Have you resolved to take an active role in supporting volunteer arts in your community in 2012?  Well then, have I got an opportunity for you!

CPCT will be holding our annual business meeting and board elections on Monday, January 9th, at 7:30 PM at Farm Bureau Insurance.  All CPCT Members are invited to attend.  If you have worked on 2 shows with CPCT in the past 2 years, and are at least 16 years of age, you are eligible to vote and/or run for a position on the 2012 CPCT Board.

At the March meeting, we will be taking show proposals for our 2012-2013 season.  The season will be selected/voted on 2 weeks later.

This is shaping up to be an exciting year at CPCT with the prospect of having our own dedicated performance space in the very near future.  It’s a decision that is going to affect every aspect of our group, and we need dedicated, creative, energetic people to help activate our vision and shape the theatre we will become.

Much is happening.  A Few Good Men has been cast, and tickets are available online.  This is going to be a good one! 

We had a major clean up day in our storage area at OTSSA this Saturday.  Following the bathroom renovations, they have started work on the basement, converting the old pitching lanes into storage areas.  With doors.  That lock!  Most importantly, it is much nicer to breathe downstairs than it has been in quite some time!

The Spaces and Marketing committees have been hard at work on exciting/potentially game-changing projects.  But that’s a story for another day.

To me, the great news this weekend is that my directing partner, Joe C, & I have been working on pre-production for Cyrano de Bergerac this summer, and we just discovered the Frank Langella adaptation of Cyrano.  He scaled the show down to 12 actors, jettisoned outdated name-dropping references that bring the story to a screeching halt, yet retained all the romance and poetry of the original.  (True, he adapted from the Hooker translation, while I favor Burgess’ translation, but… I’m okay with it.)

We’ve read it through and are certain we have found the voice and structure that are best-suited for our vision of Cyrano.  Every time Mr. Langella does something that makes sense to me in this adaptation, I find myself saying ‘Thank you, Frank!’ and kissing his picture on the cover.  We love the Cyrano story and the language, but were feeling rather daunted at the scale of the task ahead of us.  And we didn’t want to start over, like a recent (and highly enjoyable) production we saw at the House Theatre in Chicago.  (That version also added a piano bar, ninjas, and 2 fights.  No complaints, but that does not match our vision.)

It’s still 5 scenes spanning 15 years.  Cyrano is still larger-than-life.  The characters are still colorful and interesting.  It’s still going to have swordfighting and romance with a capital RUH, and if we do our job right, you should still be able to smell France on our stage.

What it means for our audience is that we’ll be able to present a streamlined, uncluttered Cyrano, without losing its heart and history.  The story and the poetry will shine through.

We’ll be updating the website with character descriptions and more details.  If you’d like a chance to read the script, we should have some un-kissed copies available to loan soon.

I’m in horn-tootin’, button-poppin’ mode over here.  We’ve got a darned fine play on our stage, and even in my limited role as house manager, I’m proud of this show and the people who have worked so hard to put it together.

But right now, I’d like to tell you about tearing it apart.

And this…. 

Into THIS:

Photo by Joe Culley

It took about an hour and a half of dismantling, loading, shifting & hefting, late at night, after an emotional roller coaster ride of a show, in the midst of greeting friends, changing costumes, and riding the cherry picker up to the ceiling to tuck away the dining room chandelier.  It’s a lot like hosting a dinner party two nights in a row, washing the dishes in a tiny janitor’s closet, then dismantling your living room.  There were no post-show parties on Saturday night. Everyone was worn out!

August: Osage County continues Friday, Saturday, & Sunday at On the Square Sports Academy.  As of this writing, tickets are still available through www.cpct.biz

I’m a few days late with this and trying to write an entry with my phone, so just sending a quick shout-out and a lot of love to everyone who came out Sunday to create an amazing set for August: Osage County! I can’t remember the last time I saw an entire cast at a set build. And you brought so many handy & helpful friends! You guys are amazing!

