Another try

So it's been more than a year since I posted anything. Not that a lot isn't happening at the theatre. But I think that's it - there's so  much going on that I'm helping out instead of writing about it as well. This past June and September we went to regional and state competitons (OCTA) with our spring play Moonlight and Magnolias and won, in total, 11 awards. We had a blast! We hope you got a chance to see the show. This season we just finished with Eat Your Heart Out and, to our surprise, we sold out four of the six shows! I had a nice smaller part in it and had so much fun. What a great cast and crew.

Now Young Frankenstein the Musical has been cast and are well into their rehearsals. I have yet to really get down there for that. I was asked to be the house manager and assist with props. See? You don't have to sing, dance or act to be a part of theatre. The house manager mostly bosses around the ushers and makes sure everything is ready for the intermission part of the show such as punch and cookies, as well as answers questions audience members may have so the ushers can continue seating people and basically is the liaison between the lobby/front of house and the stage manager/backstage crew. Not rocket science but necessary.

The props list for this show is 10 pages long! That's how many pages I had to memorize for my last gig. And it's a lot of weird stuff which Phil, the director, keeps adding to. I should post some of what we need and see if anyone is willing to help us out and loan us the stuff if they have it. There's another aspect not many people think of... at least until you have someone in your household or family who becomes involved in theatre... then many of your household items, etc. end up on stage as props. I've had my parent's typewriter, briefcase and almost their couch on stage. My books end up on stage a lot. This time, though, I'm looking for things like pitchforks, a Staples Easy button, rug beater, etc. Not your standard fare you're gonna find anywhere. Anyone care to help out?

Will try to keep you informed along the way...

Evil Dead

Was just part of a very interesting show we did called "Evil Dead: the Musical". It has a cult following and is a spoof of B horror films which are not really my thing and neither is this kind of musical but it was fun. We splattered blood out into the audience. The cast had a great time and even did all the clean up EACH night. Don't think I ever saw a cast help out so much. It was part of our new "Edge" program which we are trying to make an annual thing where we can do some theatre that's not quite in the "norm". It seems as though if you don't do standard musicals like Wizard of Oz, Annie, and The Sound of Music the audience doesn't seem to want to come and watch. The same for other plays and comedies even. I understand you want to kinda know what you're seeing but we've always liked to try and bring new stuff to the audience. We've had great success too! Even with those dramas and such that we were told we shouldn't do. So for that I'd like to thank our audiences for taking the good with the bad with us. We will always strive to bring you the best musical, comedy, drama, off the wall play we can - it will be done well - whether you like it or not.

Next up is a new release from broadway called "Next to Normal". The title alone should clue you in that it's not "normal" but ..... The music is powerful and although I hadn't heard of it before apparently there are some kids (and I always use that term loosely meaning anywhere from 4 - 34 years old) who know it, love it and can already sing all the songs to it so it sounds like it should be a winner.

Then batten down the hatches everyone as I am going to try my hand again at directing and am so looking forward to it.  More later...

Another month gone

Another month gone, so much done and still so much to do. We're having a meeting this evening to figure out what awards to present at the June dinner.  We don't do "real" awards. We try to make up weird awards for things that have happened during the shows of the past season. Some "blooper" or accidental or purposeful upstaging someone else did. Mostly we make fun of each other but we try not to be mean. My friend and I were once given an award for upstaging the 5 Tellers Dancing in the Rain actors. We were props but also "performed" as we changed each scene. Some times I've had more fun doing props than being on stage.  I got to help kill off everyone on stage during one play. To this day many of us backstage consider that one of our most fun times even though we were never on stage. Right now Harlequins is involved in putting together Kid Kompany but I took a break at this point as everyone at the theatre knows I don't like children and should never be put in charge of them. ;-)

Where does the time go?

Can't believe it was February when I last was on here and now tomorrow will be May 1st. I can pretty much tell you where the time went though as I auditioned for The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood in late February and we have been rehearsing ever since. At least, that is, until last Friday when we opened. The audiences have been fantastic. The cast and crew are having a great time with each other on stage and off stage (will try to fill you in on some of those shenanigans soon). This is just a quickie to whet your appetite to come see Robin Hood at Harlequins. Reservation line is open (419-621-1311) and everyone I've heard from so far have absolutely loved it and said they haven't laughed so much in ages.  And everyone knows laughter is good for the soul.

I know it's been a CAKE walk learning my lines (that's a bit of sarcasm there as many of my lines involve the word CAKE). I believe the director was trying to get me to channel a combination of a demon and Barry White. This is one of those good time, good feeling, good fun shows that eases some tension and stress for cast, crew and audience! (OK, maybe not for the director or AD). Hopefully more later but sooner than months from now. Say hi if you're at the show!

Time and talent

Apparently I don't have time to write this AND actually do all the stuff I'm supposed to do at the theatre... and this is my down time! I will admit to feeling smarter sometimes when I do stuff there.  Usually you can't put a tool in my hand that I know how to use - and you still won't see me building sets but the fact that I understand enough of what the lighting designer, in this case, Nate, is saying just to plug lights in to the proper outlet makes me feel smarter.  What can I say? It doesn't take much.  Of course, that was several weeks ago.  Today is tech Sunday which I will definitely need more time to explain but tomorrow I'm going to learn how to run the sound for this particular show.  Sound was never one of my things either - even when I was taking TV production in college.  But I step in where needed when I can.  People who hear I'm in theatre and then comment that they could never get on stage need to know that there is SO much more they could do and they would never have to set foot on the stage.  At least not with an audience watching. So what kind of talents do you have?

Jumping right in...

Never thought I'd do this - write a blog - still having friends inform me what they are and what you do with them.  I thought I'd share my hobby with everyone. I volunteer at a local community theatre in Sandusky, Ohio - Harlequins. One day I'll get around to letting you know how I ended up here... or there. But for this first time I thought I'd jump right in and say that today alone I attended a playreading meeting, put a good chunk of the program together for our upcoming play Marrying Terry, sent out a request to OCTA (more on that later) to get more scripts to read for playreading, took a call from the current props person about deadlines, and now have begun this blog. Doesn't sound like much when I write it down but I sat down at the computer to play a little spider solitaire and this is what happens... an hour and half later I still haven't gotten to the solitaire game.

At this point I know I haven't convinced anyone to join but stick with me... I will ;-)