And now for the reeeeeeally scary ghost! The ghost of Theatre Future!
Well, not really. The future looks good doesn’t it? At NC Stage we’re looking forward to beginning rehearsals for Boeing-Boeing in the immediate future. Scott Treadway and I have done three shows together over the past year and I directed him in one. But with all that time spent with Treadway over the last year, I’m still looking forward to spending even MORE time with him on Boeing-Boeing.
Later this spring, One Flea Spare will be directed by Angie and I know she’s been looking forward to that one for a while. What an amazing play! And then our Immediate Theatre Project friends, (the ITPeeps) will round out the year with what I’m sure will be an amazing production of the American classic, The Glass Menagerie.
As we wrap up this season, we’re also thinking ahead to future seasons. Next season will mark our 10th season of producing professional theatre in Asheville. It’s almost unbelievable to me that we’ve been doing this for 10 years.
So, what do we do to mark the occasion? Every one around the office is just itching to do part 2 of Angels In America, maybe along with part one performed in repertory… There are other plays on our short list for next season for next season that are pretty exciting to us, but we’re always interested to hear suggestions (feel free to post something in the comments if you have ideas).
As for the long-term future, there are a couple of big projects that Angie and I have been day-dreaming about, which we hope will turn into a reality, just as our daydream of a professional theatre in Asheville has become a reality. One of those daydreams involves another local arts organization, with whom we’ve recently worked, and a possible co-production of a profoundly amazing play. Another involves a collaboration with a funk band on a Shakespeare play. And yet another involves an adaptation of a novel that has a lot of meaning for Angie and me (we were both reading it when we started dating) and a lot of meaning for Western North Carolina. And it would involve music too. How can anything about Western North Carolina NOT involve music?
But of course, all these things are only possible with the support of our community. I hope you’ll take an opportunity before the tax year ends to support NC Stage’s work THIS year.
You can make an instand donation to NC Stage via the JustGive link, and help us make great theatre for Asheville and Western North Carolina for the next year and for years to come.
And don’t be a stranger. Share your hopes for the future on the blog. Visit the Facebook page and become a fan. Follow us on Twitter. But most of all, come see a play in 2011.
Happy New Year everyone! Be safe and keep telling your story!
Charlie
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
So thankful. A visit from the ghost of theatre present.
I hope your holiday weekend was pleasant and stress free and that you were able to celebrate and commemorate the story that means the most to you. Asheville had a white Christmas, which was actually really pleasant and relaxing, considering the busy fall we’ve had at NC Stage!
How busy, you ask?
We started out with the news that we had been voted readers favorite theatre company in the Mountain Xpress readers poll right before we dove into the Bard-a-thon back in September and about 200 participants read 12 Shakespeare plays over a 48 hour period. And yes, it was fun! But it also raised around $9,000 toward our programming and it was a great kick off to an exciting season.
Immediately after that wound down, and I mean immediately, we started rehearsals for Angels in America. Angie directed that so I was hanging with our kids while she tackled that behemoth of a play. Nearly 2,000 people attended Angels. It’s a play we’ve wanted to produce for quite awhile and we feel very fortunate that we got to do it and that we received such a positive response from the audience.
Then, while that was going on, we started rehearsals for three, count ‘em, THREE productions of Live From WVL Radio Theatre: It’s A Wonderful Life. This adaptation of the movie is something we’ve been doing with our partners Immediate Theatre Project (or the ITPeeps as we like to call them) since 2006.
Production #1 was a partnership with Flat Rock Playhouse, with performances at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. On December 4th that cast moved to Charlotte where we partnered with the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center for a 2 week run in the Booth Theatre, while a replacement cast rehearsed and opened at the Courthouse in Hendersonville (Production #2) . I directed those productions so I had 2 trips to Charlotte in as many days! Meanwhile, our tour version – Production #3, produced by Immediate Theatre Project, was rehearsing and then went out on a multi-state tour that wound up on December 23rd in Newton-Conover, NC after visiting Maryland, Ohio, Illinois, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. All told, more than 5,000 people attended these three productions and experienced the message that “one person’s life touches so many others”.
Then MEANWHILE, Angie was directing scenes from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Asheville Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer at the Thomas Wolf Auditorium in mid November. It was a fantastic blending of actors, instruments, and voices.
We’re pooped. But it’s a good kind of pooped, and we are really enjoying the quiet of the snow before the storm of the second half of our season. More on that in the third email you will be visited by soon.
So as I reflect on the first part of the season with its great partnerships and collaborations and think to the next part, I’m reminded of something I read earlier today. (ok, I was perusing Twitter and came across this tweet); “Do NOT use this week to plan for 2011. Devote this week to thanking folks for support in the past year.”
If I don’t say it enough, let me say it now. Thank you. To all of the people who value theatre and NC Stage, to the hard working professionals that it’s my privilege to work with every day, to the board of directors, to everyone of you who’ve attended a play or convinced one of your friends to come see a play, and to every one of you who’ve contributed time, resources and money to NC Stage. Your support counts more than we can ever express and we are indeed lucky to be in such a beautiful, supportive place with people like you.
JustGive.org
How busy, you ask?
We started out with the news that we had been voted readers favorite theatre company in the Mountain Xpress readers poll right before we dove into the Bard-a-thon back in September and about 200 participants read 12 Shakespeare plays over a 48 hour period. And yes, it was fun! But it also raised around $9,000 toward our programming and it was a great kick off to an exciting season.
Immediately after that wound down, and I mean immediately, we started rehearsals for Angels in America. Angie directed that so I was hanging with our kids while she tackled that behemoth of a play. Nearly 2,000 people attended Angels. It’s a play we’ve wanted to produce for quite awhile and we feel very fortunate that we got to do it and that we received such a positive response from the audience.
