Audition Notice: Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company

WHAT: Auditions for the 2011-2012 season of Savage Rose Classical Theatre Company

WHERE: Walden Theatre, 1123 Payne Street, Louisville, KY 40204

WHEN: Sunday, June 19 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. &
              Monday, June 20 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

WHO: Everyone who wishes to be considered  for a role during the 2011-2012 season--including actors    who have performed with the company in the past. Please be aware that these are the only auditions that will be held for the season.

Please note: Actors should be prepared to read from a script. If you have not auditioned for Savage Rose in the past year at the TAL general auditions or privately please prepare a short classical speech approximately 1 minute in length (about 20 lines).

*A sign-up sheet will be posted 15 minutes prior to the beginning of auditions.

2011-2012 Season

The Changeling by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Also being cast is the Words, Words, Words Play Reading Series:

The Atheist's Tragedy by Cyril Tourneur
The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster
Cupid's Revenge by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher
Law Against Lovers by William Davenant
Edward II by Christopher Marlowe

info@SavageRoseTheatre.com or 599.3011

Theatre Review: Cirque du Soleil "Alegria"

If you haven’t experienced a Cirque du Soleil show personally you have not experienced anything like Alegria. The show will be at the KFC YUM Center until Sunday; there are two performances each day until June 12. Please don’t let the opportunity to be part of this celebration pass unnoticed. Everything else I can tell you is just commentary.

Cirque du Soleil has become a mountain on the cultural terrain. It’s difficult to believe that prior to 1986 there was nothing like it on the planet. Although Cirque carries elements of ancient traditions I doubt there has ever been anything like it in the history of the world; a unique combination of high concept visual art, music, dance, acrobatics and music. One of the earliest works developed by the team was Alegria, which has been touring the world since 1994.

In Spanish “alegria” means jubilation and Alegria, the show, is a celebration of youth, energy and possibility. Although opening night audiences in Louisville were predictably conservative in their initial response, by the end of the evening everyone had enthusiastically joined the party. My shoulders and hands were aching by the end of the evening from constant applause.

Alegria is a collection of amazing feats of strength, flexibility and balance, but the collective is more fascinating than the individual components. With Alegria, Cirque’s founder Guy Laliberte has created an international family with members from Mongolia, Canada, Belgium, Russia, Sweden, France, the United States, The United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia, Belarus, Denmark, Ukraine, Argentina, Portugal and Brazil. He has used the underlying artistic principal of distortion and expansion to highlight what is essential to our humanity. In creating the fantastic worlds of Cirque du Soleil these artists become a reflection of human potential.

A few thoughts for you to consider before attending: the people on stage are working to make a personal connection with you so don’t be afraid to react. When the Fluer shouts “Alegria/Jubilation” he isn’t shouting at you—he is calling to you. Don’t hold back if you feel like responding. I think you’ll find that your experience gets better with active participation. Also, there are some amazing clowns in this production and if you are seated on the floor chances are you are going to encounter them, prepare yourself to join in the fun.

www.Tickemaster.com

 Sarah Peak as Teen Fiona, Haven Burton as Fiona and Scarlett Diaz as Young Fiona 

in the PNC Broadway Across America presentation of Shrek, June 7--12, 2011 

Whitney Hall, Kentucky Center for the Arts

502.584.7777, www.KentuckyCenter.org

 Photo credit: Joan Marcus

The national tour of the musical Shrek comes to the Kentucky Center for the Arts in June as part of the PNC Broadway Across America series. Among those flocking to Whitney Hall will be friends and family of Sarah Peak, a 2002 graduate of South Oldham high school. I spoke with her by phone recently as she lounged by the pool in Orlando, Florida.

Sarah: There is one song in the show during which Princess Fiona kind of grows up. In that song Fiona appears as a young child, a teenager and as an adult.

Scott: But you play other roles as well.

