PLTC Behind The Scenes

Day in the Life - Michael Doherty, THE THREE MUSKETEERS

2010-12-03T14:40:00.001-05:00

Another Day in the Life? Yes! These entertaining photos were taken by Michael Doherty, who plays the Thumb Box 360-loving King Hughy the XIVth in The Three Musketeers. (His Majesty is too busy playing his game, so we wrote the captions for this one!)

Chelsea Carle (Aplomado) and Laura Giknis (Kestral)

The Dame, Queen Agnes of Malvaria. Also known as PLTC company member Mark Lazar!

The infamous Thumb Box 360!

Chris Faith (Athos), Andrew Kane (d'Artagnan), Rachel Brennan (who was apparently in the process of taking pictures for her Day in the Life feature as this picture was being taken!), and Julia Stroup (Gyrfalcon).

Brad DePlanche (Porthos) and Rachel Camp (Peregrine)

Tom Teti (Aramis)

Laura Giknis and Richard Ruiz (Horace the Hound)

Two very funny men, Chris Faith and Mark Lazar (oh, and Brad DePlanche is in the mirror! He's very funny, too.)

Day in the Life - Rachel "Hennie" Brennan, THE THREE MUSKETEERS

2010-12-01T10:34:00.000-05:00

It's time for another "Day in the Life," and this time we've asked Rachel Brennan, who plays Henrietta the Chicken in The Three Musketeers. There are a lot of them, because they're so great we couldn't leave any of them out! The captions are Rachel's--the italics are added by us.

Not having time to make my bed in the morning is usually a good indicator of impending disaster, so I try very hard to do so.

French Press Coffee is a morning necessity. Vitamins, Emergen-C and breakfast are too.

There are certain things I do every morning. Letting the dogs out is one of them.
Usually, it's still dark. We are very early-risers.

Laura GI knis
(Laura plays Kestral, one of Lord Mazarotti's falcons--she likes shiny things.)

Kim (Carson, who plays Collette) and I like to call this shot "Dead Monk and a Ghost".

Chris (Faith, who plays Athos) and Andrew (Kane, who plays d'Artagnan) being silly in the green room.

This is my station in the dressing room. The other girls tease me for having so much stuff,
but that doesn't stop them from using any of it :)

Chelsea (Carle, who plays Aplomado, another falcon) using her dramatic acting skills.

Not sure if Tom (Teti, who plays Aramis) thought she was serious or if he was just playing along.

Kim and Kate (McSorley, the wonderful and very patient Panto stage manager) napping between shows. Adorable.

Happy Birthday Chelsea!!!

Celebration continued.
(Notice how Michael Doherty, who plays King Hughy, is the only male present--good for him!)

Laura's character, Kestral, may be invading her reality. I caught her ogling at shiny candy bar wrappers.
(See? We told you!)

My very BIG baby. Who takes up a lot of room on the couch.

Couch-time with my beasts is my favorite way to relax.

Exile in Bridgeport doesn't seem so awful from this angle.

Sam Bellomo is one of BenFM's Women of the Week!

2010-11-12T09:43:00.001-05:00

The cast of Snow White: A Musical Panto, 2009

Sam Bellomo, Assistant Director, Choreographer and Fight Director for The Three Musketeers, spoke with BenFM's Marilyn Russell for their Woman of the Week feature. Click here to listen!

LEGACY OF LIGHT - Hank Murta Adams Interview

2010-10-14T16:16:00.000-04:00

Hank Murta Adams, brother of PLTC Artistic Director Abigail Adams, talks about how he became a glass artist, how he got chosen to create a piece for the Legacy of Light set, and more.

A Day in the Life - Emilie Krause from LEGACY OF LIGHT

2010-10-11T10:34:00.008-04:00

Fresh new face to People's Light Emilie Krause, who plays Millie/Pauline in Legacy of Light (starting October 13th!), picked up her camera and took a few "insider" shots for us this past week during tech*. She wrote her own captions, too! (Any italics were added by us.) Check 'em out:

Breakfast before rehearsal at a favorite coffee shop in Philly.

The walk to the train.

Testing different "dirt" concoctions for a very special moment in Legacy of Light. Note the wonderfully visible dirt smear on my chin. Go Liz! (Liz Stump, left, is PLTC's Props Master.)

Greg Wood (Peter/Monsieur du Chatelet) and Jefferson (Saint-Lambert/Lewis) having a "man-jam" during some down time.

Anna is our loyal Assistant Stage Manager, quick-change expert, resident coffee brewing extraordinaire, and all around swell person.

We were lucky enough to snag Jano Cohen for some "Alexander time" during our tech! Here, Jefferson Haynes is undoubtedly feeling open and free.

Daisy relaxing with me after a long day at the theatre. (Daisy is our resident mascot dog, and belongs to Artistic Director - and director of Legacy of Light! - Abigail Adams.)

The dressing room station, my home away from home!

* Tech is the week of rehearsal before a show opens, during which the sound and lighting becomes part of the rehearsals and everything gets put together.

Biographies of Voltaire & Émilie du Châtelet

2010-10-05T14:12:00.001-04:00

How do actors prepare for a role? It's called dramaturgy, and we want to share some of it with our audiences! For Legacy of Light the dramaturgy includes bios of key figures Émilie du Châtelet and Voltaire, a glossary of scientific terms used in the play, as well as musical selections that show up in the production. Read on to find out more!

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BIOGRAPHIES OF VOLTAIRE & ÉMILIE DU CHÂTELET

Voltaire

François-Marie Arouet, known as Voltaire (1694-1778), was a prominent playwright, author, and philosopher in 18^th century France. In 1726, Voltaire insulted the powerful young nobleman, Chevalier de Rohan, and was given two options: imprisonment or exile. He chose exile and from 1726 to 1729 lived in England. While in England, Voltaire was attracted to the philosophy of John Locke and the ideas of mathematician and scientist Sir Isaac Newton. He studied England's Constitutional Monarchy and its religious tolerance. Voltaire was particularly interested in the philosophical rationalism of the time and in the study of the natural sciences. After returning to Paris he wrote a book praising English customs and institutions. It was interpreted as criticism of the French government, and in 1734 Voltaire was forced to leave Paris again.

At the invitation of a highly-intelligent woman friend, Marquise du Châtelet, Voltaire moved into her Chateau de Cirey near Luneville in eastern France. They studied the natural sciences together for several years. In 1746, Voltaire was voted into the L’Académie Française. In 1749, after the death of Marquise du Châtelet and at the invitation of the King of Prussia, Frederick the Great, he moved to Potsdam (near Berlin in Germany). In 1753, Voltaire left Potsdam to return to France.

In 1759, Voltaire purchased an estate called Ferney near the French-Swiss border, where he lived until just before his death. Ferney soon became the intellectual capital of Europe. Voltaire worked continuously throughout the years, producing a constant flow of books, plays and other publications. He wrote hundreds of letters to his circle of friends. He was always a voice of reason. Voltaire was often an outspoken critic of religious intolerance and persecution.

Voltaire returned to a hero’s welcome in Paris at age 83. The excitement of the trip was too much for him and he died in Paris. Because of his criticism of the church, Voltaire was denied burial in church ground. He was finally buried at an abbey in Champagne. In 1791 his remains were moved to a resting place at the Pantheon in Paris.

Émilie du Châtelet
Although recognized for many years by the mathematical and scientific communities as an impressive intellect, Émilie du Châtelet’s contributions have been obscured with time. She scoffed at societal conventions, rebelling against the prejudices which barred her from intellectual debate because she was a woman. Her translation of Newton’s Principia, published ten years after her death, remains the only French translation of the text.

Born on December 17, 1706 and christened Gabrielle Émilie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, the future Marquise du Châtelet grew up under privileged circumstances. Her father, the Baron de Breteuil, was Principal Secretary and Introducer of Ambassadors to Louis XIV, and thus she spent the early years of her life in the presence and company of many notable celebrities and thinkers of the day. At the age of sixteen, her father introduced her to the Court of Versailles and by age nineteen she had chosen a husband: Marquis Florent-Claude Chastellet (Voltaire standardized the spelling of her last name to “Châtelet” in his writings). As was common for her station in life, the spouses understood each would have extramarital affairs; Émilie had affairs before and throughout her marriage, usually with men whom she found intellectually stimulating, such as her mathematics tutor and member of the Academy of Sciences Pierre-Louis Moreau de Maupertuis.

Émilie had three children with Châtelet: a daughter in 1726, a son in 1727, and finally a second son in 1733 who died in 1734. Her husband, a military man, spent much of his time on garrison duty away from home, so Émilie was free to enjoy the society of Paris, as well as to explore and expand her mind.

Émilie met Voltaire upon his return to France after his self-imposed exile. From 1734 until her death in 1749, the pair spent their time investigating energy, moral philosophy, metaphysics, history, critical deism, and physics. They theorized and worked proofs on Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz, both of whom were considered anathema by the French government for not following the same line of thought as Descartes. In 1748 Émilie fell in love with Marquis de Saint-Lambert and became pregnant. Fearing that at the age of forty-two childbirth would kill her, Émilie redoubled her exertions in completing Newton’s Principia. She completed the translation shortly before giving birth to a daughter on September 9, 1749 and died the next day from an infection contracted during childbirth.

Scientific Terms Used in LEGACY OF LIGHT

2010-10-05T11:49:00.002-04:00

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SCIENTIFIC TERMS USED IN LEGACY OF LIGHT

Brown dwarf: Stars are formed from collapsing gases which have sufficient mass to generate their own heat and, therefore, light. Planets are formed from the dust leftover from these colossal events, which is why they are captured by stars. Brown dwarfs are “failed stars” – bodies which collapsed but with insufficient mass and density to generate their own light.

Dark matter: A hypothetical form of matter that is believed to make up 90% of the universe; it is invisible (does not absorb or emit light) and does not collide with atomic particles, but exerts gravitational force.

Elements of the Philosophy of Newton: Voltaire published this book which he wrote with help from Émilie (her Latin was apparently more fluent than his, and Newton, like most scientists of the period, wrote in Latin for an academic and international readership). Voltaire’s book helped to popularize Newton’s theories with French audiences.

Gravitational collapse: This is the point at which massive objects collapse under their own gravity. The force is so great that not even light can escape; the consequence is a black hole in the universe.

Newton's Laws of Motion: Newton's three laws of motion are physical laws that define the relationship between the forces acting on a body and its motion due to those forces. The first law states that every body remains in a state of rest unless it is acted upon by an external unbalanced force. The second law states that acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass (of the object being accelerated), the greater the amount of force needed (to accelerate the object). The third law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Newton’s Principia (Philosophiae Naturalis Principiae Mathematica): Published in 1686 with help from Sir Edmund Halley, the Principia states Newton’s Laws of Motion, the foundation of classical mechanics. Émilie translated the Principia into French, but it was not published until 1759, ten years after her death. Émilie’s Principia is still widely read in France.

Rubin, Vera: an American astronomer who pioneered work on galaxy rotation rates. Rubin is credited with proving the existence of “dark matter,” or non-luminous mass, and forever altering our perceptions of the universe.

