Final 5

It is time for me to start being the guy who reminds you that there are only a few shows left. To be precise their are 5 more performances of Kit Marlowe.

I love this picture. It shows a cast willing to do anything to tell a story. And I mean anything. They persue their performances like wild animals. Working their way across their blood stained stage with ferocity and genuine emotion.

Shows Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3pm. Get your tickets now. As with the final weekend of any show we expect there are a goodly number of you who will be showing up. I suggest making a reservation. Don't miss this show!

birds last bow

Because every great cast and crew deserves a final bow after a hard job done well!

birds
by Jennifer Maisel

DIRECTED BY: Wendy McClellan

PRODUCED BY: Jenny McConnell Frederick and Randy Baker

FEATURING: Company Member Tim Getman.
Also featuring Brian Hemmingsen, Nanna Ingvarsson, Marissa Molnar, Jjana Valentiner

DESIGNED BY: Jacob S. Muehlhausen (Set), Deb Sullivan (Lights), Debra Kim Sivigny (Costumes), Matthew Nielson (Sound), Andrew F. Griffin (Asst. Lighting Design), Veronica Lancaster(Asst. Set Design)

STAGE MANAGED BY: Viv Woodland

ASST. STAGE MANAGERS: Alex Aaron and Jake Melville

This production was made possible thanks to generous support from an anonymous donor, J. Chris Babb and the Durfee Foundation.

Season 7 is sponsored in part by Anthony Dobranski.

Snowflakes

As the days dwindle down to a precious few . . .

Don't know why I have been quoting song lyrics this week. Maybe my brain taps into the song lyric portion when the temps rise and my creativity goes down. Or perhaps birds just makes me want to sing, like . . . well a bird.

There are so few things in this life that we can truly say are unique experiences. Watching a live performance is one of those things. No two productions are ever the same. No two performances in those productions is ever a carbon copy. And there are moments of magic and wonder that occur every night in that space between the performers and the audience that can never be recorded or recreated. When a show is gone it is most certainly gone.

As an art form theater is perhaps the most temporary. Even in dance choregraphy is transcribed and reproduced. One director can never recreate a production exactly. I know that recordings are made and some performances are recreated on film, but theater in the truest sense is the synthesis of script and performance. Words and speaker. Audience and performer. Each show is a snow flake and melts just as fast.

Before birds closes on Sunday at 3pm. I just want to take an opportunity to thank all of you who have taken the time to support new theater. I don't just mean the actors, director, playwright, producers, designers and run crew. I mean all of you who came to Casa and paid your money and spent your time learning something new about yourselves and the world around you.

I take pride in knowing that Rorschach isn't just sitting back taking the easy way and producing shows that are easy to digest and will go down like a cool drink of water, but that we are giving you things that are little harder to chew and swallow, with the hope that you will enjoy the meal more for the work that it requires not just of us but of you as well.

Seats are still available for tonight and tomorrow at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. Don't miss the chance to fill your belly with the good stuff. Enjoy the trailer one last time.

Bye, Bye, Bye!

The world will be a much less interesting place without birds in it.

These are the last days my friends. Last chance to see as it were. Don't get me wrong if you can't make any of the remaining 4 shows you must be a very important busy person.

Perhaps you think you are too good for this show. Well you are wrong.

Tonight at 8pm, Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 3pm. Don't miss this show.

Goodbye References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot

Because a great cast and crew deserve a final bow!

References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot

by Jose Rivera

Directed by Shirley Serotsky

PRODUCED BY: Jenny McConnell Frederick and Randy Baker

FEATURING: Company Members Scott McCormick (Moon) Yasmin Tuazon (Cat). Also featuring Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey (Gabriela), Danny Gavigan (Coyote), Cesar A. Guadamuz (Martin), Andrew Price (Benito)

DESIGNED BY: Robbie Hayes (Set), Andrew F. Griffen (Lights), Pei Lee (Costumes), Matthew Nielson (Sound), Jean Ann Douglass (Props), Connor Dale (Asst. Lighting Design), Justin Titley (Asst. Set Design)

DRAMATURGY: Jacqueline E. Lawton

STAGE MANAGED BY: Cecilia Cackley and Ashley Hollingshead (Assistant SM)

Final Conversation with Jose Rivera

Performances remaining: 4.