Huge Applaudience to:
Eric, Adam, Don, Cathy, Jeff, Marion, Dan, Matt, Jen, Chris, Andi, Tristan, Amanda, John, Kate, Anne, Mandy, Andy, Jeff, Glenn, CJ, Joe, Trish, & Diane!

(Did I leave anyone out? I hope not!)

I know my OTSSA stair-climbing muscles were sore for the next two days.

It’s Opening Night for The Taming of the Shrew!

This show has been a new experience for me because I’m playing the Prologue. (Don’t look for it in the original play.  The part is unique to Earle Howe’s adaptation.) This means that I do pre-show announcements, a Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits Medley (my term, not the directors’), play Captain Exposition (also my term) to introduce the two main story lines…. and then I disappear until curtain call.

I’m thrilled with the part.  I get to set the stage & tone of the show.  Our Summer Shakespeare program is near and dear to my heart, and I’m honored to be able to contribute even a little to this show.  I almost want to go out and shout ARE YOU READY FOR SOME SHAKESPEEEEEAAAAAAAARRRRRRE?  all WWE-like.  

But it is a bizarre rehearsal process – all monologue; no dialogue, which is something new for me.  I have no scene partners.  Most of my work was done on my own, with Earle and Betty’s direction.  I’m just getting to know the cast and the show this past week.  It’s a great group, staying focused and professional as we worked to resolve various technical issues.  They, and the Howes, and all of our volunteers, have been a Class Act all the way.

I finally get to interact with the people tonight – the audience!  Hope to see you there!

CPCT Presents The Taming of the Shrew at On the Square Sports Academy, 105 N Court St, Crown Point. July 29, 30, Aug 5, 6 at 8 PM, and Aug 7 at 3 PM.

www.cpct.biz

It is that time of year again!  For at least as long as we’ve been doing Summer Shakespeare, CPCT has been marching in Crown Point’s Fourth of July Parade.  We’ve had Romeo & Juliet waving from the back of a convertible, and Dogberry galloping madly with coconut shell sound effects.  We’ve sung show tunes and worn fairy wings.  Usually behind a volunteer’s festively-decorated truck.

This year, we’re trying our hand at an Honest-to-Bard float.  Yesterday was construction day, and I have to say we are pleased with the results.  It was a pretty hot day, and our 4 littlest helpers had a great time attacking the yellow paint with rollers.  Then walking across it.  Then sitting in it…

I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but here are some teaser photos from the construction day.

Preparing the trailer

CP! CT!

Sparkly.  Like a holiday.  And we were all sorta sparkly by the end of the day.

My 6-year-old is now excited to be marching in the parade this year.  Because she helped build the float.

I know how she feels.  I wish I still had a picture of the cute little stage I made to keep her cool riding in a wagon for her first parade.  But she does still use that stage as a puppet theatre.

As for what I’ll be doing in the parade, my byline holds a bit of a hint.  But that’s a story for another day…

So come on down to Main Street tomorrow at 2.  Grab a postcard, wave, and get in on the fun!

Trish Neary, CPCT board member at large signing on.  =)  Just wanting to congratulate the cast of our fundraiser for a fantastic job last night, and a thank you to everyone who pitched in and donated items to make it possible.

We are now starting into rehearsals for our upcoming production, “The Taming of the Shrew”, which is the sixth installment of our “Summer Shakespeare” series.  We’ve only just been through the first read-through, but I can already tell you that we are going to have a stellar cast full of many talented new faces (which I always love seeing)!  This show will not be one to miss!

But getting back to our fundraiser, one thing that struck a chord with me is that it reminded me about how much I still have to learn about musical theatre.  I really need to start listening to more soundtracks, especially from composers I like (such as Sondheim).  It would benefit me as a performer, I think, to get better-versed in that sort of thing. 