Sarah: I'm in the ensemble and everyone in the ensemble plays several roles: I'm Teen Fiona, and I'm the Ugly Duckling in the Fairy Tale Creature scenes. So during that part of the show I'm in gigantic orange flippers and have big tail feathers to shake. There are also a few big production numbers that include tap dancing rats and plastic dolls and I'm in there too.

Scott: When did you join the cast?

Sarah: We started rehearsals last May so we just had our one-year anniversary. I didn't do the Broadway production, but I've been with the national tour from the beginning.

Scott: What year did you graduate from South Oldham?

Sarah: I graduated high school in 2002 and went to Northern Kentucky University to earn a bachelor of fine arts in musical theatre. I had a fantastic college experience; I was in all sorts of productions with really great teachers. It was also great that it was so close to home. Any time I was in a show my family could drive up to see me, but I was still on my own and having he whole college experience.

Scott: How long ago did you move to New York City?

Sarah: Not long after graduation, October 2006.

Scott: Did you know anybody in New York?

Sarah: A couple of people I knew from college had already moved, or were in the process of moving there. I was really fortunate that one of my girlfriends was already living in New York and had an extra room in her apartment. That made the transition really easy for me.

Scott: It's amazing that she even had two rooms in her apartment.

Sarah: I know, right? We weren't even in bunk beds.

Scott: You have been on the road for the last year. What did you do, put everything in storage?

Sarah: I still have an apartment in New York that I was able to sublet. There is a nice actors community and people to take over your rent while you're on the road working.

Scott: What has the past year been like for you?

Sarah: Well, we fly from city to city so I've been living out of two suitcases. You definitely learn not to be a pack rat. I don't hang on to anything. But, I'm having a great time: this week I've been able to go to Disney World and last week I had a couple of days at the beach. I like to take advantage of whatever city I'm in and see what they have to offer.

Scott: What will you do while you're home?

Sarah: I'll get a break from hotels, which is cool. I'll stay with my parents and I can't wait to perform at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. I have family and friends coming through the week so I'm sure I'll be insanely nervous every night. I never get nervous in other cities, but I'm anticipating them in Louisville.

Scott: Are your parents involved in the arts locally?

Sarah: My dad was always a singer and plays the guitar. He has always loved music, but I have four sisters and I think we got into it because my parents put us all in dance class when we were little. We all took to it and have danced ever since. That was our introduction to the performing arts, but I took it a little further with the singing and acting.

Scott: Do any of your sisters still perform?

Sarah: One of my sisters just graduated from Western Kentucky University and she is dancing in Italy right now. My oldest sister is a choreographer and teaches dance at a studio in Louisville. Dance is still a part of our lives; I'm glad there was a little studio up the road because I think that's the only reason we signed up in the first place. 

Scott: You have been in other shows, but have you done any in New York as yet?

Sarah: I haven't gotten to be on Broadway yet. But, I have done some regional theatre in upstate New York. I did Gypsy at Westchester Broadway Theatre and I was in the first national tour of The Wedding Singer. But Shrek is definitely my biggest job so far. 

Scott: How long will you stay with the show?

Sarah: Our tour goes through July 31, so we actually don't have too much longer. 

Scott: What will you do in August?

Sarah: It's back to the city and back to auditions. Hoping something else will come my way. 

Scott: Is that process as grueling as it's portrayed?

Sarah: Yes. It really is. You have to have thick skin and a side job.

Scott: What do you do when you're not acting?

Sarah: The stereotypical stuff. My side job was being a nanny. I would babysit and go to as many auditions as I could get myself to. The problem isn't that the auditions are particularly difficult, it's just that there are so many people there. I think the most important piece of advice I would give someone is to be persistent and wait it out. But, if you put the time in I think you can get some good jobs. 

Scott: Do you think the audition sometimes turns on something other than talent?

Sarah: Like anywhere else connections help. The more you work the more people get to know you.

Scott: But, I mean sometimes you can just be too tall or too short.

