In Gigi's Words...

Posted by Gigi Galiffa via Billy Christopher Maupin

Hello everyone! OK, here goes. So I was asked to write a blog about Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter (at least it's not as hard as spinning gold, right?) and I decided that instead of singing a song about it, I would just go ahead and do it.

Haha =]. Please excuse my bad jokes. Anyway...about the show.

I'll start at the beginning. Since the audition process, this experience has been one new adventure after another. On the night of the callback audition, I ran into the Little Theatre more than halfway through the audition, coming from a district field hockey game. Adhering to Dawn's request, I stayed in my sweaty uniform and kept myself a stinky mess from the game. What a great impression, huh? Apparently the smell didn't offend her too much, because the next day she called me with the exciting news that I had been cast as the title character! I literally screamed when I got the message! Fully supported by my friends and family, I accepted my first big professional role.

Then came the first meeting/read-through. How exciting/ terrifying/ fun/ intimidating/ hysterical! I was sitting in a room talking and eating pizza with people I've seen in so many shows around Richmond. And now I was doing a show with them?! "OMYGOSH! What am I doing here? Dawn must be crazy!" ...a little dramatic I know, but hey. My performing experience had consisted of show choir and high school musicals. But right away, everyone was so welcoming that my nerves were calmed and excitement took over.

Then, rehearsals started and the rest, as they say, is history. Who could ask for a better group of people to work with? I don't think I made it through even one rehearsal without laughing so hard my stomach hurt! And the beauty of it is that we actually got work done!

I've made some great new friends and even reconnected with some old ones. I've also learned so much about myself and my performance (as well as theatre as a whole) in the past four weeks than I think I have my whole life. The show is super fun! Dawn is wonderful! The cast, crew, and creative team are too awesome and talented for words! I wish I could express just how much it means to me to be a part of this show and know all of these amazing people, but then I would have to write a big, long blog and... oh wait. Hahaha.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm absolutely loving everything right now in my 17-year-old life, and a good deal of my happiness is due to my experience in Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter. I love you guys!!!

"Sanity and happiness are an impossible combination." =]

- Mark Twain

Richmond Boys Choir Earns National Kudos

Posted by Phil Whiteway

Congratulations to the Richmond Boys Choir! Out of 350 nominations nationwide, the RBC was selected as one of only 18 nonprofit organizations in the nation to receive the prestigious Coming Up Taller Award 2007 from the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities. The award ceremony took place in the East Room of the White House, with First Lady Laura Bush presiding.

For ten years, the Coming Up Taller awards have honored youth organizations that make extraordinary contributions to arts and culture in their communities. The Richmond Boys Choir is the first and only Richmond group to receive this national recognition for artistic and community service excellence. The honor was accompanied by a $10,000 cash award and a plaque.

The current Richmond Boys Choir was founded as a subsidiary of Theatre IV in 1996. At that time, Bruce learned that the original Richmond Boys Choir had fallen into non-existence in the three years following the death of its founder. He decided that Theatre IV was in a position to reinvigorate the Choir. He convinced me, and we convinced the Theatre IV Board of the validity of this idea.

Billy Dye (pictured to the left), who was at that time a fulltime staff member of Theatre IV, was assigned the responsibility of serving as the artistic director of the new Choir. He’s continued to serve in that role ever since.

I. B. Taylor, a Theatre IV Board member, was asked to chair the committee that provided governance for the new choir. From 1996 until 1999, Theatre IV mentored the Richmond Boys Choir, paid its staff, built its Board, managed its finances, and raised funds on its behalf. During this three year period, the choir was housed in Theatre IV’s offices and rehearsed and performed in Theatre IV’s historic Empire Theatre.In 1999, the Richmond Boys Choir fulfilled its strategic plan and became the fully independent nonprofit organization that it is today. I. B. Taylor resigned from the Theatre IV Board and became the first President of the Board of the RBC. Bruce served as a charter Board member. Nine years later, our two independent companies continue to be the closest of allies.

The Richmond Boys Choir welcomes members from all socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds. They have opened for and/or performed in association with Wynton Marsalis, Lily Tomlin, former Supreme Mary Wilson, James Earl Jones and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Their spirit and talents have been showcased at the Governor’s Inaugural Prayer Breakfast and broadcast nationally on The Today Show, winning praise from Katie Couric.

