How I Learned to LOVE Being in the Ensemble
When I entered the wonderful world of community theater, I was initially happy with my being cast in the ensemble of shows. I was happy to be cast as anything considering I was in my 30’s with little to no formal training in dancing, singing or acting. I was the opposite of a triple threat.
Then I had my first lead as Elvira in Blithe Spirit. I quickly followed that up with the role of Martha in The Secret Garden. I loved having lines to memorize, blocking to learn, solos to sing. I felt I was being challenged, learning, creating. It was amazing. I jolted back to reality when I was cast in the ensemble for my next show that year- one without even a single solo speaking line. How could this be? I was a lead, not part of the ensemble. I begrudgingly accepted the role (more because I had been laid off earlier that year and needed SOMETHING to do between sending out resumes) but muttered to myself it would be the last ensemble role for me. 2+ years later and I’m thrilled, PROUD to say it’s been all ensemble roles since then. Because I’ve learned to love the ensemble. And here’s why:
Read More
Should Hollywood Remake 'West Side Story'?
There is no doubt that Hollywood loves remakes nowadays. Disney has jumped completely on board with this with their live-action remakes of their animated classic and within the next years, we'll see plenty more. But one unspoken rule has seemed to be previous Oscar winning Best Pictures should be untouchable. After all, these movies were awarded the highest honor Hollywood can bestow, so remaking them seems a bit sacrilegious.
But that might soon change.
Read More
10 Ways to Cope With Theatre Withdrawal
We’ve all been there before.
It may be for different reasons for different people. For some, finding the right role or gig might just be too hard, leaving us with a large gap of time in-between our creative projects. For others, work or family life may be taking up too much time. If you’re like me, it might be because you’re still in the middle of a major transition phase in your life that’s left you too busy to take up any huge new projects, at this point in time.
But at one point or another, I’m sure we’ve all known – to varying lengths or degrees – the unpleasant experience that is theatre withdrawal.
Read More
A Show's Journey: Bringing the Team Together
Most people consider the journey of a show to be from the page to the stage. But for me, it is so much more than that. Bringing a show to life is not just about the show. The theatrical journey is more about the people you meet along the way and how they help with the production. More than the story itself, the people along the way are part of the story behind the story. In a series of pieces, I am going to introduce you to those people. Some you end up seeing in the playbill for the show and others come in where you see their contribution but you (as the audience member) might not even end up knowing who they are.
Read More
Critiquing Community Theater- Opening the Can of Worms
In Cincinnati, we are fortunate to have an abundance of community theater groups. The groups are diverse in scope and experience (as is often the case), so The Association of Community Theater decided on a judging process for the productions (for those belonging to ACT) with the original intention of offering suggestions for improvement through constructive criticism and praise when noted. So how far should a critique go to accomplish this goal?
Read More
It’s Time to Close the Curtains on 'Phantom'
Three decades after it first opened in London, I think it is fair to say that the legacy of Phantom as one of the most popular and commercially successful shows in the history of musical theatre is secure. We can debate for as long as we want over whether or not it is overrated. For me, personally, it is one of my favorite musicals of all time, and it deserves much of its popularity, even though I know some may disagree. However, there is no denying that it is one of the most popular and commercially successful Broadway shows of all time, and that it may be a long time before we see a show top its 30 year run on Broadway.
That’s why I’m ready for the show to close.
Read More
Misunderstood Musicals: "Carrie: The Musical"
It was the end of my freshman year at college and, as a Stephen King fan, I was prepared for a bit of a drought in his schedule. He had just published five novels in a row over the course of just over a year (well, six or seven if you count It twice, since the book is the size of a grand piano). Luckily, I had the musical version of Carrie to look forward to upon returning home from school for the summer. The show opened on Thursday, May 12, 1988 during my last week of classes and I had tickets to see the show with some friends for Saturday, May 21. Unfortunately, the show closed on Sunday, May 15 after five performances (there were sixteen previews before that and a four week run in Stratford-upon-Avon, England before that).
The question on everyone’s mind tends to be: “Why would anyone make THAT into a musical?”
Read More
Why do We Take Words for Granted When it Comes to Theatre?
Don't get me wrong, it's not just theatre.
In day to day life, we use words as a means to an end. We communicate functionally; we go from A to B, and we give remarkably little thought to which words we should use to get there. And then there are some people who use words as a continuous, hollow barricade against silence – but let's not go into that; we could be here for days.
Read More
The Cast of 'Bastard Jones' & the Importance of Inclusiveness
Often diversity onstage doesn't mean Inclusion. Diversity usually entails having more than one "token" person of color in the ensemble. That is usually good enough for producers. This is hardly "good enough" and clearly doesn't represent what the world looks like. Where's the inclusion? I'm talking about people with disabilities. Why the hell aren't they represented in shows? Oh and here's the ridiculous part, if there is a "disabled" character, that role usually goes to an "able-bodied" actor. Seriously stupidest thing ever.
Read More
Radical Idea: Every Show Should Have House Lights On
I’m tired of sitting in the dark.
Today’s theater community faces big questions about our relationship to the general public—how to attract (and hold onto) new audiences, how to handle the omnipresence of cell phones, how to make people feel more welcome, etc. In short, how can artists best connect with their audiences? I don’t claim to have a silver bullet answer, but I find myself returning to a single, simple idea that could have a significant impact.
Light the people in the seats.
Read More
