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Julie Doud as Luisa
What I Love About Playing Luisa
by Julie Doud
It’s been a dream of mine to play Luisa in the Fantasticks for a long time now. What I love about Luisa is that she is sort of a heightened version of my young dreamy-eyed self. The Fantasticks in general takes you back to a time when life was simpler. It makes me think of the way that time for children is so expanded. A week for a child or a teenager is just so much longer psychologically than it is for an adult. And every interaction carries so much more emotional weight when you are young. And playing Luisa is like a ticket to go back to that mode of thinking and feeling. Everything is so vibrant for her. Everything she wants she wants with such a deep and pure passion. And she wants so much more than ordinary life! Being Luisa is like entering into that feeling you have after you read an amazing work of fiction. The characters are so real to you in that moment, the tragedy or the adventure or the romance cuts you deeply, makes your heart pound, and takes your breath away. You just want to dwell in that aftershock – your mind and your heart are excited and you are more alive than you are in ordinary life. And Luisa lives in that heightened mental space in a sustained way. She is, as the play says, “a fantastic.” It can actually be emotionally exhausting to an extent. But it’s a very invigorating.
Another aspect of this role that I love is that as far as musical theatre heroines go Luisa is a bit more quirky than your typical ingenue. As a woman who loves being on the receiving end of great story-telling, and particularly of women’s stories, I love it when ingenues are a bit more three-dimensional. I hope her quirks and her particular brand of insanity resonate with people when they think about their own experiences as young people just waiting for life to begin. It’s also incredibly freeing playing a character like Luisa because she imposes far less restrictions on herself than I would on myself. She is much less self-aware than I was at that age! She’s an open book – and as such is vulnerable which I think is so fun to see on stage.
Apart from that heightened head-space Luisa lives in she also experiences a beautiful story arc. During the course of the show she goes through experiences that change her in profound ways. I love that the way she experiences them is very visceral and theatrical as well – the whole show uses poetry, metaphor, music and theatrical devices so well to get across the feeling of the pain and joy of the growth process across to the audience.
A post about playing Luisa also wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention how much I love the music. The show is full of beautiful songs. And in many cases they are so contextual that you can’t appreciate them fully on their own. I remember running across sheet music to “Much More” when I was in high school and didn’t know the show – and I just found the lyrics quite strange. But once you see the songs within the show – they just belong and are so beautiful musically. So that is very gratifying as a musical theatre performer – to be able to bring these beautiful pieces to life within the context for which they were designed. The duets between Matt and Luisa are especially stand-outs in my opinion – Metaphor, Soon It’s Gonna Rain, and They Were You – and they each tell the story of different stages of love so well musically as well as lyrically. The songs performed by the parents are also quite fun lyrically and comical pieces about the challenges of parenting – Never Say No and Plant a Radish – and I get the sense that I will begin to relate more and more to the parent characters as my own children get older. And just to close out this blog – I would like to add that I am thrilled that we will have live music for this production… many thanks to the talented Kathy Buell for being intrigued enough by the chance to play the score for The Fantasticks to join us in this endeavor!
2017-01-30 22:44:22
Happy New Year! Welcome, 2017!
Timpanogos Valley Theatre is thrilled about its upcoming 2017 season!
We are launching a black-box style series with The Fantasticks just in time for Valentine’s Day. This sweet and thoughtful little musical is filled with drama, romance, comedy, swash-buckling and happy endings. It gently brings audiences back to a simpler time in their lives when no one wept except the willow. The original production ran for over 40 years.
At the end of April, Bye Bye Birdie will burst to life – slated to feature a live rock band for accompaniment with lots of roles for local teens and adults. It should make for an exciting evening as small-town girl Kim McAfee is the winner of superstar Conrad Birdie “One Last Kiss” before he is headed off to join the army. At once celebrating and mocking the teen culture of the late 1950s this show is full of memorable characters and fun songs. It’s sure to entice you to “Put on a Happy Face”.
The Arts Smarts program looks forward to presenting The Trials of Alice in Wonderland and Willy Wonka! Click here to sign up for auditions.
In mid-summer we will be offering a new two-week Young Adult Shakespeare Boot camp for actors ages 14-20. Led by our own David Liddell Thorpe, the actors will hit the boards with the bard’s Taming of the Shrew amidst gales of laughter.
