On tour with The Acting Company 2009-10

Editor’s Note: 

Christine Weber joins The Acting Company for her first national tour and off-Broadway run. The 2009-10 Journal begins at the renowned Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis as we co-produce Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet – Christine portrays Lady Capulet – and begin a series of intensive workshops of our newly-commissioned Alice in Wonderland.  Christine trained at the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater BFA Actor Training Program and has performed in several works at the Guthrie.

Check back regularly and tour with Christine and the 2009-10 Acting Company.  

                 –Gerry Cornez, Acting Company Director of Communications

Tour log: December 8-February 1, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS... “IS NOW THE TWO MONTH'S TRAFFIC OF OUR STAGE...”  (opening of Romeo and Juliet) 

December 4, 2009-January 31, 2010

The first day of rehearsal always gives me butterflies in my stomach. It's like the first day of school--meeting a whole new group of kids to play with, hoping the teacher likes you, making sure you look pulled together enough so that nobody thinks you're that kid...but the anticipation for the start of this rehearsal process was unlike any I'd ever known until now.

Having graduated from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie B.F.A. Actor Training Program only a year and a half before, Romeo and Juliet would be my first gig that would take me away from home. It would be the longest gig I'd been a part of and it was full of people whose talents and experiences were equally inspiring and intimidating. All these things, on top of the desire to do as good a job as one can, made walking into the Guthrie's rehearsal room the morning of December 4 feel like a slow-motion sequence out of some coming-of-age teen flick. But (much to my relief) like all other productions I've been in, once we all got around the table it sank in that this is quite simply a fantastic time to learn, explore, and play. We all were working toward a common goal: to take a classic story, make it ours and ultimately build a piece that we can give to audiences around the country to take home with them; so they, in turn, can learn, explore, think, consider, reconsider and play in their own lives. Remembering these things opened the door to a quiet feeling of ease and camaraderie. So, what's left for us to do but jump in head-first?

This year's company is comprised of 13 actors from all over the U.S. We have returning members from last year's Company, alumni from the Guthrie Experience, graduates of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie B.F.A. Actor Training Program as well as from Yale School of Drama, Brown and California Institute of the Arts. I felt fortunate to start this adventure at home--the Guthrie is truly an astonishing place to work and to have in our community. During our rehearsal period, there were shows running in all three of its theaters (the Dowling Studio, Wurtele Thrust, and McGuire Proscenium), not to mention the almost constant bustling of students, administrators, patrons, designers, actors, musicians, and tour groups. I felt a renewed sense of pride to have grown up in a community that advocates so strongly for the arts and offers many terrific artistic and cultural institutions.

Under the direction of the Penny Metropulos, we rehearsed long hours for the entire month of December, taking solace in the rehearsal rooms from the below-freezing temperatures outside and rang in the New Year together, just in time to start tech rehearsals and previews. We opened on January 13, with a wonderful house full of friends, families, eager patrons and a special treat: The Acting Company's Producing Artistic Director, Margot Harley, several board members and Associate Artistic Director Ian Belknap came from NYC to see our opening night and celebrate with us. 

Once we opened, we had a few days during which we could sleep in, enjoy the Twin Cities, and catch up on rest. But by the next week, we jumped into a new rabbit hole. In addition to our production of Romeo and Juliet, we have the privilege of work-shopping a new adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, written by Kira Obolensky, and directed by Will Pomerantz. For ten days, we had a full schedule of performances, plus 5-6 hours inhabiting a very different world than the Verona we'd all come to know so well. The chance to collaborate on a new piece is invaluable...to see how a new piece of theater built from the ground-up, each and every piece of the puzzle and, hopefully, contribute to helping put that puzzle together. I can't wait to see what steps are taken next as we look forward to more work on that in a couple months!

Before we knew it, the time had come to pack our lives into suitcases and hit the road. We were all looking forward to taking the world we've grown to love to new places and new people, and to see how it evolves over the coming months. Please follow along right here on The Acting Company's website (same bat time, same bat channel) for updates from us as we go—and we hope you can join us in a city near you!

 

FARGO/MOORHEAD or “HIE HENCE, BE GONE...AWAY...”

On February 1, we said good bye to the Big Blue Guthrie and piled our suitcases onto the bus (the wickedly awesome Pioneer Coach, to be precise) and hit the open road for our first tour stop. We performed at Minnesota State University Moorhead's Roland Dille's Center for the Arts for an incredibly eager and attentive audience. What a fantastic and welcoming crowd! It helped that their very own local celebrity, Hugh Kennedy, made a homecoming with this performance. A native of Moorhead, MN, Hugh was greeted with beautiful flowers and cards in the dressing room and the buzz only made it more exciting for each of us to be a part of that night’s performance. The show went off without a hitch, though it was very odd to see our set in a new space for the first time. It felt a bit like an episode of "The Twilight Zone" for a while, but soon enough we were all at home in the show, making new discoveries and listening in ways that felt fresh and inspired. 