Sarah: I'm just about five feet tall which really hurts me in some shows, but they needed a short person for my part in Shrek. 

Scott: Do you have an agent helping you?

Sarah: I've been networking during this tour and I'm hoping to have one when I move back to the city. It's not the "only" way to go, but I think it makes things a little easier because it can help get you in the door. 

Scott: How many people are in Shrek?

Sarah: There are 25 cast members. But, that includes five off-stage swings; they know all the ensemble parts to that if somebody is sick, on vacation, or gets hurt in the middle of the show they can literally step right in to it. It's pretty amazing to tell you the truth.

Scott: Do many people get injured in this show?

Sarah: There is a lot of dancing and, since it's a cartoon brought to the stage, the costumes are huge and incredible. Knock-on-wood we haven't had any bad injuries. But, we've had a couple of twisted ankles. I've gotten through okay thank goodness. When you're on the road you get sick a lot. Through the winter I think we were passing flu back and forth. We are really fortunate to have those talented swings.

Scott: What will you do as soon as the tour is over? Will you take a vacation before you head back into the fray?

Sarah: The day after we close I'm going to Florida to vacation with my family. Then, I have about a month off and I'm getting married.

Scott: Congratulations!

Sarah: Thank you. Yes, I'm getting married in Louisville. After the wedding we'll go on a honeymoon and then back to New York.

Scott: Is your fiance an actor?

Sarah: Yes.

Scott: Did you meet him in the show?

Sarah: I met him in my first tour, The Wedding Singer.

Scott: That's appropriate.

Sarah: I know, it's really ironic. He's on the tour of 9 to 5 right now. Our shows close on the exact same day so we get to go to Florida and get married and head back the City together.

Scott: What is that like, being on different tours?

Sarah: Both of tours have had a couple of layoffs here and there, so we've been very lucky in getting to visit each other. We take turns traveling to see each other. It's a tricky schedule, but it's exciting because we always have a new place to go on a date because we're always in a different city. But, we are looking forward to being together in New York for a little bit. 

35th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays: Maple and Vine

Photo Credit: 

Jeanine Serralles as Ellen, Kate Turnbull as Katha in Maple & Vine

Humana Festival of New American Plays

Actors Theatre of Louisville  2011

Photo by Michael Brosilow

How did we get here? Is this where we wanted to go? Is there a way back? If there is should we take it? Can happiness and contentment be manufactured? I've been thinking a lot about these questions and discussing them with my wife Susan in the wake of our latest Humana Festival adventure Maple and Vine. The show is playwright Jordan Harrison's fourth Humana Festival entry since his debut in 2003. 

During the past 24 hours I have gone round and round with Harrison's presumptions, or what I assume to be his presumptions, regarding race, sexuality, the role of women, and Utopian blueprinting. That is certainly one measure of successful theatre. I finally decided that some of the presumptions represented in Maple and Vine may not actually be those of the playwright (watch this space for an interview with Jordan Harrison to find out). 

Harrison has created in his play an opportunity for the main characters, Katha, (Kate Turnbull) and Ryu, (Peter Kim), to leave behind their hectic modern lives in the big city for a recreated universe where it is always 1955. The play is directed by Anne Kauffman who initiated this play with The Civilians, a theatre company specializing in documentary theatre. Harrison was brought in after the company had already conducted more than 100 interviews with people in a variety of separatist communities including the Amish, cloistered nuns, and Civil War reenactors to format the work for the stage. Ultimately he left behind most of the documentary material that inspired his vision for an original work that explores the complexities of a lifestyle bounded and contained by the strict expectations of a community. 

Harrison addresses some of the obvious challenges in attracting people back to 1955--Ryu is a Japanese American in a Mixed Race marriage with a white woman. He gives up his medical practice to fold cardboard boxes. But, what does he gain? Part of the allure, as Harrison's dialogue puts it forward, of living in 1955 is the "rich subtext" created by suppression and guilt. As his wife embraces the idea of stuffing her reactions to a personal tragedy that afflicts them at the beginning of the play, she grants Ryu emotional control and the ability to "take charge" at home. His inability to cope with Katha's emotions in an equal partnership are hinted at early on. 

