Midway Point

The show is solid as ever. Liz (stage manager) got to flex her muscles last weekend in regards to a minor disagreement between two castmates. Good job! When I saw it on Sunday, there was nary a sign of conflict.

The photos I took on Sunday left a great deal to be desired. My point and shoot digital camera is not great at low-light, and a flash was not what was needed. So, while I do have some archival photos, they are not great. And I don't want to have to have everyone re-pose themselves. Maybe I can take a look at them again and make sure for Act 2 photos that I get at least two shots.

In the interim between posts here, I've designed the set for Gin Game and the new lighting booth for the Petit Playhouse. We put up the second production of ...Charlie Brown in about a week, and then Bye, Bye Birdie is the week after that. We strike Nuncrackers on Monday, December 19, and immediately put up the flats for Gin Game. I still need to inventory the required items for it, but I think we're good. I'm a little concerned, now that I think about it, that ...Birdie will conflict with the closing night and cast party of Nuncrackers. Hmmm, now I'm a bit bothered...

Megan rolls in on Friday for the remainder of the run. I need to remind Liz to remind the cast and Zach that we need about 30 minutes of "integration" time prior to Friday night's show to get her back in the swing of things. She's been out of it for almost a month now, and we have to do this right.

- Sean

Unexpected Tuning

So I get a call from Liz, the stage manager letting me know that the pitch of the first act was noticeably off on Friday night. Zach corrected the issue for the second act, but I wanted to make sure everything was kosher. I was slated to go see Megan's shows at Moorpark College on Saturday night, but on the way there, I decided it was important to clear the air with the Nuncrackers folks.

Not a big deal. The cast was happy to see me, and we did indeed clear the air. However, it took until nearly 7:15 to get out of there and back on the freeway. Sadly, the show was sold out, and I was turned away at the door, so I TM'd Megan an apology and headed back to my neck of the woods.

Sunday was my day to see the show again. The house was full and everyone had good energy. There were no noticeable glitches or flubs, and the show clicked along pleasantly. Gone were the sound effects and other hickeys from the previous weekend. The songs sounded normal, so I assume there was no pitch change in effect.

I did have a bit of a hiccough with the storage locker, though. I'd loaded up the truck with ETC scenery items to clear up space in ours, but I couldn't get the lock opened up. I might need to bring some WD40 with me next time, and perhaps some silicon oil to finish it with. The problem is that now I'll have to drive around with this crap in the back of my truck for a week.


- Sean

Administrivia

So there are a few things that we need to nail down before we get too far into the run. I need to remind everyone to bring back the librettos and vocal books. Tams Witmark is very possessive of those.

Also, I want to take some archival photos, so I'm hoping for Sunday, November 27 after the show to do those. I'll mention it to everyone this coming Sunday when I come to check up.

And a gentle reminder that everyone should keep the show EXACTLY as we rehearsed it and performed it during tech week. Ad libs, double takes, mugging, new props, costumes, sound effects, etc. are extremely unprofessional and serve nothing other than to throw your fellow performers off of their rhythm and degrade what we ALL established as a GREAT show. PLEASE, refrain. Keep it fresh, but within the scope of what's already been set. Enough said.

And also remember that we will merge Megan into the show starting 12/2. Everyone should show up by 6:30 PM so we can spend 20-30 minutes refreshing her memory.

- Sean

Opening Night

Well, as I've gushed before ad nauseum in this blog, this is an exceptionally talented cast, and opening night was picture perfect. The house was mostly full, but it usually takes a week for the word of mouth and the publicity items to kick in. It's a good thing we're adding those Saturday matinees beginning the fourth week.

The show is incredibly well paced, if I do say so myself. Aside from clocking in at almost EXACTLY two hours running time, the time flies by quite graciously. Hopefully, that will add to some repeat viewership.

I "relaxed" on Saturday and built the new mini piano for ...Charlie Brown. We were unable to find the original costumes (or the props), so I'm going to have to make them over the next several nights prior to opening.

The daily updates will probably taper of drastically for this blog. I'll be seeing the show at least once a weekend and probably giving some entries for those, but I also don't want to taint what has already been set in clay.

I will be starting a new blog chronicling the development of Godspell. I'll post a link when it's ready. I'll also migrate the Tech Director's Blog from where I had it over to elitetheatre.org as well.

If you haven't already, please come see our wonderful show.