Then, while that was going on, we started rehearsals for three, count ‘em, THREE productions of Live From WVL Radio Theatre: It’s A Wonderful Life. This adaptation of the movie is something we’ve been doing with our partners Immediate Theatre Project (or the ITPeeps as we like to call them) since 2006.
Production #1 was a partnership with Flat Rock Playhouse, with performances at the Historic Henderson County Courthouse. On December 4th that cast moved to Charlotte where we partnered with the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center for a 2 week run in the Booth Theatre, while a replacement cast rehearsed and opened at the Courthouse in Hendersonville (Production #2) . I directed those productions so I had 2 trips to Charlotte in as many days! Meanwhile, our tour version – Production #3, produced by Immediate Theatre Project, was rehearsing and then went out on a multi-state tour that wound up on December 23rd in Newton-Conover, NC after visiting Maryland, Ohio, Illinois, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. All told, more than 5,000 people attended these three productions and experienced the message that “one person’s life touches so many others”.
Then MEANWHILE, Angie was directing scenes from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Asheville Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer at the Thomas Wolf Auditorium in mid November. It was a fantastic blending of actors, instruments, and voices.
We’re pooped. But it’s a good kind of pooped, and we are really enjoying the quiet of the snow before the storm of the second half of our season. More on that in the third email you will be visited by soon.
So as I reflect on the first part of the season with its great partnerships and collaborations and think to the next part, I’m reminded of something I read earlier today. (ok, I was perusing Twitter and came across this tweet); “Do NOT use this week to plan for 2011. Devote this week to thanking folks for support in the past year.”
If I don’t say it enough, let me say it now. Thank you. To all of the people who value theatre and NC Stage, to the hard working professionals that it’s my privilege to work with every day, to the board of directors, to everyone of you who’ve attended a play or convinced one of your friends to come see a play, and to every one of you who’ve contributed time, resources and money to NC Stage. Your support counts more than we can ever express and we are indeed lucky to be in such a beautiful, supportive place with people like you.
JustGive.org
Monday, December 20, 2010
A visit from the ghost of Theatre Past
Woooooo.....You will be visited by three blog posts this holiday season, expressing the joys of theatre past, present and future. Read these messages from Artistic Director Charlie Flynn-McIver, and if you feel so moved, support NC Stage with a contribution before 2010 is gone. Remember what the ghost of Jacob Marley said to Scrooge..."BUSINESS? Mankind was my business! Their common welfare was my business!"
Warmest of holiday greetings to you!
Recently I've been thinking about an aspect of the holiday season that is often overlooked. Whatever you celebrate during this time of year, it’s all predicated on a story. And not just any story, but a compelling story about triumph over adversity, about compassion from strangers, about hope for a future of peace and kindness.
The existence of NC Stage is also predicated on the notion of telling stories. We seek out plays that capture the imagination and speak to some universal truth about the human experience. A playwright's job is to take these universal, abstract stories and make them concrete for us - to connect them to the here and now. And our job as theatre professionals is to create a conduit between the audience and the playwright’s story. Whether it’s a Shakespeare tragedy or an American classic or a contemporary drama or farce, the plays we produce help us understand the unfamiliar and experience the familiar in a new and profound way.
We hope that you value this as a vital part of your life and as a necessary part of your community. We certainly couldn’t do it without your help and financial support, but more importantly, we couldn't do it without your participation in the performance. Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It exists to be seen and evaluated from the unique experience you bring to the theatre.
So as we all wind down this year and begin a new one, I'd like to take a moment to tell each other our stories. Think of the stories that have been an important part of who you are and where you’ve been. Please post a comment and tell us what plays you have found to be irresistibly compelling stories, and what you felt like after seeing them. And if you value the stories that NC Stage tells, I hope you'll also consider making a donation online before the end of the year.
Thanks!
Charlie Flynn-McIver
P.S. Charlie starts off the comments section with a story about the founding of NC Stage and a play about an East German transsexual that changed his life.
Warmest of holiday greetings to you!
Recently I've been thinking about an aspect of the holiday season that is often overlooked. Whatever you celebrate during this time of year, it’s all predicated on a story. And not just any story, but a compelling story about triumph over adversity, about compassion from strangers, about hope for a future of peace and kindness.
The existence of NC Stage is also predicated on the notion of telling stories. We seek out plays that capture the imagination and speak to some universal truth about the human experience. A playwright's job is to take these universal, abstract stories and make them concrete for us - to connect them to the here and now. And our job as theatre professionals is to create a conduit between the audience and the playwright’s story. Whether it’s a Shakespeare tragedy or an American classic or a contemporary drama or farce, the plays we produce help us understand the unfamiliar and experience the familiar in a new and profound way.
We hope that you value this as a vital part of your life and as a necessary part of your community. We certainly couldn’t do it without your help and financial support, but more importantly, we couldn't do it without your participation in the performance. Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It exists to be seen and evaluated from the unique experience you bring to the theatre.
So as we all wind down this year and begin a new one, I'd like to take a moment to tell each other our stories. Think of the stories that have been an important part of who you are and where you’ve been. Please post a comment and tell us what plays you have found to be irresistibly compelling stories, and what you felt like after seeing them. And if you value the stories that NC Stage tells, I hope you'll also consider making a donation online before the end of the year.
Thanks!
Charlie Flynn-McIver
P.S. Charlie starts off the comments section with a story about the founding of NC Stage and a play about an East German transsexual that changed his life.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Boeing-Boeing tickets on sale NOW!
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| 9:59:57...58...59... 10 AM! Finally! I'm calling NC Stage right now. |
The time has come...
to get your Boeing-Boeing tickets!
