Shake It Up Times!: 2009

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Charity: who cares?

A coworker forwarded a really interesting item from mint.com to me today. Those interested in non-profit administration (i.e. how we manage to run a non profit like a theatre) might find it very interesting as well. This neat little set of stats clearly and quickly delivers a ton of info on trends in American's charitable giving habits. As we already know at ASF, its the gifts from individuals who tend to make up the majority of charitable donations. Draw your own conclusions from the rest of the info given here:

budget planner – Mint.com

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Howley says "stellar performances usher in a delightful Christmas season..."

American Theatre Critics Association member Michael Howley has reviewed ASF's production of

A Christmas Story and says

"the stellar performances usher in a delightful Christmas season in Montgomery."

ASF "A Christmas Story"

-- "What do you want for Christmas?"
-- "..a legendary official Red Ryder 200-shot carbine action range model air rifle with a compass and this thing which tells time built into the stock."
-- "You'll shoot your eye out!"

These lines are repeated frequently in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's delightful production of Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story" adapted for the stage by Philip Grecian, and brought to life under Geoffrey Sherman's clever direction by a company of professional actors and local students recruited from many Montgomery schools. READ MORE...

(Pictured above: Sandy York, Seth Meriwether, MaryKathryn Samelson and Bryant Mason. Bottom right: Seth Meriwether as Ralphie.)

Thursday, December 3, 2009

What? You haven't seen Ferdinand the Bull yet?

If you haven't checked out our children's show Ferdinand the Bull yet, maybe you need a little more info to make your decision. If so, feast your eyes on this little taste of the show.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Fiesta de Ferdinand!

Yesterday was the BIG day at ASF. We not only had performances from the Alabama Dance Theatre and Wetumpka Depot Players on our stages but we officially opened Ferdinand the Bull! It was invigorating to have so many people, especially very young people, in the theatre!

We took some photos of the Ferdinand Opening Party and you can check them all out on our FB page. Here are a few of the highlights:

Chick-fil-A Colonial Promenade location sponsored the part and provided delicious kid-friendly nuggets plus brought a long-lost cousin of Ferdinand's, the Chick-fil-A cow known by few as Jason.

The cast of the show made an appearance and greeted their adoring (tiny) public.

They even joined in the fun activities like Spanish Bingo and making paper flowers.

These hands-on activities will be available to Ferdinand the Bull patrons before EVERY public show!

You can check out a similar event this Tuesday, November 10 from 6-7 PM at the Chick-fil-A Colonial Promenade location for a Kids night with the cast! Its FREE, so check it out!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Cold mornings and Wet Noses

ASF is full of furry creatures these days, and I'm not just talking about Ferdinand the Bull and his friends. Today is the 9th Annual Walk 'n Wag Pledge Walk for the Montgomery Humane Society in Blount Cultural Park.

The weather was downright cold this morning at 41 degrees, but that didn't stop lots of cute four-legged friends and their owners from coming out for the costume contest, silent auction, 50-yard Doggie Dash and more.

One very special guest was Mr. Louis Vuitton, a pit bull who survived extraordinary cruelty at the hands of a very disturbed young man. Louis' story was on the news for weeks here in Montgomery, and a local family adopted him and has given him a VERY loving new home. Because he had been so severely abused it took a very special family to take him in. As you can see, he's doing great!

Local radio hosts (and great friends of the theatre) JT & Leanne from Mix 103's married in the Morning were the emcees for the event and introduced a new member of their family, a pup they lovingly call a chi-wiener, a cross between a chihuahua and dachshund. Sure is cute in that dino-suit!

Thanks to all who came out to the park this morning. Here's hoping it was a huge success for the Montgomery Humane Shelter!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Local Reviewer now reviewing online!

Our long-time theatre reviewer Michael Howley has begun a new blog where he will publish his reviews of local productions, including ASF, Faulkner Dinner Theatre, Way Off Broadway, the Wetumpka Depot Players, Theatre AUM, and more.