First Lady Laura Bush had this to say during the award presentation earlier this week:

Mrs. Bush - “Thank you all for coming, and thanks to each and every person in this room for your work to promote the arts and humanities—especially through these Coming Up Taller Awards. The 2007 winners are outstanding. Choirs and theatre groups entertain. Museum and heritage programs educate. Art and dance studios delight and inspire. And every single Coming Up Taller program helps young people use their energy and creativity to succeed. In Philadelphia or Fort Worth, what all of these programs have in common are dedicated adults, eager to help young people make the most of their talents and their lives.

The voices of the award-winning Richmond's Boys Choir have delighted audiences across Virginia. They've also delighted audiences from “across the pond.” This year, the choir performed for Queen Elizabeth at the opening ceremonies of Jamestown's 400th Anniversary. In addition to learning protocol for meeting the Queen, and proper table manners for a formal banquet, choir members develop teamwork, patience, and outstanding musicianship.

Congratulations to all of the recipients of the 2007 Coming Up Taller awards. Because of the great programs you represent, young people are discovering the humanities and the arts. They're building the confidence to paint, dance, speak, and sing—and in every one of their communities, to walk taller. Thank you all very, very much.”

(At this point in the program, the Richmond Boys Choir was introduced to perform before the assembled body, under Billy Dye’s direction.)

Mrs. Bush – “Thank you very much to the Richmond Boys Choir. You were terrific, and that was a really wonderful way to end this Coming Up Taller awards program. I like that you sang Stevie Wonder's song "Always," because I think that's what children in each one of these programs that we've represented today will learn in your programs, and that is that somebody will love them always.

So thank you to each and every one of you. We really can change lives for the better. We really are choosing a life, a wonderful way to live, when we teach and study the arts and humanities.”

All of us at Theatre IV are bursting with pride that our brother organization has received this national recognition. Congratulations to Billy and to all the boys. Job well done. We feel like proud parents, and that’s a great way to feel.

--Phil Whiteway

This Lady in Waiting Gets Her Turn

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

I asked Jacquie O'Connor to write a bit about her experience in the show, to give a bit of a different voice and because she's got a very interesting part in the project. Maggie Roop, one of our four fabulous ensemble members, after being cast in RD, was also cast in Doubt: a Parable at Barksdale Theatre, so Jacquie will be playing the weekend performances for the remainder of the run. That should catch you up enough to jump into where Jacquie started telling the story:

When I got the call from Steve Perigard asking me if I was interested in understudying and stepping in for the very talented Maggie Roop in Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter I was thrilled! Way back when I used to perform all the time on the magnificent Theatre IV stage and I missed it. I have very fond memories of all the children shows I did at Theatre IV, but one of my favorites was the last one I did….King Island Christmas directed by Steve. It was special because I finally got to work with both Bruce Miller & Phil Whiteway in a play! Oh boy do I have stories…we had this lovely song about the Northern Lights that we sang about halfway through the show. This was one of those complicated lyric songs that take a while to memorize (even longer if you are not in your 20’s anymore). Phil "pie boy" (in the show) was having the same issue as most of us were. He however had a fun way to cover…Steve had directed us to circle around the Island while we sang and each time Phil passed me he would have this beaming smile on his face, acting his heart out, only instead of the words to the song he would be singing "la, la, la, la"…it made me laugh really hard. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed when he got the lyrics down. It was such a lovely show...hmmm is it time to bring it back?

Anyway, back to this understudy gig. So after the initial "YEAH" reaction I had to Steve's call…the DREAD hit me. I am NOT good at throwing myself into a show and learning songs, dances and lines in less then 2 weeks. I mean who is…OK, Joe Pabst is…but he is a freak of nature. I went to my first rehearsal feeling like perhaps I had made a mistake. I have to tell you in all honesty…this cast has made it so easy! They made feel like I had been a part of their family the entire time. No one told me to get out of the way as I shadowed (stalked) Maggie, and they never said no to a request to go over something with me. They are perhaps the most giving cast I have ever worked with.

Theatre IV has been kind enough to give me a full run-through this Weds night and then I on go on this Sat. Ready or not (I think I'm ready)…this has been such a fun journey and anything that goes wrong…well, I will just add that to my pile of fun theatre stories.

The Reviews are in for RD

By Billy Christopher Maupin

What some are saying about Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter at Theatre IV:

Mary Burruss (a regular theatre critic for STYLE Weekly) writes on the RichmondVATheater Blog:

"[My seven-year-old daughter and I] both walked out with big smiles on our faces."