- Sean

Da Preview

Another great show last night, combined with a great audience. There were still a few hiccoughs here and there, but it was a great show. I'm proud of the entire cast and crew (and myself) for putting together a great show.

Joyce REALLY worked the crowd last night, particularly in the Confession section, when an audience member laughed uproariously as she revealed the placard. She took her time, glowered at him, and then crossed herself, all perfectly in character. It was great fun.

And Todd has now added scenery to his diet, as he was chewing on it most of the night, much to the delight of the audience. What's great is that he has a range of play in the delivery that can adapt to audiences ranging from comatose to raucous.

I resisted the temptation to offer ANY cues or direction last night, and everyone stepped up to the task. Now if I can just keep from mouthing the words to the songs. My daughter came with me to the show last night, and she mentioned that I was mouthing the words several times. Got it. I'll stop.

I'll be there tonight at opening. We'll have a little party in the theatre afterwards with cake and champagne, and I'll toast everyone on a great show, trying to mask how melancholy I am that I won't be able to continue to grow with them as this progresses.


- Sean

Tech: Final

Well, my job is basically done. Last night's final dress (with audience) was exceptionally good, as expected. It's amazing what an audience can do to balance out a show.

For instance, Kelly got a much better sense of how her Sr. Robert Anne deliveries went during the intro to "Jesus Was Born In Brooklyn". The picture perfect delivery she gave Tuesday night was snapped even more firmly in line once the audience was part of the mix. And Todd's Sr. Julia (Child of God) section got laughs where even he didn't expect them.

So, for those who follow this, let me give you some insight into how this and many rehearsal processes work for actors. Overall the arc for everyone has been like this:

• Hey, after reading and singing this, it's pretty funny!
• These funny lines make the other cast members laugh, so I don't feel so bad saying them.
• Hmmm, these lines aren't as funny as I remember them. I'd better take it up a notch. Time to add some funny bits.
• Hey, now they're laughing at my lines and my bits. Great!
• Wow, they're not laughing as much at either the lines or the bits. Better take it over the edge...
• Well, some laughed, but others just stared in awe. Not what I expected.
• Try it again. Nope, not as funny. Dial it back.
• Better. Director likes it. I'm comfortable with it.
• Hmmm, how many days until performance? This is getting old. Gotta keep it fresh.
• Well now neither the original bits, the outrageous bits, or the lines are all that funny. Back to basics.
• Now I'm comfortable again. I can do this.
• Whoa! Costumes! Lights! Music! Props! Set Changes! What are my lines and blocking? Back to basics again.
• Okay, those technical items seem well under control, and the basic lines and music is there, maybe I can layer in some of those bits again?
• Whoa, there's people in the audience laughing at me. Let's go for broke!
• Well, that sucked. They didn't laugh at that really funny part, but they loved the little smirk I ad libbed. Keep it consistent.
• Hey, everything's clicking nicely. I know my place in this production.

Given that, each performer has brought something special to the table. Kelly has demonstrated a great consistency in her vocal work, and she's made Sr. Robert Anne vulnerable enough to make us care about her. The decision to split off her "obnoxious" components was inspired. Donna has given us all inspiration in her ability to move an audience. Although she's been tagged as a "show stealer" in previous roles, I'm here to tell you that she EARNS every laugh and clap and standing ovation she's had. She's a gem, and I can't imagine doing this without her. Amanda has demonstrated exceptional confidence in this production. She jumped into a role that required more vocal talent than what she started off with, but she owns the role now. Joyce is one of those performers that you don't know how lucky you are to have them in your cast until you see them in action, particularly in front of an audience. The artistic director commented positively last night that she really played it well, avoiding the "play it for laughs" path. I agree. Sarah has exceptional comic instinct, tempered with a good ear for direction. She spent most of the rehearsal process WAAAAAY over the line, but it's perfect now, and exceedingly funny. I only regret that Sr. Mary Annette isn't seen again later in the show (except during curtain call). And Todd is just so consistently "ON" and professional. Giving him permission to take the role beyond silly has led him instinctively back to a delivery that is true to character and is a joy to watch.