The next day we explored downtown Fargo. The day was full of adventures to local boutiques, bookstores, movie theaters, restaurants, coffee shops, galleries and antique stores. But perhaps the most exciting part of all--Hugh, our tour guide for the day, took us to Nichole's Fine Pastry for some of the best desserts any of us had ever had. He spent a summer working at Nichole's during college and was thrilled to bring us neophytes to this divine bakery. For anyone who gets to spend time in Fargo, I insist you take an hour to try as many of the desserts you can.  The creme brulee was "masterful," according to our creme brulee guru Jason McDowell-Green. All in all, a fabulous and satisfying day off in a relaxing city and a well-timed for us to re-energize for those days ahead!

GRAND RAPIDS, MN or The Wild Rice Stop

February 3, 2010

We rolled into Grand Rapids just a couple hours before we had to be at the theater so, after a very quick dinner, we all drove to the Myles Reif Performing Arts Center. The local crew members had water bottles, fruit, and sodas for us in the green room...they must have known we'd need a bit of caffeine after traveling all day!  What was even cooler, the theater had provided each of us with a complimentary bag of locally grown wild rice. Minnesota is famous for its wild rice and to have such a thoughtful, unique gift from the theater was just a little touch of kindness that made us all feel right at home. 

A surprisingly intimate theater for its size, the crew was still hard at work putting up the set. It felt good to warm up after being on the bus the whole afternoon and energy was huge by the time we started the show. The space was absolutely wonderful, with great acoustics and a lively audience. It felt great to have such a bright experience after a day of traveling through gray skies. To see how different our show can be in various spaces is intriguing. What we've learned very quickly is that in every new space you must always be completely alert, entirely prepared, listening intently and ready to change direction at the drop of a hat. While this is true for every production, it takes on a new level of importance when you don't know where your dressing room is and backstage traffic patterns change as does travel time from different areas backstage to your entrance.

The lessons in flexibility and being able to roll with the punches are ones that I feel very fortunate to be learning at this early stage of my career. The old saying goes: if you can work a tour, you can do just about anything. And I'm beginning to understand why they say that. 

The curtain came down, and we all signed the wall of the green room, as is the custom at the Myles Reif Performing Arts Center. We waved good bye to the crew and theater, took the wild rice and ventured forward. Tomorrow head to Wisconsin, known to some as the land of cheese. So if anyone has any recipes for cheese and wild rice, send it our way. :)

APPLETON, WI--Bring on the student matinees

February 5, 2010

After the first two stops in Minnesota, we ventured east a bit to Appleton, Wisconsin. Here we performed our very first student show since being on tour and we had a packed house performing at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, a stunning 2,100-seat proscenium theater.

                                                                      —Christine

 Company member Sonny Valicenti (Romeo) reflects about this stop:

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It was so good to be a little further south this time – a nice 32 degree day was welcome. As I walked through the hotel the night before our 9:30 am student show, I was a bit scared about the new “muscle” that was to be worked in order to perform so early in the morning. I ran into Devon, our Lighting Supervisor, and asked how things had been going over at the theater. At the last couple of venues, the crew was setting up right until show time.  He was relieved to have had a whole day to do his work; with a tired smile, he said, "Today was fine; it's all done and now I've got to get some sleep."

"Nice space?" I asked... 

"Oh very nice. 2500 seats..."

My jaw dropped... time for bed.

As I entered the theater and saw the countless balconies, I knew this was a moment of great growth. Something happens when you have to step up to the plate in a real way. A sort of "no possibility of regression" kind of learning occurs. 2000 kids at 9:30 in the morning in a giant house... Do you accept?

The beautiful thing about the Acting Company is they always accept. This is what we have set out to do. How can we affect as many people as possible in one sitting?

The show was a wonderful success. To hear yourself and your cast mates reverberating off of the back wall with some of the most beautiful poetry in the world is a real phenomenon. To know that 4000 ears were taking it in, perhaps hearing it for the first time or maybe understanding it for the first time or getting more out of it then they ever could have imagined – even if they have seen the show dozens of times. 

The Acting Company's mission is underway. 

There was a Subway restaurant just down the street from the theater where some of us ate.  Waiting in line to order, three boys (perhaps in the 8th grade) turned around and said...

