The Receptionist will Have It’s Central Florida Premiere at the Shakes This Weekend

Posted on by Thor

DiDonna Productions/ The Empty Spaces Theatre Co(llaboration) presents the Central Florida premier of
The Receptionist by Adam Bock directed by Kevin G. Becker. The show is a dark office comedy that raises questions about narcissism, willful ignorance, and blindly following the rules.

I arrived at a rehearsal a bit early. The Mandell Theater was empty but there were a few props left over from a magic show on stage. Since Empty Spaces, was presenting the show, I started by sketching the empty stage. As the sketch progressed, I wondered if I was in the wrong place.  Finally Kevin and Becky arrived. Office props were moved on stage. The office table was missing a leg and Kevin used carpenter’s glue to get it back in place. Comically it popped off as actors rehearsed their lines. Tissues were needed for one scene but for the rehearsal, toilet paper had to be substituted. Flowers were needed to liven up the office and magician’s tissue flowers had to stand in for the night.

Alea Figueroa and Rebekah Lane began going over a confrontational scene together. Martin Dart (Josh Geohagen), a charming rep from the Central Office had just left. Lorraine (Alea) ran in looking to see where he went. Beverly (Rebekah) shouted out, “He’s married!” “Well, he’s not happily married.” Lorraine replied. This sent Beverly off on a rant about how important trust and loyalty are. She was so worked up that you knew this came from personal experience. Beverly mentioned a friend who had started dating a man she met online. She off highhandedly mentioned that he was married, like it was no big deal, just another part of the equation. It was however a mistake, getting off on the wrong foot. Lorraine retreated to the office chairs and Beverly followed, relentless. “I was just flirting.” Lorraine replied her hands twitching nervously. Her eyes welled up. Then all the theater lights blacked out unexpectedly. “I’m lonely and I miss Glen.” she said in the darkness. It was a powerful heart felt performance heightened by the lights blacking out as part of tech. I had to wipe my eyes when the lights came back up.

Beverly is the receptionist and she is the life blood in a busy office. Her gossip with a friend on the phone is sporadically interrupted as she forwards calls to colleagues. She deals with Lorraine’s romantic troubles dating a narcissist by suggesting she read a book called, “Help, I’m Dating a Narcissist”. Beverly is good natured and believes the best in everyone around her. Exactly what business is handled in the office is slowly reveled. The boss, Mr. Raymond (Kevin Sigman) discusses a mysterious interaction with a client whom he believed might have been telling the truth. It seems office personnel get information and confessions by any means possible.

The appearance of Martin Dart from the Central Office upsets the office daily routine. Lorraine flirts with him playfully but when they get close, he grabs her hands in a vice like grip. She backs away in fear. It wasn’t until later, that I realized that her flirting might have been an attempt to find out why he was there. The Receptionist raises disquieting, provocative
questions about the consequences of complicity with evil. On the drive back home, I kept thinking about the show. The dark under currents are subtle and linger, raising many questions.


This show will be
presented as an immersive social theatrical experience taking the
audience through an interactive pre-show at the Shakes bar, discussing the process behind
performing and producing the show then moving into the theater to
watch The Receptionist followed by a lively Question and Answer back at the bar about the hidden meanings
and emotions that the show creates. Trust me you will have questions and you will love meeting the cast. This is a national trend where live theater is breaking away from the mold of being like a movie that you see and then immediately leave. By interacting with the cast , you get to experience the informal inspiring atmosphere that I love every time I sketch a rehearsal. It is great to meet the actors when they are playful, relaxed and can share their love of theater one on one.

Mark Your Calendar! 
The Receptionist by Adam Bock

TWO SHOWS ONLY
Fri July 18th – Sat July 19th @ 8pm
WHERE:
Mandell Theater
The John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center
Located in Loch Haven Park across from the Museum of Art
Parking available in Loch Haven lots, or in Science Center Parking Garage off of Princeton (Next to Mennello Museum of Art)
TICKETS:
$20.00 general / $15.00 student and senior available by reservation
Will call/cash at door
(Group rates available for groups of 10 or more)
For reservations please call 407.328.9005 – will call cash only at door

Words As Silent Tattoos

Posted on by Thor

On December 12, I went to a rehearsal of “The Words We Wear” at the Goldman Theater in the Orlando Shakespeare Center. The theater space was pitch black when I entered. I stood behind the back row waiting for my eyes to adjust. The directors Aradhana Tiwari and Kevin Becker greeted me warmly. The Goldman is a small intimate space so I decided to sit house left near the back.

Actress Mikki Scanlon Kriekard was getting into military fatigues to perform a monologue Aradhana had written. The director asked all the other actors to clear the space. This was the first time Mikki was performing the monologue and the director didn’t want any distractions. I kept sketching and thankfully Mikki and Aradhana didn’t consider me a distraction.

