but my heart wasn’t broken when I was nominated and then lost. I directed a show nominated in just about every category – including best show – and won most of them, but not Best Director. Did I care? No. I’ve been nominated quite a few times and I have been told by other people that I was “robbed” or I deserved the award more than someone else – but it doesn’t matter. Have there been instances where I believed someone didn’t deserve an award he or she won? Yes – but that’s my opinion. I’ve voiced those opinions to close friends before, but never in a public forum like this.

I believe that people should be rewarded for the efforts they make, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be by an outside group of people who likely don’t understand all of the inner workings of what they do. How many judges have a well-rounded background and know what to look for in direction? Or how a set is painted or constructed? Or to pay attention to blocking, and if it’s clever, boring, complicated and witty or looks like the actors are making it up as they go? How many people understand lights, and sound, and what to look for in the scene changes and how they are done, if there are any?

I understand the concept of drawing in people who have no outside experience with theatre and letting them judge because they really don’t have preconceived notions. However they also don’t have the knowledge to properly judge – in my opinion – the full extent of a show. I understand having experience veterans judge, but they too can be too harsh or too forgiving if they are intimate with the personalities they are judging or have been in shows with the people they are assigning numbers to. I also think it’s also a conflict of interest if a judge is also directing a show at all during the season. Any judge should remove him or herself entirely from the process of judging for that season if he or she chooses to direct.

As for judges then – and no disrespect meant – I have little confidence in their abilities. I’ve seen some amazing shows get tanked, and some truly horrible ones get applauded (again, my opinion, with my lens, my tastes in style and genre of theatre). I understand you can’t recognize everyone and every show in the Lansing Theatre scene – however, I think it would be awesome to offer up some scenes, to replay some songs, and to make a night of remembrance for the past season instead of setting people up to compete against each other, and for mostly hurt feelings to walk out of the door at the end of the night.

I don’t think all people take these awards seriously – but there are a lot who do. I just want to emphasize that, like a review, they reflect the opinion of a very small group of people and don’t necessarily reflect the feelings of the audiences.
And to keep it real – we all know there are better shows than others. But isn’t the point that we try? And that we accomplish and pull them all off? The season goes on…the years go on…and the shows will keep coming.

Enjoy the moment, man. Don’t rush through the rehearsal process – that’s the most fun, in my opinion; to experiment, to connect with the other people around you, and to feel the rush of the weeks flying by to performance time. I know that there are cliques of people who tend to act in the same circles – but sometimes circles overlap and I love to see that. I enjoy seeing new blood in the theatre – people who are enthused and willing to work into the wee hours of the morning to make sure the final details are made to the set, alongside veteran actors and crew. The connections that are made, to me, are the most significant aspect of the theatre process, and then watching the connections reach an audience. To meet people and get to know them in so many ways, and sometimes so incredibly intimately. It takes courage for an actor, in my opinion, to go on stage and weep unabashedly, to scream, to express any range of the emotions of the characters they are cast in – and attempt to simple be.

This is sappy to admit, but I remember during “Flipaswitch” I would often weep softly at the very end of the show – and it’s the only show that I’ve seen every single performance of unless I was directly in the crew. This knot in my throat would catch me off guard and this overwhelming feeling of love I felt for the theatre, and the unity of the people on stage singing flummoxed me. There were so many people I knew and cared about singing together – it was beautiful. The show was personal to me – I couldn’t have judged it fairly. I only know that is one of the most intense times I’ve felt sawdust in my veins, and witnessed the amazing capacity theatre has to bring people together and showcase their talents to a rousing audience. I state this only to say that I'm not saying I'd be a better judge than anyone else; I know I'm too close.

I am an emotionally passionate person, and I love watching the actors work through the process of becoming …and even those who don’t quite make it – they try. The techies try. The crew tries. We do our best to work together to bring something on paper, something an author has thought up and written down, to be real.

And all the plays are real – some just look and feel real better than others. But all the people are real, and all their efforts are too. We don't get paid, we don't have the resources that Broadway has, and we accept anyone who wants to be a part of the process...it's a community effort by people who devote their free time and their talents to produce community theatre.

Let’s celebrate doing what we love, and not be divisive about who’s better at it.

Thumbing through the Book of Days

2010-01-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

*Warning – spoilers in the review!

Director Philip Himebaugh certainly did choose a complex play to perform at the Riverwalk Theatre – I commend his use of the stage for minimalistic dressing, though the actors repeatedly had trouble finding their light. The rest of the tech went very well, however it was distracting to have actors enter in the dark and then exit, sometimes just with one word entrances. They were coming in from different directions and it was disorienting at times, and the effect was that lines were missed, seemed muffled or were actually talked over.

I found it interesting however, that the only color in the show on stage happened to be the stained glass pieces, three total, hanging above the set – almost like they stood for the glory of light and honor that the characters should strive for, and yet fail miserably at. While their costumes give away much of the essential character of each person, the set itself has this pall of religion settling above it, something that some of the characters use to justify their behavior and yet none of them stop to think about their own actions and how they might be affecting the bigger picture.

The rest of the stage was painted in circles of gray and white, resembling funnels almost; it was foreboding in an appropriate sense. It also held three round platforms that utilized boxes which could be transformed into seats, tables, or other set needs. The gray coloring of all this made for a grim environment, and I think reflected the self-indulgent ruts that the people in the show found themselves in. These people all act as though they are cogs in a wheel so to speak, without any real freedom of choice, like parts of a factory expected to do their work and seem unable to rise – like Joan of Arc – to anything more than their place in this snapshot of this particular picture of life. Even the most liberal of characters – Martha Hoch – remains caught in her past and in the present isn’t the rebel she claims she used to be. She may talk a good game – as the audience gets to hear – however those days of action and revelry for her in reality are long over…

Before I give accolades to the performers, I want to point out issues with the script that I just didn’t understand. I do believe that authors can be flawed, and it is the duty of the director to walk the fine line between being true to the author’s intent, but also making his or her intent understandable to the audience. After all, theatre at its fundamental core is about communication.

For example, and probably the most obvious flaw of the script, lies in the motivation for James, played by Joe Dickson, to commit to kill his father, and why he used Earl, as portrayed by Adam Carlson, to do it. I saw Earl’s regret through baptism – and with compliments to Mr. Carlson it came off as a childish kind of hope that his heinous act would wash away the guilt he was displaying after the tragic event. Adam Carlson did a great job being “eager” to become baptized and servile after the crime. And even James, through his silence, felt somewhat regretful of his father’s murder by his will. But my point is that James was going to get the factory and the money at some point anyway, he was employed and doing well – I don’t understand why he decided to have his father killed. I asked Guy Sanville, even, and he didn’t have an answer. The script simply doesn’t provide one, and so I accept it as part of a story of these people’s lives, and that the show is less about motivation and intent, than it is about character and morality.

Although character and morality didn’t come into play in the scene between Reverend Groves, played by Joe Baumann, and the director from New York, Boyd Middleton, played by Kevin Knights. It seemed superfluous in that nothing of any meaning came out of it – there was no discussion about faith or art or fundamentalism or liberalism. I was expecting something profound, and was left wondering why it wasn’t cut out of the production. It was nonproductive, and it is a good example of what Mr. Himebaugh could, in the future, use his judgment to excise from a long play. Running at about 2 hours and 40 minutes, the show could have been pared down to help it run more smoothly. A few other scenes stood out – between Len (Eric Abent) and his mother, for example, of also being redundant. I think chopping down a bit on the superfluous material would add importance to scenes that did show character development.

For example, the scenes with James flirting violently with Ginger (Amanda Himebaugh), James talking with his mother (LeAnn Dethlefsen), Len talking with his mother and wife (Emily Aslakson) were all quite engrossing. Though I think Ruth was given a bit too much “busy dialogue” that just wasn’t needed, particularly in the beginning of the play. However, she becomes the central character of the show – much like Joan of Arc in the show she is starring in – and she takes the seriousness of Walt’s murder too far, much like Joan of Arc took her crusade. The difference is, she takes up a cause for her own purposes, whereas Joan takes her inspiration from God and checks herself against His will. Ruth causes further destruction by her unwillingness to listen to anyone and to further her own cause, and ultimately “burns” herself by causing the death, in a round-about way, of Earl. Why doesn't she go to anybody else if she is so concerned? The State Police - anyone?

In fact, the script was almost a tease – it had so many short bits with characters that it was up to the actors to really round out who these characters were. Was the Reverend actually protecting James and knew of his infidelities prior to finding out his girlfriend was pregnant? Why was he so cruel to James’ wife LouAnn? We see Walt as a shrewd businessman who almost seems to be more proud of Len than he does of his own son. Is this a motivation for James to kill his father? Walt had an old-fashioned kind of way about him, and actually those values are reflected more in the behavior of his wife, Sharon. Obedient, attending to his needs, knowing his habits, and also having been sheltered from the ‘real’ world in so many ways by her husband, she has a complete breakdown upon his death – how is she possibly able to go on?

From my perspective, the most powerful scene of the play was watching Amanda Himebaugh “reenact” the breakdown of Mrs. Bates. Mrs. Dethlefsen reacted perfectly to the unadulterated expression of grief, anger, denial and betrayal that Ms. Himebaugh rained down upon the back of Adam Carlson. I was quite shaken, tears brought to my eyes, and unable to breathe – I looked over to watch Mrs. Dethlefsen’s horror at what she was witnessing – she says in the play that she doesn’t use language like that, how could that have been her? The repression of the women in the play is part of what is enticing to watch, and how they break past the barriers. Mrs. Bates doesn’t remain a free woman – she rages but then goes back to being sheltered, oblivious to the amount of money her husband accumulated and doesn’t want to live in reality.

Bravo ladies, and Adam, for creating such a potent scene. I saw other members of the audience were also moved, and it takes a great deal of courage to simply unleash that kind of energy. Thank you.

Mrs. Hoch plays a foil to Mrs. Bates, admirably portrayed by Barb Stauffer. She doesn’t flinch to curse like a truck driver and she shares her days of rebellion with her daughter-in-law and son without apology. She relishes in poking at her more conservative son with words that evoked a great deal of anger from patrons the night I happened to see the show. Her liberal sentiments flow through-out the show with ease and she impresses the fairly naïve Ruth with her stories of excess and freedom. And it seems then that Ruth becomes more obsessed with her own notion of freedom and truth as the show develops. Kevin Knights as the director of “Joan of Arc” by Shaw helps her to find her confidence, and he is a lone light in this town where he knows what he’s doing, why he’s doing it, and he remains true to his word. His assistant, Ginger, plays the girl who essentially escapes the small town mentality that LouAnn (played by Erin Hoffman) and Sharon Bates and even Ruth to a degree, can’t. We’re led to believe, I think, that she escapes and she helps LouAnn to see that her husband James is a no-good two-timer, and that she should stand up for herself.

This is particularly played well when James appears at Ginger’s doorstep.

Joe Dickson is a talented man, and as the son of Walt and husband to LouAnn, and essentially a genuine prick on all accounts, he seems to play this role with sleazy ease. I’m not sure what it is about Mr. Dickson that makes him such a great bad guy to watch on stage, but he has a presence, an insistence, that I enjoy watching.

He sprawls himself over Ginger’s doorstep and as she tries to get past him to get inside her home, he stands and at first gently pulls her to him. We can see that there is some kind of kinetic energy there, but she’s resisting. He pushes, and she has to fight just a little bit harder to get away from his grip. He reaches out again and his hands wrap around her waist as if they already have known the contours of her body – his confidence exudes itself while she struggles to do what she knows is the right thing. And ultimately she does – she doesn’t want to hurt her friend, and she doesn’t want to give in to what would be a huge mistake. It was fun to see the raw charisma that Ginger was pulled to, and at the same time repelled by…

One of the other key scenes involves James arguing with his father, Walt. I commend Joe Dickson and Gary Mitchell for not flinching away from escalating this argument into something that might possibly be the only hint in the play we see where James has a big issue with his father. They scream at each other, with Mr. Mitchell poking his son in the chest – which I’d think as a man, would be difficult to take without grabbing that hand and wanting to break it in that state of mind. Clearly they have grown apart and James has his own ambitions that his father doesn’t support. We seen an entirely different relationship with James’ mother, however, and he is much closer to her than his father. Although James argues with his mother and she slaps him, he has a softer spot for her and he is more forgiving. It is yet another potent scene between people – it’s so voyeuristic, this little window into the lives of these very lost people.

Mike Stewart is a natural as the sheriff, and all his lines flow from his mouth with such ease, and such seeming honesty, and yet he also is as blind as everyone else in this community. It’s always a treat to see Mr. Stewart on stage, and he was a character that I wanted to see more developed, to be more involved and on the trail of Walt’s demise.

I have yet to comment on Joe Baumann as Reverend Groves – smug, sexist, he seems to be many of the things that James only wishes he could be. He has an entire congregation hanging on his every word, and members seeking counsel. His scene with Erin Hoffman, and the coldness with which he was able to conjure by telling her that she was wrong to doubt her husband and needed to attend to her husband, was met with groans in my general seating direction. I do remember him telling Ms. Hoffman not to be so “hysterical” and yet she wasn’t acting anything or anyway close to hysterical. I would have liked to have seen more of an emotional release and frustration with the Reverend, even though she’s scared, because she is at the end of her ropes and she is supposed to be hysterical about her husband. That would have made the impact of what the Reverend doing have an even greater meaning in the scope of things and for the audience to see he helps whom he wants to help, not all those who need his help.

Also, his haughtiness with Mr. Knights in the gym scene also gave a great deal of detail into his character. Though I found this scene to be long and meaningless to the overall story, the parley between Mr. Knights and Mr. Baumann was like watching a chess game. It was interesting to me that the topic of religion never actually arose in obvious terms, and at the end of the scene Mr. Baumann is dressed while Mr. Knights is left to leave the scene in his skivvies, muttering “Christ” – as in what the fuck was that about? There is some symbolism to this, in the Reverend himself hides behind his robes and the director’s job is to strip down a character and be as real as possible. The scene I think did accomplish creating a distance between the audience and Reverend Groves, leaving them wondering exactly what the hell just happened like Mr. Middleton. It could have been even more powerful however had there been some kind of open conflict between the two; what I saw I interpreted and was subtle. Dialogue to openly show more of Mr. Middleton's perspective on what was happening around him would have enriched the scene.

By far the most adjusted person in the show is Len Hoch – husband to Ruth. He’s helped to make Walt’s business a success, and genuinely wants the best for his wife and loves (and sometimes tolerates) his mother. But – this isn’t Len’s show, even though he’s the most stable character; this is Ruth’s show. Emily Aslakson did a superb job at portraying Ruth, a naïve women searching for justice and trying to figure out her place in the world. Ruth becomes obsessed with playing Joan of Arc, and she propels her belief, much like Joan did in unabashed certainty. Her belief, unfortunately, is the undoing of a man, and potentially of her own faith, and the lives of so many around her because she persists without the use of reason. She rails against Earl for killing Walt, whom she works for. And although this is true, she doesn’t realize that Earl was put up to it by James. She misjudges the situation, and because she is unable to see in shades of gray, she thrusts herself into every angle of the community she can to condemn Earl. To Adam Carlson’s credit, it’s a difficult thing to portray a fairly unintelligent person well, and he never went too far with the character of Earl. He was earnest in church and to be baptized after the murder of Walt but for what reason? It’s only later we find out that out of his devotion to James he commits this crime, and he never suspects that James has to kill him in order to preserve himself. He isn’t a bad guy – but he’s been misled. He plays the shades of gray.

Potentially the only thing I would change about the play is the way in which James kills Earl. Or rather, the blocking of it was well done, and Adam’s performance was subtle and wonderful. However James is not enthusiastic about doing this. He’s not eager to get his own hands dirty, and he’s not happy about having to kill his friend. Mr. Dickson seems a bit too “haha! I’ve got you!” – but Earl is no genius. James doesn’t have to try all that hard to commit this crime. I think that even James has these shades of gray feelings for Earl, and I would have liked to have seen James actually mourn the death of his friend – which we get the tiniest inkling of at the very end of the show, as Mr. Dickson holds Mr. Carlson. He finally does change his tenor to that of loss, and I think – I hope – with that comes a light of realization of just how much loss he’s reaped upon himself, and the town. Killing Earl is not something James wants to do - but he does out of self-preservation.

This is not a play that I would call genius – it has severe plot issues, and the story itself isn’t even all that compelling. It’s a bit long, and the motivations for some of these characters – why James would kill his father, why Ruth would be so adamant about pursuing justice for Walt and condemning Earl, why Mrs. Hoch torments her son with her stories of liberal sex, drugs and freedom – are a bit stretched. What saves this show are the powerhouse performances by the actors, and the amazing soul they have put into these people.

I’m thoroughly impressed with how the cast drew breath into each of these people, and I see this show as more of a window that the audience gets to glimpse into the lives of this town, of the specific people in the town, and the aching torment that they go through. It’s beautiful, haunting, visceral and sorrowful…flawed as the script was, it was fascinating to watch.

For Mr. Himebaugh's directorial debut, I believe he picked quite a difficult show, but he made the characters work - I believed them.

I applaud the actors for taking such a difficult script, and giving it such life – Bravo.

Figuring out Philip Himebaugh

2010-01-19T16:04:00.000-08:00

First of all, tell us a little about yourself:
My name is Philip Himebaugh. I am 24 years old. I have been married to my incredible wife Emily for about a year and a half. I grew up in Mason, MI. graduated from Alma College with a BA in theatre in April 2007. I currently work as a bank teller and do theatre in my spare time.

Why did you specifically pick "The Book of Days" to submit to the Riverwalk?
I was first exposed to “Book of Days” in 2005 while completing my undergraduate work. I played the role of Len in a Spring term production that we put up in about three weeks. I love the script. I find it chilling, almost haunting and I quite honestly just love the play. I knew I wanted to take a crack at directing, so I submitted my favorite script.

What character do you enjoy the most? Why?
Having played the role of Len, I definitely have a soft spot in my heart for this character. I think Len loses as much as almost anyone else throughout the play, but by the end no one ever really seems to remember. He’s a good guy, he works hard and loves his family, which I love about him.

What were you looking for in the auditions?
Obviously, going into an audition situation there are certain things to watch for. I really wanted to make sure the cast I chose fit the vision in my head for what these people look like. Also, it is VERY important to me that actors know how to make bold, relevant choices that they can defend. Also, I need to know that an actor will be able to take any direction I may give and do his/her best to work with it even if they disagree.

You've been seen on stage, and have had many accolades for your work - what made you decide to direct?
Directing always has been appealing to me. I’m very glad to have gotten the opportunity to direct one of my favorite plays. I did some one-act play directing work in college and always felt as though I could tackle something larger. I am confident in the training I have received and have a very clear artistic vision for where I would like to see “Book of Days” go.

Who were artistic influences to you and how did they affect your perspective on the art of communication in theatre?
My major influences are Joe Jezewski and Sanford Meisner. Mr. Jezewski is a professor of theatre at Alma College. He influenced me directly perhaps more than any other person about myself and my abilities as an actor, director and theatre artist, Sanford Meisner, on the other hand, was part of the Group Theatre founded in 1931 with member s like Harold Clurman and Lee Strasberg. Meisner’s approach to the theatre speaks volumes to me. This also will probably help me answer the communication question. Meisner’s approach to acting is fairly simple, yet it also is steeped in complexity. His cardinal rule on stage is that “I don’t do anything unless something happens to make me do it.” His work is completely based on REALLY TALKING and REALLY LISTENING; concepts derived from Russian master Constantin Stanislavsky. Many people may be familiar with Strasberg’s “method acting” which is based off of these same principals. I find Meisner’s teaching to ring more true for me. Communication on stage is much more effective, truthful and powerful if an actor is living truthfully under a set of imaginary circumstances. Theatre is arguably the most potent form of communication there is. In my mind Meisner is the definitive master on acting, no one else even comes close.

What do you believe the purpose of theatre is, and do you believe it is still relevant to the community? How?
I wholeheartedly believe that the theatre is an absolute necessity. I remember seeing a PBS documentary featuring Ronald Harwood, the playwright responsible for “The Dresser”. He posits, and frankly I agree that the theatre is a societal need. That people will find a way to imitate and to act out the events they deem important and significant.

Favorite quote of any show?
The whole muffin exchange between Jack and Algernon in “The Importance of Being Earnest”. Absolutely the funniest thing in the English language.

Is there another show you would consider submitting to direct? (and if so, what?)
There are many, many, many plays that I would like to direct. However, for the time being, I have submitted a French Farce entitled “A Flea in Her Ear” for Riverwalk’s 2010-2011 season. I am hoping it is selected.

What was it like working with members of your family in the show? More or less difficult to direct?
Having family as auditioners can be tricky business. My auditions were exactly that. Auditions based on my perception of the roles available and each individual actor’s interpretation of that role and as it related to my own. Working with members of my own family for “Book of Days” was really not that much different than working with any of the other actors. They received notes, sometimes good, sometimes bad. They disagreed and questioned and fought – just like any other actor would. While I am rehearsing, I do my best to remove myself from outside relationships. In the theatre, I am the director, the actors are the actors. When I am home, I am Philip, my wife is my wife, my mother is my mother, etc.

Favorite line of THIS show?
Ruth’s line in Act II: “My God, the horror that’s been done in the name of the greater good!” I also touch on this in my director’s notes.

What have you learned while directing?
I’ve learned that I need to be patient with myself and trust my own vision. It’s easy to let ourselves be swayed by nay-sayers or well-meaning friends who know a “better way to do it”. I’ve learned that I really enjoy directing, and I’ve learned the importance of letting other people take control in areas where I do not excel, such as set dressing, construction, lights, etc. This is just the tip of the iceberg. “Book of Days” was definitely a learning experience.

If you had it to do all over again, is there anything you would do differently?
I hope this doesn’t come across as a cop out answer, but I would not do anything differently. The experience I’ve had directing this show has been what it has been for a reason. I have treasured the good, along with the bad.

The F-Bomb

2010-01-18T12:33:00.000-08:00

***EDIT 1/18/10: I was made aware by someone attached to "Book of Days" that the people who left during Saturday's performance were erroneously informed by Riverwalk that the show was a "family" show. Again - I do not profess to know all the details. If more pertinent information arises, I'll update. To be clear, this particular piece was sparked by the rudeness I perceived by the reaction of the patrons who left the show and the relevancy and use of profanity in theatre. It is entirely my own opinion, and I thank you for reading it.

Author’s note: The following article contains mature language and if you are easily offended by naughty words, feel free to stop reading now and save yourself the hassle of having to walk away from your computer halfway through. Thank you.

I attended the Saturday night performance of “Book of Days” and before the show even started the people sitting around me were getting on my nerves. This happens at times – people who cackle a bit too loud, talk during the curtain speech, and continue to comment as the show begins. It’s grating but usually people settle in and begin to focus their attention to the action on stage. This particular group of people however, mumbled every time an F-bomb was dropped and soon I saw several CHILDREN get up and walk out. Why anyone would think a child would be interested in attending a show like “Book of Days” is beyond me.