"Engaging for kids of a variety of ages and the adults who escort them, funny, enlightening with it's message, politically correct for our time, colorful and just the right length"

"new, well directed, well acted, well designed and crafted set, sound, and lighting, appropriate, fun, well thought out costumes, excellent make-up, choreography that is appropriate for the show and its actors, and wonderfully talented cast who's abilities are utilized properly to make a show that flows seemingly flawlessly across the stage"

"hilariously wicked duo of Jackie Jones and Matt James"

"fell in love with Richard Koch as the King"

"really great theatre"

Susan Haubenstock writes in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch review:

"Dawn A. Westbrook is the director/choreographer, and she brings lots of fun to the show, aided especially by Elizabeth Weiss Hopper's witty costumes and Greig Leach's brightly colored scenic design. Westbrook's dance numbers are especially amusing, and she gives her villains--the hilarious Jacqueline Jones as the Queen Mother and Matthew James as the Duke of Bonfire--loads of funny business to do."

"Richard Koch, who gives a hysterical performance as the King. He's greedy, he's vain, he dresses funny, and he talks silly -- he's a perfect buffoon."

YAY! Congrats to Theatre IV!!! Get your tickets! It closes in only two weeks on February 10.

Also be sure to be on the look out for another free ticket contest and the "An Actor Prepares" blog at http://www.theatreiv.blogspot.com/.

Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 344-8040. (Or you can purchase tickets through the Barksdale Theatre box office with the same phone call, while you're purchasing tickets for Doubt: A Parable [Starring Duke Lafoon, Irene Ziegler, Maggie Roop, and Katherine Louis]).

An Actor is...Really Behind in Blogging!!!

Post by Billy Christopher Maupin

I just slept about 14 hours which might explain why! It's been a crazy, crazy week! And now there are so many things to talk about. I thought about writing three successive posts, but perhaps I'll throw it all into one!

I promised pictures when I got into the office, but alas a gazillion other projects awaited at the office, but hopefully I'll have them up this evening.

The "preview performance" Friday morning went very well. It was a school matinee so lots and lots of elementary and middle school students. It's been quite a while since I've done a theatre for young audiences show. With the exception of one day of The True Story of Pocahontas on tour when David Janeski was sick and I filled in for him on-book, my last performance of such a production was as the title role in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn with Theatreworks/USA in New York in early May of 2005 (pictured to the right is an offstage picture [in costume] of Sloan [Tom Sawyer], Ben [Huck's Father], and me [Huck]). I really had forgotten the utter joy of bringing live theatre to children. It was so incredibly moving. And continues to be with each performance. Especially with the ending of the show when a little secret is revealed in the plot (which I won't give away here, because Dawn, Bob, and so many others would probably have my head) I get very misty-eyed and have to try to not shed the tears onstage...which I haven't yet been successful in doing. Hahaha.

Then we opened Friday night! People loved it! It was fantastic! So much fun! Then Theatre IV had an opening night reception, which was also great fun, so we were there for a while.

Then several of us went over to Comfort (a nearby restaurant) and hung out with Dawn since she started vacation with a 4AM flight on Saturday (which I'm told was quite turbulent) and is now enjoying some ski slopes with her husband, Carl, and daughter, Sydney. We had a blast! Mary Burruss came on opening night which was really exciting. I don't think STYLE is going to have an opportunity to run a review of the show, but when I ran into Mary at Pet Shop Days at the Firehouse the Friday before, I told her she had to come anyway. She wrote a really fabulous blog about the show on Dave T's blog at http://www.richmondvatheater.blogspot.com/. So you should definitely check that out.

Two shows yesterday, Saturday. The first at 10AM!!! Wow, that's early. The morning audience seemed relatively quiet, but really enjoyed the show. The afternoon audience was very vocal, which is always fun.

Oh, oh, oh. There is a "Meet and Greet" following each public performance where the audience gets to meet the cast and get their playbills autographed and all that fun stuff. While I was signing a child's program, the woman with the child says, "You write the blog, right?" YAY! It was so exciting! I realize that the TIV blog has a less frequent readership that the Barksdale blog which is sometimes a bit discouraging, even though there are tons of factors that play into that. Anyway...her incredibly wonderful comments about the blog really made my day.

I think I should stop now. On to the hunt for breakfast!

An Actor Gets an Audience

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

We had an invited dress rehearsal tonight. Our first "performance" is at 10:30 in the morning. So this is gonna be pretty short.