"Hey were you in the show just now... in the Romeo and Juliet?"
"Yes"
"Oh we were too... we just saw you!"
"Oh great... you guys like it?"
"Oh yeah it was cool... who were you in it?"
"I was Romeo."
"Really... oh yeah! You were good. You did a good dead impression!"
"Hey thanks, guys"
"Yeah... and your (Staff Repertory) director came to our school yesterday and talked to us..."
"Oh right... Corey, right?"
"Yeah... he was cool... that was fun."

It was a rewarding exchange; a group of guys who so easily could have been the Montague boys. They taught me a few things about what it is to be that age just by talking to them. They are who we are portraying and they have real lives, wants and loves. It is an honor to perform for them. Thank you for reminding us why we do this.

                                                                       --Sonny Valicenti

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ST. CLOUD, MN or EYE OF NEWT, and TOE OF FROG, WOOL OF......BAT!!!!!

February 6, 2010

Tonight's show was quite an adventure, to say the least! Along with a new theater, a new local crew, and a new audience, we had a guest star for this performance: a bat. That's right. A bat.

Everything was going along as usual. We arrived at the beautiful Paramount Theater (a renovated historic theater in the heart of St. Cloud), warmed up, went through the fights, got in costume. They called "places," the lights went down, and we started the show. The prologue went off without a hitch but, lo and behold, in the middle of the first scene we saw this thing, flying through the air and casting a shadow across the set. The audience was, quite rightly, startled and distracted; not to mention those of us ON stage when we realized that it was actually a live bat (and a big one, at that!) swooping around just above our heads.

We wondered: What's the best way to handle this limelight-loving creature? Should we acknowledge him, or do we just pretend he's not there and hope that he flies away sooner rather than later? What happens if he DOESN'T go away, and spends the rest of the show bouncing around over us? This was a fairly unusual challenge! We all knew that we'd have to just go with the flow and hope that the little guy doesn't get too close. A few of us were even laughing the situation off backstage. Intermission came and went, with only a few sightings.

But things changed when, during the Lark and the Nightingale scene, he decided to go a little Kamikaze on us. Sonny and Laura (Romeo and Juliet) were in the scene; Elizabeth Stahlmann (the Nurse) and I stand upstage of the main doorway (and underneath the upstage window of our set) as we have entrances on the heels of Romeo's exit. Elizabeth and I were waited to go on, when seemingly out of nowhere, the bat flew through the window and hit the back flat. Hard.
We. Freaked. Out.

We thought it flew away but, when Elizabeth went to enter through the doorway, she saw the bat smack dab in the middle of the entrance. We weren't sure if it was hurt or not but he seemed to be moving along alright. She didn't want to step near it and scare it or make it fly up at her or frighten it....but she had to enter! So, between bursts of giggles and terror, she took a deep breath and walked out to the door way and spoke. She turned around and exited as she normally does as the giggles and terror began again. I was next. The bat was now directly in the entrance, so I was instructed to go around stage right and enter from off stage. But by the time I got to stage right, the bat had moved directly in front of THAT entrance! So I went back to the upstage entrance and walked on. Throughout our entire scene, the bat was scooting its way down the right side of the stage where Laura spends most of her time on the floor and Capulet does his disowning spiel. The two of us were trying to hold it together and got through the scene without a hitch before the bat made his own exit off stage.

No encore for him but it was truly a night that nobody will forget. We laughed our heads off backstage but were able to pull it together and funnel that nervous energy into the scenes. All in all, it was a very fun and energetic performance in St. Cloud for a very appreciative and excited audience.

On we go to 3 full days of travel and no performances! Can't wait for the adventures that lie ahead!

TRAVEL DAYS

From St. Cloud we drove back through Minneapolis to our overnight stop in Rockford, IL and the first day of another snow storm. We were glad to get off the bus and into the hotel for dinner and a dip in the indoor pool. Tuesday morning we chased another storm to Cleveland, OH, where we stayed overnight. Then Wednesday we were supposed to travel to New Jersey but, since the east coast was supposed to be hit with another huge blizzard, the executive decision was made by Joseph Parks (our Company Manager Extraordinaire) and our fantastic bus driver John to push through all the way to New London, Connecticut, where we were scheduled to perform the next day. We started out and (miraculously!) got away from the snow storm! We were free! And making great time....at this rate, we'd be in the hotel in New London by 8:00 that night at the latest.