Stellar nursery: A region within a nebula where stars are forming.

Vega: Vega is the brightest star in the constellation of Lyra, one of the brightest in the night sky and one of the closest stars (“only” 25 million light years away) to our solar system. Olivia calls her planet, which revolves around Vega, Vega B.

Music from the Production

2010-10-05T11:37:00.001-04:00

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MUSIC FROM THE PRODUCTION

Click "Play" to start each song.

"She Blinded Me With Science" - Thomas Dolby

"Dodo L'Enfant Do" - French lullaby

Interview With CUCKOO'S NEST Cast Members Bill Zielinski & Brandon Oakes

2010-10-04T16:08:00.002-04:00

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest cast members Bill Zielinksi (McMurphy) and Brandon Oakes (Chief Bromden) talk to us about performing such an iconic story, and how they got into acting. Check it out!

Audience Reactions to ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

2010-09-20T12:59:00.002-04:00

We interviewed audiences members after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to see what they had to say - check it out!

A Day in the Life - By Brandon Oakes & Aubie Merrylees

2010-09-16T14:48:00.000-04:00

Another first! We have a set of photos which includes some taken by Brandon A. Oakes (Chief Bromden) and some by Aubie Merrylees (Billy Bibbit)--both are members of the One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest cast. Check out the artistic quality! The descriptions come from Aubie, and the italics are our additions.

Joe Guzman and Mark Lazar chat with Paul Nolan (our human basketball net) about safety. (Bill Zielinski [Randall P. McMurphy] is in red, and Tom Teti [Cheswick] is in the background.)

Dinner and drinks with some of the cast and production staff at The Flying Pig (a favorite Malvern watering hole).

Gathering after rehearsal at actress Marcia Saunder's house. (Marcia is playing the "terrifying" Nurse Ratched.)

Rehearsing

A Day in the Life - Laura Catlaw, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, Part 1!

2010-09-14T11:07:00.000-04:00

We have a special treat for you! A 2-part Day in the Life with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest cast member Laura Catlaw (Candy Starr). She took a lot of great photos and we didn't want to pick and choose, so we're putting them all up--here's part 1:

The gals: Georgia Cohen (Sandra) and Laura Catlaw (Candy Starr)

From left to right: James Ijames (Aide Warren), Joe O'Brien (Ellis) and Delanté Keys (Aide Williams), stretching out (on a gurney, no less) for a day of rehearsal.

Something we usually don't see--a member of the production staff! This is Danielle Mangano, one of the stage managers for the show, manning her station behind the set bathroom.

A lot of resting/sleeping is done between rehearsals and shows (acting is tough!)--here's Joe and Laura hanging out in the green room.

Delanté studies his lines.

Georgia hangs out in the backstage kitchen.

THE Randall P. McMurphy, Bill Zielinski, and Laura, smile for the camera.

Introducting Hank Murta Adams

2010-09-13T13:57:00.001-04:00

Hank Murta Adams (also known as brother to our Artistic Director, Abbey Adams!), has created beautiful glass pieces for our shows in the past, include the stars hung above the Theophilus North set, which are now hung in the upper lobby of our Main Stage. He is currently creating a huge backdrop of glass and steel for our upcoming production of Legacy of Light. Read on to learn more about him!

Hank Murta Adams, Studio Creative Director of Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
Hank Adams was a student of Dale Chihuly at the Rhode Island School of Design. He graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a B.F.A. in painting in 1978, and continued his education at Tennessee Technological University, Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina and Pilchuck Glass School in Washington. While continuing to work as an independent artist, Hank also served as head designer for the Blenko Glass Company for six years. Adams has also worked consistently over the years as an educator at schools and universities ranging from the Toledo Museum School; UrbanGlass in Brooklyn, NY; Univ. of Hawaii; the Center for Creative Studies, in Detroit; the Chicago Art Institute, the Ox-Bow School in Saugatuck, MI; the Pilchuck School in Stanwood, WA; and most recently as a visiting professor at Middlebury College, VT. In his current role as Studio Creative Director at Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, Hank facilitates numerous individual and collective projects for a diverse artist community, while serving as an educator and mentor for numerous young artists working as assistants and interns.

Adams has been awarded three Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and was recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship award from the New York State Arts Council. He was awarded a Fellowship at the Creative Glass Center of America in 2001, and is a member of the Creative Glass Center of America Advisory Board. His work has been featured in numerous one-man exhibitions ranging from J&L Lobmeyr Glass in Vienna, Austria; Remnant: Hank Adams, at The Arts Center of the Capital Region, Troy, NY; the Elliot Brown Gallery in Seattle; Heller Gallery in NYC, the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI and the Hunterdon Museum of Art in NJ. Adams’ work was also selected for Creativity and Collaboration: Pilchuck Glass School at 30 in Seattle, WA, in 2000. Other group shows range from the triennial traveling exhibition, Americans in Glass, to World Glass Now, held in 1988 at the Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Sapporo, Japan; and the Glass Skin, a traveling exhibit organized by the Corning Museum of Glass.

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To learn more about Wheaton Arts, click here!

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST Discovery Guide

2010-09-13T13:47:00.000-04:00

This Discovery Guide gives you more information on our production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. It includes costume designs and resources for educators, as well as character biographies and a self-guided tour of the play for teens. Click here to check it out!

CUCKOO'S NEST Design Blog Post #4

2010-09-09T14:51:00.003-04:00

Our Resident Dramaturg, Elizabeth Pool, keeps a blog specifically for the artistic team for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Most of her posts include "top secret" material, but she has graciously shared a few of them with us so we can let you in on a little of what inspires the designers for the show. Enjoy!

THE TITLE

The title One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is derived from a Mother Goose nursery rhyme called Vintery, Mintery, Cutery, Corn. The full text is as follows:

Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn
Apple seed and apple thorn;
Wire, briar, limber lock,
Three geese in a flock.
One flew east,
And one flew west,
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest.

CUCKOO'S NEST Design Blog Post #3

2010-09-09T14:50:00.001-04:00

SONGS IN THE SCRIPT

“My Horses Ain’t Hungry”
This is a folk song with many different variations. You can find similar versions under the titles "Wagoner's Lad," "Texas Cowboy," and "Pretty Polly." McMurphy's rendition is much more informal than any that I found. I think this song may, like Bromden's nursery rhyme, have been passed down to the character through oral tradition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m5efwGm1C4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5gJK0kvFuY
http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/songinformation.aspx?ID=485

"Does Your Spearmint Lose it's Flavor (on the Bedpost Overnight)"
This song was written by Marty Bloom, Ernest Breur, and Billy Rose in 1924 and though its original title was "Does Your Spearmint Lose Its Flavor (On the Bedpost Over Night)." it seems to have quickly become "Chewing Gum" instead of "Spearmint." The song was made popular by Lonnie Donnegan & His Skiffle Group (1959). Here's their version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXp0i7Y1eVo

"Roving Gambler"
Another old folksong. Here's a version from 1956:
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=HuEOGMzSLoQ&feature=related
And one with no description but a wonderful sound:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEYlR6-Uf-I

"Sweet Georgia Brown"
Here's a great (wordless) version by Louis Armstrong:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUoGsobfSHE&NR=1

The Wildroot Theme
Here's the original commercial!
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq3qa_wildroot-hair-tonic-1957_ads
And here's another Wildroot commercial purely for kicks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSb_5oQBrBM&feature=PlayList&p=7E4A31D177F93F23&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=35

CUCKOO'S NEST Design Blog Post #2

2010-09-09T14:46:00.001-04:00

THE COLUMBIA RIVER INDIANS

Celilo Falls ("echo of falling water" or "sound of water upon the rocks") is the name of a large waterfall that was part of a connected series of waterfalls and cascades along the Columbia River, located on what is now the border between Oregon and Washington. (See Google map link at the bottom of this post.) This roughly 15-mile stretch of chutes, rapids, eddies, and small islands created ideal fishing sites. The falls were the sixth-largest by volume in the world, and among the largest in North America. The tremendous roar could be heard many miles away.

A half dozen tribes had permanent villages between the falls and where the dam now stands. As many as 5,000 people would gather to trade, feast, and participate in games and religious ceremonies. Wooden platforms were built out over the water and the salmon were caught with dip nets and long spears on poles as they swam up through the rapids and jumped over the falls. Historically, an estimated fifteen to twenty million salmon passed through the falls every year.

Elders and chiefs regulated the fishing, permitting none until after the first salmon ceremony. Each day, fishing started and ended at the sound of a whistle. There was no night fishing. And when a fisherman was pulled into the water during his pursuit - most who fell did not survive - all fishing ceased for the day. In later years, each fisherman was required to tie a rope around his waist, with the other end fastened to the shore. Old people and others without family members able to fish could take what they needed from the catches. Visiting tribes were given what they could transport to their homes. The rest belonged to the fishermen and their families

In the 1930s and 1940s, civic leaders advocated for a system of hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River. They argued that the dams would improve navigation for barge traffic from interior regions to the ocean; provide a reliable source of irrigation for agricultural production; provide electricity for the World War II defense industry, shipbuilding and aluminum production; and alleviate the flooding of downriver cities.

Congressional hearings about the proposed dams began in 1947. The government had existing treaties from 1855 with the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and the Walla Walla, Umatilla, and Cayuse, which guaranteed their right to fish in the area. Those groups were compensated 26.8 million for the loss of the falls. They retained their fishing rights, but their livelihood and a central aspect of their lives was lost. The project was authorized in 1950, work commenced on the dam in 1952, and on the morning of March 10, 1957, the massive steel and concrete gates of The Dalles Dam closed and choked back the downstream surge of the Columbia River. Six hours later and eight miles upstream Celilo Falls, the age-old Indian salmon fishery, was under water.

This map of Celilo Falls fishing grounds shows sites named by James Selam, a former resident of the village of Skin. At Celilo and other tribal fisheries on the Columbia River, specific sites traditionally belonged to individuals and families who granted permission for others to use them.

Map of Celilo from the Lewis and Clark expedition

Fishing over the falls

Fishing with nets

This information has been unabashedly Frankensteined from these very helpful websites:
Celilo Falls on Wikipedia
Destruction of Celilo Falls
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

See the location of Celilo Falls on Google maps:
Google Maps

CUCKOO'S NEST Design Blog Post #1

2010-09-09T14:42:00.002-04:00

GREAT PBS MOVIE - THE LOBOTOMIST

Check out this fascinating (and slightly disturbing) movie called THE LOBOTOMIST. Copy and paste the link into your browser to watch.

PBS Video: THE LOBOTOMIST

A Day in the Life - Liz Gardner, Audience Services Manager!

2010-09-07T11:11:00.002-04:00

Usually for A Day in the Life, we ask an actor to photograph events in his or her day--this time, we asked a staff member to do it! Liz Gardner is our Audience Services Manager (which in layman's terms means she's the person you ask for comp tickets, or for donation tickets, or the person you call when you want to gush about what an awesome night at the theatre you had!). Like the actors we've posted in the past, Liz gets up early and works hard all day--check it out! (Captions by Liz herself.)

Good morning!

The saving grace of my morning.

The worst light ever.

Modern day bag lady??

