Simpatico presents "Angels Fall"

My friend Shelli Pentimall, with whom I have worked on occasion, is in a new production in Philly. Check it out if you can.

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Simpatico Theatre Project presents:

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Angels Fall
by Lanford Wilson
directed by Carol Laratonda

Second Stage at the Adrienne
2030 Sansom Street

March 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 8pm
March 4, 11, 18 and 25 at 2pm

The world could end at any moment.
Do you have faith in the path you've chosen?

Synopsis: The roads are closed. Nobody is getting in or out. A group of strangers, each at a critical turning point in their lives, will test their faith in their careers, in their relationships, and in themselves while stranded at a lonely little church on a remote Navajo reservation. Will they follow along the same path, or will one day change their course forever?

Featuring:

Robert Bauer as Father William Doherty
Mark Cairns as Niles Harris
Molly Casey as Vita Harris
Shelli Pentimall as Marion Clay
Nathaniel Robertson as Savatore (Zappy) Zappala
Christopher Salazar as Don Tabaha

Production/Artistic Staff:

Property Designer: Karen Burk
Stage Manager: Katie Driscoll
Lighting Designer: Peter Escalada-Mastick
Technical Director for Second Stage: Joe Koroly
Sound Designer: Jennifer Pratt
Dramaturg: Daniel Student
Costume/Set Designer: Jacob Walton

Order your tickets online today!

There will be a special pay-what-you-can preview performance on Thursday, March 1 at 8pm.

The performance on Friday, March 16th will be ASL interpreted thanks to Creative Access and our sponsor for the event, Replica.

Contact: stp@simpaticotheatre.org or call 215-423-0254

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Oh Well, You Can't Please Everyone

That's right. You can't please everyone. Particularly not reviewers who resent travelling from the big city to the 'burbs. (Whoops, did I say that out loud?)

Anyway, Montgomery Theater's production of A Good Look at Boney Kern has been reviewed by the Philadelphia Inquirer. And while I am sorry to say that it is not a flattering review, I am comforted by the prevailing wisdom that only good and spectacular reviews affect ticket sales by translating into a boost. Poor reviews generally prevent new patrons from trying out the theater but don't persuade the regulars against attending.

That's why I am not reluctant to post a link to the review in my blog. I am surprised that he thought so unkindly of the production, but at least I can agree with him on one comment: this production of Boney Kern does indeed feature "some powerfully fine - I would go so far as to say grand - acting."

As promised, here is a link to the review. It does contain a bit of a spoiler, so if you are planning on seeing the show, you may want to put off reading the review until after you have made up your own mind about it.

Half endearing, half unendurable
By Howard Shapiro, Inquirer Staff Writer

Boney Music

Up to this point, my posts about A Good Look at Boney Kern have only been concerned with the progress of the set construction and decoration, and the execution of the light design. As Project Supervisor, however, I was also responsible for the sound design and for coordinating the acquisition of props. So even though the show opened last week, I would like to discuss the sound design.

At Montgomery Theater, sound design for a non-musical production encompasses both music and sound effects. Yes, I just said that there is music in a non-musical production. At Montgomery Theater, I like to break down the music aspect of a production's sound design into three categories: House (or pre-show), Transition/Incidental, and Curtain Call. Transition music is, simply enough, music used as a bridge to transition from one scene to the next, or the transition from a non-show state (such as intermission) back into the performance. Incidental music, in my opinion, is music that plays to support the action on stage. It can triggered by an onstage activity, such as an actor "playing" a CD, or it can just exist to underscore a key dramatic point. In either case, incidental music often (but not always) leads into a scene change and so becomes the transition music as well.

Here is the playlist or "soundtrack" for our production of Boney Kern:

1. "The Homecoming" by Hagood Hardy *
   
2. "I Can See Clearly Now" by the Holly Cole Trio
3. "Prelude: The Last Line by Lizanne Knott **
4. "Make It Go Away" by Holly Cole
5. "Julia" by Shelly Berg
6. "Julia" by the Beatles ***
7. "Apocalyptic Love Song" by GrooveLily
8. "Nothing is Good Enough" by Aimee Mann (from Magnolia soundtrack)
   
9. "Julia" by Sally Harmon
10. "Fantasia" by Ketil Bjornstad & David Darling (from Epigraphs)
11. "Jennifer's Song" by Hagood Hardy * +
    
12. "Prayer for the Unrequited" by GrooveLily

* Song specified in Daly's script
** Pulled from the playlist
*** Modified to provide an instrumental intro
+ Modified (see below)

"The Homecoming" is the lead-in to Act I. "Apocalyptic Love Song" provides the transition from intermission into Act II. And "Prayer for the Unrequited" is our curtain call.

"Jennifer's Song" is one of those incidental pieces of music. The character of Julia "plays" it for Boney on her CD player. Once she starts it, it plays through the rest of the scene and then it becomes the transition music into the blackout and the next scene. This song had to be modified in two ways: first to strip out an intro that consisted of footsteps, and second to loop it so that we could ensure we had enough music for the whole scene and the set change during blackout.

Perhaps I'll post individual entries to explain how I used an application called Audacity to make the modifications to "Julia" and "Jennifer's Song".


UPDATE (02/23/2007): Updated the playlist with artist links.

The Shadow Haunts Me

In my previous post, I shared pics from the dress rehearsal ("A Good Look at Boney Kern") that took place this past Monday. But I have a few more photos from Sunday's tech rehearsal. I am only now getting around to posting them because I have been scrambling to fix the problem.

These photos illustrate the problem and mark the last attempt I made at a solution before leaving the theater on Sunday evening.

See that lovely line of shadow, the one that looks like a column painted directly on the wall, pefectly centered in the doorway? It's coming from the frontlighting for this section of the stage. One instrument hits the right side of the doorframe, and the other follows the door.

On Wednesday, before the preview, I went back to the theater and tried again to eliminate or at least greatly minimize that shadow. I succeeded ... somewhat. I severly diffused the front light, and then put up four cans in the backstage area. Two of the backstage cans match the front lighting color, and two have a soft lavendar to cool down the space (and also double as moonlight later in the show).

The issue? Man, do they make that hallway pop out. The only time the shadow is completely gone is (a) when there is no frontlight, or (b) when the hall lighting is so hot that the hallway wall seems to practically glow.

Oh, and after watching two performances with this "solution" I see another issue -- the central area of the stage is a bit too muted (er, dark). It is really noticable on entrances ... exits ... and some key scenes that take place there. It's just unbalanced, particularly since the actors look really good in the other areas of the stage.

So ... right after the opening night, I went to work again. Things done:

• Removed the heavy diffusion from the central front lighting, and replaced it with a lighter "frost" type of diffusion gel.
  
• Front lights are hotter now, so all the scenes had to be reprogrammed. Tried to find a balance between front light and hall light levels to minimize the hall shadow.
  
