Writer’s groups are a dime a dozen these days and very few distinguish themselves.  Inkslingers, based out of Madison, WI, is one of the very few who do and manage to have their work produced.  I have been lucky enough to act for them on and off throughout the past three years at their staged readings.  However this year, I was asked to direct two of their short plays to be produced in a small theater in Madison.  The kicker with Inkslingers is that the playwrights are the producers of the show.  So the pressure was on.

Four directors had about four weeks to find actors and direct a show of twelve short plays.  The diversity of voices in the works had us scrambling for actresses over 50 and other types of actors you normally don’t have to worry about in mainstream theater.  However, the quality of the work written gave the directors in particular a myriad of was to go with their production.  The writer’s were faced with finally letting go of their work and allowing someone else to bring their voice to fruition.  Which I have to say they all handled very gracefully (more so than I would have).  The actors were given an opportunity to do original work, written and produced in their home town.

My actors met for once a week, due to schedules and not having a whole cast until a week before the show.  We did two plays one by Jan Levine Thal “Identity” and one by George Farah “Tech Support”.  Luckily, I had actors that could do both so I didn’t have to worry about separate casts.  I also had the fortune to work with actors ranging in age from late 30’s to mid 70’s.  One of the writers was at first skeptical of casting decision but once that writer came to rehearsal, all fears were allayed.  The other writer was did not come to rehearsal but was very open to suggestions about wording and other ideas on the play in general.  There were four performances and I am happy to say they were sold out each time.

Madison is fortunate to have a glut of artists that live in town and show their work here.  I am pleased that I have had the opportunity to work with one of the gems in this artistic community and bring quality writing and acting to life.

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Dana Pellebon is also known as “Ms. Behavin’” with Foxy Veronica’s Peach Pies Caburlesque Show

and also blogs about her son, Cobain, at www.loveformyson.blogspot.com

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Stew Gets an Obie for Passing Strange

I wrote recently how musician and auteur Stew had garnered no fewer than seven Tony nominations – but there’s more out there than Tony. The Village Voice also gives out its own theatre award, the “Obie”, and Passing Strange has secured Best New Theatre Piece. I’m a little amused, though, because part of the prize is $1,000 – to be split between Stew, co-author Heidi Rodewald and director Annie Dorsen – which I think is just about enough to go out to dinner there in New York…

Katie Holmes Secures Her Role in “Fathers and Sons”

OK, it’s been called “Broadway’s worst kept secret,” but Playbill confirms that Katie Holmes is going to be starring in the Arthur Miller play (for which he also garnered a Tony Award). What I find a little dismaying is that the headlines are all talking about Ms. Holmes – and it’s her debut. She may not be good. There’s no shame in not being good at stage acting.

But shouldn’t the real news be the rest of the cast? John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Patrick Wilson, costumes and sets by Tom Pye, and directed by Simon McBurney – between them all they could furnish an entire house with Tony’s and Obie’s. I think it’s a real tribute to their dedication to the theatre that instead of going for the easy mega hit they’re devoting their time to a straight play and keeping the genre alive.

Mamma Mia Passes My Fair Lady

No, this is not about the upcoming film adaptation of Mamma Mia! (though seeing Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan will be quite a treat). No, this is a different kind of record, and just kind of a fun one: the Broadway stage production of Mamma Mia! recently supplanted My Fair Lady as the 17th longest-running musical of all time. We talk a lot about stage-to-screen and vice versa, but this is sort of vinyl-to-stage-to-screen, since the entire musical is based off of ABBA songs.

If you do go see the movie (and why wouldn’t you?) don’t hesitate to see the touring musical as well. The costumes are sacrificed in the film version, and it’s a pity…the neon outfits really make it the Speed Racer of musicals.

Ok, fine, here’s the preview to the movie, too.

images courtesy of Newscom

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Jealous of my Friends: A fellow blogger and online friend of mine, Viviane, is sitting as I write this at a performance of Passing Strange, the hot new musical on Broadway. I mentioned a while back that this looks to be the hot new show, and it’s getting hotter. Seven – count ‘em, seven – Tony nominations, including four for the shows auteur and autobiographical subject, Stew:

• Best Musical
• Best Actor: Stew
• Score: Stew and Heidi Rodewald, and lyrics by Stew;
  
• Book Musical: Stew
  
• Orchestrations: Stew and Rodewald
• Featured Actor and Actress: Daniel Breaker and de’Adre Aziza

I recommend that when the Tony’s happen you gather with friends in front of a big screen TV with a lot of rolled-up white socks. Whenever someone thanks God, or has a horrific dress, or seems insincere, or you just feel like it, hurl your socks at the screen, booing loudly.Trust me, it’s fun. Almost as much fun as watching the nominated musicals (damn you, Viviane!). I will console myself with some of the free music downloads that are available, but I’m sure you’ve already done that yourself, right? Or, like me, you’re counting the days until May 27th when the whole cast album becomes available on iTunes…

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I’m sure I won’t get to see it on Broadway, but I’m also sure it won’t be far from a movie, probably with the same cast.

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Let me beam with pride at being a citizen of the fine city of Madison.

Last night there was a disturbance – worried neighbors called the police to say that they could see people with guns silhouetted through a window. The police responded as they would to any hostage situation, with multiple officers and ready to take action – until they learned that it was actually a local theatre group rehearsing a play about Irish terrorism called the “Lieutenant of Inishmore.”

The police issued no tickets, no warnings, not even a “hey, maybe you should use more fake guns.” They simply said “Oh, it’s a rehearsal.” and went on their way.

How to Look Like You’re Doing Something

Contrast this attitude with the policy of Arkansas Tech, which chose to ban a production of Sondheim’s “Assassins”, a play about the various men in history who have tried (or succeeded) in assassinating presidents. The Administration – no one actually took responsibility, and indeed, the faculty seems downright scared of commenting on the ban – decided that they would let the actors and crew do a dress reheasal, but only if the fake wooden guns were sawed in half and no actual sound effects of gunshots were done.

Read the whole article to learn about the extent of the decision, the reactions, and the potential ramifications. The fact that football parties, where real gunshots are apparently going off, are fine but that musical theatre is perceived as a danger just…boggles the mind. Makes me want to buy the soundtrack of Assassins just to see if it is more violent than, say, the History Channel.

But the bard said it best:

“Write me a prologue, and let the prologue seem to say, we will do no harm with our swords, and that Pyramus is not killed indeed; and for the more better assurance, tell them that I, Pyramus, am not Pyramus but Bottom the weaver. That will put them out of fear.”

—A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 3.1

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