The many things that need to get done.

My commute (the back way).

The Fightin' Phils Win 9-3!

2010-08-19T10:59:00.002-04:00

A big group of PLTC box office and administrative staff attended Tuesday night's AWESOME Phillies game against the Giants. The Phils won 9-3 and we couldn't have had a better time! Check out some photos that our talented staff took:

The PLTC Box Office Is Offically Open!

2010-08-17T12:15:00.000-04:00

That's right, no rest for the weary! 09/10 is over, and we are officially open for the 10/11 season. We're looking forward to an exciting season full of classics, men in dresses (for the 7th year in a row!), and some fantastic family shows including Kidnapped! and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Click here to view our season brochure.

Peter DeLaurier & Mark Lazar visit the NBC10 show!

2010-07-26T10:41:00.000-04:00

Without giving away the "secret," actors Peter DeLaurier (Sherlock Holmes) and Mark Lazar (Dr. Watson) were interviewed on the NBC10! show. Check it out!

The Secret of Sherlock Holmes Has Been Extended!

2010-07-21T16:34:00.000-04:00

Great news for those of you who haven't seen this "ideal summer diversion" yet--The Secret of Sherlock Holmes has just been extended by popular demand to August 15th!

A Day in the Life - Tom Teti from THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

2010-06-23T09:49:00.000-04:00

Next up for A Day in the Life, we have Tom Teti, who plays The Royal Tailor in The Emperor's New Clothes. Enjoy!

Starting the day off right with a crossword--Tom is a whiz at these things!

Tom's cozy-looking workspace.

Tom in his dressing room.

Ever wanted to witness a play rehearsal?

2010-06-15T14:01:00.000-04:00

Now you can! We took exclusive video from inside the very first rehearsal for The Emperor's New Clothes. Check it out!

An Interview with Martina Plag

2010-06-09T15:04:00.001-04:00

Martina Plag, puppet designer for The Emperor's New Clothes, talks about her puppet-making history, the process of creating, and more.

A Day in the Life - Claire Inie Richards from THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

2010-05-27T09:32:00.000-04:00

The cast of The Emperor's New Clothes is hard at work rehearsing, and we asked cast member Claire Inie Richards (who is playing Amelia in the production) to document what a day is like for her during this busy time. She gladly obliged! Check it out:

Breakfast!

Daisy, PLTC's mascot dog.

The rehearsal room.

The rehearsal room filled with actors, designers and directors!

Puppets waiting for their puppeteers.

Cast members Andrew Kane (The Emperor) and Pete Pryor (A Rogue Who Talks) practice some juggling.

An Interview with David Bradley & Maggie Fitzgerald

2010-05-04T11:04:00.002-04:00

Gossamer director David Bradley and Maggie Fitzgerald, who plays Littlest One, spoke to us about their history of working together, the many things learned while working on this production, and more.

Lois Lowry Visits Barnes & Noble!

2010-05-04T10:30:00.000-04:00

Gossamer playwright and Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry visited our local Barnes & Noble store this past Saturday, and spoke to the group of children and parents who gathered there about her life, her inspirations for writing, and Gossamer.

A Day in the Life - Kristen O'Rourke from GOSSAMER

2010-05-04T10:17:00.000-04:00

We asked Kristen O'Rourke, one of the members of the Gossamer Heap of Dream-givers, to take us inside her day with some photos!

A Day in the Life - Erin Weaver from GOSSAMER

2010-05-04T09:09:00.000-04:00

Erin Weaver, who plays Young Woman in our current production of Gossamer, took charge of our camera and showed us what it's like to be in her shoes for a day! Check it out:

An Interview with Cathy Simpson

2010-04-21T16:42:00.001-04:00

Cathy Simpson discusses her history with People's Light, her thoughts about GOSSAMER, and her character in the play. Check it out!

Stories of Engagement

2010-04-15T10:29:00.002-04:00

Jill Margraff
Owner/Creative Director, Margraffix
I have been working with People’s Light and Theatre since 1998, creating graphics, brochures and advertising materials, branding productions with art and show titles, and designing, building and maintaining the website. My experience with this company has always been positive, and the design work that they have allowed me to produce is some of the best in the regional theatre community. I have always believed that the quality of this design work reflected the quality of the theatre, in both its work ethic and what is produced, both onstage and within the community.

This is why I have enjoyed working with People’s Light for so long. Their productions are some of the best in the region. Their commitment to the community through educational programs is unmatched, and the company itself is dedicated to upholding this standard. I have also worked with several other theatre companies, both producing and presenting, and I can say that none of the companies have the same type of commitment to excellence that People’s Light has been able to uphold over the years. The theatre has been able to maintain a strong vision that works. It is an honor to be associated with them as they have set the standard for many years.

Jeep Pyne

Director of Design

My daughter Alexis has attended classes and Summerstage for four years. During that time she has expressed her involvement in and love for theatre to several of her friends. Three of them have enrolled in regular classes, as well as in Summerstage. There are now a few more shortly to join the ranks. The mother of one of the new students is an elementary school librarian in the Unionville School System and has told me that sometimes the runners-up to the Caldacott and Newberry Award-winning books are as interesting and popular with her students as the winners. She is compiling a list for us. It will be interesting to see how this list compares with our own. She also does an exercise with her students, where they take the inner book jacket blurb and adapt it from narrative to dialogue to help the students assess their interest in the book and its potential for stage adaptation.

An Interview with Alda Cortese

2010-04-09T14:56:00.000-04:00

Alda Cortese, who plays Rose Mary Woods in STRETCH (A FANTASIA), discusses what she thinks about her character, the script, and more.

An Interview with Daniella Topol

2010-04-05T09:48:00.000-04:00

We spoke to Daniella Topol, director of STRETCH (A FANTASIA), about her inspiration for directing the play, the difference in generations among cast members, and more. Check it out!

Get to Know our Managing Director Grace Grillet!

2010-03-26T12:03:00.000-04:00

Our very own Grace Grillet, Managing Director of People's Light, was featured in County Lines Magazine - check out the article!

An Interview with Steve Umberger

2010-03-12T11:59:00.002-05:00

King Lear director Steve Umberger tells us about working on one of William Shakespeare's greatest works.

An Interview with Graham Smith

2010-03-10T12:09:00.001-05:00

Actor Graham Smith, who plays the title role in King Lear, discusses his history with director Steve Umberger, and what it's like to be Lear.

An Interview with Mary Elizabeth Scallen

2010-02-18T09:16:00.001-05:00

People's Light Artistic Associate Mary Elizabeth Scallen talks about her beginnings with the Theatre, and her role in King Lear.

A Day in the Life - Joe O'Brien, KING LEAR

2010-02-17T10:34:00.004-05:00

And next up we have Joe O'Brien, an Ensemble member in King Lear. This is Joe's second production with People's Light--he filled in for Jeffrey Coon as Prince Aiden of Sargasso for a week during last season's Cinderella. Welcome back, Joe! Now let's see those photos...

Props from King Lear--some dangerous-looking knives!

For those of you who have never had Puffins Peanut Butter Cereal, it is delicious.

A nice view of PLTC's 2 feet of snow, from Joe's room at the Farmhouse. That's the garden of Places! Bistro below.

Cast members (from left to right) Peter DeLaurier (Kent), Graham Smith (Lear) and Mark Lazar (Fool) during rehearsal. At the table to the right we have Stage Management Interns Mike Chittenden and Mary Pizzullo, and Stage Manager (and wife of Graham) Audrey Brown.

A King Lear book that has been seen being passed around by many of the cast members.

We don't have a production photo of Joe yet, so here's his headshot so that you can put a face to the name!

A Day in the Life - Kevin Bergen, KING LEAR

2010-02-17T09:58:00.006-05:00

This time around we asked Kevin Bergen, who is playing Edmund in King Lear, to take some photos to show what he sees in a normal day. Let's take a look!

Cast member Susan McKey (Regan) in the dressing room.

Cast members Andrew Kane (Burgundy), Ahren Potratz (Oswald), David Blatt (Ensemble) and Joe O'Brien (Ensemble).

Kevin's FaceBook page.

Graham Smith (Lear, left), and Stephen Novelli (Gloucester, right) in the dressing room.

The view from onstage--cast members (from right to left) Kim Carson (Cordelia), Graham Smith (King Lear), Mark Lazar (Fool), Lenny Haas (Cornwall), Ahren Potratz (Oswald) and Michael Stewart Allen (Albany).

Rehearsal room.

Kevin Bergen himself, and in the background, Christopher Patrick Mullen (Edmund's brother, Edgar).

Kevin as Sydney Carton in last season's A Tale of Two Cities.

Shakespeare Workshop Lesson Plan & Photos

2010-02-05T10:15:00.003-05:00

On Friday, January 29th, King Lear fight director Samantha Bellomo and Resident Company members (and Lear cast members) Kevin Bergen and Mary Elizabeth Scallen led a Shakespeare workshop for teachers. Below is a link to the lesson plan that you can download and explore, as well as some photos from the workshop!

Download the lesson plan here.

Update: Stories of Engagement

2010-01-12T15:51:00.002-05:00

Winnie Killian
Administrative Assistant
When I think of someone staying involved with the theatre I think of me. I remember the day I drove past and my daughter said, "Turn in here, Mom. They need a receptionist.” So here I am, 14 years later. I went from part-time receptionist to full-time Subscriptions Manager and back to part-time receptionist. During that time, my family and friends have become active in life here at PLTC. We all look forward to plays, auctions, and Summerstage. The Panto has become a big part of our family holiday. We give tickets to friends as wedding and birthday gifts, and Owen passes out brochures at his office. A few from his office have become single ticket buyers and Family Series subscribers. I'm very happy I turned in here 14 years ago.

Each year I got a call from a man who just loved the Panto (and Andrea spoke to him again this year). His family holiday trip is to PLTC and they love to sit in the first row. One year I spoke to him while he was on the beach. He said his Christmas wouldn't be the same without the Panto!

Owen, my husband, works for a Dutch leasing company in Wayne called De Lage Landen Financial Services. He had been the Chief Risk Officer for the last 13 years before his semi-retirement last year and he still works there on a consulting basis. They often have people from the Netherlands staying here for a few years and also people transferring from around the US.

Emily, my granddaughter, loved Summerstage! She went last year and really looked forward to doing it again this year. She's in 2nd grade at St. Elizabeth School in Chester Springs. She had great stories each day on the drive home. She made instant friends with the other students and exchanged phone numbers for play dates. There were lots of hugs between the kids on the last day of class. She's quick to tell you that she knows the actors in the Panto and feels like a bit of an actor herself.

Ken Mumma
Board Member
My wife, Moira, and I attended plays on occasional basis.
I took an improvisation class for adults (and have regularly taken classes for 15 years since).
Moira and I became subscribers.
One of my instructors told me about People's Light’s work with kids, so I attended some elementary school performances.
I joined the Project Discovery Advisory Board.
Moira and I became annual donors.