Show is really fantastic! Such a great take on a fairy tale! Oh, invited dress rehearsal, I should perhaps explain, generally happens as the final rehearsal of a show when the cast, crew, designers, etc. are allowed to invite a few guests so that everyone can get a taste of what the show is going to be like in front of an audience. We had quite a few people tonight, including Robert Neal Marshall (who wrote the book and lyrics). He has been incredibly supportive and complimentary of the cast which is great. And he told me tonight that he reads the blog, so that puts him high on my list of favorite people...hahaha.

It would seem that we're ready to open! I hope. hahaha. I think that's so frequently the feeling. At least for me. Jackie shared this great mantra with me: "I know all my lines. And I am supremely confident in my performance." It's so helpful! (Note: I may be paraphrasing a bit.)

So I've been saying it. Now I'm trying to believe it!

Off to bed, so I can be fresh and fabulous for the big day tomorrow!

Oh, we had a photo call last night, so I'll post some pictures from the show tomorrow from the office. So fun! I'll also talk more about our fantastic photographer Jay Paul, as well!

Dawn Westbrook...Questionnaire...'Nuff Said

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Dawn Westbrook, our hysterical director of Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter, has filled out the new questionnaire! This woman is a riot! So I'm just gonna let it speak for herself. And if you wanna see her hysterics onstage, come check out RD at Theatre IV, opening THIS FRIDAY!

Hometown: Sandston, Virginia

Audition song: "Don’t Rain on My Parade" from Funny Girl

Special skills:Right now??? Doctoring up gold coins to make them shiny.

Favorite word: Cozy

First show ever saw: Professional would have been at Theatre VA and I think it was Tintypes

If you could go back in time and catch one show (Broadway or otherwise) what would it be?: The original cast, opening night of A Chorus Line .

Favorite show tune: I love “The Story Goes on” (if sung well)… from Baby.

Least favorite word: No

Favorite play: I loved watching Take Me Out sometimes I can’t tell if I enjoy great direction and magical moments, or the writing better. It is GREAT when they are both present. This one had both!

Favorite musical: I absolutely ADORE Avenue Q!!!!!

Most played song on your iPod (or CD player): "Love is Gone" at the gym or running.

Last book you read: Eat, Love, Pray but I am currently reading Obama’s newest book The Audacity of Hope.

Sound or noise you love: Mommie!!! Being screamed by my daughter when I come home.

Must-see TV show: My husband and I love American Idol, but I haven’t had a chance to watch it this season due to rehearsal conflicts. My favorite show is Entourage.

Last good movie you saw: Juno, which was recommended by my friend Jacquie O’Connor. My husband and I were able to finagle a date during rehearsals and one of my Friday nights off we caught dinner and this movie. Made for a great date night. And again…I’m back to “cozy” and “good direction and writing” all in one evening. Nothing better, my friend, nothing better.

Sound or noise you hate: The word NO. I hate saying it and I HATE hearing it.

Worst job you ever had: Working for a man I didn’t respect at Northwestern Mutual Service with 9-5 hours.

First stage kiss: South Pacific in High School with former Richmonder R.L. Rowsey

Worst costume ever: There are worst designs and then there are one’s that just didn’t flatter. I think I’ll leave this one alone.

What turns you on (creatively, spiritually, emotionally)? Creatively would have to be “Yes, I think we can do that!” Spiritually would have to be when justice and harmony are present and make their energies known to the universe. Emotionally …is a little more difficult to describe, but I think it’s when I FEEL the presence of justice, harmony and/or love in a moment, because I think that gives us a glimmer into what GOD is all about.

Billy-Christopher Has Surrendered to the Questionnaire

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

My turn! (Makes me think of Bronson Pinchot in the Broadway revival of Putting It Together when he came out to sing "Buddy's Blues" from Follies. Anybody? ...Nobody?)

I thought I wouldn't do the questionnaire, since it might seem a bit odd to do it and post it myself. And my boss (the fabulous Sara Marsden, Director of Marketing) also thought it was odd), but I figured what the heck. I'm in a show daggone it; and the mood struck me, so here it is: (Just ignore the rather dated headshot there at the top.)

Hometown: Campbellsville, KY

Audition song: "Not a Day Goes By" from Merrily We Roll Along (for EVERYTHING!!!) I auditioned for a pop show in NY with this song and the casting director asked me to learn a pop song and he would like to see me again. Very nice guy.

Got my Equity card singing this song in the style of Huck Finn!!!

Special skills: hehehe...a bad Katherine Hepburn imitation. And I can eat popcorn out of my nose without using my hands.

