Optimally different!

We had our first "open rehearsal" for The Complete Works of Shakespeare, Abridged last night. Since this was our first and therefore (hopefully) roughest run, we invited some folks who we know know the show and/or Shakespeare really well to solicit comments and ideas for how to make it better. Everyone who came was amazingly helpful, supportive, and had great, constructive comments.

...but all this reminds me: I never made a big thing about exactly *why* we're practicing and re-working the show. Well, put it this way: I've always wanted to perform Shakespeare in London. And failing that, I'm ok with making fun of Shakespeare in London instead.
TL;DR: HOLY CRAP WE'RE TAKING OUR LITTLE NERDY VERSION OF COMPLETE WORKS TO THE WORLD SCIFI CONVENTION IN LONDON!

http://loncon3.org/events-theatre-compleat-shkspr.php

The last time I mentioned Twelfth Night, some of y'all asked me to mention it again closer to the date. Opening night is now just two weeks away(!!), so here is your reminder! Mark your calendars and reserve your tickets!

I'm really excited about this production, which has had some really excellent cast and crew working very hard on it. I hope to see everybody there! :)

Yesterday we did the first performance of the Summer Mini-Tour for "2010: Our Hideous Future, The Musical" in Providence, RI.



It was also my first performance as a member of the cast (except for one previous workshop performance).

For the uninitiated, 2010 is a nerdy, cyber-dystopian, queer-friendly musical romantic comedy. If that doesn't intrigue you, I don't know why we're friends.

The purpose of this post is twofold:

Purpose the First is to pitch the remaining dates of the tour, particularly Salem MA on 7/21, which is both the closest to my friends in the Boston area and the one where I think we have the fewest local connections with which to draw an audience.

Dates and tickets for Salem and NYC are here. We've also just confirmed that we will be performing at PiCon 8/17-19 in Enfield, CT (exact day/time TBA).

Purpose the Second is to talk a bit about my personal history with the show, and specifically about this most recent revision.

I was in the audience when 2010 debuted (guess what year it was), and I've been at every major performance since then. This probably makes me sound like a massive fanboy of the show, but it's actually more complicated than that. When I first saw it I thought 2010 was... a decent first musical; I left with a net-positive impression, but it was more of a cool, and ambitious thing that my friends had done than a great musical in its own right.

Actually, no, even that description is too simple. I think my main impression was that the show was inconsistent. It wasn't that it was an ok-to-good show throughout, rather the pendulum of quality swung between some pretty low lows and some remarkably high highs. And yet when I got Andy and Carl, the authors, to autograph my program and said "I suspect these may be worth something some day" I wasn't just flattering them. From the beginning I saw a lot of potential in the show; some genuine bits of diamond poking through the coal.

For example, from the moment I first saw Kamela Dolinova and Emily Taradash sing "I Don't Do Love" their characters, Kate and Dehnise, have been one of my favorite on-stage romances. Even listening to that song and that scene for the umpteenth time last night, now from backstage, I still got a little something in my remaining organic eye at the end.

Since that debut, Andy and Carl have revised the show repeatedly, and I think each time the show has gotten better. Most recently they even went so far as to hold a private read/sing through with a specially-invited audience of local writing, music, and theater types, complete with feedback forms. This resulted in the biggest rewrite yet, which is what we're currently touring.

What this all boils down to is a realization I had while listening to the show backstage at Providence. I think 2010 has now moved from diamonds in coal to being a genuinely great show. There are still things I would change or trim if it was me in charge, but in this revision the good parts got better and much of the stuff that dragged before has been revised or removed altogether, and the fact is that the audience, even people who weren't our friends, really seemed to universally dig the show. Especially if you haven't seen 2010 since its debut or the performance at Arisia'11, I think you'll see a real difference.

Of course, it's also possible that I was just in a good mood because I look pretty fab in my costume. :)



Plus, some of the folks involved in the wonderful MIT original musical Hack, Punt, Tool (sidebar: how cool is it that I have two separate groups of friends who have written and produced their own musicals??) not only drove out to Providence, but cosplayed (and lo, there was much squeeing in the dressing room during intermission)!



There was even a Narrator cosplayer! (she looks different because her costume is based on that of the original actor to play the role):

One of my costumes for The Big Broadcast of 1954. I wish it showed the pants too. Fun fact: apparently I look pretty great in those floofly breeches that lace up at the ankle. The more you know!



/ego

We open tonight, with performances W-F this week, and Th-Sat next week. Note that we're not at our usual place in the Somerville Theater this time around. Instead, we're at the lovely Regent Theater in Arlington. There's a huge public parking lot a block away, and if you're not driving, it's a short hop down the 77 bus line from Porter Square.

...and while I'm binging on posting about local theater stuff, there are a couple of local groups that are hosting auditions in the coming weeks.

First, apologies for the late notice, but this Tues and Weds, the MIT Musical Theater Guild is holding auditions for Assassins. Unfortunately I'll be out of town for one of the performance weekends, so I won't be able to audition, but if you're looking for a local group that's open to non-MIT people, they're a lot of fun to work with.

Second, next Mon and Tues, Theater@First is holding auditions for As You Like It, to be performed outside in Davis Square. You have to follow that link and fill out the audition form to reserve a slot if you want to audition.

As many of you may have heard, I have had the great fortune to be cast in a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and we open this Friday! As in tomorrow! As in eeeep!

I am playing, of all things, Lysander in this production. I know, I wouldn't have cast me in that role either. ;) But this production is a little different, and I think the interpretation ends up playing to my strengths.