I performed in the two Outside the Box seasons.
I founded New Century Bank.
I joined the board of People’s Light.
People's Light staff began using New Century Bank for their personal needs.
I co-chaired a charity auction for People’s Light, inviting our friends to participate
Moira's employer, Citizen Advocacy of Chester County, began using one dress rehearsal each year as an annual fundraiser.
New Century Bank provided a mortgage for People’s Light.
New Century Bank began purchasing subscriptions.
I participated in the Theatre’s Education Department Adult Ensemble production.
I co-chair the Theatre's current capital campaign.

Tea with Snow White!

2010-01-05T08:58:00.003-05:00

Thank you to all who entered our "Tea with Snow White" contest! We had a lot of entries but the lucky winner was Lynda Sheehan. Ms. Sheehan and 4 of her guests joined Snow White on stage after the show for tea, and as the following pictures show, fun was had by all.

We had a blast at Malvern Victorian Christmas '09!

2009-12-08T12:15:00.003-05:00

This past Saturday, People's Light Resident Teaching Artist Jess Conda taught an acting workshop as part of Malvern Victorian Christmas (for more information, click here). We had a great group of kids, several enthusiastic parents, and a good time was had by all. Check out their website, and please join us next year!

PLTC's Adult Ensemble present: THE TEMPEST

2009-12-07T14:54:00.005-05:00

By William Shakespeare
Directed by Ceal Phelan
Steinbright Stage

Saturday, December 12th at 8pm
Sunday, December 13th at 2pm

Friday, December 18th at 8pm
Saturday, December 19th at 8pm
Sunday, December 20th at 2pm

This production is free. Donations are accepted and appreciated at the door.

Seating is on a first come, first served basis and we strongly recommend arriving at the theatre at least a half hour before show time.

Please call Sara Waxman at 610.647.1900 ext. 116 for more information, or if someone in your party requires special seating.

For more information, see the flyer here.

_______________________________________

The Adult Ensemble is a group of adult theatre school students who have worked together for five years. Their previous productions have included The Dining Room, The Laramie Project, Our Country’s Good, An Invitation to Visit Harrison Texas, and Light up the Sky.

2009-11-23T15:57:00.001-05:00

Hatta Whopper visits NBC's 10! Show!

Watch a clip from SNOW WHITE!

2009-11-19T16:46:00.001-05:00

A Day in the Life - Jeff Coon

2009-11-18T11:07:00.010-05:00

Another exciting "A Day in the Life," this time with actor Jeff Coon. Jeff plays the genius director from Russia, Vladimir Von Upchuck in Snow White, and appeared as Prince Aiden of Sargasso in last year's Cinderella. Here are his photos:

Jeff (center) as Vladimir.

Snow White Word Search

2009-11-16T15:38:00.003-05:00

A Snow White Word Search

Instructions: Search for words from the play hidden horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and backwards.

Word List:
Follywood
Hats
Mogul
Dame
Nyet
Whopper
Bubba
Mirror
Ernestina
Regina
Snow White
Panto

Make Your Own Clapperboard!

2009-11-13T15:05:00.011-05:00

Make Your Own Clapperboard!
By: Sara Waxman

You Will Need:

A Cereal Box
One Hole Punch
Brass Paper Fastener (2)
Black and White Poster Paint (or if you are feeling adventurous, any two colors will work)
A paint brush
Newspaper
A ruler

STEP ONE
Remove cereal from box (liner paper and all) and set aside.

STEP TWOPaint cereal box black (or the darker of the two colors you have chosen instead).

STEP THREE
Let the paint dry in a well ventilated area.

STEP FOUR
Pour a bowl of cereal. Eat it.

STEP FIVE
Once the box is dry, open the box and lay flat and horizontally on the table in front of you.

STEP SIX
One each side, use a ruler to draw a horizontal line from one end of the box to the other (a good width to go by is the width of the ruler).

STEP SEVEN
Cut along the line on each side. You will end up with a large piece of the box and a small piece. These are your clapboard and clapper.

STEP EIGHT
Glue or tape your cereal box back together using the original folds of the packaging as a guide.

STEP NINE
Use the one hole punch to punch a hole in the clapboard on either side.

STEP TEN
Fit the clapper into the open end of the clapboard and mark with a pencil where the holes line up.

STEP ELEVEN
Punch the clapper with the one hole punch where you marked it.

STEP TWELVE
Fasten together the clapboard and the clapper with the brass paper fastener.

STEP THIRTEEN
In pencil, stencil on the details of your Clapperboard and paint.

STEP FOURTEEN
Let the paint dry in a well ventilated area.

While waiting, pour another bowl of cereal and eat it.

STEP FIFTEEN
Fill your Clapperboard with scenes and charades and play!

Updated Stories of Engagement

2009-11-10T11:42:00.002-05:00

Recently, People's Light came up with what we call a "Long Range Plan." This process made us think about who we are, what we do, and what we want to accomplish in the future. Part of the process included collecting stories from staff, patrons, and friends of the Theatre. These are our Stories of Engagement, and each one is unique; each person who wrote a story talked about how they came to be part of the PLTC, or how the community around them is affected by the Theatre. They are interesting reads, and we post them on our website for all to read. We change them out every so often (there are lots of them to get through!) and will put the new ones here for you to read, but if you want to see them on the website you can click here.

Peter DeLaurier (Artistic Associate) and Ceal Phelan
Company Members
We started out as People’s Light's competitors. We co-founded the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington. In our early years there, we met PLTC co-founder Danny Fruchter and others at PLTC and helped connect the theatre with Actors' Equity Association to establish its first union contract. We then worked at PLT under that contract during the summers when we laid ourselves off at DTC. Ceal taught teens in PLTC's summer program. Peter directed in the Festival of New Plays. We made many friends in the company. When we returned to the area after our time running a theatre in Mississippi, we were welcomed back into the ranks at PLTC. Our production of Zig Zag Zelda (at First Stage—a second theatre we founded in Delaware) was performed at PLTC and considered one of the theatre's first "Phased Development" projects. When the resident acting company was reformed under the NEA grant in 1989 we were asked to be members. We've been here ever since.

Both of our kids have worked at PLTC. Jake started in Summerstage and classes and ended up in New Voices Ensemble and in Family Series productions of Breaking Spells and Holes. He's worked backstage and ran follow-spot for a number of productions. Nok was part of the teen crew hired to usher for Free Fest.

We're involved in our community. We can't go to our Friends Meeting without discussing at length the recent production with other Friends who've attended or are about to. Ceal has worked with the Volunteer English Program and with the Exchange Club (mentoring a young single mother). The young women she worked with brought their families to productions. Many families of Jake's soccer teams at Greater Chester Valley Soccer Association (the last of which Peter started and coached for many years) became regular theatre goers. Jake's alma mater, Upattinas, comes frequently to our Project Discovery productions. We're involved in Chester County Democratic politics. Peter is a County Committeeperson for Malvern Borough. The local democrats (and not just a few friendly republicans we've met on the campaign trail) come to shows through our connection. In this vicinity—in grocery stores, pharmacies, Post Office, at the polls, riding bikes on the street, taking a walk through the woods—we run into people (often whom we don't recognize) who KNOW us and want to talk about People’s Light.

At the theatre, we act and teach. We occasionally direct and write. (Peter's Anne of Green Gables was produced in the Family Series.) We work part-time on staff at the theatre. Ceal sometimes assists Melanye Finister in the Audience Development Department and Peter is one of three Artistic Associates. Peter is currently the company/staff representative on the Board of Trustees and has helped with the Strategic Planning committee. He is on the Facilities Committee and the staff Safety Committee. Ceal developed the Adult Ensemble for the Theatre School with Nancy Shaw and prepares a weekly vegetarian lunch for interested company and staff members.

Anne Congdon
Board Member
One of my very first dates with George Congdon, (in 1979) was to this professional theatre with a strange name that had just moved to Malvern. Although I had never heard of People’s Light and Theatre Company, George assured me that he had seen them perform at Strode’s Mill and thought they were very good. I don’t remember what that first play I saw was, I just know I was very impressed and I think we became subscribers almost immediately, bringing friends and family whenever possible.

It wasn’t long before People’s Light co-founder Danny Fruchter learned that George was a developer—and Danny had several building projects in mind. The farmhouse, which housed the administrative offices needed renovation to include actor housing as part of the project; a brand new administration building needed to be built; and eventually a banquet facility was constructed. George met the challenge and managed to call in a lot of favors from building suppliers, contractors and landscapers to get the jobs done at minimal cost.

Soon George joined the Board of Directors and served until his death in 1998. While on the Board, he was one of the main forces behind the launch of Project Discovery which would bring to the theatre all Chester County junior and senior high school students twice a year. This project started in 1988 and continues today.

While George was busy improving the physical facilities, I served on gala committees, (co-chairing one with former board member Margarett McKeel), auction, and other committees. Our youngest son, Greg, while taking a semester off from college, even got into the act. He was offered a job operating a moving spotlight for The Lady Sings the Blues. We had to apologize to the stage manager because occasionally Greg forgot to follow the actor with the spotlight. Luckily, he decided to pursue a different profession.

As a longtime subscriber and donor I have always been very involved and enthusiastic about the mission of the theatre and the quality of the actors, productions, and its leadership. Now, as a Board member myself, I have had the opportunity to get to know the theatre on an even more personal basis. I have had the opportunity to share my home for Spotlight Society gatherings and for Auction donation social functions. Also, it has been a privilege to supply housing for several visiting actors and directors.

If I sound like a proud parent, that’s how I feel. I have watched People’s Light for almost 30 years as it has grown from its infancy to adulthood, overcoming many inconceivable obstacles to continue on its path of innovation and creativity and artistic excellence, enhancing my life, and I believe, many others.

A Day in the Life - Andrew Kane

2009-11-03T14:50:00.009-05:00

This time for "A Day in the Life," we asked Andrew Kane to share his view of daily life with us--from behind a camera. Andrew is playing Bubba the Bodyguard in this season's Panto, Snow White, and appeared as Tom Cat in last year's Cinderella. Here are his photos (captions are by Andrew himself)!

"Breakfast"

"Saloon"

"Cups"

"Faith"
(Cast member Chris Faith, who is playing Miles, the Butler in Snow White)

"Foley"

"Hall"
(From left to right--Snow White cast members Luigi Sottile, Christopher Patrick Mullen, Chris Faith, Mark Lazar, Lois Sach Binder and Rachel Brennan.)

"Laundry"

"Fallout 3"

From last season's Cinderella.

Interview with the cast members of ABSENCE

2009-10-14T11:56:00.002-04:00

We asked Greg Wood and Judith Lightfoot Clarke, Peter and Mary from Absence, to tell us about their characters and describe some of the elements of the play. It was a fun interview to do!

The Scoop!

2009-10-13T14:43:00.002-04:00

Peter DeLaurier (who played the The Patriarch in Nathan the Wise) just sent us this photo from The Scoop, our pre-show discussion which he led before each performance of Nathan. We had to share!

The Scoop has been very interesting so far, so the next time you come to a show, arrive an hour before performance time and get some insight into the show!

In & Out: Production Photos!

2009-10-13T11:05:00.015-04:00

Recently, one of our production team members (the very talented Michael Hahn, Sound Operator) handed us a disc full of photos he had taken of various sets being made. These photos go back to when he started at People's Light, and include shows like Cinderella, End Days, A Tale of Two Cities and The Persians. You can see the works-in-progress and get a feel for how much work is involved!