But oh, no. We got cocky and as luck would have it our trusty bus broke down in Loganton, PA. John needed to take the bus to get repaired so he dropped us off for lunch at The Pit Stop restaurant on a very empty stretch of road in the mountains. We walked in, a group of 15 actors, and the locals pretty much turned on their heels and walked out. We were clearly not from 'round these parts. And what ensued was one of the most fun times we've had yet on the road. We all ordered our greasy spoon lunches, and hit the juke box. We danced around the restaurant, bought cap guns, took pictures, and shenanigans were had by all. During our 3-hour stay we sang songs, danced, laughed, and played in the snow as the storm caught up with us very quickly.  By the time we loaded back on the bus, though, we were ready to get going. We drove for another 5 hours or so, and finally arrived safe and sound in New London. 13 long hours on the road, and we were all ready for bed and to get back to work the next day! It's been three days since we did the show, and it seems everyone's getting a little antsy to get back on our feet again. Can't wait for the New London audiences!

NEW LONDON, CT: NO MORE SNOW, PLEASE.

After a great night's sleep we woke to--you guessed it--MORE SNOW! Over half of the beautiful town of New London was closed due to the severe weather, and we waited to hear if the show would go on that night. Due to dangerous conditions, the venue informed us that they would have to cancel. Some of us trekked through the snow and explored a little bit of the town while others just hung around the hotel. That night, we traipsed through the snow down the block to an Irish Pub and then made it an early night so we could be ready to go for our student matinee the next morning.

The sun was shining brightly as we loaded onto the bus and drove to the theater. A huge group of students awaited us and it was great to get back into the swing of the show. The students were very polite, and very attentive, and they seemed to really love the show. It was such a great crowd, which is a nice treat for such an early show. After the show, we got back on the bus and started driving again. Luckily, we were close to Mystic, Connecticut--home of the fabulous Mystic Pizza. It was a nice reprieve to be with the whole cast for lunch in this beautiful town--and I was especially excited, since the movie "Mystic Pizza" is one of my favorites. :) We ate a great lunch and took a walk down along the water and through the town, back to the bus.

On we went through the stunning landscapes to the Berkshires and to our next place: Pittsfield, Mass. It's hard to believe that we haven't even been on the road for a full two weeks! It somehow feels like it's been months already. We've started losing track of what day of the week it is, where we were yesterday, where we'll be next week. We are all looking so forward to our time in New York City where we will be for a full ten days! It's an exciting prospect to be in one place for that much time! In the meantime, though, we've got several towns to explore and play in!

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R&J: the One Hour (and eleven minutes...) version

—by Corey Atkins, Staff Repertory Director

Pittsfield, MA and the historic Colonial Theatre were not only the sight of a great performance of the full length R&J (in this GORGEOUS, fully restored 1903 theater) but also the first performance of our One Hour R&J! Each year, the Staff Repertory Director directs a shortened version of the mainstage show for venues who want to present a student matinee but find that area schools schedules prohibit a full-length production. The one hour is, by necessity, a pretty simple and straightforward affair--no lights or costumes or set--since you never know if you'll be performing at the same venue as the full length or in a school classroom. We use only 3 chairs and some props with the whole cast on stage the whole time, sitting upstage in two groups, separated by their given 'houses.' But what I really love about the "1HR" version is that these "constraints" actually make the show very similar in form to what Shakespeare's audiences would have seen: language and bodies in space, with few technical bells and whistles, telling the story.

I wanted to create a 1HR that gave the actors something to get excited about; since the 1HR frequently performs early in the morning after a late show the night before, it's good to have something they can look forward to dragging themselves out of bed for! So I worked with the ensemble to create a production that uses the strong performances they have created for the mainstage show, but allows them to sort of 'crack open' that work with a freer physicality (to match the actors own contemporary clothes used as costumes--with Capulets in warm colors and Montagues in cool) and more direct engagement with our young audience.  Hopefully this also brings an immediacy and intimacy to this particular telling of the story for the actors.

Although we hadn't been able to do more than a “line through” on the bus since we last rehearsed the 1HR at the Guthrie in late January, I was proud of the work. It was especially interesting to see Sonny and Laura (Romeo and Juliet) do the balcony scene for kids who were essentially the characters' same age... Without a balcony--and not wanting to limit Juliet to standing on a chair for a whole scene--we decided to have the obstacle between the star-crossed lovers be that Juliet is on stage, and Romeo is limited to staying in the audience --meaning his asides are given directly to individual kids in the house. The excitement of the students seeing Sonny right next to them, and the knowing whispers, giggles and whoops as the lovers woo and, finally, kiss were such a brilliant reminder of the danger and excitement that underpin one of Shakespeare's most famous scenes.