Favorite word: lascivious

First show ever saw: Cats (ech...ech...sorry, hairball)

If you could go back in time and catch one show (Broadway or otherwise) what would it be?: First replacements in Sweeney Todd: Dorothy Loudon (Tony winner as the original Miss Hannigan) and George Hearn

Favorite show tune: "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables; such an incredibly well-crafted piece.

Least favorite word: How about phrase? "You're too young." I've heard that several times lately. Favorite play: The Zoo Story by Edward Albee (who turns 80 on March 12!!!)

Favorite musical: Oh...so hard to choose... Godspell, Les Mis, Jekyll and Hyde (concept version, not that mess that ended up onstage), Sweeney Todd, ...

Most played song on your iPod (or CD player): currently anything on Patti Lupone's The Lady with the Torch album

Last book you read: Pillowman by Martin McDonagh. Disturbing. Wish that I hadn't started, but once I did, I couldn't put it down.

Sound or noise you love: a creek

Must-see TV show: Golden Girls (hehehe)

Last good movie you saw: Across the Universe (I bow to Julie Taymor)

Sound or noise you hate: Macy Gray singing.

Worst job you ever had: McDonald's (four times; three different McDonald's), which was rivaled only by a theatre I did summerstock with, but we'll let that lie.

First stage kiss: I was 21, she was 15 (and in her first professional production). I had just moved from Kentucky to take my first fulltime professional acting job in The Diary of Anne Frank. She remains to be one of the most professional actors I have ever worked with.

Worst costume ever: The Secret Garden. Dickon. Knickers. Vest. Neither of which are very flattering to guys that are not small. I was quite not small then.

What turns you on (creatively, spiritually, emotionally)?: A great connection. Onstage or off. Indefinable. But you can feel it when it happens. Especially when you're sitting in an audience watching it happen...or sitting across a table from that person and it's happening.

No Clever Title Tonight- RD

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Dawn holds to the philosophy that the more times you get to run the show the better. Which can be very frustrating early on, when the whole piece is a mess, as opposed to having one thing down really well, but at this point, it's really rather fantastic to have the whole show getting settled into our bodies, minds, voices, etc. Especially with the many, many, many costume changes (and some of them incredibly fast!). So glad to have Renee (our dresser) backstage along with a really terrific backstage team: Jason, Robert, Eddie, and another whose name I'm forgetting....arrrgh...I'll post it when I learn it! Shame on me!

Tonight after the very stop-and-start run (which included several new props, new blocking, choreography, vocal tracks, costume pieces and more) I believe Dawn referred to the "theatre goblins" attacking the show because so many things went awry in tonight's run. But the really cool thing is that IT'S ONLY TUESDAY!!! We have until Friday!

The show is in such great shape that it was probably incredibly helpful to have a really rough run to keep us on our toes. It's definitely coming to the time when everyone (or most) is getting nervous as the opening gets closer and closer with each passing moment (cue eerie music), but still for the most part, all of that is being navigated very gracefully. It's so fun to work with a group of such talented and kind people (and FUN!).

Oh, oh, oh. I would be totally amiss if I didn't mention that the costumes look FABULOUS! The sets are HUGE and FABULOUS! The lights are FABULOUS! The special effects are TRES FABULOUS!

Derek Dumais (sound engineer) helped us lay down some backup vocal tracks today, as we have a much more intimate-sized cast compared the the production in the Edinburgh Festival and also in the workshop (one of which, I believe had 26 people). So several of the cast members (David, Cathy, Gigi, Corey, and I) just recorded a couple of the numbers to boost the sound a bit. The tracks that Julie Fulcher (recently seen in A Christmas Story at Theatre IV and Smoke on the Mountain at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern) are FABULOUS! Oh, so beautiful!

Everyone involved has really poured themselves into this. Wendy Vandergrift and Bruce Rennie have been doing some awesome tech support. Ginnie Willard, pinch hitting as properties mistress, is doing some incredibly fast and FABULOUS work. All the carpenters and painters have built this HUGE (oh...already said that) set.

OK...I should stop. I'm really excited about the show. It's really gonna be a ton of fun for us once we're able to navigate all of our costumes, props, etc. And I'm really excited to see how it plays with an audience (ON FRIDAY!!!). I really think it's gonna be a FABULOUS show!