• Bled in some extra lighting for scene where Mrs. Hale "discusses" a situation with Boney. She kept walking out of the augmentation for the practical lighting ... so we're going to try to cheat some more and extend the augmented area ... slightly.

I hope the director can live with some shadow back there ... I am opting for the actors looking good, and hoping they can keep the audience's eyes off of that back wall.

We'll see tonight.

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UPDATE (02/21/07): I forgot to post this note on Sunday, but I kind of relaxed that whole day as it was my first day "off" from theater work in a good long while.

Anyway .... After the Saturday performance, I asked TQ (the director) if he had any notes for me regarding the lights. He said, "The note is ... lights look good!" Woo Hoo! He further expanded his comment to say that there are no distractions, the actors and the set look good, and the lights support the drama of each moment. I may yet get the knack of this design thing.

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Boney Kern | Dress Rehearsal

We had a dress rehearsal last night. We usually have final dress on the Tuesday before a Preview performance. But because everyone was anticipating a winter storm on Tuesday through Wednesday, the vote was cast to move rehearsal to Monday. That's a good thing, because now the cast has another full run-through under their collective belts going into the preview tomorrow.

The set still needs a few finishing touches. And I need to tweak the lighting a little more. But things are looking pretty good. Don't take my word for it ... see for yourself!

The Pre-Show Lighting



Nodding Off in the Evening



The View from the Other Side of the House

Now, go reserve your tickets!

A Good Look at Boney Kern

by Jonathan Daly – Directed by Tom Quinn

February 14 – March 10, 2007

For Tickets and Information:

215-723-9984 or

www.montgomerytheater.org/tickets.html

Boney Kerne: Window Wizardry

I hit my first problem on this lighting gig. Boney's nice little room has an outside window. Now, I need to light that window from "outside." That is, I need to show a little source lighting (sun or moon) at different times of the day. Greg and I planned on using four instruments, each one equipped with its own scroller. What we didn't count on was how tight it would get behind that window once the background masking was in place. Ooops.

Here is the window as seen from on set:

You can see the masking with its painted background through the window. Now, guess how much space I have to work with back there.

Not much.

Check the window masking from backstage

Now, back up a bit. See the tight fit?

Now, look up. Where, oh
where, to hang instruments?

I'm sure I'll figure something out. I have to!


This post's pics can be found in the gallery titled Window Wizardry

Boney Kerne: More Progress on the Set

Boney Kerne's room is starting to look pretty good. Check out the these pictures!

Checking out an area view



That's a mighty impressive door!

So, tell me. Do you think we're doing a good job of reproducing Mr. Clark Duncan's original set design from 1977?

These photos are from More Progress on Boney's Set

Help Turn a Military Fort into a Theater

Here's an interesting item that I found in my inbox today...




Here is some text I lifted from their email campaign:

The New Globe Theater is proposing to transform a decaying military fort in New York Harbor into a vibrant performing arts venue and education center.

Despite overwhelming broad public support (from Senator Schumer to Community Board #1, from Al Pacino to Ralph Fiennes, from war veterans to acting students ... see www.newglobe.org), the National Park Service is about to disallow the plan.

If we do not act now, we shall forever lose the opportunity to create this inspiring cultural icon in New York Harbor.

Please take action today by sending an e-mail to the National Park Service immediately. It only takes a few seconds to forward the pre-written statement.

Looks like a worthwhile cause. Send a message if you have the time, and pony up if you can spare a dime.

I Hate Jonathan Daly *

I have come to hate Jonathan Daly. I didn't think I could, but I do.

You see, I don't hate him as a person ... I don't even know him. But I hate how unbalanced he is in providing production details in his scripts. I am currently working on the Lighting and Sound designs for Montgomery Theater's production of "A Good Look at Boney Kerne." And the first time through the script, I marvelled at all the attention payed to the lighting. Now, the information is not necessarily there for lighting people to follow by rote. But it does help provide a sense of the scene ... especially for the actor.

That attention to detail is missing, however, when it comes to music.

Jonathan Daly, like other playwrights, has included music suggestions in the stage directions. For example: "Play 'The Homecoming.'" OK ... written and/or performed by whom, Jonny boy?! Perhaps he used specific songs that were popular and easy to find on the radio back in 1977. But I have no idea how to find them now!!

Anyway, the lighting is coming along. There is still quite a bit of work to do, but the top and front lighting is up, and the instruments even have color now.

From the album: Boney Kerne - Taking Shape

Next up is to hang fixtures to be used as specials (for spots and time transitions). However, I need to wait --four of the specials cannot be put into position until after the company artist paints some scenery on the masking just outside the window.

That's all for now. See ya next time...


* No playwrights or scripts were harmd in the making of this blog entry.

Meet Boney

Gregio and I stopped by Montgomery Theater on Wednesday night so that we could finalize the light design for Jonathan Daley's A Good Look at Boney Kerne. While we were there, we really did get a good look at Boney Kerne, or at least the man who will portray him: Marc Weil!


Boney Kerne, played by Marc Weil (L), speaks with the director, Tom Quinn.
Rehearsals start next week, but the tech crew is really on top of things already. More later...

A "Preliminary" Look at Boney Kerne

Montgomery Theater's first production of 2007 is Jonathan Daley's A Good Look at Boney Kerne. I'll be on hand as Project Supervisor, and lighting design on my plate once again. But this time around, I'll try to do a better job of capturing the process of bringing a show to opening night.

For starters, here are a few pics that show the rapid progress on the set. We'll call it -- ahem -- a preliminary look at Boney Kerne.

From audience right:


From the back of the house:


From audience left:

Portable Theater Lighting?

I know that portable lighting systems do exist and are employed by DJs, rock bands, and theater troupes. Heck, there are even people who specialize in doing lighting (and sometimes sound) for an event. But both of those options can be quite expensive.

Now, I recently came across an Instructable for High Power LED Room & Spot Lighting, and I just had to wonder ...

Could this be an inexpensive way to rig up some very simple lighting for the occasional performance at, say, the local library or even retirement community? I'm not saying that this exact system could handle such an endeavor, but it might be a good start in developing one.

Thoughts? Comments?

RGB Color Controllable High Power LED Room & Spot Lighting

Color Controllable High Power Lighting -- no longer for billionaires only! Build your own fully color controllable RGB room or spot lighting for under $100. Perhaps you are asking yourself: "why would i want an any-color light?" well, for starters you can give your pets a virtual color make-over! ever wondered if Fido might look better in purple? perhaps you'd like to see your makeup the way Bono's seeing it with those blue-lens sunglasses? or maybe you're sick of your almond-white wall paint and want to give it just a tweak of eggshell today? of course, it's a gimme for the dance-party, but you can also use it to tweak the shade on your existing room lighting, or as a standalone to get any shade of white (and perfect color rendering) - invaluable for visual arts. in search of an existential crisis? i just spent a good half an hour with this light staring at my hand and trying to figure out what color it is *supposed* to be.

