Beauty and the Beast: Poster Evolution

Posted on by Thor

Beauty and the Beast opened at the Orlando Shakes on June 23, 2022. This show isn’t based on the Disney version of the fairy tale but on the original book. In this tale the relationship between the sisters becomes as important as the relationship between the Beast and Beauty.

Written by local play write and actor Brandon Roberts, this show is an interactive joy for the kids in the audience as well as for the kids at heart. The play runs through July 24, 2022.

The first poster design I did for the show was build around showing the rose that is symbolic of the curse of the beast. However this rose is only hinted at in this theater production and I am told it is more of a Disney thematic invention. That idea had to be scrapped.

A second pass at the poster involved showing a mysterious castle in an enchanted forest. In the play, children are invited onto the stage an given fairy wings. As promoted fairies they have control over the inner workings of the castle. Unfortunately the audience members seldom know how to work their magic. It creates charming and delightful moments.

So the second poster idea had a fairy flying through the forest with plenty of pixie dust illuminating the scene. I knew it was a long shot, and it didn’t fly. I liked the blue lighting and yellow illuminated title, but bottom line, I had to figure out how to show Beauty and the Beast in a way that was unique to this production. I watched last year’s production  to get a feel of what I should do for the poster and I can say, you are guaranteed to laugh when you go to this show. The author of the play is one of Rolando’s funniest actors and this production highlights that strength splendidly.

After seeing these two posters I was given photos of past productions and therefor I had an idea of what beauty and the beast looked like in the production. That   mad my job a whole lot easier. I had specifically avoided sketching the beast since his appearance could vary widely. There was a request for some more swirly title treatment, so I had fun getting lost in researching fairy tale style typefaces.

My castle research turned to interiors and the concept developed of showing the beast as a dark silhouette against a light background column of light and beauty would appear a a bright color against the castles darkness. I used the actors from the previous production but they were not re- cast. So I had a last minute request to replace the beauty I had painted with the new actresses. I also did horizontal compositions of each of the posters since most social media use is rather horizontal. This involved giving the art department the ability to isolate sections of each poster and to allow them to create horizontal versions.

Henry IV Part 2 at the Shakes

Posted on by Thor

Pam and I went to a dress rehearsal for Henry IV Part 2. This is part of Orlando Shakes’ Fire and Reign series, a seven Shakespeare production journey through history over three seasons covering the Rise of Henry V and the Wars of the Roses, from Richard II – Richard III.

“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” William Shakespeare’s story of burnt bridges and growing pains stripped is down to a lively, raw, rambunctious performance, like nothing you’ve experienced before. Orlando Shakes’ actors will tackle Henry IV, Part 2 with less than 40 hours of rehearsal, no designers, and no director – just like the acting companies of Shakespeare’s time!

Actors blocked out the scenes themselves and selected their own costumes. Ned Averill Snell as the Gower wore a Rolling Stones T Shirt along with his medieval costuming. Philip Nolen as Falstaf chose to wear a bright red Santa suit. Brandon Roberts as Bardolph wore light blue sneakers.

Prior to the official start of the run Benjamin Bonenfant as Prince Hal and Lauren Culver ran through some lines. They jostled and joked and surprised each other as they hastily rehearsed the scene. Laughter in the scene mixed mixed with the laughter of their surprising each other as they performed. There is a real joy in this sort of anything goes attitude that made for a very fun production.

Masks are optional at the Shakes. Thankfully all staff seated in the audience wore masks as did we, but actors who are tested regularly performed without masks. When Henry IV stood hacking up a lung for minutes at a time center stage, the performance seemed too convincing during a pandemic. Overall it was a delightful and fun performance. This play is less about war and more about the father son relationship as the young prince moves away from deadbeat, carousing friends, like Falstaf who steer him wrong.