Lady Camilla Bats Her Lashes

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Corey Davis (most recently seen in Theatre IV's Stuart Little as well as Home for the Holidays at Barksdale Theatre and the fabulous cabarets at the Empire Theatre...and as Lauren in the world premiere of Bill C. Davis' Austin's Bridge at the Firehouse Theatre Project) portrays (among others) Lady Camilla, one of the Ladies in Waiting that flirt with the Duke in Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter.

Hometown: Richmond, VA baby!

Audition song: open to suggestions

Special skills: backwards alphabet the say can I

Favorite word: facetious (the only word in the English language with all 5 vowels in their correct order)

First show ever saw: ever, Secret Garden - in NY, Footloose

If you could go back in time and catch one show (Broadway or otherwise) what would it be?: As a child, my family had Peter Pan on tape, starring Mary Martin. I would love to go back to my childhood and get to see that in real life

Favorite show tune: "Could I Leave You?" from Follies or "When I Look at You" from Scarlet Pimpernel

Least favorite word: moist....eww

Favorite play: Curious Savage

Favorite musical: RENT, I know that's stereotypical, but it's amazing

Most played song on your iPod (or CD player): at the moment, anything from Alison Krauss or Antigone Rising

Last book you read: Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister [BC NOTE: by Gregory Maguire, who also wrote Wicked]

Sound or noise you love: my husbands voice....hehe

Must-see TV show: Lost and Project Runway, though my favorite of all time is Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman! (I know, I know)

Sound or noise you hate: pink pencil erasers...it makes my teeth hurt

Worst job you ever had: Selling cookies at the mall

First stage kiss: Senior year of high school as Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Worst costume ever: In my eighth grade chorus, we had these hideous outfits - big glittery gold tops with sequins and poofy sleeves with pants straight from an M.C. Hammer video

What turns you on (creatively, spiritually, emotionally)?: kindness

An Actor is...Excited!!!

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

So...I've been a bit absent in the rehearsal blogging, which I think I knew was going to happen when I started it. It has been CRAZY BUSY!!! The update:

Oh! I learned that a passerrelle is a real term (and spelled correctly here). It's used in nautical structures, as you can read about here. It's also a viaduct in Luxembourg City. The reason I was confused and thought it was a slang term created at the Empire is that during a production years ago, there were some young actors in the show and the music director's name was R. L. The passerrelle goes around the pit where R. L. was playing/conducting. So it was easy to remember as "pass R. L." How cute!

Also, I had a bit of change in my choreography for one of the songs. Read "a bit of a change" as "cut"! Dawn (director/choreographer, pictured to the right) and Cathy (her assistant) were so sweet about it. "We really need to have someone guarding RD (as we refer to the title character) so you're going to do that, while Cathy (who also plays Meredith, the miller's daughter, you know...the one that met Rumpelstiltskin all those years ago) dances your track in "Goody, Goody, Goody". " It was all fine, because I knew the first day we started choreographing the number that it was bound to happen, no matter how hard I tried. I've never tapped (as in dancing) in my life and this number is all about the tap steps. So now I get to follow around RD (played by Gigi, who you will be hearing from on the blog very shortly...which is such a joy, because she is absolutely terrific to work with- and...anyway...I'll save that for when I post her questionnaire).

I missed rehearsal on Tuesday and Wednesday because I was directed a staged reading in the Festival of New American Plays at the Firehouse Theatre Project. The piece I directed actually plays once more tomorrow night at 7:30 and features Tony Foley (recently seen in Theatre IV's production of A Christmas Story as the adult Ralphie), Melissa Johnston-Price, John Moon (who just finished directing the touring production of Buffalo Soldier - which is the only live production ever played at the Pentagon [pictured below to the right]), Jacob Pennington, Steve Freitas (currently rehearsing for the tour of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad [pictured below to the left]), and Audrey Snyder (seen recently in Stuart Little and the two cabarets for First Fridays at the Empire). Jeanie Rule (Theatre IV's Arts in Education Manager was actually featured in the other play in the festival that showed on Thursday and tonight.

Back to Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter: So I missed two rehearsals, which was really frightening because Wednesday was "off-book" day. When I got back on Thursday that meant no script/score onstage and I made it to almost the end and had to pick it up for my beautiful song as the King's Father, which takes place in silhouette behind a very large picture frame. It's gonna be so cool!!!

We had our first tech run-through tonight, after the designers, techies, director had been there since I think 9 or 10 this morning. They are doing a really smashing job. You have to come check this stuff out. The opening of the show involves this (so cool!) kinetic imaging. That is only the beginning of the incredibly exciting technical elements of the show. But I'm not gonna give away all the surprises! (Not in just one blog anyway!) You really should check it out for yourself. (Especially because it's only a bit over an hour and full-price tickets are only $16! I mean, come on! Bring the kids...or not! It's gonna be a great time either way!)

