Phantasmagoria

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I went to a dress rehearsal for Empty Space Theater Company’s, Phantasmagoria III in the Patron’s Room at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center. The circular room was magically transformed into a circus ring. Suspended below the circular dome was a circular screen which was used for projections. The rehearsal began with a 7PM fight choreography session. Even rehearsed at 1/4 speed, the sword fight was strangely menacing in the small space.

John DiDona, the director, then circled up all the actors to hold hands before a complete run through of the show. He told the cast, “Every story is important. We are dangerous, we have seen to much.” Someone shouted, “Merde!”, or was it “Murder? The room went dark as actors took their places. Two clowns in simple black suits began wrestling with boxes in the ring to comic effect. John let me know that this was the 13 minute pre-show that went on as the audience filtered in.

The Phantasmagoria cast tells some of the classic horror stories incorporating music, dance, puppetry and drama to sinister effect. The Tell Tale Heart, by Edgar Allan Poe made great use of projections on the overhead screen with chipped wall paint patterns and then  giant eye as the narrator discussed the cold blooded, highly thought out plot to kill his neighbor, an old man. The whole cast recreated the sound of the heart with guttural verbalization. It was creepy. The Cold Embrace told the tale off an artist who fell in and out of love with a cousin. Heart broken, the cousin died and then returned to haunt the fickle artist, embracing him with her invisible cold fingers.

The dark show was filled with dancing skeletons, a giant bloodthirsty wolf and beings in the darkness that were hard to identify. The ringmaster was barefooted, because corpses are barefooted in the morgue, Brittany Wine explained. Characters at times stood behind me as they whispered their lines sending a chill down my spine. The circular room is intimate, small, with no room to escape. These were classic tales told with drama and effect. Now in it’s third year, the show keeps growing and evolving along with it’s characters, each of whom had a dark painful back-story.

When: October 12-31st,  8:30 p.m.

Venue: Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Patron’s Room

Address: 812 E. Rollins St.

Phone: (407) 328-9005

Web Site: http://www.redchairproject.com

Price: $20

Spring Awakening

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I decided to finally post this sketch because a dear friend Jeremy Seghers left Orlando to go to New York City. Jeremy directed two productions of Spring Awakening in Orlando and he was always open to the idea of letting an artist sketch the process. He invited me to the auditions for Spring Awakening and I watched the halls of the Orlando Shakespeare Theater fill with young hopeful actors. The first production was a direct staging of the original play set in a turn of the century German high school. The second production was to be based on a Broadway musical adaptation.

I heard a young girl singing in the woman’s room. For most of the actors, this was a chance to chat and catch up of theater gossip. There was a woman seated at a table and she took names. Actors were to have a musical number ready to sing. The pianist hadn’t arrived yet, so actors that had musical accompaniment on a CD moved to the top of the list. When they entered the theater, I could barely hear their muffled singing from my vantage point in the hall. Some actors left the auditition feeling elated that they had nailed their performance while others had doubts. Even so, art is a fickle process and a directors choice involves more variables than just talent.

Shakespeare Gala

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Terry and I were invited to the Shakespeare Gala by our lawyer, Keith Hesse. I quickly set up at one of the tables and started sketching this couple enjoying champagne and food from local restaurants. The circular Patrons Room had all of the silent auction items. At the end of the evening I noticed that none of the art work had sold. Jeff Ferree who works in the Shakes scenic shop stopped by my table to say hello. It turns out he was the model who posed in the red t-shirt and ruffled collar for the Shakespeare poster in my sketch. I asked him to stick his tongue out to verify his identity. Betsy Dye who does the graphics for the Shakes said hello as well. She acted as a spotter during the live auction.

There was a live auction later in the evening and all told, over one hundred thousand dollars was raised to help support the theater. I showed a sketchbook to Harriet Lake and I was pleased that she took delight in flipping through the pages. I let her know that I had sketched her reading Catcher in the Rye and she responded, “So you are that guy?!”  Actors quickly acted out a scene from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged. Delivered like a fast paced sports commentary the scenes were witty but I’m not fluent in all the plays, so some references slipped past me. The Shakes staff are fun and vibrant.

Red Chair Affair

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The Red Chair Affair is held once a year in Orlando at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, (401 W. Livingston St. Orlando), to introduce the upcoming theater season. It is a opulent crash course celebration of Central Florida’s arts and culture. John DiDonna directed this intricate evening showcasing an army of Orlando talent. The logistics of just getting everyone on and off stage on time and in order must have been mind boggling. Thankfully John allowed me to sketch a rehearsal, since I had another sketch outing planned for the night of the performance.

