Opening Week Quiz!!!

Hey folks! The Glass Menagerie opens this week, so it's time to decide when to see this sure-to-be excellent production. If you happen to be a slightly indecisive person like me, there's hope - I've created a helpful little quiz to decide for you!

Don't know which event of Opening Week to attend? 

Take this quiz to find out which night fits you best! 
Enjoy...

1. When you plan an evening out, you get most excited when:

      A. ... you get a great bargain while doing something you love.

      B. ... it's an extension of your post-workday festivities.

      C. ... there's stimulating conversation that plumbs the depths of your curiosity.

      D. ... you're celebrating something with friends - birthdays, the weekend, whatever!

2. When you pick up the Mountain Xpress, the first section you look at is:

      A. Freewill Astrology

      B. Food

      C. Commentary

      D. Conscious Party

3. Which famous movie quote fits you best?

      A. "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers."

      B. "As God as my witness, I'll never be hungry again."

      C. "You ain't heard nothin' yet."

      D. "Hello gorgeous."

4. Of the choices below, what type of animal would you choose?
      A. Badger
      B. Squirrel
      C. Meerkat
      D. Penguin

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Answer time!
If you had mostly A's...
You should attend Pay What You Can Night on Wednesday, June 1!  The minimum ticket price is $6.  How are we able to do it?  Check out this old blog entry for PWYC FAQ.  For tickets to this night's performance, you should call the NC Stage box office at 828.239.0263.  

If you had mostly B's...
You should attend Happy Hour and a Half on Thursday, June 2!  Right when our box office opens at 6 PM, you're welcome to enjoy the delicious (and complimentary) food from the Colorful Palate Catering.  Beverages (beer and wine) from our concessions are also complimentary up until showtime. 
 
If you had mostly C's...
You should attend Friday Night Insight on Friday, June 3!  We love hearing from folks who've seen the show and thought a lot about it, and this is your opportunity to think out loud and ask questions of the director and cast.  Stick around after the show for insight and discussion about the production.
 
If you had mostly D's...
You should attend the Opening Night Gala on Saturday, June 4!  Yes, all of our opening week events are in celebration of finally having an audience to perform for, but Saturday's the official opening performance.  Join us in the lobby after the show to meet the cast, sip some Champagne, and celebrate the production with us.

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If you've decided, now it's time to actually get those tickets.  You can purchase them online, over the phone (828.239.0263), or in person at the NC Stage box office Monday - Friday, 10 AM-5 PM.  

We look forward to hearing from (and seeing) you soon!

Designer Interview: Props! with Jessica

Note: Not real menagerie. Steuben Glass. (Read: Financially Prohibitive)

As we approach tech week(end), we've got some interviews with designers coming up on the blog for your reading pleasure. Today, we've got an interview with Jessica Kammerud, props mistress for The Glass Menagerie. Enjoy!

Lauren (on behalf of NCSC): So Jessica, when did you first encounter this play, The Glass Menagerie?

Jessica (JK): I know I read it in high school at some point, but this is my first experience working on the play, and I've actually never seen a production of it, so I'm excited to come at it with a fresh set of eyes. 

NCSC: What's the most intriguing prop you've found or are still looking for?

JK: The actual menagerie. No question. It's a challenge and intriguing at the same time because if I were to look for real glass animal figurines, it'd be financially prohibitive since they're collector's items and also an acting hazard because of the potential for breakage. 

NCSC: So what are you planning to do for the menagerie?

JK: Right now I'm planning on making them. I'll be constructing the animals myself through a resin casting process. I've got some rubber animals from A.C. Moore and I'll be making the casts of either half of an animal, then pouring the resin in. That's the plan. I'll let you know how it works out. 

NCSC: Outside of the menagerie, what's been your biggest challenge prop-wise?

JK: Finding the piece of furniture the menagerie is supposed to sit on. Same thing with the table for the Victrola. The challenge is that it needs to be a certain height and shape -- desk height and end table shape -- but tables built recently tend to be shorter. I have found some really nice tables, but they're way beyond our budget. And we can't borrow people's furniture because almost everything is being painted white.

NCSC: Well that must really limit your options... how's that working out?

JK: It's going to look pretty amazing, but it is a bit constricting with regard to borrowing items, as I mentioned. The white of the set and the props is really to emphasize the "memory" aspect of what Tennessee Williams called "a memory play." The only things not being painted white are the things left behind by the absent Wingfield father, the Victrola and the frame of his picture. The white really gives a sense of the blank canvas on which to present the story.

NCSC: So how does the number of props for this show fit in the range of shows you've worked on?

JK: It's pretty average, so not a lot of props, but not super sparse either. However, since most everything is white, I've been able to make some interesting choices about detail since we don't want it all to blend together. It's nice to see just how a simple line can give an item the right flavor. The details of what is on stage is what comes from Tom's memory of his family home.

 

NCSC: Are you painting the props?

JK: I am. Everything will be white, but not necessarily the same shades of white. Also, we're making decisions about flat paint versus paint with a sheen. It's been interesting to think about whether it'd be more distracting to see flat paint on something you know in your mind is shiny or vice versa. It really gets into the peculiarities of detail. Also, we have to test out what paints work best for which items so it won't flake off on the actors, since the costumes are in color.

NCSC: Well, Jessica, thanks for taking the time to give us an interview, and best of luck with the menagerie and everything else! Keep us updated.

JK: Will do. Thanks!

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So folks, keep checking in to check out what's going on at the theatre. Also, don't forget to check out the Immediate Theatre Project's blog, too. 