So...I should wrap up I think! We didn't quite get through all of the show in tech tonight. OH! I have to give major kudos again to Dawn, the designers, and our backstage crew, since they had been there all day! Often directors are notoriously frightening during tech week, which can also be referred to as something else that I won't mention here. But Dawn (et al) were incredibly calm and wonderful! It was great!

Oh! And the playwright came down on Thursday night to watch the runthrough! But I'll save that for another posting.

So get your tickets! It opens Friday night at 7PM! Actually, as a little incentive, we're going to offer a blog discount. $10 tickets for any performance in the first weekend of the run! Just mention the blog! 344-8040 is the number to call! I'm so excited! It's gonna be great!

Rumpelstiltskin Weaves Some Magic

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

The new, improved(?) questionnaire has arrived! I have combined questions from James Lipton's adaptation of Pivot's questionnaire (featured on Inside the Actor's Studio), added several questions from Playbill.com's Cue & A, and decided to see how things play without pictures.

Our first interviewee is David Janeski who plays Rumpelstiltskin in the American premiere of Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter at Theatre IV (opening next Friday).

So here it goes!

Hometown: Haymarket, VA. It used to be nowhere. Now it’s where Disney got kicked out, now holds the title of first outpost of DC Traffic. Thank you over development without infrastructure. Grr.

Audition song: I should have one shouldn’t I? I don’t parade myself as a “musical theatre actor;” I think not having a song repertoire is my subconscious way of keeping that. I once sang 8 bars at a 16 bar audition. I offered to sing it twice. They declined.

Special skills: EVERYONE involved in a production has special skills. Skills like imagination, promptness, teamwork

Favorite word: Whatever my line is :)

First show ever saw: It was a Langston Hughes something at the Kennedy Center

If you could go back in time and catch one show (Broadway or otherwise) what would it be?: Somewhat hesitantly I would go back and see a performance that happened in Richmond December 26th 1811 entitled “Raymond and Agnes...”, during which the scenery overhead caught fire and burned the place to the ground in

Favorite show tune: Aw really? You know not all of us are in love with musicals. I’ll go with “Till There Was You,” the Beatles version.

Least favorite word: Words mispronounced. ie: Exspecially.

Favorite play: I think this answer for most of us is influenced by the latest plays we’ve read. In that regard I’ll say An Enemy Of The People Ibsen w/ Miller

Favorite musical: Ragtime

Most played song on your iPod (or CD player): Eisley, "Many Funerals." It’s the 1st song on their latest album entitled Combinations.

Last book you read: 1491 by Charles C. Mann. It explores the pre-Colombian societies in the Americas and how they rivaled and even surpassed those of Eurasia.

Sound or noise you love: The tearing of a perforated edge.

Must-see TV show: Frankly, none of them. Aside from a football or baseball game I don’t watch television.

Last good movie you saw: Stardust

Sound or noise you hate: Screeching brakes; I hope nothing serious happened.

Worst job you ever had: I worked as a surveyor for a couple of summers. I carried a compound bucket full of wooden stakes, a small sledge hammer, radio, 5’ metal pole for shooting topography, and drug it all through briars, bogs, and wherever else was still undeveloped in northern Virginia in the late 1990’s. A wasp stung my eyelid; an hour later it looked like I was hiding a golf ball under there. Woo fun!

First stage kiss: I played Romeo in college in a production directed by Richmonder Jack Parrish. That stands as my only stage kiss.

Worst costume ever: Worst as in didn’t fit the show, poorly constructed, I would never wear it but on stage? As Puck in college I wore fur overalls cut for a flood

What turns you on (creatively, spiritually, emotionally)? Wit coupled with intelligence.

Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter Contest!

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Theatre IV is thrilled to announce our first online ticket contest!

Here's the nitty gritty:
Submit your answers to the six questions below by the deadline. The submissions with the most correct answers will then be put into a "hat" and a winner will be selected at random from those entries. The winner will receive a four-ticket package for any performance for the opening weekend of Theatre IV's production of Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter! Theatre IV employees are ineligible for entry. Winner will be notified via e-mail no later than one business day following the deadline. On to the questions!

