I Can't Tell You Yet

There is something I know and can't tell you just yet.

But if you love Rorschach it is a pretty safe bet,

That you will be as thrilled as I am now.

Because there is something afoot that will make you say wow!

I'll give you two clues but don't tell a soul.

The eyes in the picture and what's in between play a key role,

In this fabulous-wonderful news!

I better quit while I'm ahead

or Jenny and Randy will soon see me out the door .

Next: A Really Really Long Play Title

At Rorschach we end up abbreviating a lot of our titles. Typing The Master and Margarita over and over again in emails is jilly when you could simply type M&M and be done with it. It may be needlessly flip to throw around play titles like short order cooks but time is indeed precious. So sometimes you will see me throw around terms like LOF, FLGPC or even GOV.

Some plays get one or two word short-hand, the full title of Family Stories is actually Family Stories: A Slapstick Tragedy. And there is Clearing, Ubu, Letter and Tale.

Even the plays with one word titles can get the treatment. Monster and Behold! are pretty safe (though God forbid you forget to use the exclamation mark after Behold!). But do you know how long it took me to be able to spell Rhinoceros without having to look it up, Rhino saves embarassment and spell checking.

I have spent a lot of time trying to figure out the most efficient and clear ways to shorten all of our play titles. And if someone would come up with a way to shorten J.B. I would take it.

Now I come to the mother of all play titles, References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot.

I have come to think that this title is both a dream and a curse.

A dream because it shoots through your brain like a hot nail and sticks there. It has sex and a famous name, two things you always look for when marketing a play, and that makes it a dream as well.

What is the Curse you might ask? Well you can not abbrevaite it and have it stay as sexy as you want it to be. RSDMMH? Does nothing for me. And if you take any of the words on their own they lose their magical juice. The closest you come to something approaching appropriate is Salvador Dalí, but even that loses the sense of title and it just becomes a name.

There is no solution that makes me happy, so I will type it all out every time I suppose. Or I will get lazy after the first week and just call it References and see who complains.

Here is the 411. First read is next Saturday and we will have a reporter on the inside from the beginning.

References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot

by Jose Rivera

Directed by Shirley Serotsky

April 14 – May 13

Previews begin April 11 (Washington Premiere)
BUY TICKETS NOW!

Strange things happen in a moonlit backyard on the edge of the California Desert. The cat talks with a dangerously seductive coyote and the moon plays his violin for a lonely woman awaiting her husband's return from war. When he arrives, broken and distant, the reality of their relationship seems as strange as the apparitions in the desert night. Jose Rivera, a contemporary master of magical realism and the painful and gritty realities of human relationships, has created a suddenly relevant play that explores the scars of war both on those who fight it and those who get left behind.

FEATURING: Company Members Scott McCormick (God of Vengeance, The Illusion, Ubu Roi, The Master and Margarita, After the Flood, Scarlet Letter, The Beard of Avon and Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards) and Yasmin Tuazon (God of Vengeance, The Illusion, J.B. and Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards). Also featuring Gabriella Fernandez-Coffey, Cesar A. Guadamuz (Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards and Rough Magic), Andrew Price (The Hairy Ape, Rhinoceros and Family Stories)

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

DRAMATURGY: Jacqueline E. Lawton

STAGE MANAGED BY: Cecilia Cackley (Rough Magic)

SHOW SCHEDULE: APRIL 14-MAY 13 Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm

MORE SHOWS TO BE ADDED SOON (including the matinees)

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PREVIEWS APRIL 11-14

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8pm

Last Bow

Final weekend sold out. We had a party to celebrate. I got a nasty cold, which I am still fighting. Oh dear lord it hurts to sneeze like that.

Anyway because a great cast and crew deserve a final bow.