And if you're curious about the members our shop team, see below!

Will Scribner, Scenic Painter

Bridget Brennan, Wardrobe Supervisor

Jefferson Haynes, Scenic Carpenter
(You may remember him as Hackin' Devil Dan from Treasure Island!)

Greg Miller, Master Electrician

Dylan Jamison, Scene Shop Foreman

Kate Nelson, Stage Management Associate, and Michael Hahn, Sound Operator (and provider of all these wonderful photos!)

College Night 2009

2009-10-07T09:05:00.004-04:00

We invited college students and their professors to the October 1st performance of Nathan the Wise, just like we did for The Persians last season. Included was a pre-show discussion led by Nathan actor and Resident Company member Peter DeLaurier, and a talk-back with the actors after the show. Prior to the show we invited everyone to hang out in the upper lobby, enjoy refreshments and check out the lobby display. Here are a couple photos!

Faith & Frienship: A Conversation with Scholars on NATHAN THE WISE

2009-10-06T09:59:00.006-04:00

We held a free discussion on Nathan the Wise this past Sunday. Dramaturg Graham Graves moderated the panel, joined by three scholars, Elliot Ratzman, Visiting Professor of Jewish Studies and Religion, Temple University; Simon Richter, Professor of Germanic Studies, University of Pennsylvania; and Andrea Schatz, Fellow at the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, University of Pennsylvania and Lecturer in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, King’s College, London.

Media Goodness!

2009-09-24T16:45:00.003-04:00

We've got a couple of really interesting Nathan the Wise-related videos for you: an interview with the director Abbey Adams, done by philly.com, and part 1 of our interview of dramaturg Graham Graves. Enjoy!

Abbey Adams Interview, Philly.com

Graham Graves Interview, Part 1

A Day in the Life Photoblog - Brian Anthony Wilson

2009-09-17T09:58:00.008-04:00

We asked actor Brian Anthony Wilson, who plays Al-Hafi in Nathan the Wise, to document a normal day in his life--with pictures! And here they are, complete with captions from Brian:

"Parker & me brushing our teeth."

“Parker & Dad having breakfast.”

“Recycling—yay planet Earth!”

“Mowing the lawn.”

“Checking my e-mail.”

“Driving to work.”

“Learning my lines.”

Brian on Stage.

People's Light at the Game

2009-07-30T09:34:00.002-04:00

People’s Light and Theatre Company’s Front of House Staff attended the Philadelphia Phillies game on July 20th versus the Chicago Cubs. The Front of House Staff gladly gives our support to such a great baseball team so close to home. With the help of the Phillies Box Office we were able to get great seats and a winning game. The Phillies won 10-1.

Elizabeth Gardner
Box Office Manager

The New Voices Ensemble Performs at the NCC

2009-07-24T16:00:00.005-04:00

On January 19th, 2009, eight members of the People’s Light & Theatre Company’s New Voices Ensemble participated in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day of service at the National Constitution Center. The Ensemble, along with other area students, professional actors, and educators, performed a dramatic and choral reading of the historic MLK Speech that was given in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

In addition to performing and assisting NCC staff, Ensemble members took part in a quilting project for Women Against Abuse shelters and homeless shelters. Groups took turns assisting families and volunteers, cutting and sorting fabric, hand stitching, ironing, and finishing blankets and pillows. Following their day of service the students received a private tour of the exhibit “America I Am,” a celebration of African-American contributions throughout history in the United States, featuring not only a variety of famous artifacts such as Malcolm X’s personal diary and the jail door where Martin Luther King, Jr. was held in Birmingham, but also an assortment of multimedia presentations showcasing famous African-Americans throughout U.S. history.

Floor Thirteen and a Half, Summerstage 2009, by Kelsey Hodgkiss

2009-07-09T15:28:00.005-04:00

This summer, Teen 1 from the People's Light & Theatre Summerstage program is tackling something new. We are creating and putting on and original play based on the themes of End Days.

Floor Thirteen and a Half tells the story of 15 strangers who take an emotional and psychological journey while stuck during a blackout in a broken down luxary hotel elevator. Will they get out? Well, we don't know yet, but you will when you come to see it Friday, July 17th at 1:00pm at Delaware Valley Friend's School.

-Kelsey Hodgkiss

DOUBT Design Presentation - 6/4/09

2009-06-17T11:33:00.004-04:00

Doubt director David Bradley discusses the content and context of the play at an event for People's Light donors at the Benefactor level and up.

For more information about donor levels and benefits, call Jane P. Moss (Director of Development) at 610.647.1900, ext. 102.

David Bradley and Pete Pryor visit NBC's 10! Show!

2009-06-10T11:59:00.003-04:00

David Bradley (Director) and Pete Pryor (who plays Father Flynn) visit NBC's 10! Show:

Approaching Opening Night

2009-06-01T10:35:00.002-04:00

Hey for anyone reading this (don’t know how many of you are) I’m guessing you’re wondering who the heck is writing this. I’m the Marketing intern here at People’s Light, at least for a few more days, as something to do until I graduate from High School. In the Marketing department we’ve been doing a ton of work on Doubt, sending postcards and letters to spread the word. When I first started a few weeks ago I had not seen the movie (which I’m sure is amazing) and didn’t really know what Doubt was about. After sitting in on a rehearsal, I was intrigued by the plot and blown away by the talented actors on stage. With the show opening this Friday, we’re in crunch time, but everyone here can’t wait to put on another amazing show.

-Amanda Brandt

Behind the EGGS set

2009-05-30T21:41:00.004-04:00

A landscape of discarded possessions set out for pickup on a big trash day in a suburb of Philadelphia on the Main Line provides the setting and the raw materials to create the multiple locations and props needed to tell the story of Y York’s adaptation of Jerry Spinelli’s Eggs.

A stepped platform littered with junk and painted to suggest the winter that has just passed and the spring that is emerging. A painted scrim threatens a scary forest and promises blossoms and hope. An unwanted clothes rack, a beaded curtain and some blankets become a fortuneteller’s living room. An abandoned van becomes a bedroom cocoon for her daughter. A broken picture frame sitting on an old chair creates a window to a young boy’s bedroom. A retired wooden shipping crate and a pair of artificial shrubs in garden containers suggest his grieving grandmother’s front stoop. An old ironing board stocked with old appliances that await repair is the workshop of a wise and kind mentor who gently tries to mend more that broken lamps and toasters. All of these unwanted things became needed and recycled until they, having serving their storytelling function are discarded by our weary travelers who then pull away the forest, on their way to Philadelphia, the sunrise and healing.

James F. Pyne, Jr.
Director of Design
March 24, 2009

the Eggs set:

Doubt: A Parable

2009-05-18T11:12:00.003-04:00

Doubt: A Parable tells the story of the two conflicting worlds in a small New York Catholic school. Tension between the conservative principle and a new priest who is less conservative spirals into a suspicion-filled war of accusations when a young teacher sees something that makes her believe that the new priest has an inappropriate relationship with a student. “What do you do when you’re not sure?” sums up, as well as begins, this riveting and thought-evoking drama that will leave you choosing sides with the characters and doubting even your own conclusions.

Doubt: A Parable began its life off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre club on November 23, 2004, before moving to the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway in 2005. It closed July 2, 2006 after 525 performances. Written by John Patrick Shanley, Doubt was originally done in one act. The original cast said the second half stemmed from the audience's reaction to the play. In its years on and off-Broadway, and then touring the country, Doubt: A Parable has won many awards, including 8 Tony Awards, 5 Drama Desk Awards and a Pulitzer Prize. Its fame became complete when in 2008 Doubt became a feature film directed by the author, John Patrick Shanley, and starring Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Viola Davis, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Doubt proceeded to be nominated for numerous Academy, BAFTA, Critic’s Choice and Golden Globe awards. Meryl Streep won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role and the cast picked up many other smaller awards as well.
Starring talented veteran actors like Ceal Phelan, Pete Pryor, Elizabeth Webster Duke, and Melanye Finister, Doubt: A Parable at Peoples Light and Theatre will draw you in, force you to choose sides by your beliefs and then make you question your own conclusions.

By: Amanda Brandt

EGGS ENTRY 5, BY CLAIRE INIE-RICHARDS

2009-05-07T15:58:00.003-04:00

(Claire plays the character of Primrose in our production Eggs.)

4.24.2009

Opening! Everything was a success. After an hour of practicing the opening sequence, we discovered the best way to hold the egg is to cradle it from UNDER the burlap. And victorious we were! The show really blossomed (which is what we strive for) and Mark (director) and Y (playwright) were both very pleased. Score!! Now there are four more shows to look forward to this weekend--bon voyage!

EGGS Entry 4, by Claire Inie-Richards

2009-04-22T22:02:00.001-04:00

(Claire plays the character of Primrose in our production Eggs.)

4.22.2009

We had our first preview performance this morning (a 10am, no less) which went tremendously well, and the kids were really great too. It's always a leap of faith doing the show for schools, but they were very well-behaved, and everything ran smoothly. Only one more preview and then on to opening! I think the 10am tricked my brain into thinking we're already open. A rather mean trick, in my opinion. :)

(Claire Inie-Richards as Primrose and Nathaniel Brastow as David. Photo by Mark Garvin.)

Eggs Entry 3, By Claire Inie-Richards

2009-04-17T10:28:00.001-04:00

(Claire will play the character of Primrose in our upcoming production Eggs.)

4.17.2009

Tonight was the costume run! I love costume runs because it's kind of the final step in putting it all together, and there are lots of discoveries to be made. :) I have three separate costumes--never had so many before!--and two fantastic, beautiful wigs. AHH they are so gorgeous!!!!! The whole cast looks terrific. The costume ladies took good care of us. We ran (and stumbled and meandered through the show) and all in all it went very well. It will be great to have audiences soon, we've been doing it for so long, we've forgotten it's even funny. :)

Eggs Entry 2, By Claire Inie-Richards

2009-04-08T10:17:00.008-04:00

(Claire will play the character of Primrose in our upcoming production Eggs.)

4.8.2009

Photos from rehearsal:

Eggs Entry 1, by Claire Inie-Richards

2009-04-06T09:59:00.014-04:00

(Claire will play the character of Primrose in our upcoming production Eggs.)

4.6.2009

We started off the day with a trip over to the theater to check out the stage. We also saw the van, which might I say looks pretty awesome. It's quite literally the last two or so feet of a van. And randomly enough it's from North Carolina. :) Back in rehearsal we spent the remainder of the afternoon finishing the blocking for the last scene, meaning we are now totally blocked and ready to do a complete run-through tomorrow or Wednesday!

(Claire in last season's Getting Near to Baby)

Tea with Cinderella a Smashing Success!

2009-01-08T11:28:00.000-05:00

As many of you may know, we held a contest during the run of Cinderella for a group of people to win tickets for the January 4th performance, and have tea with Cinderella herself after the show on the stage. The winner of that contest was Kara Gannon, and she and four friends got to meet and have tea with our very own Cinderella. We have pictures to prove it!

