Grey's Anatomy Plays Mumford & Sons

Has anyone else noticed that Grey's Anatomy has used Mumford & Sons songs in the first two episode of their 2010 Fall Season?

I remember the first time I discovered the musical melodies of Mumfod & Sons earlier this year (blog entry). It is very exciting to me that they have squeezed their way into popular culture.

I hope this folk band will enjoy further success because of their newfound television exposure. I am crossing my fingers that they will make it to the US for a tour, or release a new album next year.

Killjoy Casting!

I am pleased to announce that I will be playing Vicki in Newport Theatre Arts Center’s upcoming production of Killjoy by Jerry Mayer.

The audition process for this production was quite unusual. I originally responded to a casting call for Room Service, by John Murray. But as luck would have it Room Service was canceled abruptly and I was left with nothing on my schedule. I just got the call yesterday, that NTAC decided to replace their production of Room Service with Killjoy and before I knew it I received the role of Vicki.

Our first read-through is tomorrow, so I have very little time to prep for the role. I do not even think I will make it out to Samuel French in time to procure a copy before our table read. I can’t wait to get the ball rolling on this production!

BRIEFS Closing!

Theatre Out ’s production of BRIEFS: A Festival of Short Plays closed this weekend. Our closing matinee performance was sold out, so I watched my directing piece from the booth. The cast really pulled out all the stops today – ending this high energy show with a bang.

As part of the audience experience we asked our patrons to vote for their favorite play. The playwright will receive a special recognition from Theatre Out. The awards went to:

The Best of the Fest - Audience Favorite was Attack of the Dorothies by J.E. Phelan

The Best of the Fest - Producer's Choice was Shiny Pair of Complications by J. Stephen Brantley

Congratulations to all on a wonderful performance! I sincerely hope that Theatre Out will continue this tradition with another short play festival in 2011. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!

Chrysalis Stage Presents Anna Karenina

Chrysalis Stage presents Anna Karenina, adapted by Helen Edmundson from the novel by Leo Tolstoy.

Husband and wife co-founders, Andrea and Aaron Morgan, have developed Chrysalis State to bring great works of theatre to the Whittier area – a goal which they have easily achieved with Anna Karenina.

Anna Karenina, arguably one of the greatest novels ever written, follows the self-destructive path of a beautiful, prominent, and sensual Russian aristocrat. Anna’s sexuality and passion is stifled by her marriage to the respectable and powerful statesman, Alexei Karenin. She soon finds excitement in a handsome officer by the name of Count Vronsky. She leaves her husband and her young child for a life of passion that ultimately leads to her destruction.

Meanwhile, Anna’s story is juxtaposed by the melancholy Constantine Levin, who seeks the love of Kitty. Levin is also searching for the fulfillment and happiness in his life. He courts Kitty with vigor in order to content his wild heart.

"This is my story…” Anna begins at the top of the show; To which Levin replies “It appears it is mine, too.” In Edmundson’s adaptation, both Anna and Levin narrate. Though their characters do not meet until the end of the story, they interact in scenes that are otherworldly – surprised at first that they should share their inner thoughts with each other and the audience.

Smooth scene transitions create the world of 1860’s Russia. The cast of seven are made up by truly exciting and inspired actors. The quality performances and over all ambiance of the “Little Vic” are remarkably illuminating.

***There are no performances left, but it is my hope that you will follow the wonderful talents of the Chrysalis ensemble by visiting their website.

Shakespeare's Bloody Vampires!

A new imagination of Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus is now appearing at Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre. Director Steven Sabel has conceptualized a war between vampires, as the conquered Goth Queen Tamora fights violently against her rival Titus.

The 8:30PM showing is cut down to 90 minutes with no intermission. The black box space is perfect for an intimate night of blood and gore. As the audience quickly find out, the front row is definitely a wet section. But not to worry, as the blood, made from detergent, washes out easily.

