I Swear, The Green Milk-Shakes at McDonalds taste Minty

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all. The one day a year where we aren't Rorschach Theatre but O'Rorschach Theatre.


Today I would like to salute all the Irish people who make this company possible.

Jenny McConnell Frederick
Randy Fitzbaker
Timmy O'Getman
O'Grady Weatherford
Scott McCormick
Rahaleh "Bridget" Fitznassri
Lauren O'Hyland
Lindsay McAllen
Patrick Bussink
Matt Fredpatrick
David McGhatan
Maggie Glauber
Seamus Guadamuz
Jason Fitzlinkins
Karl Milleriley
Tracy Lynn O'Livera
Melissa McSchwartz
Debra Kim Fitzivigny
Yasmin Tuazon (yeah I ran out of ideas at the end here)!

I Look Into My Crystal Ball and See The Future

I was almost run over by a car this morning.

Anyway this is a message to everyone who is checking in after the beautiful email announcement sent out this morning congratulating Gaby and Shirley on their well deserved Helen Hayes nominations for References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot.

It has long been my belief that smaller theaters in DC are given the shaft when it comes to Helen Hayes nominations. These nominations of course call me on my beliefs but I think of all the fine work that is done by talented people in small spaces all over this town and them hardly getting the recognition they deserve and I still scratch my head.

I am going to make a couple of predictions right now:

Someone at the event will be drunk in the following situations:
- While presenting.
- While receiving their award.
- While arriving.
- While arguing over paying $30 for parking.

Someone at the event will hook-up with someone they shouldn't and cause friction among their friends and co-workers for the year to come.

There will be loud cheers for Signature from Catholic U. alums and grads.

The next day someone will post a complaint on DC Theatre Scene about young people cheering at the Helen Hayes awards and their inability to hear the show.

Someone will utter the following phrase during their acceptance speech for one of the Non-Resident Production Awards "Thank you so much! I didn't even know you all had theater awards here."

There will be a musical parody based on a Kander and Ebb song that only three people in the audience could tell you what show it comes from. All three will laugh very hard.

There will be a Canadian in attendance.

An artistic director of a major theater company will trip and take out an ice sculpture.

There will be a celebrity presenter who will tell us a story about when they were a young actor/actress and their experience of touring a show at the National/Warner/Kennedy Center before it went on to Broadway.

Our two nominees and Tracy Olivera will be the sexiest nominees at the whole damn shabang.

There will be corndogs.

Patrick Hat Trick

Here is a treat for a Tuesday. Patrick Bussink actually answered these questions for the blog in November and like the bubble head that I am I have not gotten around to publishing it until today. Sorry Tricky, but I am not perferct, nor is my grammar (see below).

There is only one Rorschach Company member I have known longer than Patrick, but Patrick and I go back a ways and I think fondly of the time we were stranded in a snow storm on Rt. 70 West and were forced to consider which tour member we would eat first if human predation were the only means of survival. Thank God the road opened up or DC audiences would have been denied the acting talent of Mr. Jesse Terrill.

Patrick has been in three Rorschach shows, and has given three memorable perfomances. A talented comedian and a skilled dramtic actor, he has toured around the world on a bike and was responsible for the one time in the last 10 years when I broke on stage. We are lucky to have added him to the Company this year. Now another Profile to Discourage, Patrick Bussink.

1. Place of birth?
Annapolis, MD, the undisputed boat-people capital of the universe.

2. First experience in theater?
6th grade production of Goin' Buggy, a musical about bugs marching on Washington for equal rights. I played an innocent spider, delivering a stirring monologue about insect oppression after "scaring" Little Miss Muffet away from her tuffet---what a spaz.

3. Where you went to school?
Great grammar, Mr. Decepticon---where YOU went to school? (Editor: Bite Me!) Me: Annapolis High, Anne Arundel Community College and Towson University.