It had been 192 days since the soldier had spoken. She had been stationed in Afghanistan and things had happened over their that would get under anyone’s skin. When she returned, people seemed like a sea of pages walking the streets. She felt she had been stained by silent tattoos. She came close to relating the horrors that she had seen, but she stopped short. Then she met a young girl that could read her like an open book, seeing the scars and invisible tattoos. The girl gave Mikki a slip of paper laced with hope and redemption. The room was silent and full of emotion. I didn’t know why but my face flushed and in the darkness hot tears roll down my cheeks. No one could see. Mikki, as a brave soldier managed to keep her emotions in check but when
she related how thankful she was, her throat constricted and she had to
slow down to keep from crying, for the first time she felt hope.

After the performance, there were notes from the director. I wiped my eyes and kept sketching. I began to wonder why I had been emotionally bowled over by the performance. A friend had a way of reading people and was able to heal others with a touch. She had a deep, heart felt faith. Yet she wasn’t able to heal her own invisible scars left by life.  Her boyfriend, an artist, that she had just broken up with, drove to the Grand Tetons, did a few paintings and then shot himself. I only saw her once after her boyfriends funeral. She asked me to pray for her. I didn’t pray. Several weeks later, she took her own life.  I realized that I hadn’t cried at her funeral or since. What kind of person doesn’t cry at a funeral? Instead of feeling anything, I sketched like a machine. At the time I was annoyed that the focus at the memorial service was on resurrection rather than on the suicide. The word wasn’t uttered once. She wasn’t rising from the grave. Due to red tape her body had yet to be cremated. I hadn’t seen it coming. The one word on my mind remains WHY? How could someone with so much faith take their own life? Did she find the enveloping love of God that she hoped for? I wish I could believe that. Her suicide note absolved everyone from guilt, but guilt remains. I could have been a better friend. This performance finally made all the suppressed emotions bubble up to the surface.  There is so much to live for. The sun burns bright. What choice remains, but to hope?

The second part of the rehearsal involved the whole cast removing white fabric with negative words and then picking up fabrics from the clothes line with positive words. Some actresses removed scarves, shackles, belts and blindfolds. One fiery redhead looked like Jackie Onassis with big sunglasses and the head shawl that she threw away. In one run through, Becky Lane removed her negative garment and when she picked her life affirming clothes line fabric, she smiled and daintily nestled it in her cleavage with a silent film Chaplinesque flair as she walked off stage. I was thankful for the laugh.

“The Words We Wear” will be playing tonight at the Goldman Theatre in the Orlando Shakespeare Center (812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL).

Saturday, December 14th at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM

Sunday, December 15th at 8:00 PM. (The Sunday performance is sold out.)

You can purchase tickets on the EpicVita website.

Jett Backpack Rehearsal

Posted on by Thor

On April 29th, I went to Dancer’s Edge Studio (7351 Aloma Ave, Winter Park, FL) to sketch a rehearsal for Jett Backpack and the Battle at the End of the Universe, which will appear at the upcoming Fringe Theater Festival in May. It was raining like a banshee  on the drive to the theater, but the cast trickled into the dance studio lobby one at a time at first and then in a deluge. The dance studio had mirrors on three walls and the actors performed towards the fourth wall.

Much of the action took place on an intergalactic space craft with John Bateman playing a cocky and somewhat incompetent captain with Jennifer Guhl playing his salty number 1.  The play was written by Josh Geohagen and he sat on the floor pouring over the script. At this rehearsal just two scenes were blocked with Kevin G. Becker directing. Before getting to work, the cast assembled in a circle and switched places with a point and command. Another exercise involved everyone walking the room and reciting the alphabet. If two actors said the same letter at the same time, they had to begin again at A. I’m always amazed at how a cast can pull together and become keenly aware of each other working almost like a flock.

Often the crew of the star ship would be looking at an imaginary view screen which they decided was the blue cork paneling on the wall. They all would crane their heads to look up at it. Several clones perished in gruesome ways and where whisked off to air locks. Dorothy Massey played a sultry Princess Positronic who was attracted to the captain. Trenell Mooring is sort of the face of Fringe this year since she is pictured on the Fringe poster along with her son. Her eyes are set apart wide on her face giving her an exotic chiseled look. She plays the part of an alien helmsman on the ship speaking an alien dialect. This tongue in cheek comedy was consistently hilarious. I can’t wait to see the cast in costume. Since only two scenes were rehearsed, I’m left wondering how the adventure will play out.

Where: The show will be in the yellow venue which is the Mandell Theater in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center.

How much: You need a Fringe button plus tickets are $10.

Show times:

Thu 5/16 7:30PM

Sat 5/18 9:45PM

Sun 5/19 11:15PM

Tue 5/21 7:15PM

Thurs 5/23 5:45PM

Fri 5/24 6:30PM

Sat 5/25 1:00PM

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.