The only down side to the performance was that it ran a bit long....our "1HR" became "1HR and 11 minutes." But with a few more cuts, we'll easily get it to an hour, and be even leaner and meaner for the students in Hartford, WI...and West Palm Beach...and on and on!

-Corey Atkins

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FAIRFAX, VA or Valentine's Day

 We arrived in Fairfax, Virginia, just in time for Valentine's Day! While our significant others are all at home, some of us decided to have a group date at the Cheesecake Factory (because it was close and, let's face it, we're just classy like that...) on February 13 and be each other's Valentines for the evening. Then on V-Day itself performed at George Mason University  for  a crowd full of young lovers, couples that have been married for years and many families and friends. What a show to perform on this holiday...love and passion are at the forefront of people's minds and this show drives it right home. It offers a time to reflect on all the different kinds of love that exist in this world, and to celebrate them. The audience was intent on listening to the story that we know so well...a whirlwind of love and passion in a less than amiable environment. Hopefully they enjoyed the show and took that evening to celebrate love and show appreciation for the people in their lives.

MORGANTOWN, WV & SPRINGFIELD, OH or A (SHORT) TALE OF TWO CITIES

February 15, 2010

The excitement has been building for our time in New York and it's making all of our shows so much fun! We've got a real surge of energy coursing through the cast and had really wonderful times in Morgantown, West Virginia, and Springfield, Ohio. Nothing out of the ordinary happened in either of these two cities, making it all the more gratifying to have played them both. We set our bags down at the hotel around 4:30 in the afternoon, grabbed a quick dinner, and went to the theater at the University of West Virginia for our 7:30 performance. We've been so fortunate in having such full audiences in every city thus far. This venue was no different and the show went very well. The audience that came out that evening was completely tuned- in and that focus and good energy really fueled all of us. 

The next morning we drove to Springfield, Ohio, arriving mid-afternoon. We had just a few hours to settle into the hotel, eat, and prepare for our evening show. The Wittenberg University theater was the next stop and the crowd was once again spectacular; a solid show, a great response—all in all a really wonderful evening. Tomorrow we leave early to make the long trek to New York City. For much of the cast, it's going home for 10 days and they haven't been home since the beginning of December!  For others, it's a time to explore one of the most incredible cities, learn, work and have fun. We are all totally anxious to get there and dive into the week ahead! 

NEW YORK CITY or HOME, SWEET HOME

February 17, 2010

Being from Minnesota, I've heard so many stories of the Big Apple that alternately excited and horrified me. I was really expecting to find it somewhat difficult to adjust to the City That Never Sleeps: the constant bustling of people, navigating public transit (in Minnesota, cars are a necessity) and trying to take in as much as I could while I was there. I couldn't have been more wrong.

New York was an unbelievable experience. We arrived Wednesday evening and began what was essentially a 10-day marathon. Those of us not based in NYC had the pleasure of being housed (and spoiled) by some of The Acting Company's board members and others got to go home or stay with friends. Thursday, fortunately, was a day off. Some took the time to catch up on rest, others visited friends, museums, took in a show, ate really good pizza. It was a perfect little pocket of time to get our feet on the ground (literally....I personally was walking around for nearly 9 hours!) and spend a day in the City.

Thankfully, it allowed us to be really energized and ready for our 5 hour rehearsal on Friday afternoon, where we had to re-space parts of the show (some things had to be changed slightly due to the extremely close proximity to the audience at Baruch), and before we knew it, we were performing for our first New York audience. It was such a rush! Until that point, we hadn't played any houses that were much smaller than 300-400. The space at Baruch Performing Arts Center is incredibly intimate, which, at first, was a little nerve-wracking. To walk out on stage and have someone sitting about 3 feet away from you is a very different feeling than having 15 feet between you.  That first performance was one where many adjustments were found. It was incredible to have the freedom to play with nuance, knowing that in a space of that size it couldn't be missed. After the second performance, we all felt really at-home in the space and found the intimacy and immediacy a huge help in telling the story. 

Our run (Feb. 19-27) was so much fun, interspersed with a lovely "Opening Night" dinner party at Cibo with The Acting Company staff, board members, cast, crew and friends. Everyone was dressed to the nines, the food was to die for (especially the mini red velvet cupcakes....of which I think I ate 6 or 7, and would do it again any day of the week), and we got to come together to celebrate all the hard work everyone had put into this production.

The next night was Alumni Night, where casts and crews from past productions are invited to the show followed by a gathering at the theater. That was really amazing! To be able to speak with artists that had been part of this company for as long as they have, and to see all the different paths that they've taken since their time on tour...words can't explain how valuable it is to be able to do that. And on top of it, I got to meet one of my favorite actors, which was truly a great feeling.

