Shake It Up Times!

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Do you like to read! Do you like plays! Do you just like to party? Then we have a book club for you. Our own Alabama Shakespeare Festival Book club was started last year in conjunction with Books-A-Million. This Friday, April 11th, the Book Club will be meeting to discuss both Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story. Susan Willis and Randy Foster, both staff members here at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, will be leading the discussion on how these two stories continue to reflect each other. The meeting begins this Friday at 6:00pm in the Patron's Room. Drinks and Dessert will be provided and we'll be having a few door prizes as well. To RSVP for this Book Club Meeting then contact Meghan Fuller by calling 334-271-5398 or email Meghan at mfuller@asf.net. Spots are going quickly so act fast to secure your place at the next Book Club Meeting!

Don't have the book? No worries! Books-A-Million is there for all your book needs. Check out their two locations on Eastern Blvd and Eastchase Mall to get your books today!

Monday, March 31, 2008

Hello!

I hope everyone likes the new layout of the blog. It was interesting getting all of the bits and pieces together. Coding can be so fun and so frustrating without Global Head overrides! I hope everyone has their tickets ready for the first ever Young Professionals Event! This Wednesday night is when we're all going to be meeting out at the Brew Pub for dinner at 5:30 then coming to the theatre to see Over the Tavern. Everyone has been raving about this show. It has to be one of the funniest plays I've seen lately and the family reminds me of home. They really know how to put the fun in dysfunctional in this play with Rudy's helpful questioning. So come out and meet us for dinner and a play. You can even get your tickets at the door that night if you're like me and tend to forget till the last minute.

Also, for the college aged people in our midst, we have a new, hopefully recurring, program aimed at bringing the fun of the theatre to you! I'm putting together a College Tour with the local colleges so in a couple of weeks you could be seeing me at your school! Then, on April 24th, we're having a special after-party after a showing of Romeo and Juliet. The play begins at 7:30 with food provided by Eastside Grille and entertainment by Clint Darby of the Clint and Kip duo. You do have to come see the show to be at the after-party so hurry up and get your tickets because this is going to be one night you don't want to miss!

As always, if you need to know anything more or want to grab the good seats before anyone else, then call the box office at 334-271-5353 or check us out on the web at www.asf.net.

See you there!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Hi! For those of you who have been reading the blog, Jessica Skarda has been your faithful editor for these past few months. In fact, she's the one who created this blog to begin with to connect our audiences with the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in a way that goes beyond just attending the plays (which we highly encourage!) to a level where they feel that they belong to the ASF family (which you do!). It's with a bit of sadness and alot of excitement that we here at ASF bid adieu to Jessica as she starts her new world travels in Europe and China.

So that naturally leads us to an introduction.

I'm Abby Bryson, the new editor, and I'm here to continue bringing you information and behind the scenes coverage about all the activity that goes on here at ASF. If you've been watching the blog then you're already acquainted with some of what I do. I've been filming and editing all the podcasts that make their way onto the web.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to remind everyone that we've got a great event coming up! The first Young Professionals event on April 2nd will begin at The Brew Pub at 5:30 with dinner being $10-25 and then the show, Over the Tavern, will begin at 7:30 with tickets being a discounted $26.00. If you fall between the ages of 25-45, grab a friend and come out and see this great show with many of the other professionals from the area.

And let me say what a pleasure it is to meet all of you. The blog may go through a bit of a face lift soon so bookmark the page and keep checking back for your connection to the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Leave a comment with a question or email me at abryson@asf.net for more information on the blog, podcasts, or shows we have coming up.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Okay you guys, here are some photos from the show that's been all the buzz--- Over the Tavern. The last show is on April 6th, but you can order your tickets NOW by visiting our website at www.asf.net!

I mean come on--- how often do you get to see a girl wearing a bee hive nowadays?

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Avery Clark (Romeo) & Adriana Gaviria (Juliet)

Come see Romeo and Juliet in the Festival on April 11th!

Hey everyone! Just wanted to share with you what The Aumnibus' Editor-in-chief Candis Calvert (photo) had to say about Over the Tavern in the March 12th Edition of the Aumnibus. Oh, and P.s. she's right about bringing a jacket! :)

<--- (Written by Candis Calvert, Aumnibus Editor-In-Chief)

OVER THE TAVERN WILL SEND YOU OVER THE TOP

Entering the Octagon Theatre at Alabama Shakespeare Festival for “Over the Tavern”, I was prepared for a great many things: cold (which it was), crowded (almost full), and funny (absolutely hilarious).

I got one surprise. Not simply a darkly funny trip down memory lane, this play is a story of redemption. Sitting in the intimate theatre, we watched a man disappointed by life struggle with raising a family. Calling forth “Death of a Salesman” for the poignant look at a life lived unimpressively, “Tavern” offered salvation in an unlikely form. A 12-year-old agnostic.