Specs:
- Controller can power up to 360 watts of LED lighting - between 3 and 100+ power LED's
- Analog dial or slider for Red, Green and Blue - create an infinite number of light colors!
- very fine analog control for precise color matching (or white matching)
- Includes current-limiting protection circuit
- Simple 7-component thru-hole circuit - No microcontrollers or programming!
- Controller cost: $25
- 50-watt, 15-LED lamp cost: $50
- Efficient: 50 watts of LED light equals 100 to 150 watts of incandescent light.
- Efficient: 80-90% controller efficiency
- Controller can be used with a variety of power sources
- Recycled materials & electronics: 20-40%

Get Yer Nerd On!

The Philadelphia Theatre Company is getting its inner nerd on:

Philadelphia Theatre Company rings in the new year with the new musical Nerds://A Musical Software Satire with book and lyrics by Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner and music by Hal Goldberg. Directed by Phillip Wm. McKinley, the ensemble features Andrew Cassese, Aaron Cromie, Joseph Dellger, Michael Parrish Dudell, Charlie Pollack, Jim Poulos, Chandra Lee Schwartz, and Emily Shoolin.

Previews begin Thursday, January 25 with opening night on Wednesday, January 31. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday until February 25. Nerds://A Musical Software Satire will be featured in the Philadelphia New Play Festival: Where Theatre Begins, a program of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, taking place February 8 – 18, 2007. Tickets are $15 to $54 with discounts for students, seniors and groups. Tickets are available by calling the Philadelphia Theatre Company Box Office at 215-985-0420 or visiting www.phillytheatreco.com.

Found at the website of the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia.

Audition Notice: "Stephen Sondheim's Follies" at Town and Country Players

I received the following announcement written by the show's director, Mr. John Zimmerman:

The Town and Country Players announces auditions for the first show of our 60th anniversary season, "Stephen Sondheim's Follies." Follies will be presented the last two weekends of April (4/20, 4/21, 4/28, 4/29, and 4/30) and the first weekend of May (5/6, 5/7) at the Town and Country Player's Barn in Buckingham Township. We are seeking a diverse cast of actors/singers/dancers with a specific need for women ages 45 and older to portray the legendary Wiesmann Girls, all of whom perform a specialty song or dance. All roles are open and newcomers to T and C are welcome.

Auditions will be held on January 20th and 21st with callbacks to be held the following weekend. All planning to audition should prepare 16 bars of a musical theatre song, preferably written by Sondheim, and bring sheet music or CD/Taped accompaniment, and arrive prepared to dance. Headshots and Resumes are suggested, but not required. Auditions will be held at the Newtown Presbyterian Church, (25 North Chancellor Street, Newtown, PA 18940) On Saturday January 20th from 12-5 pm and Sunday January 21st from 2-5. Please E-Mail Director John Zimmerman (Fractal514@aol.com) to schedu le an appointment for a speedier audition process. Visit www.townandcountryplayers.org for more information on the venue and performance schedule.

The following is a rudimentary casting synopsis supplied by Music Theatre International. All ages will be adjusted to fit the needs of our casting and some cast members will be required to use aging making up. If you have any questions about any of the casting, please feel free to e-mail me.

• SALLY DURANT PLUMMER
  - Madly in love with Ben, obsessive, sweet. Vocal Range: Soprano
• PHYLLIS ROGERS STONE
  - Elegant, schooled, polished. Married to Ben. Vocal Range: Alto
• BENJAMIN STONE
  - Worldly, wealthy, suave; Vocal Range: Baritone
• BUDDY PLUMMER
  - Salesman, exhausted, middle-class. Vocal Range: Tenor
• WILLY WHEELER
  - Former acrobat, now portly
• STELLA DEEMS
  - Heavy-set onetime showgirl
• MAX DEEMS
  - Heavy-set husband of Stella
• HEIDI SCHILLER
  - Queenly Soprano, was one of the greats, in 80s
• ROSCOE
  - Former emcee with a glorious tenor voice
• HATTIE WALKER
  - Steely, mid-70s-ish, tough singer
• EMILY WHITMAN
  - Tiny, bright, graceful, in her 70s
• THEODORE WHITMAN
  - Thin, graceful, in his 70s
• VINCENT
  - Elderly tango dancer (with Vanessa)
• VANESSA
  - Vincent's old "Bolero D'Amour" partner
• SOLANGE LA FITTE
  - French, fashionable, and "66"
• CARLOTTA CAMPION
  - Seen-it-all aging movie actress
• DIMITRI WEISSMAN
  - Aging impresario of the Follies (no singing)
• KEVIN
  - A young, care-free waiter with a nice face
• YOUNG PHYLLIS
  - Open, vulnerable, eager
• YOUNG BEN
  - Frustrated, not self-assured
• YOUNG VINCENT
  - Handsome younger self
• YOUNG VANESSA
  - Luscious, intense younger self
• YOUNG BUDDY
  - Youthful, simple, hopeful, trusting.
• YOUNG SALLY
  - Bubbly, pert, a little silly.
• YOUNG HEIDI SCHILLER
  - Lacy, lovely, angelic

Lights Up on The Desk Set

If you are in the area, go to Montgomery Theater and check out the final production of the year: The Desk Set. It's the revival of a 50-year old gem. Written by a local guy (William Marchant), this play was the toast of Broadway in 1955 and was made into a Hepburn-Tracy movie in 1957. I was the lighting and sound designer for this gig.

The show opened November 17 and runs through December 9.

I'll write more particulars later.

Audience and Actor

Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane (8/22/2006):

In the second hour of this program, Marty Moss-Coane explored the relationship between theater performers and their audiences. Her guests were J. COOPER ROBB, Theater Critic for the Philadelphia Weekly and MICHELLE VOLANSKY, Assistant Professor of Drama at Washington College and dramaturg for the PlayPenn New Play Development Conference. Some interesting stuff came up in that dialogue. Check it out!

Listen [Real Audio]

The Things I Do for My Theater (or "Scrolling for Cable")

While hanging lights for The Last 5 Years on Friday, we came up one cable short. Seems four 25' cables just aren't enough, particularly when two of them have to be joined just to bridge the distance from one side of the theater to the other. So we called our intrepid supplier, and asked for a cable to be sent overnight. We needed to have it delivered on Saturday so that we would have it installed before the Sunday cue-to-cue. And I had it delivered to my house because we can't bank on someone being at the theater to receive a package.

There was no problem with the order. I received an email confirmation with a FedEx tracking number. Then Saturday came ... and the 3 o'clock hour passed ... and I had no cable.

I jumped online and tracked the package. Uh oh ... someone did checked for overnight, but it was standard and not Saturday delivery. Overnight on a Friday defaults to a ... Monday delivery!

I sprang into action -- er, at least, I sprang for my phone and started calling customer service. At first, there was no joy to be had. The CS rep just calmly told me there was nothing to be done because the shipper (our supplier in this case) would have to initiate a change in delivery. Unfortunately, no one would be in the office at my supplier until Monday morning!