Excuses for not seeing References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot if you are within a 25 square mile radius of Casa this weekend and are able to leave your house: 0.

We would love to see you Tonight or Tomorrow at 8pm. Or we could make some room for you tomorrow or Sunday at 3pm for the matinee. 2 for 1 Ticket Deal still in effect for Mother's Day Weekend, just use the ticket code "MOM" when ordering. I am done with prodding and guilting you people so I will let your mom's do it and say wouldn't it be nice to do something for your mom that didn't involve a Hallmark Card and brunch at TGI Fridays?

Been holding onto the following for about two months now. It is a transcript of a conversation that our dramaturg Jackie Lawton had with our playwright Jose Rivera. I can't tell you what a wonderful thing it was to have a living playwright working with us to answer our questions and supply so much background information regarding the genesis of the play and help discover the meaning of his work.

We had the same sort of help from Roberto with regards to Rough Magic earlier this season and we are looking forward to having some similar assistance from Jennifer Maisel with Birds. Birds by the way goes into rehearsals very soon, so get ready for another Rorschach World Premiere, this will be our 3rd for those of you keeping track.

Conversation with Jose Rivera

1. What has worked/not worked in previous production?
Playing the animals as animals, actors on all fours, or having them in costumes that resemble animals, etc, does not work.
The Coyote and the Cat are just a guy and girl. The Coyote is dangerous. The Cat is sexy. They are all in a heightened state of sexual desire.
It works best when actors aren’t afraid to go as far as the script is asking them to.
Allow the language to sound natural, flowing from you lips as though it’s the first time being spoken.
2. What is the Dream versus Reality Chronology?
Act 1 and 4 are reality. Gabby falls asleep at the end of Act 1 and dreams through Act 2 and 3. This is what Jose calls the joke of the play!!
Stylistically, Act 2 and 3 should not come off as A Midsummer Night’s Dream. None of it should be handled preciously. The language, their desires, their passions are real, gritty, psychologically disturbing, etc.
3. What or who inspired the script?
Benito is Jose’s brother Tony who was soldier in Gulf War 1. The machismo and the language are right from his brother’s mouth.
What Gabby does, in studying Islam, Muhammad, Karma, is what Jose did.
“If my brother’s going to be harmed, I wanted to understand what we were supposed to be afraid of/what we are fighting.”
He wanted to do some good.
He was also going through a divorce at the time he was writing this play. What it is when a marriage is in danger? What is it when two people can no longer communicate with one another?
He wanted to examine how two people who could have loved one another could suddenly, or over time, grow/develop into people who no longer love one another.

Prod

This is the time on the blog where I get all misty eyed for the show that is about to go away. I have a few more things to post regarding References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, but most of the week will be a series of nags and prods to get those of you who haven't seen the show yet to come see the show.

Today I remind you how cool the set, costumes and lights are. It is quite beautiful isn't it. Remember just 5 shows left and then we are done. Thurday, Friday and Saturday at 8pm. And remember our 2 for 1 tickets to the Matinees on Saturday and Sunday 3pm. 1-800-494-TIXS or visit BoxOfficeTickets.com.

Final Weekend

You all knew this was coming. I kept telling you over and over again but would you listen? Well some of you did and some of you didn't.

We sold out last Friday and Saturday nights. We sold out the previous Friday and Saturday nights. We sold out the week before that. You get where I am going with this?

This is the final weekend of Rough Magic. Friday night is SOLD OUT. There are still some tickets available for tomorrow night. There are some tickets left for Saturday afternoon and evening. You have been warned.

Get your tickets now people! Call 1-800-494-TIXS or visit BoxOfficeTickets.com and reserve your seat.

This will be your second to last warning!