Six Characters in Search of an Author

October 15 – 30, 2010

From the Theatre Cedar Rapids web site.

“This play follows the drama of six fictional, but living and breathing characters, who force their way in on the rehearsal of a theater company and demand that their suffering be played on the stage. Regarded as one of the most influential plays of the 20^th century.”

Directing this show has been on my big list for a long time. This plot of this show is so powerfully engaging that it’s remained with me since I first read it.

My concerns for this project really revolve around the roles of Father, Step-daughter, and Mother. They are so emotionally charged, and the actors will need to be ableto dance along that line of real and melodrama to really make the thing work. Also the Father has some killer monologues. It would be a sweet role for a really good actor.

The other concern has to do with the ancillary roles — these would be the actors in the company. They require actors to be engaged for the full show without ending up saying much during the production. They are thankless roles, but they are integral to the play and anyone who undertakes them will get good opportunities to work living in the moment.

Auditions for this show are on September 12th and 13th.

The script is available at Theatre Cedar Rapids.

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SPT Theatre’s Tales from the Writers’ Room

Season Three: Body of Work

This third season of the SPT Tales From the Writers’ Room is all about body parts. That’s right, get ready. I’m writing with my four partners in the writers’ room: Akwi Nji-Dawson, Dr. David Martino, Mary Sullivan, and Adam Witte. We have a pretty good stable of special guests, as usual, but you will need to to the SPT site to see who they are.

If you haven’t seen a show, it’s difficult to describe it. It blends sketch comedy and drama with memoir and music into a thematic whole. We really try to hit high and low notes (if I may be so silly), mix comedy with poignancy, throw some curves, and often challenge the audience to think in ways most shows don’t.

Here is the season:

“In Over Your Head” – September 10 & 11
“White Knuckles” – October 29 & 30
“Mistle Toe” – December 3 & 4
“Pain in the Neck” – February 18 & 19
“Bottoms Up” – April 1 & 2
“Blink of an Eye” – June 3 & 4

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

May 13 – 28, 2011

From the Theatre Cedar Rapids web site.

“Four children wander from an old wardrobe into the exciting, never-to-be-forgotten land of Narnia. The action features chases, duels and escapes as the witch is determined to keep Narnia in her possession and to end the reign of Aslan the Lion. All the memorable episodes from the story are represented in this exciting dramatization of C. S. Lewis’ classic in a play about love, faith and courage.”

Directing this show should be a hoot! My main concern with this one is that people are going to come in thinking that it is the movie. To counteract that, we are going as far away from the movie as we can. I’ve been speaking with Richie Akers, the show’s scenic designer, on a childhood concept that I think will end up being quite fun to see and experience.

The second concern is that this will be my first children’s show. I’ve directed kids before (The Pillowman, Lost in Yonkers, To Kill a Mockingbird), but this will be the youngest show with the most kids. It’s also, perhaps, the largest show I’ve directed, both in numbers of cast/crew, and general scope. It will certainly be a learning experience.

Auditions for this show are on March 26th, 27th, and 28th.

The script is available at Theatre Cedar Rapids.

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