Theatre IV Has a Hit!

Original post by Billy Christopher Maupin on The Barksdale Buzz 3/15/2010

It looks like Theatre IV has a huge hit on its hands with the reunion of the original 1988 cast (Gordon Bass, Larry Cook, Jenny Hundley, Jacqueline Jones, and Debra Wagoner) of Jack and the Beanstalk (Book and Lyrics by Douglas Jones; Music by Ron Barnett). The production began student matinee performances on Tuesday of last week and had its official opening Friday night to an incredibly responsive house. Here are a few of the quotes we'll be pulling from Susan Haubenstock's review in Sunday's Richmond Times-Dispatch:

"...playwright Douglas Jones rings an ingenious change on
the much-loved fairy tale"




"wild version of the familiar yarn,
more fun and fanciful than the original"

"While the kids in the audience giggle at the silliness, adults can enjoy razor-sharp performances by the actors"

"light and funny" "cheerful" "playful and snappy"

And also Kate Hall with RichmondMom.com rang in with a thrilling review last night. A few quotes:

"both adults and kiddos were swept into Jack’s playful, imaginary world"

"a fabulous way to spend an afternoon"

"a must-see for Richmond families who want a great

laugh and to create a memory together"

Tickets really are selling fast! So fast, that a performance was added to the final day, even before the show opened! Get yours today!

See you at the theatre!


(Photos on the left side of the page are from the 1988 production [Photos by Eric Dobbs]; photos on the right side are from the currently running 2010 production [Photos by Aaron Sutten].)

Fairy Tale Ball 2008

Posted by Catherine Dudley

Well, another Fairy Tale Ball has come and gone and it was a great success. The turnout was fantastic and everyone looked lovely. I think the photos speak for themselves!

Everyone dances to the music of the Jangling Reinharts

Even the staff dresses up and comes out for the evening!

(L- Director of Marketing- Sara Marsden, myself, Below- Joy Ross- Box Office Manager, her lovely daughter Andrea)

Christine Schneider (Wendy in Peter Pan), Richard Koch (Smee in Peter Pan), and Gigi Galiffa (Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter herself) all smile for a picture.

The silent auction room-
Complete with a continuously moving Captain Hook projected onto the wall.
("Well, shiver me timbers!")

Billy Christopher Maupin and Emily Cole-Bitz check out the silent auction winners.

Gwen and Adam make their way through the Neverland trees. Does it get any cuter?

Mason and Holly Timberline make the sweetest penguin/ princess couple ever!

Peter and the lost boys promise to "never grow up!"

If you missed the Ball this year, we hope you'll come out and join us next year! And make sure you come see Peter Pan- April 25- May 18. Call 344-8040 for information.

Starkist Ain't Got Nothin' On Us!!!

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

So, casting has been announced for Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern's production of Greater Tuna. It is directed by Joe Pabst, whom you may remember as Lumiere in Theatre IV's production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the historic Empire Theatre. He was most recently seen in Barksdale's critically-acclaimed production of Moonlight and Magnolias (directed by Steve Perigard, and also featuring David Bridgewater, Scott Wichmann, and Joy Williams). His directing prowess was most recently displayed in The Odd Couple at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern.

I also saw the production of Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman's Follies at Dogwood Dell in 2006. Really fantastic director! And I'm so excited to get to work with him!

The Greater Tuna cast stars Joe Inscoe and Billy Christopher Maupin! I'm so excited!

So, the reason I write all this on the Theatre IV blog, is the let you know that the "An Actor Prepares..." series that started here during Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter will be continued soon (or resurrected, perhaps I should say) on the Barksdale Buzz following the work in Greater Tuna. YAY!

The play is absolutely hysterical! You should definitely check it out! You can find more information on the Barksdale website's Tuna page. And you can order tickets by calling the Barksdale box office at 282-2620 or online here.

Move On...

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

"Stop worrying where you're going-move on. If you can know where you're going, you've gone. Just keep moving on."

Those are some lyrics pulled from "Move On" from Sunday in the Park with George by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim.

And so with the closing of Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter, that's what I'm trying to do.

I auditioned for Greater Tuna at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern last night. I had planned on auditioning tonight, but had to go back to the theatre because I forgot something and thought "Why not!" Thomas Nowlin and I actually both did the same thing, following our post-closing gathering with the cast, director, crew of RD at Tarrant's.

It's an hysterical show and is helmed by a truly hilarious director, Joe Pabst. So whether I get it or not, I'm greatly looking forward to the production!

You can check out the show and order tickets on the Barksdale Theatre website, or by calling the box office at 282-2620. It opens on March 28 and is sure to be a smash hit, so get your tickets before it sells out!

