Realms of the Untold brings humor and horror to the stage.

Posted on by Thor

Realms of the Untold is a brand new anthology of short plays, written by local playwright Corey Volence, the scriptwriter of the award winning 2013 Orlando Fringe musical Key of E. These six short plays are written in a style meant to evoke classic horror and science fiction shows such as The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Tales From The Crypt. These short stories are filled with the strange and the unknown, this production is sure to make you squirm, laugh, yelp in fright, and might just even give you some nightmares.

I went to a rehearsal in a suburban bungalow in Ivanhoe Village. Everything had been cleared from the living room except some set pieces and props. The opening play set the stage in a famous actors dressing room (Ken Luzadder). A star struck understudy (John Reid Adams) was greeted rudely. The boy had seen every performance. When he asked how to get ahead in the acting business, he was told that you need to sell your soul to the devil. A dark twist then redefined their roles.

Actress (Jan Taylor Hendricks) then took the center stage seated in a chair. She told a long story from her childhood. Her grandmother was from the old country and schoolkids spread rumors that the old woman was a witch. Another rumor circulated that a local lake was inhabited by a mysterious creature that ate children. When she told her grandmother the rumor, she got very serious and was warned to never go in the water. She promised, but like most childhood promises she eventually broke it. Classmates dared her to enter the lake. To save face she waded out in to the water. Jan’s performance with a sweet southern accent was incredible. I stopped sketching and sat on the edge of my seat to find out what would happen to the little girl. I have no doubt there will be standing orations for this performance.

Each play has its own emotional tone. From one horrific moment, we cut to a light comedy about a couple who are debating about a lifetime commitment. The guy (Charles Krivan) is hesitant and lacks confidence. The girl (Monica Titus) has the absolute conviction that comes from a long life of experience. The conversation between these love birds was at times hilarious. I stopped sketching and simple enjoyed their banter. The commitment turns out to be far more eternal than what can be bought with a wedding ring. A commitment of 50 years or so seems trivial in the larger scheme of things.

Monica Titus also played the part of a social worker in an insane asylum. She interviewed Ken Luzadder  who was in a straight jacket. She set him free of his constraints and then he related the tale of the fateful day that put him behind bars. He described the day with absolute lucidity. Perhaps he was sane and falsely institutionalized. The memories he related however contradicted the facts as related by the social worker. The tension between the two of them escalated until he became violent. The rehearsal had to cut at that moment since props were missing that were needed for what would follow. I honestly don’t know how this play ends, but I was left concerned for the social workers well being. Why on earth did she take off his straight jacket. He could very well be a Hannibal Lecter.

I can say without hesitation that this show is going to be one hell of a roller coaster ride. This will be a great way to kick off the Halloween season.

Show Dates: 

October 1 – Doors at 7 Show at 7:30

October 2 – Doors at 7 Show at 7:30

October 4 – Doors at 2 Show at 2:30

October 8 – Doors at 7 Show at 7:30

October 9 – Doors at 7 Show at 7:30

October 10 – Doors at 7 Show at 7:30

There will be discounted tickets for Military, Student, and Theme Park Employees with ID.

Ticket Link

Key of E Load In

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 On August 20th, I went to The Venue to see the Key of E load in for their one week run. I got there about the same time as Helen, the tech for the show. As I sketched the empty stage, Andy Matchett pulled up to the theater with a truck full of set pieces, wood, monster parts and fabric. The garage door was opened on house right and several guys in the truck helped unload. One of them was wearing a boy scout uniform and I wondered if he would earn an apocalyptic merit badge. Soon the stage was cluttered.

Since there needed to be room for the band, a platform was constructed house right that essentially extended the stage. The first order of business was to hang huge black curtains on both sides of the stage to create very small wings where actors could not be seen when off stage. The tiny wall at the back of the stage was at a quirky angle because it sloped along with a wheel chair ramp that had to be installed to comply with city codes.

A large back lit screen had to be put on top off the wall, so a plank and two by fours were needed to level off the TV platform. Chaz Krivan and Evan Miga tackled the task. Chaz actually had an iPhone app that acted as a level. All the actors gradually trickled in and Brittany Wine, the stage manager, got them busy running lines and going over dance moves. Her task was to keep everyone on task so they could do a run through of the show at 8:30pm. Corey Volence was worried that some scenes would need to be re-blocked since there was no actual backstage where actors could go when not on the stage. There are close to a dozen actors if you count the band and special effects crew. Andy decided to run one exit scene where all the actors needed to get off stage. There was a major bottle neck as actors tried to get down the wheel chair ramp. They realized that at times some actors would literally need to exit the theater. It will all work out in the end. Christie Miga asked Andy how he would rate his anxiety level. He said it had leveled off at a solid 7.