Not long after that, one of the actors said “clit” in a humorous aside, and that was it. A much older lady a few seats down from me stood up and declared she wasn’t “going to take all this cursing and profanity! This is just, disgusting! What is wrong with these people?” And on her cue, almost half of two rows got up and followed her out – not taking the less obvious path of the back steps of the Riverwalk Theatre, mind you, but the Stage Right Vom entrance where a light was placed on the scene being played. They trudged grudgingly out, rudely passing several actors who were making entrances and were clearly lit as they exited – apparently these patrons wanted to make a point with their stampede.

I do not know if they said anything to Mike Siracuse, House Manager of the Riverwalk – I can only attest to what I saw for myself. It was almost laughable, actually. Except, the actors on stage noticed these people exiting and it was distracting for them. On a night where there was already pressure to perform (because Guy Sanville, the original director of this play, was visiting from the Purple Rose), they didn’t need this extra distraction.

To be honest, until the people beside me decided to leave, I hadn’t really noticed the cursing in the show – it was impressive to me that the actors made it sound very natural. In everyday circumstances I hear a decent amount of coarse language, and have been known to use it as well. On stage however, I realize a theatre has to be careful about what show they select because their choices are a reflection of their values and integrity. This isn’t meant to be a defensive letter on behalf of the Riverwalk – it’s really an impetus to delve into what profanity or shock topics might be meant merely for shock and what are devices used to tell a story.

An expletive traditionally is meant to “punch” the emotion of a sentence. “Fuck yes!” denotes extreme excitement, whereas, “Fuck no!” the exact opposite – it acts as an intensifier. Sometimes expletives are used for shock value by people who are inexperienced and think it’s “cool”…some people naturally keep expletives as part of their everyday vocabulary and it wouldn’t occur to them to bat an eye to hear it in conversation.

For example – and I will write more on this in my review – the scene in which the character of Ginger steps in and channels the expletive laden tirade of the older, more repressed Mrs. Bates nearly moved me to tears. I identified and emotionally connected with the energy of that scene – a scene that would not have worked without the adult language.

Another example was the character of Martha Hoach, one of the leading “offenders” of cursing in the play. As an older, educated, liberal hippie however the use of adult language fit and helped define her character. In her character the language was used as a means to poke fun at her more conservative son and daughter-in-law, and wasn’t bound by the so-called “rules” of propriety in language. She was a rebel, told stories of being a rebel, and her language reflected that. She realized that all words have value, and didn’t flinch from using any word she wanted to make a point.

For those who were offended by the word “fuck,” you could make the argument that they also resonated to that word – but were focusing just on that word, and missing the context of the scene. Words only have as much power as you give them. “Fuck” is no better or worse a word than flower. But – consider this:

“I’m going to fuck you!”

versus:

“I’m going to de-flower you!”

Which version makes more sense in a very aggressive moment?

Theatre holds up a mirror to society – depending on the show, you’ll get a different perspective out of that mirror. In “Book of Days” the mirror showed us the hypocrisy of religion, jealousy, insecurity, obsession, rage, lies, denial, repression, the search for truth, stubbornness, family, liberal dogma and fundamental dogma – and so much more of the traits every day people possess. Watching is a voyeuristic process and our reaction to what we see often triggers emotion within us. That is intentional – that is theatre.

For whatever reason, these people were unable to get beyond the everyday conversational sort of use of expletives used in the script. Their shock was a reflection of their repression, which is part of what the show itself was attempting to expose. I don’t deny people the right to leave the theatre if they want to. That’s not what pissed me off. What pissed me off was their disrespect to the rest of the audience, to the actors, and to the theatre. Their loud and blatant repulsion to a live piece of art was the most offensive part of the night. Adult shows often contain adult language – adults should know this. Adults should also know how to remove themselves from an uncomfortable situation politely.

Riverwalk could have given the play a rating for language perhaps, to warn parents away so children wouldn’t be exposed to the language and images the language presented. However, the ultimate responsibility for whether or not someone becomes offended lies on his or her own head. Offended by language in an adult show? Don’t go, or if you get there and want to leave, leave graciously. One can have an opinion that disagrees with the content of the author’s intent and not be nasty about it. In my mind these people are similar to some of the members of the church in the play that Reverend Groves ministers to – short-sighted, ignorant, and intolerant.

Their minds were likely closed before coming into the show, so the show itself wouldn’t have impacted them even had they stayed – what a shame. A fucking shame, some might say. The chance for experience, to connect with a live audience and emotions pouring forth is a gift. While I don’t think the play itself always connected completely, there were fine moments where the actors themselves became charged with emotion and drew the audience into the story with them, offering a gem or two of insight for the patrons.

Language is a tool, and you shouldn’t have to take any words out of your toolbox as a writer. Cursing has a place – it can be used to show insights into a character, it can denote aggression or violence, fear and remorse, time and place. Language is more than simple vocabulary; it possesses tone and tenor – channeling emotion and intent.

Some people might argue that the director could have cut some of the cursing from “Book of Days.” However, I would argue that if you submit a show for the season, and the show is then selected, it is the job of the director to be faithful to the author’s intent. And how do you know what the intent is? You read the words, and you work with them. Simple. Yes, a director can cut various things, but there are copyright laws that have to be adhered to. And as a writer, I can tell you I’d be pissed if I found out someone cut language out of a play I wrote out of fear for offending an audience.

I’ll have a review of the actual play soon – but I felt compelled to address this issue of profanity and the deliberate rudeness towards the audience, actors and theatre I saw Saturday night.

Thanks –

Erin

...A Short Respite

2010-01-14T07:48:00.000-08:00

I've taken some time to get situated in Jackson and have yet to see any productions here, though when I do I will be earnest to review them - always with my perspective only, and given the things I know about theatre and my own experiences.

I am greatly looking forward to seeing "Book of Days" this weekend - and apparently there is a special treat: Guy Sanville will stay afterwards for a talk-back.

I'm going to attempt to contact Philip Himebaugh, the director of "Book of Days," to get an interview up soon.

My apologies for the time away, but I'm ready to jump back into the saddle and write away...

Cheers to all, and may we all have a prosperous 2010!

A Discourse with Dan Pappas

2009-05-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

1. Tell us about yourself:
I have spent over 37 years in the field of education. I have been everything from a teacher to principal to superintendent of schools. For the past 4+ years I have been working as an association executive for two groups. My role is to provide professional development to administrators across Michigan. This includes planning conferences, workshops, and online experiences. My wife Lisa and I have a blended family which includes four adult boys. None are married at this time and we don’t have grandchildren yet. Each have a strong interest in the arts. All are musicians. Three are percussionist and one was a saxophone/piano player. In fact, when he went to MSU, he was a keyboard player in their jazz program. Even though none are ‘professional’ with the arts, they still stay involved.

I discovered theater as an adult and was in my first show when I was 30, God’s Favorite. I did the same show two years ago, but played the father part this time. Since that first show I have been involved on or off stage in over 40 productions. It is a part of me that keeps me energized and youthful in thought.

2. Why did you pick "Fiddler" to direct?
Fiddler is one of my all time favorite shows. I was also in a production in Hartland, Michigan long ago playing Motel. LCP, as part of their 80th season asked me if I would direct this show. I believe this will be the third time it has been done by this group.

3. What is the biggest challenge and the biggest joy for you about directing.
The biggest challenge is making sure that people who commit to doing both on and off stage work on a show really understand, can and do what they have said they are going to do. The biggest joy is working together to create not only a quality theater experience, but also a positive sense of community.

4. You've been on stage as well - has your acting experienced influenced your directing methods at all?
It truly has. I have worked with many fine directors. Doing that has helped me both with my acting as well as my directing. I’m a student of both theater and movies and am always looking for tips, ideas, and ways to be as good as possible with this passion hobby of mine.

5. What do you look for when you cast a show in people? How do you know someone is "right" for a particular part?
I look for not only an individual fit for a part but also a fit with the direction and vision I have for a show and with the rest of the cast.

You take as good a guess with the selection and then work with each person to take on the role and enhance what they bring to the project. I look for a person who has stage presence, who is willing to work, doesn’t bring too big an ego to the audition and rehearsals. I do review what experience they have either from what they share on the audition sheet and from what I know about ones work in the past.

6. Tell us what people have to look forward to with "Fiddler on the Roof."
People are in for a real treat! Even as this show is so familiar, there is a freshness that we will deliver. The set is unique in that it will be storybook in look. The actors understand who they are and are working very well together. The music is rich in sound from both the pit and actors. I am sure that people will not only walk away with the tunes in their heads, but a real like for the people and the show itself.

Quick Questions:

1. What is your favorite scene from "Fiddler"?
There are many, but the one I relate to the most is the Little Bird scene where Tevye reflects on the decision of Cheva to marry outside her faith.

The fun scene is the Dream sequence.

2. What was the first show you ever directed?
My first show directing was with LCP. It was Cheaper By The Dozen.

3. Favorite line from any show?
From Camelot, "I do enjoy being King!"

4. Dream show to act in or direct?
Les Miz

5. Why is theatre meaningful to you, and what role do you think it plays in the community?
Theatre is essential to the healthy life of a community. It is a way for all of us to either pitch in on or off stage, even as audience, to share a slice of life in a creative way. It is a great way to teach and learn. I love shows that have many people of all ages. We share back and forth. We understand each other and the world better. We see that sometimes, even when things don’t go right, we learn more about who we are and more about those around us. It gives me energy to do the things in life that are not always very pleasant. It connects me with an amazing group of people, of whom many are my best friends. Most of all, I can work hard on a project of love as I play and have fun!

Manic with Macbeth

2009-04-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
--Macbeth, Act V, scene v

Perhaps one of the most oft’ spoken soliloquy’s of Shakespeare, this short bit of prose provides profound insight into the inner workings of Macbeth. Though outwardly he maintains a fervor for power and plentitude, he ultimately understands the irony of the pointlessness of possessing it – for it was never truly his in the first place.

In Riverwalk’s “Macbeth” there were, unfortunately, many production values that signified nothing; or, worse, foretold of a tale told in less regality than Shakespeare wrote, without the intensity and emotion that makes this “ghost story” of intrigue, murder and chaos compelling. I was able to catch glimpse of director Eric Dawe’s vision – ‘twas a pity he couldn’t carry it out.

Mr. Dawe had some superb ideas; I loved the Weird Sisters without faces…however, I bored of their jellyfish antics after the first two scenes. For some reason it is common among directors to believe that flowing or spider-like movements make for a scarier character or presence on stage. These Weird Sisters are not out to scare Macbeth – they simply are what they are. They are supernatural – and being thus did not need affectation to create fear mixed with curiosity in Macbeth and Banquo; sometimes no movement at all is a more powerful means to invoke terror and awe. Their canned voices were impossible to understand; perhaps voice recorder boxes to obscure the tenor of their words would have worked if Mr. Dawe wanted a mysterious effect, however Shakespeare is difficult enough to understand without the distortion. The witches whispering their incantations and laughing quietly I believe would have been a great deal more powerful – their seeming insight into the future being much more believable by Macbeth and the audience, as if they know of a cosmic joke but won’t reveal the punchline. They are mere spectators in the form of specters, ghoulish in their predictions.

The costumes for the cast seemed to range from 18th century dresses to medieval wear; I wasn’t quite sure what the costumer was going for. It was a mish-mash of styles and trends and really didn’t work. Danny Bethea in pumpkin pants for example, and being a bit bigger than the woman who played his mother, suffered through one of the more unfortunate scenes of the show. Lady Macbeth’s crimson gown was beautiful but inappropriate – her head ornament was also anachronistic. I was hoping to see glitz and glamour on the stage for this man and woman who lusted after the royal robes – but the robes Macbeth ended up wearing were bland and practically pajama like. Not a good look for a king. I really had no place in time to put myself, and it was disorienting.

Brad Rutledge tried to play the role of Macbeth with zeal and energy, however it’s just not believable that he would ever respect Duncan the King, portrayed by Randy Matthews, or that he would heartfeltly regret killing him. Mr. Matthews demeanor was not particularly kingly nor did he develop a relationship with Macbeth that would evoke the guilt Macbeth suffers from later on. Mr. Rutledge exerted a great deal of pathos – but it was so method that it distracted from being real in any sense of the word. It was clear he was “acting,” and I don’t know if Mr. Rutledge is a method actor, but that’s what I appeared to be watching on stage. He had no chemistry with Kelly Gmazel, who played Lady Macbeth. I wanted to believe that he would kill for this woman, and to see a smoldering passion between them – instead of flames I saw forced readings and over-acted sentiments that glossed over the depths of the lines they were speaking. Ms. Gmazel also seemed to have a “method” feel about her and though there is nothing wrong with that style of acting, if it seems apparent on stage then it becomes transparent and does affect the performance.

Ms. Gmazel was bland at best. She did not have the natural knack for speaking the language, and so her emotions didn’t make sense and neither did her motive for wanting her husband to kill the king. She doesn’t come across as greedy and seductive – I’m not sure how I would describe her performance other than disappointing. I wanted to see a scheming enchantress, a woman who knew what she wanted and for the audience to see if she had been a man, she would have killed the king herself. As it was she had to take over for Macbeth as he falters and finish what he starts, and she should do so with venom instead of exaggerated irritation that Ms. Gmazel emoted instead. This is supposed to be a woman who has no heart – and she steals away what is left of her husband’s. There was a great deal more depth that Ms. Gmazel could have plunged into with this character.

Mr. Dawe had a unique supporting cast; of them, Adam Carlson as MacDuff and Erik Grill as a host of characters, are the strongest actors of the entire show. Erik Grill in particular played his parts with the understanding and full commitment to the language and intent of the language. He understood where to stress the words and how to make them clear. He assigned the right emotion and facial gestures with his speeches, and I was thoroughly impressed with his performance. Great job, Mr. Grill. I would love to see you do more Shakespeare – Iago, perhaps?

Mr. Carlson as MacDuff was also quite good; I would have liked to have seen more angst in his “Horror, horror!” line – after all, the king’s just been killed – but I also know that is a pretty difficult line to deliver. I think he portrayed the character of MacDuff with an amiability to begin with and so when we see him betrayed by Macbeth, Mr. Carlson opens himself up to rage and for the audience to feel his sorrow. He could have been a bit louder, even – his family has just been killed after all – but overall he emotes grief and the urge for revenge very well. He never went over the top with his character, and his lines were very well delivered.

I wish I could say the same for the characters of Malcolm, Banquo, and other members of the cast. Many were difficult to understand, and many characters were directed to face upstage as they spoke so their lines just couldn’t be heard, though Scott Larson was another stand-out who played multiple characters (including one of the Weird Sisters) and made his presence known on stage.

There were many production choices that were poor – the recording of the Weird Sisters, the prolific and pointless scene changes without music to mask the stomping on the set, and even the random use of the set itself. The design by Craig Smith was interesting – though it wasn’t really used to its full potential. There were three steps downstage for use – I think it would have been wise to use that for a sitting area instead of bringing the lights up and down to move a bench, and then a stump, and a bench – over and again. Or else perhaps a bench could have been made into the set to be used? The stairs in the middle of the set which led to an upper level – which my inclination is to think was a construction issue rather than a design issue – were built with the steps too far apart. More than once an actor teetered on them, and without railings they were downright dangerous. Ms. Gmazel did stumble at the top as she tripped the night I saw the show – I’m glad she made it safe through the end of the run.

I know I sound very critical of the show, but that is because my expectations were set very high. Mr. Dawe has a tremendous reputation in theatre and I’m surprised at the production choices he made; little or no music for scene changes, allowing costumes that were of different time periods, some corny prop items (the twigs for the forest, for example), unsatisfying choreography for the fighting – a desperate death cry of rage and rebellion from Macbeth, even at the point of defeat off stage, would have been appropriate and yet was missing. The end of the show lacked luster and was unsatisfying. I never believed Macbeth was all that strong or determined or even afraid for his soul – mostly he was pathetic. There is no nobility in pathos.

Shakespeare, if not cast with the right actors who know how to deliver the lines, understand the language and can use their facial expressions and body movements to help translate the story for the audience, falls flat and is a sad sight to see. The minimalist set – while not great – did give Mr. Dawe all the components he needed in and of itself. Lady Macbeth did not require water to wash her hands – the magical effect of the blood appearing out of thin air would have been much more potent without actual water present, for example.

I know Mr. Dawe carries a great deal of passion for Shakespeare – it’s unfortunate that his passion didn’t translate to the stage and into the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, specifically. These are characters are akin to Othello – whose blood runs hot and are made of the stuff action springs from – and once they take the fiery plunge into red depths, they sink deeper and deeper until they know they’ve damned themselves into a place from whence there is no return.

I’m sorry Mr. Dawe; I was looking for regality, rebellion, lust and revenge – I wish I’d seen it.

Signs of Intelligent Life with Kellie Stonebrook

2009-03-28T21:50:00.000-07:00

So what made you decide to become a Boarshead Intern? I decided to become a BoarsHead intern because I wanted to learn about the daily business of working in professional theatre. I also wanted to earn Equity points to join the Professional Actor's Union.

2. What has the experience been like? My experience has been awesome so far! I had NEVER done anything to do with tech theatre before coming to BoarsHead and I've learned a lot! The interns, or Second Company Members, build the sets for every mainstage show, hang and focus all the lights, operate the lighting and sound boards, assistant stage manage, for at least one production, participate in educational programs for kids of all ages, and plan, produce, act, and direct dark night shows. I learn something new every day!

3. What made you choose Lily Tomlin’s show to perform for your dark night? I decided to do Lily Tomlin's show for my Dark Night because I have always wanted to do a one-woman show and Lily's is probably the best one out there. It's fun, thought-provoking, and extremely witty. Not only is it a challenge to perform, but the material itself challenges the audience. I love having the opportunity to make people laugh and think at the same time!

4. What is your favorite line from the show? My favorite line from the show is "reality is nothing more than a collective hunch." So true!

5. What do you enjoy most about theatre? The aspect of theater I enjoy the most is performing, although working at the theater has introduced me to other aspects I would also like to pursue. Writing, dramaturgy, and stage managing are three areas of theater I would like to learn more about.

6. What do you dislike about theatre? I'm not sure what I dislike most about theater. There isn't any aspect of it that I absolutely loathe, but there are areas I find particulalry challenging. Light hang, for example, scares the crap out of me. I'm always afraid I'm going to drop a heavy instrument and end up injuring myself or someone else. The same goes for handling certain power tools in the shop like the dreaded router, for example. Everytime I use that thing I either get sparks flying at me or the bit breaks off. And to be frank, me with power tools in general is a dangerous thing

7. What comes easy to you about working in theatre? Good question. I'm still learning, but at this point I would say that performing comes the most easily to me. I feel more confident onstage than I do working backstage, although I'm getting better.

8. What is more difficult for you? Anything to do with lighting is the most difficult aspect of theater I have dabbled in thus far. Scary, scary, scary...

9. Any plans after Boarshead? I don't have any concrete plans for after BoarsHead, but I do know that I plan on finishing my degree and moving out of Michigan to hopefully purse theater elsewhere in a climate more conducive to my health.

10. Dream role for you? My dream role has always been Scarlett in Gone With the Wind. Sadly that will never happen...I'm blonde and have no boobs.

11. What have you learned about people from your experiences in theatre? I have observed vast differences in personalities between actors and technicians during my time at BoarsHead. My experience here (in general) is that actors tend to be more needy and less independent than tech people. They also of course love to be the center of attention. Techies tend to be more independent, have better problem solving skills, and are content to fade into the background. Two very different types of people - both essential to the theater process.

12. Why is theatre important to the community? Theater is important to the community because it teaches people more about themselves and the human condition. It challenges us to think critically about ourselves and the world around us.

13. Why is theatre important to you? Theater is important to me because I feel like it is my bridge to the outside world. I can make a difference in people's lives by bringing theater to life.

15. Why should people come see “Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe” at the Boarshead? People should come see "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" because I said so. And because Bruce said so too. No, actually, I think people should come to hear Jane Wagner's incredible insights about the world as we know it. She explores many of the questions we all have about life, reality, and humanity. There's a little bit of something for everyone!

Don't Eat the Chili in "Daddy's Dyin'"...!

2009-03-23T18:29:00.000-07:00

It doesn’t take much imagination to figure out that Mark Boyd knows what it’s like to be high, and when watching him on stage with Sandy VanLacker in a pig-out scene during “Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s Got the Will?” it’s fun to observe them both let go and actually enjoy themselves. Ms. VanLacker as Marlene Turnover – married to Orville Turnover – starts a bit hyper and seems to get more and more energetic as the show goes on. She may have started out a little more beaten down in order to build herself up to a final confrontation with her very loud husband, however her perkiness and impertinence are fun to watch.

The stand-out member in the cast, with unfortunately the smallest role, is Mr. Boyd. He waltzes in with Evalita Turnover (played to the hilt of the 80s fashion sense and white trash sentiments by Jill Maddix) barefoot, sporting tattoos with a bandana covering long hair and torn jeans. In the stiff, redneck household of the Turnover residence he seems both out of place and very at home, and eventually interjects himself into the insanity of this family’s crisis – which is really about the missing will of Daddy – and leaves with a different Turnover than he comes with. He’s a hippy with a Zen sense of humor – he is happy to live and let live – to a point.

Kerry Waters plays Lurlene – the sister who leaves the family to “answer the call of God” with her husband, thus abandoning her father. Her father, played to sweet and sad success by Steve Shelton, cut her out of his will, but the family knows he’s recently changed it. There are hopes for Lurlene that he forgave her and put her back in the will – although the money in the end never really matters to Lurlene. She plays the role of a dutiful daughter – which is far different than the role of Sara Lee, played by Marni Holmes, who takes it to a higher level and becomes the loving daughter who doesn’t want to see her father die.

Ms. Holmes is convincing as the daughter who not only stays behind to care for her father and the farm, but the sister who is constantly being connived by her youngest sibling, Evalita. Pushed past her breaking point several times, Ms. Holmes reveals a poignancy with a simple phone call, and a rush to her father for comfort – he sings to her, lost in the past and believing he’s putting his baby girl to sleep, and she listens to his voice while crying on his chest as the lights go out at the end of a scene.

Her other confrontation is a bit more dramatic; she scares the hell out of Evalita and pushes her around the living room, tired of her crap, tired of her getting the way, and tired of Evalita taking away the things that she loves…Ms. Maddix goes from confident to being a bit scared from being shoved around, to bouncing back into the bitchy sister role at the end of the scene before running away from the wrath of Sara Lee. Well done, ladies.

Rick Wendorf – if you know him – is costumed in overalls and looks the part of a wife beater despite his well-known and oft’ loved diva ways. He was loud and crude, unafraid to get downright nasty with his wife, Marlene. Towards the end of the show, however, Mr. Wendorf displayed a surprisingly soft side when he asks Marlene to “just leave.” It’s a broken voice and I was touched by it. His presence tends to egg the women of the family on, and he plays dumb quite well (that is, I’m assuming he’s playing at it)…

Steve Shelton as Buford – or Daddy – was quite good with playing befuddled and living in the past, while upset about not understanding his present. While the others in the cast mostly ignore his rantings, Sara Lee takes him seriously and it’s obvious she loves him while her siblings are there for other intentions (to assuage guilt or go after his money). Mr. Shelton portrays a victim with a temper, retreating back into confusion timidly.

