A Classic Turns 50, and Parties Are PlannedRead the whole thing here. ]]>
In Santa Cruz, Calif., volunteers will re-enact every word and movement in the famous courtroom scene. In Monroeville, Ala., residents dressed in 1930s garb will read aloud from memorable passages. In Rhinebeck, N.Y., Oblong Books will host a party with Mocktails and recorded music by the indie band the Boo Radleys.
All summer “To Kill a Mockingbird” will be relived through at least 50 events around the country, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the publication of a book that became a cultural touchstone and an enduring staple of high-school reading programs.
We are thrilled to announce the cast for Merrily We Roll Along! Congratualtions to the cast and thanks to everyone who auditioned. We were highly impressed with all the talent on display and can't wait to bring you the Columbus premiere of this wonderful musical.
Ian Short - Frank
Nick Lingnofski - Charley
Heather Carvel - Mary
Michelle Schroeder - Beth
Kim Garrison Hopcraft - Gussie
Scott Wilson - Joe
Ryan Kay - Tyler/Waiter
Christopher Storer - Terry, Musician
Nancy Skaggs - Scotty
Hillary Billups - Dory
John Schlabach - RU/Floor Monitor, Photographer, Pianist
Don Knoblauch - Jerome
Kate Gersing - KT
Jenna Petardi - Meg
John Brunner - Bunker, Minister, TV Newsman
Elena Perantoni - 1st Girl, Makeup Artist
Michelle Whited - Evelyn, Stage Manager
Bart Smith - Mr. Spencer
Julie Russell - Mrs. Spencer, TV Newswoman
Plenty more exciting announcements in the days to come. Keep an eye-out here: http://MerrilyWeRollAlong.com. ]]>
Since the script doesn’t have any character names in it, how did you determine who said what?
That was a lengthy process that started when Matt (the director) decided how many and which actresses would be in each scene. Then, in the first rehearsal of each scene, we read the scene through a couple of times, with people just jumping in and reading whatever lines they liked. Then we talked about what the scene might mean, who the characters might be, what the given circumstances might be. Eventually, we found a few things to hold onto, and starting picking lines. Sometimes it was clear that certain lines all belonged to one character, usually not. Sometimes Matt just asked, “Who has a favorite line?” It was so up in the air, we just had to find a way to start, so almost any logic would do.
How much of the video imagery is indicated in the script?
None of it. Matt & Brant spent many weeks talking about what could be in the video, and the ideas developed right alongside the rest of the show.
Who is the woman all the characters are talking about?
Good question. We have some ideas, and if you see the show a couple of times, you might think she’s famous, or a terrorist, or an artists. Someone suggested that Anne is symbolic of life itself. Politically, we think it’s possible that she’s both a criminal and a victim. It’s hard to hold more than one idea in our heads at once, but sometimes this play asks you to do so.
Were the songs provided for you in the script?
The lines for those scenes look like lyrics, or poetry. It was Karl (choreographer) Rogers’ idea to turn them into music, and to feature Meghan (Durham Wall, a dancer). He also recruited Michael Wall (composer) to right the songs.
Is the scene with a table an homage to “The Green Table”?
The connection is there, though it’s not an homage. Karl did think about it as the scene developed. But it really came out of a collaboration with the actors in the moment.
Are there any given physical circumstances in the script?
None. You might look at this.
How many different foreign languages are spoken in the show?
8. Plus the language of dance. (Smiley face.)
What made you go with an all female cast?
Honestly, it’s hard to say. The idea occurred to Matt one day, and obviously it had something to do with the fact that it’s a woman at the center of the play, and the possibility that any of these women could be Anne at different points in the play. And the thought of a diverse group of powerful actresses was really appealing. (At one point, we thought there might be 12 people in the play.) Sometimes, though, we make artistic decisions just because our instincts tells us what’d be cool.
A combination of drama, dance, movement, projected images and live video make this the most multimedia show the adventurous troupe has staged yet. But its main strength is its cast, which brings to life the numerous unnamed characters who either know or think they know Anne ... It takes acting chops to bring out the underlying emotions in these anonymous characters’ lines, and they’re provided by Emily Bach, Meghan Durham, Susie Gerald, Ellen Knolls, Joyce Leahy, Krista Lively Stauffer, Shanelle Marie and Dayle Towarnicky
Director Matt Slaybaugh, the eight members of his all-female cast and their collaborators have shaped an absorbing evening of theater out of a text that gives absolutely no clue of setting, action, number of performers, who says what or any of the things we usually expect a play to present ... The cast is uniformly excellent at leading the audience through Crimp's maze. As he puts it, what they do is "more exacting than acting."
“I’ve always been sucked into the imaginary world. I’m pretty introverted and maybe that’s why I’m comfortable expressing myself through couch cushions or butter containers or puppets. There is a little magic to puppets,” Auseon says. “They create this world that can do so much more than entertain, they can enrich.”Read the whole article here: UA Magazine ]]>
The movie, as the title suggests, presents 32 short films that are all in some way “about” Glenn Gould. I put that in quotation marks because some of the scenes have very little to literally do with Mr. Gould, it may seem. Some of the pieces are about people in his life, some of them feature recordings of his music, some of them seem completely abstract. But, it all adds up to a very deep, if allusive, exploration of Mr. Gould as an artist, a person, and a container for meaning.
Attempts on Her Life could definitely be thought of as 17 Short Plays About a Woman Named Anne. The presence of the woman at the center of the play comes and goes, but it’s all an attempts to draw a deeply evocative picture of her and explore the many ways in which we might do so.
Below is 1 Short Film About Glenn Gould. It’s sadly difficult to find on DVD, but if you visit YouTube, you can view several more of the 32.
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