That said, I now leave you with a Sondheim piece that I have just become acquainted with, that I think will resonate with any actor, regardless of their theatrical discipline:

“Gods of the theatre, smile on us.
You who sit up there in stern judgment, smile on us.
You who look down on actors (and who doesn’t?),
bless this yearly festival and smile on us.
We offer you song and dance.
We offer you rites and revels.
We offer you grace and beauty –
Smile on us for this while.”

~ Trish Neary, Broadway Student & Board Member at Large, CPCT

Just home from a little gathering to watch the Tonys.  I’m headed to NYC in a few weeks to catch Daniel Radcliffe in How to Succeed…  Always had a soft spot in my heart for J. Pierpont Finch.  Loved their excerpt.  The choreography was fun and inventive.

We’re also in the home stretch for our fundraiser, a-2-3-4! If the Tonys got you in the mood for some great musical theatre, we’re showcasing some of Broadway’s greatest duets, trios, & quartets for one night only, June 18th.  It’s going to be a great night with food & drink & silent auction items.  I know Liz and her crew have been pounding the pavement around the Square getting some amazing donations. 

We had a spontaneous ovation from the crew doing landscape work outside First United Church where we were rehearsing on Saturday, which is always fun.  Kristy came up with some fun and inventive choreography for ‘My Body’ so we can sell our Times Square Attitude during that number.  I’m so thrilled to be singing with these talented people.  Seriously, pinching myself every rehearsal because it hardly seems real.  When we’re all singing ‘Light’ in 6 parts and it sounds right and feels right, I can’t help but get a little thrill.  Amanda and Eric have done an outstanding job putting this together, finding songs that are unexpected and a great blend of funny and heartbreaking.  I can’t wait to share this with an audience.  (But I would like a little more time to get those steps right.)

The Taming of the Shrew has been cast, and I’ve been asked to perform the Prologue!  It’s an honor and I’m excited to be able to participate in Summer Shakespeare again with a part that fits perfectly with my schedule.

The Marketeers have also been hard at work with photo shoots for our upcoming season.  We braved a glaring June sun for our August: Osage County shoot, then cold temps again this past Thursday evening for Company and Cyrano.  We had great help on both days, but I have to give special thanks to Joe for doing the photography, and Eric for his painstaking PhotoShop work.  Can’t wait to share the results.  I feel like my garage, shadow, and hands have had a starring role in this year’s campaign!

Testing houses, shadows & chalk colors

Frollicking about my yard with swords after the Shrew Shoot

(I’ll try not to leave anyone out…. lots of hands went into putting these shoots together!)

Joe Culley, Eric Reithel, Trish Neary, Kristen Hasselgren, Anne Nicholls, Jen Lundin, Jack Margis, Charlie the dog, Mandy Dietrich, Chris Hull, Katie McLaren, KerriAnne Valuckis, Amber Lucas

& Kerry Fitch, Thrill-Seeker & Shadowy Figure, CPCT

One winter’s night, after one of the first board meetings I had attended for Crown Point Community Theatre in a long while, Amanda Dietrich asked me if I would be interested in helping her co-direct our theater’s annual cabaret fundraiser over the summer.  Without too much hesitation, I happily and excitedly agreed, thinking it would be a simple way to ease myself back into directing after an extended absence.  The only thing we needed to do was come up with a theme or idea for the show.  Hot on the heels of last summer’s incredible Broadway Rocks performance, Mandy and I knew we had some big shoes to fill.  So -like you do- we found ourselves brainstorming ideas at the Denny’s in Merrillville over coffee.

The one thing Mandy and I knew we wanted from the get-go was a small, tight cast.  While there is strength in numbers, to be sure, both of us knew our directorial talents were stronger in providing detailed one-on-one feedback with our performers (something that tends to find a way of eating up precious rehearsal hours before you know it). That means having less people to direct on such an intimate level would, in theory, allow for more material to be covered within a short time frame.  A smaller cast also meant that each performer would get more songs to sing and thus allowing them a better opportunity to show off their various ranges (vocally, dramatically, etc.).  Ultimately, we decided on casting no more than eight to ten people – tops.