If you're thinking "Gee, it seems early..." then you're right. It's a bit earlier than when we usually put tickets on sale for our shows, but we know seats are going to fly faster than a Concorde. Also, it's a great gift for a theatre-/farce-/fun-loving loved one, so if you're looking for a last-minute Christmas gift, or a really early Valentine's Day present, this is a good one. Plus, it's got the duo of all duos in it: Charlie Flynn-McIver and Scott Treadway, so why wait? Call our box office now (or go online) and you can get your top-choice seats! We look forward to hearing from you - 828.239.0263.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Local is the New Black... Friday
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| New logo from the Asheville Grown Business Alliance |
This Friday, November 26 -- BLACK FRIDAY, as it's commonly known in the advertising and big-box, chain store world -- we encourage you to shop local for your presents this holiday season.
Have a theatre-lover in your life? (If you're reading this blog, you probably are one and know a few others, presumably.) We've got gift ideas for you! How about the script of one of our upcoming spring productions -- Boeing-Boeing, One Flea Spare, or The Glass Menagerie -- from our official 2010-2011 script purveyors, Malaprop's Bookstore, in addition to an NCSC gift certificate for tickets to see the show? Perfect combination, no? Or how about getting someone a flex pass for the rest of the season? Perhaps you can pair a gift certificate from one of the many excellent independent restaurants in town with an NCSC gift certificate for tickets to make a night of it?
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| Can you see it? |
Buying local really does make a difference, so please take that into consideration this holiday season. We appreciate it, too, of course! Any questions about gift certificates or our season, give us a call: 828.239.0263! We'd love to hear from you. Keep us PLAY-ing LOCAL!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Live from... the Historic Henderson County Courthouse?
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| Photo courtesy of the Baker-Barber Collection |
YES! Today is the day! We have our first performance of our co-production of Live from WVL Radio Theatre: It's a Wonderful Life tonight, and we're excited. That's right, in case you haven't yet heard, we've partnered with Flat Rock Playhouse to mount our annual seasonal production of It's a Wonderful Life in the Historic Henderson County Courthouse in downtown Hendersonville. As a result of the change of location, there are now more opportunities to see the play! Opening today, Friday, November 19, and running through Thursday, December 23, there are 40 performances in total. A couple of other great things about this partnership are: 1) There is more parking (and it's FREE!) and, 2) The variety and opportunity to check out the many excellent restaurants in downtown Hendersonville -- including Flight Wood Grill & Wine Bar, Thai Spice, West First Wood-Fired Pizza, and others -- is fantastic.
NC Stage regularly collaborates with our Partner Company-in-Residence, immediate theatre project, to put this play on in the holiday season. In fact, the script is an adaptation by Willie Repoley, who is also performing in it. As is frequently said, theatre is a collaborative art, and when there are great artistic minds around, like there are down at Flat Rock Playhouse, it just seems natural to work together. Flat Rock had great results after mounting two productions in the courthouse earlier this year, 12 Angry Men and A Few Good Men, and we commend them for using a non-traditional performance space. If you got to see 12 Angry Men at the courthouse, then you got to see some of our favorite guys up on stage: Charlie, Willie, Michael MacCauley, and Scott Treadway, among others. (And you can see them on stage again soon!)
So, are you coming? We hope so. Tickets are available through Flat Rock Playhouse's website or by calling 828-693-0731.
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Do you have any recommendations (restaurants, shops, etc.) for folks heading to Hendersonville to see the show? If so, please share!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
November 'No Shame'
We'll have NUN of it.
It's that time again... time for your monthly dose of 'No Shame Theatre' at NC Stage! No Shame Theatre is an open performance venue for original and compelling works of theatre. Pieces arrive up to an hour before show time. They’re cast, rehearsed, and put on stage in front of a live audience an hour later.
We have only three rules:
1) Work must be original,
2) Short (under 5 minutes), and,
3) You can't break anything or anyone.
This Saturday, November 13
10 PM to do it; 11 PM to watch other people do it.
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We here at NC Stage want to know:
When was the last time you felt utterly shameless?
too long ago to remember? maybe you should come by the theatre this Saturday...
Thursday, November 4, 2010
THE END IS NEAR *
* See Angels at NC Stage! - Run Ends SUNDAY 11/7
Fun Internet Search Anecdote:
It's true! The apocalypse is here, if you take the definition from the Greek, meaning 'revelation' or 'lifting of the veil.' Angels in America is an apocalypse in itself!
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It's hard to believe we're in our final week of performances of Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, but it's true. Time flies, but don't let it fly by you this weekend if you haven't seen this production yet. As I'm writing this, there are only 95 tickets left spread over the four remaining performances -- WAIT -- make that three remaining performances; tonight is sold out. Word's been spreading and the word is good. (As are the pictures! Credit: Treadshots Photography)
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| Jorja Ursin as Hannah Pitt |
Speaking of words, if you have seen the show already and want to read the play, head to Malaprop's, our lovely neighbor and script purveyor for the 2010-2011 NCSC Season. And let us remind you, our production is only Part One! Tony Kushner's masterpiece is so epic, it's a two-part play, and Part Two, AKA Perestroika, picks up where Millennium Approaches leaves off. The story continues!
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| Andrew Livingston and Michael MacCauley as Joe Pitt and Roy Cohn |
So pass the word along and share your Angels story with a friend, or with us! We love hearing from patrons, so give us a call, write on our blog, send an email, or write us a letter -- however you want to communicate we're open to it. Hope to see you this weekend!
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| Andrew Livingston and Rebecca Morris as Joe and Harper Pitt |
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
What does 'Angels' mean to you?
But if you have seen it -- either our production or elsewhere --
and you're ready to share, we'd like to hear from you:
What does 'Angels' mean to you?
