"Putting It Together" at the Annual Dinner
07/30/10 • At South Coast Repertory’s Annual Meeting on July 28, Board President Wylie A. Aitken announced that the theatre had ended its 46th consecutive season in the black. That great news was followed by the unanimous election of new officers and nine new board members for the 2010-11 season, and then it was party time!
SCR’s Annual Dinner on the Segerstrom Stage is one of the favorite evenings of the year for out-going and in-coming board members, honorary producers and other supporters of the theatre. This year’s dinner—“Putting it Together”—was hosted by actors Larry Bates, Richard Doyle, Linda Gehringer, Geoffrey Lower and Jenny Parsons.
Read all about the party and see the glittering photos.
Subcommittees Keep On Trucking As Full Gala Committee Meets For Final Time…
07/01/10 • On Wednesday, June 30, SCR’s 2010 Gala Committee meeting was called to order in the theatre’s lobby by Chair Sophie Cripe, who got everyone’s attention by tapping two water bottles together, creativity being the watchword of the upcoming Gala Ball.
The purpose of the luncheon get-together was to bring members up-to-speed with underwriting, entertainment, décor, graphics, cuisine and hospitality— subcommittees which will continue to meet as needed until the day of the big event, “The Play’s the Thing” on Saturday, September 11. And Sophie (who already has attended 30 subcommittee meetings) will no doubt be present at most of them!
Check out “Party Play” for intriguing Gala details, reported by subcommittee chairs.
Choosing between fun & becoming an actor is easy when you choose both.
07/01/10 • Last year, Kami Kurisu felt a little nervous about her first day in South Coast Repertory's Summer Acting Workshop.
Kami, a junior at Newport Harbor High, had acted in plays at school, but she'd never taken an acting class before: "I didn't know what to expect."
It turned out to be a lot of fun.
"There were people of all different types of talents. Some people flew in from out of state for this workshop, while others just took it to have fun. Ilearned so many new things about acting, and I made tons of new friends."
More than 300 students go through SCR's two-week acting workshop every summer, but classes are kept small. Kami's class of 20 was small enough that everyone got individual attention on their voice work, movement exercises and character development.
One of the most helpful techniques Kami took away from the workshop is called CROW: "CROW is something you should always be thinking about when you're acting in a scene. C – who is your Character? R – what is your Relationship to other characters in the scene? O – what is your character's Objective in the scene? W – Where is your character, both physically but also in relation to the plot?"
After the workshop, Kami realized that some of the things she'd learned had benefits beyond the stage and have been especially helpful when it comes to class presentations.
"It helped me develop my social skills and also my presentational skills. I learned to project, enunciate and improvise."
"Overall, I would recommend the Summer Acting Workshop to anyone who wants to have a fun time or is thinking of becoming an actor one day. It confirmed my choice of wanting to become a professional actor."
Now she can start her senior year with a confident career choice.
More information about Summer Acting Workshop
Survey Participant Winner Named
06/22/10 • Congratulations to Charlene Clark of Orange, a longtime Segerstrom Stage subscriber and the winner of dinner for four at Newport Rib Company. Charlene’s name was chosen at random from among the 1,708 patrons who participated in our end-of-the-year survey. We’d like to say a big “thank-you” to everyone who took the time to complete the survey—we very much value your opinions and plan to incorporate your feedback into our work next season. We look forward to seeing you at South Coast Repertory this fall!
Kids Find Fun and Friends in Summer Acting Workshop
06/22/10 • Sydney Campbell (11), Angeliki Harris (8) and Blaze Whiting (9) all faced a few first-day jitters at last year's Summer Acting Workshop at South Coast Repertory.
They didn't really know what they were getting into—after all, it was their parents who had signed them up. But those nerves disappeared once they got into their classes.
Class activities focused on movement, voice and character development but also made time for theatre games that helped stretch kids' imaginations—games with names like Poison Dart Frog and Busy Bee.
Sydney's favorite was Taxi: "There are four chairs. Three people would be in the 'car,' and they'd pick up one hitchhiker who was really weird and out of the ordinary. The other three would have to pick up his awkward traits."
Angeliki's favorite part of the day came early: "Almost every morning all the classes got together. One day we did parts of a play, Hansel and Gretel."
For one hour each day guest lecturers taught the students about theatre crafts beyond acting, including stage combat, playwriting, improvisation, and design.
"That's right," Blaze remembered. "In the play we got to choose lights and costumes. We got to choose different jobs."
By the end of the two-week program, which included a special demonstration for parents, all three kids took away one important lesson.
