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!

Three Hits (No Strike!) and We're In

Posted by Bruce Miller

Last Thurs, Nov 29, the strike ended and all of Broadway returned to work. The following evening, Fri, Nov 30, Theatre IV opened A Christmas Story at the historic Empire Theatre, the third mainstage opening in 15 days for the Barksdale/Theatre IV team. Today, Sun, Dec 2, the first Christmas Story review came out in the T-D, and, just as with the first two openings of our holiday trifecta, it looks like another winner coming out of the gates!

To paraphrase a song from Swingtime Canteen, “Praise the Lord and pass the approbation!”

Under the headline: “Caution: This Play Could Lead You to Fits of Laughter,” Susan Haubenstock writes, “Theatre IV’s holiday show A Christmas Story may be too funny for children. Well, too funny for them to fully appreciate. The adults who bring them to the Empire Theatre will be laughing out loud.”

Technical glitches aside (see my Opening Night coverage), Susie basically loved the whole thing: “Off Center and Always Hilarious!” “Clever Theatrical Devices!” “Incredibly Funny!” She loved our director and designers: “Director Chase Kniffen hits every laugh.” “The house set designed by Mercedes Schaum looks like it’s laughing.” “Matthew Landwehr’s lighting contributes mightily to the scene transitions.”

She especially loved our cast: “Eric Pastore has the charisma to keep our focus throughout the play’s 2 ½ hours.” “Michael Thibodeau and Eric Evans play his buddies with thorough 1938 credibility. Chandler Hurd is delightful as a coonskin-cap-wearing bully; and Lillie Izo and Lyla Rossi are wonderful as the neighborhood girls.”

“Above all, tiny R. Cooper Timberline is hilarious as Randy, whether whining, hiding, waiting for Santa, or needing to wee-wee.”

“Tony Foley plays the narrator (the adult Ralph) with heart, and Gordon Bass is perfect as the cursing, growling Old Man. Julie Fulcher’s long suffering Mother is great, and costume designer Sarah Grady even provides her with the requisite pink chenille bathrobe. And Jacqueline Jones puts in another of her high-octane performances as Ralphie’s teacher.”

If you and your kids would like a good laugh this Christmas, and who wouldn’t, please call for your Christmas Story tickets ASAP. If you’d like to revisit comic hijinks associated with the screen-writing of Gone with the Wind, please call for tickets to Moonlight and Magnolias at Barksdale Willow Lawn. And if you’d like to tap your feet and sing along to the boogie woogie hits of the 40s in a colorful recreation of a USO Christmas show, head on out to Hanover Tavern for Swingtime Canteen.

Better yet, go see all three! And remember, theatre tickets and gift certificates make GREAT Christmas and Hanukkah presents!!

See you at the theatre.

--Bruce Miller

"A Christmas Story" opens tomorrow!

Posted by Billy Christopher Maupin

Tomorrow night at Barksdale Theatre's "sister theatre," Theatre IV, A Christmas Story opens. Not the movie, of course, but a stage adaptation of the movie. And it took a heckuva lot of people to get it to the stage. The author billing credit is required by the publisher to read:

A Christmas Story

Adapted by Philip Grecian. Based on the motion picture A Christmas Story,
© 1983 Turner Entertainment Co., Distributed by Warner Bros.,
Written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark;
Also based on the book In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd.

Now that's a mouthful. But all those writing credits make me think of all the people who are involved in getting the show onstage after the script is written. There's a talented team of people on this one.

A Christmas Story is directed by Chase Kniffen, with scenic design by Mercedes Schaum, lighting design by Matthew Landwehr, costume design by Sarah Grady, stage management by Ariel C. Osborne, and a whole slew of electricians, sound technicians, scene painters, costumers, and more.

And it's A Christmas Story onstage! I can hardly wait to see it! Especially because of the great cast: Tony Foley, Julie Fulcher, Gordon Bass, Eric Pastore, Jacqueline Jones/AnnaMarie Rossi, R. Cooper Timberline, Eric Evans, Michael Thibodeau, Lillie Izo, Lyla Rossi, and Chandler Hurd.

It's the holiday classic, live and on-stage! To order tickets, call the box office at 344-8040 or visit the Theatre IV website at http://www.theatreivrichmond.org/. I hope to see you at the show!

(Photos by Jay Paul. From top to bottom: Eric Pastore; Julie Fulcher and Gordon Bass; Michael Thibodeau, Eric Pastore, R. Cooper Timberline, and Eric Evans; Tony Foley)

--Billy Christopher Maupin