If you haven't been following the blog, you can go back and read what some of the designers and other production people have said about their experiences with the play. Also, we have what actor Willie Repoley shared with us on the significance of the play not just on a large scale, but personally as well. (A similar post about Angels that Willie wrote after we read Millennium Approaches a couple years ago in the (For)Play Series caught the attention of someone writing an article about the resurgence of Angels productions for its 20th anniversary, and now you can find a quote from Willie in the most recent Newsweek!)
Basically, we'd love to hear from you. Anything you've got... and if you'd rather share in person, we have three community discussions with Western North Carolina AIDS Project coming up regarding the play and AIDS. They are Friday, October 29 after the show; Saturday, October 30 at 2 PM; and Saturday, November 6 after the show. Angie Flynn-McIver will be at this Saturday's discussion if you have any questions for her. And don't forget to tell your friends to come see the show! Send 'em our link to buy tickets online: ncstage.tix.com or they can call our box office at 828.239.0263.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Visual Stimuli: Worldwide 'Angels' Poster Designs
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| NCSC's Basic Angels poster design |
While I was doing some research on the production history of Angels in America, I came across a number of production posters from all over -- from college productions to Broadway, small town America to the Netherlands. Fascinating stuff, though many seem to focus heavily on the Angel or wings feature. Here are some I've come across... any thoughts, please share 'em! Thanks for reading and watch for more poster posts in the coming days.
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The poster for the original Broadway production in 1993.
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A more recent production of Angels from Amsterdam, the Netherlands... strays farther from the Angel/wing theme than many of the others.
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Fort Lewis College in Colorado seemed to keep with the Angel bit for their poster, perhaps inspired by the Broadway poster, no? Very similar vulnerable pose for the angel.
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Interesting choice for a poster design... really embraces the setting being that of New York. Quite busy design, wings are very eerie for this one.
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Hmm... well, I know what play I'd be going to see, that's for sure. It just doesn't keep my attention for long.
Now this one has an interesting story... Intiman Theatre in Seattle produced both Part One (Millennium Approaches) and Part Two (Perestroika). From what I read on this design was that this poster was for Part One and the other half was for Part Two. The Intiman was the first regional theatre awarded the rights to the play, and Part One closed their 1994 season and Part Two opened their 1995 season. Perhaps the design seemed confusing to folks, but I find it very intriguing in the mystery of what is 'missing.'
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So, any thoughts? We'd love to hear from you. Watch for more posts in the coming days, and be sure to come out to see Angels at NC Stage!
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Hmm... well, I know what play I'd be going to see, that's for sure. It just doesn't keep my attention for long.
I really like this one. It stays with the wing design, but remains simple and still it brings in the many themes of the play in the intricate feather-newspaper-clippings.
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As the poster says, this was the design for the British Premiere in the early 90s. Like the previous poster, it is very simple, but visually appealing in its simplicity. This one was produced at The National Theatre.
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So, any thoughts? We'd love to hear from you. Watch for more posts in the coming days, and be sure to come out to see Angels at NC Stage!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Free Fall - Notes from Angie
Our first Angels blog post this season shared a bit from Angie about why NC Stage chose to produce the play in the first place. Today, the first night of our public performances (and Pay-What-You-Can Night), we have another snippet from Angie -- this time about how this amazingly talented ensemble has really come together in this project to put forth some stunning work. We had a smaller audience for our dress rehearsal last night, and our set designer, James Johnson, took some pictures. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll be seeing them in the very near future. For now, feast your eyes on the words of Angie Flynn-McIver, the director of Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches.
Free Fall
"When I start thinking about a play I’m directing, I begin with the cast. That may seem obvious. For me, though, choosing the people I’ll be working with for upwards of thirty hours a week, spending days and nights, many meals, the requisite company-wide cold, the change of season…the decisions are crucial and can’t be fixed once we move forward. So I agonize and labor over casting, dragging it out for weeks.
And then it’s done. And we’re in rehearsal. And all the auditions and moving around of headshots and list-making start to pay off. At the time of this writing, we are a little more than a week from our first performance. Rehearsals are going well, and we moved onto the set last weekend. But this play is huge, and even though we’ve had an extra week of rehearsal, I feel like I could use another week, or two; I’m afraid I’ll miss something. But aaahhh! The actors! They are smart, and they understand their craft. I can throw myself off the trapeze, calling, “Heeeeey! We have to fix this blocking but I’m out of ideas!” and one actor or another, or all eight of them, will swing by and grab me by the wrists, keeping us all aloft, or we all fall into the net and laugh and pick ourselves up again and tackle the dilemma of the moment together.
Theatre is a collaborative art. We are all in this thing together. The cast of Angels in America is a great example of this, in part because the cast is a mix of actors I’ve worked with before and some new faces. I love the rapport I have with an actor like Willie Repoley (playing Prior) because he and I have worked together half a dozen times—we know each other’s shorthand and trust each other implicitly. It’s also great to get to work with people I haven’t directed before, like Dusty McKeelan (playing Louis) because the newness keeps me on my game and pushes me to be better. The chemistry of the cast provides its own momentum, in many ways, and informs the process as well as the production."
Friday, October 8, 2010
Kat Martin, Production Assistant
We've been learning all kinds of fun facts about one particular member of our Angels production team lately, and that is intern and production assistant Kat Martin. Just the other day we found out that Kat's dad works with a company that owns and flies the biggest kite in the world. For real, it's in the Guinness Book of World Records. It's an American flag. Also, Kat's grandfather served two terms as governor of North Carolina. Remember Gov. James Grubbs Martin? Well, that's Grandpa to Kat. Her uncle, Joe Martin, also was in the news. When the 1996 Charlotte Rep Angels controversy flared up, he went on the defensive to keep the proposed arts funding cuts from going through.