Staging Titus Andronicus as a vampire tale is a decision that came easily to director Steven Sabel – Even though his immediate colleagues had some reservations. With an abundance of current vampire popularity in films like Twilight and the Trueblood series, audiences are bound to enjoy this Gothic twist on Shakespeare’s most violent play. A quick read of Sabel’s production notes reveal the surprising deep connections between Roman cruelty and mythical vampire violence.

Roman General Titus, played by the posed Tom Newman, returns victorious in the war against the Goths. Along with his returned soldiers, Titus produces the conquered Tamora, Queen of the Goths. In retaliation for the bloodshed of war, he quickly sacrifices her eldest son.

Titus then supports the tyrannical Saturninus (Jordan Maxwell) over his virtuous brother, Bassianus (Casey Williams), as emperor. Together, these two events set in motion the play's cycle of violence and revenge.

Enraged by the murder of her son, Tamora, played by the powerfully sexy Jennifer Blanck, vows to "find a day to massacre" those responsible. Aided by Aaron the Moor and her two devilish sons, Tamora calculates her revenge with deadly accuracy. In the end, no one in Titus' family is untouched by the bloodshed and mayhem.

If audiences continue to pack Zombie Joe’s theatre to see the fall of Titus, there may even be room in the Redlands Shakespeare Festival’s 2011 season for a remounting of this conceptual piece. Let’s hope there will be more vampires to come!

Get your tickets today, as many of the performances are sure to sell out!

Titus Andronicus, presented by Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group and STS Productions, opens Sept. 17; plays Fri.-Sat., 8:30 pm; through Oct. 16. Tickets: $15. ZJU Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood; 818.202.4120 or http://www.zombiejoes.com/.

BRIEFS Opening!

BRIEFS: A Festival of Short Plays opened this weekend at Theatre Out to an enthusiastic crowd. Audience members have already cast their ballots for Best of the Festival. My actors have worked very hard to deliver a heart-felt performance in A Bridge to Something. Playwright Corinne Kawecki came to see the show, not once, but twice this weekend. She traveled a great distance from Chicago to see her piece and support the festival. The cast and I were honored to meet her and hear her input on our work.

If you are planning on seeing the show I suggest ordering your tickets now, as we are already starting to sell out next weekend. Hope to see you there!

PICTURED ABOVE: David Tran & Deana Merced rehearse for A Bridge to Something.

"I will preach to thee: mark."

Tonight I had the privilege of attending Shakespeare Orange County’s production of King Lear. Founded by Thomas Bradac in 1992, Shakespeare Orange County is the only professional performing arts organization in Orange County solely dedicated to producing classical theatre.

I hold SOC close to my heart, as it utilized the talents of Chapman University’s faculty and students, where I completed my undergraduate training. It is always a marvel to me to walk through those iron gates at the Garden Grove Festival Amphitheatre and be greeted by so many familiar faces. More importantly, this production features Dennis Krausnick as King Lear – a founder of Shakespeare & Company, talented actor, and master teacher.

I first met Dennis at a weekend Shakespeare & Company intensive, where I receive one-on-one instruction as he helped me work through an Isabella monologue from William Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure.

Dennis not only changed the way I approached the text, but he also helped my over a hurdle in acting career where I doubted my ability to perform my craft.

I stood before him uttering the words of Isabella, “To whom should I complain? Did I tell this? / Who would believe me…” when he abruptly stopped me. “You don’t think you are good, do you?” – He emphatically stated. I started to cry because I felt that he had stared right through me into my soul and saw my fears. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “You are good. Now tell yourself and do it.”

The following year I played Isabella in Measure for Measure with the Redlands Shakespeare Festival under the direction of one of Dennis’s colleagues, Eric Tucker. I channeled Dennis’s words before every rehearsal and every performance. It is amazing that such a simple validation could change my outlook forever.

So there I was on Thursday night, watching my mentor on stage—A man, who probably will never know what an immense impact he has had on my life—and having the most intense catharsis as Lear lost everything he held dear to him.