There are usually hiccups in a show, and in this one the real disappointment comes in the form of Marie Papciak as Mama Wheelis. She had a few moments when she remembered her lines, and they were funny when she could recall them and deliver them with a bit more speed than a turtle’s pace, however she couldn’t keep up with the rest of the cast and there were very long stretches of the show in which she elongated her speech, for some strange reason. I’m not quite sure if this was because it was her idea of how to act older than her actual age, or if it was because she was searching for her lines and thought the slower she spoke the longer it gave her to remember them. She was painful, unfortunately, to watch at times and even brought the alacrity of conversation between the rest of the cast to a dead stop as she struggled and fumbled over her words. What a shame. What should have been a show that rested just under two hours stumbled it’s way to closer to two and fifteen, and it was because the pacing was off for key scenes that should have clipped along. Except Harmony who has an even temper, everyone else has a sharp tongue and it should have showed. The speed of the dialogue should have been quick and snappy - and it was with the other characters, but when she took the stage and mixed up character names and re-started her sentences, it upset the timing and pace and frankly, was a bit irritating to watch. She should have known her lines. Period.

Tony Sump should be proud of his functional and appropriate set design, tech work and backstage crew. They all moved quickly and the sound/lights were impeccable. The costumes were likely appropriate for the kind of people we were watching; tacky, ill-fitting at times and even outrageous. I’m not typically a fan of this genre, however the night I saw the show the ponderously obvious flaw was the pacing. Some of it may have been inherent in the script, but much of it was most certainly due to actors fumbling for lines. Ms. Papciak wasn’t the only actor to grasp for words, however she was the most obvious and the most rampantly irresponsible about it. I hope for next weekend Mr. Sump can grill into his actors that they’ve got a good show – but it could be so much better by shaving off about 20 minutes and forcing it to clip along at a pace that leaves the audience forcing itself to have to keep up with the story on stage instead of wanting to shout out words to help the actors keep moving.

What's Happening with Marni Holmes

2009-03-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

1. What made you decide to audition for "Daddy's Dyin'"? I have wanted to work with Tony again since 1999, (we did Fools at RW), and the awesome script didn't hurt.

2. How would you describe your character? And how would you describe the Turnover family? Sara Lee is the glue that holds the family together. Without her they would probably never see each other, until, maybe, her funeral. Of course, she has also felt obligated to take on this role, and resents it, but will slip right back into it because she finds it necessary. It is really the only life she has ever had. This, sadly, makes her a waste of humor and wit, because she has both, not to mention intelligence. Motivation is what she is lacking, but I feel that that will change with the death of Mama Wheelis. The Turnover family is just like any other, but a bit more sheltered in the small town scene. (Small? I meant teeny-tiny, population 40). They all express love in the way they know how, which a lot of times screws up everything. However, their hearts remain pure, and when it comes right down to it, there isn't anything they wouldn't do for one another and people they consider friends.

3. How long have you been doing theatre? Technically since the 9th grade, (my first play), but I have on stage since I was 4 years old, (dance and many character parts).

4. How do you prepare to play a character? I believe that every person has a bit of the character in themselves already, and you just need to find it, draw it out, and nurture it. I was one of those kids that wanted to be everything when they grew up, and finally decided that as an actress, I could do that. Once you find that character in you, you can start the process of bonding with your co-stars' characters, and the background research of the environment you all inhabit. Research is ALWAYS a part of the process.

5. Tell us a little more about yourself! Lansing born, raised and educated since 1966, until 1984 when I left for college in WI and MN, where I studied Theater and English. Returned to Lansing, (ahem), due to life, and pretty much the rest is just a garble. I was destined to be a part of the Lansing community's theater scene because I was following in my father's footsteps most of my life. He was a part of the Community Circle Players since at least 1961, (earliest program of a show that I have), and when he died in 1965, 2 months before my birth, I was predestined to pick up where he left off, so to speak. Although I waited until the late '90's to make an appearance, I have not regretted one minute.

Quick questions:

1. Favorite line from this show: "Daddy, I don't want yew ta die. Yew're the only man who ever really loved me." Close second: "Shut up, Orville!"

2. Favorite moment from the rehearsal process: Many moments: the literally uncontrollable laughter as the characters became more and more real, and the letting loose on an awesome catfight scene.

3. Why is theatre important to you? It keeps me sane, believe it or not.

4. What was the first role you've played and where? I played a diva in a minidress, with high heels and a cigarette in my living room in 1968.

5. What is your dream role? They all hold a special place in my heart, but it has to be the next one where I get paid...

Listening to Logophile Eric Dawe

2009-03-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

1. Is this the first time you’ve directed at Riverwalk? If so – why did you choose this show to be your first, and if not, what was your first, when, and why did you decide to come back now?
Yes, this is the first time I've directed at Riverwalk. I had directed some Shakespeare in Grand Rapids, and have wanted to direct this show for awhile. When I heard Riverwalk was celebrating its 20th anniversary, I submitted 'Macbeth' because I felt that Riverwalk, as a legitimate theatre, really needed to do some Shakespeare for this important anniversary season.

2. What is the most alluring feature to you about MacBeth?
The characters and the story. Part of Shakespeare's genius is that even with his most heinous characters, their humanity is always palpable. Macbeth betrays his conscience - and then is torn apart by his guilt. The harder he tries to excise his moral compass, the more he finds himself in its unrelenting grip. Lady Macbeth, likewise, seems so strong and Machiavellian; but when she loses control of Macbeth, we see how truly dependent she was on him. When he casts her adrift, she loses her soul. All the characters in this play are fully realized and impeccably drawn - they all have their strengths and their weaknesses. And we recognize ourselves in all of them.

3. Why is theatre relevant to the community?
For that answer, I'll turn to Shakespeare again. Hamlet tells the players that their charge is to hold up a mirror to nature - "to show virtue her features, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure." In other words, theatre is that lens through which we see the nobility and ignobility of the human condition; theatre exposes society's decencies and flaws with unflinching honesty. But it also helps us accept ourselves, with all our virtues and failings. It challenges us often to reach beyond our grasp, to strive for to be better than we are.

4. I know that you act as well as direct – do you like one better than the other? What are the challenges and rewards you enjoy/encounter in both endeavors?
I've often said that as an actor, you are one of the colors on the artist's palette. You bring as much richness and depth to that color as you can, using your imagination, intellect, and emotions. As a director, you determine how all the colors are composed on the canvass, to what degree and intensity. It's a much bigger task, but it is also much more rewarding in many ways. As an actor, you get to focus your energies on your character; you can dig deep and concentrate on the inner life and conflicts of the role. As a director, you get to manage all of the relationships on the stage. It's like mixing a sound track: you can bring the 'volume' up in some moments, or dial them down in others. It's like conducting an orchestra: the script is the score; the characters are the various instruments. Tempo, dynamics, they're all up to the director.

5. You saw Teller’s version of MacBeth – how did it inspire you to re-create this show with your own stamp? What did you like and not like about Teller’s version?
I always intended to do this show with some magical effects. This is a good old-fashioned 'Ghost Story,' with witches and specters and supernatural events. I wanted to see Teller's version to be sure that they could be integrated into the play in a way that supported the action, rather than detracting from it. Teller did that, to a great extent. I also knew it would require my actors to learn some things they don't usually have to do when acting; but then, several of them have had to learn how to fight with swords for the first time, too. Acting sometimes includes challenges; but they can enhance the experience of the play for the audience.

I enjoyed the pace and tempo of Teller's production of "Macbeth." Unlike audiences in Shakespeare's time - who only had the theatre for diversion. Shakespeare could indulge in plays that ran for three hours or more. Today's audiences are conditioned much differently. Movies are two hours long; we have DVDs and Wiis and Play Stations and IMAX. I've pared the script down so that it emphasizes the action while still retaining the genius and integrity of the story.

6. Tell us more about yourself:
I've been doing theatre for too many years to count. Lately, I've been drawn much more to writing. I've won a few awards regionally and nationally for both stage plays and screenplays, and that's encouragement enough to keep me going. I've also just completed my first novel and would like to get that published (www.lastkingoftroy.com). Hopefully, soon. Next year, Riverwalk will produce one of my plays, 'The Watch List,' as part of its 2009-2010 season. It won the 2005 C.T.A.M. Regional Playwriting Competition, and was awarded 'Honorable Mention' in the Writer's Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition - which received over 19,000 submissions.

7. Why is theatre important to you?
When I was younger, it was an outlet, a form of self-expression. As I get older, I find it more of an inroad into understanding the human condition, the conflicts and aspirations we all share. Having lived several decades now, and experienced the joys and heartaches of raising a family, the challenges of finding a path through life, the death of loved ones, I find theatre as a way of connecting with others, sharing their triumphs and sorrows, and discovering those common threads that unite - and sometimes divide - us.

8. What is MacBeth’s weakness, and is he truly redeemed at the end of this play? In what way?
Well now, that's a question that could be debated endlessly - and by better minds than mine. For me, Macbeth is a man who has been schooled all his life to follow the rules, but has a driving ambition that, goaded by temptation, overmasters his virtue in a moment - a moment that propels him down a path of slaughter and self-destruction. As I said earlier, even after he murders Duncan, Macbeth cannot cast away his moral compass. The more he tries, the more tormented he becomes.

Is Macbeth redeemed at the end of the play? By no means. He is bitter and morally desolate, his soul as barren as the blasted heath on which he first meets the Weird Sisters. He is remorseless, determined to fight on against the powers of right, even when he knows that the fates have betrayed him and that the fight is futile. In the end, he is bitter and defiant, so I think it's hard to say he's truly redeemed in any sense of the word. He stands in marked contrast to the first Thane of Cawdor, who acknowledges his sins, asks for forgiveness, and faces death with nobility.

9. Should we pity Lady MacBeth, or does she deserve her fate?
The genius of Shakespeare is that we do pity Lady Macbeth, even while we feel that she deserves her fate. She's a woman in a man's world. She's been married before, probably lost her husband and her children to death, knows what it's like to be powerless, and hated it. She knows Macbeth is an ambitious man, and knew it when she married him - seeing in him the avenue to gaining control of her life and the power that will keep her from ever falling victim to the helplessness of being a woman again. Her moral choices are wrong; but we can identify with her conflicts, even while decrying her actions.

10. Any comment on the role of the witches in the play? And one cast one male?
The Weird Sisters, as they are more aptly called, are the catalyst for the entire action of the play. What's open to debate is whether they KNEW Macbeth would murder Duncan (predestination), or whether they simply goad him to the task by inflaming his vaulting ambition (self-determination). Certainly, they are master psychologists. They know Macbeth's psyche better than he knows it himself. Is this some kind of supernatural knowledge? Perhaps - or perhaps not. Lady Macbeth knows her husband's ambition and his dark impulses - but she also knows he is conflicted by a set of high moral values, as well. If Macbeth's qualities are so obvious to Lady Macbeth, why wouldn't the Weird Sisters also recognize these vices and virtues, as well?
Quick Questions:

1. Favorite play:
Hamlet

2. Favorite line from a play:
Way too many to list. Among the favorites are:
'O, for a muse of fire that would ascend the brightest heaven of invention.'
'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players.'
'We are such stuff as dreams are made on.'

3. Favorite character you’d played:
Atticus Finch, 'To Kill a Mockingbird'; Claudius, in 'Hamlet'

4. Dream role for you to play?
Iago ('Othello'); Sir Thomas More ('A Man for All Seasons'); Don Quixote ('Man of La Mancha')

5. Dream show for you to direct?
Wow, right now, 'Macbeth' is my dream show. I'll have to let the dust settle when this is over and see what pops up. When I get a little more seasoned, I'd like to do 'Hamlet,' of course; and 'Othello.'

Living Amongst "The Dead"

2009-03-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

Though a little late, I did want to give my take on the musical adaptation of James Joyce’s “The Dead,” as directed by Mary Job. The production had a stellar cast, a gorgeous set, beautiful costumes, and fine actors. There were all the ingredients to make a sophisticated romp, and yet – something was still missing, though it was mostly apparent at the end of the show.

That isn’t to say that the actors didn’t do their part to help tell the story or that the musicians were terrible. The music was enchanting and most of it even rousing – it enlivened the environment of the party and made the stage feel as if you were one of the guests. It was inviting, and though a bit too loud at times for the actors’ voices, very well-played.

The caliber cast that Ms. Job put together included Doak Bloss, Gini Larson, Bill Henson, Rick & LeAnn Dethlefsen, Eve Davidson, Laura Stebbins, Shelly Garyet, Mara Schaberg, Alec Nagy, Emily Aslakson Himebaugh and Casey Shipman.

The story itself, though changed somewhat from Joyce’s original work, centers around a holiday party with Gabriel’s aunts. They seem to be the central focus for most of the show, actually, and the play takes a startling and totally superfluous turn by ending the life of Aunt Julia, played by Eve Davidson. To her credit, Ms. Davidson’s performance was lovely – tender in the right moments, cranky in others, and she could be downright rabble-rousing too. She was fun to watch, as was her sister Aunt Kate, played by Laura Stebbins, and her niece, Mary Jane, portrayed by LeAnn Dethlefsen. Mrs. Dethlefsen’s singing voice is matched only by Shelly Garyet, who plays Molly Ivers – a feisty Irish lass who dishes out her opinions without blinking an eyelash. She goes after Gabriel (Doak Bloss) at one point and we see the beginnings of his personality begin to reveal itself; he backs down at conflict and wants everyone to be happy. Mrs. Dethlefsen and Mrs. Garyet genuinely seem to have fun on stage, and shine as they dance and make merry. What a treat to watch them.

Bill Henson sang a solo, and the harmonics of his voice were quite beautiful to listen to – the words didn’t seem to matter. And then at the somewhat opposite end of the spectrum of sophistication were Freddy Malins and Mr. Browne, played by Mr. Nagy and Mr. Dethlefsen respectively – and they were boisterous and boyish and full of vim and vigor and charm. They were fantastically fun to watch and I genuinely believed they were having a grand time at the party.

Mr. Bloss’ character took several asides during the show to reveal what he was thinking; after all, the original short story centered about Gabriel. The play however, twisted from the story and attempted to incorporate Gabriel’s thoughts into the fabric of the party, which seemed to focus more on his two aunts. Why the author did this I’m not sure; we are not allowed as much access to Gabriel since the story seems to focus mostly on the party.

The script also simply failed to deliver the foreshadowing necessary for the audience to understand the end. As I mentioned, the play centers around the party, and so as Gretta (played by Gini Larson) and Gabriel retire to their hotel after the festivities, many people in the audience were left confused at the sudden switch in the storyline. The play seemed to be about the two aunts and the party and abruptly changed pace into a more intimate setting with Gabriel and his wife. I heard a lot of people say they didn’t “get” the end. Well of course not – the playwright failed to set it up properly, and it is through no fault of the director or the actors it wasn't understood by some patrons.

The party is a foil to Gabriel’s life and his perceptions of his life; there was no death in it, nothing for him to care about in the world – not until he heard of Michael Furey, and so as Gabriel revealed his aunt passing, it felt awkward and out of place, and rather premature. If it was meant as a foreshadow for a discussion of death, it was a poor one. However, Mr. Bloss rendered an amazing performance and I was riveted watching him; I noticed that as other actors were dancing or singing, he watched his wife, Gretta, instead. I don’t know if that was an actor choice or a director choice, but there were many small details that I noticed about his performance and appreciated. I noticed other characters were doing the same thing – Ms. Schaberg wringing her hands and looking worried, Mr. Nagy and Mr. Dethlefsen making jovial motions without disrupting the action on stage, Mrs. Dethlefsen covering her mouth with worry and anxiety – I appreciated the realism these actors brought to their performances.

Unfortunately, the only character that I truly felt lacked personality and development was Gretta, and she is so vital to the plot of the show and is the one of the key characters that you should feel something for. Although I watched Mr. Bloss attempt to connect with her, Ms. Larson did not give back the same energy and it affected their chemistry on stage. I just didn’t feel or see from her the angst and forlornness of losing a lover so young. As she sang the song from her childhood, I kept wishing to see wistfulness brush across her face – but I fear she was focusing too much on singing instead. I do not like to criticize harshly, and I know Ms. Larson is a fine actress given the right role – however this was not the right role for her and her performance at best was bland. In such a talented cast so full of facial expressions and empathy and feeling in a wide range of emotions, I was surprised that she came across so woodenly. Even when she tried to display feeling of some sort unfortunately it looked like she was “acting,” and was un-authentic to the point of being distracting.

My only other true concern, as a Joycean reader myself and being familiar with his short story of “The Dead,” is with the blocking of the end of the show. Perhaps some of what Ms. Job could do was limited by the actual script, however I would like to briefly explain the end of the short story and why the play as performed failed to deliver the final tenderness, isolation and despair, to a degree, that Joyce creates in his story.

Gretta makes it known to Gabriel that she once loved a boy when she was young, and he loved her. She was to be sent away to school and he came out to see her one last time in the rain, and he caught pneumonia and died, and Gretta believed all her life that he died for her. Gabriel understands as she is telling this story that it has been Michael who was her true love of her life all this time they’ve been married, and all this time he thought that it was he she loved instead. He realizes he didn't understand that kind of sacrifice, nor that depth of love...

Ms. Larson begins the final scene sobbing loudly with no real explanation yet, which of course leaves her no place to go as an actor. If you start a scene with a climax emotion then the rest of the scene can only falter downward. Her wailing was overly loud and cumbersome and as the most important speech in the show progresses by Mr. Bloss, it was very frustrating to try to listen to him as she sat at the desk and then laid on the bed sobbing. He sits on the edge of the bed at the end of his song/speech, the other cast members come out to join his singing in the dark, while Gretta remains on the bed crying. She sits up, and then embraces him from behind as the lights go out, and that is the end of the show. Unfortunately, in this final scene, Ms. Job made some poor directing choices.

Gretta should have been something of an outcast for most of the show, lost in her own world and coming into her own world at night – when she reunites, as it were, with Michael Furey. Gabriel is in his element at the party, which Mr. Bloss portrayed quite well. I wanted to see a meek and nearly broken portrayal by Ms. Larson, her thoughts obviously somewhere else, and perhaps even startled at times by her husband, as the singing commences. I wish I had heard her song played softer, and sung with vulnerability, so that when we see her and Gabriel back in the hotel room it isn’t a shock that she gives in to that vulnerability and the audience isn't taken so off guard by the drastic and sudden change in mood. Her sobs should have been girlish, child-like and soft, finally allowing sleep to overtake her.

Though I confess I didn’t read the adaptation and don't know what the blocking was meant to be, but I wish Ms. Job used the window. She had a perfect opportunity for Mr. Bloss step forward into the gelled window pane light, washed in a blue to reflect the coldness falling around him – outside and in – and make his final speech looking outside, with his back to his sleeping wife, and his life forever changed. The realization that he has been dead his entire life to see in front of the audience, center stage, with the framed spot on Mr. Bloss, could have been a powerful chance for Mr. Bloss to display the inner thoughts of his character more visually for the patrons. How perfect it would have been for him to have simply stepped into the light – which could be metaphorically meaningful in so many different ways – and to understand then, and only then, that he has never really lived – that he is one of the Dead.

Sorry to back-seat direct, but the loud tenor of the end of the show was awkward. The party itself was loud and festive and was the element Gabriel felt at home in, and Gretta not so much, which makes the quiet intimacy of the quiet hotel room much more powerful to utilize.

Aside from Gretta’s performance and the very end of the show, I was amazed by how powerful and raucous “The Dead” was and appreciated seeing it on stage. The accents weren’t too thick, and there was an air of genuine fun, and very few shows achieve that ability to pull the audience in and make them feel like a guest along with the characters on stage. Kudos to all the actors, and especially to Doak Bloss – his range of emotions throughout the performance were fascinating to watch, and he took an incredibly complex character and made him real.

For those who read the short story, one has to truly step back and try not to compare, but it’s difficult. The short story is intricately layered and quite complex, and I understand how the issues of Ireland and Gabriel’s disdain of his own country don’t really come out more in the show, because they would just get lost. It’s also confusing why the party seems to be the central focus, and we lose the inner thoughts of Gabriel and his pomposity and meekness all at once, to a degree. I wish more depth could have been pulled out, but what a difficult story to attempt to tell on stage even on a more simplistic level. I give great credit to Ms. Job for taking on an enormous feat!

GO SEE "Driving Miss Daisy"

2009-02-02T14:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know what to say honestly, other than "Driving Miss Daisy" was one of the most thought-provoking and poignant theatre experiences I've been privy to. In fact, I wish I was older so that this wasn't merely the second time I've had the privilege to watch Carmen Decker master the stage.

Indeed; she knows how to work an audience - she was gauging the laughter and using the set, her voice, her body, the props, and the other actors to breathe life into her role. Ms. Decker is not only engaging and human - she's also just damned fun to watch. Unpredictable and cantankerous, she's everything I was hoping to see and more. I can't say enough good things about Ms. Decker - you just have to see her for yourself.

James Bowen as Hoke, the driver her son Boolie hires for her after she destroys her garage and wrecks her car, also believably built this friendship with Miss Daisy over the course of 25 years. I genuinely cared about both of these people - they both carried a bit of spirit and both sat firm in their own sort of code of ethics. Mr. Bowen assumed the rigors of age with an ability that gave me pause to watch as well - he became more bent with time, walking with a bit of a limp, and none of it seemed artificial at all. What a talented actor, and what a great performance.

The last member of the cast, playing Boolie, was Bruce Bennett. I had to laugh during the talk-back after the show when one patron said she'd never seen Mr. Bennett so calm on stage - she said when she saw him she expected bursts of energy, mime and other comedic antics that Mr. Bennett has been known for. To his credit, he acted as an anchor for the show; while the focus of the production did center around the relationship that built between Hoke and Miss Daisy, Mr. Bennett's respect and, I think genuine affection for Ms. Decker, was a beacon in the play as he played the straight man for her to shoot one-liners at and be cranky with...in one scene she seems to reach up (as tiny as she is) to kiss Mr. Bennett's cheek (who is rather tall, particularly in comparison to her) - but instead she knocks her head into his and departs. I loved it - he shook his head, and it seemed like a natural thing for a loving son to do - to accept his mother for who she is and all of her quirks. His character never tries to change her - he merely loves her, and Mr. Bennett's performance as Boolie genuinely portrays a son who does care for his mother and worries for her - it is just as authentic as the relationship that Ms. Decker and Mr. Bowen create.

Such delights abound in this play - little gestures, vocalizations, hesitations, and the attention to detail were minute; I can't say enough good things about these actors. They remained impeccably in character throughout the show.