Here are her words about the experience:
"I grew up in Charlotte during the controversy surrounding the 1996 Charlotte Repertory production of Angels in America: Part One the Millennium Approaches. I was too young to know what all the fuss was about but it was very clear that there was a fuss. Everyone from politicians on the radio to artists in the paper and even my parents around the dinner table were talking about Kushner’s master work. My whole life I thought of Angels as an intimidating show that created division. I did not realize how wrong I was until NC Stage began working on their production. The show speaks for itself in its philosophical yet secular, beautiful yet grimy effect and speaks to the heart of what it means to be a modern American.
As incredible and thought provoking as the script itself, the most exciting part of this process for me has been the chance to learn more about my own uncle. Politicians used the infamous Charlotte production of Angels as a tool to spark a political debate about arts funding. During this controversy, funding for the arts was cut under the banner of censorship although many suspect it was an early piece of regional morality legislation. My uncle, Joe Martin, was a passionate opponent to the arts budget cuts. I had always heard stories of the speech he delivered to the county commission (it has become lore within my family), but I had never read it for myself. Working on this show gave me an opportunity to read Joe’s speech and I could not be more proud or revved up. The power of labels is discussed throughout the play and could not have been more pertinent to the debate in Charlotte. According to Uncle Joe, “This debate is not about the arts is it? This about something more fundamental. This is about the power of government on one hand and the nature of community on the other.”
This fundamental issue is an essential theme in Kushner’s work and creates the conversation that must happen to create true community and a true sense of “American-ness.” It is a very hopeful sign that society has become more tolerant and the NC Stage production can be produced without sparking a huge ideological controversy. This play and specifically this production will always remind me of the important role that open dialogue has in creating a tolerant cultural identity. I will always feel a sense of connection to this show because of the connection it created for me with my own uncle."
As incredible and thought provoking as the script itself, the most exciting part of this process for me has been the chance to learn more about my own uncle. Politicians used the infamous Charlotte production of Angels as a tool to spark a political debate about arts funding. During this controversy, funding for the arts was cut under the banner of censorship although many suspect it was an early piece of regional morality legislation. My uncle, Joe Martin, was a passionate opponent to the arts budget cuts. I had always heard stories of the speech he delivered to the county commission (it has become lore within my family), but I had never read it for myself. Working on this show gave me an opportunity to read Joe’s speech and I could not be more proud or revved up. The power of labels is discussed throughout the play and could not have been more pertinent to the debate in Charlotte. According to Uncle Joe, “This debate is not about the arts is it? This about something more fundamental. This is about the power of government on one hand and the nature of community on the other.”
This fundamental issue is an essential theme in Kushner’s work and creates the conversation that must happen to create true community and a true sense of “American-ness.” It is a very hopeful sign that society has become more tolerant and the NC Stage production can be produced without sparking a huge ideological controversy. This play and specifically this production will always remind me of the important role that open dialogue has in creating a tolerant cultural identity. I will always feel a sense of connection to this show because of the connection it created for me with my own uncle."
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Want to read "Uncle Joe's" opinion piece in the Charlotte Observer? Click here.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sneak Hear: Radio Ad for Angels
We just got our newly recorded radio ad in the other day - give it a listen!
What productions have you seen that made you think just that?
We're shooting for that kind of reaction with Angels, so I would suggest that you order those tickets you've been thinking about...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
On Costuming 'Angels'
Today we have responses from Giny Speaks, the costume designer for Angels. Giny is a recent graduate of Warren Wilson College where she majored in Theatre/English. Sneak peek pictures of her Angels costume designs will be up soon, but in the meantime, check out what she designed for WWC's productions of The Bacchae and The Winter's Tale. Now what you've been waiting for...
Heeeerre's Giiinnnyyy!
1) What's your history with this play? I first read Angels in college, and I have seen only bits and pieces of the film adaptation. I've been searching photos of various other productions that have served more as a counter-influence; I try to look at what has been done, what people's exposure has been to the play and go in a different direction.
2) What has been your biggest design challenge for Angels? My biggest challenge is to take such a well-known play in a new direction. Particulary since the release of the movie, audiences have begun to expect certain things from this play, and designers often stick with the comfortable, accepted design choices because it's a guaranteed hit. I want to change things up and find new ways to stimulate the aesthetic senses of the audience.
3) What aspect of the design process for this particular production excites/has excited you most? One of the things that I love about this play is the wonderful juxtaposition and coherence between different spheres of American society. The characters range from devout Mormons to corrupted businessmen to drag queens and beyond, and despite each character's background and personal beliefs, they all share in the human condition and have ties to people who are extremely different from themselves. I constantly find myself asking, "How can I translate this concept into the language of shape and color to unite such a vast range of personalities?"
4) When you think of 1985, what comes to mind first? Don Henley won the MTV Video of the Year award for "Boys of Summer". My parents were married.
5) What's your favorite chaser for hot dogs? Mozzarella sticks
6) Any other highlights/last words? Photos coming soon!
2) What has been your biggest design challenge for Angels? My biggest challenge is to take such a well-known play in a new direction. Particulary since the release of the movie, audiences have begun to expect certain things from this play, and designers often stick with the comfortable, accepted design choices because it's a guaranteed hit. I want to change things up and find new ways to stimulate the aesthetic senses of the audience.
3) What aspect of the design process for this particular production excites/has excited you most? One of the things that I love about this play is the wonderful juxtaposition and coherence between different spheres of American society. The characters range from devout Mormons to corrupted businessmen to drag queens and beyond, and despite each character's background and personal beliefs, they all share in the human condition and have ties to people who are extremely different from themselves. I constantly find myself asking, "How can I translate this concept into the language of shape and color to unite such a vast range of personalities?"
4) When you think of 1985, what comes to mind first? Don Henley won the MTV Video of the Year award for "Boys of Summer". My parents were married.
5) What's your favorite chaser for hot dogs? Mozzarella sticks
6) Any other highlights/last words? Photos coming soon!
