It’s All Pretend, Fran
Sing along if you know it: “No one just bursts out in song and dance!”
This is not a theatre blog
Apparently It Isn’t Woolf They’re Actually Afraid Of
I’m still reeling a bit about a recent decision by the estate of Edward Albee re: a production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: According to sources, the estate of the late playwright, Edward Albee, demanded that a theatre company in Oregon, The Complete Works Project, who was producing Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, fire …
Apparently It Isn’t Woolf They’re Actually Afraid Of Read More »
Fan-Directing: Sweeney Todd
The recent PBS showing of Sweeney Todd in concert nudged a lot of ideas I have about the show again. Since I’m not a director and never want to be one, I sort of figure the only way I’m going to get those ideas out in any fashion will be to write my way through …
Just Love Me (but Not On the Lips)
I’m still ambivalent about a The Last 5 Years1 film, largely because its concept has always seemed so tied to live theatre. Mind you, I don’t mind adaptation. It happens all the time. Filmmakers adjust stories to better fit the new medium and I totally think they should. That said, the central conceit of The …
Internal Conflict
Venice Theatre, whom I last mentioned when their open secret of paying some but not all performers went public, has decided to modify the script some more. They announced a move hinted at in the previous Jay Handelman article on the subject of payment–acting internships: The chosen actors will get housing and a small weekly …
Throwing Coins with the Roses
Venice Theatre (née Venice Little Theatre) has had something of an open secret amongst local community theatre actors and assorted other theatre folk for a while now. This weekend, local critic Jay Handelman outed them: While preparing to write a story about the upcoming Venice Theatre production of “Oklahoma!” I discovered that the actor playing …
Said Inigo Montoya to Vezzini
I live in an area which is fairly unique in the way its community theatres run. Shows are on 5 to 6 days a week, sometimes putting on shows twice in the same day. Production staff who work at the local Equity houses likewise direct and design for the community set. There’s a much closer …
Who Drood It?: Posterized
Yes, I disappeared. I don’t know how widespread the term “Hell Week” is when discussing the week and change leading up to a show opening, but, well … yeah. That’s where I’ve been. I did, however, manage to put together all those D(r)oodles I’ve been doing and take another crack at some marketing materials. Wonkery …
D(r)oodles: Was the Pen Deadlier Than the Sword?
It’s the final suspect, folks. Assistant to the good Revered Crisparkle, aspiring author, but little-seen in our tale, is the mysterious Mr. Bazzard: Uh oh. It appears Mr. Bazzard may have taken “poison pen” a bit literally…
D(r)oodles: An Exorcise … in Murder?
Keeper of the faith in fair Cloisterham, guardian and mentor to the Landless twins, we come to Reverend Crisparkle: I’m sure he’s just planning to do some carpentry with that hammer and those very large spikes. Right?