The only thing that I seem to disagree with other people who have seen the show is that I really didn't care for the set. It seemed ponderous, with decoupage pictures attached to the floor that created a bit of a lip, and thus an uneven surface to walk on. I noticed parts of it were peeling up, and from where I was sitting I couldn't tell that it was in the form of a "friendship quilt star." I don't see how this concept fits into the show. I also didn't care for the ragged edges around the floating set pieces; if Miss Daisy was wealthy then I wish the set had been a bit more elegant to reflect her stingy yet refined tastes. There was also a gate in the background with the Star of David on both posts; no Jewish person at that time would have advertised their faith - particularly since one of the scenes in the show involves violence at a temple. It looked more like the gates to a cemetery, leading me to believe it was the foreshadowing of Ms. Daisy's death. But - she doesn't die at the end of the show - so again, I'm left wondering what the gate had to do with the story.

In my opinion, it seemed that the set designer tried to force a concept to work onto a show when it just didn't. The light designer, however, did a wonderful job lighting specific parts of the set for specific scenes without a lot of light overflow, and the actors always stayed in their light (some actors don't seem to sense the light and wander from it - and others just instinctually seem to know where that line is). The sound design was also lovely, and fit in well with the story - it was appropriate and at times, very moving.

The only other show I saw Ms. Decker in was "Unnecessary Farce," and I fell in love with her then - I'm glad she came back to Boarshead to perform in "Driving Miss Daisy" - what a treat for Lansing; go and make your reservations now. Seriously. This is a show that you just shouldn't miss.

Scattered Clouds with "The Sunshine Boys"

2009-01-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

I think by and far my favorite line of the show comes from Willie, as played by Steve Shelton, and he delivered it perfectly: "I'm gonna drop dead from spite."

In fact, quite a few of Neil Simon's lines were delivered quite well - the pacing between Mike Stewart as Ben, Willie's nephew, clicked right along. The beginning of the show has a very long scene between just the two of them, but it was here that I saw Mr. Shelton deliver more of a variety of emotion/nuance in his voice as he speaks to his nephew - he seemed to lose the nuance as the show progresses, though still does a fine job as the cantankerous Willie. Mr. Stewart was able to maintain levels of variation in his performance throughout the show, and was fun to watch.

Once Charlie Ogar arrives as Al Lewis, however, the pace of the show comes to a near halt.

Although I thought Mr. Shelton did sound like he was from New York, and worked guilt and schtick as much as he could, I had a much harder time understanding Mr. Ogar and placing his accent. It was inconsistent, and his timing was very slow to pick up his cues from anyone on stage. While I realize this is his first performance, and he had a tremendously heavy line load, unfortunately he just didn't have the charisma that the role really needed. He and Shelton had, to say the least, an inconsistent chemistry. These were two vaudeville actors, and they should have slipped right back into their quick-tongued banter; unfortunately Mr. Shelton and Mr. Ogar just couldn't keep the tempo tight.

Director Kerry Waters put together a strong supporting cast - though they were in the show very little. Ron Lott as the Announcer used his voice quite well. Gary Mitchell as the TV Director was spot-on as a no-nonsense let's get this done kind of guy. Garrett Clinard and Faron Supanich were also adequate for what their roles needed.

The pace really picked up and some audible laughs were heard when Ms. Croff took the stage; she knows how to play the dumb blonde and she adds some much needed stimulation to the show, playing well off Mr. Shelton. She knows how to milk a scene - and the audience enjoyed it.

One of the better scenes in the show that could easily get overlooked fell between Marni Holmes and Steve Shelton; it was a great contrast from the over-the-top acting of Ms. Croff, who helped to propel the show along just after the act break. Ms. Holmes brought realism back into the story with the banter she had with Mr. Shelton. She was likeable and very laid back - and she helped to clip that scene along too.

One of the most disappointing thing about the show is the set. Willie is supposed to live in a dilapidated apartment and the set was painted in a mixture of pink and blue, so it honestly looked more like a nursery. More than likely the beige on the one wall where the bathroom was would have worked well for the entire apartment - a dull color, with dull furniture is what was needed. The construction of the set worked well, and the very few scene changes worked quite well too.

Overall I thought "Sunshine Boys" was a fair production; the biggest problem it faced was timing, and losing momentum in the scenes with just Willie and Al. However Ms. Croff, Mr. Stewart, Ms. Holmes and Mr. Mitchell help to jumpstart the show as it goes along and helps to propel the plot forward.

There are a lot of funny lines, and Mr. Shelton and Mr. Ogar get their laughs - but not nearly enough of them. For the most part their performances become predictable and dull when they are together. Perhaps it's just a matter of not having the right chemistry - I'm not sure.

I was also confused about the very end of the show; the director made a choice to make it look like Willie passes away on stage, perhaps hoping for a poignant wrap to the show; however this is a comedy, and the idea that these two old curmudgeons are going to be stuck in the same retirement home is part of the hilarity of the ending, and that just gets dropped. I'm not sure why that choice was made, but it really left me leaving the theatre confused and a little sad that these two never truly buried their demons - the final scene was confusing. Perhaps it was left open to interpretation, but it was too cloudy to really be able to make an assertion either way on the fate of these comedians. Well, except that they weren't quite as funny as I'd hoped.

Getting Perspective with Gary Mitchell

2009-01-20T13:47:00.000-08:00

1. Tell us a little about yourself:

I was born in Detroit and served in Viet Nam shortly after graduating from high school. I was just a kid and very naïve while in the service, and it was a difficult time to be a teenager. I always tell people that I grew up hard and fast. I had no choice. Eventually, I moved to East Lansing and graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Communications. Throughout my professional life, I’ve worked in various communication mediums.

2. People know what a director does, and a stage manager – but what does a producer do?

A good producer will do almost everything that is not directly related to what’s taking place on stage. A producer should be in charge of marketing and promotion, arranging publicity photos, media interviews, the programming of the production and just doing all that you can to make life easier for the director. Of course, it’s the producer’s responsibility to try and make sure the show is profitable (that’s means keeping a close eye on expenditures).

3. Do you enjoy producing? What makes a producer sweat bullets and conversely make a producer smile to see?

I enjoy producing, especially if you personally know the director and have confidence in the director’s ability to put together a good production. A good producer should be well organized, pay close attention to details and be very time consensus, and always know what your deadlines are. Having produced a number of shows, I almost immediately know whether or not the show is going to be well received

4. What are you currently working on?

I’m currently producing and appearing in The Sunshine Boys. In May, I’ll produce Fiddler On The Roof.

5. You do a little acting too – when did you first get the “acting bug?” What was your first show?

My very first acting experience was in high school (it was a show about the Salem witch hunts, called The Lottery). But it took a very long time for me to get back on stage.

6. How do you think shows could better market themselves to the community?

I think shows can be better marketed by working closely and cultivating relationships with reporters and writers who cover theatre in print, radio and websites. I’m also a big believer in getting writers theatre information well before the production dates. It’s important to always get a good photographer to take publicity photos, and get someone who can write a good press release. A poor photo and release makes the entire theatre group look bad. It’s also best not to be too cheap with the comp tickets to those who can help promote your show.

7. What do you prefer to produce – comedy, drama, musical and why? Same question, but to be a part of?

I’m a renaissance man in a rock-n-roll age. I absolutely love good drama and the classic scripts. If given my choice, those are my favorite shows (both producing and acting). The trouble is drama is a tough sell on stage. It does very well on film and television and in more intimate surroundings, but theater groups seem to be putting most of their resources into comedies.

8. What do you consider, from a producer’s perspective, a successful show?

There’s nothing more gratifying than having produced a show that makes a profit and receives favorable reviews. That’s a combination that tends to put a smile on the face of the producer, director and the entire cast.

9. Why is theatre important to you?

There really is no business like show business. There’s an incredibly bonding that takes place among theatre people when you work together on a project…it’s like family.

10. Why is theatre important to the community?

Theatre is important to me because it gives you a venue to express your artistic talents. It also exposes you to a group of talented and creative people

Quick Questions:

1. Favorite role you’ve played?

Chief Sitting Bull in Annie Get Your Gun.

2. Favorite line from any show?

“I think I know what to do. Now the question is, who to do it to” (from How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying).

3. Favorite experience on stage with any actors/actresses?

Taking a curtain call with the cast of Annie Get Your Gun (it’s a special feeling when you see that audience on their feet. It doesn’t happen often and when it does, you cherish the moment).

4. What are you most proud of in your theatre experience?

I’m proud of my work ethic. I’m a quick study and always know my lines. I’m always ready and come prepared to work hard in every show.

5. If you could be in any a show, what would it be?

A powerful drama (maybe something like 12 Angry Men). As long as there’s a role for a middle age character actor in the show, I’m happy.

Jawing about Joyce with Mary Job

2009-01-17T21:19:00.000-08:00

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I was born in New Jersey, raised in Vermont, and have loved theater all of my life. I have a BA from University of Vermont in American Ethnic Studies, a law degree from Northwestern, and a MA in Theater from MSU. 10 years ago, after practicing labor, education and civil rights law for nearly 20 years, I decided to make my avocation my profession,got my MA in theatre and starting teaching at LCC and MSU. I love gardening, golfing (at which I am mediocre at best), skiing (at which I am very good), reading, knitting, Italy and cats.

2. What was the first show you directed?

Uncommon Women and others by Wendy Wasserstein in the early 80's-- on the principle that if you are going to direct a show, particularly as a new director, direct something you know something about. Since I am a feminist who graduated from a New England college in 1972, (albeit not a 7 sister), was fairly counterculture, it seemed like a good match. It was certainly a lot of fun. It was even more interesting teturn to the play a dozen years later, when I was the age of the characters as they appear in the beginning of the play -- professionals who are looking back on their younger years.

3. What attracts you to James Joyce - I understand you did your dissertation on his works (if that isn't correct please amend my misunderstanding)?

Actually, my undergrad honors dissertation was on the Irish in America, but I used Joyce as my staging area. (It seemed to me that to understand the Irish in America, you needed to understand the Irish in Ireland -- so I started with the Irish writers and thinkers. I first encountered Joyce in college when I took a course in Irish Lit., read his short stories, also Portrait of an Artist and Ulysses. I loved them all. I liked the lyricism of the language, the complexity of the characters, and the complexity and ambivalence of their relationships with their world. This of course mirrors Joyce's own ambivalence -- he first left Ireland in 1904, and permenantly in 1915, but never left off writing about it. (Although I freely admit I never got past the first couple of pages of Finnegans Wake!)

4. What is it about "The Dead" in particular that you are drawn to?

The split focus between the obvious convivality of the party -- in which friends and family argue and celebrate and the sense of aloneness that a person can feel in the midst of all this humanity -- it always seemed so true to me about the way we live our lives. I love the way the story shifts from person to person in terms of the viewpoints.I also loved the view of Gretta, Gabriel's wife. She is initially seen from his perspective and through his eyes, so the assumption is that he knows her -- that she is completely 'knowable". When he realizes that she has had an emotional life of which he is and never has been a part, he is profoundly shaken, and the essential aloneness of being human is so beautifully portrayed at the end of the story. There is also a sense that something has changed forever -- an old life permenantly left behind. When I was 22 and read the story, I saw the elegaic mood at the end of the story as evocative of how the Irish who came to America must have felt in leaving Ireland -- their pasts and their dead behind them but still following them westward. So I used the story at the first reading in a Seminar I taught on the Irish in America. Now when I read the story at 58, I see it more in an intimate vein, I too have my dead and their memory is both sweet and haunting. In the play I love the way the authors use a sense of ebb and flow to create moments on which one character stands out before merging in the general flow of the party. I love the understated quality of the play, the sense of intimacy -- as if the audience is a member of the party. Riverwalk's thrust stage is made for this kind of production! I also encourage the audience to sit on the sides of the auditorium -- they will get the sense of intimacy of the play far better than if they sit in the 7th row of the front!

5. How do you think the audience will relate to these characters?

What do you hope the audience will walk away after the show feeling? I hope that the audience will both like the people and identify with them -- to see their interactions on this evening of a family party as universal of the human experience. Life is joy, conflict, song & celebration and death. The snow of life -- real or metaphorical covers us all. The story is about an epiphany that we all experience, even if that moment of epiphany is frightenly solitary. I also hope that the audience goes away having both experienced and shared in moments of life at its most celebratory and social and at its most quietly introspective.

6. What do you find difficult or challenging about directing this particular show, verus something like Shakespeare or other classical pieces of drama?

Plays like this one are almost anti-classical in the sense that it is all subtext-- the text certainly gives you clues , but the details about the emotional arc of the characters are unspoken or suggested whereas in Shakespeare or other classical plays like the Greeks, the emotional life of the character, his or her motivations are the words -- in the sounds, shapes, poetic devices of the language. So here the actors and I have to infer-to fill the gaps and build the characters and the relationships with a different creative process. It gives a lot of scope for individual actors to create the characters and is also incredibly challenging. The characters are not handed to you. You really have to work at it and not take the play for granted. I use not only the original short story, but other characters in other Joyce stories or what I know about Joycean literature in general.

7. What do you think James Joyce's opinion would be of this adaptation of his short story (considered by some scholars to be the most insightful piece of short literature in all of Western history)?

I think he would love the musicality because his language is so musical. I also think that his sense of humor and irony is stronger in the story. The characters in the play are less trivial than in the story,and I think Joyce would have preferred more astringency! On the other hand, Joyce was a notoriously difficult person to be around and I suspect Lansing audiences will love the play the way it is. More compassionate and closer to our sense of family and memory.

8. How would you describe Gabriel, and Gretta?

Gabriel is a urbane, slightly stuffy, but a likable man. He is used to being the favorite nephew and the center of attention. He is an intellectual and a watcher; this sense of being a bystander is partly because he is an intellectual, but also because he is risk adversive. I think that explains his cynicism about the Irish Nationalist movement. Although he is not a supporter of British rule, he is unwilling to commit to the messy reality of revolution, so he sits on the fence. While he is a devoted husband, he also takes his wife for granted. He thinks he knows everything about her-and there is a touch of the Pygmalion about their relationship-he has had a hand in turning a country girl into this gracious and elegant woman. Gretta is warm-a natural care-giver, with a quiet strength, but there is a sense of reserve as well. Something hidden or sheltered. She has acquired a sense of polish in the years of her wife and motherhood, but there is also hints of the "country-cute"girl she was. She is accustomed to being a bit of an outsider in this family, of once being the country girl in a household of urban sophiscates. In the course of the play, we discover the depths of her emotional life, how she treasures the moment when someone found her special, in a way that for all his devotion, Gabriel never did.

Quick Questions:

1. What is your favorite line from any show?

WAKE THE DEAD!

2. How does theatre enrich your life?

It is all about the communication. As a director, I communicate with the author and the actors, who communicate with the audience. I get to tell my take on a story by collaborating with other talents who in turn shape my understanding.

3. Why is classical theatre still pertinent to audiences?

Because it is part of what shapes current theatre. Because so many of the plays are good! They are often universal in theme and in the human experience. Thus they are both familiar and new. They can be wonderfully escapist. Wouldn't you like to be in the Forest of Arden right now, teaching a lover how to be a lover with wit and humor as in As You Like It? Or outwitting both fraternal authority and a lover's less than faithful tendencies in The Rover with wit and verve? (Frank Rutledge & I always thought The Rovers was essentially Spring Break in 18th Century Naples!)

4. What is your favorite part of directing a show?

The whole rehearsal period -- communicating with actors and collaborating with them and the designers deepens my connection with both the play and my fellow collaborators.

Pass the 7% Solution, Sherlock...

2009-01-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

There are several reasons I love watching James Houska on stage: he can do just about any accent you can think of believably, he’s not afraid to look quite silly, he throws himself into the characters he plays, and seems to effortlessly float from character to character within the same show and make them distinctive from one another. I found Mr. Houska to be the most interesting actor to watch on stage for Riverwalk’s “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure” because he jumped into his roles with gusto in a show that lacked energy and, well, suspense, or for that matter even all that much of a plot.

Of course, the fault of the script shouldn’t reflect on the actors, and mostly what I saw on stage was a very flawed script which attempted to create mystery, intelligence and an ultimate rivalry between a brilliantly deductive Detective Holmes and a maniacally evil mastermind, Moriarty. The problem is, Holmes was not terribly charming nor Moriarty terribly evil, and there was no real explanation for their rivalry. That makes for a difficult relationship to create then, since it is established superficially.

Terry Jones picks up most of the jokes in the show, making a really likeable Watson, however. He carried a heavy-line load, and he did a great job of showing his loyalty to Holmes and making the audience believe it. He also narrates the show, and keeps the audience abreast through all of the scene changes.

Kevin Burnham as Sherlock Holmes seemed to run through his lines, in fact to the point of stumbling over the lines of other actors on stage, and wasn’t as dynamic, or as funny, as I hoped. There wasn’t any chemistry between he and Irene Adler, played by his wife Tanya Burnham, which rather surprised me. It was as if they were walking through the play and rushed the scenes they were in. Mrs. Burnham didn’t have chemistry with Joe Dickson either. Mr. Dickson did a fine job of playing a doting husband and then a sniveling bad guy – unlikable and better off dead. Quite suitably played indeed. Another praiseworthy mention in a small role is Amy Winchell; she went from nosy housemaid to bitter sister looking for revenge with passion and again, provided a bit of emotion in a show that lacked the intensity one would think you would find between arch-enemies.

Mrs. Burnham did do a great job in the scene she shared with Michael Hays. She felt authentic, and though that scene was short, it was very well done. Mr. Hays as the King of Bohemia held his own and offered a good emotional foil to Mr. Burnham’s intellectual Holmes. He held himself in a worried kingly sort of fashion (though I was a bit confused by his entrance), and he was able to salvage some humor as well. Good job, Mr. Hays.

And then we have Mark Zussman as Dr. Moriarty, the mastermind criminal to Sherlock Holmes. Through no fault of Mr. Zussman, he seemed more like Moe of the Three Stooges rather than some sort of supra-intelligent human and the only man with enough ambition to take on Holmes. His character bumbles in and out of the play and talks a great deal about how intelligent Holmes is and how to prepare for him; however, it just isn’t well fleshed-out nor particularly "evil." In fact, his character as written seemed rather dull, and it was good to see Mr. Zussman breathe some life into it. He was superbly costumed, as were all of the characters in the cast, but I didn’t catch fear and awe from his performance. He and Mr. Burnham seemed to play stereotypes, which may have been a directorial choice, instead of taking their lines and putting emotion, depth, intonation and other resonances within their vocalizations. They seemed to be directed to be caricatures, rather than characters, on stage.

The set was very well dressed and built, aptly thought out and designed for the show. The black stairs at the back seemed somewhat awkward, but then melded into the background since most of the action takes place downstage. Some of the tech sounds seemed out of place or a bit loud, but otherwise the technical aspects of the show went very well.

Overall I’m not impressed with Mr. Dietz’ script; if it had ended in the gas room I would have been happier, and it would have made more sense. It seemed to go on and on, without much purpose or drive. The actors did their best to breathe life into the show; I was left wanting Holmes to be more charming, more alluring to Ms. Adler, more of an adversary to Dr. Moriarty, and more of a mystery…

Rollin' on with Kelly Stuible

2009-01-11T17:15:00.000-08:00

1. A lot of people have never even heard of "Urinetown," and the title is a little off-putting to some. What is the show about and why should people come see it?

It's funny you mention that, because the title is what I've been "fighting" since I first proposed to direct this. We're going to have to face the fact that if people don't know the show, the title might scare them away. Luckily, the national tour had a pretty well received run at Wharton a few years back, so it's better known here than in other places. The basic plot is: A terrible water shortage has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single greedy company; amid the people, a hero decides he's had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom. As for why people should come see it, first of all this is one of the most hilarious scripts I've ever read. Add to that a cast which I thank my lucky stars to have, and I think this is going to be quite an entertaining show. It's silly, it pokes fun of musicals... but at the same time, due to the status of the economy as well as the climate crisis, there is an actual message underneath all of the humor.

2. What are you strengths as a director?

Since this is my first time directing, and we're only a week into rehearsals, I can really only guess to what my strengths might be... for this production, so far I'd have to say it is the passion I have for this show -- I've been working for a year and a half to make Urinetown happen, and my directing debut just HAD to be this show.

3. What are your weaknesses?

So far, it's a mix between trying to wear too many hats and take on too may things (the things that directors don't typically handle), and just having too much fun with my cast. Already there have been a couple of nights where we all just wanted to laugh and have fun, and I know it will only get worse as we go along. I have to remember that it's my job to keep us all on task!!

4. What do you enjoy most about directing?

It's kind of a surreal to see these ideas I've been throwing around actually come to life in front of my eyes, but it's a very cool experience.

5. What do you find most challenging?

For me, it's knowing that in the end I have the final say. While I've been an assistant director and a vocal director before, I always had someone else to defer if needed. Now, I have to make the important decisions!

6. Pet peeves about theatre?

I guess it would be more like how people perceive theater, especially community theater. I got my degree in vocal performance, and trying to explain that to people not familiar with theater is pretty difficult. And when I try and invite people to shows or to get involved, they kind of brush it off as a silly little play or something. I think that the community theater scene here in Lansing is pretty remarkable, and I've been fortunate to be a part of some spectacular productions, so it's a pet peeve when people don't get that.

7. What you love about theatre?

Well like most of us involved on stage, I can be a bit of an attention hog, so that's a definite plus, and it's such a great experience to perform something that people respond to -- but most importantly it's the friendships I've made and the people I meet. I love how there can be people from so many different backgrounds, and with different day jobs, can come together for a common cause.

8. Why is theatre important to the community?

There's just something magic about live theater, or any of the performing arts for that matter, that just cannot be matched. I also sing with the Arts Chorale of Greater Lansing, and participating and attending live performances creates a shared experience for both the audience and the performers you can't get many other places.

9. Tell us about yourself!

Well, I grew up here and graduated from Holt in 2001. I went to CMU and graduated with a degree in vocal performance in 2006, and since then I've been living back here in Lansing. I work for Jackson National Life Insurance Co, and have been involved in 11 productions in a little over two years. I don't really know exactly what I want to do with my life :o) but for right now I'm really enjoying life here in Lansing!

Quick Questions:

1. What was the very first show you ever did?

Well I danced for 11 years growing up, but my first play was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" in 11th grade. Believe it or not, I was an Oompa-Loompa!

2. Favorite role you've played?

For very different reasons, it's a tie between Lilli/Kate in "Kiss Me, Kate" and Georgie Bukatinsky in "The Full Monty"

3. If you could play any role, what would it be?

Since I prefer musicals, those are the roles I want, and I actually have a top 5: Baker's Wife in "Into the Woods" Cathy in "The Last Five Years" Florence in "Chess" Mrs Lovett in "Sweeny Todd" and of course Tracy Turnblad in "Hairspray"

4. If you could direct any show, what would it be?

That's a tough one -- right now there aren't really any other shows I'm just dying to direct. We'll see how I handle this one and then take it from there :o)

5. Favorite lyric from any musical?

Some people analyze every detail

Some people stall when they can't see the trail

Some people freeze out of fear that they'll fail

But I keep rollin' on.

Some people can't get success with their art

Some people never feel love in their heart

Some people can't tell the two things apart

But I keep rollin' on'

- From The Last Five Years

6. Favorite line from any show?

Pretty much anything from The Full Monty!!!!