Brittany Wine was pleased that she finally appeared in one of my sketches. She asked why I put her in a garbage can. The garbage can must be a stage prop and it was just chance that she stood behind it. As I finished my sketch, the cast was ready to do a run through of the show. As I left, I heard Andy begin to sing “I Just Can’t Wait for the Game to End!” The Key of E Kickstarter fundraising drive was a success so the full cast soundtrack is available!

Get your tickets for the return of the show at The Venue (511 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL). Mark Your Calendar! You don’t want to miss the end of the world. Show times are…

Friday: 8/23 8 PM

Saturday: 8/24 8 PM

Monday: 8/26 8 PM

Thursday: 8/29 8 PM

Friday: 8/30 8 PM

Tickets are $10 pre-sale, and $15 at the door.

Key of E Recording Session

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On August 6th he cast of the Key of E was gathered together at their secret lab to record a vocals session for the new soundtrack that will be available on CD and Vinyl. There is a Kickstarter campaign going to raise the $3,000 needed to cover costs. Andy had to pay $3 for a sound clip of someone pissing outside a bar, so you can imagine the escalating costs. As of this writing, they have raised $931 towards the goal. Be the person to push them over the $1000 mark and get a copy of the soundtrack.

Justin Beckler set up the sound equipment and directed each recording segment. Audio was mixed on the spot using his laptop.Corey Volence  and Marisa Ashley are the romantic leads in this post apocalyptic rock musical with music written by Andy Matchett. The recording session was for the dramatic interactions between the characters. Although it involved plenty of hard work, it also was hysterically fun to watch. As actors searched for the right inflections and drama, they at times would break into uncontrollable laughter. Marisa had to do one scene in which she reacts when she sees a huge Tsunami wave. She must have done the line 20 times or more with endless variations of shock, awe, horror and amazement. Her performance as the sincere loving girlfriend is heart wrenching.

Corey who wrote the show read his lines off of his iPhone.  It seemed quite appropriate that he had a “Day of the Dead” T-shirt on. Andy, as a world renowned scientist, recorded an address to colleagues in which he predicted the end of the world.  He said it was pointless to warn the citizens since it would only cause mass hysteria. On the fly, Corey suggested that Andy say that, “We are safe in our colossal invisible helicarrier“. It was a tongue twister that caught Andy by surprise but when delivered right, it was hilarious. Joel Warren was blunt, gruff and funny as a cocky jock who appoints himself boss and bully in the post apocalyptic island camp. He would shout, “Sco!” meaning “lets go”, when he wanted his female minion to follow. I laughed every time he delivered that line. Amanda Warren, who is new to the cast, did an amazing job as the female branch of Corey’s conscience. Her singing was pitch perfect, so much so that I had to stop sketching and watch. Like a fine wine, this show improves with age.

This show was the runaway hit from this years Fringe Festival. It won 11 Audience Choice Awards. It is returning for a brief run at The Venue (511 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL). So, Mark Your Calendar! You don’t want to miss the end of the world. Show times are…

Friday: 8/23 8 PM
Saturday: 8/24 8 PM
Monday: 8/26 8 PM
Thursday: 8/29 8 PM
Friday: 8/30 8 PM

Tickets are $10 pre-sale, and $15 at the door.

Dog Powered Robot and the Subsequent Adventure.

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I arranged to meet the cast of Dog Powered Robot at the loading door of the Orange Venue at the Orlando International Fringe Festival. As I approached the green lawn of fabulousness, I realized I didn’t know where the Orange venue was. I decided to go inside the Shakes and that was a correct guess. Brittany Wine, the DPR stage manager was at the stage door in a stunning red dress. I asked about the loading door and she lead Gina Makarova and myself through a maze of hallways and back doors. Gina was using crutches and had on a temporary cast. It seems her cello had decided to wrestle her to the ground.

The DPR army gathered behind the theater along with a small mountain of cardboard robot parts and set pieces. Grace “Scully” Nolan had seen the DPR billboard on the drive over and the server saw her Blue DPR shirt and commented on how she loved Dog Powered Robot.  The servers name was Destiny which forebode a super awesome performance. Fisher was a furry bundle of energy and he barked his welcome an more people arrived. Evan Miga explained that a life sized VW van would drive across the stage Flintstones style, giving this Fringe show effects bigger than the helicopter in Miss Saigon or the Phantom’s chandelier. . The metallic garage door opened, Christie Miga picked up Fisher and the DPR Army started moving the corrugated cardboard city inside.