Our fall play promises to be worth a watch – Louis Sachar’s own play adaptation of his award-winning Young Adult novel Holes. It tells the story of Stanley Yelnats – a boy plagued by the curse of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandpa. When he is in the wrong place at the wrong time he is accused of stealing a famous pair of tennis shoes and sentenced to digging holes in the dried up lake-bed at Camp Green Lake. Originally created for the Seattle Children’s Theatre – in the stage adaptation, scenes from the past and the present unfold simultaneously on-stage.
For Halloween – adult performers will team-up with the Arts Smarts kids to put on a special production of We Are Monsters, a short, sweet children’s musical. We anticipate this being an excellent opportunity for whole families to perform together.
To cap things off we plan to have one more black-box production with the Timp Players – title TBD.
Our volunteers are comprised of many local talented and experienced artists who put their heart and soul into the work done at Timpanogos Valley Theatre and we appreciate every single time someone in the valley makes the effort to come out and watch our shows perform!
2017-01-05 07:10:17
An Interview with Serial Killers
Julie Doud attended rehearsal this week and interviewed some actors. Sitting down with Jessica Wall and Emily Metcalf who play the infamous Brewster sisters – Abby and Martha – for a brief interview at their most recent rehearsal for Arsenic and Old Lace, it wasn’t hard to notice that they’ve developed a partnership not unlike that of the duo they play… minus the arsenic of course.
Q – My question for you guys is – what do you feel are the differences between Abby and Martha Brewster?
Emily – I’ll go first. Abby would go first. Abby is a little bit bolder. And she does the talking most of the time. [to Jessica] I’ll let you say the ages.
Jessica – Martha is the oldest sister and so she’s much more reserved so I think when she says something it’s because it’s important to say. Otherwise she kind of stands back and lets Abby do the talking but Martha does make the poison. So…
Emily – She’s the smart one.
Jessica – She’s pretty smart.
Q – Another question – and it’s kind of related – how do the sisters complement each other. Are there any specific ways in which you fill in each other’s gaps?
Emily – I think we’re of the same mind, right? We always know what each other is thinking. And because we’re standing so close to each other too we’re two halves of the same experience, you know? She’s right. She does kind of come in with the important things… except for when you get distracted!
Jessica – That’s true – she gets really distracted.
Emily – Martha loves to serve food. If she hadn’t been so excited to serve pot roast… Jonathan and Dr. Einstein would have been booted out earlier. But she just loves to serve!
Jessica – That’s true. I think Martha really loves to be loved and to give love to other people who need it.
Emily – Even evils – evil nephews.
Jessica – Even evil people that she is terrified of.
Emily – They probably give each other courage too. Because I betcha Abby would be a more timid old lady if she didn’t feel like she was protecting Martha a lot of the time.
Q – Have they lived together their entire lives?
Jessica – Yes.
Emily – Oh, I betcha! There’s no mention of a romantic interest in their past. Those are nephews, they’re not sons.
Jessica – They’ve been there always together – forever.
Emily – I think we were born old.
Jessica – Yeah.
Emily – In lace dresses.
Jessica nods her agreement.
To see their compatibility in action, come watch an Arsenic and Old Lace performance, starting September 16!
2016-08-25 15:29:02
Ode to the Audience
To create art, and to share your art, is one of the most valuable and rewarding endeavors in the civilized world. Anyone who has ever attempted to express the inexpressible, to articulate the inarticulate, in a leisure moment, understands this.
But it’s more than that. Art is a primordial urge that even the caveman felt. We have creation in our DNA, plain and simple: individually, as a soul trying to make sense of its bodily form, and collectively, as a species with higher brain function than we sometimes know what to do with.
In that vein, we hope you know that producing a play is, at its heart, an artistic endeavor. We form a motley crew of people from diverse backgrounds, give them an overall vision, and watch as they scramble to use every tool available to share a message, cultivate an experience, transcend an audience.
This art form is temporary, enduring only a matter of months or weeks. In the case of Arsenic and Old Lace, we had only 6 total chances to perform. There are only 2 left; we’re approaching closing weekend.
It’s time to say thank you. Thank you to each and every member of our audience thus far. Thank you for making the drive through a canyon. Thank you for arranging and paying babysitters. Thank you for staying out later than you might normally. Thank you for setting aside an evening, not fully knowing whether it will be worth it. Thank you for purchasing a ticket when you could have sat at home and watched television for free. Thank you for respecting art, and for being receptive to ours.