Another thing we knew we wanted was a very light, short-and-sweet, yet incredibly focused and concentrated rehearsal period.  It was our hope to find a small, select crew of players who could rehearse a breadth of musical theater numbers quickly and efficiently, who also would then spend time on their own to work on their material.  So right away we knew we were asking for a lot out of our cast – and we hadn’t even added the first name to the list!  We tried discussing actors and actresses that we wanted in our show, but we quickly realized that without knowing what they would be singing, there was no point in trying to figure out who should sing it.  Heck, we still hadn’t thought of the show’s theme yet!

So we switched gears and began to focus on song selections.  Mandy’s initial idea was to have this year’s cabaret be an evening of duets.  I really liked the idea, but my concern was that there would inevitably be too many love songs, to which Mandy agreed was a point of concern for her as well.  Don’t get us wrong, we love a good love song as much as the next theater fan, but too many of them strung back-to-back would be a slow prolonged journey into the depths of Broadway’s Ballad Hell, and the one thing Mandy and I have always striven for in our theatrical endeavors was that, no matter what else, we would absolutely not put on our stage (and subject a paying audience to) anything that we ourselves would not be willing to sit through and find ourselves enjoying.  Needless to say, neither of us were completely sold on the idea of an evening of just duets, but at least we had a jumping off point for further discussion.

While trying to drum up non-romantic duets from our individual Broadway repertoires, Mandy mentioned a “brainstorming block” she was experiencing to me: she couldn’t think of any songs she knew because of this one other song that she had stuck in her head that refused to mute itself. The song was “Up the Ladder to the Roof” from the short-lived Broadway show Everyday Rapture.  Regardless of what she tried, no other melody would come out of her brain to play itself for her consideration because this song would not go quietly back into the night of her consciousness.  I started to giggle at her misfortune, but soon myself singing this song as well – and thus my own “brainstorming block” was created.  (Telling someone of a song you have stuck in your head has the tendency to do that, no?)  You see, Mandy had previously played this song for me on her MP3 player, and had even shown me the original trio of women who sang it in the Broadway show performing it live at last year’s Tony Awards.  And I love this song.  Beyond that, its a great upbeat number that three in-sync belters could just jam-out to on stage.  Even still, I have my pride.  Not willing to admit what she had done to me, I laughed at her and told her to try and bury the song away; we needed tunes that were to be sung by two people, not three.

Almost immediately, she and I were both struck with an idea that would drastically change the shape of our show forever: Why not include this song?  It wouldn’t be yet-another boring love ballad, Mandy knew it was in her vocal range and had been looking for a way to perform it, and we both knew that we would probably end up on stage at some point during the show ourselves anyway, so why not use it?

“Well, its not a duet…” she said.
“So? What if we expand our scope beyond duets?  You and I both know some other great trios – and even quartets – that we could use!”
“Okay… but no ensemble numbers.  They’re too hard to teach, and cast wouldn’t be big enough for them unless we expand it.”
“Agreed.  We’re not expanding the cast.  I vote we stay with duets, trios, and quartets. We can challenge ourselves with songs that require complex harmonies, emotional relationships, and various scenarios – and maybe even a dance number or two.”
“I like it!  But what do we call the show then…?”
“Uh… Hmmm…”

(The above is condensed and paraphrased, of course.)  When it came time to title our new creation, we got quiet again.  Mandy’s eyes dropped to the notepad and pen she had in front of her.  Completely lost in thought, my eyes glossed-over and stared blankly out the window over her shoulder.  In my peripheral vision, I could see her scribble what appeared to be nothing more than a doodle, lost in her own train of thought as well.  But within mere seconds, it hit me: “a-2-3-4!” I suddenly said to her.