Here we have Kim Carson as Cinderella, happily hosting her very own tea party.

The girls were fascinated by Cinderella's glass slippers, and eventually tried them on themselves.

We think everyone enjoyed themselves, especially those who got to play dressup!

CINDERELLA'S Dame Crashes the NBC 10! Show

2008-12-19T16:40:00.000-05:00

Click here to see the Dame from Cinderella crash the NBC 10! show!

Notes from the first Sunday Series event, by Julia Loving.

2008-10-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

The Persians and History

Over 80 people gathered in the Main Stage theatre on Sunday afternoon, October 5th to hear a discussion on the background of current production of The Persians—how the play frames history and how history frames the play. Rosaria Munson, Chair of the Department of Classics and Lee Devin, dramaturg, resident company member, and author led an informative and engaging discussion. Dr. Munson, who has written two books and several articles on Herodotus first gave a presentation on the historical context of the play. She said that McLaughlin’s adaptation was very much in the spirit of what the Greek tragedians were doing when they adapted myths to the stage. However, what is unusual about The Persians is that it is based on an actual event—The Battle of Salamis—that happened only eight years prior to the presentation of Aeschylus’ play in 472 BC. Only two other ancient Greek plays that we know of deal with historic subjects. In all three cases, the plays have to do with the confrontation of a Greek city state with foreign invaders.

In 490 BC, the Persian king Darius and his army suffered a terrible defeat at Marathon at the hands of the Athenians. Ten years later, his son Xerxes again sent an army to defeat Athens with the goal of conquering all of Greece and making it part of the Persian Empire. This expedition lasted two years, from 481-479 BC. The Greeks’ astounding victory at the Battle of Salamis was the turning point of the war and the beginning of the ascendancy of Athenian democracy and Western civilization.

Aeschylus and his brother had fought in the Battle of Marathon where his brother died. What is so unusual about the play The Persians is that it is told from the perspective of the defeated Persians, not the victorious Athenians. What would the reaction of the Athenian audience have been to this. Most scholars believe that Aeschylus’ Persians allowed the Athenians to empathize with the defeated Persians. Dr. Munson pointed out that this was very much the tact that Ellen McLaughlin had taken in her adaptation. Her version is not triumphalist but full of compassion.

Dr. Munson said that there is also a much more cynical and less charitable view of how to understand The Persians. It is Edward Said (died 2003), Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, who called The Persians the first “orientalist” document produced by the West. The Greeks, once they had overcome their surprise at their victory over the Persians, reflected on this achievement and came up with several explanations. They theorized that the Persians were punished by the Gods for their hubris.

But, from this viewpoint, there was also another reason for the Persians’ defeat—the Greeks were superior because they were free men, constitutionally governed, relatively poor and therefore hardy, unlike the rich, soft, pampered Persians. Aeschylus’ Persians thus portrayed a polarity between East and West, which would have obliterated any sympathy the Greeks might have felt for the Persians. This is embodied in the play by the example of the two horses in Queen Atossa’s dream—in Aeschylus’ original, they are two women—representing this polarity. Asia is submissive while Europe struggles against the constraints of the bridle. There are also many references to the luxury of the Persians’ lifestyle and to their subservience to their rulers.

Dr. Munson believes that the play speaks to a combination of these aspects. She does not find it jingoistic and instead very nuanced. She said that its subtlety and portrayal of East/West polarity makes modern rewritings of the play particularly interesting.

McLaughlin’s adaptation was commissioned in 2003 just after the U.S. invasion of Iraq by Tony Randall, National Actors Theatre artistic director. Says Munson, “It completely confuses the polarity between East and West.” American viewers who would more readily identify themselves with the Greek ideals of democracy and freedom, instead “find themselves identified in no uncertain terms with an oppressive and Orientalist East.” She added that she found it extremely disturbing that we are “almost denied permission” to identify with the Athenians.

But for Aeschylus’ play to work at all with his Athenian audience, the Athenians had to feel that they were on the right side, that even while they empathized with the suffering of the Persians, the Gods and Justice were on their side.

Lee Devin pointed out that it was a testament to McLaughlin’s fine writing. Instead of offering a “simplistic, moralistic, and contemporarily fashionable” viewpoint, she “simply opens the door” to this really interesting and complex set of ideas. We can’t clearly differentiate between “us” and “them.” The play is about choices made and consequences suffered expressed in language. In other words, “it is going to be the use of language to do stuff.” Having the play situated in Susa where the Persians who were left behind await word of their army—their husbands, fathers, and sons—waging war in distant Greece. Aeschylus and McLaughlin in her adaptation let us experience the Persians’ personal suffering and psychic anguish.

One audience member said that he found it hard to accept that one goal of the play was to make the Greeks empathize with the Persians. Instead, he felt that the play would make the Athenian audience feel great pride in the suffering that their victory had caused to their enemy. He pointed out that war was part of life and not seen as a terrible thing. It was a way to acquire wealth, expand empire, and ensure security. The Athenians went on to create their own empire and were in their own way “casually brutal to those they conquered.”

Another audience member said that he was very moved by the fact that the Persians admitted their part in the tragedy, that it was their hubris that had brought them down. This could serve as a warning to the Athenians that they should not feel too much pride because they too could suffer defeat.

Dr. Munson emphasized that the play is a representation of the Greek imagination of how the Persians responded to their defeat in the Battle of Salamis. This is Greek discourse placed in the mouth of actors. Like the other great Greek tragedies, Aeschylus’ play speaks to us across 2,500 years with startling immediacy. Greek literature has sustained its power. The Greeks were articulate, aware, and analytical. “Everything is expressed,” said Munson. These qualities are not lost in McLaughlin’s remarkable adaptation.

A successful College Night!

2008-10-06T12:08:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday was "College Night" at the theatre. We invited college students and professors to see The Persians, and held a talk-back after the show, followed by a small reception for everyone who stayed. For those of you who don't know, a talk-back is where the audience is invited to stay after the performance, and the actors come back out onto the stage to answer questions. It's entertaining and informative, and we get a lot of great questions. The student audience was no different, and below you'll find a summary of some of the questions that were asked.

Elizabeth Pool (Resident Dramaturg and host of the talk-back): Tell us what you will talk about on the ride home tonight. What moments, images, costumes stuck with you?

Audience member: The way the play resonated with our times. The hubris can be compared to the United States, both now and in Vietnam.

Audience member: Were there really women counselors?

Actor 1: Yes! No. I’ve been waiting for someone to ask that question! There was one woman warrior that Heroditus mentions. She disguised herself as a Greek and took down one of their ships. He said “My women act like men and my men act like women”

Actor 2: Persian women ran businesses, owned land, and had money that was separate from their husbands. They were pretty liberated.

Audience member: This play portrays Darius as very sympathetic.

Actor 1: Darius was pretty enlightened. He didn’t try to take away the belief systems of the countries he conquered.

Actor 2: It started with Cyrus. He was conquering other lands, but he would let them stay multi-ethnic, multi cultural. Different nations under Persia. It was like that until Xerxes.

Audience Member: Is the play more about the Persian Tragedy or the Athenian triumph?

Actors: Aeschylus fought in two major battles and his brother died in the first. What’s amazing to me is that just a few years later he turned around and wrote this play. And he wrote it just when Athens was thinking about becoming more like Persia. It was a cautionary tale.

Audience member: Can you talk about the deconstruction and interaction of the chorus? And you were all so descriptive with your bodies.

Actor 1: Part of the acting challenge was the heightened language. Our director didn’t want us to talk out to the audience in classical Greek style automatically. Maybe ten days into the rehearsal, she turned down the lights to get us to just talk to each other. So it’s not GREEK TRAGEDY. So we would communicate as much as possible.

Actor 2: Aeschylus wrote this as a chorus, and so did Ellen MacLaughlin. The first director divided it into chambers of the cabinet.

____________________________________

After the talk-back, we invited everyone into the lower lobby for refreshments, and the actors came out to mingle with the crowd.

In this picture, you can see (from left to right): Miriam Hyman (The Herald), Nancy Shaw (Director of Education at PLTC), Mark Hairston (Xerxes), and the back of Kevin Bergen (The Chairman). The entire cast made an appearance, and it was interesting to watch them continue the talk-back in the form of one-on-one conversations with the audience members.

Fun Cinderella Facts, by Sara Waxman

2008-09-30T15:47:00.000-04:00

Design sketch of a Flapper costume for our production of Cinderella: A Musical Panto,
by costume designer Rosemarie McKelvey.

About the Production
This year’s Panto, Cinderella, is set in the Roaring Twenties, which is remembered for its vibrant social scene. Party-goers had their own language and Vaudeville (a broadly comic style of theatre divided into sketches and dance acts) was a popular form of entertainment. Flappers were party girls who wore fringed dresses and spoke their own language, calling “Hey-ho, Daddy-o” to each other and dancing the Charleston at every opportunity. In our production of Cinderella, Ella’s stepsisters are wannabe Flappers. To learn more about the 1920s party scene, Flappers, and the Charleston, visit YouTube.com and search for “Dancin’ the Charleston” (make sure to put your search topic in quotes). Check out “The Charleston” with music by the Green Hill Instrumental.

Flapper/1920s Lingo
“Speak easy” – an illegal bar, usually in the basement of an establishment or private residence, during the time of Prohibition (The speak easy in our Panto happens to be in the basement of the Mayor’s mansion).
“Applesauce” –in our production is used to refer to alcohol
“Dusting the Mug” – Putting on powdered make-up
“Greaser” – eye brow pencil
“Painting the kisser” – Putting on lipstick
“The Bees Knees” – refers to a person, place, or thing that is extraordinary or cool
(Source: http://local.aaca.org/bntc/slang/slang.htm)

Variations on the story of Cinderella
Cinderella has come down to us in many versions. Some tellings include mice, a pumpkin, a glass slipper, while others include Pharaohs, slaves, an eagle, and meddling gods. Although the elements of the stories differ, they all follow the same path—a downtrodden heroine magically escapes her situation (usually shoes play a role in the action) and ends up with a prince. Here are some of the very first versions of the story. (When you see the play, look for elements from these versions that resurface in Kathryn Petersen’s Cinderella.)