1. Who wrote the children's book, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter?

2. Who illustrated the book?

3. Who is Rumpelstiltskin's daughter's daddy?

4. In what country did the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale originate?

5. Name members of the cast and/or creative team of the American premiere of Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter.

6. What was your favorite Theatre IV production?

Submit your answers via email to bc.maupin@theatreivrichmond.org with RD Ticket Contest in the subject line. The deadline for entries is 12PM (Noon) on Wednesday, January 16. Remember, you don't necessarily have to get all the right answers to win (and one of the questions is a "freebie"). Have fun!

An Actor is...Tired

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Just a quick update on rehearsals for Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter.

Wow! I'm exhausted!

We've gotten through the bulk of the script (I think). My brain is not firing on all cylinders. Last night at rehearsal...or was it the night before...I said something and had completely inverted two of the words in my sentence. Not as in the style of that controversial Star Wars character (i.e. "Do it again we should."), but more like "I'm really up picking not on that dance step." Or something of the likes.

Intense this is! We're doing a stumble-through tomorrow night of what we have so far. That means starting at the top and trying to make our way through until it falls apart, fix it, and keep going as far as we can.

I've somehow mananged to end up with script and music mixed together in two different binders in an attempt to be organized and now find myself completely lost. Frightening.

Oh! Speaking of frightening. The "passarelle" is this thing that extends out from the stage and circles around the pit (the lowered pit in front of the stage where an orchestra would be for a big musical). It's about four feet wide across the front and we're dancing(!) on these large "gold coins" ON THE "PASSARELLE!" (This term, I think, originated from some story as a joke and the spelling is rather nonexistent, but it sounds like it might be spelled like that.) It's really plenty of room and safe, but when you're dancing across it, it sometimes a bit daunting.

Ensemble work is incredibly difficult. I've acknowledged this for several years now and I'll say it here: There is a very different skill set required for ensemble work as opposed to principle work. It seemed that in college and even now that there exists this mentality that being in the ensemble means that you're "just in the chorus." So far from the truth. It is so much intense work and in such a teamwork kind of way, even more so than principle roles, I think. I'll try to come up with a better way to describe the difference between the two. All the cast is in the same boat (along with the director/choreographer, stage manager, designers, production team, etc.), but in the ensemble it's...I have no coherent way to describe it right now. I'll give it more thought and see what I come up with.

And there's so much more singing and dancing! So much to learn!

So here's my hat off to all the gypsies out there! You guys rock! I think after this show, I think I'm going to leave my hat off to the gypsies instead of trying to put their hat on. Whew!

OK...I'm going to try to get my binders meshed into one and figure out where I move when!

(Photos: 1. Matt James (Duke of Bonfire) in foreground, Dawn Westbrook (Director/ Choreographer) seated at table, David Janeski (Rumpelstiltskin) in the background; 2. Jar Jar Binks; 3. Maggie Roop (Lady Vennesse/Granny/Ensemble), Corey Davis (Lady Camilla/Ensemble) 4. Devin Richards from the recent Broadway revival of 110 in the Shade (and the Gypsy Robe winner from that production)

An Actor Is Still Preparing...

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Rehearsals are now well underway for Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter with an absolutely hysterical cast. These people are so much fun and delicious to work with! Maggie Roop, Thomas E. Nowlin, and Corey Davis round out the ensemble as Granny, Lady Camilla, and the Blacksmith respectively, with my stunning (hahaha) turn as the King's Father at the end of the show.

We started learning the choreography for our big "tap number" last night. I have never in my life tapped. Well, maybe my fingers on my desk during chemistry class, but ya know! So some minor adjustments were made...and I was cut from the number. Just kidding! Dawn was amazingly kind and simplified a few steps and it's going to look fabulous! Cathy Motley-Fitch, our dance captain, gave me quite a bit of help during our break as well. A "time step"? Huh?! A welcome challenge!

I was talking to Jackie Jones (who plays the Queen Mother with this riotous Rosanne Barr-esque take on the role) who is quite quick to pick up these dance steps which until last night were completely foreign to me and she was very reassuring. This morning before I head off to work, I found this video in my email sent from my darling Jackie:


How cool is that! I love YouTube! It's such an invaluable source of research now! (You can also find the Theatre IV commercial on there. And the Barksdale Theatre commercial, where you can catch a glimpse of me having a blast laughing on the couch with Joe Pabst, seen as Lumiere in Theatre IV's production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast:)

So...back to work. More lines and songs to learn! And that shuffle and time step!

Shuffles and time steps! Oh my!