“Are you kidding me?” she replied.  She instantly turned the pad towards me and I looked down at it to see that she had not scribbled a doodle at all.  Instead, she had begun making a list of possible names for our show; however, she had only come up with one name so far herself: a-2-3-4!

I couldn’t help but grin like an idiot from ear-to-ear at this incredible shared level of synchronicity.  My level of excitement for this show, and what I knew would be a great partnership between Amanda and I, instantly shot through the roof.  It has not come back down since.  Sure, we really had only come up with concepts at this point in time – no real tangible proof of exercised work to show anyone – but it didn’t matter; I knew everything still ahead of us would find its own way of falling into place.  And it did.

From that moment onward the amount of pre-production work that Amanda and I have poured into this one-night-only affair has been immeasurable.  I had no idea how much work truly goes into the creation of a cabaret-from-scratch until now, and I wholeheartedly have a new-found respect for it.  From the selecting and casting of eight brilliant singer-actors to join on stage, to whittling down a list of forty ideas of songs to twenty-four solid numbers (split into three 35-minute acts, no less); from scouring the internet and other various resources in an ever-vigilant hunt for sheet music, to the writing of a brand new libretto to slot these chosen songs into (And yes, you read that correctly: I wrote an entire one-act plot for the second act, as well as clever ways of tying the songs together for the first and third acts.) – it has all been an absolute labor of love.

Not only have we spent a great deal of time getting the material together for what will ultimately appear on stage, we also had to band together an entire production team to make the magic that will happen off-stage, too.  So far we’ve got a full crew of volunteers ready and willing to help with the stagecraft, not mention four incredibly talented musicians in our pit.  Throw in some microphones and a sound guy, lights and a board operator, tickets and a house manager – and you have yourselves a solid creative team.

Again – I can’t express it enough – I haven’t been this excited to take a show to a stage in quite some time.  And we haven’t even started rehearsals!  Its weird to think that within two weeks from now, it will all be nothing more than a distant (and hopefully fond) memory.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

We do still have fourteen solid days of rehearsals coming up, and I know they will not be easy; yet, I’m not worried.  The actors are set, the band is ready, the crew is in place, the script is writ, and the music is chosen… The only thing left for Mandy and I to do is find a way to bring it all together into one incredible night.

I hope to see you there.

~Eric Reithel
Co-Director, a-2-3-4!
Board Member, Crown Point Community Theatre

Poster Design: Amanda Dietrich

Here’s our logo!

Among other elements, I’m really loving the painter’s canvas texture and the play of light off the shirt laces.  (Because why wouldn’t light play off of shirt laces?)  At first I wasn’t sold on the idea of putting a wedding ring on the riding crop, but now it’s one of my favorite elements of the image.  Eric, I hope you and PhotoShop are still friends, because we’ve got 4 more shows to advertise this season!  If you missed the behind-the-scenes post, it’s just below.  Thanks again to everyone who helped out!

While we’re on the subject, auditions for The Taming of the Shrew are this week!

7:00 PM on Monday, June 6th
and Tuesday, June 7th, 2011
at Farm Bureau Insurance
2008 North Main Street
Crown Point, IN

You’ll find more info at www.cpct.biz. There’s detailed information about the character needs, excerpts from Earle’s adaptation, and an outline of the overall concept. Check it out!

I had the pleasure of working with Earle Howe on Lear at Genesius Guild in Hammond, but our paths have not crossed – theatrically – in the seven years since.  Based on that experience, I’d say this cast will be in for the best kind of challenge.  Earle and Betty are passionate about Shakespeare, and we had some thought-provoking discussions while putting Lear together.  I’m really excited to see them directing with CPCT’s Summer Shakespeare program.  Heck, I’m half-tempted to show up at auditions myself!

~Kerry Fitch, Shakespeare Addict and Puffy Shirt-Lacer, CPCT