Henry IV

Posted on by Thor

Henry IV Part 1 by William Shakespeare is at the Orlando Shakes through March 21, 2020. Some back story is needed to set the stage. Henry IV (Jim Ireland) took the throne from his corrupt and indecisive eldest brother Richard II. King Henry IV’s eldest son was Prince Hal (Benjamin Bonefant). Though he should be destined to one day take his father’s throne, he instead spent his time hanging out with very fat and disorderly Falstaff (Philip Nolan). Hal spends his time drinking and womanizing and the occasional highway theft, much to his fathers annoyance.

Meanwhile Edmund Mortimer (Cameron Grey) the leader of Henry IV’s army is captured in Wales by the Welsh rebel fighter Glendower (Brandon Roberts). Hotspur (Walter Kmiec) of the Percy family helped King Henry IV overthrow Richard II. But the new king never paid his debt and for this reason, Edmund was held ransom. The king refused since he found out Edmund had turned traitor and married the rebel’s daughter. Edmund’s daughter was married to Hotspur who was a hot blooded and very angry cousin to King Henry IV.  He formed an alliance with is uncle and the rebels to overthrow king Henry IV.

On the battlefield the alliance fell apart in that the rebels and Hotspur’s own father (Rodney Lizcano) never showed up for battle, leaving them hopelessly outnumbered by King Henry IV’s forces. Hotspur’s uncle went to the king for a parley and the king offers a pardon to Hotspur. This messages was never relayed and so battle ensues. It seems like dozens of sword fight broke out on stage all at once.

The wayward son Hal joined his father and in the end saved the day. Falstaff on the other hand stayed true to his debauchery ways, hiding to avoid fighting and then taking credit for Hals handiwork. His monologues about how useless Honor is on the battlefield are for me some of the most memorable and moving accounts of what it means to be human and alive. Just keeping track of the family tree is a feat unto itself but the action and drama are universal.

The bottom line is that this was a fun evening of theater.

Tickets are $32 to 57

The remaining show times…

Wednesday, March 4, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Senior Matinee

Wednesday, March 4, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 7, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Sunday, March 8, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Talk back Performance

Wednesday, March 11, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Senior Matinee

Sunday, March 15, 2020 – 2:00 PM

Friday, March 20, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 21, 2020 – 2:00 PM

Saturday, March 21, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Three Musketeers

Posted on by Thor

Three Musketeers written by Catherine Bush and adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas is a
witty and action packed swashbuckler following the friendship of
young d’Artagnan (Benjamin Bonenfant) and his band of Musketeers as they fight to protect the
ones they love from the evil Cardinal Richelieu (Anne Hering) it is story of double crossings, kidnappings, and carefully guarded secrets, complete with lavish sword fights and sweeping romance, set in a time when love and honor ruled the world. It is playing at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 E Rollins St Orlando, FL 32803) through March 22, 2020.

The Three Musketeers, Porthos (Rodney Lizcano), Anthos (Timothy Williams) and Aramis (Walter Kmiec) at first seem irresponsible by getting into a drunken brawl, but d’Artagnan added a blush of romance and camaraderie to the group when he assisted them in a sword fight. Monsieur de Treville (Phillip Nolan) was responsible for keeping the Musketeers in line and his assistant Planchet (Brandon Roberts) added comic relief to every scene he was in.

The spiral staircase center stage rotates creating a wide a variety of scene changes. At one point there is a sword fight on the stairs as they rotated which was visually thrilling. I had to commit to one setting for my sketch, ignoring the staircase when it moved or disappeared altogether.

It turned out that one of the Musketeers X wife, Milady De Winter (Tracy Lane) was the most deadly villain in the show. She could be sweet and cultured and then stab you in the heart while offering a kiss. The show kept a fevered pace and was a delight to watch.

Here are the remaining show dates…

Tickets are $27 to $36.