One of our directors, Jessica Wall (who skillfully plays Martha in Arsenic and Old Lace) often describes acting as juggling a ball of energy. You can’t see it, but you can feel it. This invisible force is at the mercy of the cast’s teamwork. Each actor can chip away at it, or stoke its fire. With eye contact, with touch, with sheer feeling, we take that ball of energy and pass it back and forth to one another. This is how characters emerge; how stories surpass the set and seduce the imagination.
The audience also has energy. We feel when you’re receptive; we feel when you’re amused. It’s incredible, and makes all the hours of memorization, blocking, painting, and marketing worth it. Art is worth it. If you haven’t succumbed yet, we hope you’ll take the chance this last weekend. We hope you’ll solidify your plans, call up the friend, act on the off-hand thought that you should go see that.
Yes, yes you should. We’ll see you there!
2016-09-29 06:53:31
Arsenic and Old Lace Rehearsals
The cast of Arsenic and Old Lace has been hard at work. Or… play, rather. We have multiple tasks during rehearsals.
We learn blocking (from our ever-so-talented director Nathan Moulton)…
Alter costumes…
Try on wigs…
Sneak dinner… 
Build the stage…
And study lines…
Whew! We know our efforts are worth it. We’re looking forward to hearing uproarious laughter from the audience, the shuffle of multitudes, the crinkle of popcorn bags, the whispers, the stunned silences. Yes, we just might be looking forward to these performances as much as you are. Don’t forget to buy your tickets!
Performance dates are:
September 16 and 17,
23 and 24,
September 30 and October 1.
7 pm.
See you there!
2016-08-11 22:26:57
Family Movie Night!
Tomorrow night, Friday July 22nd, TVT is hosting a Family Movie night. 7 pm.
Come and watch Wreck it Ralph on the big screen!
Concessions will be sold, but admittance is FREE for the whole family.
We have such an awesome, committed and enthusiastic group of teenagers here at the theatre that they decided to officially band together. Dubbed the Teen Advisory Board, this group is dedicated to fostering the relationship between youth and community theatre.
We are so proud of them! Family Movie Night is a project that they wanted to organize and offer to the community. Please come and support their efforts, bring your family, and relax!
ALSO, can we just take a moment to say how awesome Bart Johnson is? He played Coach Bolton in the High School Musical movies, and decided to come party with TVT’s own High School Musical cast. Thank you for the photos and awesome night!
2016-07-21 09:10:54
Audition Recovery
Since we pushed the audition agenda so heavily this month, lets talk about what happens after. What if you didn’t get a part? Or what if you didn’t get the part you wanted?
We all come to community theatre with different backgrounds.
Some of us are studying theatre in school, and want to soak in every experience available. Some of us are professionals who want to hone the craft on a more forgiving platform. Some of us are a little bored with everyday life and just want something fun and engaging to focus on. All of us are to be commended for putting ourselves in a vulnerable position.
(Full disclosure: I have personally only auditioned 4 times. Never got the role I wanted. Always ended up loving the role I was given.)
The audition panel has a tough job deciding which actor fits which role, and then determining whether the puzzle pieces will fit together with sizzling chemistry.
I’ve been on the audition panel for our children’s productions, and I know how they agonize over every little part, and every little actor. The Arts Smarts team gives a role to each child who auditions. But the grown-up community shows are, of course, more like adult life: not all who apply can get the job.
Just in case I’m not the only one who gets highly emotional and stressed out over auditioning, here are some tips for adjusting your perspective from a more seasoned actress and auditioner: Julie Doud {who self-reports getting cast about half the time, once in awhile gets awesome dream roles, always tries to bring her “A” game, and generally believes even disappointing casting usually ends up for the best}
YES, that’s the kinda gal we need to hear from! Ok, take it away Julie:
- True failure at being an actor can only happen if you don’t try. It is courageous to audition for a show – to try and to fail is an excellent accomplishment in and of itself.
- I know it’s hard, but try to remember and believe sometimes not getting a part is truly not a reflection on your own merits and suitability for a role on its own. Many times it has a lot more to do with other actors who auditioned for other parts and how the pieces fit together. I’ve directed a handful of shows and know this first-hand.