An Actor...

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

I don't even know what to call this post. There are many titles it could hold, but none of them quite seem to do it justice. The show closes today with the two o'clock performance. I used to think that closings would someday get easier. And maybe someday they will. But, every one remains to be different.

This experience...I don't even know. I have so enjoyed every single person that has been involved with this show. It seems to have become such an embedded part of life that it now seems so strange that it's going to end. It seems so rare that a whole cast seems to really click together with no exceptions, especially a whole team.

I felt like with Smoke on the Mountain that the whole "family" just seemed to mesh so beautifully, but with that there was the hope of perhaps performing one of the sequels in a not-so-distant season (and we are now, in fact, all going to be back together it seems to perform Sander's Family Christmas at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern starting in November). But with Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter, it's one of those that you know for certain that you will never have these same people in a cast together again. It's like moving away from home.

There are so many wonderful memories. We have such an incredible time. So much fun amidst so much hard work. But everything must have a balance it seems. And having the best job in the world must have it's downfalls. Closings, for me, are the biggest of these.

With these people, I even seem to be able to take joy in the dance numbers (which frighten me on a regular basis).

I don't know that I can continue to be anywhere close to articulate about how I feel about the cast and crew and creative team, so I should wrap it up.

It's been such a beautiful story to be able to tell, with such beautiful people. I feel so fortunate to have been able to be a part of this project and I know it's one that I will forever carry fond memories of.

I really love this cast. The ones that I've been hoping to work with for quite a while, the ones that I've worked with before, and the ones I didn't know before.

This is going to sound really cheesy, but theatre seems to me to really be magical. (Cheesy continues:) One of the lyrics in the show is "Magic changes all of your faces. Open your heart and you'll find, that magic lives in all kinds of places, like deep in your heart and in mine." I have learned so much from this cast, all of them (Cathy, Corey, David, Gigi, Jackie, Jacquie, Maggie, Matt, Richard, Thomas), from Dawn, from the crew, from the playwright, from the play....I should really pull it together and stop crying. hahaha. But this has truly been one of my favorite and most magical experiences. I hope that I'm able to take that and carry it on. I hope we all are.

Maggie Roop Does Double Duty

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Maggie Roop is currently appearing as Lady Vennesse/ Granny/ Ensemble in Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter, while rehearsing the role of Sister James in Barksdale Theatre's production of Doubt: a Parable by John Patrick Shanley, both productions being part of the Acts of Faith Festival. Here she fills out the questionnaire and then talks about pulling double-duty in these productions.

Hometown: Herndon, VA.

Audition song: "Stop and See Me" from Weird Romance. It's a gem.

Special skills: This is one of those things that I never know how to respond to. I can't juggle or skateboard or do handsprings. Apparently I'm good at staying calm in stressful situations! According to Jackie Jones this is true but I'm sure some would disagree!!!

Favorite word: During the recent presidential debates, I have enjoyed the use of the word "mobilize". I like that one.

First show ever saw: Les Mis at the National in D.C. when I was 7.

If you could go back in time and catch one show (Broadway or otherwise) what would it be?: Company with Raul Esparza!

Favorite show tune: Anything from Les Mis pretty much. I stick to my roots.

Least favorite word: I think my new least favorite is "wimple"!!

Favorite play: It's too hard to pick just one...my favorite new play that I saw recently is probably Frost/Nixon.

Favorite musical: Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Wild Party (the Lippa version) are my faves in the Contemporary category. But I was brought up on Oklahoma! and Showboat.

Most played song on your iPod (or CD player): "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor or anything by M.I.A. especially "Hussel" or "Roadrunner". Oh, and Christina Aguilera suits any mood I might be in!!

Last book you read: Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut. Good stuff.

Sound or noise you love: The voices of my nephews and my cat purring.

Must-see TV show: LOST!!!! My new fave is Life.

Last good movie you saw: La Vie En Rose. It's the Edith Piaf movie. It's fantastic and everyone should see it. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I watched it a couple of days ago. Incredible acting and an amazing story. See it.

Sound or noise you hate: Whining. Even if it's me.

Worst job you ever had: I nannied for someone once who was less than enjoyable to work for. No names!!

First stage kiss: Evan Hoffman my senior year in high school! We were Billy and Hope in Anything Goes. He's also still acting! And we're still friends. Lovely.

Worst costume ever: Ok, don't hate me Liz Hopper, but once I was painted blue and wore thigh-high boots and a Kathy Griffin wig. It wasn't my favorite costume ever!!!

