If you have ever been curious about the original historical background, setting, plot, or the intricacies of a particular character in a given performance, then this is the perfect book club for you! Please contact Meghan Fuller at mfuller@asf.net a minimum of one week prior to the performance.
By Equity Actor Avery Clark
“Is the day so young?”, I crack groggily, ironically beginning my day the same way I have begun every other day this past month— saying my lines out-loud, reviewing them before our 10am show. By the time I’m out of the shower I’ve finished my first Friar Lawrence scene. Quickly, I throw my clothes on and cram some Eggos down my throat while I continue running the rest of Act One.
I arrive at the theater a couple minutes before fight call while washing down some Ibuprofen with a Diet Dr. Pepper and mumbling to myself “thus with a kiss I die.” My first physical activity of the day consists of ramming my shoulder into Tybalt’s midsection and diving face first onto the floor a couple of times and hoping that the two of us don’t hurt ourselves. I shave, put on my costume, check my props, and cover my alabaster pale face with bronzer. I walk up to the green room and have a brief conversation with Eeyore while Kanga (from Winnie the Pooh) adjusts her pockets on her skirt. The surrealness of the situation forces me back to my dressing room. I spend the rest of the time in idle conversation with Mercutio and hope the caffeine will kick in soon.
Here are some glimpses of the show:
• The kids scream in joyous glee in the anonymity that the first blackout affords them.
• Standing in the vom, I hear Benvolio tell my parents he sees me approach.
• I can’t get this stupid prop in my pocket during this line.
• Running down the hall, stripping my clothes off, to my dressing room to change costumes
• I have to wait for the kids to quiet down so I can get out “peace peace Mercutio peace”
• Wow, I’m doing the balcony scene
• Joking around with Friar Laurence before our entrance to the marriage
• This moment coming up never works, I’ve an idea
• Here it comes
• It didn’t work
• Sorry kids, Mercutio’s dead, the show’s a bit of a downer from here
• Breathe Avery, it makes the lines come out a bit easier
On the night of Monday, February 4, 2008, The Alabama Shakespeare Festival played host to a variety of events-- most notably the presentation of Ella Joyce’s one-woman show, A Rose Among Thorns. In A Rose Among Thorns, renowned actress Ella Joyce acted as a mouthpiece for Rosa Parks, vividly retelling the story of the “famous incident” as well as various circumstances surrounding Parks’ involvement in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the civil rights movement as a whole.
A Rose Among Thorns was set minimally, with little more than a chair and table. The setting worked well because it allowed the focus to be put firmly on Ella Joyce as she told “her” story. The story centered around Rosa Parks’ famous 1955 refusal to move or be moved from her seat on the bus. However, as Joyce pointed out, there is so much more history behind the story. Going back as far as the 1890s, Joyce revealed why Rosa Parks would not be moved, who came before her, and what events soon followed.
Throughout the performance, Joyce exhibited her skills as an orator and actress so well that by the end, it took me a moment to realize that it was, in fact, only a play. Another strength of the play was the humor--yes, that’s right, I said humor. Although I did not expect it, there were several laugh-out-loud moments, which served both to temper and balance the more serious moments in the play.
Prior to the performance, an awards ceremony was held honoring the winners of the Future Black Leaders of America Essay Contest. The Future Black Leaders of America, alongside a number of other organizations, supported and contributed to the activities of the night. Jack Gallassini, WSFA, and
Ella Joyce, incidentally, hails from
Here's a special shout-out to all of the volunteers, sponsors, and bidders that made the 2008 ASF Armchair Auction possible. Many local businesses donated over two hundred items and our volunteers sacrificed their time, eager to man fifteen phone lines. Thanks to a collaboration of efforts and very generous bidders, we managed to raise over $100,000! Thanks so much for your support!
If you would like more information about the annual ASF Armchair auction, please visit the website: http://www.asfarmchairauction.com.
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