ROUGH MAGIC
BY ROBERTO AGUIRRE-SACASA
Directed by Jenny McConnell Frederick

FEATURING: Company Members Tracy Lynn Olivera, Grady Weatherford and Jason Basinger Linkins and also featuring Diana Cherkas, Danny Gavigan, Cesar A. Guadamuz, Gwen Grastorf, Lee Liebeskind, Dustin Loomis, Ghillian Porter and Vasanth Santosham

DESIGNED BY: Eric Grims (Set), Andrew Cissna (Lights), Frank Labovitz (Costumes), Matthew Frederick (Sound), Debra Kim Sivigny (Props), Andrew F. Griffin (Asst. Lighting Design)

DRAMATURGY: Rachel Miller

ASST DIRECTOR: Ryan Taylor

FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY: Casey Kaleba

STAGE MANAGED BY: Megan Reichelt
ASST SM: Cecilia Cackley

SOLD OUT

It is official. From the Artistic Director:

Hey Guys--

Everything is totally sold out for the rest of the run. Yay us!

If you have anyone who still desperately needs a ticket, they'll need to come standby.

Thanks guys! I'm so proud of you all. This has been an outstanding run. (I heard you guys got a standing ovation last night...way to go!)

See you tonight--

Jen

Photo Gallery of Magic

Hello children! Jenny sent this email to the cast yesterday afternoon to the cast of Rough Magic:

Hi, Guys--

Just a heads up if you need tix for this weekend. Get your requests in now!

Here's what we have left as of this second:

Tonight: 5 seats left
Friday: SOLD OUT
Saturday 2PM: 7 seats left
Saturday 8PM: 17 seats left

See you shortly!

Jen

I can only imagine that those few seats have already sold, so I am sorry you missed it. You could try and get your tickets for either of tomorrow's two shows, but things don't look good. But I know all of you, you're fighters. And if there was only one seat left you would battle the hounds of hell to see this show.

Now for the cast, designers and crew of Rough Magic. I have uploaded all of the photos I have for the show to a web page. Please feel free to download anything you like. The rest of you can take a look as well here is the link.

Remember the photos were all taken by the lovely and talented Marigan O'Malley-Posada, so always credit her as such.

I will see what I can do about loading the candids I have as well at some point today.

See you all at the wrap party! I'll be the one with the pants on.

Rough Magic Photo Collage

Once again I remind you that there are only four performances of Rough Magic left. One of them is Sold Out.

Get your tickets now.

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!

Two Timer

There have only been two people in this world Brave and Bold enough to Stage Manage two Rorschach shows in a row. Come to think of it there have only been two people to ever stage manage two Rorschach shows. One was a spunky kid out of PA whose now haunting NYU in pursuit of a post graduate degree in something to do with foreign places (Seriously, Jordan we miss you). The other is our current Stage Manager, Megan Reichelt.

This firecracker from the Baltimore suburbs recently graduated from the Catholic University. Since coming to Rorschach she has won the hearts and minds of many. But just what makes her tick? Gwen brings us some of those answers in:

PRODUCTION QUESTIONNAIRE OF DOOM:

1. What is your position working on Rough Magic?

Stage Manager

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

When I was graduating college, I sent an e-mail out to every theatre company I knew of, saying "Do you need someone to sweep? Tie your shoes? Fetch you coffee?" I had seen Beard of Avon and had fallen in love with Rorschach, so I was thrilled when Randy e-mailed me asking if I wanted to stage manage! Unfortunately, I couldn't do it on that occasion, but when Monster came up,and Deb asked if I wanted it, I jumped (however trepidaciously) at the chance. I'd never stage managed before, but Randy and everyone were so amazing, understanding and encouraging that I felt like I found a family. So I kinda hung around for Rough Magic.

3. So, where are you from?

Balmer, Merlin, hon!

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

I work as a Group Sales Associate for Arena Stage. Basically selling tickets to groups of 15 or more. We have a tiny office where there are only three of us, and we talk about recipes, and adventures, and Shakespeare.

5. What other theater companies have you worked for?

Longacre Lea (yeah Ros and Guil!), and Mobtown Players in Baltimore

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

The zany Shakespeareness and of course the fights!

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

Piracy of course! Man the Long Tom, ye bilge rats!

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

Luna Moth from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay: a mousy librarian turned shining, sexy, kick-ass superhero who can just imagine something and it happens. Who couldn't want that?

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.]

Correction To HH Post

Turns out I did miss one Alum in the Run Down yesterday, so he gets a post all his own.