The 10 days flew by, and before we knew it we were packing back up to fly out to St. Louis, Missouri. We were all excited to get back on the road but also really unhappy to be leaving New York. The show itself grew inexplicably and I'm sure it will continue to do so. Our time there was priceless and we will take so many stories away with us. But now, our bus was awaiting our return in the Midwest....so, off we went for the second leg of the tour!

ST. LOUIS and POPLAR BLUFF, MO or ON THE ROAD AGAIN

March 2, 2010

Company member Myxolydia Tyler writes about these stops:

Leaving NYC was hard. It was nice to be home and take a needed break from the road. I was not looking forward to traveling to Missouri but St. Louis and Poplar Bluff were very happy surprises. I saw beautiful views of the Mississippi River while I ran along the river trail in St. Louis; we also had a fun and inexpensive night of bowling and eating at The Pink Flamingo before traveling to Poplar Bluff. There we were met by a great audience and an even more awesome crew of volunteers, some of whom were high school students who had been at the theater since 6:00 that morning! I can honestly say that Missouri was a great way to get back into the touring spirit!

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SPRINGFIELD, IL or ON THE TOPIC OF EDUCATION

March 5, 2010

In honor of Abraham Lincoln, as we were in his hometown, I'd like to share something that Honest Abe said about education:

"Upon the subject of education... I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in."

Along with performing, part of the Acting Company's mission is to reach into school and encourage the students to participate in the creative process. In Springfield, Illinois, some of our cast got to lead students in workshops. Isaac Woofter (Tybalt) led the Stage Combat workshop and writes about his experience:

Sonny Valicenti (Romeo) and I got into a massive brawl in Springfield Illinois!!!  Fortunately no serious injuries occurred because all 25 first-year students at the University of Illinois were using proper stage combat techniques taught by Isaac and Sonny.  For an hour and 15 minutes, I got to lead this great group of students in warming up their bodies and practicing exercises in safety, kinesthetic response, body impulses and a plethora of other fun activities.  Sonny Valicenti drew wonderful parallels between the physical work and the work of acting on text.  The students and their professor were sweating, laughing and, after all was said and done, going to buy tickets to see the show the next night!  We had such a blast, and later that day, Corey and Myxy led another workshop called Acting Clues for another group of students. What a fun job to have--helping people remember how to play, and teaching them some of the tricks of the trade! 

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The next morning we had a student matinee at the University of Illinois at Springfield. The theater--a 2,000 seat venue--was nearly full of students from all around the area (many of whom participated in the workshops the day before!). An incredibly well-behaved and rapt group, they got a huge kick out of the show (especially the Montague boys). It's wonderful to know that there's a group of kids that learned and experienced different elements of how theater is created, so when they watch they have a new layer of excitement and pride that they wouldn't have had without the hands-on learning opportunity. That's part of what makes me so proud to be a part of The Acting Company--they have a vested interest in exposing young people to theater, providing educational opportunities, and awakening and encouraging creativity. I remember, when I was younger, I found so much pride in having knowledge about the "how-do-they-do-that?!" elements of theater, and knowing that it was as much my job to use my imagination and mind to believe as it was the company's job to present something. 

That afternoon I had a lovely gift of a moment. I was walking around the city and wandered into a small gift shop. The man working behind the counter (a man probably in his late 20's) saw my bag (which has "The Acting Company" on it) and stopped me. He asked if I was part of the production of "Romeo and Juliet." When I said yes, his eyes lit up and an enormous smile came to his face. He told me that he took part in the Acting Clues workshop the evening before, and went on to say how thrilled he was to have had that opportunity. "I've never gotten to feel Shakespeare," he said. "I'm so used to sitting at a desk in a classroom, reading it, but not necessarily totally understanding it. The workshop seriously opened my mind to what Shakespeare can do." It was such a great feeling to hear that--to know that the work we offer (and the playing that we offer!) really can open the minds of kids AND adults. :)

Yet another wonderful town to play in. On to Cedar Falls, Iowa!

CEDAR FALLS, IA or UFF DA.

March 7, 2010

Next up was Cedar Falls, Iowa. We walked into our hotel to check in, and were met by the screams of 65 children playing in the pool. It seems we crashed some super-cool 8-year-old's birthday bash. We set our things down and set out in search of food and fun that would keep us out of the way of these heavily-caffeinated kids. Luckily, we were within walking distance of a mall, movie theater and as many restaurants as one could hope to choose from.  We kept ourselves occupied until the kids went off to bed.