Saturday, February 8, 2020 – 2:00 PM

Saturday, February 8, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Sunday, February 9, 2020 – 2:00 PM

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Senior Matinee

Wednesday, February 12, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Thursday, February 13, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Wednesday, February 26, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Senior Matinee

Wednesday, February 26, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, February 29, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Sunday, March 1, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Talk back Performance

Thursday, March 5, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Friday, March 6, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Friday, March 13, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 14, 2020 – 2:00 PM

Saturday, March 14, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Wednesday, March 18, 2020 – 2:00 PM – Senior Matinee

Thursday, March 19, 2020 – 7:30 PM

Sunday, March 22, 2020 – 2:00 PM

My Left Tit at Fringe

Posted on by Thor

My Left Tit, written by Gwen Edward, is about two years in the lives of a cancer patient and her faithful mutt, Omie, from initial diagnosis, through experimental treatments, up until the final hours. Brandon Roberts played all the parts in this play about facing a horrible diagnosis and a pup’s faithful love and devotion given with boundless energy. Roberts shifted quickly back and forth between the heart felt monologue of the female owner and the endearing antics of her energetic pup. Lighting cues helped separate these quick mercurial jumps back and forth.

The pup dreamed of chasing fireworks that exploded in the sky. Like Wile E. Coyote in  the roadrunner cartoons, he ordered packages that would arrive at the doorstep. Any time the doorbell rang he would bark wildly and bound down the aisles of the theater. He constantly bragged that his front paws were like lion’s paws. His energy and enthusiasm were a stark contrast to the female owner’s heartfelt reflections on life and her gallow’s humor in the face of death.

Only days before seeing the show, my pup had cornered a baby possum, which she then chomped on and dragged to the center of the back yard. She dropped it on a dead patch of lawn and the possum lay still as death. I grabbed her leash before she bit it again and dragged the pup inside. I returned to the baby possum to see it lying lifeless, but breathing. I ran inside to call animal services and as I did, I saw the possum get up and walk calmly away into the bushes. I  forgot that possums play dead as a survival mechanism. For this reason, I identified with the stuffed possum that was strewn on the stage.

For any dog owner who understands the endless support and devotion of an energetic pup, this was a heartfelt show with humor to balance out the harsh reality we all must face someday.

Sleigh at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in Sanford.

Posted on by Thor

I went to the final dress rehearsal for Sleigh presented by Gromalot Theater Factory at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center (201 S. Magnolia, Sanford, FL 32771.) In this show, a pair of shopkeepers re-define “rivalry” as they coax customers away from their competitor. And three determined mail carriers fight the elements, a poorly addressed letter, and even each other to make a delivery. The entire show is silent except for sound effects, relying on exaggerated expressions and Vaudeville styled gestures to communicate the story.

I had seen Brandon Roberts play the part of a Christmas tree years ago.  I was a bit sad not to see him reprising his roll.  A silly section of the play involves an actor wearing the foam tree to express holiday cheer.  However the tree outfits are so silly that they just evoke laughter rather than the intended joy.  I recognized the director but couldn’t quite place her at first.  It was only after the rehearsal was over that it occurred to me that it was Toni Chandler, who is Brandon Roberts’ wife.

The stage set resembled a large Christmas card.  When closed, it showed a quiet little town to set the locale.  When it was opened it showed two shops next to each other, with the address numbers 1223 and 1227.  These were a bell shop and a whistle shop.  The female actress would be walking by the shops and the bell shop owner would ring her bell.  The shopper would stop in her tracks and with a huge exaggerated child like joy she would instantly want the bell.  She would pull money from her pocket and with a cha ching sound effect she would raise it above her head.  Before she could spend the money however the other shop owner would blow his whistle.  She wanted both and the shop owners played tug of war with her desire and with her money. 

Sleigh is a quick series of silent comic scenes with plenty of physical comedy.  Actors have many quick costume changes.  In one scene an actor rushed off stage and had to return dressed as a Salvation Army bell ringer.  The scene played out as it should, but it took a long while before he realized that he had forgotten to put on his pants in the rush of the costume change.  The result was that the actors where laughing so hard they had a hard time finishing the scene.  I hope that they leave that wardrobe malfunction in the final production.