Aesop
In Aesop’s fable “The Girl with the Rose Red Slippers,” a young Greek girl, Rhodopis, is stolen by pirates and sold into slavery. She is bought by a merchant who showers her with gifts and a pair of Rose Red Slippers. One day while she is bathing in the river, an eagle swoops down and steals one of her slippers. The eagle flies to Egypt and drops the slipper at the Pharaoh’s feet, who believes the slipper is a sign from the Gods. He sends his men to find Rhodopis and, when she is found, makes her his queen. (Source: http://www.egyptianmyths.net/mythslippers.htm)

Brothers Grimm
In the Grimm tale version, Cinderella is befriended by the birds that live in the hazel tree at the foot of her mother’s grave. On the night of the Prince’s ball Cinderella goes to the hazel tree and says: “Shiver and quiver, little tree, silver and gold throw down over me." The tree supplies her finery. At the ball, Cinderella loses a shoe in her haste to get home before her Stepmother and Stepsisters. When the Prince arrives at Cinderella’s house in search of the shoe’s owner, the stepsisters try to trick him into believing the shoe fits them by cutting off parts of their feet. But the birds sing to the Prince, alerting him to the Stepsisters’ trick. He tries the shoe on Cinderella, it fits, and he takes her for his bride.
(Source: http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms/21cinderella.html)

Charles Perrault
Charles Perrault’s is perhaps the most well-known version of Cinderella. A French government official, Perrault was the first to include the elements familiar to us: the Fairy Godmother, the glass slipper, a pumpkin turned a coach, and the transformation of Cinderella’s animal friends into footmen, horses, and coachmen. Perrault’s innovative contribution to literature was to transform folktales into the first fairy tales by including enchantments, magical creatures, and intricate turns of events. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella)

Recent Adaptations
In 1804, the Drury Lane and Adelphi Theatres in London produced Cinderella in the pantomime form. The traditional English pantomime, which the People’s Light production is inspired by, contains specific elements such as mistaken identity, comedy, political satire, and a Dame (a man dressed as a woman). Other panto traditions are audience participation, a messy fight (past years at People’s Light have included fights in jello and ice cream), singing, dancing, and candy!

Contemporary versions of the tale include Disney’s animated movie and TV versions of the book and lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein (starring Lesley Ann Warren in 1965 and Brandy in 1997). Cinderella has also found her way into pop culture via songs like Fairy Tale by Sara Bareilles, Cinderella Stay Awhile by Michael Jackson, Cinderfells by Snoop Dogg, Cinderella by Britney Spears, and I Can Love You Like That by John Michael Montgomery and All-4-One.

Slapstick in the Panto, by Nancy Shaw.

2008-09-23T11:42:00.000-04:00

The English Pantomime tradition (very different from the French mime tradition) is a popular form of theatre, performed especially around the holidays in England. It includes singing, dancing, comedy, and references to the events of the day - all gathered up in the outlines of a familiar folk tale or traditional story. The form of the Pantomime grew out of the Italian Commedia Dell-Arte. Like its Italian ancestor, the British Panto incorporates lots of physical humor, sight gags, and slapstick.

The word slapstick comes from a literal stick or paddle. In Commedia, an actor would carry with him a paddle made of wood that had a hinged flap. When the actor wanted to pretend to slap someone, he flicked the paddle and the wooden flap hit against the rest of the paddle to create a loud slapping sound. This sound effect increased the comic moment of the slap. A common "slapstick" routine most of us are familiar with is the pie in the face. As soon as we see a large meringue pie on stage or film, we can guess what’s going to happen.

In Pantos, it's traditional to include an extended messy slapstick fight or catastrophe. At the end of the scene, everyone is covered with whatever the messy substance is. At People's Light, our messy slapstick scenes in previous Pantos have used flour, soapy water with dishes spitting out of a deranged dishwasher, and ice cream (represented by shaving cream). Keep your eye out for what we use to make a mess in Cinderella!

Nancy Shaw
Director of Education

Chris Triebel on "The Elements of a Play", a class by Lou Lippa

2008-07-30T15:47:00.001-04:00

Playwright in Residence, Lou Lippa, has been teaching a class here at People’s Light this summer called The Elements of a Play. Below is a response from one of the students, Chris Triebel:

This class has been a monumental help to me not just as a writer or an actor, but as an artist in general. The way he is able to dissect a play down to its basic format and illustrate it is incredible. I took this class originally to help me with some problems I was having as a writer. After the first class, I knew I was going to get a lot more than I thought. Some of the things we discussed were things I knew but were put in a way I had never thought before, some were brand new ideas, but all of it was useful. I definitely feel stronger as a writer and an actor after having taken this class.

Young Lady from Rwanda - Now Extended!

2008-06-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

Good news, everyone! Young Lady from Rwanda has just been extended until June 29th. The additional dates and times are listed below.

ADDED DATES

Wednesday, June 25th at 7:30pm

Thursday, June 26th at 7:30pm

Friday, June 27th at 8:00pm

Saturday, June 28th at 2:00 & 8:00pm

Sunday, June 29th at 2:00pm

I'm also sticking in some quotes from the reviews we've received--and of course we couldn't be happier about all of the wonderful comments we've heard from people who've already seen the show!

"...a play you simply cannot miss."

Main Line Times

"an open, intimate and beautiful play."

City Paper

Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - Week 4, by Miriam Hyman

2008-06-11T11:34:00.000-04:00

Week 4
Well, we are finally open and running until the 29th of June. It has been a tough but very rewarding experience thus far. After we open there aren't any more rehearsals, so with the support of our stage manager we are able to keep the show at a good pace and keep it alive. Our audiences have received the play well as far as I can tell. We, David and I, speak to the audience a lot so it is imperative that we build a genuine relationship with each participant from the beginning or at least with those who are willing, which have been most. It can be odd sometimes when you try to speak to an individual and they look down or away. Some are nervous, some are intrigued, some want to deal with the material, some don't. Nonetheless, my job is to tell Juliette's story and I'm going to do it. Her story, the genocide against the Tutsi Rwandan people, is worth an hour and a half of diligent listening. So I hope you attend and be open to the experience. Till next time.....

Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - Week 3, by Miriam Hyman

2008-05-16T12:05:00.001-04:00

Week 3

To start this week off, Elizabeth Pool, our dramaturg for this show, set up a meeting for me to meet with a woman from The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, an organization that assists foreigners from many different countries to become permanent PA residents. I was fortunate to have met with a woman from Sierra Leone. I won't share her story but I will say that she gave me much more insight as to what my character was feeling during her troubling times. I incorporated this insight and applied it to my character development. I'm off to learn lines and study blocking.

Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - Week 2, by Miriam Hyman

2008-05-16T12:05:00.000-04:00

Week 2

We are up on our feet. This week the director David Bradley will begin to block myself and David Ingram, the other actor in the show. We will begin to understand the space and there is an example of the set sitting on the director's table. We start to form the beginning of the play and slowly work through all the scenes, figuring which blocking is interesting and/or a problem for sight lines. Again, another difficult part of the process because we are performing this piece in a three-quarter stage, meaning that the audience will be on three sides of the stage. So we have to engage all sides at all times.

Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - Week 1, by Miriam Hyman

2008-05-09T12:02:00.000-04:00

Week 1

We begin the week of rehearsals by doing table work, reading through the play, discussing characters, and the play’s overall journey and purpose. It's difficult material because of a few reasons: it's based on true events, a horrible one at that, and inspired by real people. My goal for this week is to do a bunch of research about Rwanda itself, the people, their cultures, lifestyles and so on. At rehearsal, the dramaturg and director are kind enough to share several reading materials, such as What Is the What, Life Laid Bare, We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families, and Left to Tell, just to name a few. During this week I will also watch many films to give me precise images of the horrific disaster of genocide in Rwanda, such as Sometimes in April, Hotel Rwanda, Last King of Scotland and Ghosts of Rwanda. For me it is necessary to see what my character would have seen. I also observe these films to listen for dialect references and natural rhythms of speech. This is a busy week for me because, in addition to all this research, I must constantly learn lines, more lines, and more lines. Luckily, I began learning lines and doing research before I came to People’s Light to begin the rehearsal process for I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda. It is a tough process, but there is no place I would rather be and no other show that I would rather do than what’s in front of me. My mission is to do Juliette's (my character) story justice.

Young Lady from Rwanda Journal - An Introduction by Elizabeth Pool

2008-05-02T11:13:00.000-04:00

From our Resident Dramaturg Elizabeth Pool:

This spring we are thrilled to be working on Sonja Linden’s play I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda. The piece explores the horrors of the Rwandan genocide and tells the story of Juliette, a young survivor struggling to find her story and her voice. Miriam Hyman plays Juliette and agreed to give us a glimpse at her process for creating this character and this play. Over the rehearsal period she will check in with us on a weekly basis to blog about her experience. We hope you will enjoy this peek into an actor’s world and will join us for I Have Before Me a Remarkable Document Given to Me by a Young Lady from Rwanda.

Getting Near to Baby Journal - 4/18/08

2008-04-18T11:09:00.001-04:00

Opening Night with the cast of GETTING NEAR TO BABY

We were backstage with the young cast members of Getting Near to Baby on opening night. Here they share how they managed the nerves, jitters, and excitement:

Katie Johantgen (Liz Fingers): Opening night was glorious! My mom, dad, little sister, and her friend were there. The house was packed and really friendly so it made it a really fun and exciting show.

Claire Inie-Richards (Willa Jo): I didn’t want my family to be there on opening night because I knew I would be nervous and didn’t think I could handle the pressure. It was really fun though and I felt great about the show - that took a whole lot of the nerves away!

Maggie Fitzgerald (Little Sister): Opening night was thrilling. I had my mom and grandfather there to support me. Opening night always gives me goose bumps and makes me nervous, but I turn all my nervousness into energy!

Getting Near to Baby Podcast, with Willa Jo!

2008-03-19T10:03:00.001-04:00

Click here to listen to a podcast interview with Claire Inie-Richards, who is playing Willa Jo in Getting Near to Baby. What would you have asked Claire if you had done the interview? Write us a comment and let us know!

Getting Near to Baby Journal - 3/10/08

2008-03-10T13:28:00.000-04:00

Making It Work

The talented young actors in Getting Near to Baby balance quite a bit between school, rehearsals, and other activities. Here they let us in on how they make it all work.

Meg Rose (Cynthia Wainwright): Management of school, rehearsal, and the rest of my life has been surprisingly easy on some days and impossibly difficult others. One of the many things I have learned is to manage my time. Doing everything ahead of when it is due is the key to my easy nights. By everything, I mean memorizing lines and homework. I am in the 8th grade at Westtown School and everyone’s support is what helps me get through the two plus hours of homework after a five hour rehearsal.

Claire Inie-Richards (Willa Jo): I am home schooled, actually it is called cyber school. I do my schoolwork on a computer at home so it doesn’t really get in the way….thankfully!

Katie Johantgen (Liz Fingers): It’s tough! The most important thing is making sure I’m communicating with all of my teachers so they know my schedule and can work with me to keep me up to date with my homework. I also have to do my best to go to bed early so I get enough sleep, but that’s hard too. I would say it stinks being so busy, but I’m doing what I love to do so it’s fun.

Nathaniel Brastow (Isaac Fingers): I have to be very organized and I need to do things when I have time to do them. I have to think ahead.

Maggie Fitzgerald (Little Sister): It is certainly a challenge to balance school and rehearsal. I usually get all of my homework on Monday (our day off) and do it on Monday nights and on breaks during rehearsal. All of my teachers are very supportive of my career and help me keep up.

Getting Near to Baby Journal - 2/29/08

2008-02-29T15:17:00.000-05:00

"Finding My Inner Meanie", by cast member Meg Rose, who plays Cynthia Wainwright in the production.