Outstanding Sound Design, Resident Production

Matthew M. Nielson (A Bright Room Called Day), A Prayer for Owen Meany , Round House Theatre

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.

Purple Hayes

Well I am back and I would love to fill you all in on the details of my trip, but there is much too much regarding the world of Rorschach to catch up on to waste time on my life. I'll just say this, the company was the best part and the over all trip was a blast. So, now onward and upward.

Realized last night that I had spent the last three Valentine's Day nights with Rorschach. Our Valentine's Day shows are something of a tradition now and in spite of the weather we had a great crowd of brave souls. Lot of people appeared to be on dates, so I hope the evening was as romantic as possible for all of you lovers. Thanks for joining us, see you next year.

Rough Magic has been consistently selling out. Those of you still dithering about when to buy your tickets, the answer is now, before it is too late. Friday and Saturday Nights are filling fast but there are still seats available tonight. Remember next weekend is your last chance to see what I think is a terrific show, and the audiences all seem to agree. Get out there and don't let snow stop you. Remember, we have a 2pm show this Saturday and next for the people in your lives who don't like to be in the City after dark.

Helen Hayes Nominations came out on Monday night, and while Rorschach walked away without a nomination this year, we did have a number of alumni make the grade.

Let's start with the company members who got nominated this year:

Karl Miller for Hamlet at Rep Stage.

Well that is it. Or is it? Because this year is the first year for the new category:

Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play or Musical

And here is where it gets interesting. Because there are three shows with Rorschach ties nominated in this category. Company Members Grady Weatherford (Currently being seen in Rough Magic and many others) and Scott McCormick (About to be seen in References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot and many others) from Catalsyt Theater's production of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui face-off against Comany Members Michael John Casey (Ubu Roi and A Clearing in the Woods) and Jason Stiles (The Illusion, Lord of the Flies, A Clearing in the Woods, Ubu Roi, and Accidental Death of an Anarchist) from Longacre Lea's Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.

And if that doesn't beat all Company Member Rahaleh Nassri (Director of A Bright Room Called Day last season) Assistant Directed a third Ensamble Nominee, Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead at Studio Second Stage.

And it gets better when it comes to Rorschach Alum. Every single member of the cast of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is a Rorschach Alum: Jason Lott (Ubu Roi and After the Flood), Michael Glenn (The Illusion), Jonathan Church (Rhinoceros), and Alexander Strain (A Bright Room Called Day).

And it is almost as good over at Arturo Ui: Andrew Price (The Hairy Ape, Rhinoceros, and Family Stories), Scot McKenzie (Rhinoceros), Jason McCool (Arabian Night) and Elizabeth Richards (God of Vengeance).

To finishing off the Ensamble catagory Evan Casey (Lord of the Flies) is nominated with the cast of Dog Sees God.

Rounding out the Rorschach Alumni and their nominations:

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Play, Colleen Delany (The Hairy Ape), for The Beaux' Stratagem at Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical, Andy Brownstein(Behold!), Assassins at Signature Theatre.

If I missed anyone I am sorry. Let me know and I will do an update.

Congratulations to one and all and to everyone else, at least there is an open bar.

Gallery of Images to Tide You Over

Well folks. If you are reading this and it is Monday I am on a jaunt with a certain someone to a certain somewhere. Let's just say there will be a bed, breakfast and Civil War re-enactors. I am placing a gallery of Rough Magic images for your enjoyment up here to distract you until I get back.

I continue to hear how much people are enjoying the show from all corners. One of the people who sells Rorschach ad space told me and I quote:

I haven't had that much fun at the theater since I saw Footloose on Broadway when I was 13.

Now, I know there are snobs in the theater world will turn their noses up at the idea of Footloose on Broadway being a bench mark. Her sincerity made me realize once again that you snobs need to step-off and examine your snobbery.

She told me she sent a blast email out to her friends and told them what a great time she had. That is the kind of audience response that puts asses in seats people! Which, by the way, is happening in a big way this weekend. Book your tickets early so you don't get shut out.

See you all when I get back from PA. And enjoy the sexy, sexy pictures.

Let There Be . . .