The production is laugh out loud funny and your only chance to see it is tonight at 2:00PM and 7:30PM. 

It’s a Wonderful Life at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater.

Posted on by Thor

Frank Capra‘s iconic holiday film,”It’s a Wonderful Life” was adapted for the stage by Joe Landry.  The theater lobby was abuzz with activity when we arrived at the theater.  A newspaper boy was hawking his papers, then a man in uniform wandered through the crowd announcing that there was a telegraph for Al, then two girls in uniform offered popcorn.  The time and place were the sound stage at WOST radio in NYC in 1946.  The stars of the radio play were announced and screaming teens rushed them for autographs.

After George Bailey (Duke Lafoon) wishes he had never been born, an
angel (Brandon Roberts) is sent to earth to make George’s wish come true.
George starts to realize how many lives he has changed and impacted, and
how they would be different if he was never there. George dreamed big and wanted to escape from the small town of Bedford Falls.  On graduation night in 1928, George talks to Mary Hatch, (Sarah French) who has
had a crush on him from an early age. They are interrupted by news of
his father’s death. George postpones his travel plans in order to sort
out the family business, the Bailey Brothers’ Building and Loan.

Georges future looks bleak when his absent minded uncle looses $8000 which he was supposed to deposit at the bank.  Today that amount would be equal to $100,000.  When George contemplated suicide, he was saved by his guardian angel. Most actors play several parts in the radio play so in some ways it is better not to see the actors since it can get confusing as to which part they might be playing at any given time.  Since I was sketching, I experienced the play by listening as I sketched. I didn’t catch all the actors on stage, but focused on George and Mary as they fell in love. 

The story is a Christmas classic and it was very fun to step back in time to become part of a 1940s radio studio audience.  The applause sign triggered just the right amount of applause when needed.  I wish I had been closer to the sound technician who slammed doors and walked shoes in the sand to recreate the sound of walking in fresh snow.

If you need a heart warming classic to get you in the mood for the holidays, then “It’s a Wonderful Life” is your ticket.

“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play”

By Joe Landry | Original Music and Musical Arrangements by Kevin Connors. 

Orlando Shakes – November 29 – December 30, 2017

For tickets and more information, visit http://ow.ly/73BW30fprCM  

Clink featured acrobatics behind bars at Fringe.

Posted on by Thor


Circus Arts and PB and J Theater Factory of Winter Park collaborated to bring Clink to this year’s Orlando International Theater Festival. The program described the show as”a captivating look behind the bars of a most exceptional and enthralling prison.

Brandon Roberts played one of the prison guards. Any time he is in a show, I know that there will be laughs. Acrobats were prisoners. The guards tried to keep chaos to a minimum, but any time they turned their backs the prisoners would express their inner freedom by performing acrobatics. After an impressive display of strength and grace by the acrobats, a prison guard tentatively climbed on a platform to keep a look out. The platform shook every time the guard moved, and it was hilarious how he struggled to stay balanced when prisoners could do somersaults, back flips and amazing aerial feats.

In one of the shows, a male acrobat tore a muscle. The next show had to be canceled. Two stage hands had to step in and perform safer acrobatic moves to fill in for the lost performer. They did an amazing job filling in because I didn’t notice that the show had been modified. In a scene where prison guards vaulted over a wall, Brandon flailed his limbs for a laugh as he hurled through space. Perhaps some of that wide eyed fear was legitimate.

Because of the canceled show a fundraiser was set up to help the injured performer’s medical expenses. I talked to someone who was in the audience the night of the injury. She said that it was clear that he was in pain but he kept right on performing. The show must go on.  The next morning he had to have surgery to repair a torn pectoral
ligament that had pulled from his humerus bone. He is looking at a
recovery time of 4-6 months. 

The beer tent is at the heart of the Orlando Fringe.