Together Dennis Krausnick as Lear and Michael Nehring as Gloucester bring the audience on a torturous journey through melancholy. Perhaps the most powerful moment it in this production is when the two reunited – Lear in his madness and Gloucester in his blindness. Suddenly two strong men comfort each other as s literal and figurative storm rages over their heads.



KING LEAR
If thou wilt weep my fortunes, take my eyes.
I know thee well enough; thy name is Gloucester:
Thou must be patient; we came crying hither:
Thou know'st, the first time that we smell the air,
We wawl and cry. I will preach to thee: mark.

GLOUCESTER
Alack, alack the day!

KING LEAR
When we are born, we cry that we are come
To this great stage of fools: this a good block;
It were a delicate stratagem, to shoe
A troop of horse with felt: I'll put 't in proof;
And when I have stol'n upon these sons-in-law,
Then, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!

Shakespeare Orange County’s production of King Lear is honest and terrifying. It glimpses into the phantoms of human nature, striping each character down to the core of their humanity. This powerful production is sure to leave you breathless.

King Lear. Sept 2-18 (Thurs – Sat). All performances start at 8:15pm at the Festival Amphitheatre, 12740 Main St., Garden Grove. Tickets are $27-$32. Call 714-590-1575 or visit the SOC website for more information: http://www.shakespeareoc.org/

Riveting "Sissies" Play On

Theatre Out’s production of Southern Baptist Sissies is most likely one of the best stage production to hit Orange County this year. Christopher Diehl’s direction is clever and thoughtful. Set against the back drop of the Deep South, four young men grapple with their homosexuality in a community dependent on religion. These so-called “sissies” walk a tightrope – attempting to balance their sexual urges with their understanding of God.

Justin Hamby portrays Mark, the leading narrator of the story. He quick quips and jaded asides quickly establish his frustration with the views of the church – which believes that homosexuality is sinful. He marks weaknesses in his religion, question his beliefs and strongly suggests that not all passages are to be considered in their literal context – After all, according to the Bible “eating shrimp is just as back as sucking c**k.”

Mark yearns for his friend T.J., played by Michael Rachlis, whose Bible studies rule his subconscious. While both succumb to temptation, the friction between their personal life philosophies ultimately breaks them apart. T.J. fights his natural feelings in order to conform to the church and please his family.

Hamby’s performance is truly touching as he comes of age in the short span of a two hour performance. As an actor he is a remarkable story-teller, speaking truthfully from the words of the playwright. His counterpart, Rachlis, is riveting as both the tightly laced T.J. and his second role as a confident stripper dancing his way across the set.

Paul Anderson equally portrays the guilt-stricken and sweet-natured Andrew, bouncing back and forth between prayers of forgiveness and the local gay bars where he searches for fulfillment. He hides his passions from his mother, who constantly worries about his sissified impulses and searches for ways to save his soul.

Benny, played by Tito Ortiz, is the only boy who proudly embraces his effeminate nature – dressing in drag and lip-syncing his way through Dolly Parton songs.

On occasion, the audience is transported to the Rose Room where a foppish Preston “Peanut” Leroy (Stan Jenson) exchanges life lessons and advice on men with Odette Annette Barnett (Lori Kelley). While their stories are often filled to the brim with laughter, it is clear that both characters have a dark past, and while they may be an unlikely duo they need each other’s company desperately.

Southern Baptist Sissies is touching audiences with is powerful truth about the relationship between religion and a growing need to follow ones instincts. As director Dielh pointed out in the post show talk-back, this play does not bash God or religion, but rather questions to society in which we live by investigating characters that represent real people and real struggles.

Theatre Out presents Southern Baptist Sissies August 13 - September 4, 2010 - The Empire Theatre, located at 202 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA. Tickets are available online at http://www.theatreout.com/ or by calling the Theatre Out Box Office at (714) 826-8700.