What turns you on (creatively, spiritually, emotionally)?: I like someone who is confidant in their creative abilities but with modesty and grace. I love when people thrive on other's input in making creative decisions. There is always another perspective or another approach. There is nothing like an energetic debate or discussion about anything, especially when it's something you love like your creative art!!

On doing double duty:
Working on Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter has been a unique experience for me because it has not been the only play on my plate in the recent weeks. I also have the pleasure of playing Sister James in Doubt: a Parable for Barksdale Theatre, directed by Keri Wormald.

Somehow in auditioning for both Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter and Doubt I failed to notice the overlapping Rump performances and Doubt rehearsals. In fact, Doubt tech starts during the closing weekend of Rump. The happy part was that I was cast in both shows, the downside was the realization by directors and managers and myself alike that I sadly cannot be in two places at once. Enter Jaquie O'Connor. Thankfully she was prepared to swoop in, learn my roles in Rump and essentially save the day! We share the part now and she will be joining the cast for her first performance tomorrow afternoon, 2/2 at 3pm. I look forward to my chance to see the show from the house in full. Should be glorious and sparkly and golden. Hooray!

It has been interesting to compare the two experiences as they happen side-by-side. A musical vs. a play, the Empire vs. the Barksdale, a smallish cast vs. a very small cast. The only real similarities have been that I thoroughly enjoy both casts and I am having a wonderful time with both shows, I am glad to say.

One of my favorite things about many of the plays I have done here in Richmond is the opportunity to be a part of something new, different or experimental. This is an aspect of Rump that I've enjoyed. The version we have is the only one that's been done. It is exciting to do something knowing that it is fresh and a discovery. The discovery we are exploring in Doubt rehearsals is a different brand. This is a fairly new play but it's had it's turn on Broadway, won that Pulitzer. The group of us, with Keri at the wheel, are finding so much in this play as we roll along. We are barreling through our first couple of off-book runs. And it is delightful!
While performing my amazing-overlapping-show trick, I have not come through unscathed. My scratchy throat is finally clearing up and that night when I couldn't see Billy Christopher's face because of a setting-in migraine is merely a glimmer in my past. It wouldn't be theatre without a little bit of turmoil. All-in-all, I am having a wonderful time. I just moved back to town in October and Richmond has welcomed me back with open arms. Thanks to all my cast mates and my two directors, and those two stage managers and all you tech fellas that make the world go round. Oh, and for you painters, our sets sure would be different if you weren't around!!!

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!

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!

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!

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!

An Actor Prepares

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

And so begins the "behind the scenes" look at the rehearsal process...from an actor's point of view.

I've been cast in my first mainstage Theatre IV production! In Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter that runs January 25 - February 10. I'm thrilled. So I had this nifty idea.

Theatre IV's touring productions include a post-show Q&A. A lot of the questions that come from the students (and sometimes the parent and teachers as well) are about being an actor. One of my favorite questions...well...it was really a favorite answer...was on my very first tour with Theatre IV. This was when Theatre IV still had an arm (or a branch, if you must) in Cincinnati and I was touring in Paul Deiss' beautiful musical, The Song of Mulan. All five of us were brand new to touring and we were seeming to find our way quite nicely with some of the strange questions that would pop up from time to time. In one of the aforementioned question and answer sessions, a child asked, "How much do you get paid?" After what was probably a very brief pause that seemed much longer, I said "Qurell?" Our cast had no formal way of distributing the questions, but if one came up that was something that one actor generally answered or that one of us thought that individual would be particularly adept at answering, then we would "pass the ball" to them. I got a quick and outwardly congenial sideways glare from Qurell who prompty replied, "We do receive monetary compensation for our work. You there in the blue shirt." She moved so smoothly and swiftly on to the next child. In its telling, the story seems to be somewhat similar to a story that Jackie Jones (nee Goldberg) had told in her questionnaire blog. I'll have to revisit that.

But now I have ventured far from the path! It's so easy to do that when talking about experiences in the theatre!

My point (and I do have one. Ellen. Anybody?) is that this series of entries might be a bit of insight into an actor's process. A single actor- I should emphasize- as each has his or her own method or technique. I should also point out that, contrary to my "clever" title you will find no (at least concious) Stanislavski here. Perhaps very close to The Practical Handbook for the Actor, which is a fantastic (and on the top of my list) book about the craft of acting.

We had a readthrough with the cast, director, and designers earlier this month. The ideas that they are bringing to the table (literally) are awesome! My jaw was dropped more than once by these incredibly vivid and brilliant ideas!

For now, I sign off. Back to reading my script and working on my music. We have our first rehearsal the evening of January 2. Look for more to come!