I bet Carol Ferris could finish the quote..."Your mother was a hamster..."

2009-01-09T14:49:00.000-08:00

1. What was the very first show you worked on - and were you in it, or working back stage?
I played Ginger in “Time Out for Ginger” in junior high school. After that I was hooked and managed to be in at least one show every year throughout high school and college. Three of those shows were at Okemos Barn Theatre.

2. What is it that you enjoy about being on stage?
I love making an audience laugh. There’s almost nothing better than that!

3. What is it that you enjoy about being back stage?
The teamwork; watching a production grow from day one. I’d never tried backstage work until a few years ago when I was asked to help with props for Lansing Civic Players’ production of “Annie.” Since then I’ve done props or set dressing - sometimes both - for seven shows at Riverwalk. It’s amazing when you realize how many local actors also have great talent in the technical side of theatre and, likewise, how many theatre techies are also veteran actors.

4. Tell us about yourself - anything you'd like to share!
In 1970 I married Tom Ferris; I worked for many years in newspaper advertising and later in school public relations; we raised a son. I returned to acting with a small part in “Anne of Green Gables.” Last year, no one was more surprised than I was when I won a Thespie for the role of Willie Mae Nettles in Riverwalk’s “The Sugar Bean Sisters.” Most people don’t know that when I’m not thinking about theatre, I’m a hard-core political junkie. Needless to say, this past year has been an exciting one. Last fall I spent way too much time online looking at polling data and reading political blogs.

5. So you are working on "Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure" - what are you doing for the show?
I’m designing props for a very prop-heavy production. Working with Addiann Hinds, who used to design props for Boarshead, has been a great pleasure! We’ve agonized over getting things as accurate as possible. It’s required a lot of research by both cast and crew.There are so many Sherlock Holmes fans out there who know what to look for. They won’t be disappointed in this show’s great cast. Kevin Burnham and Terry Jones make a fabulous Holmes/Watson team.

6. Have you ever given any thought to directing or co-directing? If so, what show would you like to direct, if you could pick anything?
I don’t think I’d enjoy directing very much. It’s too much hard work! I’d rather scout out a great script and then try to convince a good friend or family member to direct it.

7. What makes theatre important to you?
It’s a crazy, wonderful community. There’s a place for everyone, if you’re willing to work. It’s where I hang out with my family and friends.

8. Do you have a favorite genre?
Dark comedy, satire, even screwball comedy - I’m a huge Monty Python fan.

9. What draws you to a play - what are some plays/musicals you really enjoy, and some you really don't?
I’m often drawn to Lansing-area productions because I know and appreciate the talent of individual actors and directors. That’s sometimes more important to me than the script or the theatre company. I love it when friends I’ve come to see in shows manage their roles so well that I forget who they are. As for theatre I DON’T like - I actively avoid the recent crop of Broadway musicals based on movies, tv shows, or Disney themepark attractions. You know the ones I mean. (I will make an exception for Monty Python and the Holy Grail.)

Quick Questions:

1. Favorite experience ON stage:
It would have to be playing Willie Mae Nettles in “The Sugar Bean Sisters” at Riverwalk. What a hoot it was to work alongside that great comedienne, Jane Zussman.

2. Favorite experience BACK stage:
My best backstage experience was dressing the “Sugar Bean Sisters” set. For that show, I managed to cram half the contents of Riverwalk’s prop loft into the Nettles sisters’ attic.

3. Favorite line from any show?
“Time passes. Listen. Time passes.” - from “Under Milkwood”

4. Favorite lyric from any song?
Our house, is a very, very, very fine house.
With two cats in the yard,
Life used to be so hard,
Now everything is easy ‘cause of you.
- Crosby, Stills and Nash

5. If you could PLAY any role, what would your dream role be?
My dream roles have changed over the years, of course. Looking ahead, I’d love to be cast as Miss Daisy in “Driving Miss Daisy.”

Talkin' with Tony

2008-12-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

What was your first theatrical experience? When I was 6 years old my mother dressed me in a yellow duck costume and I danced around while singing “Rubber Ducky” for her Sweet Adeline Christmas show. They couldn’t get me off the stage.

What has been your favorite role to play on stage? First of all, I must say that I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play many memorable characters that I really had fun with. That being said, I currently have a three way tie between the Pharaoh in “Joseph”, my roles in “Sylvia”, and my most recent part in “The Full Monty.”

How did the "Follies" come about? LCP had previously wanted to do a traditional variety show; however, the director who was slated to do the show had to take on a much more important commitment (Don’t you hate when real life interferes with community theatre?). LCP looked at their options and decided to allow Rob and I to write a show. With a very limited time frame, we quickly brainstormed our list of characters, hashed out a plot/theme, had a couple email re-write sessions, and viola a show is born.

What do you especially enjoy about this show, and why should people come to see it? I truly enjoy the absurdity of the holiday special genre. So why not twist it? Many of these characters exist in our own families and through the magic of 60’s television this show brings a frivolous and wacky blend of our slightly skewed holiday memories to life. Rob and I laugh our heads off every time we see it. It’s pretty ridiculous.

What do you hope people will walk away from the LCP Follies feeling?
I hope patrons walk away from this show feeling as if they did not have to do a thing or worry about anything for an hour and a half. I hope it’s an escape.

What makes the holidays special to you, and did you try to incorporate any of that into the "Follies?" What I find special? The crazy food concoctions from well intentioned hosts/hostesses, the tacky metallic sheen of the holidays, the corny music, the thousands of people crammed into minimal square footage, the failed attempts made by our elders to include diversity in their holidays (at least they were trying right?), the automatic in-laws that we meet for the first time, the children on a constant sugar high, and the list of personalities that have made their way through our lives. Mix this entire recipe together, shake, and serve chilled.

What do you enjoy about directing? It’s the vision I think. It’s not often we get a chance to connect our minds to a film projector and show everyone how you see the world.

What has been the biggest challenge with directing? Scheduling conflicts; many in community theatre are volunteers that have “real” jobs. It’s difficult to get all of those folks on the same production schedule.

You have such a knack for kitsch - how did you find authentic pieces of nostalgia for the show (the tree, boxes, Town Club Soda)? Why thank you… I do like the kitsch. My memories of growing up in Lansing manifested our commercial sponsors and we were fortunate enough to get a hold authentic Towne Club Soda bottles from LCP board member Bill Torrence. Many of the serving dishes came from my kitchen, and some of the chairs from the lounge in my basement. The wall paper is courtesy of a holiday wrapping paper I found, and other pieces came from the extensive RWT properties warehouse.

Do you identify with any of the characters you've written into the show - did they come from actual people in your past, or Rob Roznowski, your writing partner? Rob [Roznowski] and I identify with every character quite well. They all existed in our childhoods. My grandmother’s hairdresser for instance was a very flamboyant character that always had something to rave or comment about. His name was Don and our character Don Weenow is modeled after him. Also, Rob is amazing at interpreting people; he truly gets the human experience and view’s things in a way that many of us can’t verbalize. He sorts it out for us and effortlessly places it on stage. Working with him on this show has been very inspiring; I continue to learn so much from him. I can clearly see why Rob is so successful and why his students at MSU enjoy him so much.

Quick Questions:

Why is theatre important to you? I have to let the theatre bug out or it starts to itch.

Why is theatre important to the community? I feel we all need this creative process to both have an outlet and to find joy. It’s great therapy.

Favorite line from any show? “Am I a man or a woman?”

Do you have a favorite Christmas song? “Carol of the Bells” It’s a soothing panic attack.

A favorite theatre Christmas memory? My uncle doing a Spike Jones routine with the “Three Imitators.” His co-star wore a grass skirt and coconut bra while singing “Cocktails for Two” (1980’s Social Security Scandals)

Treading in "A Body of Water"

2008-11-30T09:19:00.000-08:00

“A Body of Water” as a work itself reminds me of a bizarre love-child between “50 First Dates” by Adam Sandler (to an uncomfortable degree), and “No Exit” by Sartre – with perhaps a bit of bed-hopping with Beckett in there just to muddle things up a bit more by waiting for something that may or may not exist.

It was interesting to me how obvious some of the lines came across for a surreal drama, like “pretending to be happy is better than nothing.” It seems like a rather blunt indication of where the author is heading with this show – sometimes people just don’t want to find out who they really are, don't know how to, or don’t understand others around them. I’ve heard people say they wished they could just “forget.” But what would it be like to have your memories wiped clean? This is what Lee Blessing is attempting to explore with “A Body of Water.”

So then the question remains – if you don’t have your memories, and if the only thing that makes you, “you” is your experience (your past) and your genetics – then what else do you have? Only the present. And that is why, then, language becomes so vastly important: when Wren is introduced, the world between Avis and Moss, the couple with double amnesia, crumbles. The present is all they have – and she toys with it for reasons known only to herself.

Lindsay Palinsky as Wren, daughter-in-potential, seemed to be channeling Ellen Page from “Hard Candy” – she had two modes of being – a wolf, and a wolf under sheep’s clothing. It actually diluted her effectiveness if her part was, in fact, meant to undermine their reality. She’s a bit over-reactive where a sweet tone would have been much more cutting or a pout could have been more cunning than the perpetual scowl she wore through most of the show. She was effective, however, in keeping the audience guessing as to her actual motives and we never did find out if she was an angel or devil – and that was probably Mr. Freeman’s point, but it made a rather dull point. She was likely both and neither at the same time.

Mara Schaberg was cast in the role of Avis, the unfortunate woman who awakes nude, next to a man she can’t remember, in something of an embarrassing position. Ms. Schaberg aptly played shy and confused, though as the story progressed she seemed stuck in that place, with her voice elevated unnaturally through a lot of the show. When Ms. Schaberg did relax and respond to Mr. Hays, in particular, she did seem for a few moments to forget about the audience and simply respond to the actor in front of her, and it was then she loosened up. Avis seemed more willing to want to believe in the word-games of Wren, more willing to play along, because trying to discover the truth was too hurtful and overwhelming.

Michael Hays left me wishing that he could have found an anchor on stage as well, though he also had bright spots in the softer moments of the show. He seemed rather bored, most of the time, and then angry, vacillating between frustration and apathy in the tenor of his voice. Mr. Hays does well with the lighter lines, using the gruffness of his voice to deliver the uncertainties of “she’ll be back” with not really knowing, but hoping, and giving the audience a bit of a glimpse into the needs of his character. I never believed though that this couple woke up and didn’t remember their past – they were too blasé for me to really buy into it or care that much about them, though the concepts they projected I did find interesting.

Since Avis and Moss have been robbed of their history, all they HAVE is the present, and they share these moments with the audience. They need to be real, to sound real, to have feelings, to be terrified, to be confused, to be human. The essential flaw of the play was that though surreal – the “real” part was missing. “Surreal” simply asserts the idea of removing the components of logic and societal restrictions from a situation and then allowing the pieces to fit back together again without any imposed rules to follow. Blessing provides the clean slate and situation, and Avis and Moss have carte blanche to genuinely explore all avenues of “being.” At least, until Wren shows up and throws a wrench in their Eden.

Mr. Freeman chose an interesting concept to bring to the stage – these people are just as afraid to be awake as they are to be asleep, but then who is to say they are awake at all? Just as Sartre’s Garcin, Estelle and Inez cannot escape each other, these three are bound together as well. It could be heaven or hell, Milton might suppose…and so it would appear, Lee Blessing.

Mr. Freeman did surround himself with excellent technicians – the lights, sound and stage crew were all spot on. For his first directing endeavor Mr. Freeman took a big bite – I admire his ambition and want to encourage him to continue to chew away, but to remember that one may masticate just a bit too much and make mush out of a mignon.

I think it was Wren who said “the power is in us every day to be happy or not”…it’s as if Avis and Moss have jogged away from their lives and never came back, making a mutual pact to disavow their prior existence, unless that is they only exist in the mind of Wren, or Wren and Avis never existed at all, or Moss – well, you get the idea…but it does make me wonder how many people live comfortably in a rut and forget the power of the present.

For that reminder, Mr. Freeman, well done.

*************************************************************************************

And for those who want to know the Occam’s Razor reference, here’s Wiki’s definitions:

Of two equivalent theories or explanations, all other things being equal, the simpler one is to be preferred.

Another version from Einstein:

Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occam's_razor

Japing around with "Jack"

2008-11-29T14:32:00.000-08:00

Riverwalk has a rich history of producing children’s plays and “Jack and the Beanstalk” is a wonderfully spun romp in fairytale land, Directed by Lee Helder and Music Directed by Doug Austin.

As with all the children’s shows that Riverwalk produces during the holiday season, there is a certain formula that they tend to follow, but gosh-darn it, the formula works. There is the flawed hero, typically a villain of some mythical nature, and something that needs to be saved – in this version, it happens to be Jack’s village, and well, Lucky, the cow.

Most people know the story about Jack and the Beanstalk - not being a very conscientious boy, Jack dreams away the day while his mother cooks and cleans and finds herself in a state of destitution. She sends Jack to sell their only cow for money so she can feed them both, and he gets swindled by a con man for some magic beans. She's disappointed her son would believe in anything that foolish and throws the beans away, leaving Jack to feel jolly rotten about himself for being such a dope. Over night, the magic beans actually create a beanstalk that grows up into the sky, and he decides to climb it, and - well, I don't want to give it all away...Stan Gill wrote this version of the fairy tale and includes a few characters to help out along the way.

The three minstrels did a fine job narrating the story for us – Bob Murrell was the most easily heard and understood of the trio as well as the most expressive, but Sara Sonnenberg and Charlotte Ruppert stuck closely by and engaged the audience and helped to cheer Jack along through the show.

Jack himself, actually played by Laura Johnson, made for an amiable enough figure – however she was rather one note throughout the show. It would have been nice to see her play Jack with a bit more of a 'Peter Pan' type of energy. She never seemed surprised, or scared, or even sad that she had to sell Lucky her cow. But she sang well, if a bit softly, and certainly looked the part of Jack.

At the opposite end of the energy spectrum was Ann Glenn playing Jack’s mother. What a riot to watch Ms. Glenn in her interactions with Jack – she towers above Ms. Johnson, and without any heart at all sends Jack off to sell Lucky, their only cow. She didn’t have a "pretty" song in the show – instead her song lectures Jack and Ms. Glenn puts quite a bit of gusto into it. What fun. And I wouldn't want her mad at me.

Probably the scene stealer of the show was the cow, played to pun-perfection by Shannon Leigh-Bonney. Ms. Bonney’s costume first of all was as adorable as, well, a cow’s costume could come – udders and all. Her wise-acre comments, meant to be over-the-top and something for the adults to enjoy, didn’t push the limits of being too obvious as to be groaners. And, I for one, was incensed that Mr. Helder, as the Bean Guy, tricked Jack into buying the cow for some silly beans. It seems I’d forgotten that part of the story and so when Mr. Helder came out as a Bronx/Joe Pesci wise guy type and swindled Jack, I was rather crushed to see him laughing and leading Lucky away. Kudos Mr. Helder, for breaking my heart when you took the cow, you trickster you.

It is always a delight to see Marilyn Steegstra on stage and there isn’t anyone who can top Ms. Steegstra in playing the role of a dryly humored cook of ill temperament and foggy memory. She delivers her lines with a bite, and although dancing may not be her forte, in “Jack,” her character as the Giant’s Cook was given a few chefs – Tim Beam and Scott Larson – to help her do her work. These guys also doubled as crew, more or less, to help unfold (and refold) the simple yet effective set designed by Paul Marisch. One other note here to compliment Diana and Bruce Rochowiak on their bright and well-planned scenography.

I’m not quite sure what to think of the Singing Goose, played by Susan De Rosa – she was something of a cross between Madeline Kahn and, uh, well a goose. I have no idea but for some reason “Blazing Saddles” came to mind. Take it for what you will – it was a hoot.

Ms. Emily McKay as the Singing Harp was interestingly outfitted; her petite frame and shy demeanor next to the giant lent itself to her song and situation. Her voice was quite beautiful and I would have liked to have heard more of it.

And last, but not least, we come to Edric Haleen, the irascible and imbecilic giant that Jack steals from (or rather, steals BACK from) to help his village. Mr. Haleen always has a presence on stage and even when he’s hebetudinous, he’s still quite interesting to watch. Oh yes, and in some places quite repulsive, actually, too, but in a ridiculously-over-the-top-wonderfully-bamboozled-still-chewing-and-yelling-and-spitting-out-food-that's-gross-but-little-kids-love kind of a way – but then, I suppose that’s what giants are supposed to be. Mr. Haleen rapped across an easy line between being big and loud but not too scary for the smaller children in the audience. I thought it was also kind of him to sit in the lobby afterwards so he didn’t seem quite as imposing.

A few technical notes of appreciation go to Tom Ferris and Doug Austin – Mr. Ferris played guitar, mandolin and banjo, and Mr. Austin also played the keyboard for the show. The music was delightful and the interesting mix of the different acoustic instruments made for a much more satisfying show to listen to. Jack Hetherington created a fun lighting schematic for the kids to enjoy for certain events, and the costumes by Lee Helder were also very well put together. All in all it was a fantastic show for the family.

I encourage you to catch a performance – it still runs for two more shows tomorrow, Sunday, and then next weekend. The details are below.

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

Nov. 28-30 & Dec. 5-7 & 12-14
RWT Mainstage
Show Times
Fri. 7 p.m.
Sat. & Sun. 2:00 & 4:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices $7 Adult (16 & up), $5 children
Call 482-5700 for reservations

Lots of Theatre!!!

2008-11-26T20:42:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of theatre happening over the next couple of weekends and I just want to let people know what's going on around town; I may not get a chance to get to much of it, unfortunately - but here's what's up:

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

Nov. 28-30, Dec. 5-7& 12-14
A Family Musical Comedy based on the fairy tale
by Stan Gill

Directed by Lee Helder

Come see another one of Stan Gill's children's shows with the family - it promises to be a lot of fun with great costumes, a lot of silliness and a chase scene!!

Contact the Riverwalk Theatre at 482-5700 for Reservations

November 28-30 & December 5-7, 2008

A Surreal Drama
by Lee Blessing

Direted by Alex Freeman

Call the Riverwalk Theatre at 482-5700 for Reservations

*Note: Performances will be held at the Creole Gallery in Old Town on Turner Street

What would you do if you woke up in be with a complete stranger, and you had no memory of your past, no clothes, and no idea of who you were?

The Lansing Civic Players will hold auditions

November 30th and December 1st at 7pm at the

Firehouse on Michigan Avenue and Hayford Street.

ROLES AVAILABLE:

Willie Clark - A cranky old vaudeville comedian. Once famous, now in denial that his career is long past. Can't stand his former partner, Al. Living in a rundown apartment and waiting to be rediscovered.

Ben Clark - Willie's nephew and talent agent. Long-suffering and patient, keeps in touch with uncle Willie trying to help. A worrier. Has had an offer for Willie and Al to be on a TV special doing their old act.

Al Lewis - Another cranky old vaudeville comedian. Has kept himself up a little better than Willie, whom he also can't stand. A little more realistic, but just as difficult.

Nurse in act - Described as "tall, voluptuous and overstacked blonde in a tight dress," she is an actress hired to be in the act for the TV special. Must be very funny doing a dumb blonde. Blondeness and overstackedness may be helped with costuming.

Patient in act - A bit player hired for the scene as well. A funny character actor.

Eddie - Assistant director or floor manager for television studio. Has headset and clipboard and is trying to get the scene shot before all heck breaks loose.

TV Director (offstage voice) - Director in booth, speaking over intercom.

Announcer - introduces the scene. Has that "announcer" voice. Stands at microphone lectern in studio.

Nurse - Meant to be played by a black woman. Willie's nurse after he suffers a mild cardiac setback. She's had about enough of Willie and is getting sarcastic.

Soap Opera actors - Willie is watching a bad soap opera on TV in the opening scene. This may be audio only, but if we feel ambitious enough, may be on video. Actors interested in doing this fun little bit should indicate their interest on their audition form.

Firehouse Follies Presents

LCP's Holiday Extravaganza

Written and Directed by Rob Roznowski and Tony Sump

Tickets on sale NOW!!

December 5-7 and 12-14, 2008

Friday and Saturday at 8:00pm

Sunday at 2:00pm

517-484-9191 for Reservations!

Felice and Navi Dodd have their hopes set on the perfect holiday party filled with family, friends, and cheer. But can they pull it off? As guests arrive, a rollercoaster of characters colorfully take over the party and whisk us into a holiday special straight out of 1965. Music, laughter, and innuendo ensue. Tickets are already selling fast, so make sure you get to see this fabulous evening with the Dodd’s before they fade off into T.V. Land.

Another One Bites the Dust - Dracula

2008-10-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

As a disclaimer, I was originally slated to write and direct "Dracula" for LCP - I wanted to like this show, because I respect Kerry Waters and I know how hard she worked on the play - particularly at the last minute - however she succumbed to a crucial problem that people have with this show as a community theatre piece; being TOO faithful to Stoker's book.

For those of you who are not familiar with Stoker's book, it's written as letters and journals; it's not actually a straight narrative. The story needed to be adapted and severely cut so that the action found in the letters was extracted and put into the storyline; Ms. Waters didn't seem to be able to decide what was important to focus on and what wasn't. Unfortunately the night I saw it the sound effects were rather off their mark, and so the carriage ride she begins her story with was confusing as the clippety-clop of horses interrupted dialogue on stage. I recognize that it is the first time that Ms. Waters has written a script and directed for LCP, and I think it's a good thing for community theatre to give people the opportunity to try original pieces - however three hours of lights up, lights down, lights up, lights down and very little connective dialogue made for a confusing and rather dull show.

The allure of Dracula is fear itself in the form of seduction; there was nothing sexy, seducing or scary about this production. We are often titillated by what we fear the most - hence why Dracula is often associated with our own excesses and vices...wanting to indulge in what we know to be either profane or sinful, and suffering the consequences for pleasure goes hand-in-hand with this plotline. What is frightening isn't the obvious; what is frightening is often the beautiful, the lie that sounds completely sane and tempts us to do what we intuitively know we shouldn't, and to be drawn towards the darker parts of ourselves where we aren't sure we are necessarily in control. Renfield's insanity should be frightening because he makes more sense than anyone on stage at certain points in the show, as it is written in the book - he has a more intimate understanding of their reality except for Van Helsing and Dracula themselves.

Another profound disappointment was the nonexistent confrontation between Van Helsing and Dracula. Harker sleeps through most of the fights, Dracula's vixens mostly fight for him and enter far too soon on their cues to be a surprise to the audience, and Dracula himself dies not with a bang, but a whimper.

There is so much meat to explore here; the nature of being, of good and evil, of sacrifice, friendship, love and endurance...would you give your soul to save your lover? How can you curse the vampire for being true to his nature? He hunts, just as humans hunt deer - why is he wrong? Or why is Van Helsing's quest to annhiliate Dracula heroic - and is it, ultimately?