For Angeliki, it was: "How to work with each other." For Blaze: "How to plan out things before doing them." For Sydney: "How to grasp a character and the importance of totally transforming into the person you want to be."
Best of all were the friendships they made. Friendships that even a year later, they still have.
Find more information on the Summer Acting Workshop for 2010!
Choosing a Summer Acting Program
06/08/10 • Young students who have been bitten by the acting bug and want to put their training to use during the summer have two great choices.
Summer Performance Ensemble (July 6-24) allows students to blossom with their friends and peers in small, intimate classes (grades 4-6, 7-8 and 9-12). According to Theatre Conservatory Director Hisa Takakuwa, “Performance Ensemble is acting-driven and is the perfect choice for students who want to put to use the tools they’ve learned during the school year, but without a long commitment.”
Students learn the rehearsal process and have the joy and reward of bringing a final performance piece to life—but without the pressure of a full production. There is often singing incorporated in their performances, which the young students enjoy, but great pipes are not required!
The classes are held in mid-July for three weeks, mornings only, so there’s plenty of time to have fun acting with friends and still get to the beach.
Summer Players (July 12-August 15) is a five-week program open to dedicated acting students and is open only by audition. While the Players use the same classroom tools as the Performance Ensemble students, their goal is to present a full musical production over the final two weekends, with additional rehearsal time required.
This summer’s play, which Takakuwa will direct, is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, their only musical written for television (with a young Julie Andrews playing the lead many years ago) and now adapted for the stage.
“These are our most serious acting students,” she said, “but that doesn’t mean they don’t have fun. Even though Players are students of all ages, there is great camaraderie among them. Some students have been in the group for several seasons, and it’s great to see them on the first day of class, checking out the others who were chosen through audition, and offering congratulations.”
Of course, the best part, according to all the Players, is finally getting onstage and performing for a critical audience—not just friends, but members of the paying public! It’s a little scary, they admit, but ultimately rewarding.
Memories and advice from four SCR Conservatory grads
06/07/10 • This year, SCR’s Conservatory is saying goodbye to four of its longtime students, a group of talented 2010 graduates off to make their way in the world. Ellis Beardsley (Pacific Coast High), Graham Pezzuti (Irvine High), Rachel Teague (Calvary Chapel) and Akshay Sharma (University High) have a combined total of more than 30 years of Conservatory experience, so before they toss their caps in the air, we asked them to share their favorite memories and pass along words of wisdom to the students who will follow them.
How old were you when you started taking classes at SCR? Ellis: 11. Graham: 8. Rachel: About 10. Akshay: 12.
What is your favorite thing about the program? Ellis: I love how the program has enabled me to grow as an actor while still transforming me as a person. Between all of the classes and plays I have been involved with at the Conservatory, each one has enabled me to learn skills that I can apply to everyday life. Graham: I would have to give the title of “favorite thing” to the overall philosophy of SCR: process over product. When I did drama at school or heard other actors talking about their experiences with acting, I began to realize more and more that there are many different ways to actually act. SCR’s emphasis on the actual acting process, not just putting on a play, allowed me to really explore acting as an art form, and slowly try to find my place, at least style-wise, in the “universe of acting.” Rachel: Learning is more important than a good show. Process over product. Akshay: I was able to connect with other young people from around Orange County over a passion for something that did not involve school. These were young artists that were amazingly talented, and the fact that I got to work with them every week really made me excited.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned during your time here? Ellis: I have truly learned the importance of an ensemble. Throughout the seven years, I have grown with many different groups and casts, each one leaving me with new skills and memorable experiences. A cohesive and trusting ensemble enables an actor to take risks and push themselves. Graham: One seemingly small lesson that has stayed with me to this day was the power of subtlety when acting. Rachel: Keep the acting for on the stage. People will love you for simply being yourself. Akshay: Never say no. In life or in the theater, the most crippling thing a person can do is to refuse to try something new. Taking risks leads to discovery, progress and ultimately the birth of a passion.
What advice would you give students just joining the Conservatory? Ellis: Don't be afraid to take risks. Everyone is nervous at times, so you have to trust the other people around you. By doing so, both you and your classmates will reach their full potential. Graham: Open up your mind. Rachel: Be yourself, do your work (it's fun work!), and cherish your time at SCR. There's no other place like it. Akshay: Enjoy your time in the Conservatory. Discover something about yourself.