Liz has taken on double duty as both stage manager and Sr. Leo. Aside from serving as the "heartbeat" of the show, she adds that great little silliness that makes the show so charming. Melanie has come a LONG way from auditions. She is having a LOT of fun and has put in a LOT of work, and I am very proud that she has committed so resolutely to this. Lulu gave up cheerleading for this role, and to watch her smile and be silly on stage is a delight. Her focus and attention to direction are ideal, and I can't wait to see her in future roles. It's rare to see a child actor focus so intently AND have such fun doing it. Louis has really developed a great stage presence, and his confidence is completely different from what it was during auditions. He wants to continue in comedy, and he's perfectly poised to start down that path. It will be bumpy, but he can weather it. And finally, Megan. While she seems like the wildcard in this mix, she's actually a great anchor for the other kids. She bridges the adult and child cast nicely, and has also mentored Melanie in doing so as well. I can't wait to see her in the role, even though it will be bittersweet in not having Melanie do it anymore.

As stated before, this is easily among the best theatrical experiences I've had in my life. Tom has subtly altered the culture of ETC to make artists and craftspersons like me more successful in delivering consistent product. He NEVER said "No!" and offered continual support that allowed my vision of the show to prevail.

I'll continue with this blog through the course of the show, but the production portion is done. I'm having minor pangs of pre-partum depression. I listened to the cast soundtrack this morning on the way to work and was pleasantly surprised at how well ours compares to theirs... better in many ways; more consistent in others.

I move on quickly to other projects. This weekend I work on ...Charlie Brown items (set, costumes, etc), and will run the show next week for the wife. Then, I'll start the set designs for ETC's 2006 season, and for Tom Eubanks' production of Deathtrap up in Ojai in mid January. And there are non-theatre projects on the board as well. I have to chalk off the backyard so that the gardener can rework the sprinklers back there. That will also involve determining the channel that the power, water, and sewer will eventually run in, avoiding them with the sprinklers whenever possible.

Sigh.

- Sean

Tech: Day Two

As anyone in theatre knows, performance levels ebb and flow like the tide. Standard theatrical superstition suggests that "on" nights are followed by "off" nights, and best case scenario is that your "on" night falls on opening night. Given last night's basically "off" night, tonight should be great, Thursday might be a little dodgy, and Friday (opening) will be great.

And that's not to say that it was terrible: far from it. But you know when things really start to "click" and they absolutely did NOT last night. Maybe it started with the damnable telephone ringer I borrowed. The phone I tried to use didn't seem to respond well and didn't offer an audible ring. I had already told everyone to take home their other phones, so I was left shouting "ring-ring" from the house again.

Again, it wasn't a bad performance, just not a great one as compared to some of the really GREAT rehearsals we've had. I know for a fact that the audience interaction will change everything. I believe it will energize everyone.

One of the last things I did was to hook up the two "monitor" speakers (guitar amps) and balance out Zach's speakers so that the house right folks won't get blown away. Todd had graciously picked up two 20' speaker cables and two "Y" splitters. At first, I was concerned that they were two pole (TR) cables rather than three pole (TRS) cables, but it worked beautifully. And Sarah is plenty loud with Sr. Mary Annette, so I'm not worried about getting rid of the wireless mic for her. It was serving more as a crutch than an aid, so, good riddance.

Costumes are great. I can't say that enough. Connie and Kelly have done a superb job, and I'm quite happy. The set is done, thanks to Leana. Kelly and Liz will bring in some more set dressing, but it looks great. I had run out of steam last night by the time it came to paint the floor and touch up the dings. Sarah, Kelly, Liz, and Ron took care of the remaining paint tasks, and I got to sleep soundly last night.

As always, a few new things cropped up:

• We need the carpet strips from storage to quiet backstage noise. Tom has agreed to help with that.
• We still need to dress the speaker cables running house right, but Ron has agreed to pick up a roll of gaffer's tape today.
• The "marquee" poster needs to be done. Tom was unclear about the poster, but his wife Judy is GREAT at those sorts of things.
• I still need to have the house cleaned and vacuumed. The building manager traditionally does that, but I don't know what the arrangement is.

I just have to say again how much I love this production and this group of people. As completely exhausted as I am, it would not be worth it if it weren't for this cast and crew. And the wife and kids have made it all possible, too. My oldest daughter has had a BAD week, sickness-wise. She is just now getting back up on her feet. Fortunately, no one else seems to have gotten it.

Tonight is the final tech/dress rehearsal before the preview tomorrow night. Right now, I'm too tired to be excited, but I believe it will grow on me later in the day.

- Sean

Tech: Day One

All the elements were gathered last night: Zach was back with the live music (and a nifty new sound system); the set was complete and ready for paint; the lights had been set; the costumes were done and looked smart; and most of the props were there.