Two more Rough Magic shows this weekend. Plus our added bonus Valentine's Day on Wednesday Night. We continue our exploration of the world of design with our lighting designer Andrew Cissna. Once again Gwen G. has supplied us with this scoop and the photo, which ironicly is poorly lit. Enjoy!

PRODUCTION QUESTIONNAIRE OF DOOM:

1. What is your position working on Rough Magic?

Lighting Designer.

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

Randy brought me in through the Kenan Fellowship and suggestions from a couple directors in town.

3. So, where are you from?

Born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in North Carolina.

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

I am a lighting designer by day and by night.

5. What other theater companies have you worked for?

In DC, Theatre Alliance, African Continuum Theatre, Kennedy Center Theatre
for Young Audiences, Journeyman Theatre and currently the Newseum project.

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

The challenge of creating so many different locations on stage with such
limited resources.

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

I would be breaking and entering, because usually it involves scaling tall
buildings and crawling around being sneaky.

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

Similarly, I would be Spider-Man because can climb the sides of buildings and gets to swing around town on spider webs.

A Man on Fire

Well folks, we are into the third week of our run of Rough Magic. We have shows tonight, Friday and Saturday. I know some of you still have not seen the show. I know all of the excuses and I except three of them. I will let you guess which ones.

Another review came out today from Rich See at Curtainup.com. Rich says:

Mr. Aguirre-Sacasa's writing is pithy and ironic, as he weaves a tale of love, magic and horror — with a bit of drag and sarcasm thrown in.

Here is the link to the rest of the review.

We get this contribution from the invaluable Gwen Grastorf. She has changed tacks and focus on our usual get to know the cast section and given us the 411 on our design team. Today we start the series with fight choreographer Casey Kaleba. He is the one on fire above. I will let his words speak for themselves but bonus points for remembering Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew, Casey.

Hi Scotty,

I'm going to be sending you some production staff profiles, feel freeto save them up and slowly mete them out over the next few weeks.

Here's one for Casey, with some pictures attached. Casey on fire and Danny, Dustin & Casey working on a fight. Blog it up.

-Gwen G.

PRODUCTION QUESTIONNAIRE OF DOOM:

1. What is your position working on Rough Magic?

Fight Director

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

Jenny asked Randy to ask me about this show. I became involved with Rorschach a year ago with "Fair Ladies..." when Deb and JT mentioned me to Randy, or Randy to me, or both...

3. So, where are you from?

Navy brat, so all over...but mostly DC.

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

Actually, this is my day job. Sort of. I'm a doctoral student at UMD-College Park, so I teach theatre history and read books. I teachstage combat for Imagination Stage, the Shakespeare Theatre, and UMD...as well as workshops and lectures at other schools and theatres. And I fight crime at night dressed as a primary-colored elk. Mostly I fight crime around the house. Littering and stuff.

5. What other theater companies have you worked for?

Bay Theatre, Folger Library, American U, Catholic U, James Madison U, Davidson College, Chespeake College, CC-Baltimore County.

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

The supercoolness of the actors doing overly complicated fights, of course.

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

I'd be a violation of intellectual property rights. Or an eighteenth century highwayman. There's less chafing with the first one, though.

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

I was a big Ninja Turtle fan, from issue 1 through the New Yorkseries, which came out right as the comic market was collapsing andthe stores near me stopped carrying obscure titles like that. But probably I'd like to be the duck from Captain Carrot, because he had asense of humor. And that was one fetching poodle.

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

Brisk Baby!

I am very happy to report that ticket sales of Rough Magic are brisk. Some shows are already filling up and those are just the ones later in the run. If I might suggest the following to those of you who usually wait until the last weekend to come and see the show, either make your reservations now, or come early. We would love to see you.

Finishing up our tour of what the world is saying about Rough Magic, we turn our attention to DC Theatre Reviews and what reviewer Gary McMillan has to say:

Rough Magic is a silly, pop culture confection for literature lovers.

Well yes it can be a rather silly place at Casa and pop culture is not a slam in my opinion and anything good for literature lovers is good in my book, so thanks Gary. Here is the rest of the review if you are interested. Be prepared to be confronted by the scary shot of Drag-Grady when you click the link. Just thought I would warn you.

