Pre-Pandemic: Field of Dreams

Posted on by Thor

The Timucua Arts Foundation (2000 South Summerlin Avenue Orlando, FL 32806) presented a staged reading of Field of Dreams. This staged reading was presented by, Michael Finn, an active film maker who gets incredible actors to read classic films. He reads the actual director’s notes, making the experience unique and fascinating. Here are a couple of the actors who are performed on February 23, 2021:

Cameron Francis – as Doc Graham & Archie Graham (plus other roles).

Kelly Tinsley (playing “Annie”).

Tom Nowicki – as Ray.

J LaRose – as Shoeless Joe Jackson.

Veronica Nia Kelly – as Karin (plus other roles).

Kenny Babel – as Terrance Mann & “The Voice”.

John Connon – as “Mark” & other roles.

Jenna Meyer – as “Veda” & other roles.

This was a fun new way to experience the classic film. As the film played silently the actors read the parts in the script while staying in sync. It was much like Rocky Horror meets the open Iowa farmlands. Look how close the actors sat next to one another. I miss documenting intimate theatrical evenings like this. If you vaccinate it will come.

Gertrude and Claudius at the Shakes

Posted on by Thor

Gertrude and Claudius based on the novel written by John Updike and adapted by Mark St. Germain, acts as a prequel to Hamlet. I had just sketched Hamlet the earlier in the month. The set remained the same, being a royal castle in Denmark. This play began with a royal wedding between King Amieth (Kenny Babel) and Gertrude (Paige Lindsey White). The king was a man with unsubtle tastes and ways but a true love for his queen. On their wedding night be fell fast asleep as the queen got ready for bed.

There was trouble in paradise as the queen felt she lost her identity with her royal responsibilities and she was actually frightened of her son, Hamlet (Junior Nyong’ o). In this play, Hamlet had a very small part to play. This play was about the queen and how she was seduced by the king’s brother, Claudius (Gene Gillette). As the queen felt more confined, the brothers letters from far away lands helped her imagine a life of freedom.

The infamous couple serve as the villains in Shakespeare’s work, but
are offered a new exposition in this tale of good intentions and family
dysfunction. With ominous hints at the familiar story to come, Gertrude and Claudius is a play that shakes up what you thought you knew about the royal couple. It is a classic tale of guilt and revenge.

This was a more modern production as well, without the flowery language of Shakespeare. There were also many moments of levity, acting as a stark contrast to the brooding Hamlet that would follow. Though Hamlet is a classic, this play is far easier to digest. If you have a chance to see both plays, go and see Gertrude and Claudius first and follow that on another night with Hamlet.

Remaining show times are:

Thursday, February 28, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Friday, March 1, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Wednesday, March 6, 2019 – 2:00 PM

Wednesday, March 6, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 9, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Sunday, March 10, 2019 – 2:00 PM – Talk back Performance

Wednesday, March 13, 2019 – 2:00 PM

Friday, March 15, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 16, 2019 – 2:00 PM

Friday, March 22, 2019 – 7:30 PM

Saturday, March 23, 2019 – 2:00 PM

Tickets are $30 to $53

Play in a Day – Tech

Posted on by Thor

Play in a Day at the Orlando Shakes, featured 20 actors, 7 writers and 7 directors. A lottery done the day before picked the creative teams for the seven plays. Each play was given a 20-30 minute tech. Tech is when the play is rehearsed in the theater so sound and lighting cues can be worked out. One of the plays referenced the set… “It looks like a children’s theater show gone horribly wrong!” I sketched as the play “Out On Top” written by Kenny Babel was being rehearsed. Kenny wrote the play between 2am and 4am the night before. Elizabeth Murff as the wife, Steven Johnson and Anthony Pyatt as the sons, played family members who just lost their father. The father had died in a freak accident at the opening of LEGO Land. He had climbed a LEGO Empire State Building and fell. A Bank of America skyscraper pierced his heart. In one scene the two boys stood with their hands at their wastes as if at a urinal as they spoke about their father.

Family Road Trip which I had been sketching all day entered the theater to polish their tech. John Connon slipped up on a line and then he shouted, “I f*cked it up ya’ll!” He followed with, “I wanna do art and I wanna get paid!” Both lines are classic Beth Marchall standards, delivered with her distinctive sharp southern drawl. Beth said, “I wanna be famous just so drag queens can play me. Also I wanna make tons of money so I can throw it at talented people.” She walks the walk. Posing for photos with the cast, she compared tattoos with John for Kristen Wheeler behind the camera which made me happy since I had painted the makeshift tattoos on John as a lark using my portable watercolor set.

Soon the theater filled with an audience. Beth stood, “Thank you for coming to Play in a Day and what a long day it has been.” Lindsay Cohen who had written “Welcome to Heaven” sat in my row. She seemed nervous since she had no idea how the audience would react, and she didn’t get to see the development process. When the audience responded with thunderous applause I glanced over and saw her relax.