Tom Dudzick’s semi-autobiographical story opens a window on Buffalo, NY in 1959; a time of unrepressed hope and vitality for the burgeoning city. Following the adventures of the very Catholic Pazinski family, the play reveals the burdens and hilarity that result from ingesting too much religious dogma.

Rudy, the 12-yr-old doubter, hell-bent on avoiding his Confirmation and questioning his teacher into an early grave, shines as the undeniable comic relief of this tale. Portrayed by Seth Meriwether, a Montgomery native, the character comes to life with a believable amount of wit and innocence.

Pazinski patriarch, Chet, dominates his family with mood swings, if not fists. Struggling with his own lost dreams of playing professional baseball, Mr. Pazinski vents his frustration on a submissive, yet strangely spunky family. Thomas Borillo, a veteran actor and writer, gives a commanding performance in this simultaneously painful and hilarious character.

ASF veteran Greta Lambert shines as the strong-willed Ellen. Matriarch of the clan, understanding liberal of the house, Ellen provides a much needed comfort for the family, as well as the audience.

Drawing on the considerable talents of the ASF staff, Gavin Cameron-Webb (Director), has created a sublimely painful look at the turbulent life of a Catholic family. With a well-imagined and nuanced set, precisely crafted costuming, and creative staging, the Pazinski family saga comes alive.

Religious humor abounds, making this a play that strikes the fallen-away-Catholic funny bone the hardest. All audience members will be forced to laugh at the stereotypical nun, Sister Clarissa, who seemingly delights in striking Rudy with a ruler, or anything else handy. Not being a Catholic, I deferred to the judgment of my companion on some matters of accuracy. I was assured that everything represented has grounding in truth: from the hasty unrolling of the schoolgirl skirt before coming home to the desperate search through the catechism to learn one’s eternal fate, that’s life for the Catholic family of yesteryear.

After years of patronizing ASF, I am delighted to find such a wonderful, thoughtful, and unusual play being performed to large crowds. In true critic form, I must make one small complaint: You could hang sides of beef in the theatre. Take a jacket, parka, or fireplace. Maybe all three.

Truly deserving of acclaim, Dudzick’s “Over the Tavern” will run until April 6 at Alabama Shakespeare Festival on Vaughn Road. Ticket prices are $42.00 for adults and $26.00 for ages under 25. To purchase tickets or for more information see asf.net.

*** This article can be found in the Aumnibus, Auburn University Montgomery's Campus Newspaper, Issue 24, Volume 23, dated March 11th. Posted with permission. All rights reserved. ***

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Sneak Peak of R&J Life Continued

Before one p.m., my mother is dead, it was my fault my best friend got killed, I’ve been banished, I killed a couple of people, and then myself on my wife’s supposed corpse. The day can only get better.

Juliet and I disappoint a theater full of children by not telling them our age at the talk back, they guess 22 and it makes us feel good. Next I have a two-hour lunch break that consists of me making excuses why not to go to the gym.

I’m called for five hours of rehearsal for the next show—The Count of Monte Cristo. I spend most of the time on a couch thinking of witty things to say in this blog, while Mercutio (now Mondego) and Paris (now Benedetto) tune their guitars.

At night the troops wander back to the apartments. I do laundry at Lady Capulet's, and some of us get together to watch Lost. We bring a hodgepodge of food: leftovers, chips, spinach balls, cheese, crackers, chocolates and plenty of wine. We fill in the less die hard followers, trade conspiracy theories, laugh in our camaraderie, complain about the day, and revel in the fact that we are working.

When we walk back to our separate apartments, Juliet, my next-door neighbor, invites me over. Enjoying the novelty of the fireplace, I build a fire as she makes us Root Beer floats. We sit on the floor around the coffee table and she teaches me a card game. I manage to win the first game, then she alters the rules and I lose the second.

Midnight roles along, I say goodnight to my star crossed lover and take the 6-step walk back to La Casa de Montague. I lay out my clothes for the following morning, brush my teeth, grab my science fiction novel and hop into bed. With excitement I open up my book and search for where I left off. After a couple minutes, I toss it aside and turn out the light. I smile as I drift off to sleep when I realize that the book, without Juliet’s voice buzzing in my ear, is surprisingly empty.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A Must See Rehearsal!

Hey everyone! Over the Tavern is a must-see, especially if you, too, are a little Polish boy named Rudy who constantly has faith pounded into you by a certain Sister Clarissa. To see an Over the Tavern Rehearsal clip posted by the Montgomery Advertiser, click here.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Over the Tavern Actors Unite!

Hey everyone! Check out our latest podcast featuring Over the Tavern Actors Seth Meriwether, Trey Christopher, and Elizabeth Bemis. Seth attends Baldwin Arts & Academics Magnet School in Montgomery, Elizabeth attends Montgomery Academy, and Trey attends Auburn Junior High in Auburn, Alabama.