For Stoker, love is the highest of all virtues and because Dracula does not have a heart that can beat of it's own will, he must steal life from the blood of others; he is an abomination, a being cursed by God to feast upon men but never experience for himself his own blood to run hot with passion and cold with fear. This is why Van Helsing pities his enemy as much as he desires to destroy him - only the heartless can kill without remorse or regret...

And it's regretful I can't give a better review for all of the hard work Ms. Waters put into her show; I give her great admiration for finishing her script and getting it on stage - it's only through doing that you actually learn. I realize I am biased, but the show was nearly three hours long, and the original movie from 1931 ran about 76 minutes. The story is so familiar that it doesn't need to ponderously extrapolate the meaningless details of the book - audiences want action for this kind of show, and unfortunately there isn't much action happening except for the lighting guy.

Born Yesterday Delights

2008-10-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

Although "Born Yesterday" has a slow start, I found that I was sucked into the story a little at a time and by the end of the show I understand Chmurynsky's observation that it's absolutely true that politics haven't changed since 1946 - except of course, that congressmen and women are bought most likely in less obvious ways. After the first part of the first act especially, the show sailed on by and was slick and well-directed. I enjoy shows where there isn't needless blocking created just to have movement on stage. There was obviously thought put into everything the characters do, and it's the little details that often make or break a play.

The gist of the show is that self-proclaimed "junk man" Harry Brock, played by Doak Bloss, wants to clean up on the iron and steel left over in Europe after WWII and doesn't want to deal with foreign policy and taxes cutting into his net profit. He "buys" a politician, in the sufficiently sleazy form of Jayke Pell, for around the sum of $80,000 - but his Jersey girlfriend doesn't exactly fit into Washington DC society and he hires a young man, Paul Verall, to educate her so she doesn't embarrass him.

Unfortunately Doak Bloss was terribly miscast in this role; the young man cast to 'educate' Billie Jean is played by Joseph Baumann, and he's quite a tall young man. Mr. Bloss just didn't have the physique nor the bluster to carry off the role of such a tyrannical business man. In fact, he was rather too reminiscent of Archie Bunker and not believable at all as someone who should demand respect. The first act felt slow in part because Mr. Bloss carried a great deal of the dialogue and he was incredibly difficult to understand. I give credit to Mr. Bloss for portraying Harry Brock as obnoxious - but he amounted to very little more than that.

As Mr. Baumann interacts with Billie Dawn, played by Emily Alaskon Himebaugh, the show really picks up and the fun starts. Both are newcomers to the Riverwalk stage and breathe energy and humor into the storyline. Mr. Baumann was able to mix the right amount of confusion into his relationship with Mrs. Alaskon Himebaugh on stage, and his condescending confidence towards the character of Harry Brock was amusing to watch.

Mrs. Alaskon Himebaugh as Billie Dawn, however, was the gem of the show. She commanded the stage in every scene and matured from being whiney and spoiled to becoming her own person. She made the transition believable; the dumb-woman-turned-intuitive-and-suddenly-intelligent has been done on stage and screen so many times so unrealistically...Mrs. Alaskon Himebaugh never allows her character to suddenly become something she isn't - she acknowledges her flaws, makes no apology for them, and her decisions become something believable rather than contrived.

There are several other treats that come in the show - Merrill Wyble and Marilyn Steegstra are on stage for only a very short time, but their appearance is something to look forward to. Philip Himebaugh appears on stage only twice, but he makes his stage time count.

Susan Chmurynksy has a delightful show, and though slow to start has a powerhouse ending. And by the way - this is one of the most elegant sets I've seen on Riverwalk's stage in some time - Craig Mitchell Smith's scenography is glorious. It's well-built and well-suited for the needs of the storyline. The costumes were lovely and the tech all-around was well done.

The show plays for one more weekend - call 482-5700 for reservations for visit www.riverwalktheatre.com

Drinking in Milk Wood

2008-10-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

In Elizabethan England it was said that people went to go “hear” a play – auditoriums were crammed so closely together with patrons that the stage often could not be entirely seen. There were also groundlings that stood in front of the stage because it was cheaper than a seat at theatres like the Globe, the Swan and the Rose, and roamed about while eating nuts and oranges, somewhat blocking the view for some of the other patrons. Many of these theatres were built in the round – and so to sit nearly behind the stage also provided constraints on what one could see. Though the theatres were about three stories high, the poorer people needed to depend on their sense of hearing to get the gist of the show, typically. And sometimes if you had a seat, the view was completely blocked by the architecture of the theatre itself– this is why Shakespeare’s plays were performed out in the open on a thrust stage, without a set. People listened to the story as it unfolded, and that is also why iambic pentameter, the soliloquy and prose were so important to the audiences to recognize – they indicated a change in mood, in action or setting. One had to listen in order to understand the exposition, arc and dénouement of the play…

And the art of listening is something that became compromised with the ever-advancing intrigues of technology; we use our eyes so much more than any other sense for entertainment. Perhaps the current equivalent of a groundling could be considered a mosh pit for rock concerts. We are constantly visually stimulated in this world – there is so much to see, and so much for our eyes to focus on. We even text rather than call, email instead of hand write a letter. You’re on the internet right now reading, in fact, instead of talking to me about my thoughts of theatre and art…

Under Milk Wood was a joy to listen to because even when I got lost with some of the storylines, I could still take great pleasure by closing my eyes and simply listening to the beautiful voices on stage – eager to tell a story, crisply connecting the words of Dylan Thomas’ world together in an art form that is vastly unappreciated today. We have things to do, people to see and places to go and just don’t take the time to stop and really listen. People are pushed in this ADD society for constant stimulus – and they get bored easily if not given more than one thing to focus on at a time.

It was a delectable treat for my ears to retreat for awhile from the stimulation of having to watch for a sight gag or be annoyed by an actor’s tics, costumes or set. Time slowed down for a little while, and I could focus on the beauty of the words, and the beauty of the voices I was listening to. I was able to let go of everything else and simply slow down and let my other senses rest while I got caught up in the eloquence of language, the different voices, the fantastic characterizations, and the streaming thoughts of another person from another time and place.

Joe Dickson was notably expressive – I can’t imagine this is easy reading, and he was also able to use his face to convey more to the meaning of the words he spoke. I was listening to the difference in tambour of the voices on stage – James Houska falling into distinctly separate characters both funny and sad, Brenda McKenzie bringing up visions of a town gossip, Linda Gras as a cantankerous neighbor, Bob Gras as the narrator for the most part, though split as the observer’s voice with Joe Dickson, LeAnn Dethlefsen as a forlorn lover – and Rick Dethlefsen delivered my absolute favorite line of the show with a perfection of texture and richness that I still smile to recall it. This short list really does dis-service to all of the characters these fine voices brought life to – there was just too much for me to keep up and describe…

This show certainly isn’t for everyone; in fact, it’s probably something very few people would enjoy at all. There is no visual stimulation, really – the actors focus on the story and in telling it; that is what is unique about this production. There are no costumes to judge, no set to bother with, no action to critique…the charm of the show lies in the voices Mr. Gras chose to tell Dylan Thomas’ story.

But – if you want to slow down, if you want to rest your eyes and open up your imagination, then Under Milk Wood may be something for you to try. At least for me I found it soothing, and a bit sad at times, humorous at others – and absolutely human. If nothing else, I was able to take two hours, let my other senses rest, and listened to the popping combination of consonance and alliterative dancing ~ and I left thoroughly relaxed.

Under Milkwood runs again this weekend at the Creole Gallery. For more information go to www.riverwalktheatre.org

Under Milk Wood

2008-10-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

UNDER MILK WOOD

A Play for Voices
By Dylan Thomas

Directed by Bob Gras

Here is Dylan Thomas’s sense of the magnificent flavor and variety of life. Moving, hilarious — a spring day in a Welsh coast town dawns with dreams and ghosts, moves through the brilliant, noisy day of the townspeople, and closes as the “rain of dusk brings on the bawdy night.”

Performansces run Octover 17-19 & 14-26

Tickets are $12

Black Box shows perform at the Creole Gallery, 1218 Turner St. in Lansing's Old Town
_____________________________________

Additional information about Dylan Thomas:

Often considered his greatest single work is Under Milk Wood, a radio play featuring the characters of Llareggub, a fictional Welsh fishing village (humorously named; note that 'Llareggub' is 'Bugger All' backwards, implying that there is absolutely nothing to do there). Richard Burton starred in the first broadcast; he was joined by Elizabeth Taylor in a subsequent film.

Dylan Thomas was born in Wales in 1914. He was a neurotic, sickly child who shied away from school and preferred reading on his own; he read all of D. H. Lawrence's poetry, impressed by Lawrence's descriptions of a vivid natural world. Fascinated by language, he excelled in English and reading, but neglected other subjects and dropped out of school at sixteen. His first book, Eighteen Poems, was published to great acclaim when he was twenty. Thomas did not sympathize with T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden's thematic concerns with social and intellectual issues, and his writing, with its intense lyricism and highly charged emotion, has more in common with the Romantic tradition.

Thomas first visited America in January 1950, at the age of thirty-five. His reading tours of the United States, which did much to popularize the poetry reading as new medium for the art, are famous and notorious, for Thomas was the archetypal Romantic poet of the popular American imagination: he was flamboyantly theatrical, a heavy drinker, engaged in roaring disputes in public, and read his work aloud with tremendous depth of feeling.

May 1953 saw the world premiere of Thomas's play Under Milk Wood, with Thomas himself playing the part of the narrator. The assistant director was one Liz Reitell—it was Reitell's task to help put the play on the stage, including finding a suitable cast. Thomas engaged in a love affair with Reitell though, to her, their initial meeting was a disappointment. The play itself was a great triumph, even though the final draft for the ending of Under Milk Wood was completed just before the actors went on stage, with the help of Reitell herself. It was because of this performance that Thomas was asked to work on the libretto of an opera for the composer, Igor Stravinsky. Thomas's health rapidly began to deteriorate as a result of excessive drinking; he was warned by his doctor to give up alcohol but carried on regardless.

On 3 November 1953, Thomas and Reitell celebrated his 39th birthday and the success of 18 Poems. On 5 November, at the White Horse Tavern, Greenwich Village, Manhattan, Thomas began to feel ill. He decided go back to his room at the Hotel Chelsea, where he later collapsed and slipped into a coma. An ambulance was called, which took him to St Vincent's Hospital. Thomas died four days later on 9 November 1953 at around 1 pm.

Recorded causes of death included pneumonia, a result of the coma, and pressure upon the brain. Emphysema was also noted, due to Thomas's smoking habit and possibly his intake of morphine. His liver, according to the pathologist, was surprisingly healthier than one would have imagined. "Chronic alcohol poisoning" was eventually ruled as the official cause of death.

His last words, according to Jack Heliker, were: "After 40 years, this is all I've done." However, various sources state that Thomas's last words were to Reitell: "Yes, I believe you," after she tried to reassure him about his sudden illness. Others say his last words were, "I love you, but I am alone," again said to Liz Reitell. A popular myth is that Thomas's last words were, "I've had eighteen straight whiskies, I think that is a record."

It has also been said that the only person to be in the room with Dylan Thomas when he died was the poet John Berryman.

According to Walford Davies, after he went into a coma he was accidentally injected with an overdose of morphine.[15]

Following his death, his body was brought back to Wales for his burial in the village churchyard at Laugharne on 25 November. One of the last people to stay at his graveside after the funeral was his mother, Florence. His wife, Caitlin, died in 1994 and was buried alongside him.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dylan_Thomas

"For Kathe"

2008-10-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

I'd like to put some promo out there for “The Kathe” show - It will be performed at the Grand Ledge Opera house on Oct 26th at 3:00PM.

As you might remember Kathe was stricken by a stoke 3 months ago. Since then she has made a steady recovery but medical bills have also been steadily increasing. The theme for the event is people who performed with Kathe performing "For Kathe."

Seven different performance venues where Kathe has performed will provide musical entertainment in our beautiful Grand Ledge Opera House.

For more information call 627-1443 or 626-5170 - tickets are $25/person.

Not Wanting to Leave, "Leaving Iowa"

2008-10-11T17:41:00.000-07:00

Before I get to "Leaving Iowa," I'd like to preface my review with a few words about another show.

I'd seen "Art" quite a few years back and found it utterly pretentious and absolutely dull. I was bored the entire way through the play, so when I heard "Art" was making a comeback and Bruce was cast in it, I was worried. I wanted to like it for him, of course - but I had such a bad taste in my mouth from the first time I saw it that I really dreaded opening night.

Last season it was The Williamston Theatre who presented "Art" - and I was completely blown away. I was thoroughly engaged in the cerebral humor, and quickly found out that Tony Caselli was able to bring out the meaty emotions in the show easily - it was fierce and fast-moving. That show was a totally different production in every way possible, except for the white painting, than the show I'd seen before.

Caselli had this innate talent to extract from the script the intricacies of friendship, and his show was just as funny as it was frenetic. In fact, there was constant movement and constant contention amongst this group of three intellectuals that was incisive and intense, and left me wanting more..."Art" went from a show that I absolutely abhorred to my gaining my admiration and respect. Caselli was not afraid to let these men become vicious, venal and victimized. He pulled out the heart of friendship, dissected it, and put it back together - as best as a friendship can be sewn back together after betrayals occur - for the audience to absorb as they left the theatre.

"Leaving Iowa" is just as passionate - though this time director Caselli chose a play that focuses on family. It's much more gentle, though just as quick-witted and moves at the same breakneck speed as "Art," with all of the insights now tuned into the intricacies of time, and the memories of childhood that hook back into the business of today. The particular business of today involves the Browning family, a distant son, an urn of his father's ashes, and a "damned adventure."

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of "Leaving Iowa" is the ability of John Lepard and Teri Clark Linden to revert to children and back to adults with subtly but absolute accuracy. As children, they reincarnate all of the emotions and antics you could observe in any backseat, in any family, taking a road trip and making stops on the way for their yearly vacation. It's as if Mr. Lepard and Ms. Linden open up and invite the inner children in themselves to take over, playing these parts with uninhibited energy. Mr. Lepard had the more difficult role of needing to transition more often on stage while telling the audience about memories of his family - and with a simple slump of the shoulders and bent head, the transformation was made. And yet, there were other times he threw himself to the floor with with wild abandon as a frustrated child throwing a tantrum.

The energy of Ms. Linden was magnetic; she channels a bratty, conniving older sister without being over the top or making it 'feel' like she's acting. It's totally natural to watch her tease Mr. Lepard with obnoxious gloating, and laugh at her antics as she does so.

Hugh Maguire and Ann Miranda also channel very real parents who just want to have fun on their family vacation, and fall victim to the traps and frustrations inherent in trying to please everyone. Mr. Maguire is heartbreaking at times as the father doing his best to make his children happy - he is the salt of the earth, earning him the respect of his children as they become adults, but for his son, a bit too late. Ms. Miranda played the loving wife, giving an intimate look into a woman who is loyal to her husband, tries to keep the peace with her kids, and yet has her own quirks and worries made known as the show progresses.

The last actor of "Leaving Iowa" plays just about every person Mr. Lepard meets as he tries to find a respectable place to leave his father's ashes. Bruce Bennett played so many roles I lost count because I was so enthralled with the movement of the show. He was easily able play everything from a mullet-owning-skillet-wielding fry cook to a cynical professor playing darts and drinking beer. But his best performance was that of Mr. Peneplain, the owner of the hog farm that sits in the exact center of the United States. His scene with Ms. Miranda and Mr. Lepard is gentle, moving, and so very sweet. Mr. Bennett purrs with the understanding of what Mr. Lepard needs to do for his father, and helped to set the mood for the end of the show, beautifully fulfilled by Mr. Lepard, by leading the audience into a more somber scene at a slower pace.

I do believe that professional productions should be held to a higher standard of criticism because the people involved are paid for what they do, they make their living at it, and they compete - sometimes fiercely - for these roles. Caselli has a gift in casting the right people in the right parts - just because a theatre is professional doesn't necessarily mean that all of the shows are going to be better than what you might see in a community theatre. I've seen many shows at LCP and Riverwalk that have blown me away - so getting paid doesn't necessarily make you a better actor. It's the director's job to cast the right people to carry out the intent of the show - Caselli is a master with this talent. He understands the art of humor, poignancy, and the complexities of getting an author's point across without trampling it, changing it, or falling into the trap of losing the audience with lachrymose endings.

There was not a weak link in this cast - staged on a mostly bare set, "Leaving Iowa" hits you where you live - it's as intense as "Art" but infinitely more gentle. I'm not sure as many people could really relate to the core of "Art," however "Leaving Iowa" will pluck upon the chords of memory to everyone who sees it.

October 2 - November 9, 2008
A warm, nostalgic and moving comedy about a man who returns to his childhood home in the Midwest following the death of his father. On his quest for the perfect place to scatter his father's ashes, he relives the family vacations he spent trapped in the backseat of their station wagon.

"4 out of Fordyce... you want to get your tickets to this show RIGHT NOW."~ Jim Fordyce, MIEntertainment.com Click here to read entire review.

Performances are Thursday and Friday evenings at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 8pm and Sundays at 2pm.

Please note there is no 3pm matinee on Saturday, October 4.

Tickets Prices: Pay-What-You-Can ~ Thursday, October 2
Preview performances ~ $15, October 3 - 9
Thursday evenings ~ $18
Friday and Saturday evenings ~ $24
Saturday and Sunday matinees ~ $20

Taking Kerry Waters' Pulse on Writing Dracula

2008-10-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

1. First of all, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in Marshall where I began acting in television commercials in front of the bathroom mirror at around the age of 2. I finally got on stage in middle school and then in high school I met the most inspirational person of my life Max Bush, my theatre teacher. It would fills pages to discribe all he did for me, let's just say he gave me most of the theatre tools (and many life tools) I still use today. I have been in Lansing since 1984 and active in theatre here since 1994.

2. You wrote this script for Dracula - how did you decide what the first sentence of the show should be, given there have been many versions of Bram Stoker's book written? Did you try to stay faithful to the book?
The beginning was the hardest part. I knew I was going to have to condense the story alot. In re-reading the novel, Jonathan's voice spoke to me the loudest and I knew I had to start with him and his journey. Many of the plays I've seen start after Dracula comes to London so they can play all the 'effects' without the history. I love history. Yes. I believe I stayed completely faithful to the book with most of it's melodrama intact.

3. How does it feel to have the words you've written acted out in front of you?
Bizarre and wonderful. The cast is truly excellent and I find myself getting lost in the story and thinking damn this is good.... I wrote this?! .... Wow.

4. Is this the first time you've written a play?
Full length, yes. I have written many teleplays that were filmed at church; one-acts; and many skits.

5. What are you particularly proud of about this show?
My cast, have I mentioned they are excellent? And within that, I'm most proud of my casting choices, casting against anything most people have seen them in. For example, Jay Hansor (who is playing Renfield) has always been cast as the doctor, lawyer, sheriff, the stalwart guy, not allowing him to show his full talent. Having been in Actors Workshop with Jay I knew his talent ran very deep and I believe the audience that has seen him in other roles will be blown away by how talented he is.

6. Do you have any advice for anyone writing a play of their own?
Only do it if you are passionate about it. You must invest so much of yourself, not to mention the hours and hours, that what you are writing must be able to sustain you.

7. Why do you think people should come to see theatre? Why is it important?
Because it's live and it's life. I feel you see truer dipictions of life and more well rounded characters on the stage. The story is more immediate because it is being performed for you not the camera.

8. You're an actress as well - can you name some of the parts you've enjoyed playing the most over the years?
There have been many, I feel truly blessed but to name a few: Jeanette in The Full Monty; The Reader in Far East; Claire in A Delicate Balance; and Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Quick Questions

1. Would you write another version of a classic if you had the opportunity to do so? And what would it be?
I've been thinking of that, currently on my mind are Frankenstein, A Cask of Amantillado, and Jane Eyre.

2. What is your favorite play/musical?
Play: Three Tall Women

Musical: Les Miserables

3. Do you have any theatre superstitions?
Nope

4. Favorite line of any show?
Miss Lucy. I know I ain't good enough to regulate the fixin' of your dainty little shoes but, well, won't you just hitch up along-side of me and let us go down the long road together, driving in double harness?

5. Would you like to write a haiku for the end of your interview about how you're feeling right now?

Theatre is my life
It is what helps me to breathe
Without it I die

Dracula

Written and Directed by Kerry Waters

October 24-26 & November 2, 2008 Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm
Performances are at the Hannah Community Center819 Abbott Rd., East Lansing, MI
Call: 517-484-9191 for reservations

Truly You - Enter the Center

2008-10-07T15:17:00.000-07:00

Since we have broached the subject of self-awareness, I want to write a little bit about what that path to self-awareness is like, and how the journey begins.

It's not easy, and takes courage - but it's liberating if you can learn to get out of your own way and allow what is meant to be yours to come to you, and learn to live in the moment. If you believe everything is perfect just as it is - no matter what your situation - then you become absolved of worry, of fear, and begin live in faith and love.

As with all journeys, though, it begins with a step, and a desire to go someplace new. When the place you're at isn't serving you anymore, and you're finally motivated to try something different, anything, then you know you're ready.

A very dear and respected associate of mine is beginning classes to help people discover parts of themselves they never realized existed - her tools are metaphysical, and are geared towards those who know that there is something more to life but don't really know what or where to look.

I consider Shey to be a mentor to me, and I would be happy to answer any questions, or send them on to Shey, about the workshop she will start this fall. Her hard-gained wisdom has come through a great many experiences which have shown her how to be the observer of her world, instead of falling prey to the pain of it. There is always hope, always light, always compassion, always beauty - it's just a matter of perspective.

Hope to see you there -

“Truly You-Enter the Center”

A Guided Mini-Series Event

November 9 &16 and December 7 & 14, 2008
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

only at

The Mountain Books & Gifts

Your personal truth is as individual as your facial features, your fingerprints, and your dreams…and as specific as the color of your skin, your eyes, your hair.

Your physical framework was given to you at birth - but you were also provided a personality framework – a foundation at your center that is “truly you.”

You have the key to enter the center, access the foundation and discover the treasures hidden there.

So our adventure begins with a treasure hunt. We seek the juicy center of your authentic self – the “truly you” that vibrates, yearns, strains to be liberated from old habits, beliefs and lessons that do not speak to who you really are…and the part that longs for the destiny you were meant to fulfill.

But we must start at the beginning and examine your personal owner’s manual. Our tools are numbers, Chinese astrology and intuitive insight.

Join us at our premiere session where you will receive a personal numerology review. The entry fee for the first of our four sessions is simply your birth date and your name as it appears on your birth certificate. There will be a $10 charge each for sessions two through four.

Call The Mountain at 321-1906 or Shey at 449-1495 to register.
Or visit The Mountain at 1208 Turner Street, Lansing.

Shey is the facilitator on our journey. She is a numerologist and intuitive consultant who has provided hundreds of personal sessions in mid-Michigan over the past ten years, as well as phone consultations across the country. Shey’s own personal journey required a total restructuring of her identity which opened access to new skills, guides and channeling, and, in short, blasted a giant hole in the middle of her own foundation (for those familiar with the tarot, just think “Tower”). From the chaos, however, has emerged a metaphysical philosophy that has worked again and again to change people’s lives. It is offered now for this exclusive four session series. Enjoy.