The first post on his new blog expresses it best:

"Welcome to a new blog with a purpose of service to the theatre community in Montgomery. With several years of contributing theatre reviews in print, my plan is to continue writing reviews for the local theatre companies and the public at large.With their permission, I would like to provide links to these theatre companies as well as to other theatre organizations on the blog.
Please spread the news that local theatre will receive critical attention here."

So please do share the word. Follow his blog and learn about all the great theatre there is in Montgomery!

Monday, September 28, 2009

So you wanna be an intern?

Today we met the new Intern Acting Company for the 09-10 Season. Six fresh faced youths were greeted by a room full of techies, artists and administrators chewing on bagels and sipping tart OJ from our styrofoam cups. Every season, there's about a month or so where we have very few actors on site while we're dark. Right before the first cast of the season comes in, its almost like we start to ache for the giddy buzz of actors in the hall, running lines, cracking jokes and building that special bond that translates so well on stage in a great ensemble. Today we got our giddy buzz back and it's kinda wonderful.

The Intern Acting Company will first take on the task of bringing Ferdinand the Bull to life for our young audiences. Later they will take on roles in the Repertory season and in between they will do lots of outreach to students in classrooms across the state.

Monday, August 17, 2009

New 2009-2010 Season Announcement

After long months of discussions and budget meetings, we at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival have announced the 2009-2010 season! So for a quick run-down, the season includes:

Ferdinand the Bull Nov. 7 - Dec. 19, 2009
adaptation and lyrics by Karen Zacarias
Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma
Based on the book The Story of Ferdinand
by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson

All Ferdinand wants is to sit in his field and smell the flowers. All Danilo wants is to dance. But Danilo's father, the Duke, has other ideas, and so into the bullring they go. This sweet and funny musical, based on Munro Leaf's classic children's story, teaches important lessons about being true to yourself. Recommended for ages 4+

A Christmas Story Nov. 27- Dec. 24, 2009
adapted by Philip Grecian from the works for Jean Shepherd

Oh fudge! Yes, it's that Christmas story, complete with little Randy's oversized snowsuit, the Old Man's leg lamp, and, of course, Ralphie's Red Ryder BB gun. We triple-dog dare you to bring out the whole clan to spend a hilarious holiday with a family even more dysfunctional than yours. Recommended for ages 7+

Harriet's Return Feb. 5 - 28, 2010
by Karen Jones Meadows
This incredible and inspiring story of Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman comes to life in this amazing one-woman show, in which playwright and actress Karen Jones Meadows plays more than 30 characters. Recommended for ages 13+, due to occasional suggested violence and mild sexual suggestion

Provocative Premieres

Nobody March 12 - 28, 2010
by Richard Aellen

A pair of down-on-their-luck African-American vaudevillians can't catch a break until they do the unthinkable - don blackface. This provocative new musical story is based on the tempestuous lives of Bert Williams and George Walker, who broke racial barriers by portraying racial stereotypes. This production is recommended for mature audiences only, due to strong language and adult situations

The Fall of the House April 9 - 25, 2010
by Robert Ford

The spirit of Edgar Allen Poe haunts this mind-bending new play that brings together magic, betrayal, forbidden love, tragic accidents, secret documents and familial bonds that span 150 years. This production is recommended for mature audiences only, due to strong language and adult situations

The Repertory Season

Lettice & Lovage April 9 - May 23, 2010
by Peter Shaffer

Exuberant, eccentric Lettice Douffet is a tour guide given to exaggerating history to entertain her charges. Lotte Schoen is a buttoned-up, by-the-book boss brought in to fire her. The confrontation leads to an unlikely friendship filled with drama, laughter, and an accidental near-beheading. This very witty, very British comedy is tailor-made for fans of the BBC. Recommended for ages 10+