4. What do you do?
Act, write, eat, sleep. Rinse and repeat.

5. What was your first experience with Rorschach?
Grady Weatherford showed up at a party with makeup from Rhinoceros on, it looked like gangrene. And I thought to myself "Wow, I really have to work for these people." My 1st actual show was J.B.

6. Company member you would most like to be if you were not yourself?
Maggie Glauber. 'Cause she's got MOXY.

7. Some story about working on a Rorschach play that either made you laugh or touched you deeply?
Touched me deeply: the backstage conversations during J.B., which opened right after 9-11. I will "never forget" that.

Made me laugh: just about anything that happened backstage, onstage or upstage during The Beard of Avon.

8. Where do you think Rorschach will be in the next ten years?
Hopefully in its very own magically rough space.

9. What is your favorite Rorschach show that you were not in?
A Bright Room Called Day, even though Rahaleh directed it.

10. Scott McCormick harmless adolescent or world conquering super villain?
Scott McWho?

What The Hell Are You Doing?

Annonymous Writes:

What are the Rorschach Company members doing on their time off right now?

Well Anonymous, if that is your real name, we really don't have any time off because we are quite busy preparing for our Exile at Georgetown this summer, but I sent out an email to the Company to see what other things folks are up to and these are the answers I have been able to gather.

From Tracy Lynn Olivera:

Hi! I just started rehearsals for THE HAPPY TIME at Signature, which opens in April as part of the Kander and Ebb festival and runs until the end of may. I miss you guys.

From Tim Getman:

hey bud...doing the miller reps at arena, playing happy in salesman and mike in view from the bridge. then doing in the heart of america at repstage. hope yer well

From Deb Sivigny:

I am opening Chasing George Washington at the Kennedy Center tomorrow night. Then I am working on Crumble with Catalyst Theater and HH nominated Shirley Serotsky. Then Neglect with Journeymen Theater, directed by RT alum Jessie Gallogly some other small things, like YPT's tour and the Source Festival too, but those are the major things...deb

And Cesar Guadamuz, Maggie Glauber, Patrick Bussink (who I just found a profile which I haven't run yet, sorry Foo) and Scott McCormick will be appearing in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot for Forum Theatre and Dance, we started rehearsals in last week and it will open in early April.

If you wish upon a star . . .

Dear Rorschach Blog Readers,

If you have any questions about Rorschach you have always wanted answered send them in.

I would ask that they be at least slightly related to Rorschach shows, company members, actors, directors or designers? Ask about our past our futures and the like and I will get you some answers.

Either leave your questions in the comment section or send them to me by email.

Sincerely,
The Mad Blogger-what-Blogs-at-Midnight

Think and Name the Actor and the Play

WITMWTGE?

We spent a good portion of Saturday sitting in a basement room at Georgetown this weekend, not the cellar but the basement there is a difference, and we worked our way through a draft of Randy Baker's next play Dream Sailors. Don't let the name fool you this play is f to the up crazy, sexy and a little scary.

The premise of Dream Sailors is not as exciting as the way it will unfold, which will be episodically, with a new show in the series premiering each week. Four episodes in all and each one ends with a cliff-hanger for the week to follow.

It tells the story of four friends who wake from their lucid dreaming party to find a dead body. I think I will leave the rest to your imagination.

Randy has got himself something new here. Taking the conventions of television and adapting it back to the roots of dramatic story telling on stage.

In honor of this exciting and promising read through I want to start the shows first catch phrase, sort of along the lines of "Save the Cheerleader. Save the world.", "The Truth is Out There." or "Sit on it Potsy!"

"Who is the Man with the Green Eyes?"

Start using it in conversation, to pick-up members of the opposite or same sex, organize viewing parties and get ready for the excitement.

Overlooked and A New Rorschach Slogan Campaign

So one of my favorite post Helen Hayes announcements traditions is to read what Jane Horwitz felt was overlooked from the previous season of shows. This year was no exception as Jane refers to one of last seasons shows as:

Rorschach Theatre's riotous "Rough Magic";

Jane asks where was the nomination for Rough Magic along with the other over looked shows and performances. Of course we are floating on cloud 9 thanks to our two nominations for References . . . but it is nice to be included with other great shows that were over looked.