I escalated the issue up the supervisor chain until I came to someone who was willing to go outside the box a bit. She was willing to find the package at her location. And then she was willing to wait for me to drive to Bethlehem, PA, and retrieve it myself. That's the best she could do because all the drivers were gone for the day. Her office would be closing in less than an hour, but she would wait up to one extra for me to arrive.

I got directions via Google Maps ... grabbed my crutches (yes, I am still on crutches!) and cell phone, and hit the road. Traffic slowed appreciably around the 378/412 junction, and I watched time slipping away. Oh, and I passed a FedEx Home delivery truck while driving through Bethlehem. Unless this particular driver takes his truck home, and he lives relatively close to the FedEx building, then there was at least one more driver making routes well after the supervisor told me otherwise.

Finally, I was in the home stretch. I found the FedEx building and pulled into the lot, just as my cell phone rang again. It was the FedEx supervisor, wondering how much longer I would be. "I'm just parked in your lot," I replied. She said, "Oh, I'll be right out with your item."

I signed for the item. And drove home. After I arrived back at my house, I fired up the laptop and sent an email to the supplier, informing him of my impromptu trip. The reply? Very positive.

Our supplier not only apologized for the mistake, but offered to let us keep the cable if we pay the invoice as is. That means, we end up with a 40+ dollar cable for the price of $26.49 (the rental fee plus a shipping fee). As long as I don't think about what I spent in gas on Saturday, I think we got a pretty good deal.

Barry-LESS

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that Montgomery Theater's production of The Drawer Boy was eligible to be nominated for a Barrymore Award. I was particularly excited about this because I was the co-lighting designer (as well as the sound designer) on that show.

Well, forgive me for the delay in posting a follow-up, but the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia announced the nominees on August 16 ... and The Drawer Boy just didn't make the list.

I wish all the nominees the best of luck on their well-deserved accolades. Especially Michael Phillip O'Brien who was nominated for his portrayal of Jonathan in the 11th Hour Theatre Company's production of tick, tick...BOOM! (I love that show!). O'Brien will next appear in Montgomery Theater's production of The Last Five Years, a musical by Jason Robert Brown. (I just spent the better part of my day working with the lighting designer for this show).

Console Tape

File Under: Theater Equipment

I consistently forget what this stuff is called -- particularly when I need to order it! So, this entry is a nice little reminder for me. Whenever I need some labeling tape that does not need a residue, I can just search this blog for "tape" or "label" or "theater equipment" and this entry should come up.

Who knows, maybe this will help me remember "console tape."

The following was lifted from Film Tools' webstore.

1/2" Permacel Paper Tape (P724) AKA Spike Tape and Console Tape.

This 1/4" paper tape is used as console tape by sound and lighting engineers. Camera assistants use it on stage floors to mark actor's positions. It leaves no residue, is easy to write on, and is great for color coding cases, equipment, files and boxes. Made by Permacel and other brands.

Comes in 4 widths; 180' rolls. Aka Spike tape. Made by Permacel and other brands.

http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/12whitperpap.html

Theater Tech: Precision Hot Glue Gun

The hot glue gun is a staple of theater set and costume work. But this standard tool can be quite messy. Dan Lockton has posted instructions for modifying a cheap glue gun and (hopefully) turning it into more of a precision tool.

Precision hot glue gun by Dan Lockton
http://www.instructables.com/id/EAUV7XPEN4EQ6T25QR/

A simple mod turns a cheap hot glue gun (messy) into a precision tool (neat) suitable for more professional and intricate modelmaking and prototyping.

Hot glue guns have a bit of a reputation for clumsiness in the maker community. The liberal, messy application of glue in a project tends to be associated with amateurish, quick or kludgey projects (what we in the UK might call bodges), but glue guns are cheap, quick to use, and allow parts to be separated again relatively easily if required. Hot glue can also be useful in sealing against water ingress.

It occurred to me that a cheap glue gun could be easily and rapidly modified to turn it into a precision tool. It's basically just a heating element surrounding a tube through which the glue stick is pushed, and a nozzle. The gun shape is useful in allowing the user to use a trigger action to force the stick through the heater, but not necessary for the actual application of glue, nor desirable for the precision control needed. A pen shape would allow more precise control.

This is still to some large extent work in progress and ultimately, an even better tool will evolve from the simple modded version; I have plenty of ideas for turning this into a real professional product and would appreciate suggestions and ideas from other makers.

[ Read More ]

Barrymore Press Conference Announced

Oh, and by the way, the Montgomery Theater's production of The Drawer Boy -- a show for which I was sound designer and lighting co-designer -- is eligible for an award (or two?).

WHAT:
Press Conference hosted by Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia

WHEN:
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
9:30am – Reception with coffee and pastries provided by Starbucks
10:00am – Press Conference

WHERE:
The Wilma Theater, 265 Broad Street (Broad & Pine Streets), Philadelphia

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Nominees for the 2006 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre
• Announcement of 2006 Barrymore Awards Ceremony Host
• Announcement of the Philadelphia New Play Festival: Where Theatre Begins
• Introduction of the new Executive Director of the Theatre Alliance

DETAILS:
Nominees for the 12th annual Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre and the host for the 2006 Gala Barrymore Award Ceremony, the premier annual event in Philadelphia theatre, will be announced at a press conference hosted by the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia on August 16th at 10:00 AM at The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia.

Nominees in acting, direction and design categories, along with nominees for the anticipated F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist and the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced by Joanne Harmelin, Carole Haas Gravagno, Production Stage Manager of The Wilma Theater Patreshettarlini Adams, Chair of the Theatre Alliance Board of Directors Glen Knapp, Amy Hodgdon of Philadelphia Young Playwrights, and Vincent Marini, director of the Barrymore Award Ceremony. The award recipients will be announced at the Award Ceremony held at the Merriam Theater on Monday, October 23rd at 7:00 PM.

Details will also be announced for the Philadelphia New Play Festival: Where Theatre Begins, which will be held February 8 - 18, 2006. A multi-organizational and region-wide effort, the festival will feature world premiere productions, readings and seminars and will celebrate the vibrancy and excellence of new play activity in the region.

The Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia will also introduce the organization’s new Executive Director to the community.

Design Exhibition: Call for Entries

I received this via the USITT mailing list:

ATTENTION DESIGNERS!!

The Chesapeake Section of USITT is pleased to announce the return of its annual Design Exhibition. Members are invited to display examples of their designs – costumes, lighting, props, sets, or sound – at this September’s EXPO at Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ. Share your best model, plates, renderings, or photographs, or play your best soundtrack, and get critical feedback from our respondents.

Visit the Chesapeake Section website (http://www.usittchesapeake.org/) for an entry form, and mail it in today!

Our Annual EXPO is scheduled for Saturday, September 16th. Pre-registration is available online.