Hamlet April 16 - May 22, 2010
by William Shakespeare

Denmark's Sweet prince suffers the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune as he seeks to avenge the murder of his father, poisoned by Hamlet's conniving uncle. The bodies pile up as his revenge takes its toll on the innocent as well as the guilty. Recommended for ages 10+ for some violence and mature themes

All's Well That End's Well April 23 - May 22, 2010
by William Shakespeare

Helena is smart, brave, and talented...and in love with a man who's just not that interested in her. But she's willing to do whatever it takes to win his heart - be it risk the wrath of a king, cross battle lines, or fake her own death. Because after all, all's well that end's well. Recommended for ages 10+ for mature themes

Summer Musical

Cowgirls June 11 - July 3, 2010
by Betty Howe with Music and Lyrics by Mary Murfitt

Jo Carlson is gonna lose the family saloon unless she raises a lot of cash, fast. And darned if she hasn't accidentally hired an all-girl trio of classical - not country - musicians for her Grand Reopening. Now she's gotta help them find their inner cowgirls in just 24 hours. Ya'll won't want to miss this very funny musical, featuring such original songs as Don't Call Me Trailer Trash, Honkey Tonk Girl, Saddle Tramp Blues. Recommended for ages 10+

The only way to order right now is by becoming a member. Don't worry, it's painless this year with our new membership program. Each starts with a $25 membership fee and then just add how many tickets you'd like to whatever show you'd like to attend. We have three different levels:

Scripted - Want to see six or more shows? Buying in bulk ensures the highest discount off ticket prices.

Ad Lib - Want to see five or fewer shows or just want to add on throughout the year? Then Ad-Libing it is the way to go.

Improv - This is our voucher membership in case you'd like to purchase discounted tickets but don't know when you want to go, or if you'd like to give them away as gifts during the year.

So give us a call at 334-271-5353 or check out the website at www.asf.net for more information.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Wigs of Beehive

The Montgomery Advertiser has some great coverage of the wigs that go into taking our musical Beehive back to the 60's. Follow the link for the article. Preview tickets for $25 are still available till this Sunday, July 19th. This is one show you don't want to miss!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Beehive Rehearsal Video

Check out our newest rehearsal footage for our upcoming Musical Beehive starting July 10th!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Beehive the Musical

Here's the teaser for our upcoming musical Beehive!

Friday, June 19, 2009

A Day in Misalliance

A Day in Misalliance Rehearsal

by Heather Newman (Stage Manager for Misalliance)

We rehearse Misalliance 6 days a week 8 hours a day. My normal morning starts at 11:00am when I meet my ASM (assistant stage manager),Crystal McCall, at the theatre and we start prepping for the day's activities. Prep usually consists of setting up the room with the furniture, props, and rehearsal costumes needed for that day. Next, while Crystal checks in with the costume and prop departments for any updates and new items that may be available, I check my work email for any questions from designers and department heads, go through the day's rehearsal and fitting schedules, and put together any notes I need to go over with the cast (2009 MFA acting company & Greta Lambert) and director (Wendy McClellan) before rehearsal starts.

At 12:00pm, we begin rehearsal, right now that involves a full day of blocking (choreographing and recording the movements of the actors in each scene). Wendy guides the actors through this process as I take down blocking notes in my prompt script (the main archive for the show) and Crystal stays on book for the actor's lines while keeping track of props used. As we go from scene to scene I track their entrances and exits, record their blocking, watch for potential technical related issues, make sure we are taking the appropriate breaks, monitor the actor's fitting schedule, and make note of any questions we have for the designers and departments involved in the production. By 4:00pm we are all ready to take a meal break. Crystal and I finish up notes and lock up valuables before we rush home to walk our respective puppies and grab a quick bite.