This seems to be the part of the tour where people are starting to get a little worn down. The lack of sunshine and warm climates is making us all a little stir-crazy and several are fighting off colds, which is no fun at all. However, we were able to take the next afternoon to rest and rejuvenate a bit before taking off for our evening show. The theater was really great, as was the audience, and we had another night where it seemed that we were all listening in a new way. New discoveries were made on stage, which is always fun. The next morning we had a student matinee which went just as well as the night before, and student shows are always incredibly informative. It truly does take a different "muscle" to keep a younger audience engaged, and kids are certainly not going to hold back if they're not having a good time. So it's always a good challenge to flex that muscle and keep the audience with you in a new way. A wonderfully educational experience for us on stage, a very appreciative crowd, a whole lotta vitamin C for the cast and we were on our way out of Cedar Falls.

BRAINERD, MN or WHERE'D THE SET GO?

March 9, 2010

We rolled right along and arrived in Baxter, MN (for our performance in Brainerd) around 10:30 pm. We ate, fell asleep and woke up the next day to an email from our stage manager with some surprising news: due to circumstances beyond our control, we would be performing with only half of our set that night! From what I understand, there was not enough of a local crew to help set up, so our amazing crew was hard at work all day to put up as much of the set as possible--the balcony. The options were to perform with only the balcony and some black curtains, or perform with no set at all. So we arrived at the theater a little earlier than our usual call to walk around and see exactly what we had to work with. 

Oddly enough, it didn't hamper the show. The theater at Central Lakes College is intimate (only a slightly higher capacity than Baruch), which helped. In a huge theater, it might've been really distracting to only have half of the stage filled but, in a small space, it was really just fine! It didn't really affect blocking much and the audience seemed perfectly happy to just go with the flow. We were thrilled to hear that so many people came out to see the show that they were adding seats in as many spots as they could fit. So we certainly weren't going to let the missing half of the set stand in the way.  By the end of the night, that's exactly what we'd done and the crowd very kindly gave us a standing ovation. What a great reminder that when a story is told well, you don't necessarily need all bells and whistles. So thank you to our wonderful, hard working crew; and thank you to our Brainerd audience for your support and for engaging in such an active way! It was a blast to share our production with you!

Now we are heading even further into the rain, to Hartford, Wisconsin. Only two more stops in the Midwest for this second leg of tour, then on to the sunny and warm south! While we all love seeing all the different parts of the Heartland, we can't deny that we're SO looking forward to sunny skies, no more snow and a little beach time! Make sure you keep checking back to hear more about our adventures as we venture on!

HARTFORD, WI or 50th IN THE FOG

March 11, 2010

The drive to Hartford, WI started just fine but, as we got into the evening hours, we encountered some of the thickest fog I've ever seen. For a good two hours or so we couldn't see more than 20 feet or so in front of the bus. When we finally did arrive at our hotel we were all pretty tired from being on the bus all day so we ate a late dinner and some took advantage of the hotel's hot tub and then off to sleep.

In the morning we drove to Slinger High School for our One-Hour performance. The auditorium was filled with 450 freshmen and sophomores who had all read "Romeo and Juliet" as part of their curriculum. They presented us with a challenge of new proportions: we are used to hearing a few cat calls when Romeo and Juliet kiss, nervous giggles, vocal responses to the fights, etc. But this particular group seemed to amp these up. We dealt with laser pointers during soliloquies, very loud jokes, and what seemed to be interminable amounts of giggling at the references to sex or intimacy. At first it was disheartening for us on stage...it felt like no matter what we did the students just weren't engaged in the way we were used to. But, as the time went on, we could see a couple dozen students in the first few rows that were on the edges of their seats, listening intently. It reminded us that while not everybody may take away from this experience what we hope they will, there are ALWAYS those kids that are ready and willing to go along for the ride. After the show, as they all filed out, one boy stayed behind--he spoke to Will Sturdivant (Mercutio) and said, "I have wanted to do 'Romeo and Juliet' ever since I read it freshman year. I'm a senior now, and I think it's amazing. I want to play Mercutio and the way you did it is exactly how I pictured him. Thank you for coming." A true testament to not giving up when the response is not exactly what you hoped for.