To be honest, I've been a little hesitant to make much noise about this because I wasn't so sure I was up to the task. I haven't done anything that wasn't either improvised or script-in-hand (eg audio theater) for about a decade, and I have a hard enough time remembering to take the trash out, let alone memorizing a nontrivial Shakespearean role, but I've made it through our last two dress rehearsals without a flub, and I'm feeling pretty good about it!

...so now that I've totally jinxed myself, you get to come see me crash and burn! Hurrah!

In all seriousness, I really do think we've got a good production on our hands. We do some fun things with it (1960s setting = lots of pretty colors! Also, go go boots!), my fellow actors are great, and I think we do a good job of getting across the central theme of the play: the Fae, even when well meaning, will seriously mess your mortal ass up, yo. ;)

What we really need now is publicity. If you know folks in the area who might be interested, please invite them to our Facebook event, or spread the word in whatever way is most convenient for you!

Details follow:

IMPORTANT: In keeping with the setting, some of the seating will be chairs, and some will be cushions on the floor, hippie style. If you are not capable (as opposed to just having a preference) of sitting on the floor, let me know when you plan on attending and we can reserve a seat for you. If you prefer a chair, show up early!

The show will be at The Democracy Center, 45 Mt. Auburn Street. It's a short walk from the Harvard Square T stop, next door to the Daedalus bar.

Performances will be at 8 pm on June 10, 11, 17, and 18, and at 3 pm on June 12 and 19.

Edit Oh! I forgot to mention that all performances are FREE!

Thanks, and I hope to see y'all there!

Via the MITMTG mailing list:

***************************************************************************
MTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTG
***************************************************************************

One more audition day left for Jekyll and Hyde :

Tuesday, December 7th in Public Dining Rooms 1 and 2, 7:00pm - 9:30pm.


Please come with a few bars of a song prepared to sing and bring sheet music if you can :)

For tips about auditioning, check out our auditioner's guide at:http://mit.edu/mtg/www/Audition-Guide.html and check below all messages for a brief plot summary.


Performance dates are January 28th - 30th and February 3rd - 5th.


Questions? Email jekyll-dir@mit.edu

***************************************************************************
MTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTG
***************************************************************************
Want to be a part of the production team of Jekyll and Hyde ? Email jekyll-dir@mit.edu with your name for the following positions before December 8th, 10:22pm :

Technical Director
Set Designer
Master Carpenter
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
Publicity Designer
Publicity Manager
Costume Designer
Prop Manager

More information about each of these positions is available at http://web.mit.edu/mtg/www/ProdStaff-Desc.html.

****************************************************************************
MTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTGMTG
****************************************************************************

Show summary:

Jekyll, a tortured, soon-to-be-married scientist striving to test his new unction on human subjects is prohibited from using inmates at a mental hospital to perform his experiments, and instead tests on himself, accidentally extracting and animating his darker side, Hyde. Jekyll's fiance (Emma), her father (Danvers), and Jekyll's friend (Utterson) notice the change within their acquaintance, as Hyde sneaks out at night at commits heinous crimes as the city of London slumbers. As Hyde consumes Jekyll, Jekyll finds his life entangled with murders, a stripper (Lucy), and lots of angst.

Saw MIT G&S's production of Patience tonight with preraphaelite. I am going to make this quick because I need to go to bed, but I wanted to be sure I signal boosted it before I forget. I saw Patience when I was in high school and adored it. Seeing it again I loved it even more. It's a sendup of pop culture idolitry, hipsterism, and perceptions of the meaning of love that works for a modern audience despite having been written a century ago. Well worth seeing if you like G&S or musical theater in general.

Remaining shows are Fri at 8pm and Sat at 2pm.

I'm really sad that I'm probably going to miss this on account of a rehearsal, but it looks like a very interesting project, so I want to signal-boost. Here's their blurb:

------------------------------------------------------------------

The MIT Muslim Student's Association invites you to:

The Hijabi Monologues
Friday October 22 ~ Little Kresge Theatre ~ Doors open at 7:00 pm ~ FREE Admission

"The Hijabi Monologues is about the power of storytelling. It is about creating a space for American Muslim women to share experiences; a space to breathe as they are; a space that does not claim to tell every story and speak for every voice. Through sharing stories, strangers touch and connect. Through stories, we are challenged. Through stories, we are humanized."
- Sahar Ullah (Hijabi Monologues Founder)

Have you ever been intrigued by the hijab, the headscarf worn by Muslim women? The Hijabi Monologues is an attempt to dispel misconceptions about the women who wear hijab and to humanize the women beneath the headscarves.

------------------------------------------------------------------

I "love" how in one day I can go from a free day on Monday to being potentially booked from noonish to zomgoclock, but in addition to the afore-mentioned Scott Pilgrim outing (12:30pm lunch at Ball Square cafe, followed by the 2:15 showing at the Somerville-- lemme know if you want in on the planning) there's a friend's birthday party at 4, and then I find out about THIS at 8.

"Beowoulf: 1000 Years of Baggage: Digging into the roots of the original epic poem, this club-style SongPlay hearkens back to the raw and rowdy style of storytelling in the old Scandinavian mead halls- with a passion for fierce poetry and a pint of thick beer.

Monsters and professors collide in blood-soaked Scandinavia as this hefty poem is rescued from 1,000 years of analysis and transformed in a defiantly raucous dissertation on art and violence. With a 7-piece band including dueling trombones, bass clarinet, accordion and saw, Beowulf combines Weillian cabaret, 40's jazz harmony, indie rock, punk, electronica and Romantic lieder into a cacophonous swirl."

Especially at $15 per ticket, I don't think I'm allowed to not go see this. Anyone else interested?

In other news, I think Club Oberon may be becoming my favorite local theater.