4/5 Open House
Come and browse the theatre at no cost to you from 10 a.m. to one p.m.!There will be food and children’s activities, and a free backstage tour of the Festival. For more details, please contact jskarda@asf.net
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.
If you haven't already, please check out this phenomenal article written by retired U.S. Magistrate and current ASF Board of Directors Member Vanzetta McPherson featured in the Montgomery Advertiser. This article poignantly explains what a gem the Alabama Shakespeare Festival is and how peculiar it is that the theatre has not received state funding since 2003.
People say that there are a lot of things to do in
Alicia’s idea was to form a Young Professionals Group that would connect people within our community through live theatre. Audience Development Coordinator Sara Beth Frye and I quickly went to work at planning attractive events, seeing it as wonderful opportunity to meet other young professionals like ourselves. So get out your Day-Timer or your blackberry and write these dates down, because you don’t want to miss these events! I guess we'll see you there?
April 2nd- Over the Tavern.
For this event we would like to partner with a local brewery (ahem... bet you can’t guess which one!) Of course we haven’t talked to them yet, but if we have to beg and plead, we will!
June 4th- Cymbeline.
Wine tasting event. Mmm… “Cymbelicious”. Lol.
The Big Lebowski Bowling Night.
Good beer, ridiculous behavior. Ahh, good times.
The Winnie the Pooh Cast
Story By Kevin Garner
AUM
So I recently got the chance to check out ASF’s spin on “Winnie the Pooh.” From the get-go, you’ll notice that Tigger is not present in this production—and there’s a fairly good reason, since this is not the Disney version of Pooh—but after seeing it all the way through, I’ve come to the conclusion that not only does it work rather well, but it is also fresh: a new look at a classic story. The actors were so much in character that at times I forgot they were actors, and for a children’s book, the plot throws curve balls that provoke hilarious situations. The set, like a pop-up book, works. Director Nancy Rominger has really outdone herself, considering a twenty-one year old like myself can enjoy it. Oddly enough, the set and the costumes gelled so well that I often forgot that rather than Pooh and the gang, those were actors doing all those shenanigans! Look at it this way, you won’t have some guy in the Octagon sweating like a bear in layer after layer of cotton and felt, and frankly, I think that’s a good thing. Refreshing is the word. In sum, “Winnie the Pooh” was a lot of fun, and the musical numbers are ASF exclusives! (That means you won’t hear ‘em anywhere else). If you miss out on this rare occasion, you may regret it, like letting good Cottleston Pie go to waste, which is never a good thing.
The cast of ASF’s Peter Pan raised $20,500 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS! Each night in the show’s curtain call Rodney Clark (Captain Hook) made an appeal to the audience to give charitably to this worthy cause. As the audience exited the theatre they were met in the lobby by cast members eager to collect donations. By the fruits of their labor and your generosity we were able to send a nice big check to Broadway Cares at the end of the year.
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is a charitable organization that raises millions of dollars each year in support of AIDS victims and their families as well as community organizations such as MAO, Montgomery AIDS Outreach.
Michael Aaron Jones
MFA Stage Manager
Hey everybody! Thought I'd drop in and point you to a few places online I'm fond of that are theatre related.
Playbill.com is one. This is some of the absolute latest info on Broadway shows and actors, as well as theatre job listings. I'll probably highlight some stuff from here at times.
The Internet Broadway Database is another. This is a pretty comprehensive listing by actor and by show... very cross referenced. This is a great reference source sometimes!
In May, I'll be checking out info here on the Tony awards. This is the official website that lists current and past winners and nominees. There's even video clips from past telecasts!
There are a lot of specific theatre websites as well. Usually they list company members, current shows, past shows, audition notices, sometimes even staff or board members. In the next few weeks, I want to fill you in on some local stuff coming up... Stay tuned!!
Hi everybody! My name is Helen and I am very excited to be writing articles for the new Shake it Up Times blog. I am a Montgomery native and a graduate from
I look forward to keeping you updated with the latest local productions as well as what's on Broadway. I hope you'll continue to join me in exploring something I absolutely love... theatre!! Look me up on facebook and myspace... I love new friends!
~Helen
The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is looking for college students and young professionals who like meeting people, enjoy theatre, and want to gain marketable experience in their field.
For more info, please contact jskarda@asf.net.
Administration: Scotch
Box Office: Martinis
Costume Shop: Piña Colada
Development:
Electrics: Smirnoff Ice
Marketing: Wine/ grande frappuccino
MFA Professors: Coffee
MFA Students: Water
Paints: Margaritas
Production Management: Pepto-Bismol
Scene Shop: Vodka
Sound: Hard Lemonade
Stage Managers: Double Espresso
Stage Op.: Beer
By Graham himself
10 to 12 and 1-5: My first class is from ten a.m. to noon with one of the main faculty members. When I worked on my ASFD (American Society of Fight Directors) combat certification along with the other students, we spent over 115 hours swinging broadswords, parrying rapiers with daggers, punching each other, and learning how to fall in a way that looked painful, but really wasn’t. My class is now working on Winnie the Pooh in the smaller thrust stage of the Octagon Theatre in the evening, while still meeting with acting, movement, and voice faculty in the morning.
My class schedule changes every week, which keeps things fresh from one week to the next. One of our faculty members worked at another theatre for a few weeks, so during that time we spent more time with the other faculty members. I remember having over eleven hours of Voice in one week (and that’s not a judgment on my voice- it’s just the facts!) We call this front-loading, and it’s very typical here at the Festival.
5-7 p.m. We get two hours for dinner break (from five to seven), but it generally becomes gym and workout time for me so that I can relax and stay sane. Sometimes I have to sacrifice this time for the sake of studying when papers are due. Oh yes, there are research papers and projects due in nearly all of our classes, so after my long day, I trek to the AUM library to dig through the stacks of books. It is said that MFA program graduates have found the “real world” to be much easier than life here up to their eyes in studies. And there is plenty more to do after you’ve written your papers. The faculty is willing to meet with you if you want a tutorial. Don’t forget singing lessons with Randy and the costume fittings!
The Lure Come to think of it, you never know what might lure you in at the Festival. During my first week here I was roped into being part of CultureFest and ended up “working it” onstage as part of Pangaea: the International Fashion Show. If you saw the show, I was the ruddy looking guy with freckles dressed in traditional Pakistani attire. There’s never a dull moment at ASF, and it can be hard to prioritize at times. I’ve had to learn to be comfortable with having deadlines loom over my head instead of finishing everything at once before doing things that are not work-related. Seem frantic? It’s really not. There’s a wonderful mix of hubbub, reveling, and order at the sixth largest Shakespeare Festival in the world.
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