The tension I'd felt over the weekend was washed away thanks to two people in particular. Our artistic director, Tom Eubanks, jumped into the role of producer full steam and took ownership of several items. The best part about it is I can't remember what those items were: he owns them now so I can focus on doing last minute tweaks. Next up, Leana Bowman, our board president stepped up and offered to paint the set: not help us paint the set on Tuesday night, mind you, but to paint THE WHOLE SET on Tuesday during the day. I was so taken aback, I instictively tried to talk her out of it, but the tenacious person she was, she persisted and took ownership of it. Again, one last MAJOR component that I don't have to worry about.

So, do you want to see my list of items left to handle? It's exhasperatingly short:

• Put a handle on the pope window so Sarah can retract it easily (heavy duty velcro)
• Finish Sr. Mary Annette (today at lunch)
• Print photos & logo for cast board (go to RiteAid or Kinko's and print them out)
• Print reimbursement forms for cast crew for props/costumes purchased
• Make a fake fruitcake (Home Depot and some HILTI foam or Good Stuff)
• Pick up the Russian/Winky hats (at storage)

Yup, that's it. Freaky, huh?

- Sean

Weekend Work, Again

Saturday rehearsal was pretty good. The costumes are great, and they are the least of my worries at this point. The props from Bob Decker are still not here. Perhaps he thought we meant THIS Tuesday rather than LAST Tuesday. Mostly I need the Waffling props.

I tore into the lights on Saturday after rehearsal. I pulled all cords (extension or otherwise), removed all cruddy tape, zip ties, etc. and un-hung all of the PAR38 specials. I repatched the dimmer packs to actually follow the lighting configurations capable on our system. What's weird is that it doesn't use DMX. It's an NSI brand system, and it uses a proprietary command format named MPX. It's similar to DMX, but not compatible in the least.

Once I got the instruments focused and preliminarily patched, I took an inventory of what extension cords would be needed. We had a lot of LONG extension cords, but not enough SHORT extension cords. I ran over to Home Depot and picked up six pairs of cord ends, some Velcro cable ties (the "low end" ones), and some Goo Gone. Over the course of the next two hours, I hacked one long cable into two short ones, hacked a LONG green cable into three MEDIUM length cables, and repaired another. I then used the Goo Gone to remove the TONS of tape scum from the cables, and then used the Velcro ties to dress everything.

After that I added the gels back in on the second tiers of lights, and replaced a lamp on a unit when it blew. I then re-attatched the specials, putting one off R for the "upstairs", one on the "Pope", and then two on the platform. I haven't set the cues yet, but I'll work through that today.

Sunday was carpentry day. I got the Julia counter, bench, and Pope box done. Then I headed over to Home Depot and got the moulding. I arrived finally at Petit at around 7:00 and got all of the equipment inside. Leana, Ray, and Lulu showed up shortly thereafter to see if I needed anything. I got the Pope box installed in about 30 minutes, then started on the base boards. Next up was the crown moulding, and then the "telephone" board. I then taped everything off, and put up some old holiday lights backstage.

So, tonight we get Zach back, so we'll have music. Candy and Ron will also be there to work with me on lights. I was going to paint tonight, but I've decided to delay until Tuesday night after rehearsal. I can tell the cast tonight, so they can wear grubbies for the painting part, and that will also give me an extra day to buy the proper paint.

Only a few significant props left. I still haven't seen hide or hair of the waffleing sticks. I have to make up the Confession/Absolution card. I need to buy the super balls, bring in the puppets, and finish Mary Annette. It'll happen...

- Sean

Publicity Photos

Here are two publicity photos (click on images for larger photos).

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Father Virgil (Todd Weldon) cooks up a batch of holiday cheer as Sister Julia, Child of God, in Elite Theatre Company's production of Nuncrackers. The show runs November 11 through December 18, 2005 at the Petit Playhouse in Oxnard's Heritage Square. Call 805-483-5111 for reservations, or visit elitetheatre.org for details.

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Sister Amnesia (Amanda Hulme) and Father Virgil (Todd Weldon) tempt new recruits into a life of holy servitude in "In the Convent", just one of the hilarious numbers in Elite Theatre Company's production of Nuncrackers. The show runs November 11 through December 18, 2005 at the Petit Playhouse in Oxnard's Heritage Square. Call 805-483-5111 for reservations, or visit elitetheatre.org for details.