Yesterday witnessed one of the most sincere exchange of mutual appreciation that I have ever witnessed in the 17 year I have had e-mail. Cast, designers, producers and directors of References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot exchanged praise and snarks via e-mail for a good portion of the day yesterday.

One interesting development was a series of new Rorschach slogans. Here they are listed with their creators.

Jenny as inspired by Danny G.'s rather explicit maternal fantasy:

Rorschach Theatre: Like Your Mother's Womb

From Cesar:

Rorschach Theatre: Taste Them Again, For the First Time
Rorschach Theatre: Our Spirit Rebuilds The Place - Your Money Rebuilds the Space!

From Scott:

Rorschach Theatre: Like your mother's womb with a smoking section.

And over acheiver Yasmin:

Rorschach Theatre: Just like mom used to make.
Rorschach Theatre: Now climate-controlled and vermin-free!
Rorschach Theatre: We do stuff your artistic associate dreams about.
Rorschach Theatre: Bringing sex to the stage in stranger ways for nearly a decade.
Rorschach Theatre: Come for the theater, stay for the pie!
Rorschach Theatre: Give us a fish, we eat for a day. Give us a warehouse, we create for a lifetime.
Rorschach Theatre: Try us hot!
Rorschach Theatre: See a show and still make it to Wonderland.
Rorschach Theatre: Kicking more ass than George Washington since 2000. (Editor: Technically since 1999 unless Yasmin is saying no ass was kicked in 1999, in which case we will have words I promise you. Words!)

If you can think of any others leave them in the comment section.

Stealing from Match Game and Perez

Shirley is wincing because she just ___(BLANKED)_____!

Whoa People!

Some of you seem to have jumped the gun with your congratulations in the comment section below. I can well understand your enthusiasm and we should all be very proud of our little company and especially the special women and men who are getting some well deserved praise and kudos. And we all know we love us some kudos!

Where to begin in the run down of Rorschach related nominations for the big HH Awards?

That is pretty straight forward, let us sing the praises of Shirley and Gaby!

Outstanding Director of a Resident Play - Shirley Serotsky for References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot

Outstanding Lead Actress, Resident Play - Gabriela Fernandez Coffey for References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot

How about that for some hotness? In one fell swoop we double the number of nominations Rorschach has ever received and get some recognition for two of the most talented, smartest, and ballsiest women I have ever had the pleasure to have worked with.

We all know that References . . . was a special show, a wonderful script, cast and designers, we didn't need anyone else to tell us what we knew in our hearts, but these nominations are a pip-pip and three cheers to the two people on whose back the weight of this show rested. Gaby and Shirley the first drink is on me (thank God it's an open bar.)

But not so fast my lovelies there are other Rorschachians with the their hands in this proverbial cookie jar this year.

Company Member and star of such Rorschach shows as God of Vengeance, JB and last years Rough Magic, Tracy Lynn Olivera is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical in Merrily We Roll Along at Signature Theatre. And Company Member Patrick Bussink is up for Outstanding Ensamble for Scenes from the Big Picture at Solas Nua, but more on it and him below.

And what about our alums:

Matthew M. Nielson (sound designer for Rorschach's A Bright Room Called Day, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot and birds) - Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production for both Nest at Signature Theatre and The Unmentionables at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.

Alexander Strain (actor in Rorschach's A Bright Room Called Day) Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Play in Pangs of the Messiah at Theater J.

And then here is where it gets exciting again as The Canadian Embassy Award for Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play or Musical gets a lot of help from a lot of Rorschach Alum:

Scenes from the Big Picture, Solas Nua - including Rorschachians - Patrick Bussink (Company Member, JB, The Beard of Avon, Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards), Brian Hemmingsen (birds), Nanna Ingvarsson (birds), Jason McCool (Arabian Night) and Jon Reynolds (Monster and soon to be in The Skin of Our Teeth).