I entered the stage door and made my way through the back stage maze of dressing rooms to get to stage right. Crowds of actors, dancers, singers and acrobats were in the halls. John shouted my name and welcomed me. Both he and Jennifer Bonner advised me to sketch from out in the house, so I abandoned the notion of sketching from back stage. Besides stage lights were blinding.  In the back rehearsal room, all the decorated IKEA Red Chairs were on table being inventoried for auction. Each arts organization decorated a chair.

YOW Dance was on stage going through a dance routine for staging. I turned my attention to the TV camera operators who were filming the rehearsal. The NuLook School of Performing Arts students performed a lively
and stylish Indian dance called “Redolare.” I caught one of the dancers sinuous lines. Comedic actors from the Orlando Shakespeare Theater performed a hilarious fast paced history of Shakespeare using a sports commentators pacing. I recognized actor Brandon Roberts who always makes me laugh. Since I’m no Shakespeare expert however, some of the analogies were way over my head. I heard that the Enzian Theater was going to screen “Notes on Biology” which we now screen every month in the Full Sail 2D Animation course to help inspire students.

Fragment(ed) Rehearsal

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The Empty Spaces Theatre Co. and DiDonna Productions presents “Fragment(ed)” – the sequel to their “Best Dance” winner of the 2011 Fringe “Unspoken”. Through a fusion of dance, movement, spoken word, aerial and original music Fragment(ed) explores the very adult world of love, sex and desire, guilt and rejection, violence and destruction and final fragmentation.

 The rehearsal was visceral and energetic, combining dance, spoken word, mime and music. The show delves deep into the doubts, conflicts and pure pleasure of love. Actors draw upon their own personal experiences. These anecdotes ring true because they are raw and true. One act dwelt with two male roommates. One roommate fell in love with a girl and invited her as a third roommate. The couple broke up and the girl stayed while her boyfriend left. She and the other roommate despised one another, yet during a fight the ended up kissing. Told simply through mime, the scene is hilarious. One dance number had couples bound together with bungee chords. When they ran apart in search of their freedom, they would be yanked back together with an inversely violent force. I was afraid that the cast with bandannas and torn jeans might have been over influenced by the local DRIP Dance company, but I was happy to discover a show with rich layers. Fragment(ed) is sure to viscerally touch you and perhaps allow you to recognize yourself.

Fragment(ed) will be performed ONE WEEKEND ONLY – 7 performances from Thursday July 12th – Monday July 16th at the Mandell Theater of the Lowndes Shakespeare Center located in Loch Haven Park
(corner of 1792 and Princeton). Performances will be at 7:30 each evening, with additional Twilight performances on Saturday July 14th and Sunday July 15th (two shows a day). 

WHEN: ONE WEEKEND – Seven Shows Only
Thursday July 12th – Monday July 16th
Evening shows Thurs – Monday @ 7:30pm
Additional Twilight Sat July 14th and Sun July 15th @ 4:30pm

TICKETS: $15 – $20 with some discounts available.
Reservations 407.328.9005 or online reservation/ticket purchase redchairproject.com

Paul Strickland: Jokes, Songs, a Hat, Etc!

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Beth Marshall was the producer of Paul Strickland‘s show at the Orlando Fringe Festival and she suggested I see and sketch the show.There was a line of people outside the Brown venue in the Shakespeare theater and I muscled into line. A volunteer scanned my ticked and then asked, “Do you have a button?” I said, “Of course.” and pointed down at my bag that was covered in buttons. Looking down, I realized my Fringe button had fallen off. Thankfully she didn’t notice.

I sat at the center of the top row of the bleacher seats. Jeremy Seghers and members of his cast from Mysterious Skin sat around me. The author of the play had been sent a link to the blog post and apparently he loved the sketch. I was flattered. A green light from the lighting tech booth illuminated my sketch as the room grew dark. Actress Sarah Villegas was visiting from out of town with her boyfriend. She had been in Fringe shows since she was 14 and this was the first time she came as a visitor. She said she missed Orlando and the Fringe in particular.