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- Sean

Program Draft

Here's a link to the current draft of the program. Please feel free to read and review and forward me updates. Anything hilighted still needs information (either I forgot to insert it, or I don't have the right info).

http://1stage.com/~sph/nuncrackers/nuncrackers_program_draft.pdf

- Sean

T-Minus 7 Days...

...and counting.

We preview in less than a week, but man are we in GREAT shape. The base set is there. Tonight, I'd love to add molding and the "pope" window so that painting can commence this weekend, but I don't know if I can get everything together in time prior to the scheduled production meeting and before rehearsal.

I've decided to go with the same burgundy color scheme of the Petit Playhouse itself, using the medium burgundy for the bulk of the walls, an orange-tan "red oak" color for the molding, and a deep brown burgundy for the wainscoting. Inside the "living room" I was planning the same deep brown burgundy on the wainscoting, and a lighter color (or perhaps contact paper to simulate wallpaper) on the upper half. On the back side, I have yet to figure out what I want. I need to see it in action and with people in front of it before I make the final decision.

We're due to finish costumes tonight. I still have leopard vests to finish (and mouse vests to start), and there's still Sr. Mary Annette to complete. We'll see how that works out.

The seventh complete run through was last night, and they're pretty great. In general, the main focus now is semantics regarding the setting and turning of the platform, as well as tightening the gaps between the lines. Still, we're WAY ahead of the curve.

Todd got to work with REAL pudding last night. We determined that we need twice as much (two boxes rather than one), that we WON'T use real milk (water instead), and we'll use twice as much of the water to make it more batter-like and liquid. Also, I think we made it a little TOO early. It had already crusted over in some sections, so maybe some plastic wrap is in order.

- Sean

Bye Bye Billy

Against my better judgment, I'd edited out previous entries dealing with the minor chaos surrounding the character of Billy. In a nutshell, about two weeks ago, the young man who was playing Billy, Jeffrey Higashi, disappeared for several rehearsals, only to reappear a few days later as though nothing had happened. Then, again, this past Saturday, he did not show up for the "kids" rehearsal, and also missed rehearsal last night.

So we made the call last night to remove Jeffrey from the cast. Lines and blocking were reassigned to the very committed Louis Rivera to incorporate into his character. It's unfortunate that we weren't able to reach an arrangement that would have allowed him to continue, but to miss this many rehearsals with little or no excuse is, well, inexcusable.

Regardless, rehearsal went very well again last night. Notes are getting shorter and shorter, and I'm offering the actors a chance to flesh out their characters a bit more, sometimes with mixed results. I am typically a hard line script hound, insisting that the actors recite the lines as written, but the style of the show REQUIRES a bit more fleshing out in some cases. For instance, I offered last night that the gifts that were mentioned in one scene could be updated to more modern items. One cast member liked the idea and another was concerned that perhaps too much was being introduced too late in the process, and I accept that as valued feedback. I was quick to redefine the statement as a suggestion rather than a hard and fast piece of direction. Coincidentally, the actor who embraced the suggestion has made the greatest strides in developing their improvisational skills, and the one who questioned it is polished enough in their performance NOT to need it. At this point, I'm fine with actors "cherry picking" my suggestions, as the show is in EXCEPTIONALLY good shape.

I'll spend some time at lunch today cutting wood for the remaining platform. Hopefully I can get it done and installed with the flats tonight after rehearsal.

- Sean

Cast Headshots

Here is a list of the cast headshots. Click on a small image for the full-sized one.

Kelly Aughenbaugh (Sr. Robert Anne)

Donna Gross (Sr. Hubert)

Amanda Hulme (Sr. Amnesia)

Joyce Rieske(Rev. Mother)

Sarah Vawter (Sr. George)

Todd Weldon (Fr. Virgil)

Emily 'LuLu' Bowman (Maria Montini)

Melanie Bowman (Louise Mayfield)

Megan Trout (Louise Mayfield)

Louis Rivera (John Kelly)

Lizeth Martinez (Sr. Leo)

- Sean

Last Rehearsal Week

So I got another platform finished yesterday before the kids went out Trick-or-Treating. One more left. It will likely wait until either today at lunch (yeah, right) or tomorrow after work.

I'm getting good response, both at work and from Tom's Ojai connections regarding the preview on 11/10.

And in the process of trying to remove the Ghost Tours banner from ETC's site, I killed the main page. Sorry if you got a "Page Not Found" error this morning. Live and learn.

The final production meeting was moved to Thursday night at 6:00 PM. ETC has an emergency Board Meeting on Wednesday... JEESE, I need another week.

- Sean