A Special Note to Teachers: Please pass this news along to your students now, since EXPO is so close to the start of the school year...

For more information about the Design Exhibition, contact Dr. Yoko Hashimoto-Sinclair at ysinclair@wcupa.edu or Dr. Mark Mallett at Mark.Mallett@stockton.edu.
_______________________________________________
usittchesap mailing list
usittchesap@lists.usittchesapeake.org

Good luck to all aspiring entrants!

Outlaws of Sherwood!

[UPDATE July 8, 2025] – Back in July of 2006, in the original version of this post, I wrote that Outlaws of Sherwood was a meeting place (on MySpace, natch) for various actors/companies who would like to share services, scripts, people etc. Looks like that group, as well as much of MySpace, is defunct. However, if you are into restoration, performance, recording, and/or artistic depiction of classic serials, I'll route you over to Serial Squadron Member Page.

Four Tips For Starting an Acting Career

In a recent issue of the ActorTips Newsletter, the following question was posed:

"I'm in high school and I want to pursue an acting career. How can I get started?"

Kathryn Blume, an ActorTips coach, had this thoughtful response:

The great gift of knowing exactly what you want to do is also the downside of knowing what you want to do - you feel like you're going to jump out of your skin until it happens. Hopefully, here's a little lotion for that existential eczema:

Be Patient
If this is what you want, then you're going to be doing it the rest of your life. So stay in school, get a good education, and find a college that will give you both good theater training and a good all-around education. The more you know about the world, and the more skills you have as a person, the better you'll be as an actor. Hopefully, you have a teacher or a guidance counselor who can point you in the right direction.

Have Perspective
Most actors have a very high audition to job ratio, 20:1 or even 30:1 isn't uncommon. That means no matter how good you are, you still have to be right for the part, given the description of the character, AND you have to fit the director's idea of what the character is like as well. Plus, you have to fit in with the combination of all the other actors. Think about what happens when you go shopping. As hard as it is for you to find the perfect dress or pair of shoes - one that you really like and matches your other clothes and fits you well and is within your price range - that's how hard it is for a director to cast a role. So keep auditioning, but keep your expectations low.

Be Realistic
Most actors never get "discovered." Most actors work for many years doing whatever shows are available to them, and slowly build a career for themselves, and it only looks like they were "discovered" because that's how the media presents it. For example, "The Graduate" was Dustin Hoffman's first movie, but he'd already been working in New York for ten years, driving cabs to make ends meet.

Take Control Where You Can
There's plenty you can do while you're still in school. Set up a play-reading group where you get together with other actors and read plays out loud. Work on monologues and scenes with your friends. If you don't get cast in the school play, put on your own.

Grab a video camera and make your own movies. Read books about acting and memoirs by other actors. Watch films with a critical eye towards each actor's performance. This kind of self-sufficiency will serve you well the whole rest of your life as an actor. You can't guarantee getting cast in someone else's project, but you can always cast yourself in your own.

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Please Note: "Actor Tips" is copyright 2006 by Chad Gracia and ActorTips.com, Inc. All rights reserved. For more articles on acting, as well as free monologues and play scripts, subscribe to the newsletter by visiting http://www.actortips.com

Free Butterflies

The Making of Butterflies are Free. A short documentary about Montgomery Theater's current production.


Update (08/29/2006): Gregio's blog seems to have disappeared. But I found a copy of the video at blip.tv. Here is the direct link: http://blip.tv/file/40002/

Gimp Code Red

In reply to an email announcement regarding my recent injury (see Murder Most ... Cancelled and the links therein), I received the following reply from the Artistic Director over at Montgomery Theater:

...Understand, I feel lucky, though. Of all the people you have "let down" from now thru August by this unfortunate occurrence, we seem to be the least affected. Even though you can't climb a ladder, you can still sit around and point fingers and bark orders.

Hang tight. we are still honored to have you a part of us, regardless of the fact you have moved into gimp code red.

Gotta love the guy. He can lay out a funny zinger and yet still make you feel good about working at the theater.

Murder Most ... Cancelled

Well, the production of Murder in Green Meadows goes on, but I had to back out of it.

I broke my left foot over Memorial Day weekend. I've been on crutches since the accident. And I will have surgery tomorrow. It's just an out-patient procedure to insert a screw or two into my foot. And then I'll be in a cast for the next six to eight weeks.

Screaming Green Murder

And one more post for today ... I've been cast in the Dutch Country Players' production of Murder in Green Meadows.

Performance Dates are in July (21, 22, 23*, 28, 29, 30*) and August (4, 5) with an evening curtain time of 8:00pm.

*Sunday Performance 2:00 PM

Lights on ... "The Drawer Boy"

Photos courtesy of Gregio at The Light Fantastic:

Preset

Miles Meets Angus





An Evening with Morgan





Lies in the Moonlight: Morgan tells the story...





Cleaning Gravel, Talking Drama





Counting the Stars






Joined ... and Separate...





Angus Remembers!





The Drawer Boy Recites Poetry

Too bad I can't also play the transition music for you here. Lights and sounds perfectly blended with the performers, and the set itself was another character. The show has closed, but I will long remember this experience.

"The Drawer Boy" -- Barrymore or less?

I am woefully behind in theater bloggage, so I'll try to catch up with a post or two this week.

On April 17, I found out that the Montgomery Theater's production of The Drawer Boy is "Barrymore eligible." This means the show has been deemed as elegible to be nominated for a Barrymore Award by the Philadelphia Theatre Alliance. The judges would still have to decide whether or not it is actually nominated for an award (or several!). At that time -- and even now -- I do not yet know for which particular recognition the show could be considered, but I have heard that it could be in the areas of set and lighting design.

No matter the outcome, this is still good news. Think about it, The Drawer Boy is only the second show of this season, which is the Montgomery Theater's first season as a Small Professional Theater (SPT) -- and the first season in which the theater itself has been Barrymore eligible!

The Drawer Boy(s)

I've been quite remiss in posting updates here. But the big news is that my proposal to oversee light and sound design for the next Montgomery Theater show was accepted. I am the sound designer and co-lighting designer.

My fellow designer has posted a few pics of the work we've done for Montgomery Theater's upcoming production of "The Drawer Boy."

Fourth Annual Algonquin Film Festival

I received the following information via email from Donna Dudick (writer/director of The Mommy Track), and I am dutifully passing it along...