---
One last note: Remember to come see us at Blue Ridge PRIDE this Saturday! Tell us your Angels story, get info on tickets, see what we're up to... we'll be there all day. See you there!
Monday, September 27, 2010
More Designer Responses... Questions, anyone?
For today's post we have James Johnson's responses to the designer questionnaire. James is our set designer, and here's what he had to say:
1) What's your history with this play? Angels in America was one of the first productions I was in during my college career. I was a freshman, and I played Prior Walter in Perestroika. I was in way over my head. I don’t think I understood the cultural importance of this play, which is integral to a quality production. For me, this play is so much more than a play, it’s a commentary, a critique, an adventure with America at the heart.
2) What has been your biggest design challenge for Angels? Ha! Biggest design challenge? How does an Angel crash through the roof? How do we move seamlessly from scene to scene in such a small space? How do you excite the production team with an interesting design? How do you speak to the audience through a design? A very good friend of mine once said, "I never finish a design, I simply abandon it." That statement speaks volumes to what I try to do onstage. Everything is a challenge, and should always be a challenge. But that’s why I love what I do!
3) What aspect of the design process for this particular production excites/has excited you most? I love finding interesting shapes and colors that can become other things or harken an idea. For this production we harken the look of New York, yet nothing really looks like New York. Its more American than that.
4) When you think of 1985, what comes to mind first? I wasn’t born yet... Is that weird?
5) What's your favorite chaser for hot dogs? Or, your preference: hot dog or antacid? Or, if that weirds you out, what's your favorite flavor of ice cream? Hot dogs are good anytime, I would just have another hot dog. Cookie Dough!
1) What's your history with this play? Angels in America was one of the first productions I was in during my college career. I was a freshman, and I played Prior Walter in Perestroika. I was in way over my head. I don’t think I understood the cultural importance of this play, which is integral to a quality production. For me, this play is so much more than a play, it’s a commentary, a critique, an adventure with America at the heart.
2) What has been your biggest design challenge for Angels? Ha! Biggest design challenge? How does an Angel crash through the roof? How do we move seamlessly from scene to scene in such a small space? How do you excite the production team with an interesting design? How do you speak to the audience through a design? A very good friend of mine once said, "I never finish a design, I simply abandon it." That statement speaks volumes to what I try to do onstage. Everything is a challenge, and should always be a challenge. But that’s why I love what I do!
3) What aspect of the design process for this particular production excites/has excited you most? I love finding interesting shapes and colors that can become other things or harken an idea. For this production we harken the look of New York, yet nothing really looks like New York. Its more American than that.
4) When you think of 1985, what comes to mind first? I wasn’t born yet... Is that weird?
5) What's your favorite chaser for hot dogs? Or, your preference: hot dog or antacid? Or, if that weirds you out, what's your favorite flavor of ice cream? Hot dogs are good anytime, I would just have another hot dog. Cookie Dough!
---
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| NCSC Mainstage: Angels in America |
As we approach the opening of Angels in America, we will be posting some more responses of our design team about their process and vision for the production and interviewing some cast members about their experience. I just came up with the questions on my own, but how 'bout you? Do you have questions for our Director? Cast members? Designers? Artistic Director? Producing partners, Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP) or Posana Cafe?
Respond at the end of the post or email us. Hope to be hearing from you soon...
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Over the Years: Angels
Drawing by Al HirschfieldWhile looking for some informative links, videos, and pictures from productions of Angels over the last twenty years, I found some fun and stimulating stuff. (Amazing, the internet.) Aside from the picture above, we've found a great article from Out Magazine entitled "Angels in America: The Dream Life of Angels", a snippet from an Arts Wire 'Current' from the archives of 1997 on the decimation of arts funding in Charlotte attributed to Charlotte Rep's production of the play, and a video by Signature Theatre Company in New York City who is producing both Millennium Approaches and Perestroika this season in a 20th anniversary celebration of Angels.
From Signature Theatre Company:
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sneak Hear from Jason
So Monday we had our sound designer's responses to the Designer Questionnaire, and as promised, today (the aforementioned 'later in the week') we have a sneak hear of what Jason's been working on for Angels. This is the main theme he wrote for the production and what he is currently working from to develop the music in the show. Check it out!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Angels Designer Insight
Just last week I came up with a few questions for our design team to answer about their process, the play, and some personal anecdotes relating to the play. Today we have the responses of Jason Waggoner, our sound designer.
1) What's your history with this play?
I actually have never seen Angels on stage or screen. I knew about it by reputation only, but didn't encounter it in my professional or personal life until NC Stage approached me about designing this production. I feel like this is an advantage in some ways specifically because I don't have any preconceived notions about the show or how it should be done. Essentially, I can have a completely unencumbered design process for it.
2) What has been your biggest design challenge for Angels?
The sheer size of the text has been quite a challenge. I am at a point in my career where I am almost insisting on composing any music used in my designs, with the exception of incidental music called for by the script, of course. With a play like Angels, a play that has something in the neighborhood of 30 scenes, that's a fair amount of music to write. In addition to the sheer size of the show, trying to capture the feeling of Angels has proven a bit of a challenge. I want to keep the sound of the music rooted in reality, that is to say not write music that makes Angels seem like a fantasy play. However, I also want to keep the fantasy alive enough in the music that fantastic moments in the show can be supported by the score when appropriate. Doing all this and keeping the music from going stale through the show is a constant balancing act, it seems.
3) What aspect of the design process for this particular production excites or has excited you most?
Writing the music is always the most exciting part for me. I enjoy putting together sound effects and creating the aural environment of a show, but for me the most challenging and exciting part of a design is the composition.
4) When you think of 1985, what comes to mind first?
Punk rock, Reagan, AIDS epidemic, crack cocaine epidemic, Dallas (the TV show), my dad's rocking chair... to name a few.