In Getting Near to Baby, the character of Cynthia is a cookie snatching, goodie-two shoes, know-it-all bully who no one likes. Everyone has a Cynthia in their life. In fact, let's admit, everyone has a Cynthia lurking inside. The initial joy I felt when I was cast soon turned to panic when I realized that audiences might hate me. But then I started to think about why she behaves the way she does and I started to feel sorry for her. I started to understand her meanness and hoped the audience would understand her too, so I didn't come off mean. Then I was told that onstage if you play your character as mean as you can you're doing a great job and if people tell you that you were really mean it's a compliment. I realized that Cynthia needs to be in the play, without her, there wouldn't be the "villain." But I hope I wouldn't be mean like Cynthia in real life. That would be rude and "without charm." Besides, my mother would kill me. Onstage it's different. You get to be bad without getting in trouble. But it's not as easy as you may think-- it's a challenge to let my inner meanie be seen in front of people. I don't want to be interpreted as mean, but it took a little while for the thought to sink in, the thought that the audience doesn't see me as mean, but they see Cynthia as mean. Honestly before it feels fun it feels hard. I have to focus on what Cynthia wants and not let any thoughts about what people think get in my way. Then it's pure pleasure.

As an added bonus for you guys, here are some pictures from the rehearsal:

Cast members Nathaniel Brastow, Katie Johantgen, Susan McKey and Meg Rose.

Maggie Fitzgerald and Nathaniel Brastow.

The very crowded rehearsal room!

The Getting Near to Baby Rehearsal Blog – Welcome!

2008-02-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

Getting Near to Baby continues our initiative to bring award winning novels for young people to the stage. It tells the story of 12 year-old Willa Jo and Little Sister who, after the death of their baby sister, are whisked away from their mom to live temporarily with Aunt Patty, who has a million rules about everything. For this production we felt it was imperative to cast children in the roles and as a result we are excited to welcome five actors under the age of 16. We knew they would have a unique perspective on the process of bringing this story to life so we asked them to participate in this on-line blog. Twice a week we will receive an entry, written in their own words, of what is happening in the rehearsal room. We hope you will check back on the work of the young cast and join us in March and April for Getting Near to Baby.

What is Dramaturgy? By Elizabeth Pool

2008-02-01T14:37:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth Pool, our Resident Dramaturg, clears it up for us.

At a recent talk back one of our inquisitive audience members asked the question I get asked quite often – what is a Resident Dramaturg? It’s a question I am used to answering from friends, family members, and perceptive audience members! I like to think of my job as making a play accessible to whoever comes in contact with it, everyone from actor to audience member. In rehearsal, I provide information to actors and directors that underscore the understanding of context – historical context, geographical context, and social context. For example, with a play like The Glass Menagerie, it might help the cast understand their characters place in the world by understanding a bit about life in St. Louis in the 1930s. I also hope to make the play accessible to the audience through tools like program notes and lobby displays. I try to ask the question: What information can be shared about the playwright or play that will make this piece more accessible to YOU, the audience member? I look forward to generating more conversation with you as the season unfolds.

Thoughts on a Quick Trip to Tucson, by Elizabeth Pool.

2008-02-01T14:36:00.000-05:00

By Elizabeth Pool, Resident Dramaturg

In mid-January I had the opportunity to visit the University of Arizona and meet with their undergraduate and graduate candidates in dramaturgy. The idea was to talk for an hour with the students about the process of dramaturging adaptations as well as general discussions about launching a career as a dramaturg. The students were professional, enthusiastic, and creative. I was extremely impressed with the exuberance they brought to their work and the commitment they had to dramaturgy. Their portfolios were bursting with snapshots of lobby displays (so imaginative they bordered almost on installation art), extensive writing samples, and thorough research. Dramaturgy can be a fairly solitary pursuit and it was inspiring to be around such an engaged group of people. As I was flying home from Tucson, on a clear day and above some pretty spectacular mountains, my thoughts wandered to these students and their abundance of “Big Ideas.” They reminded me that theatre and the creation of art can be exuberant, intelligent, and graceful all at the same time.

Medieval times, juggling, and an orphan named Crispin.

2008-01-17T14:36:00.001-05:00

This past Tuesday, People's Light held an invited dress rehearsal for our upcoming production for Crispin: The Cross of Lead (the second production of three in our Family Series program). The show officially opens tomorrow night. Crispin was adapted by Russell Davis, and is based on the novel by Avi.

Now, invited dresses are one of my favorite things. An invited dress is held the Tuesday before the opening performance of every production PLTC does. It's a necessary and educational event that is as much for the actors and stage crew as it is for the people who come to see it. And just who gets to be present at this special event, you ask? Well, it's usually reserved for PLTC staff and their family members, actors' families, and maybe a sponsor or two. However, this last one was different. We held a subscriber reception for those patrons who are new subscribers this season, so that we might meet them and give them the chance to ask us questions. We had a great turnout, and the house was filled to the brim with people eager to see what happens to our hero Crispin.

We've updated our picture section with some shots from the show. If you're intrigued by any of those photos of juggling, laughter and mishap, come join us for Crispin: The Cross of Lead, running from January 17th - February 24th!

-Shives

An update from Ahren Potratz, Resident Teaching Artist

2008-01-03T09:33:00.000-05:00

I’ll be heading up our New Voices Youth Ensemble in 2008 and I’m looking forward to moving ahead full steam in January. We will be working on some exciting things this year around the topic of “In Search Of…” Students will explore the topic through improv, discussion, and writing, culminating in an original work to be presented in May.

One of the theatrical methods I want to expose my students to over the course of the next few months is the use of puppetry. Puppets will range from very small and practical to obscure and larger than life. I’m interested to see what kind of material arises when human and puppet interact to create theater.

The other week, two of my colleagues in education, Sara and Mark, helped me create a few puppets of various sizes and then we spent the evening testing them out. We made small vignettes and movement pieces with music and organic sound and it was a wonderful way to spend a Friday night.

Ahren Potratz

TREASURE ISLAND extended through January 1st!

2007-12-12T14:21:00.000-05:00

Don't miss TREASURE ISLAND, now extended through January 1st!

TREASURE ISLAND is a boisterous romp across the seas of slapstick and swashbuckling adventure. Our 4th annual Holiday Panto invites you into the action as we bring this classic tale to life with songs, swordplay, and festive spirits. There will be heroes to cheer, pirates to fight, and one of the most dashing rogues of all time – Long John Silver – to boo heartily! Our own Mark Lazar returns as Jim Hawkins’ mom, guaranteed to shiver your timbers with her hilarious antics! Best appreciated by ages 6 and up.

Additional Perfomances:

Monday, December 31st @ 2:00pm

Tuesday, January 1st @ 2:00pm

SIX CHARACTERS has been extended through November 11th!

2007-10-24T11:04:00.000-04:00

If you've been unable to make any of the previous dates of SIX CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHOR, you now have 7 extra chances to see it. Below are the extra dates and times. They're selling out fast, so get your tickets now!

Wednesday, Nov. 7 @ 7:30pm

Thursday, Nov. 8 @ 7:30pm

Friday, Nov. 9 @ 8:00pm

Saturday, Nov. 10 @ 2:00 & 8:00pm

Sunday, Nov. 11 @ 2:00 & 7:00pm

Introduction.

2007-10-08T04:02:00.000-04:00

Hello! This is the official blog of the People's Light & Theatre Company. We will be posting about what goes on behind the scenes, which will include notes from the directors/actors, pictures, and fun facts about how plays are put together.

If you have an idea about something we should include here, please feel free to comment or send us a note! While there are many things we can't show you, there are lots of interesting things we can. So let us know what you want to see!

Thanks for stopping by! If you want to buy tickets or learn more about the shows we are performing this season, please visit http://www.peopleslight.org/.

PLTC Behind The Scenes

Day in the Life - Michael Doherty, THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Day in the Life - Rachel "Hennie" Brennan, THE THREE MUSKETEERS

Sam Bellomo is one of BenFM's Women of the Week!

LEGACY OF LIGHT - Hank Murta Adams Interview

A Day in the Life - Emilie Krause from LEGACY OF LIGHT

Biographies of Voltaire & Émilie du Châtelet

Scientific Terms Used in LEGACY OF LIGHT

Music from the Production

Interview With CUCKOO'S NEST Cast Members Bill Zielinski & Brandon Oakes

Audience Reactions to ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

A Day in the Life - By Brandon Oakes & Aubie Merrylees

A Day in the Life - Laura Catlaw, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, Part 1!

Introducting Hank Murta Adams

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST Discovery Guide

CUCKOO'S NEST Design Blog Post #4

CUCKOO'S NEST Design Blog Post #3

CUCKOO'S NEST Design Blog Post #2

CUCKOO'S NEST Design Blog Post #1

A Day in the Life - Liz Gardner, Audience Services Manager!

The Fightin' Phils Win 9-3!

The PLTC Box Office Is Offically Open!

Peter DeLaurier & Mark Lazar visit the NBC10 show!

The Secret of Sherlock Holmes Has Been Extended!

A Day in the Life - Tom Teti from THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

Ever wanted to witness a play rehearsal?

An Interview with Martina Plag

A Day in the Life - Claire Inie Richards from THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES

An Interview with David Bradley & Maggie Fitzgerald

Lois Lowry Visits Barnes & Noble!

A Day in the Life - Kristen O'Rourke from GOSSAMER

A Day in the Life - Erin Weaver from GOSSAMER

An Interview with Cathy Simpson

Stories of Engagement

An Interview with Alda Cortese

An Interview with Daniella Topol

Get to Know our Managing Director Grace Grillet!

An Interview with Steve Umberger

An Interview with Graham Smith

An Interview with Mary Elizabeth Scallen

A Day in the Life - Joe O'Brien, KING LEAR

A Day in the Life - Kevin Bergen, KING LEAR

More Stories of Engagement

Shakespeare Workshop Lesson Plan & Photos

Update: Stories of Engagement

Tea with Snow White!

More Stories of Engagement

We had a blast at Malvern Victorian Christmas '09!

PLTC's Adult Ensemble present: THE TEMPEST

Watch a clip from SNOW WHITE!

A Day in the Life - Jeff Coon

Snow White Word Search

Make Your Own Clapperboard!

Updated Stories of Engagement

A Day in the Life - Andrew Kane

Interview with the cast members of ABSENCE

The Scoop!

In & Out: Production Photos!

College Night 2009

Faith & Frienship: A Conversation with Scholars on NATHAN THE WISE

Media Goodness!

A Day in the Life Photoblog - Brian Anthony Wilson

People's Light at the Game

The New Voices Ensemble Performs at the NCC

Floor Thirteen and a Half, Summerstage 2009, by Kelsey Hodgkiss

DOUBT Design Presentation - 6/4/09

David Bradley and Pete Pryor visit NBC's 10! Show!

Approaching Opening Night

Behind the EGGS set

Doubt: A Parable

EGGS ENTRY 5, BY CLAIRE INIE-RICHARDS

EGGS Entry 4, by Claire Inie-Richards

Eggs Entry 3, By Claire Inie-Richards

Eggs Entry 2, By Claire Inie-Richards

Eggs Entry 1, by Claire Inie-Richards

Tea with Cinderella a Smashing Success!

CINDERELLA'S Dame Crashes the NBC 10! Show

Notes from the first Sunday Series event, by Julia Loving.

A successful College Night!

Fun Cinderella Facts, by Sara Waxman