Fourth Annual Algonquin Film Festival Features Original "RetroFilm!" Program From: Donna Dudick Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:57:22 -0500 Subject: Algonquin Film Festival Pass the word! The Algonquin Film Festival of Bucks County has added a new location to its line-up for its fourth annual show. The film festival, which offers yearly film exhibition, seminars and workshops to aspiring filmmakers and cinephiles in and around Bucks County, will be held Sat., March 25th and Sunday March 26th, at the Delaware Valley College, 700 East Butler Pike, Doylestown PA. In past years, the Algonquin Film Festival has hosted presentations by the following industry professionals: Director Susan Seidelman ("Desperately Seeking Susan,"), playwright Christopher Durang ("Beyond Therapy"), "Finding Neverland" music editor Christopher Kennedy, Oscar-winning composer Joseph Renzetti ("The Buddy Holly Story"), screenwriter Mark Rosenthal ("Mona Lisa Smile", "Jewel of the Nile,") Casting Director Mike Lemon ( "The Sixth Sense", "Signs" ) and Oscar winners Ted Tally (screenwriter, "The Silence of the Lambs") , Oscar-winning actresses Patricia Neal ("Hud") and Celeste Holm ("Gentleman's Agreement") Oscar-winning producer Tammy Stedman and producer Jonathan Estrin ("Cagney and Lacy"), as well as October Films acquisitions executive Eugene Haynes and others. This year, the Algonquin Film Festival will host a presentation by scriptwriter and Bucks County resident William Mastrosimone, whose teleplay, "Into the West," was produced by Steven Spielberg for a mini-series starring Gary Busey and Josh Brolin in 2005. Mastrosimone also penned the play "Extremities," which was made into a film starring Farrah Fawcett, James Russo and Alfre Woodard, in 1986, and "Sinatra," a mini series produced for television in 1992. The festival will also feature "Retrofilm!," screenings of rare, one-of-a-kind film owned by a special collector. Film historian Lou DiCrescenzo, a Bucks County native, has been collecting out-of-print film and film memorabilia for the past several decades. The "Retrofilm!" program will screen film from DiCrescenzo's collection, which dates back to film's infancy in the late nineteenth century. Len Guercio, an adjunct professor in film at Temple University, and a filmmaker, is currently making a documentary about DiCrescenzo. Guercio decided to produce a documentary about DiCrescenzo when he realized the lengths that DiCrescenzo would go to collect his film. "Lou really cares about film and wants people to know what their cinematic heritage is," Guercio said in an interview. "He works to preserve the heritage of film in relative anonymity, not for his own glory, but for the benefit of others." DiCrescenzo has traveled extensively in furtherance of his passion for collecting lost film. For instance, he owns Natalie Wood's own 35 millimeter print of "West Side Story" which he acquired from her estate. "Lou is an avid collector and a film enthusiast, and what's special about him is that he is willing to share his film collection with the world," Guercio said, noting that DiCrescenzo rents four, temperature-controlled warehouses to store all of his stuff. "Lou recognizes that he is in a rare position as a historian because he owns so many film prints that you will never see in the theater or on television," Guercio said. As part of the "Retrofilm!" program, the Algonquin Film Festival will create something of an historical event of its own. On March 25th, it will screen the original 13 minute footage of the San Francisco 1906 earthquake, shot by Thomas Edison himself. DiCrescenzo will project the print on a circa 1906 hand-cranked projector while film composer John Avarese conducts his own original score, commissioned by the Algonquin Film Festival, to complement the silent film. Avarese has been studying piano since the age of five, and at age seven, was performing with classical music ensembles. He has composed more than 1300 commissioned scores for film, and he currently owns and operates JAV productions. Tickets will be available at the door. Purchases may be made by cash, check or money order. Students will be admitted free of charge with student identification. Program tickets are otherwise $24.00 for each day or $40.00 for the two day festival. Seniors will receive a 50% discount. Contact the Algonquin Film Festival at (267) 981-1139, or at www.algonquinfilmfestival.com . The email address is info@alfgest.com. Algonquin Film Festival www.algonquinfilmfestival.com info@algfest.com

You now know as much as I do about this whole thing. So if you have questions ... direct them to Donna or her organization.

Psycho Sex Show

At least, that is what I call it because I have trouble remembering the actual name: Psychopathia Sexualis

It's the first show of the season at Montgomery Theater, and we have a revew! Go read it at Merge Digital: Funny Fetish Played Out Perfectly


I ran the board for the Thursday preview show. And I made a few too many mistakes, but we all got through it. More later....

The Mommy Track

My first independent film was The Mommy Track, filmed locally in Bucks County by first-time writer/director Donna Dudick (who also has one of the leading roles). She played "Midge", and I played her base-jumpin', newspaper-deliverin', on-and-off-again boyfriend "Joe." Here I am delivering flowers to "Midge's" house (um, that's not "Midge" in the doorway, that's an extra):

There is a not-so-favorable review over at Film Threat. But never mind that. The important thing is that, hey, I'm actually on IMDb now!

Craving Some Indie Film

Back in the late summer of 2003, I worked on an independent film, Crave. I usuall refer to the project as an example of guerilla filming, because the film crew usually consisted of just one or two guys, one of whom was the director/producer. Having a small crew obviously translates to a number of limitations while filming, but these guys were quite serious and professional in their approach to the project.

Crave tells the story of two high school kids who get caught up in drugs. I liked the script because it didn't glamorize drugs, and it really presented the dark side of drugs and the consequences of their use without getting too seedy. Plus, one of the kids makes a startling personal revelation.

No, I didn't portray one of those kids! (I may not look my age, but I don't look that young.)

I did play the guy who dealt the drugs, which was some kind of cocaine blend. I even received a DVD copy of the film for my portfolio. But I have not heard much buzz about the project since then. I don't know if it made it to any festivals, if there were any public screenings, etc. It's not listed in IMDb. I have not heard from the director.

But, I recently found the webpage for his studio, and there is a whole page devoted to Crave.

• Copper Hill Films Homepage
• Crave homepage
• Crave trailer (.mov file)

It's Criminal

I'm not a violent criminal, but I just played one on television.

OK, the episode won't air until November, but I spent Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon shooting scenes for it.

Pro Model and Casting (Bethlehem, PA), the primary casting agent for CourtTV's Forensic Files, called me to portray a perp in the reenactment scenes of an upcoming episode. I had the opportunity to portray a lovely piece of human trash who raped and murdered a dry cleaner employee after trying to rob her (but only netting 3 bucks). Yes, he was caught and convicted. The episode will tell you how he left enough clues so a scientist could identify him when two eyewitnesses were not too sure.

Oh yeah, and I had to shave in order to more closely match the look of the perp I was to portray. I am now sporting the facial hair equivalent of a cry-for-help known as the fu manchu mustache. I'll try to post a pic. I think it's just about as bad as the regular mustache-only look I had to sport while I was part of the Montgomery Theater's production of The Grapes of Wrath in November/December of 2003. Seriously, I look like a crazed cabbie ... or some kind of porn star.

Other than the fu manchu, the toughest part of this assignment was the fact that the crime originally took place in Illinois ... in January! I had to wear a knit cap and jacket for most of the shoot. And it was mighty warm in the dry cleaners on Monday evening, particularly in the back room. Tuesday was a bit better temperature-wise thanks to a nice breeze; it helped to cool me off during the afternoon shoot, but it wreaked havoc with the "and - then - the - stocking - fell - out - of - his - pocket" scene.