Paul’s show combined comedy and music in a perfect blend. Many jokes centered around his feeling old at 30 yet they resonate even more when you hit 50. The woman seated directly in front of me laughed so loud that she set off a chain reaction of laughter. I identified with that strange feeling he got when a child stared at him. For some reason, children always stare at me on airplanes or in supermarkets. It is unnerving. Anyway he decided to warm up to this particular child and he made cute faces and said “Where can I buy one of you?” That would be fine he realized, unless the child was black! He performed My Way which is a song any artist who forges their own path can identify with.

You have one more chance to catch his show today, Sunday May 27th at 12:30PM. Tickets are $11. This show can be an exclamation point to your Fringe experience.

Closet Zombies!

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The smallest theater of the Orlando Fringe is in a closet at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. The closet was turned into a puppet theater by Jeff Ferree. The title of the play is “AAAAAAGGGHHH Zombies!!! … Because Zombies Sell.” Jeff won a small grant to help with the expenses of building the set and puppets. Performances are free with a small cardboard box outside the theater for donations. A small poster of a rabbit creating a shadow puppet of a human hand declared the closet to be the Jamie Mykins theater.

On the opening night of the Fringe, I found myself trapped inside the shakes because it began to rain really hard outside. As I relaxed in the lounge area, I overheard that the first performance in the closet would happen at 9pm. That gave me an hour to piece together a sketch. I opened the closet door and got to work. I was seated in a narrow hallway and volunteers had to squeeze around me. Ed Anthony, one of DEM Guys was first in line for the show. He stepped inside and looked around.

The walls were covered in canvas with violet and green brickwork. A make shift wall stood in the corner of the closet and a green zombie puppet hung limp out of the stage opening. Glow in the dark zombie faces hung from the ceiling along with what looked like lime green sea weed. There was a bag of those foam floaty rods in front of the stage. The line for the theater grew longer. Purple “Brain” cupcakes were served to audience members waiting in line. Jeff squeezed into the tight space behind the curtain and Jamie  declared the theater open. Jamie helped Jeff with the audience interactions. Together they broke the 4th wall. At least ten people must have crowded into that tight space, looking like an insanely crowded subway car or elevator. The theater door was closed. An important rule to remember at Fringe, is that if you leave a theater during a performance, there is no re-entry. If you are claustrophobic or zombiephobic then this might not be the show for you.

I stayed in the hallway, continuing to add color washes to my sketch. I heart laughter and shouting from inside the closet and kind of wished I had pressed inside. After the show, Jeff complained that a few cues were missed and he got nervous when he saw that theater critic Seth Kubersky was in the audience. All I heard however was laughter at the dead pan jokes. Gina Yolango was in the hallway and she was moved to tears when she began talking to Jamie about a Fringe show she had just seen called “Medicine” by T.J. Dawe . The Fringe has it all, from light hearted puppetry in a closet to theater moments that can affect your deepest emotions.

Showtimes:

Thursday May 24th at 9:00PM

Friday May 25th at 9:00PM

Saturday May 26th at 9:00PM

Performances are Free in a closet near the Fringe Volunteer’s office at the Shakes.

The Way of the Cards

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“The Way of the Cards” is a new play written and directed by Aradhana Tiwari. It will have its World Premiere tonight at 8:30PM in the Lowndes Shakespeare Center, Mandell Theatre (812 E. Rollins St, Orlando). I went to a tech rehearsal a few days before the opening. Aradhana welcomed me warmly and introduced me to Tom Mangieri, the set designer. This was the first time the cast saw the set, so stage manager, Brenna Nicely, gave them a walk through. Apparently the steps could be hazardous. The set wasn’t complete yet, but the sink had running water. Everything was a bit off kilter, giving the domestic scene an unsettled feeling

Aradhana said to the cast, “Don’t let
the largeness of the space take away from your power.” She pushed the
actors repeatedly to project to the back row. As the scenes were
rehearsed, she moved to different seats in the theater, getting a feel
for the scenes from all angles.  She handled the music cues from her iPhone.

The play is about the dysfunctional Arlington family. Tip, played by Anthony Pyatt, narrates the plays opening, structuring his narrative around a single
hand of Texas Hold ‘em. He teaches cards in order to
relay the most tragic hand of his life. He spends much of the play munching cereal trying to remain disconnected from the drama swirling around him. His mom, Sass, played by Kate Ingram,  may have been the “First Lady Of The
Vegas Strip” at one point in her poker career, but now she is simply a
tired hack who plays on a riverboat. Tips sister Tally, played by Olivia Richardson, tried to bring some order to the home but she never could fulfill her absent mothers expectations. The youngest member of the family, Lucky, played by Gabe Patrick, dreamed of someday being a “Mechanic” which is someone who knows how to cheat at cards.