5) What's your favorite chaser for hot dogs? Or, your preference: hot dog or antacid? Or, if that weirds you out, what's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
My favorite dog chaser is a nice cold PBR, I don't take antacid because I have insides made of iron, and my favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip.
6) Any other highlights/last words?
Doing Angels seems to be a modern right of passage almost. People talk about their first Romeo and Juliet, or their first Mamet play; Angels seems to be joining the ranks of theatrical monoliths that all actors, designers, and technicians do at some point in their career and remember as a milestone from that point forward. I entered this show fairly unassuming, and while I expect to come out the other side having experienced something profound, I feel I am remaining rather unassuming throughout the process. I feel extremely privileged to be going through this process with other artists that I know and trust, and who I know will support me and trust my decisions. I hope that as the audience experiences the full production of Angels in America, the passion and the heart of the people involved on all sides of the production will translate to a truly memorable and remarkable experience.
Be sure to check back later for some sneak peeks (sneak hears?) of what Jason's been working to create for the production, as well as more designer interviews.
1) What's your history with this play?
I actually have never seen Angels on stage or screen. I knew about it by reputation only, but didn't encounter it in my professional or personal life until NC Stage approached me about designing this production. I feel like this is an advantage in some ways specifically because I don't have any preconceived notions about the show or how it should be done. Essentially, I can have a completely unencumbered design process for it.
2) What has been your biggest design challenge for Angels?
The sheer size of the text has been quite a challenge. I am at a point in my career where I am almost insisting on composing any music used in my designs, with the exception of incidental music called for by the script, of course. With a play like Angels, a play that has something in the neighborhood of 30 scenes, that's a fair amount of music to write. In addition to the sheer size of the show, trying to capture the feeling of Angels has proven a bit of a challenge. I want to keep the sound of the music rooted in reality, that is to say not write music that makes Angels seem like a fantasy play. However, I also want to keep the fantasy alive enough in the music that fantastic moments in the show can be supported by the score when appropriate. Doing all this and keeping the music from going stale through the show is a constant balancing act, it seems.
3) What aspect of the design process for this particular production excites or has excited you most?
Writing the music is always the most exciting part for me. I enjoy putting together sound effects and creating the aural environment of a show, but for me the most challenging and exciting part of a design is the composition.
4) When you think of 1985, what comes to mind first?
Punk rock, Reagan, AIDS epidemic, crack cocaine epidemic, Dallas (the TV show), my dad's rocking chair... to name a few.
5) What's your favorite chaser for hot dogs? Or, your preference: hot dog or antacid? Or, if that weirds you out, what's your favorite flavor of ice cream?
My favorite dog chaser is a nice cold PBR, I don't take antacid because I have insides made of iron, and my favorite ice cream flavor is mint chocolate chip.
6) Any other highlights/last words?
Doing Angels seems to be a modern right of passage almost. People talk about their first Romeo and Juliet, or their first Mamet play; Angels seems to be joining the ranks of theatrical monoliths that all actors, designers, and technicians do at some point in their career and remember as a milestone from that point forward. I entered this show fairly unassuming, and while I expect to come out the other side having experienced something profound, I feel I am remaining rather unassuming throughout the process. I feel extremely privileged to be going through this process with other artists that I know and trust, and who I know will support me and trust my decisions. I hope that as the audience experiences the full production of Angels in America, the passion and the heart of the people involved on all sides of the production will translate to a truly memorable and remarkable experience.
---
Be sure to check back later for some sneak peeks (sneak hears?) of what Jason's been working to create for the production, as well as more designer interviews.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Stories of 'Angels'
As we get closer to opening our production of Angels in America, we will feature personal stories about the play. Today we have our first story about how Angels played an important role in how theatre is a part (or became a larger part) of the author's life.
We welcome the words of Willie Repoley. Willie is frequent actor on our stage and will be playing the role of Prior Walter in our upcoming production of Angels. Here's what he had to say:
"I posted something on the NCSC blog in 2007, when we presented this play as the very first (For)play reading. It has now been three years since that posting, and 10 years since I first performed in the play (as Louis) at Guilford College. That makes it about 15 years since I first experienced the play, at Charlotte Rep.
It seems so unlikely that a single play would keep showing up in my life, and even more unlikely that I would be just as excited to approach it each time. After all, plenty of plays -- or songs or artists or you-name-it -- that once seemed vital and full of life now strike me as ordinary or even boring. What is is about Angels in America? Why does this play still seem so revelatory?
It's hard to say exactly or concisely, but I'll try. I left the theatre after seeing Millennium Approaches at the Rep in a state of amazement, and said to my dad, who took me, "That's why." It was the best I could articulate what had just happened at the time, but years later, I can recognize how seeing the play literally changed the trajectory of my life. Now that I knew firsthand what people meant by "the power of theatre," I knew that I wanted to share in making theatre that had the potential of affecting people in serious and profound ways. So, that's why.
It's also an unusual play in the sense that it is set so precisely in time, this moment in the mid- 80's when Reagan was president and AIDS was an almost wholly unknown and terrifying modern plague. Plays that are tied so closely to one snapshot of time run the very real risk of growing dated. No one wants to perform --or come see-- a play that doesn't feel like it matters anymore. And Angels is also about very specific people, all of whom are removed by at least a degree or two from "mainstream" America-- the lone WASP? He's gay. The white Army widow? She's Mormon. The black male nurse ex-drag queen? Well, you get the idea. But the relationships between these people are as vivid and emotionally engaging as if every one of them were a close family member or dear friend. When I first saw it, the play made me feel like a better citizen of the world and a more powerful inhabitant of the good old US of A, even though the world of the play was fairly far removed from my own life and my own experience. It is remarkable to me that a story about a particular time that is reasonably meaningless to me personally (I was 8 in 1986), and about characters have little to do with me personally are so well constructed and so true to themselves, that they can still engage me is such a visceral, immediate way. So that's why.