This is the third or fourth time that Pro Model has called me with a potential acting gig, but it's the first time I have been able to actually follow through and work on the show. And now that I think of it, they have only ever called me to portray criminals. Sure, playing a villain is fun and all, but how come I never get called to play a heroic cop or clever detective? No, it's always, "You bear a striking resemblance to this dangerous and violent criminal who is thankfully behind bars."

But seriously...

Everyone involved in this gig was an absolute JOY to work with. I cannot recommend Pro Model or the Forensic Files crew highly enough. Well, yes, I can recommend them, and I do, but they're off the scale if you catch my meaning. Top marks.

I'll post more details later.


Update (1/1/2020): Some quick updates about this project:

• Episode was titled "A Clean Getaway."
• This episode originally aired on 10/21/2005 as Season 10, Episode 22.
• IMDb page for this episode is https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2616474/
• The episode was posted on YouTube last September. 

Shameless Plug for Sept/Oct 2005

Welcome my latest, albeit, irregular Performance Update (also known as my "Shameless Plug").

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Wedding Bells

Although I have been busy with numerous productions in my usual behind-the-scenes capacity, I have not actually had a stage role since the end of 2003. Hence, no updates! But now I have a major role in the upcoming Dutch Country Players' production of Perfect Wedding, written by Robin Hawdon (who also wrote the farce-tastic Don't Dress for Dinner). This is my first time working with DCP, and I am having a blast with the cast and crew. It helps that this is a funny/silly show and everyone involved has a great temperament. :) Click the links for details. I hope you can make it to the show! Now, if you're the least bit curious about my role in this show, let me say this: I am the groom who wakes up in the bad situation described here.

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Oh, Bee-HIVE!

After Perfect Wedding wraps, I will be stage managing the coolest of the girl group musical reviews -- REVENGE OF THE BEEHIVE. This show features many of my favorite performers from past musical productions at the Montgomery Theater. Click for details.

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Well, that's all for now. Peace out!

--
the Lackey

What Draws People to Become Actors?

I just read this column in the latest ActorTips newsletter, and I have to share it with you.

"WHAT DRAWS PEOPLE TO BECOME ACTORS?" by Ruth Kulerman

I've asked several people this question over the years. They fib. But here are some of the replies, followed by my own observations.

1. "I thought it would be fun."

TIP: Fun? Let's see. Work all day, beg for time off to run out and sign up for an open call. Or instead, get up at six AM and stand in a line outside the Equity building in every kind of weather.

TIP: Fun? Tech and dress night that goes on until one AM. A long subway trip home. Up at seven to be to work at eight. In the theatre at seven. Curtain at eight. Hours and hours and hours of rehearsal. There are twelve people in the opening night audience.

TIP: Fun? Four months of open calls nearly every day and not one callback. The air is heavy with depression, rejection, doubt, loneliness. Suddenly a small house and a family in Nebraska sound like Eden.

TIP: Fun? After an audition, being told by the director you are better than the "star name" they cast, but golly gee you know the business! Gotta fill those seats! Subtext: You're a nobody. "How dreary to be somebody! How public, like a frog." This is one mini example why I've pushed for actors to read poetry. Nobody sums up being a nobody better than Emily Dickinson.

TIP: Fun? You have the female lead in a 35 minute short film, opposite a huge name actor who won't even speak to you because you
are not also a "name." ["I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?"]

TIP: Fun? Five years later you still have the scar on your arm from the nail some indifferent carpenter did not hammer in properly and you, rushing off stage, slashed your arm on it. Then the wardrobe mistress blasts loose language you never heard even in triple XXX rated because you got blood on the costume. Excuse me!

Endless examples. If you're in it for "fun," go dance on the rim of Etna or Vesuvius when they next sizzle. Now that's fun!

Reason # 2 "I thought I'd give it a try."

TIP: Don't bother. Fire eating would be easier. Try it.

Reason # 3. "I was in a play in high school and it is a good memory."

TIP: Don't ruin a perfectly lovely memory by going professional.

Reason # 4. "I just have to. It's like breathing. It's something I have to do."

TIP: Oops. Hope he's talented. His answer is impeccable.

With the possible exception of number 4, it is my own opinion that 15 minutes in the sun is what lures people into acting.

TIP: You want sun? Go to Phoenix.

And it is that same drive for recognition and praise that draws us all, regardless of how noble our professed protestations for wanting to act. The person who doesn't have that drive for recognition and praise won't work his tail off trying to get auditions and trying to get roles. So my bravos to those who truthfully say, "Yeah, I'm all for fame and glory. I want recognition. I want to be famous." Then let the drive for fame also be the drive that gets you auditions and bowls over the directors and producers.

But also love acting, and honor the profession, and want to be the best actor you can be.

Acting, every word and every eyebrow twitch, is a challenge. Let that also be a reason to become an actor. Because acting, especially on stage, is one of the toughest jobs in all of the arts. Challenge doesn't begin to describe what it means to make an
audience forget you and mix you up with character you are playing. I remember once auditioning with the Duchess of York's curse to her despicable son, Richard III. Although she later cast me, the director's first response was, "I wouldn't want to cross you!" That was not me. Those were Shakespeare's words. Not mine. The only son I have is the brother of Pepper the Diva cat.

Shakespeare's words were a challenge. The director's response, of course I remember. It wasn't intended as a compliment. Erase that. Mostly what I remember was the Herculean struggle with those words.

TIP: Lunatics, manic depressives, people with too much ego, people with too little ego. People with so much talent it's scary. People with so little talent it's scary. And just about everyone else in between. The ideal candidate--so "I repeat myself" as Walt Whitman yawped--embodies the following: ear, energy, intelligence, imagination, and intuition. His character traits: determination, drive, refusal to be beaten, resilience, pride, awareness of self and others. Join all those traits and you have a potential actor--or saint!

As for me, I prefer not to ask about the actor but about the art of acting. What he is like as a person, what his qualifications are may make for coffee conversation. But the art of acting and how to sound real and sound interesting--ah, there's the rub--and the value.

But this I do firmly affirm--the deeper you drink from the well of sympathy and understanding, the greater the possibility of becoming a great actor. Maybe.

Copyright notice:

Articles may be reprinted provided they include this copyright notice.

"Actor Tips" is copyright 2005 by Chad Gracia and ActorTips.com, Inc. All rights reserved. For more articles on acting, as well as free monologues and play scripts, subscribe to the newsletter by visiting http://www.actortips.com

For more articles by Ruth Kulerman go to:
http://www.actortips.com/membership.htm

"Channel Surfing" is Back!

Channel Surfing, that wonderful little tale of microphone woes during Montgomery Theater's production of Bat Boy: The Musical, has been salvaged and posted here at the resurrected Theater Lackey blog. We thought it was lost with the demise of the original theater blog over at Phillyblogs, but I just happened to find my original draft.

Click the direct link or go check the October Archives.