At 5:00pm I am back in the building checking in with the costume shop to see how fittings went and checking for emails from other departments- all while Crystal sets up the room again for the evening’s schedule. The MFA actors and Wendy are back at 5:30pm and we head back into the blocking process. 9:30pm is the end of blocking for the day and the actors are given their notes and sent home. Wendy and I go over the next day's schedule (called the DAILY) while Crystal cleans up the props and rehearsal costumes. Once the DAILY is finished I email it out to the production heads and record the schedule onto a voice-mail system the actors can call into- a hard copy of the DAILY is also distributed around the building in about 15 locations by Crystal. I then move onto my rehearsal report which contains everything we worked on that day, any questions we need answered, important reminders for future events, and requests for items we may need for rehearsal; once it's done, this document gets emailed out to everyone involved in the production. Last one to leave, I check the room for left over valuables, turn out the lights,and head home.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Party at ASF

Join the party at ASF with our production of Misalliance running June 26th - July 4th! Watch the video below and get acquainted with your fellow guests.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

More on The Three Musketeers!

Here's more footage of The Three Musketeers on stage!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

ASF Spring Season FINAL WEEKS

Here's what our audiences' have to say about the our productions of The Three Musketeers, Othello, and The Comedy of Errors!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The Comedy of Errors Dancing

At the end of a long day of misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and general chases throughout town, the people of The Comedy of Errors like to indulge in a dance. Here's one of the rehearsals where our actors learned the steps very similar to Morris dancing.

Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Interview with Othello, Iago, and Desdemona

I got a chance to sit down with Esau Pritchett (Othello), Matt D'Amico (Iago), and Kaytie Morris (Desdemona) to talk about the production of Othello and what it was like bringing these characters to life. Enjoy!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Southern Writers' Project 2009!

Today starts our Festival of New Plays otherwise known as The Southern Writers' Project!

The first reading ("Nacirema Society") starts in an hour though the guests have already been on a tour of the facility and are at a meet and greet with the playwrights right now. Check out our youtube page for videos about the plays and background information on the stories. As for everyone here at the theatre, we're all getting ready to see great new plays fresh from the writer's imagination. The play readings are avaliable to the public at large and can be obtained at the Boxoffice. Call 800-841-4273 for more information.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Comedy Brother's Tell All

I got together with the four brothers from The Comedy of Errors and got the inside story of what exactly happens during the two hour show. Here's what I came away with:

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Our Audiences Love The Three Musketeers!

We caught a few of our audience members as they were leaving the show this weekend and here's what they had to say about our new production of The Three Musketeers!

Tickets on sale now - call 800.841.4273 or visit www.asf.net for more information.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Othello - Sneak Peek

Here's a sneak peek inside one of the last rehearsals of Othello before it went to the stage. In this scene the town is gathered at one of the local taverns to celebrate Othello's marriage to Desdemona - and Iago spends his night stirring up trouble with Cassio.

Friday, April 24, 2009

One Castle for Two Shows

For our two Shakespeare plays this season we decided to build one set that could then be customized with removable embellishments for each show. The man behind the design is Rob F. Wolin and in this video he talks with us about the inspiration behind the design and the practicality and functionality of the set.

Spring is here and so are the Plays!

Wow, has it been busy here at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival! We've been working on bringing our spring Rep season to the stage. This spring we feature three great and diverse shows: The Three Musketeers, Othello, and The Comedy of Errors.

I've got a treat for you today, a quick video of fight rehearsals from The Three Musketeers. As you can tell, with a story featuring the famed fighting army called The Musketeers there must be a whole lot of sword fighting, and this show delivers. Check it out below and check out our youtube page for more videos!

Monday, March 16, 2009

Reactions to The Furniture of Home

Don't miss our newest play The Furniture of Home playing now through March 29th and come home to your family at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Snow Day in Alabama

The Great Snow Adventure of 2009!

This past weekend we had a morning of snow in Montgomery, Alabama. This is the second year in a row that we've had snow here and I convinced a few people to go out into the park for what we thought would just be a nice walk through light snow flurries. Here are a few pictures I snapped while we walked through the falling snow.

The beginning of our walk! Here is our Garden/ Amphitheater area with the main building in the background.