Insurrection: Holding History, Theater Alliance - Frank Britton (actor in Rorschach's After the Flood and Accidental Death of an Anarchist).

This is a great year and we are proud of all of the nominees and to those of you who were nominated and have not worked for Rorschach yet, don't worry I am sure you will some day. Everyone needs something to which they can aspire.

Here is a link to the rest of the nominees.

Just Like that Party in Batman Returns

I have to say things are busy, busy around the workshop these days. Casting is in full swing for This Storm. . . and Dream Sailors, we are beginning to make plans for the April Edition of Myth-Appropriation and there is a Masquerade Benefit acoming.

Did we already mention the return of the Masquerade Benefit? Must ask Jenny and Randy if I was supposed to spill the beans. Any way start working on your masks now, you have a couple of months to make yourself a bitchin' mask.

Stay dry and stay safe people.

And finally I want to apologize to someone for giving them grief for not reading this blog. I know you are very busy it just helps when you know have someone reading this business called blog who won't judge you too harshly when you go off the deep end.

Post 600

Well that is a relief. I have been dragging this announcement thing out for weeks and it appears some of you were actually interested.

Today I can switch gears for just a moment to celebrate the 600th entry here on the Ole Blog.

Wow! We are pretty damn amazing!

I know other theater companies have blogs and some of the other roundish theater companies in DC have even started to run their own trailers. Many of the innovations that have made us unique and ground breaking now seem par for the course, but you know what, we are just going to try harder.

We didn't invent the blog and I know other folks had done play trailers before us, but the thing that has always marked our endeavors is the use of limited resources to bring something together on a regular basis. Just like our shows we find a way to make art that matters and do it for nearly nothing at all.

At this point I want to direct your attention to some of the other coverage we have been getting around the interwebs since yesterdays announcement in the Post.

Our friends at DC Theatre Scene picked up Jane's article and ran a brief piece yesterday morning, Rorschach in Exile (see branding works.)

And dear sweet Missy Frederick at the DCist seemed down right excited in her piece yesterday announcing our big plans in Rorschach Gets a New Home (For Now).

Missy do us one small favor though, could we not use the word scrappy for a little while. It has the connotation of a small annoying dog brought in to an otherwise enjoyable show about youth culture, love triangles,vans, mysteries, Great Danes and drug use.

And for forms sake here is a link to my favorite blog entry of the last 100, which many of you probably missed the first go around because it came out at Thanksgiving, I call it Thanks for Not Snitching. Enjoy!

So here is to the next 600 blog entries! God help us all!

Rorschach in Exile

Thank you Jane Horowitz for breaking the news to your readers. For those of you who would rather read this on-line than squint to read this run down of what the hell we are doing, go HERE. Scroll down the page after you have read the lovely salute to Living Stage founder Robert Alexander and you can read the article in beautiful html.

So there you go. Rorschach in Exile, is our catchy title for this experiment in what can only be described as a Theatrical Attempt to Keep All of Our Balls in the Air at Once. And here is a link to the rediculously Low-Priced Subscription to see not 3 but 6 shows this summer.

What will this mean for you the Rorschach audience member?

- Air conditioning.
- Shows running all summer long with a good amount of overlap.
- A chance to get a look at Georgetown's fine looking spaces.
- Getting to see what Rorschach can do when we aren't in a pitched battle with loud Columbia Road traffic and summer noises.
- Did I mention air conditioning?

Many of you have been with us since the days when we would spring up somewhere in DC and put on a show. Our time at Casa, while sweet and productive, was only supposed to be a brief stop on our way to better and bigger things. Some of which is coming together even as we speak and I will have more annouoncements to make as this year rolls on.

So for those of you who have followed us from the JCC to the roof-top Greenhouse in Tenleytown, from Signal 66 to an abandoned auditorium in SW, we hope you will follow us to the swankier digs at Georgetown. I promise you this will be something special and well worth the commute.