I thought I wanted to sketch backstage, but most of the robot parts were out on the floor of the theater. I sat in a front row theater seat, but the arms were too restrictive so I ended up sitting on my artist seat partly on stage. Brittany announced, “5 minutes to house open!” and someone shouted back “Thank you 5!” I couldn’t believe it, my sketch was barely blocked in. I would have to finish as the show progressed. Cast members in black outfits with black helmets with red miner’s lights roamed the room scanning with a long pole with a spinning light rainbow device. They muttered to each other in an alien dialect reminiscent of a Muppet’s song. The rear projection screen announced that they were Ninja Noids and were invisible. That didn’t stop the Ninja Noids from interacting with the audience as they arrived. There was playful theater magic from the start. I sketched Vic-16, (Corey Violence) and Commodore, (Zach Scot) but they only had bit parts to introduce the play.

Lolly Bot (Serafina Schiano) was delightful and she was given time to shine. Audience members were offered a $1 discount if they showed up as a robot. Her counter part, a punk purple bot, Scraperella Overdrive, played by Jennifer Guhl, added sass and attitude to the show. The villain was a grumpy old neighbor who had robotic arms played by John Moughan, and by the end of the show he had used the embigi-fication matrix to extend his reach with many giant arms. I will not give away any of the plot points other than to say that the friendly blue Dog Powered Robot saved the day. The show had the audience laughing out loud and they cheered for Fisher, the little Pomeranian at the heart of the bright blue bot. The show returned to the dreams of the big city ideals that were
endearing in the short production two years ago. It is hard to recreate the energy and surprise of that initial production. Call it destiny or call it fate, the show was a super
awesome mega win!

Show times are:

Wednesday 5/23 at 5:15PM

Thursday 5/24 at 7:45PM

Saturday 5/26 at 1:15PM

Sunday 5/27 at 3:15PM

Tickets are $11.

Meeting at the Peacock Room

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This year I have decided to make a commitment to ask actors and dancers to pose in costume long enough for me to get a bold gestural sketch that I can post to promote the show before opening night. Up until now I have always worked clandestinely by getting into rehearsals and sketching the process. Of course no one stands still, and I am used to that, but a whole new energy slips into a sketch that is a collaboration between the artist and model. It was a revelation to me that people in this fast paced digital age are willing to take time to be sketched.

I asked Sarah Lockhard if she would pose in costume for one of the upcoming shows she will be dancing. That collaboration sparked an idea in her mind. She was going to perform a Vaudeville burlesque styled act where she would read a poem titled “Live Circus“. She wanted me to sketch live on stage with her while a musician performed eerie circus themed music. As soon as I listened to the Tom Waits reading the poem, I was hooked. I’m willing to try anything once. The challenge is that the reading is only 5 minutes long. Rich imagery is packed into every stanza with weather worn characters bursting with life. I became infatuated with the relationship between Funeral Wells, a knife thrower and his woman Poodle Murphy on target. I found a knife throwing scene online that was sexy and disturbing and that scene will be the inspiration for what I sketch.

I got to the Peacock Room early and got a sketch before Sarah and the crew arrived. The director, Kevin G. Becker was there discussing how the elements of the show might fall together. The show has a video game theme. Portal which can instantly transport players, ends up transporting players between different video games. Bio Shock a creepy underwater nightmare will have a huge influence on many scenes. I’ve seen stills, but never played the game so the conversation at times became edgy and strange. Susan Woodberry plays the part of a little sister. She has the odd roll of inducing Adam by sucking blood from fallen victims with a huge syringe, drinking it and spitting it out. The final product Adam, gives players super human abilities but takes its toll causing genetic decomposition and fast aging.

Sarah plays the part of a seductress who distracts a game player or Spice. Susan who is working on costuming described Sarah’s outfit. Her costume will be a sultry torn green dress with layers of crinoline and a hoochie skirt and turquoise blue ruffled panties. Feathers will be the only camouflage for her breasts. She will perform a hedonistic dance that entices the spice, played by Corey Volence. He rips off parts of her costume. Straps are broken and torn and crinoline is ripped off. She will lung at him like a wild animal, pushing his chair backwards and then straddling him. Panting loudly, she then will stab him in the heart with a giant syringe. Things could get messy.