Close shot of our newest flowers in the Garden covered in slush.

In front of the Theatre at the pergola.

Our front lawn that slopes down to the pond. The snow is still light and melting as soon as it hits the ground.

We've looped around to the Art Museum and the snow is getting a bit heavier. Our resident sea gulls keep trying to fly but the winds don't let them get anywhere. Most of the ducks, loons, swans, and herons have gathered on the island to wait out the storm.

All except these guys! We couldn't figure out if they wanted us to feed them or take them somewhere warm.

The Alice in Wonderland tribute fountain at the Museum.

The storm is starting to get worse and we've just realized that we have to walk back in a headwind with stinging snow...and none of us thought to wear sunglasses or any face protection.

The bank we had just been on, now a duck free zone.

Our snow covered Willow.

The front lawn, now with slowly gathering snow. We got a text from a friend at this point saying only "It's magical!"

The statue of Mr. Blount watching out over the theatre and surrounded by snowy hedges. By this time we had decided it was time to go inside and get warm before our hands froze off.

Keep checking back! Our newest show opens this weekend (March 6th) and I'll have responses to the show up on the blog after our invited dress on Thursday night!

Friday, February 27, 2009

Meet the cast of The Furniture of Home

Here's a new video interview with the cast of The Furniture of Home where the actors talk about the show, their characters, bringing a new play to the stage, and their trip to Mobile, Alabama for Mardi Gras!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Set of The Furniture of Home Pt. 1

Ask any actor and they'll tell you that any set they work on really affects how they connect with the character who belongs to that created world. The environment changes how a person interacts with other actors and even changes how they perceive their own character.

So, how then, do you interact with the home that you've grown old (or grown up) in when all that's left is the floor and one wall?

If you saw any of the photos or news coverage from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina then you'll understand the challenge of bringing this devastation to our Octagon Theatre and make it so the actors could still connect with the set. The house and trinkets that would have made it a home are all missing from this set, the only things left being a washed up large blue chair and refrigerator. This added challenge for the actors could be a challenge or opportunity but it definitly made for an interesting time down in the scene shop.

I've been paying regular visits to the scene and prop shops to find out how they've brought the Bayou to the stage and here's a photo tour of the past few weeks.

Here's the set designer's painted version of the set design. Used as information, copies are always kept on the board so that the artists can check their work.

Always building walls! I believe this will form the longer wall with the doorway.

This is view from the end of the 100's section of seats.

It's all slowly coming together.

The dreaded red "X" to mark your house for demolition.

Now that the set for Bear Country is out of the theatre there's room for the new set.

The next installment will follow the finishing touches and set decorating. Keep a look out for the entry on the two chairs being built for the show, the blue arm-chair and a special steel version of a folding chair!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Furniture of Home Broadcasts

Catch the new publicity for Furniture of Home on radio and tv this week! Tune in to:

Tuesday 2/24 – WAKA CBS 8 AM show around 6:30 – 7AM – Anne Letscher and Alexis Camins
Mix 103.3 FM JT & Leanne – between 7:30 – 8 AM - Anne Letscher and Alexis Camins
WSFA NBC 12 Noon show – between 12-12:30 PM – Greta Lambert and Philip Clark

Wednesday 2/25 – WTSU 89.9 FM Troy Public Radio – 12:12 - 12:20PM – Greta Lambert and Meg Lewis

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words

Everything is so exciting around the theatre these days! We just finished the run of our incredibly popular show Bear Country and now have a two week window to carefully remove and store that set while moving in the pieces of our next show, The Furniture of Home.

Key to this upcoming play are the pull of memories and their physical embodiment, family photographs. Our props department could have just printed copies of photos from the web but they wanted the candid and haunting quality of damaged real family photographs to be strung around the set. A few days after a building wide email calling for photos, the props department had a good start on the number of photos that they'd need for the set. The photos of different employees and their friends/families, pets, homes, landscapes,etc. featured their varied lives and brings a great sense of community to the set and adds another layer of emotion for the actors.