What was your favorite role during your time here? Ellis: I would have to say playing Aphrodite in Metamorphoses. It was so much fun being able to play a character laced with jealousy and anger; it wasn't a character I was able to play too often! Graham: Probably my role in Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, since I technically had three small roles that added up to one role. The three covered every aspect I could have asked for: the dim-witted comic relief, the big guy who gets to knock someone out, and the mysterious, imposing mini-villain. Rachel: I think the one I am working on right now, as Rosaline in After Juliet. It is a very challenging role for me, which I love, but also I have found that I can relate to her more than I thought. The sword fighting is also a plus. Akshay: Tom Gradgrind from Hard Times.
What’s the hardest thing for you about acting? Ellis: I have always had a hard time erasing my self-consciousness and taking bold risks. It has been a long process over the past seven years, but I know that I have made huge leaps since I started. SCR has shown me that it's OK not to be perfect, as long as you're giving it your all. Graham: Remembering that there is an audience that has to actually hear what you are saying. Rachel: Coming up with the specific details about characters, and making sure what my character is feeling is specific as well. Akshay: Keeping the work very simple. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in yourself, and push a little too hard. I guess I've learned that acting is not "trying to act" but really "trying to be."
What’s the most rewarding thing? Ellis: The feeling I get after we've had a good run-through of a show. There's a certain feeling that comes when the cues were tight, emotional connections were being made, and you gave the show 100 percent of your efforts. Graham: Getting to step into another reality for a little while. Rachel: I get to experience things that I never would go through in my own life. Akshay: At the end of rehearsal, I come home and I am mentally and physically exhausted, but at the same time I feel I have actually accomplished something. It feels good to rest after a good day's work.
What are your plans for next year? Ellis: I will be going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. I hope to continue working in their theatre program along with my other interests. Graham: Attend Academy of Arts University in San Francisco to major in motion pictures and television. Rachel: Just going to OCC. Akshay: I will be attending Harvard University.
Star Chef From Surf to Supper
05/27/10 • Chris Savage begins every morning in the surf off Huntington Beach, riding the waves. Then he’s ready for the very busy day ahead—as Executive Chef at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa. On May 19 he found time his schedule to step out of the kitchen and graciously meet with members of SCR’s 2010 Gala Cuisine Committee.
The subject? A dinner menu for SCR’s Gala Ball, “The Play’s the Thing,” to be held on September 11 at the Hyatt Regency.
Read more
Joseph Maa Wins Essay Contest
05/24/10 • Joseph Maa of Diamond Bar won free tickets to see Ben and the Magic Paintbrush for his essay about his favorite thing about coming to SCR. The essay contest was sponsored by Coast Kids. Joseph also received a gift certificate to Boudin’s Bakery and Restaurant and four tickets to Legoland in Carlsbad as part of his prize.
Here is his essay: My favorite thing about coming to the SCR is watching the "Hat Trick" performed during the play, A Christmas Carol. I loved how Hal London Jr., who played Scrooge, first flicked his red scarf over his shoulder, before he somersaulted into his hat, exclaiming, "I won't go anywhere without my hat!" This play really captured the essence of Christmas. Scrooge's liveliness and the transformation from a "humbug" into a lovable character embodies the best parts of Christmas.
Congratulations, Joseph!
Former Students Performing Across SoCal and on TV
05/27/10 • Many of our adult acting students never plan to use their newfound skills on stage. They take classes to make new friends or learn techniques that will enhance their business presentations.
But others sign up because they’ve heard the siren song of the stage. What happens to those folks?
We recently asked students who’ve taken classes at SCR in the last two years what they’ve been up to lately. Turns out, our alums have been seen at theatres across the county, from Hunger Artists Theater to Shakespeare in the Vines to the Chance Theater. They’ve appeared with Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien and Carlos Mencia. One’s even been on “Chuck.”
Christy Giannestras: Starred in a couple of student films and worked as an extra in several films. Played Cassidy and Jenna, two leading roles, in The Gallery Theatre's production of Nightmares in October 2009. Played Holly Burrell in The Gallery Theatre's production of Foxfire. Co-founded an ensemble theatre troupe in December 2009 and acted/directed in its production of T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral in March. The ensemble is currently rehearsing an experimental show, Triptych: A Meditation on Three Scenes, featuring selections from Othello, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Crucible, to be performed in June.
Ken Dalena: Played Dodge in Sam Shepard's Buried Child at Hunger Artists Theater, Joshua in Joshua at Stages Theater, Tieresius in Oedipus Rex at Hunger Artists Theater, Sam in Green Eggs and Mamet at Hunger Artists Theater, Egeus in A Midsummer Summer Night's Dream at Mysterium Theater, and will open as Police Superintendent Paul in No Sex Please, We're British at the Long Beach Playhouse in June.