Brad Hathaway over at Potomac Stages has a hard time finding anything really nice to say about the show. What can you do? Try to please everyone and you please no one, so there will always be those who don't like what you are selling. Here is the link for the curious.

Tomorrow, we get some outside help.

If You See Only One Play . . .

Sorry, I missed you all on Friday. I got my self a touch of the flu that is going around and I was in not in a condition that allowed me to sit upright for long. What that meant was that a good number of you showed up looking for the latest reviews for Rough Magic and there was nothing to see. Well let us fix that right now.

This is the quote from Trey Graham at The City Paper:

If you see only one play during the six-month-long Shakespeare in Washington festival, see Rough Magic.

Impressive, don't you think? Just in case someone accuses us of using it out of context though here is the rest of the quote:

Now, the Rorschach Theatre troops are gonna slap that sentence into a Web ad within the next five minutes, never mind that the actual production they’ve staged had more than a few bumpy spots on opening weekend. But more marketing power to ’em: Even a rough take on Rough Magic turns out to be kinda fun, if only because the play itself proves an inspired choice for an impoverished but balls-to-the-wall theater company taking part in a big, citywide celebration of all things Shakespeare.

Over all a very fair review. And thank you Trey for giving us credit for choice of material for the Festival. I think the part of the quote people will probably see the most of though will be "balls-to-the-wall theater company." I always thought we were worthy of a new accolade besides shoe-string and I think that might just be my new favorite.

Here is the rest of the review, which has a great deal of love for a number of the cast. Some of you get less love and the only thing I can say is, read enough press and they will say everything about you eventually. Trey adds further analysis of all our reviews and more of his own opinions over at Theaterboy.

Missy Frederick at the DCist offered her take on Friday and she also thinks that we have made a great Festival choice:

As a festival entry, this one's a smart pick - it's not your typical modernist revision or classic choice. Rough Magic toys with Shakespearean characters with afffection and without undue reverence.

She has some things that she liked more than others of course, but she still seems to have some superlatives to throw around to the cast including, a show stealing nomination for a certain life-guard/child warrior. Here is the rest of the review from DCist.

Hope that holds you all for a little while. I have two more reviews to send your way tomorrow and then we start some catch-up on some interviews with our designers that field reporter Gwen Grastorf put together for us. Bye, bye and stay healthy!

The Defenders of Stan

While we all wait for the various reviews that should be coming any day now to arrive. I direct you to a project that Rorschach Alum Austin Bragg has started, which strangely enough like Rough Magic, also exists in that strange four color world of comics.

Austin and his friends have come up with a web based series called the The Defenders of Stan. Each webisode deals with the adventures of Stan one of the few remaining non-super powered individuals in the world. Stan (Austin) tries to live his life as his co-workers, dates and roommates all start to exhibit super powers. Some have decided to work for Justice and others have become super villians. Leading the pack is Stan's brother Captain Ultra (Hunter Christy) who is the bane of Stan's existance.

This most recent episode features Eric Singdahlsen and Scott McCormick (along with Austin two of the stars of that run away Rorschach hit The Beard of Avon) as Floating Heads of Justice in an homage to Superman and Superman II. There are three other episodes, so take a look, they are funny. I promise.

Check back later today and I should have something to report regarding the City Paper review.

Where's Pop?

More reviews are coming in. This time Catherine Andrews has chimed in with a review at The Washingtonian (Click here for Review).

Here is the good bit in case you don't want to read it all:

It's the characters of Melanie and Chet and their current-day interactions that dazzle in "Rough Magic," written by DC-native Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. Olivera has a deadpan wit and a likeablity that makes her curious abilities and quirks sympathetic. The interactions between her, Chet, and the Fury-turned-drag queen (it's a long story) snap and crackle with liveliness and laughter.

We are still looking for the rest of the world to add their two cents, but remember that we have shows Thursday, Friday and Saturday this weekend at 8pm.

And have I mentioned our Valentine's Day Show? What better way to show someone you love them than an evening of theater? So if you have a special someone or someones and you want to show that you care, bring them out to see Rough Magic at Rorschach.