Sass needed to convince Lucky that cheating at cards was disrespectful to the game. “In life there are players and there are dealers, you don’t want to look back and wish you had played a hand. The way of the cards is in the people that hold them. There is always some sucker hoping there is a special card that will save the day.” “Don’t worry mom, I’ll earn my wins.” Lucky replied.

This is a powerful heartfelt drama born right here in Orlando. Get out and experience this show for yourself. Be a player, not a dealer. We all have to work with the hand we have been dealt.

When:

April 27th through May 6th
Fri 4/27- 8:30PM
Sat 4/28- 8:30PM
Sun 4/29- 2:30PM
Mon 4/30- 8:30PM Industry Night
Thu 5/3- 8:30PM
Fri 5/4- 8:30PM
Sat 5/5- 2:30PM(Matinee, no night show)
Sun 5/6- 2:30PM

Cost:
General Admission: $15

Industry Night: $10 (Guaranteed seating with previous reservation, we
are also offering a walk-up admission of pay what you can, it’s not
guaranteed seating, but you can pay whatever you want!)

Time:
Fri/Sat/Mon- 8:30PM
Sun/Sat(5/5)- 2:30PM

For tickets and more info: Visit PlayTheMoment.Com.
(Tickets are now on sale )

Red!

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“Red” is a Tony Award winning play written by John Logan the screenwriter for “Hugo” and “Sweeney Todd.” It is supposed to be “an electrifying drama that spans the spectrum of human emotion, centering around the life of abstract expressionist Mark Rothko.” Rothko was a Russian-American painter. He is classified as an abstract expressionist, although he himself rejected this label, and even resisted classification as an “abstract painter”. Jeff Ferree told me about the production and he let me know which day that the completed set would be getting a spattering of paint. Set designer is Bob Phillips was there dressed in an old Hawaiian shirt. He supervised as Robbin Watts, the head scenic arts and scenic apprentice is Ashley Gilbert flung paint all over the walls and stage. Everyone padded around the stage in their socks. He couldn’t resist flinging paint himself. “It’s cathartic.” he said.

The first three rows in the theater were covered with drop cloths and I sat in an aisle seat just behind the “spatter zone.” I started the sketch by catching Ashley as she spattered the walls from high up on the ladder. This seems to be a recurring theme for me, sketching creative women on ladders. Everyone’s shoes were gathered up and placed at the back stage door. All three artists started spattering the floor, trying to avoid painting themselves into a corner. Spattering is a fast paced dance with wide sweeping strokes of the arms and constant pivoting. This was a delicate dance that was well worth the price of admission.

Red is running now through April 22 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Get your tickets now!

Topographies

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“Topographies” a series of sculptures by Barbara Sorenson are on exhibit in front of the Orlando Museum of Art. These bright primary colored resin and metal creations will be on exhibit through April Fool’s Day. On March 18th, “Art and Dance: A Pas de Deux” a piece inspired by Sorenson’s Work will be performed in this court yard. The piece will feature Orlando Ballet Dancers choreographed by Robert Hill and Eric Yow.

On exhibit inside the museum is “Made in Florida” featuring three exhibitions and a gallery display. Work in the exhibit features artists who were inspired by the sunshine state. Florida’s unique landscape and culture has inspired artists from all ages. The eclectic permanent collection features work of such acclaimed artists as John Singer Sargent, Cecilia Beaux and Robert Rauchenburg.

I found myself in front of the Museum at dusk with an hour to spare since I planned to attend a piano recital across the parking lot at 7pm at the Margison Theater in the Shakes. This recital, which was part of ArtsFest, was to feature Hyung-Min Suh, the third place winner of the second Florida International Piano Competition. There weren’t many cars in the parking lot. At 7pm I walked into the empty theater. The building was deserted. I checked out the intricate set that was built for “Romeo and Juliet“. The set was gorgeous with a root-like structure holding up an isolated platform as well as the infamous balcony. Now, I really want to see, and sketch the play. This was the second time an ArtsFest event I planned to sketch was MIA. This year’s Fest must be in some disarray after United Arts lost Margot Knight and Cory Warren. An unexpected disadvantage of drawing on a tablet at night is that big beetle and tiny gnats were attracted to the screen’s light.