What can I say? The play challenges me, and engages me, and pushes me, and comforts me, and makes me cringe, and makes me laugh, and makes me sit on the edge of my seat in giddy excitement at my good fortune to be involved again with this story, and with these characters. I think it is one of those rare plays that actually helps me see me. Like, say, Hamlet: I'm never going to be in his situation, but experiencing his struggle engages me in not only his story, but, if it is done well, in my own. I think it is Alfred Hitchcock who is credited with saying something like, "If you want to be universal, be specific." It sounds strange, but when someone gets it right, it makes perfect sense, and for me Angels in America is about as right as it gets. It is very specific on every level: the time, the place, the people, even the language and punctuation of the play itself. And in risking making the play inaccessible to a wider audience, Kushner actually has allowed it to be much bigger than the sum of its parts. So, that's why.
I'm pretty much scared out of my mind to start work on the play with the specific goal of playing Prior Walter, who on the surface is very unlike myself. Where do I start? How do I present him honestly, coming from such a different place? I don't know. But I do know that the answers will be found in the rehearsal room with the help and hard work of not only myself, but of the entire cast and crew, and of course Angie. And ultimately, I know that the truth of Prior is already there, in the words, and in the very real connections he has with all the people and situations of his life. And I know, I have absolute faith, that I can trust in that.
And that's why, too.
I hope this play keeps showing up in my life. I will always be ready to visit it again. Let's get started. See you on the other side."
Many thanks go to Willie for sharing his Angels story. If you have a story to share about Angels, please share it with us! Contact Lauren at laurenkriel@ncstage.org to do so.
Keep checking in every Monday (and mid-week, too) 'cause we'll have more stories, pictures, designer sneek peaks and interviews coming up in the next month. Thanks for reading!
We welcome the words of Willie Repoley. Willie is frequent actor on our stage and will be playing the role of Prior Walter in our upcoming production of Angels. Here's what he had to say:
"I posted something on the NCSC blog in 2007, when we presented this play as the very first (For)play reading. It has now been three years since that posting, and 10 years since I first performed in the play (as Louis) at Guilford College. That makes it about 15 years since I first experienced the play, at Charlotte Rep.It seems so unlikely that a single play would keep showing up in my life, and even more unlikely that I would be just as excited to approach it each time. After all, plenty of plays -- or songs or artists or you-name-it -- that once seemed vital and full of life now strike me as ordinary or even boring. What is is about Angels in America? Why does this play still seem so revelatory?
It's hard to say exactly or concisely, but I'll try. I left the theatre after seeing Millennium Approaches at the Rep in a state of amazement, and said to my dad, who took me, "That's why." It was the best I could articulate what had just happened at the time, but years later, I can recognize how seeing the play literally changed the trajectory of my life. Now that I knew firsthand what people meant by "the power of theatre," I knew that I wanted to share in making theatre that had the potential of affecting people in serious and profound ways. So, that's why.
It's also an unusual play in the sense that it is set so precisely in time, this moment in the mid- 80's when Reagan was president and AIDS was an almost wholly unknown and terrifying modern plague. Plays that are tied so closely to one snapshot of time run the very real risk of growing dated. No one wants to perform --or come see-- a play that doesn't feel like it matters anymore. And Angels is also about very specific people, all of whom are removed by at least a degree or two from "mainstream" America-- the lone WASP? He's gay. The white Army widow? She's Mormon. The black male nurse ex-drag queen? Well, you get the idea. But the relationships between these people are as vivid and emotionally engaging as if every one of them were a close family member or dear friend. When I first saw it, the play made me feel like a better citizen of the world and a more powerful inhabitant of the good old US of A, even though the world of the play was fairly far removed from my own life and my own experience. It is remarkable to me that a story about a particular time that is reasonably meaningless to me personally (I was 8 in 1986), and about characters have little to do with me personally are so well constructed and so true to themselves, that they can still engage me is such a visceral, immediate way. So that's why.
What can I say? The play challenges me, and engages me, and pushes me, and comforts me, and makes me cringe, and makes me laugh, and makes me sit on the edge of my seat in giddy excitement at my good fortune to be involved again with this story, and with these characters. I think it is one of those rare plays that actually helps me see me. Like, say, Hamlet: I'm never going to be in his situation, but experiencing his struggle engages me in not only his story, but, if it is done well, in my own. I think it is Alfred Hitchcock who is credited with saying something like, "If you want to be universal, be specific." It sounds strange, but when someone gets it right, it makes perfect sense, and for me Angels in America is about as right as it gets. It is very specific on every level: the time, the place, the people, even the language and punctuation of the play itself. And in risking making the play inaccessible to a wider audience, Kushner actually has allowed it to be much bigger than the sum of its parts. So, that's why.
I'm pretty much scared out of my mind to start work on the play with the specific goal of playing Prior Walter, who on the surface is very unlike myself. Where do I start? How do I present him honestly, coming from such a different place? I don't know. But I do know that the answers will be found in the rehearsal room with the help and hard work of not only myself, but of the entire cast and crew, and of course Angie. And ultimately, I know that the truth of Prior is already there, in the words, and in the very real connections he has with all the people and situations of his life. And I know, I have absolute faith, that I can trust in that.
And that's why, too.
I hope this play keeps showing up in my life. I will always be ready to visit it again. Let's get started. See you on the other side."
---
Many thanks go to Willie for sharing his Angels story. If you have a story to share about Angels, please share it with us! Contact Lauren at laurenkriel@ncstage.org to do so.
Keep checking in every Monday (and mid-week, too) 'cause we'll have more stories, pictures, designer sneek peaks and interviews coming up in the next month. Thanks for reading!
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