- Be gracious no matter the outcome. Audition outcomes are always an opportunity to practice grace – whether you are denied something you greatly desire, get cast as something you feel luke-warm about, or get the BEST ROLE EVER be gracious in rejection, be gracious toward those who did not get cast or who wanted your part, be gracious to the person who got the role you wanted. Always respect the opportunities you are given.
Christie Delbridge in “Drowsy Chaperone.”
- When you audition, even when you aren’t cast, you are laying groundwork. Someone noticed your talent, your effort. You learned something by doing the audition, you will have new and better approaches next time. Maybe you put a new monologue under your belt. Someone will remember you when you come back for another audition.
- One of my acting teachers once told me that for an actor “the audition is the work, and the work is the perk.” If you want to act and to be an actor then you just keep working at it, just keep auditioning, brush yourself off again and again. Sometimes it begins to feel like there is only one possible production of one possible play with only one possible character that will make you a happy fulfilled actor. But there are many opportunities in theatre – find your niche, join an acting workshop, pay your dues, have fun with the part you are given (it might end up becoming one of your favorite roles), work your way up, and just keep swimming.
Glorious members of “The Drowsy Chaperone” cast.
- Think about it – even the most talented actors and actresses in the world can’t and don’t get to play all the roles they would like to have. Every actor builds a career piece by piece.
- Last but not least, a production needs more than the cast. When you don’t get a part, take a moment to breathe, readjust, and figure out if there is another way you would like to get involved. Working behind the scenes allows the production team a chance to get to know you, and that can help you out the next time you decide to audition.
(Speaking of… someone help us remember to take a professional quality photograph of the amazing people running the tech booth in our next production.) And thanks Julie, for the words of wisdom!
2016-07-28 09:10:14
5 Reasons You Should Audition for a TVT Comedy
Hey there! My name is Nathan Moulton. I’ve been around TVT for a while. Since the beginning, actually. I played Sheriff Virgil St. Vigil in the very first melodrama that the theater company ever produced, Last Chance Inn, Calamity Gulch, way back in 2003. Since then I’ve had fun directing and performing in other shows, including Blythe Spirit, Singin’ in the Rain, The Nerd, Forever Plaid and Into the Woods. My wife, Christie, and I have made many lifelong friends in our involvement with TVT. But enough about me…
As you probably know, auditions for Arsenic and Old Lace are coming up in just a few days. I’m directing the show and wanted to entice you and your friends to come join us.
So here we go.
First, the plot teaser
Mortimer Brewster is a theater critic who wants to marry the love of his life, Elaine Harper. But when he learns that his two sweet aunts, Abby and Martha, have taken to “helping” lonely old men by serving them a glass of elderberry wine and poison, his previously stable life begins to unravel. Add to that one crazy brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt and another crazy brother who returns from a homicidal past of his own, and shenanigans ensue.
Murder, deception, insanity … sounds fun, doesn’t it?
Okay, with that out of the way, here are some other reasons you should join us for this comedy:
1. No singing required.
Some of us enjoy it, but I know that even the thought of singing on stage strikes terror in the hearts of many people. But this isn’t a musical! So you can just come ham it up without worrying about matching pitch.
2. You will make people laugh.
There’s nothing more satisfying than hearing an audience laugh. It’s instant feedback that you’re doing a good job.
3. Be the bad guy (without the consequences)
Or be the good guy if you’re already the bad guy. What I’m saying is you can have fun pretending to be someone with a completely different set of morals than yourself.
4. You’re more likely to get a part.
Even though the cast isn’t very big, fewer people tend to audition for non-musical comedies, so your chances of landing a role are really quite good! (Disclaimer: If this blog post goes viral and entices hundreds of people to sign up for auditions, please don’t hate me for luring you in under false pretense.)
For Arsenic and Old Lace, we especially need men. So if you’re a guy who’s been on the fence, we need you!
5. It feels good to let loose.
I’m speaking from experience here. My wife would probably tell you I have no emotion in real life. But when I’m on stage performing, I let it out and just have fun. You can be crazy on stage and then return to your normal self when it’s all done. It’s a great creative outlet.
Bonus: You will make life-long friends and great memories.
This is probably the biggest reason people keep coming back to do show after show. Community theater is full of fun, friendly people. Some of our closest friends are people we never knew before a TVT show, and I know many others will tell you the same thing.
See you at auditions!
2016-07-16 17:17:14
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