If you are interested in buying tickets to Over the Tavern, you can do so online at www.asf.net or through our Box Office by calling (334) 271-5353 or 1-800-841-4273.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Mark your Calendar for April 5th!

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

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Come and Join our Free Book Club!

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.

4/11 R&J and West Side Story 5/2 The Count of Monte Cristo

***Book Club Meetings begin at 6 p.m.***

Romeo Reveals Sneak Peak of R&J Life

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

Panting from my fight with Tybalt, I barely make it running down while exiting via the vom. I put Tybalt’s dagger on the prop table and gulp down some water. I go back to my dressing room where I see the afterlife is treating Mercutio well: he surfs the net and munches on some Triscuits. I plop down on my chair and pick up my science fiction novel. Right when it starts to get good I’m interrupted by my places call.

• Ha-ha, look at Juliet wail about me banished
• Crap, there’s my cue to wail about being banished
• “I hate you,” I say to Juliet, who is responsible for me being shirtless in this scene. She laughs, I give her an obscene gesture, then I open the shutters and the kids lose their minds.
• This line always makes me sad.

Turns out banishment isn’t too bad-- I change clothes and switch out my props, grab some more water and pick up where I left off in my book. Opposed to the monitor silence that I had during intermission, I am forced to listen to Act IV over the monitors. Try as I might I can’t focus on my book with Juliet and the rest of the Capulets shouting through the speakers. I try to turn off the monitors, and then get nervous that I’m going to miss my cue to enter for the final act. “Romeo,” Juliet shouts, “Romeo!” to which I shout back “what?” at the speaker. I laugh a little at my stupid joke and try to continue reading over the noise of the play.

• Did I say that line right, I think I put the stress on the wrong word, ba duh ba duh ba duh, no it scans.
• Dagger on right side, check, got wallet, letter in back left pocket, yes, poison in right pocket: ready to die.
• Please kids don’t giggle during the death scenes
• Uh-oh, which hand is the poison supposed to be in
• No, no, Juliet, don’t roll me over yet, great, I’m falling off this thing
• I wonder if they can see me breathing.

It never occurs to me that I play Romeo until the Prince says his final lines “For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo” As the lights fade to black, I grab Juliet’s hand, slumped by mine, and am comforted when she squeezes back.

To be continued...

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Time is slipping away!!

WOW! So much is going on that I’m about to miss getting you in on the action!! I think all the local theatres are having productions run in February!! So here’s the run down for you…

The Wetumpka Depot Players are presenting Lost in Yonkers by Neil Simon. This production will run through February 23rd and does include a matinee this Sunday, the 17th. For more information and to view the cast list (the director and 2 cast member are former fellow cast mates of mine), go to www.wetumpkadepot.com and check it out.

Opening this weekend at Faulkner University is The Star Spangled Girl, also by Neil Simon. This production runs through March 1st but does not include any matinees. The cast includes Rebecca Goldman in the title role as Sophie, Michael Morrow as Andy, and John Lackey as Norman. The director is theatre major Joey Kiker. For more information on the production, you can visit www.faulkner.edu/campuslife/dinnertheatre any time and browse around.

Huntingdon College’s theatre program will be presenting Footloose this weekend and next. This weekend’s performance is Saturday night at 7:30 at the Davis Theatre downtown. Next weekend’s performances are also at 7:30 but are being held in the Performing Arts Building at St. James School on Vaughn Road.

The Way Off Broadway Theatre is producing Greater Tuna, the first in a trilogy by Jason Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. It opens February 28th and runs through March 16th with 3 matinees. William Harper and Allen Harrod star in this production and are directed by Lynne Stinchcomb Pollingue. For more information on this production and the theatre, follow this link

The Millbrook Community Players get in on the action this spring with Arsenic & Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring. It runs from March 6th through the 15th and includes 2 matinees. For more information on this production or theatre, just go to www.millbrooktheatre.com and check it out.

And of course, you’ve still got time to catch Winnie the Pooh through February 24th at the Festival. Over the Tavern is the next production opening in March. Just check out the website at www.asf.net for information on those two shows and the rest of their season.

So CATCH SOMETHING!! And post a comment… here… anywhere!! Let readers know you enjoyed it!! and check out the cast photo from this production while you’re there!!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

A Rose Among Thorns moves ASF audience

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 Troy State University all came in support of the event. The proceeds went to the Rosa Parks Foundation.

Ella Joyce, incidentally, hails from Detroit, where the Parks family lived for the latter part of Mrs. Rosa’s life. When asked why she undertook the project, Joyce stated that she desired to see common misconceptions about Rosa Parks’ life corrected. Although Joyce began the project before Parks’ death, her passing only strengthened Joyce’s resolve to see the project to completion. To date, Joyce has made 17 appearances, totaling more than 40 performances since February of 2007.

For more information on Ella Joyce’s A Rose Among Thorns, please visit http://www.ellajoyce.com.

Written by Ryan Sellers,
AUM English Major

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

A Special Thanks

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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