That night we went to the beautiful Schauer Arts Center, a state-of-the-art space that seats roughly 700 people. We had an incredibly kind local crew helping us out who really made us feel welcome and cared for. The crew, the great acoustics and the incredibly positive energy of the audience really set us up just perfectly for a great show. And, before we knew it, we were done with our 50th performance!  It's crazy that we're almost exactly half-way through the tour. Depending on the day it feels like we've been doing this forever or for only a few weeks. Our next performance (in Ottumwa, Iowa) will be our last performance in the Midwest. From then on we will be migrating to the south for a bit! Can't wait to escape the foggy, wintry conditions for a good dose of vitamin D and flip-flops!

WEST PALM BEACH, FL

March 18, 2010

We arrived in sunny West Palm Beach after our long drive, which included a trip to Disney World – my first time so it had a lot to live up to!  And it did!

Our WPB hotel was located right next door to the venue--the stunning Kravis Center, where we played for five days to a wide range of audiences. Also nearby was the City Place, a stretch of restaurants, boutiques, bars, movie theaters, and everything our hearts desired.  When we weren't performing or lounging near the pool (life is so hard for us, I know...), we could walk less than ten minutes and find plenty of things to keep ourselves busy. It was wonderful to be in the south; the warm weather, the sun and near to the ocean after so much time spent driving through snow. We all reveled in our time off and went through plenty of sun screen. Many of us had friends and family in surrounding cities who drove to West Palm to see the show and spend some quality time. It was an absolute blast. A week filled with great shows and sold-out student matinees, family, friends, board members and supporters of The Acting Company. 

One night after our performance, board member Starr Moore took the cast, crew, and staff of the company out to Opa Tarverna--a napkin-strewn, festive Greek family-style restaurant where we ate like kings and witnessed a whole bunch of people dancing on tables. Margot, Ian and Paula joined us from the offices in NYC and it was just wonderful to have them with us...even though they refused to dance on tables themselves. :)

As if that celebration wasn't spoiling us enough, we then had the pleasure of joining an entire banquet room filled with The Acting Company board members and donors at the Cafe Boulud in the Brazillian Court for an absolutely divine Benefit dinner after our Sunday matinee. We donned the best clothes we had (which can be a difficult thing, considering we have to carry them around in our suitcases for months leading up to the event!) and spent the early evening talking with those who make our work possible. It was a real treat and a great chance to get to know the people that so generously support us. 

In a significantly less-formal move, Isaac's birthday served as the perfect excuse to paint the town red. After our show, we went to the Blue Martini--where we danced to live music and cut loose. Eventually we made our way to a gay bar (where again some were dancing-on-tables) followed by a late-night stop at a pizza place for those of us who had worked up an appetite. 

All in all, West Palm Beach proved to be one of the best stops so far on tour. We all waited until the very last minute to get back on the bus to start our drive to Chattanooga, enjoying it all to the very last possible second.  We are looking forward to staying at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo, getting back to work on our Alice in Wonderland workshops, and performing in yet another new place! Stay tuned as we wrap up this second leg of our tour!

CHATTANOOGA, TN

(Contributed by Joseph Parks, Company Manager)

We arrived in Chattanooga on March 23 with no expectation of what the city would have to offer us. A week ago, we drove through on the way to West Palm and there was a sense of curiosity as we’d soon be spending a week.

Upon arrival we said goodbye to our bus and driver Jim Glass, who had become a grandfather figure for us all. For the first time we would be without our home away from home, the bus. We checked into The Chattanooga Choo Choo, whose marquis can be seen from miles away. It was a major train station built in 1908 to serve as a gateway to the south from the east and was converted in the 70’s into a hotel. The grand rotunda is now the lobby and the tracks have been converted into a promenade garden. The feel of the hotel matched the period of our show, which really amused me. It is a truly a magical place.

We had two days of workshopping Alice in Wonderland, which ended in a presentation for the theater students on campus of the University of Tennessee. We also offered educational workshops to a welcoming and eager student body and faculty. The students were totally involved in acting in their current production of The Pajama Game as well as hanging our lights and working as running crew on our show.

Both of our performances of Romeo and Juliet were very well received and, as always, was an opportunity for some people to have their first experience with Shakespeare. Isaac taught a viewpoints workshop on our last day that Myxy and I joined in. You could really see how he opened the students’ eyes to movement and the importance of awareness of others and the environment at all times on stage.

On the 30th Bob Boyer, who had graciously been transporting us all over town took us to the airport, which consisted of 5 gates. As we sat in the terminal, we anticipated for our vacation week ahead but I was sad to leave the group. There is a sense of Company unity on this tour and a true enjoyment of each other and I would miss that – even though we’d meet up next week in Shreveport, Louisiana, it would be for our final three weeks of the tour.

Thanks for taking this tour with us!

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To read last year's Tour Journal, January - April, 2009

Click HERE