Giving Her . . .

Reminder abouot the reading of Tounge Tied and Blood Bound tonight at 8:00 pm at Casa. And also this is the final week for Rough Magic. That means there will be a mad rush for tickets so get your butt in gear.

Here is another profile of our design crew this time it is company member and oft times Costume Designer Deb Sivigny. Well she has put down her sewing and has taken up the glue gun to design props for Rough Magic. Enjoy!

PRODUCTION QUESTIONNAIRE OF DOOM:

1. What is your position working on Rough Magic?

Props designer/supportive wife to Producer

2. How did you get involved with Rorschach and this show?

I have been working with Rorschach since The Illusion and havebeen a company member for a season and a half I think. Sometimesthere are weird props--that's when I get called.

3. So, where are you from?

Durham, CT originally; DC now.

4. Tell us about your day job(s):

I manage the costume shop at Catholic University. I used to be a Hotel Spy--but that story's for another day.

5. What other theater companies have you worked for?

Good Lord...uuhhh: Catalyst Theater, Theater Alliance, Forum Theatre/Dance, Journeymen Theater, WSC, Theatre J, Woolly Mammoth, Studio Theatre 2nd Stage, Olney (National Players and Mainstage), Everyman, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, and Colorado Shakespeare Festival.

6. What aspect of this show are you most excited about?

I love how over-the-top everything is. And the high comedy--which we don't get to do much.

7. If you could be an illegal substance and/or activity, what would you be and why?

Are my students reading this?

8. If you could be a comic book character or a superhero/villain, whowould you be and why?

I would be a Super Penguin--where I could shoot ice out of my flippers and swim like mach 10. [and in life, I currently can't doeither of those things.]

Words of Wisdom and Free Reading News

At some point in all of our lives we are faced with decisions that on one level seem straight forward and simple, but when we look back on them we are amazed at the impact they have had on the entirety of our lives.

Sorry that is all I have in me today.

Some quick reminders for those of you who are actually at your computers on this snowy-snowy Friday in our Nations Capital:

◙ There are very few seats avaible for either of our Saturday shows of Rough Magic. There are a handful of seats available for tonights performance. If you do not book your tickets now you may in fact be too late. I also provide this special warning, final weekends of our shows tend to sell out very quickly, book your seats now. Bring a friend if you need someone to talk to during intermission. 1-800-494-TIXS or visit Boxofficetickets.com.

◙ Free Reading of Blood Bound and Tounge Tied on Monday Night at 8pm at Casa for people who like to see free theater. And who doesn't like to see free theater? I'll tell you who doesn't like to see free theater dirty sticking capitalist is who. Do you want to be lumped in with book burners and people who destroy the ozone layer? Do you want your children to grow-up in a world without theater? Do you want bacon or sausage?

Here is the story if you need a reminder:

BLOOD BOUND AND TOUNGE TIED
by Jacqueline E. Lawton Directed
by Patrick Crowley
Monday, February 19 at 8pm
A world-premiere staged reading Free Admission

A depression-era adaptation of OEDIPUS, Lawton's explosive BLOOD BOUND AND TONGUE TIED follows the astonishing journey of Jocasta, a black woman who passes for white and shuns her entire past when she falls in love with a successful white politician. With the birth of their son, Oedipus, Jocasta's lies instigate a wave of bloodshed and carnage.

FEATURING JJ Johnson, Paige Hernandez, Adrienne Nelson, Greg Reid and Clay Steakley

◙ Dress in layers. This is good advice for anyone who is going to be out and about in this cold. Especially the man who I saw in shorts last night. Good God people it is like -3 with the wind chill.

Randy Baker on the Free Reading of New Play

Monday night was the first rehearsal of our workshop of Jacqueline E. Lawton’s BLOOD-BOUND AND TONGUE-TIED. Rorschach is developing this play as a part of our MAGIC IN ROUGH SPACES new play development program. Not to be confused with ROUGH MAGIC, the play that is currently running!

BLOOD BOUND tells the story of Jocasta, a light-skinned black woman who leaves her small town to live as a white woman in World-War-II-era Dallas. There she meets a wealthy lawyer named Laius whom she falls in love with and marries. With the birth of a black child Jocasta’s lies begin and an epic tragedy begins to unfold. If the names sound familiar it’s because Lawton’s explosive play is an adaptation of the OEDIPUS story.

As I listened to the extraordinary actors bring words to life, I found myself thinking, what is it that makes a play a Rorschach play? And what kind of play would we like to have associated with our development process? Too often, it seems, play readings and workshops are added to theatre seasons as an afterthought – without really thinking about what it means to choose a work and develop it. I would posit that at times the plays a theatre chooses to DEVELOP say more about a company than what plays they choose to PRODUCE.

And we couldn't be more excited to produce Jackie's play.

We at Rorschach love plays that have their roots in ancient stories, stories that have been told for hundreds for thousands of years - the idea of bringing new life to them is something powerful. Like we are a campfire around which the fabric of our stories are told and retold. But it’s more than just simply retelling stories – we like works that make fables, myths and old tales RELEVANT - by resetting them in time, by finding forgotten meanings, by conveying a passionate need to make old truths new. The places where worlds meet: past/present, imaginary/real, theatre/audience… it’s in these places that the real magic happens.

But trying to put into words what makes a play a Rorschach play is always difficult. We are still trying to figure that out ourselves…

A dream of mine is a day when explanations won’t be necessary… when our company becomes an adjective… it would be an amazing thing if there came a day when someone in San Francisco or London or Topeka said “I read this play the other day… it’s a very Rorschach play.” I can dream can’t I?

As we grow as a theatre company and we think about how we can pay our actors more and how we can keep the roof from leaking… I find it thrilling to think about a day when plays that are uniquely “us” are developed, produced and put out into the world with our stamp on it. That there will be these plays that no one else will take a chance on but that are perfect for us…

The public reading of BLOOD-BOUND AND TONGUE-TIED is going to be a remarkable event. Come see some great artists bring to life a ferocious new play. And listen to an ancient story told new, an old tale made relevant…

BLOOD-BOUND AND TONGUE-TIED
By Jackie Lawton
Directed by Patrick Crowley
Monday, February 19 at 8pm
Free Admission

FEATURING:
Paige Hernandez as JOCASTA
Clay Steakley as LAIUS
JJ Johnson as CREON
Greg Reid as OEDIPUS
Adrienne Nelson as JENNA