Posted on by Thor

The best way to discover what shows to see at the Orlando International Fringe Festival is by word of mouth at the beer tent on the green lawn of fabulousness. A beer truck was parked at the edge of the tent offering beers on tap. “Just do it” orange buckets were below each tap. To get a beer you need to first buy a ticket at another tent. Apparently there is a city ordinance that makes it illegal to pay cash for beer in a public park. The tickets circumvent that ordinance. I got a $5 ticket and tried a beer that was a bit bitter for my taste. It was cold, so I still appreciated it in the hot afternoon.

This was the first day of Fringe and the beer wench was extremely helpful in not only slinging beers, but explaining how to Fringe to newer patrons.  She was also quick to compliment a woman on her beautiful breasts. My man boobs didn’t elicit a compliment. My second drink was a hard cider which is what I decided to drink for the rest of the Fringe. I bumped into Brandon Roberts who has to be the funniest actor in Orlando. He was in a show called Clink which featured acrobatics in a prison setting. He gave me the quick elevator pitch for the show, and I decided that I would have to go for the sketch opportunity. To promote Clink, Brandon said, “Fringing is a dirty business” as he dropped off bars of soap on my table with a Clink promotional photo on the wrapper.

I used the beer tent for cover when a torrential rain storm hit the Fringe. Wind gusts made any attempt as staying dry fruitless. As the rain died down, a man took his folding chair and used it to push up a heavy pool of water that was caught in the sagging roof of the tent. A huge waterfall caused children to laugh with delight. A woman from the fire oven pizza booth came out with a pizza paddle to do the same to another sagging tent. The rain stopped for a bit and I got as far as the Rep before it began to pour again.

The Taming of the Shrew

Posted on by Thor

Having sketched the early stages of the set build, I decided to sit in the same Loge seat to sketch “The Taming of the Shrew” on September 25th. Actress Melissa Mason addressed the audience before the play began. This production would be staged in the 1880’swild west because Shakespeare’s play has much violence and a headstrong woman would make perfect sense in an early settlement where anything goes. The play was written in 1594.

The production was a comedic romp that employed some of Shakespeare’s favorite gags such as switched identities. Melissa played the beautiful Biance in  blonde curls and a pink dress who had many suitors. Lucertio (Chris Ryan), wealthy landowner Germino (Brandon Roberts), and local Hortensio (Chris Metz) are all trying to win her hand. Bianca’s father Baptista Minola (John Ahlin) however insisted that Bianca could not marry until her sister Kate (Deanna Gibson) was married. Kate was a bartender who preferred a foul mouthed brawl to any kindness.

At the center of the show is a high stakes battle of the sexes. Rancher Petruchio (Geoffrey Kent) is persuaded to pursue Kate. Bianca’s suitors covered all costs and if he succeeded he would profit from Kate’s rich dowry. The courtship was close to witnessing a WWF wrestling match. Endless impassioned fights were played for great comedic effect. Eventually the rancher wins Kate’s hand. Having married her, he begins to try and break her, just as he would a wild stallion. He denied his new bride food, sleep and fresh clothing while still singing her praises. This resulted in his getting a black eye but over time Kate was coaxed to admit gratitude. I grew more annoyed as Kate softened. I preferred seeing her fiery western independence.

When Lucentio won Bianca’s hand, the men at the reception make a wager about who has the most obedient wife. Surprisingly Kate is the only wife who comes when summoned. Petruchio wins the bet, his cowboy hat full of money. But the couple have also won each other, discovering mutual respect on the tale of conflict.

I must admit that there were moments in the play where Shakespeare’s words were lost on me. With so many characters changing their identities, I at times lost track of who was who. Kate’s final speech however was beautifully worded and inspired. Mark Your Calendar! The Taming of the Shrew is running through October 6th in the Margison Theater in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St  Orlando, FL). Tickets are between $20 and $40.  

Dracula: The Journal of Jonathan Harker, a one man show, will open October 9th and run through November 10, 2013. This should be a perfect play for the Halloween season.