Permanent Collection, and Kristine Thatcher

2008-10-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Although BoarsHead is moving on to "All Childish Things," I was able to catch up with Kristine Thatcher and ask her a few questions about "Permanent Collection."

I'd like to start by mentioning that Tom Ferris directed "To Kill a Mockingbird," and it was intensely moving. While I was watching the scene in which the prosecutor called Tom Robinson "Boy" repeatedly, I could visibly see the audience shift nervously in their seats from the acrid tension acted out on stage.

It was very uncomfortable to watch, but it was also amazing to be a part of the audience and feel this collective anger towards the prosecution's table for Tom, the unfairly arrested black man. The show brought people together as a group, and close to outrage at times. Part of the genius of Harper Lee's play is that it shows people as flawed - and that not everyone has the capacity for compassion for all people, regardless of skin color. But it also gave the audience hope, in the form of Scout most specifically, that the rising generations would be able to understand each other without having to impose one's sense of righteousness based on race over another.

"Permanent Collection" is a bit more complicated, but the audience reaction was similar. In this case, both lead men, Sterling North and Paul Barrows, played by Alan Bomar Jones and Michael Joseph Mitchell respectively, aren't bad people - but they do have serious flaws and are both racist (from my perspective). Again, the audience as a collective group felt the tension on stage and reacted to it. Although I felt Mr. Jones was more aggressive in his acting style, both men betrayed their feelings of fear and dominance in myriad ways. They were both sexist, in part, elitist, afraid of change, and unwilling to compromise. Mr. Jones played the part as more of a racist, in my opinion, while Mr. Mitchell played the part of a racist who didn't realize he was one - a bit more subtly, but just as damaging - ignorance can be brutal. Both actors got their points across very well - their characters were so much alike but couldn't or wouldn't be willing to compromise. Through their own stubbornness they brought about their own demise. The voices of reason in this show came in the form of the women. They were tolerant and sensitive, and ultimately were able to put their egos aside to do the right thing for the art museum.

I would think staging a show with race at the heart of the material could be potentially volatile - and so I asked Kristine Thatcher, director of "Permanent Collection," why she chose this play and what impact she hoped it had on the patrons who saw it.

KRISTINE THATCHER

1. What appeals to you about this show?
I love this show because it never takes the easy way out. It is also written with sharp clarity and presents both Sterling’s point of view and Paul’s with equanimity. For a long time I did not want to know whether Thomas Gibbons, the playwright was black or white, because he presented both side so specifically.

2. Do you believe that the lead characters in the show are racist?
I know the actors playing the parts have suggested the characters are both racist in their own ways. I guess I’d like to leave it up to audience, to the people who come to see the show to make that call.

3. Why is this show relevant to Lansing Theatre?
I think the show is relevant everywhere in the United States. When you take a look at current national politics there is a direct parallel.

4. How much are these two characters, Sterling and Paul, alike?
I think they are very much alike, which is why they can’t hear each other. Whether we like to think so or not, there is a streak of racism in everyone.

5. What is the point the author is trying to make in Permanent Collection?
I think Thomas Gibbons is trying open up the dialogue regarding race in this country. We can’t get past our racial tensions until we’ve been absolutely honest with ourselves and each other.

6. Do either of the lead characters change at the end?
They don’t change as much as the character of Kanika who strikes out on her own at the end of the play. She goes back to what she is meant to do: teach.

7. The play seems quite unresolved – what is it that you hope the audience will take from the show as they leave the theatre?
It goes back to what I think Thomas Gibbons is trying to do with the play. Get people talking about the issues, about race in this country. Gibbons says it’s encoded. It’s a question of trying to read the intentions on a civilized face. I would ask your readers to go to youtube to see AFL-CIO’s Richard Trumka’s speech on race in the current Obama-McCain campaign. That’s a good place to start our discussion.

Thank you, Kristine, for your time and for bringing to Lansing a show that definitely left the audience thinking about a very important issue - particularly in this election year.

If you have any thoughts about using theatre as a medium to raise the topic of race in a show as a tool to be honest with each other about our prejudices and fears, please feel free to leave your comments...

A Fun Drive with Susan Chmurynsky

2008-10-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.
I'm a retired school librarian. Grew up in Grand Rapids. Taught for a couple of years in Denver and came "home" to get a library degree at Western Michigan U., then got a job in Lansing. Early on I found the Barn in Okemos which became my second home. Moved to GR in '87 to be close to my Mom and did no theater for 14 years. Came back to Lansing when I retired because my support system is here - my theater family. I have a brother who does movie and TV makeup. He's currently working with Tina Fey on "30 Rock"

2. Why did you choose "Born Yesterday?"

I chose "Born Yesterday" because I costumed it for LCP in the 80's (won a Players' Award). Reread the show to see how it held up and was startled to note how nothing has really changed in Washington DC. It's just a matter of scale. Besides it's a funny show.

3. What was the first show you acted in, and what was the first you directed?

I was an angel in a Christmas show in elementary school. I had to climb up a ladder and peep out of a fake cloud. The first show I directed was "The Wonderful Tang", a children's show, for the Barn in Okemos. That show has definitely NOT held up well over the years.

4. What made you decide you wanted to take that step from acting to directing?
I'm not really sure why I decided to direct. Maybe it's the teacher in me. I do enjoy talking about character and discussing why people in a play do what they do. Shaping a whole production, while all the details drive me insane, is kind of neat.

5. Why is Theatre important to you?
Theater is very important to me because it gives me an outlet for the goofy side of me as well as the creative side. It's also important because I truly love the people I get to work with.

6. Why is Theatre important period?
Theater is important period because it sheds light on people and events. If a show is good it will send the audience home thinking and talking about it. "Side Man" which I directed last year was a show people either loved or hated for a variety of reasons - lots of "language". They didn't just walk out the door and forget it. Theater can make people laugh which is really important in tough times. It can also make them cry and empathize with a character. When I was teaching reading plays was a good, painless way for kids to polish reading skills. It also helped them think creatively.

Quick Questions

1. What is your favorite show (musical or non)?
Mercy this one is hard. I once had a student say "Ms. C. EVERY book is your favorite book". I love comedies and musicals the most. "Avenue Q." has to be a favorite but then so is "Wonderful Town" - complete opposites on the goofy spectrum. I love to watch shows with great dancing.

2. Favorite line of any show?
One of my favorite lines comes from "The Little Foxes". Ben is talking about taking a train ride. He loves dining on trains because "the celery is so crisp." Don't ask me why that one stuck in my head.

3. Dream role, male or female, that you wish you could play?
I've always wanted to do the Mom in "Barefoot in the Park."

4. Share with us something that many people don't know about you...
Believe it or not I watch NASCAR racing.

5. Favorite word?
Right now my favorite word is citizen. Maybe freedom goes along with it because if we're not careful we'll lose what we treasure most. This is probably because I'm directing "Born Yesterday" right now and I don't know if we've learned anything since the show was produced in 1946.

Sue is directing "Born Yesterday" at the Riverwalk Theatre, slated to open October 23, 2008. Details to the production are below. Thanks for your time, Susan, and break a leg with your show!

BORN YESTERDAY

Oct 23-26 & Oct 30-Nov 2, 2008
Comedy by Garson Kanin Directed by Susan Chmurynsky

Harry Brock brings his ex-chorus-girl girlfriend to Washington where he’s making crooked deals with government big-wigs. Embarrassed by her lack of social graces, he hires an investigative reporter to educate her. What she learns about history, politics, and Harry’s true nature changes everything.

Call the Riverwalk Theatre at 482-5700 for Reservations!

Keeping up the Beat with Scott Stearns

2008-09-17T14:02:00.001-07:00

1. Tell us about yourself!
I am Scott Stearns, father of Allison. I own HandWorks Massage LLC and I work as a massage therapist. I am the music director for Dimondale Presbyterian Church, the Saturday mass for St. Michael in Grand Ledge, and currently, the production of Little Shop of Horrors at Riverwalk Theatre. My favorite color is blue.

2. So what prompted you to get into music directing? How do you like it?
Allison was my impetus actually, sense a theme? When she was born I decided to find some way to raise her myself, so I quit my job as a Jiffy Lube store manager and applied to a church to be their director of music. I also started teaching piano lessons. Less money, less need for money, much happier Dad. As far as the theatre music directing, that's your fault, Erin. I do like it. I like the energy, fellowship, and creativity of talented people trying to bring order to chaos.

3. How many instruments do you play?
I play piano (keyboards) and vocal chords. I have messed around with the classical guitar a bit, but I am inconsistent with my practice. Allison plays trumpet, clarinet, flute, piano, and voice. I'm sorry, I thought I heard you ask..

4. Who are your favorite composers?
Rado and MacDermot, Tori Amos, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Carole King, Stephen Schwartz, those ABBA dudes, Ed Kowalcyzk, Rodgers and Hart, Shawn Colvin, Johny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael, dotdotdot

5. Favorite lyric of ANY song?
You are here, so am I, maybe millions of people go by, but they all disappear from view.

6. How would you describe the way you relate to the people you are directing?
I try to understand how people learn, so that I can be more effective in helping them. With some it's repetition, with some it's breaking down the song into its component parts. I like to collaborate with people when possible, I love learning about new music from people or trying something in a different way.

7. Have you ever heard a voice that literally made your ears hurt? Yes. Her name is Ethel. But I love her now.

8. You’ve been involved with Singers on the Grand for quite awhile – how did that come about and are you still involved?
They asked me to accompany them in their second year, then I joined the singers and divided my time between playing and singing. I get my exercise in that show! We are preparing a show right now. It will be at the Grand Ledge Opera House on November 8th and 9th and at Riverwalk on April 17th, 18th, and 19th. Thanks for the subtle opportunity for a plug!

9. Do you have any desire to give acting a try?
Yes. I know that it's a craft hard learned however, and I, as an American adult, crave instant success. I think that I'll stick with what I'm relatively competent with for now.

10. What is important to you about theatre?
To me personally? This amazing community of actors, dancers, musicians, techies, etc that I've met. I love just listening to the stories around a round of beers. For an avid people watcher, it's heaven to be in this company.

11. If you could have a dream job, what would it be?
International food critic. Or a massage therapist working in one of those stilted huts out in the ocean.

12. How old were you when you first started to sing? I'm sure I was very young, although I quit the biz in 5th grade after my voice cracked on stage as I was singing a very important Christmas medley solo. I sang in high school and took a few lessons here and there. Singing was always my hobby, not my profession. My mom always tells me to just shut up and say (Thanks).

13. Do you have any superstitions about performing? (like uttering the name of the Scottish play in a theatre or do you prepare in any particular way for a performance?)
I wear black. It's not a superstition. I just always identify myself with the band and the band wears black. I breathe. When distracting thoughts or voltage fluctuations threaten, I breathe. Intentionally.

14. Why do you believe theatre/music is important to the community?
For the same reason it's important to me. We see talented, dedicated people entertaining us, enlightening us, showing us the fantastic and the sublime. They encourage us to access our emotions or think about something differently or just escape into farce with them. And they're right here!

A Short Chat With Mike Stewart of "Rumors"

2008-09-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Mike Stewart - Back on Stage Again

1. So why have you decided to jump back on stage now?
About 16 years ago I decided to give acting a break, jobs were getting harder to come by and I wasn't getting any younger and I told myself that when I got into my 50's that I would get back into acting and this is it.

2. What was the veryn first show you acted in? and what was the last one before Rumors?
Bye Bye Birdie was the very first show. The last show before Rumors was A Streetcar Named Desire.

3. Tell us alittle about yourself?
I started acting at Lake Superior State College in the 70"s but found that there wasn't much to learn there and deciced to return to Lansing and take classes here. I went to LCC and at the time the Boarshead ran the Theatre Classes so I learned my craft from two of the best - Richard Thompson and John Peakes. I then began working for LCC building sets and also got grabbed for several plays at the Boarshead. After school I spent several summers at the Weathervane Theatre in Whitefeild, New Hampshire, where I was introduced to real rolling Repertory (a different show every night) - it taught you to learn your lines very fast. I also moved to New York and worked on several small plays and commercials and extra work in movies etc.
In the 80's I moved to St. Louis, Mo. and opened my own Theatre called The River Repertory Theatre and ran that for 8 years. Then I came back and worked at Boarshead, and hit the road again and ended up in Indianapolis at Indiana Rep Theatre as a Master Electrician. After that you know the rest; 6 years a Hannah Community Center Running the theatre and helping LCP do shows.

4. Why is Theatre important to you?
Theatre is my life, there is not one thing I don't love about it - where else can you become an entirely differen't person, create beauitful sets, costumes, lighting and just plain have a blast.

5. What is your favorite show?
I love most all of Shakesphere's plays, Probably my favorite is Merchant of Venice.

6. Favorite Line from a play?
Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious Summer by this Son of York! What a way to start a play!!

7. How does it feel to be back on stage agin?
Wonderful!!! I could not ask for a better group of actors to perform with, or for a better Director than Rick. This show has been a Blast and it shows on stage!

Pssst! Have You Heard the Gossip About "Rumors?"

2008-09-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

Eight guests, six doors, two gunshots, and a telephone that begins to inflict terror every time it rings: these are the essential ingredients for the fast paced farce, "Rumors," directed tightly by Rick Dethlefsen.

“Rumors” is one of Neil Simon’s most famous plays, and with good reason. The script is packed full of great one-liners and comedy set-ups with hilarious pay-offs. Mr. Dethlefsen has compiled an amazing cast with great timing and delivery, and he doesn’t waste much time on letting them just sit and breathe. There is constant motion, constant distraction, constant action to be watched and dialogue that moves quickly to keep the frenzy that the guests are feeling fresh.

Ken and Chris Gorman, played by Justin Hein and Rachel Mender, begin the show in a state of panic; they are the unfortunate couple who have the very rotten timing of showing up for an anniversary party early, and are met with a crisis and just don’t know what the hell to do except, well, panic. And they are extremely adept at that.

Mr. Hein in particular was able to act extremely paranoid and scared, but logical and levelheaded with entertaining results. We can see that he’s scared to death in the situation he’s found himself in, and as he tries to hide the truth from the other guests who arrive we can feel the nervous tension drip down his forehead in beads of anxious sweat as he puts on his best smile and repeats “Everything’s fine!” while looking like he’s just come across a murder scene. He becomes even more fascinating to watch from the result of an accident – which I prefer not to give away. Let’s just say that this accident requires Mr. Hein to rely a great deal more on facial expressions for part of the show, and quite honestly, his face speaks volumes without his lips ever needing to say a word. His energy propels the show forward and he was just damned amusing to watch.

Ms. Mender kept up well with Mr. Hein, and part of the fun of her character was watching her get lost in all of the stories that were being told to cover what up what could be misconstrued as a ‘scandal’ for their friend Charlie. She is so shaky from the pressure of remaining calm that her hands can’t hold a cigarette long enough to light it. She doesn’t quite have the stamina Mr. Hein has, but plays her character well as a woman caught in the middle of a drama she just doesn’t have the stomach for.

The next guests to arrive are let in on the secret that Ken and Chris are keeping – Lenny and Claire Ganz, played by Emily Aslakson-Himebaugh and Joseph Dickson – and they handle the stress quite a bit better than Ken and Chris, who confide the nature of the emergency that evening to them. Ms. Aslakson-Himebaugh plays more of a socialite interested in this kind of scene, and makes it clear that she is part of the gossip grapevine at their Society Club and is in on all kinds of secrets. She plays the part of a reluctant and enthusiastic witness to the events of the evening both at once quite well. When things get heated she digs her gorgeous silver heels in and tries to help – often to the irritation of her husband, Lenny.

Joe Dickson’s stellar performance as Lenny is the true highlight of the production. From the moment he enters the room, your eyes are drawn to watch him on stage; he shows a great range of talent and steals the snippets of scenes he’s in with wisecracks, insults, outright anger and frustration. He is able to convey in one grunt, waiting for the telephone, the exact level of irritation he’s aiming towards his wife in that moment, the panic of the situation he’s in, and the impatience at the idiocy around him. Mr. Dickson’s penultimate speech is an outright hilarious gem of comedy; he uses facial expressions and gestures and the entire scope of the stage - this is hands-down the most thrilling scene of the show.

Cookie and Ernie Cusack are the third couple to arrive to the party, and are left in the dark about the nature of the situation. As Cookie, LeAnn Dethlefsen arrives in probably the most God-awful dress seen on stage, and cluelessly infuriates the likes of both Mr. Dickson and Mr. Hein while her husband, played by Mike Stewart, looks on in adoration to her quirky behavior. Ms. Dethlefsen knows how to turn the “ditz power” on – she’s alarmingly good at just not “getting it.” As the pace of the show quickens and the panic becomes more intense, she goes about her business, at times trying to help but mostly getting in the way. Mr. Dickson in particular has some very funny exchanges with her that leave her smiling in her own happy world while he seethes.

Mike Stewart, who has not been on stage in quite some time, is probably the most natural performer of the cast. He takes everything in stride, and plays a very optimistic, eager and genuinely likeable guy. He realizes quite quickly that something isn’t right, and part of what is so funny is that he falls for the cover-up stories being spun and is more than happy lend a hand to help with the festivities of the evening since the maid and butler are gone for the night. His relationship with Ms. Dethlefsen is effortless and smooth; it’s quite believable they are a married couple and play extremely well off each other. And when Mr. Stewart does get stressed, it’s quite hilarious to witness.

The antithesis of the sweet-natured marriage of Cookie and Ernie come in the form of Glenn and Cassie Cooper. Glenn is an ambitious political figure, played by Philip Himebaugh, and Cassie is his bitter wife, played by Amy Winchell.

Mr. Himebaugh is desperate to get his wife to calm down from a bit of a spat as they enter, and with a great deal of vigor he spouts what every man thinks about a woman who is angry with him…his nervous questions and flattery and desire to make the fight end are met with even more poison, which finally push him too far and he loses his temper with his wife, which sends her off to the bathroom for a good pout. He’s a far better politician with the other couples in the party though – eager to please, friendly, and putting on a good face despite the domestic dispute. When events turn south, however, he’s the first to try to get out of responsibility and plays an affable coward quite well. In the end he owns up to his responsibility, and makes up for his prior obnoxious digs at the other guests.

Mr. Himebaugh’s nemesis of the show, in the form of Amy Winchell, was truly marvelous to watch on stage. I actually heard a man next to me say, “Wow, she’s scary.” She is venomous about a perceived affair that she thinks her husband is having with one of his political supporters. From the dialogue it’s simply her jealous streak that prompts her to attack her husband and to deliver stinging zingers in his direction. Ms. Winchell played to devilish delight a woman scorned (or so she thinks), and because she is so caught up in her own indignant anger, the events of the evening fall completely beyond her observation. Bravo, Ms. Winchell, for not being afraid to play truly enraged all the way to the hilt – it was a riveting performance.

Gary Mitchell and Erin Hoffman act as officers called to this party. Ms. Hoffman delivers an adequate performance as something of a rookie cop to the obviously experienced officer, Mr. Mitchell, who delivers a very realistic portrait of a beat cop bringing a bit of realism, finally, to the farce of the evening. He’s intimidating, professional and persistent.

I have to emphasize that the set for “Rumors” is the best set I have ever seen on the Hannah Stage; rich in crimson and creams, it genuinely looks like the house of wealthy man – complete with wall sconces and crystal chandeliers that actually light up part of the stage. LeAnn Dethlefsen pulled double-duty acting in the show as well as designing/dressing the set. Beautiful job, Ms. Dethlefsen – and Mike Stewart also pulled double-duty as an actor and set builder. The costumes, designed by Kathy Weldon, were elegant and befitting of the kind of people who would visit such a house, particularly for a special party. They were flattering to all of the actors and in particular the dress Amy Winchell wore was gorgeous. Even the ugliest costume I’ve ever seen, intentionally designed for Ms. Dethlefsen to wear as Cookie, was a chartreuse delight.

Rick Dethlefsen has a show he should be quite proud of; congratulations to the opening of LCP’s 80th season and for bringing to Lansing area theatre patrons a genuinely funny and fantastical farce.

The show runs one more weekend – don’t miss it!

September 19 & 20 at 8pm
September 21 at 2pm

Adults: $15.00
Seniors(60+)/Students: $13.00
Children: $10.00
STUDENT ticket: $8.00

For reservations call 484.9191

One on One with Rick Dethlefsen

2008-09-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

Rick Dethlefsen
was kind enough to take a little break from directing "Rumors," which opened Friday September 12th, to answer a few questions about the show, and graciously answer a few other questions I posed...

1. 6 doors. Want to comment on the complexity of that for you directing the actors, and for the actors themselves? I know you really prepare, but to get the timing to be precise must be rather difficult...
While it is true that working on a multi-level set with multiple doors can present some challenges, by and large it also gives the imagination a lot more room to play. I was blessed with a very good cast who was willing to experiment so the largest challenge was to time entrances and exits that were almost always "blind" in that the actors couldn't tell sight-wise what the other actors were doing. We solved those problem with sound cues in some cases and prompts from stage manager or light booth in others.

2. How do you define comedy? I mean - what is funny, and what isn't, to you?
I think the answer probably lies somewhere between the situation and the writing and how it relates to the audience. The story has to flow and follow a predetermined path, but the situations are at their funniest when it is something that the audience can relate to - when they can say, "I've seen that" or "that's happened to me."

3. Why did you pick "Rumors" of all of Neil Simon's shows to direct?
I selected Rumors because submitting directors were asked to do shows that had been successfully produced at LCP during their 80 year life span. Rumors was the first show that I ever appeared in at LCP and the first show in which I worked with Bob Gras so it had nostalgic value to me as well as being a very funny play.

4. What is your secret (or method) to directing comedy - and do you find it more or less difficult than a drama or musical?
I'm not sure I have any secrets to reveal. In any play I try to make the story work and make it something the audience can relate to. I work with the actors to develop characters to relate and react to each other and not the fact that it is "their turn to talk". Both as an actor and a director I believe that comedy is the most difficult venue to make work - timing is so much a part of the equation as is the necessity to keep from going over the top. I believe that any good comedic actor can also pull of a dramatic role but don't believe the reverse is true for a good dramatic actor.

5. What do you look for in actors when you audition - innate talent, willingness to take direction, risk-taking, tenacity? How do you know you've got the right person for the right part?
I think any director is going to look for all of the above in terms of your question. Certainly the willingness to try and to take risks is important, but I also look for "sparks" between actors. I also look for actors who appear as if they want the play to be the central theme and not themselves - I want it to be a fun and learning experience for all and don't really have much use for egos.

6. How would you describe your directing style?
I guess my directing style goes to that same team experience I talked about in the previous question. While I have a vision as to what the characters and play is all about, I want the actors and technicians to be equally invested so I do spend a lot of time talking about why a particular character is doing something and the kinds of moods we might want to set. Another very valuable realization came to me many years ago - I don't have the market on brains. I am surrounded by highly creative people and I frequently find myself saying - "Oh, I hadn't considered that", which, in turn, helps to create a more believable character that both I and the actor can more fully appreciate.

