Author: Brian Wall

What I Love About Playing Luisa

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

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

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

Tomorrow night, Friday July 22^nd, 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

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.

  

• 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.

  

• 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

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

Arts Smarts bootcamps are underway! High school Musical came and went like a bright, shining star.  Now we’re darkening and spookifying the stage for We Are Monsters kids to perform this Friday night at 7, Saturday at 3, and Saturday again at 7.

Have you ever been to a children’s summer theatre boot camp?

Chaos. Pure chaos.

We have nearly 50 kids right now rehearsing for We Are Monsters. They spend 3 hours a day (in the afternoon heat) working on songs, choreography, characterization, lines, backstage etiquette, makeup, costumes, mic changes… oh, it’s madness all right.

And it’s magic, too. If you take a minute to stop and listen, you’ll be amazed by what else is going on.

“I have my big solo in the next scene.”

I overheard this yesterday in the green room (where performers rest when not on stage.)

The words came from a 6-year-old girl, sitting on the edge of her seat, knees hugged to her chest.   I couldn’t tell from her tone of voice exactly how she felt about her statement. It was a neutral announcement, to no one in particular.

She was staring into space, focusing on something in her imagination. I watched as a small, crooked smile crept across her face. Her chin lifted ever so slightly.

And that’s theatre for you. Courage and pride and nerves and self-talk. It tickles me pink knowing that children as young as 4 years old can encounter such personal growth.

My 7 year old son has been in many plays, but this is the first production in which he can easily read his own lines.  I’m pretty sure that all the highlighted scripts he’s held in his hands over the past couple years have motivated him more than anything to practice reading.

And then there’s the teamwork aspect.  Last weekend was the final showing of High School Musical, but I hear that cast members are still hanging out and singing along to the movie.   This was our older group of performers: 10 and up.  I wasn’t there for rehearsals, but in the first performance something happened which illustrates the confidence and skill of our theatre students:

Kara Scott, playing Gabriella Montez, and Connor McMaster, playing Troy Bolton, were on stage and about to sing a duet from opposite corners of the stage.

Their music didn’t start. Tech problems always happen; it’s inevitable. At some point you have to decide whether to stall awkwardly, attempt to improvise some dialogue, or go on with the show. Kara went for it, acapella. Connor joined in.

The hush in the theater, pierced by their sweet voices….

Chills, people. Bonafide chills. That’s how many life skills right there?

Thinking on your feet..

Trusting your partner…

Overcoming nerves…

Doing the job without complaint (imagine if they’d broken character to glare at the sound booth and yell “Cue music!”)

And that’s not to mention the hours of practice behind this moment. These kids have endurance, patience, and a glowing work ethic.

Chaos?  Yes. But take a seat, dim the lights.   You’ll see there’s method to our madness (ahem… magic.)

Want to witness the results of our monsters’ hard work?  Purchase tickets here for this weekend!

2016-06-23 11:08:56

Auditions are coming up next week (July 19) for Arsenic and Old Lace.  If you’re still on the fence about auditioning, check out this article by Rick Kellogg, a theatre newbie who turned out to be a natural.  He was absolutely hilarious on stage, and I look forward to watching him again!

If you are saying to yourself, “I’d like to try out for a play sometime,” I would simply say, first: stop talking to yourself; people will think you’re odd.

And second, go for it. It is completely worth it. There are several unexpected benefits.  Where else can you get that instant feedback from an audience who is laughing at the hilarious lines you may deliver or applauding a well-performed dance number?

Where else can you collaborate and click with other creative cast members as you try to make a script come alive and uncover new comical nuances of your character?

And it’s a great way to form friendships with all the cast, crew, directors and the scores of people who make the theater work–a fun-loving, energetic crew of slightly off-kilter folks who are united in producing something great and making sure the audiences are entertained.

Performing in a theatrical production is not without its challenges. There is a significant time commitment to do well in your role. There are lots of rehearsals, and some of them seem to last all night. You may have to memorize a good deal of dialogue, which gets tougher to do at my age–and your family members may get tired of hearing your dialogue around the house.

If you are in a musical–and this was a shock to me–you may actually have to sing and dance. I tried to get out of any dance number I could, and the one finale number was tough for me to memorize the steps, but it all went well, eventually.

I wasn’t nervous to be on the stage in front of an audience–perhaps a career of public speaking inoculated me from that concern. But if you are worried about being in front of a crowd, don’t be. The stage lights are so bright that you can’t see the audience anyway. And you are hidden in a costume and a character that gives you carte blanche to be as silly or zany or outrageous as you like.

I didn’t mind putting on the ridiculous golf outfit with the purple pom-pom and the too-tight sweater. It wasn’t me out there, being laughed at. It was J.B. Biggley. (At least, I hope it was.)

I commented several times to fellow cast members that I felt like I had joined some sort of theatrical cult. Most everyone in the cast had been in (multiple) productions before.

They have a language and rituals that are all their own.

They pass around the energy ball.

They chop bananas.

They offer and decline imaginary plates of spaghetti.

They recite, “The lips, the teeth, the tip of the tongue, the articulatory tools.”

They talk about decrescendo and fortissimo. All of these things may seem foreign and strange to the uninitiated. Just go with it. It all makes sense eventually.

The great thing about community theater is the sense of community. Once you are there, you belong–even if it’s your first time ever backstage. The cast, crew, directors, costumers, set designers, choreographers–everyone comes from very distinct backgrounds and has plenty of other things going on in their lives.

Yet they all come together and devote an impressive amount of time, talent and energy into creating something that will hopefully entertain a few dozen people for a couple of hours one Friday night. And everyone is invested in making sure that each other member succeeds, so that the entire show can be a success.

If you’re thinking about dipping your toe in the theatrical waters, by all means, do so. I thought about it for years. After closing my first play, I can only wonder: what took me so long?

Thanks, Rick!  We can’t wait to see what your next stage adventure will be.  Don’t forget, sign up to audition here on July 19!

2016-07-14 12:10:25