Here are the links to our remaining shows that will make up Rorschach in Exile.

This Storm is What We Call Progress - June 22 - July 20
The Skin of Our Teeth - July 13 - August 10
Dream Sailors -
Episode 1: July 17-20
Episode 2: July 24-27
Episode 3: July 31-August 3
Episode 4: August 7-10
All 4 episodes run together in the final week Aug 12 - 17

Tease

So it has been a long weekend for me and hopefully for you as well.

I spent a large portion on vacation, it is probably for the best that I took my vacation in February because it will be very busy this summer. Oh, was I supposed to not mention how busy I and Rorschach are going to be this summer?

Damn it I hate it when I just let things slip out like that. The next thing you know I will start talking about Exile, Festivals, Jesuits and Jane Horowitz's column in the Style section of the Post tomorrow.

I promised myself I was going to hold all of this stuff in until tomorrow, like how there is going to be a big announcement and you should be sure to check for a special email from Rorschach this week!

Dad-nab-it? I did it again didn't I?

Do me a favor and let's play pretend. We'll all pretend that I didn't say anything about Rorschach announcing our plans for the rest of Season 8 tomorrow and you all can act surprised when you read it. There that should cover my ass!

See you tomorrow!

Monday!

There is stuff afoot!

I will simply note that we have announcements to make very soon.

I mourn the death of Chief Brody.

I am pretty sure that most of you have to vote tomorrow, so do it early and often!

Very Busy! We'll Talk Monday!

Name the Actor, Name the Show Returns

Side Trip with Another Playwright

Hey Blog Bot 3000,

Really interesting interview with Jason Grote (Editor's Note: Author of This Storm is What We Call Progress, coming soon to a Rorschach Theatre near you.). It is made especially interesting because the interviewer - Caridad Svich - is a pretty fantastic playwright as well.

Go here for the interview.

Sincerely,
Randy

Ah Wilder-Ness!

DCepticon is back for the day. The robot is letting me talk to you about the first play I was ever in, Our Town.

There has become a perception about Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth to a lesser extent that these plays are both easy and dated.

Well that is bunk. After numerous high school, college and community theater productions of these plays it is understandable that these plays now seem worn out.

However, I want you to consider the case that Our Town marks a leap forward in American drama that has allowed modern American theater to exist.

Imagine a play that opened on Broadway without sets, that jumped backwards and forwards in time, had an all seeing and knowing narrator, contained direct address to the audience and the third act was told from the point of view of a dead woman.

That is exactly what Wilder gave the world when Our Town came to life and many of those same devices found their way into The Skin of Our Teeth.

Wilder was taking many of the same theatrical devices that playwrights in Europe like Brecht and Pirendello were employing and used them in ways that even those greats of the world stage had never imagined.

More on this tomorrow, I promise.

Thornton Wilder-ness Safari Day 1: Undiscovered Country

I will name 4 American 20th Century playwrights and I want you to not think about their work but think of their personal lives:

Tennessee Williams
Arthur Miller
Eugene O'Neill
Thornton Wilder

I bet with the exception of a few Wilder fanatics and theater history buffs, you stumbled when you got to the bottom of the list.

While the names of Williams, Miller and O'Neill immediately bring their biography to mind as quickly as the titles of their works, Wilder's life is less well known.

In her introduction to The Skin of Our Teeth playwright Paula Vogel makes the point that of arguably the 4 most important playwrights of the 20th Century only Wilder is not weighed down with the psycho-biographical baggage of the other three.

If you were to look at Wilder's most famous play, Our Town, one might assume that he grew up in a town not dissimilar to Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. If you assumed that you would be wrong.

So here is todays assignment: (Did I mention this was going to be interactive?)

Someone tell me in the comments section where Thornton Wilder was born.

Tell me what foreign country Wilder and his siblings spent a significant amount of time in while growing up.

And for you eager googlers tell me what role did Thornton Wilder's father ask him not to play while attending high school and why? Follow this link for the answer.

Monday we will examine Our Town.