7. What was the first show you directed and how do you pick the shows you want to undertake?
The first show I ever directed was "Bye Bye Birdie" I selected that because of an opportunity to work with high school students and direct their play and because I loved it when I first saw it. I try to pick shows that I think the audience will be able to lose themselves in. Sometimes I just want them to sit back and laugh, other times I hope that they will walk away and be filled with questions. Ultimately though, I want it to be entertaining.

8. Why is theatre important to you?
I think theater is important to me on a couple of levels. It is a creative outlet for me that allows me to relax on some levels and create on others. While most people would probably argue the point - for the most part I am extremely shy which is why you don't see me at a lot of parties, etc. I found that if I used some of the talents that God so generously gave me, that I'm able to put myself out there and function rather well. I also think that theater gives us all a chance to think, to smile, to question, and a myriad of other things. I am saddened by the willingness on some people's part to cut theater, music, and art programs to save money while, at the same time, build stadiums or build rain gardens or whatever. The arts are important and make us all better people so it is important to me to do it and especially to work with the kids who are the future of the arts.

I'd like to thank Rick for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to give us some of his perspectives about theatre, why he's directing "Rumors" by Neil Simon, and what makes theatre important to him. Rick is a talented director and actor - as well as a natural teacher and insightful person all-around. With any luck you have been able to work with him already, or will in the future. Thanks, Rick!

And - go see "RUMORS" - it plays tonight at the Hannah Center at 8pm, tomorrow at 2pm, and then September 19th and 20th at 8pm, and will wrap on Sunday, September 21st at 2pm.

Adults: $15.00
Seniors(60+)/Students: $13.00
Children: $10.00
Special opening night STUDENT ticket: $8.00

For reservations call: 484.9191

'Little Shop of Horrors' Heinously Hilarious!!!

2008-09-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

From the moment Kelly Stuible, Shantel Hamilton and Mandy Dallaire stepped out into the lights of the Riverwalk stage as the Ronnettes, the audience was captured by the campy humor and well-directed delights of "Little Shop of Horrors."

These trio of women were scene stealers in the show, with angelic voices but sassy, smart-ass insights that helped to propel the plot along. All the women were incredible in their chorus roles - watch for the popcorn scene, because it's hilarious - and in particular Shantel Williams played Crystal with so much attitude I felt slapped all the way in the back row when she tongue-lashed any another character.

They help to narrate the tale of an orphaned boy, a Jewish flower shop owner who takes the boy in, his beautiful assistant and her sado-masochistic dentist boyfriend, and a killer plant from outer space with an insatiable appetite. How could you NOT love that plot line?

The role of Mr. Muschnik, the cantankerous flower shop owner who takes in Seymour as a child but works him like a dog, was played wonderfully cranky, by Mark Zussman. "Mushnik and Son" was fantastically choreographed as the reluctant Seymour, embodied by Joe Quick, and Mushnik do a little tango together, and their harmonies in the song were not only funny but quite beautiful. Mr. Zussman was likeable and seedy, which is a hard thing to do. He is genuinely horrified when he finds out what Seymour has been feeding the plant - which gives him some glint of respect - but we can't say that we were all that shaken up when he ended became her next meal.

Chad Dekatch delivered an extremely catchy performance as Orin Scrivello, DDS, and boyfriend of Audrey; tall, handsome and deliriously sadistic, he seemed to channel a bit of Elvis, Steve Martin and Hannibal Lector all at once. Chad was able to get laughs by not being overly creepy or too harsh with his lines; clearly this is not a nice guy, and he's terrible to Audrey, but we can't help but laugh as he sings about the joys of inflicting pain. He's addicted to nitrous oxide, which gives him an even greater high while he works on his poor patients who go without the use of it's numbing and feel-good properties. Throughout "Now (It's Just the Gas)" Dekatch is high on his own sense of self and the nitrous he's inhaling. It's a frightfully witty show-stopping number.

Audrey, portrayed by Patricia Smyka, delivered some very funny lines that, if said in real life, would make one want to rescuse this poor girl. She is obviously terrified of Orin, however she makes sure to keep handcuffs in her purse and doesn't seem to mind the bruises he inflicts because it just doesn't occur to her she deserves anything better. Her rendition of "Somewhere That's Green" was haunting; she wants so badly to have a white picket fence and live in a Betty Crocker life - but she knows that will never happen for her...beautifully sung and well acted, it was touching and sweet. But her desire for this fantasy life and her fear of her boyfriend blind her to the love of Seymour. Ms. Smyka played Audrey to be sweet, ditzy and a little bit lost - she was just right for the part.

Audrey II (named by Seymour of course after Audrey) was lipsynced with amazing accuracy by Adam Carlson - and for those of you who don't know Mr. Carlson, he's about 6ft tall and had to fit himself into two versions of the plant and squeeze under a counter with his arm up through the countertop for the initial version of Audrey II. I imagine he got quite a work-out with every rehearsal and every show, and he certainly deserves recognition for his ability to make the audience believe Audrey II was pleading, impatient, sad, hungry and angry. Great work, Mr. Carlson!

The voice of Audrey II, for this version of the show, was female, sung by Candance Stanfield. Most people expect to hear a bass voice coming out of the mouth of Audrey II; instead the audience was given a gospel rendition of the plant's songs. Unfortunately there were some mike problems, and so it was very difficult to actually hear what Ms. Stanfield was singing; most of her lines got swallowed, so to speak, and her voice didn't lend itself to an alien that should have been imposing. A male voice would have been more frightening to Seymour, an thus scaring him more into finding food for the plant and making that aspect of the show make more sense. However, from what I could make out, Ms. Stanfield was sassy, and she was hungry, and she conveyed more of a manipulative plant with Seymour rather than a demanding one - and if that was what the director, Ms. Banghart was hoping for, then she hit her mark fairly well. There is something to be said for having a female plant who vies for the attention of Seymour - in fact, it could have been played up even more, with a very catty Audrey II conveying jealousy in her voice and manipulating Seymour as she talks to him instead of intimidating him as has been traditionally played. Though Ms. Stanfield isn't frightening or threatening as the voice of the plant, she does sing well and the gospel effects add an interesting mix to the show. I know the microphone problem will be fixed, and so audiences should get a treat to hear a very different version of Audrey II more clearly for the rest of the run.

And of course we come to Joe Quick, who I believe was born to play two roles in his life: one being Leo Bloom from "The Producers," and the other as Seymour. The fact that he was able to alter his voice into a nerdy, post-nasal drip kind of sound and also SING with that effect, in and of itself, made me laugh out loud and shake my head in astonishment. His Seymour was perfect. He was dorky, eager to please, anxious, clumsy, sweet, oblivious to his own good nature and was simply a poor kid who walked into Audrey II's trap. Mr. Quick not only acted, but reacted well in a wide spectrum of emotions to the people around him - he was repulsed by Orin, unsure and a bit afraid of Mr. Mushnik, enraptured by Audrey, tricked by little Audrey II and ultimately betrayed by big Audrey II. Here we had a hero who attempted, with a foolish yet determined will, to destroy the evil monster he nourished and helped grow, unknowing of the plants real motivations. Mr. Quick was fun and fascinating to watch, and to add his vocal talents to the mix made his character simply amazing.

Kudos to Stephanie Banghart and Scott Stearns for delivering a deliciously wicked musical to the Riverwalk Theatre. Ms. Banghart, for her directorial debut, didn't miss a beat on anything; the costumes were fabulous, the set was clever and worked for everything they needed in the show, and the tech (with only a few mike problems) was spot-on. Mr. Stearns fed the audience a well-balanced orchestration; it was a delectable treat to listen to the score of the show, and in particular "Suddenly Seymour." The musicians and the actors worked in perfect syncronization together, with the effect of raising goosebumps on my arms as I was listening.

"Little Shop of Horrors" truly is a heinously hilarious hoot - it plays tonight at 8pm, on the 14th at 2pm, and then next weekend as well. Trust me, you don't want to miss it.

"Tropic Thunder" Controversy - Bruce Bennett

2008-09-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

In the movie "tropic Thunder" two of the lead characters have an exchange that makes use of the "R" word (Retard), and some people are very upset about this. Okay, this is a problem of audience perception that in my experience goes back to such excellent examples as" All in the Family," the Randy Newman song "Short People" and the sitcom "Married with Children."

Some audience members simply can't grasp the idea of a lead character being presented as flawed, or even as a complete ass. They believe a lead character is the "HERO" of the show, perfect and noble or at least unflawed- the image of how one SHOULD be, as presented in much of television and movies.

So if the lead is doing something stupid, they perceive the show is presenting this stupidity as right and good.

No, folks, that's not the only way it works. Flawless "Heros" are for entertaining action fare, like the "Lone Ranger," any John Wayne movie, etc., and there is nothing wrong with that, I love many of those kinds of shows.

But I am very aware that a play, movie, or even a song with a flawed lead (or lead vocal) reflects much more insightful writing, meant to make us identify with those flaws and learn something. When a piece of writing has only a "hero" and a "villain," we identify with the hero and don't identify with the villain and learn nothing about ourselves, since no one is that black and white, that simple. We are complex people with a mix of flaws and virtues.

"All in the Family" gave us lead character Archie Bunker, a bigot, not presented as a simple villain to hate, but someone to laugh at and actually like a bit, so we would identify just a little with that kind of thinking- and maybe find a it little stupider and laughable in ourselves. Randy Newman sang about "short people" having "no reason to live:" a perfectly ridiculous, unbelievably exaggerated prejudice that made those who got the joke laugh at the general stupidity of prejudices of all kinds- but a lot of people didn't get the sarcasm. And "Married with Children" gave us an entire dysfunctional family to identify with and learn from, as they reflected the new lack of caring and general selfish neglect of the needs of others that was permeating society since the "Me Decade" of the seventies seemed to become the "Me Era-" but many people just identified with the lack of caring rather than laugh at it's shameful ridiculousness.

In all these cases, there was a vocal protest from people who just couldn't "get" that the "heros" of these pieces were not supposed to be identified with as "right" but as totally and completely WRONG.

Jerry Seinfeld even felt he had to write a final episode of his sitcom that ended with his entire cast being thrown in jail after being tried and convicted of being too self-obsessed and uncaring- because so much of his audience didn't seem to be "getting" that their actions were supposed to be laughed at as shamefully ridiculous, not copied as normal.

For those of us who always "got" these sorts of shows, it's extremely frustrating to watch people get upset at the very insights they should be laughing at and learning from.

So, finally "Tropic Thunder" presents a bunch of EXTREMELY flawed Hollywood actors- totally self-obsessed, drug addicted, self-deceiving, out-of-touch with reality- and has them doing stupid things that we laugh at. Including the use of the "R" word, much as Archie Bunker used the "N" word. Folks, GET it! The characters are clearly portrayed as JERKS, so they're not telling us to agree with them and think this is all right, they're telling us only JERKS use the "R" word. The writer (Ben Stiller) is actually on the side of all that is right and good, and understood Literature 101, "the flawed protagonist."

Now go ahead, go to the theater and appreciate this very funny movie.

-Bruce Bennett

Interview: Stephanie Banghart

2008-09-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Stephanie Banghart

1. Tell us a little about yourself, and if you are seen mostly on stage, or prefer to remain behind the scenes...or do you dabble both on and off stage? I'm Stephanie. I am 28, live in lansing, have a BEAUTIFUL daughter, a wise and loving husband and a really great life! I have only really been seen on-stage until now! I love acting and really like directing but, I honestly prefer to be on the stage. I really enjoy being in the spotlight.

2. What was your first theatre experience? I played an old black woman being asked to move to the back of the bus in the Martin Luther King Jr. Story (not Rosa Parks). If that doesn't show character range, I don't know what does!! I was 8!!

3. How would you describe your directing style, and what did you learn as a first time director? It's all new to me and i'm taking it as it comes. I would like to think I am a nurturing director, but you'd have to ask the cast to get the real answer to this question. I am constantly learning patience, in directing and life in general. I think the biggest reward to me will be if the audience enjoys the show AND my cast walks away thinking of the experience in a positive light.

4. Favorite role - that you've done or would like to do?, or is there a favorite show you'd love to direct and why? I love challenging Roles. Deep, dramatic and tortured roles always intrigue me. Lady Macbeth, Juliet...Do I ever get cast in them? Well, no, but Maybe someday. Don't get me wrong, being Norma in Victor Victoria was a lot of fun, but there is something to say for the grit of a dark and tortured character. I don't really have any favorite shows to direct. Whichever fall in my lap, I guess.

5. Why is theatre important to the community? It is an escape from the mundane. It can educate, enlighten and entertain. It keeps kids off drugs, and gives me a reason to act like an idiot. What's not to love!!??

Quick Questions:

1. What three people have influenced you the most in your theatre experience?

Hmmm...My closest friends are a great theatrical influence on me, so we'll call "my friends" #1. Mary Job was my first theatre teacher and I really learned a lot from her in regards to technique and being directed, so he can be 2. Then, Robin Aronson is another teacher I really respected. She taught us a lot about what it means to be out of your comfort zone and why it isn't a bad place to be-#3. Honestly though, in a way I take a little bit of influence from everyone i've worked with. The what-to-do's and what-not-to-do's, you know?

2. Favorite line of any show? "How do you think they got all the holes in them donuts??!!" HA!! If you guess the show, I'll give you a dollar! (**not really, but i'll be impressed!)

3. Best show you've been in? It's a toss up. I'd have to say my top three, in no particular order are as follows: The Full Monty (Susan), Comedy of Errors (Dromio of Syracuse) and You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, the reprise (Sally).

4. Worst show you've been in? Murder on Center Stage! That was a giant turd of a show! No one knew their lines, tech errors ALL THE TIME...turd, turd, turd!!

5. Any words of wisdom you'd like to share with people who either are new to the theatre community, or else don't know much about it in general? I'd be blunt. If you're going to do it, do it! If you can't commit, do something else. Oh, and if you are miserable all of the time, it makes everyone else miserable around you, so make your own fun or do something else! I mean, none of us are getting paid for this! All we get in return for our hard work is a good time! AND, if you are wondering if you would enjoy it, the answer is YES!! If you let yourself. It can be EXTREMELY rewarding!

'Little Shop of Horrors' at the Riverwalk!

2008-09-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

Riverwalk Theatre Presents:

Little Shop of Horrors
A Deliciously Dark Musical Comedy

Book & Lyrics by Howard Ashman, Music by Alan Menken

Directed by Stephanie Banghart

Music Directed by Scott Stearns

Choreography by Amanda Himebaugh and Kat Cooper

Our sensitive and somewhat innocent Seymour has found a plant from outer space that makes Mr. Mushnik's Flower Shop an overnight success! Audrey - his co-worker, and the sweetheart of a sado-masochistic dentist - needs his help, while the plant has an appetite that outgrows Seymour's conscience!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE - GET THEM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

September 11 - 14 & 18 - 21

Thursdays 7:00; Fridays & Saturdays 8:00; Sundays 2:00

www.riverwalktheatre.com or 517/482-5700

Chock-full of local favorites and impressive new talent, this cult-musical is sure to please with new twists and familiar songs. See the show the way it was intended to be see: on our perfectly suited intimate stage. We're in the heart of Downtown Lansing, where you can enjoy dinner beforehand and a nightcap afterwards - all within walking distance!

THE CAST

Urchins: Mandy Dallaire, Kelly Stuible and Shantel Hamilton

Mushnik: Mark Zussman

Audrey: Patricia Smyka

Seymour: Joe Quick

Orin: Chad DeKatch

Snip, Bernstein and Luce: Michael Zamora

Audrey II (Manipulation): Adam Carlson

Audrey II (Voice): Candance K. Stanfield

Chorus: Gordon Hicks, Jessica Sorrells, Kate Tykocki, Tyler VanCamp

Interview: LeAnn Dethlefsen

2008-09-06T14:09:00.000-07:00

LeAnn Dethlefsen

1. Tell us a little about yourself, and if you are seen mostly on stage, or prefer to remain behind the scenes...or do you dabble both on and off stage? I dabble in both.

2. What was your first theatre experience? My first theatre experience (that I remember) was at 4 years old when I went to see a production of Oklahoma at Eastern High School. My brother was playing Curly. I begged my mom to take me to every performance, at 4 I was hooked!

3. What keeps you interesting in pursuing theatre? I love the people, the experiences. I once told a fellow actor that the stage is safe, the stage is home.

4. Favorite role - that you've done or would like to do? I would really like to stretch a bit and grab a chance at playing some classic female roles.

5. Why is theatre important to the community? My kids grew up around theater and the arts. I believe it is an extension of their basic education. I think theater makes us think, forget, and remember, all at the same time.

Quick Questions:

1. What three people have influenced you the most in your theatre experience?

My husband, Rick. I learn so much from him about character development and being true to the play. He never changes his beliefs of a character based on what others (critics) may say, I admire that.

Marilyn Steegstra. She gave me my first lead role at the age of 14. What a wonderful teacher.

Other area directors and actors. I learn something from something in every show I do.

2. Favorite line of any show? From the Odd Couple: You leave little notes on my pillow. Told you a-hundred-fifty-eight times I cannot stand little notes on my pillow. "We are all out of cornflakes. F.U." Took me three hours to figure out "F.U." was Felix Ungar. I laugh like crazy anytime I hear it!

3. Best show you've been in? This is not a fair questions. That being said, All My Sons directed by Mary Job for MSU Summer Circle, WOW!

4. Worst show you've been in? Forgot the title...

5. Any words of wisdom you'd like to share with people who either are new to the theatre community, or else don't know much about it in general? Watch and learn. Go with your instincts. Answer a director giving notes with a simple, "thank-you."

Interview: Amanda Himebaugh - AD, 'Rumors'

2008-09-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

Amanda Himebaugh

1. Tell us a little about yourself, and if you are seen mostly on stage, or prefer to remain behind the scenes...or do you dabble both on and off stage? My name is Amanda Himebaugh; I am a student at LCC and work at Living Arts Dance studio in Mason and Williamston. I'm mostly behind the scenes but I am can be seen on stage in musicals in choruses and stuff.

2. What was your first theatre experience? I was in the chorus of Hello Dolly for LCP when I was 6 years old - so that would have been 1994. I was in the Parade Scene.

3. How would you describe your first experience as an AD? It's been good - actually, more than good, really. It's been a wonderful learning experience - it's great to work with a director who knows what he's doing and has everything planned out and knows what he wants. It's also amazing to work with an experienced cast. For my first time, it's been beneficial to work with people who really know what they're doing, and they are all definitely hard workers.

4. Favorite role - that you've done or would like to do? I can always think of roles I would like, but there is one that I would really love to do, and that is Sally in Cabaret...

5. Why is theatre important to the community? It is something that brings people together with a common interest to do what they love to do, and it shows what people can accomplish when they work together, and work hard - its a real bonding experience.

Quick Questions:

1. What three people have influenced you the most in your theatre experience? My mother (LeAnn Dethlefsen) is one of them definitely because she got me into theatre in the first place when I was young.

Rick (Dethlefsen) has been an influence because he has shown me that I do have some talent I haven't been aware of, and has shown me some confidence in myself.

My friend and colleague and mentor - Mellisa Cunningham - she was another one of those people who, no matter what you thought your abilities were, would push you further and say this is good but you can make it better and I'll help you get there. She was not afraid of hard work.

2. Favorite line of any show? I can't quite quote it exactly but it's from the 'Odd Couple' and it's the F.U. line from the show - it took me forever to figure out F.U. meant Felix Unger.

3. Best show you've been in? I can't really decide that one - each experience has been beneficial in it's own way, in whatever I was doing.

4. Worst show you've been in? There have been some rocky ones - again, I'm not really sure. In the end I can find something good in every experience, even if at the time I can't see it - I can later. I can't label the best or the worst for the same reasons.

5. Any words of wisdom you'd like to share with people who either are new to the theatre community, or else don't know much about it in general? Never forget what you're really doing it for. Whether it be for yourself for whatever reason, the community, to be with people you love, to do something fun - just never lose sight of what you're doing it for....

"Rumors" opens this week at the Hannah Center!

2008-09-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Here is some information about the run of the show - to be followed by some interviews with people involved with the production itself. They are heading into tech week, which means that tomorrow they load in to the Hannah Center and then will have 4 days to get used to a new space, which presents its challenges but also speaks to the talent of the cast and crew to put up a show in such a short amount of time in a different location.

Rick Dethlefsen is not only an accomplished actor, he's an amazing director who understands the subtleties of humor and how to direct something intended to be funny to actually be funny. It's really not as easy as you might think. Stay tuned for more information about "Rumors" and some insights, I hope, into Neil Simon.

"Rumors" at LCP (performed at the Hannah Center) opens September 12th.

by Neil Simon
Directed by Rick Dethlefsen

Performance Dates: September 12-14 & 19-21, 2008

Four couples are at the townhouse of a deputy New York City mayor and his wife to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. The party never begins because the host has shot himself in the head (it's only a flesh wound) and his wife is missing. His lawyer's cover up, gets progressively more difficult to sustain as the other guests arrive and nobody can remember who has been told what about whom. Doors slam and hilarity abounds as the couples get more and more crazed.

CAST LIST
Ken Gorman- Justin Hein
Chris Gorman- Rachel Mender
Lenny Ganz- Joseph Dickson
Claire Ganz- Emily Aslakson
Ernie Cusack- Mike Stewart
Cookie Cusack- LeAnn Dethlefsen
Glenn Cooper- Philip Himebaugh
Cassie Cooper- Amy Winchell
Officer Welch- Gary Mitchell
Officer Pudney- Erin Hoffman

The Lansing Theatre Scene

2008-08-22T19:19:00.000-07:00

Lansing has some amazing theatre going on, and often there just isn't enough money to advertise shows the way that they should be to attract the attention of patrons. Often patrons wait to read reviews as well, before they go to see a show - and so I have decided, since I will only likely be working one show this season, and it will only be in a stage manager position, to take some time and actually look at the shows in more detail than I've seen from the local papers.

I realize there are word limits and editors and other hassles that writers have to contend with, but I have found that there has been an increasing severity in the manner local theatre has been judged and it's often been unnecessarily mean-spirited. If a critical comment is justified, that's certainly one thing - but my personal opinion is that reviewers should avoid pointed remarks about an actor's physique and other comments that leave bite marks, and focus more on whether or not the director has carried out the intent of the author and how well the stage has been set to accomplish that goal - acknowledging (or not) the tech involved, as well as the acting itself. One great example is that the set for "Sugar Beans Sisters" of Riverwalk last year was practically an actor in and of itself - Craig Smith's design was brilliant and Carol Ferris showed a sense of humor and detail in dressing it.

I'm excited about the shows I see coming to Lansing for the coming season for all of the theatres in town, and am particularly excited to get a taste of The Renegade Theatre Festival tomorrow. Though the festival started Thursday, and I'll only get a chance to see a few shows, I'm looking forward to them as a bit of a teaser for the new season.

Cheers!