It would be easy to point out the shortcomings of 1955: virulent racism, unimpugned violence against women and children, the societal hatred and self-loathing of gays and lesbians. Unless you are a heterosexual, Christian, white male there is very little incentive to consider a return to the "golden age" of the mid-twentieth century. But, at a time when some  on the social right are touting the advantages of an imaginary America of 1955 as the solution to our current shortcomings, perhaps Maple and Vine is just the kind of story needed to remind us why we changed.

Photo Credit: 

Peter Kim as Ryu, Kate Turnbull as Katha in Maple&Vine

Humana Festival of New American Plays

Actors Theatre of Louisville  2011

Photo by Michael Brosilow

Maple and Vine continues through April 3 in Actors Theatre of Louisville's Bingham Theatre as part of the Humana Festival of New American Plays. Special ticket prices are available for Louisville area residents who want to participate in this international event. Call the box office at 502/584.1205 or go online www.actorstheatre.org. Next up watch for a review of Molly Smith Metzler's Elemeno Pea.

35th Annual Humana Festival of New America Plays: A Devil at Noon

Playwright Anne Washburn enjoys challenging her actors, directors, designers and audiences. I know this because she told Adrien-Alice Hansel in an interview published by Inside Actors 35th Annual Humana Festival of New American Plays, "It's so engaging to watch actors rise to ridiculous demands when they're performing." She didn't specifically mention the audience, but having seen A Devil at Noon I can tell you confidently of my own certain knowledge that Anne Washburn has created a funny, thoughtful and challenging work for us.

Before I get to the actors, et al I want to give some much-deserved praise and thanks to sound designer Matt Hubbs and the unnamed techs who run the sound board. Director Steve Cosson, who is the artistic director of The Civilians--a New York company that has produced several of Washburn's earlier works, has created through the use of sound (Hubbs), Lighting (Jeff Nellis) and Media (Philip Allgeier) an opportunity for the audience to explore Washburn's ideas unimpeded. The beauty of the playwright's concept, inspired in part by science fiction author Philp K. Dick (Blade Runner, Minority Report), and his struggle with reality as it is commonly defined, requires that the experience be presented to the audience through as few filters as possible. Cosson and the cast of A Devil at Noon make extensive use of mime to give us entry to the character's inner world. This is an elegant solution to the intrinsic problem created by Washburn's concept of "Pleasurable alienation," the attempt to capture the character's own lack of understanding and their attempts to make sense of an increasingly complex world.

It is rare in my experience for a cast to give an impeccable performance during previews. If they have the lines down and execute the blocking with some precision you can label it a success. Character refinement usually comes later. The cast of A Devil at Noon will almost certainly continue to make discoveries about their characters that will enhance the performance, but on opening night they were already transparent guides to the soul of the play. Led by Joseph Adams as the Philip K. Dick-inspired novelist and Rebecca Hart as Lois, the girl who shows up inexplicably on his doorstep the company presents a beautifully choreographed dance between intersecting planes of possibility.

Actors Theatre of Louisville artistic director Marc Masterson has chosen a colorful downbeat for the festival. I look forward to speaking with him about that and sharing the interview with you hear in the near future. Check here during the next several weeks and you will have an opportunity to meet playwright Anne Washburn, Director Steve Cosson and others involved in the Humana Festival of New American plays.

A Devil at Noon runs through April 3, 2011 in the Bingham Theatre of Actors Theatre of Louisville. Special rates are available for residents to be part of this international event. For more information go to www.actorstheatre.org or call the box office at 502.584.1205.

Photo Credit:
Rebecca Hart in A Devil at Noon
Actors Theatre of Louisville, Humana Festival of New American Plays 2011
Photo by Alan Simons