Getting the photos was the first step but the next was to distress them so they looked as if they had been through a hurricane and the resulting flood. Shanley from props first tried to soak them in water to see how the water affected the pigment in the photos. The effect that the plain water had was a few water marks, but not the type of distressing that would result from days of soaking after the storm.

So Shanley and I went on a field trip around the outside of the building to find organic material to soak the photos in and hopefully cause more damage to the color and images. We found a great patch of Alabama Clay which I didn't get a picture of because I couldn't resist playing in the mud. Once I had cleaned up as best I could I snapped a few pictures of the rest of the distressing recipe:

One cup dark top soil. I hope Karen the master gardener doesn't mind!

One cup mulch. Probably from the guys cleaning up the extra growth out in the park.

One cup gravel for that extra banged up look. I bet this pile was intended to help fill in the gravel parking lot. I doubt they'll miss a cup or so.

Optional: Add leaves and moss for that authentic look.

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a large bucket and add water. Stir the photos at intervals to move the gravel and other materials together.

After letting sit for a few days, Shanley has pulled the photos up and out of the muck to dry on a clothes line, very similar to what will happen to them on the set. It may take a few more dips and some clever use of paint but I know the set will be perfect like always for the opening of The Furniture of Home, playing March 6th-29th. Don't miss out on this great show, call the Box Office at 334-271-5353 or visit www.asf.net for ticket info. Try out our Loveseat Special and check back here for more insider info from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Dressing the Part - The Furniture of Home

We have news on the quickly approaching The Furniture of Home, our fifth show and second world premiere of this season. Following the outstanding success of Bear Country which broke attendance records for our Octagon stage and brought a new audience to the theatre, this new comedy mixes laughter and tears, fear and romance, youthful exuberance and proven patience to our stage. Addressing the continuing effort to rebuild the Gulf Coast after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, these characters, like the people they mimic, don't give into self pity about the circumstances they've found themselves in. With lively banter and realistic situations, these characters struggle to rebuild and face the choice to stay in the broken community or leave for a new home.

The Costume Shop shared scans of the costume designs for the four characters with me and I'm sharing them now with you. Enjoy!

Dottie, the tough loving grandmother of Kendall, tries to keep the remains of her family together and all their heads above water.

Kendall, clever and intuitive, she ignores the love of her only stable family member and instead favors the imagined love of her absent mother.

Butch returned to Bayou La Batre after the Hurricane and finds his old friend Dottie. Was it the Hurricane that brought him back, or the winds of change?

Boone, a quiet young man and friend to Kendall. These two strike a deal to help each other find the pieces of the past that might help them find a future in the battered Bayou La Batre.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Bear Country Extended!

Great news! The amazingly popular production of Bear Country by Michael Vigilant has been extended! So if you haven't gotten your tickets yet then hurry over to www.asf.net or call 1-800-841-4273 to buy now. These seats won't last long so buy today!

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

ASF Armchair Auction

From Soyia Ellison, Development Intern

ASF's annual Armchair Auction is almost here!

We'll be auctioning off more than 125 fabulous items on Saturday, Jan. 31, from noon until 6 p.m. The auction will be held in the Festival Theatre, and for the first time, buyers can pre-register and do their bidding in person!

As always, ClearChannel radio stations across the state will broadcast the auction live, and WSFA 12 News will broadcast the last hour on its network.

But you can lay claim to your items long before that! Online bidding begins Jan. 12 at www.armchairauction.cmarket.com.

Below are photos of a handful of our items so that you can get an idea of what's available. Go to www.armchairauction.cmarket.com for more details and dozens more items.

Happy Shopping!

Vacation in New York, New York.

Buiscuts Baseball Suite for 16

$75 gift certificate to Honey Baked Ham

Tapas party for eight guests to Luna

Scuba Diving lessons for 2

Personal Trainer

Hot Rocks Massage

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