OLEANNA

I am currently Project Supervisor at the Montgomery Theater, usually working on the technical aspect of a show, and I really have to tell you about this current production.

Two weekends only …
July 29 - 30 and Aug 4 - 6 …
David Mamet's OLEANNA …
at the Montgomery Theater in Souderton, PA.

Mamet is considered a treasure among American playwrights. If you are familiar with his name, it is probably due to his critically acclaimed screenplays such as The Verdict (1982), The Untouchables (1987), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) and Wag the Dog (1998). Or, perhaps, you know him from his Pulitzer Prize winning film, Glengarry Glenn Ross (1984).

His most controversial play is OLEANNA, a two-character drama involving a male professor and one of his female students. This is also one of the most difficult to stage because of its dialogue. Much of Mamet's dialogue is fragmented with interrupted sentences, typical of his career-long effort to reproduce the discontinuities of everyday speech. Mamet's dialogue is so unique that it has become known as "Mametspeak". His language is not so much "naturalistic" as it is a poetic impression of streetwise jargon. OLEANNA is also marked with two of Mamet's other signature style elements: minimalism (in stage setting) and a lack of stage directions.

Here is what Montgomery Theater's Artistic Director says about this production:

Not only do I think that this is Mamet's best work, it is a play I have held on the back burner for some time waiting for just the right combination of players. Although it is only a cast of two, it is a very difficult script and if miscast, the play would be ruined by misrepresentation. "Oleanna" is theater for those who look for the ultimate in gripping dialogue and portrayal. I feel very strongly about the performances of Caroline Tamas and Paul Dake. These two are solid, compassionate actors who are not only worthy of the material, but are also quite grounded in their position to present this extraordinary piece of modern literature.

I can't wait to share this work of art with you. I urge you to join us in this unique experience on the Project Stage.

You may never feel anything quite like this again.

He's right. This play will challange you, and maybe even disturb you. But it will be an exhilarating experience you'll long remember.

The "WHEEL OF IMPROV"

Elaschtick Improv Comedy rolls the WHEEL OF IMPROV back to The Point Coffee House, located at 888 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, on February 27 at 7:30 pm. $5 cover, all ages are welcome.

ELASCHTICK first performed at the Point Coffee House in Bryn Mawr in June, 2003. The group is now a mainstay on The Main Line performing at the The Point the last Sunday of EVERY month. The WHEEL OF IMPROV is back by popular demand! Audience volunteers determine what games will be played by spinning the Improv Wheel.

For more info on Elaschtick, go to www.elaschtick.com. For any further information, contact Rick Horner at 267.278.5250 (Ick1019@aol.com) or Jody Miller at 609.280.7128 (JLMdirect@aol.com).

"The Memory of Water" at Montgomery Theater

Opening this Friday!!

The Memory of Water
Written by Shelagh Stephenson
Directed by Tom Quinn

February 25 - March 19, 2005
Weekdays/Sun. Mat. - $15.00, Fridays - $19.00, Saturdays - $21.00

This touching and hugely entertaining comedy provides insight into the lives and memories of three sisters as they challenge each other's well-worn family roles. Filled with humor and heart, the play presents a satisfying mixture of sardonic expression and deep emotion as we take a look inside these hilarious, festering family relationships.

Reservations: 215-723-9984 Info: www.montgomerytheater.org

Your friendly neighborhood Theater Lackey is not working the show, but he did help set the lights. Plus, this show features some close, personal friends with whom I have previously worked: The ever-brilliant Paul Dake (Thumbs, The Grapes of Wrath), the lovely and talented Shelli Pentimall (Lebensraum, Doin' Time at the Alamo), and the delightful Linda Friday (The Dinner Party).

The Cabal Hosts Rare Improv Collaboration for Valentines Day

Another show note from Rick...

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 26th, 2005
Further Information: contact Rick Horner @ 267-278-5250

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This Valentine's Day, Philadelphia's finest longform improv groups perform together for the FIRST time!

WHAT: The Cabal, The Rare Bird Show, and Lunchlady Doris perform together
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 13th at 7:30PM
WHERE: The Rotunda (http://www.foundationarts.org/foundation.html), 4014 Walnut Street, Phila PA

This is the world premiere of these 3 groups performing together! This unique collaboration is being presented on Sunday February 13th, 2005. Admission is FREE to this one-of-a-kind event!! Additional information is available by calling 267-278-5250 or by emailing ick1019@aol.com.

Longform Improvisation is based on ideas and philosophies developed by actor/director/writer/teacher Del Close. Close essentially invented long-form improvisation as we know it. Similar to the short-form improv you've seen on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", longform improv relies on one audience suggestion, and nothing else, to create instant comedy via a completely improvised comedy show.

This event is hosted by The Cabal, and features The Rare Bird Show, and LunchLady Doris. Each group performs in and around the Philadelphia area. In addition to Philadelphia, these groups have performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Pittsburgh. Credits include appearances on television, film, radio, and on the web. The 2004 Philadelphia Fringe Festival (www.pafringe.org) was home to all three groups at such diverse venues as Pierre's Costumes, O'Neals Pub and The Philadelphia Ethical Society.

This is an opportunity for audiences to experience highly-skilled longform improv here in Philadelphia - New York quality with a local commute. This event features local talent, further advancing the Philadelphia improv community!

Watch the freshest faces in the area turn your suggestion into a montage of hilarious scenes that connect in the most surprising ways.

Additional information is available by calling 267-278-5250 or by emailing ick1019@aol.com.

ELASCHTICK

Show is this Sunday, January 30. The info is courtesy of my pal, Rick:

Why is this ELASCHTICK prescribed?
ELASCHTICK is used to relieve cabin fever and stuck-inside-from-snow-itus. ELASCHTICK is also used to treat grimaces. ELASCHTICK works by blocking seriousness, a substance in the body that causes symptoms including working too hard, not find things amusing and general malaise. ELASCHTICK may cause less drowsiness than typical treatments.

How should this ELASCHTICK medicine be used?
ELASCHTICK comes as a show and set of memories to take by ear and eye. ELASCHTICK is usually taken once a month with or without food. Follow the ELASCHTICK directions on your ELASCHTICK prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor to explain any part you do not understand. Take ELASCHTICK exactly as directed. Do not take more or less of ELASCHTICK more often than prescribed.

ELASCHTICK Side Effects
ELASCHTICK may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

• laughing
• upset stomach (from laughing)
• dizziness (from laughing)
• sore throat (from laughing)
• dry mouth (from lack of getting a drink)
• extreme tiredness (from laughing, and then getting up to get a drink)

Elaschtick is alive in '05 in and Bryn Mawr, Baby!
Sunday, January 30th @ 7:30 PM
The Point Coffee House
880 West Lancaster Avenue
www.atthepoint.com
$5 cover, all ages

Don't be a stranger. Get on the Elaschtick mailing list. Send your Questions, Comments, etc. to mail@elaschtick.com.