(We're co-blogging this production, if you don't recall.)

Oh! And get your tickets, 'cause we open a week from yesterday!

The Glass Menagerie: co-produced, co-blogged

Assuming you're in the loop, you're aware that we're in rehearsals for The Glass Menagerie right now.  But did you know it's actually a co-production? It is! Our Partner Company-in-Residence since 2008, Immediate Theatre Project, is co-producing the Tennessee Williams masterpiece that wraps up our Mainstage season. I mention this co-producing stuff because we're co-blogging about the rehearsal process and production, too! Now you'll get to read different perspectives on the play, not just from me. I'll still be writing here for NC Stage, but you should check out ITP's blog to hear what they've got to say. Any particular requests you like us to investigate and report back to you about The Glass Menagerie? We're open to investigative blogging, so just let us know below, in the comments section. Like what you see (either here or at ITP's blog)? Let us know that too! Excited to see it (the production, that is)? Then get your tickets today!

More to come soon...

http://punchingkitty.com/2010/07/16/ever-wondered-what-st-louis-looked-like-before-the-arch/

Rattlesnake - THIS WEEKEND ONLY!

Rattlesnake opened yesterday!  That's right, John Hardy is here in Asheville and we had the first performance last night here at NC Stage.  If you haven't heard yet, the Mountain Xpress declared Rattlesnake a "Smart Bet" in this week's issue.  If that doesn't do it for you, we've got some familiar faces from our stage - Andrew Livingston and Julia VanderVeen - to vouch for John Hardy and his great work.

"I saw John Hardy play George in Of Mice and Men at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, VA. He is a truly remarkable actor. He understands the specificity of action and conflict through given circumstances like no other. And he's an interesting human being making him engaging to watch on stage." 

-- Andrew Livingston

"Joe Pitt" in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and "Jim" in the upcoming NCSC/itp production of The Glass Menagerie

Julia as "Gretchen" (in yellow)

"John Hardy is the single person from whom I have learned the most about acting.  He is an amazingly committed, giving artist.  And Katy Brown, director of Rattlesnake, is the other person whom I have learned the most about acting from in the world.  They together took me from being a "performer" to being an artist." 

On Rattlesnake: "You will be shocked how one man can transform himself into 16 different characters and tell a very full story, and you will leave the theatre changed. It is an honor for me to even be in the same room as John Hardy and every time I watch him work I learn something and yearn to better myself as an actor and as a person." 

-- Julia VanderVeen

"Sister James" in Doubt, "Ophelia" in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and "Gretchen" in Boeing-Boeing

You heard it! It's one you won't want to miss, so come on down and see it, 'cause it's only here through Saturday.  All tickets are $15, but student rush tickets ($10) are available after 2 PM the day of a show. Want to get your tickets? You can order online, call us (828.239.0263), or stop by in person!

Be seein' you...

sssssssssoooooooon.

Goings-on at NC Stage

Wow! It's May already? Amazing. 

Time just keeps blowing by around this place with everything going on. 

It's hard to believe that in exactly four weeks, The Glass Menagerie opens! That's right, our final Mainstage production of the 2010-2011 season is quickly approaching.  It's actually a co-production with the Immediate Theatre Project, and we're excited about it.  It runs June 1-19, so Pay-What-You-Can Night is the first performance -- Wednesday, June 1.  Wondering about how PWYC Night works?  One of our older posts from the blog really breaks it down for you, so be sure to check that out. 

Tickets went on sale to the public on Monday, and this Sunday, May 8, Mother's Day, we have our (For)Play Reading of The Glass Menagerie.  If you've never been to a (For)Play Reading before, you're missing out.  You get to hear the actors do a read-through of the play before rehearsals actually start. If you enjoy watching the artistic process unfold, we encourage you to come to this initial reading and then buy a ticket to see the fully realized production.  For an even more in-depth look, buy a copy of the script at Malaprop's Bookstore, which is stocking all of NC Stage's plays this season.  Plus, since it's a holiday and all, we're making this (For)Play extra special and bringing you free coffee and baked goods! 

Also, as this week is National Teacher Appreciation Week, we've announced that teachers get free tickets to see this production of The Glass Menagerie for the first week of the run.  "[It's] a gesture of gratitude to the hard work of teachers in the community and a celebration of the end of the school year.  Equally important, this is a relatively rare opportunity for area teachers and students to see a live, professional production of a play that is often taught in schools."  Are you a teacher or have friends who are?  Please, pass the word along to them!

So what else? In case you haven't heard, Sugar Shack Burlesque is performing one night only at NC Stage tomorrow, Thursday, May 5.  I'm pretty sure that with all the buzz in the paper lately, it's going to fill up quickly. 

 

Then next weekend, May 12-14, we have our second to last (penultimate... I like that word) Catalyst Series production of the season as well.  It's a one-man show called Rattlesnake, and it's written and performed by John Hardy, acclaimed actor and director from the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia.  Want to see a glimpse of it?  Check out the video below!

Also coming up, we have the final performance of our students, both youth and adults, in our Acting Intensives who have taken classes with Michael MacCauley for twelve weeks this spring.  That performance is Sunday, May 15 at 7 PM at NC Stage, and it's free!... though we welcome any donations, as they go towards supporting NC Stage's Education Program offerings including in-school residencies, after-school programs, outreach to local schools and colleges, and acting classes.

Whew!  Well, we hope to see you in the coming days and weeks around these parts.  And if somehow we miss you in May, we'll surely see you in June when The Glass Menagerie opens. Until next time...