All Quiet on the Eastern Front

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

OK, Ok, ok. I know it's really All Quiet on the Western Front, but considering that the Empire Theatre is opposite of the West End (although it's still really downtown and not East End...nevermind). Just go with me here.

So it's the day before a major holiday, so staff of Theatre IV/Barksdale Theatre are on vacation. A very wonderful gift to have a holiday break. I'm not incredibly enamored of holidays, so I thought I'd come into the marketing office and catch up on a few things that got neglected in the midst of many, many, many shows running at the same time: A Christmas Story at the Empire Theatre (closed yesterday), Moonlight and Magnolias in Barksdale Theatre's Signature Season (running through January 20), Swingtime Canteen at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern (extended through March 2), Bifocals Theatre Project's It's a Wonderful Life on Barksdale Theatre at Willow Lawn's Lobby Stage and then touring around the Greater Richmond area (closed Friday), and more Theatre IV touring shows for young audiences than I even know of (the fall tours have wrapped up, but a whole new batch begins rehearsing for the spring tours very soon).

Seems that our office has gotten a bit cluttered with office supplies, brochures, a delightful bottle of craft glue that seems to have its remnants dried to the bottom, and oddly enough a set piece from what appears to be a Christmas show.

With all of the ads, playbills, voucher donations, TV commercials, and many, many other projects that come out this office (with my fabulously diligent coworker Catherine Dudley and the best boss I think I've ever had, Sara Marsden) sometimes those things get left on the table.

I guess Christmas isn't generally the time when traditionally one reflects on what one is thankful for (I guess I missed that with Thanksgiving). But as I sit here thinking about all of those things, I have to feel very grateful. I'm working in theatre with tremendously talented, generous, hardworking people that are doing great things every day- for the audiences and community in Richmond and far, far beyond.

So. Back to tidying. Thinking of all the wonderful things to come (and all the "hecticness", as well) with spring tours, Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter opening at the end of January, Doubt: A Parable opening at Willow Lawn in February, Two Short Plays in the Bifocals series in February, as well, beginning a whole new season of shows at Hanover Tavern in March, and oh, so many more events, shows, and projects that will be interspersed along the way.

It really does bring a smile to my face.

Another Fantastic Cabaret at the Empire Theatre

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

I am often accused of not sharing information early enough, so even though there are a lot of exciting things going on next Friday for First Friday at the Empire, I wanted to start getting the word out about the cabaret that will be playing in the lobby FOR FREE (which seemed to be the big question last time: "How much is the cover?"). FREE ENTERTAINMENT; How cool is that?

We featured an incredibly well-received cabaret for First Friday in September; so well-received, in fact, that we are featuring another next week, with several returning faces/voices and several new ones as well.

This time around Corey Davis (most recently of Stuart Little at Theatre IV and Austin's Bridge at the Firehouse Theatre Project, also to be seen in the upcoming Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter at Theatre IV),

Billy Christopher Maupin (seen in Mr. Marmalade and Austin's Bridge at the Firehouse Theatre Project and earlier this year in Smoke on the Mountain at Barksdale Theatre at Hanover Tavern),

Audrey Snyder (Stuart Little with Theatre IV, Frankenstein Lives! at the Carpenter Science Theatre, Where's Charley? at Barksdale Theatre),

and Chloe Williams (Barksdale Theatre's smash hit production of Mame) will return to the stage.

And the vibrant new voices of Taylor Baltimore (currently rehearsing as Petra in Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's A Little Night Music with Live Arts in Charlottesville),

Catherine Dudley (who just closed as Snowbell in Stuart Little),

Jacquie O'Connor (recently seen in The Full Monty and Scapino! at Barksdale, as well as I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change at Swift Creek Mill Playhouse),

and Jonathan Spivey (Barksdale's Cyrano de Bergerac, numerous performances at the University of Richmond, and a stunning Lady #3 in Paul Deiss' adaptation of The Magic Flute with Theatre IV) will join them.

The upcoming cabaret will feature songs from Cabaret, Chicago, Dreamgirls, Side Show, South Pacific, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and more!

So come check out all the exciting things happening, grab a drink at the cash bar and check out a fine cabaret. Life is, after all, a cabaret, ol' chum. So...(yeah...you're singing it...)

Friday, November 2, starting at 7:30PM at the historic Empire Theatre in Downtown Richmond!

(Pictured at right, from September's cabaret are Robin Harris-Jones, Billy Christopher Maupin, Russell Rowland, Janine Sears, Andrea Ross, Audrey Snyder, Corey Davis, Chloe Williams, and Keydron Dunn.)

(NOTE: Headshots appear in order of mention and not necessarily adjacent to name.)