Eric Dunn: Played Ezekiel Cheever in Rancho Cucamonga Community Theatre's production of The Crucible (2009). At Shakespeare in the Vines in Temecula this summer, will play Egeus and other characters (and sing!) in A Midsummer Night's Dream and play Banquo/Ghost in Macbeth. For The Crucible and Macbeth, he auditioned with the monologue he learned from Tom Shelton in Act I. He thinks Tom, Karen and Jill are all fantastic teachers, and he plans to come back for more
Warren Watkins: Played Clarence the Tailor in an episode of NBC's sitcom “Chuck.” Played Professor Henry Louis Gates in a skit on “The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.” Played God in San Diego's Spreckles Theater production of God Is Watching You. Played Uncle Ben, the Rice Lord, on Comedy Central's “Mind Of Mencia.”
Katherine McKalip: Got a commercial agent, played The Baker Woman, Mrs. Truman and Mrs. Alberts in the Laguna Playhouse’s Youth Theater production of The Boxcar Children, filmed a TV pilot titled “Urban Woman,” made an industrial video for a medical exercise band, was a featured extra for the movie Audrey (opening next summer) and will appear as Woman Lost In Time in Hunger Artists Theater’s production of Don Q (a retelling of Don Quixote) in June.
Bruce Schechter: Appeared in the Fullerton Civic Light Opera’s production of Brigadoon this month.
Toni Beckman: In 2007, played the lead role of Madeline in a staged reading of the screenplay Don't Disappoint Captain January at Chapman University. Played Lucille in The Gallery Theatre's production of The Cemetery Club. In 2008, played Clairee in Huntington Beach Playhouse's production of Steel Magnolias. In 2009, played Polina in the Chance Theater’s production of The Seagull. Played the Duchess of Berwick in Long Beach Playhouse's production of Lady Windermere's Fan. This year, played Melissa in a reading of Love Letters at Mysterium. Appeared in a Jimmy Kimmel sketch with Jake the Bachelor on May 6, 2010. Currently performing as Blanche in Romantic Comedy at Westminster Community Theatre.
Mark and Michelle Margolis: Just completed Karen Hensel's Actor's Workshop for the second time. Both will both be participating in an Orange County Playwrights' Alliance reading of a new play by Ray Jacob, The Neighbor Across the Street,on June 19 at 10a.m. Eric Eberwein is the facilitator of the OCPA meetings, and will be announcing the location of the reading soon.
John Merry, aka John M. Goodman: Played Harold Goringe in the Gallery Theater's production of Black Comedy.
Craig Johnson: Played David in Please Have a Seat at the Electric Lodge Theater, the Apostle Paul in the Life of Paul production for Vacation Bible School at Mariners Church (1,800 kids), and co-starred in the short film Jasmine, which premiered at the 2009 168 Film Festival.
Improv with Atkins
05/24/10 • “There are only four areas in which improvisation will help you: auditions, performances, business and life.” – Greg Atkins
So, that covers everyone. For serious students, Greg’s improvisation classes are considered essential. Whether playing a role or auditioning for one, improv prepares actors for any challenge.
For everyone else, improv is simply a great help in life—when going on a job interview, presiding over a business meeting, teaching a class, speaking in public, meeting new people or just hanging out. After eight weeks in Improvisation I, shyness is a thing of the past.
Improv has other, often surprising, benefits, to which the instructor himself can attest. “The truth is that improv has helped me in many creative endeavors; for instance, I wouldn’t be as good a writer as I am if I didn’t have a solid basis in the storytelling techniques of improvisation.”
And a good writer he is. His children’s plays (published by Samuel French and Baker’s Plays—check them out online) include William of Stratford, a lovingly embellished glimpse into the life of the young Bard; The Everyday Adventures of Harriet Handelman, about a super-genius girl called upon the save the world; and a musical version of The Emperor’s New Clothes (or a Costumer’s Nightmare).
His most lauded book, Improv! A Handbook for the Actor, is a staple in the world of improvisation.
Besides being a writer (and a longtime consultant on the TV show “Who’s Line is it Anyway?”) Greg has created, directed, and performed with numerous improvisational comedy teams, acted on stage and television and directed more than 30 plays.
For 20 of his 30 years as an SCR instructor, he has taught improv, without skipping a beat—or a season. Does boredom ever set in? “Impossible! There’s always something new. ‘The teacher learns from his students,’ sounds like a cliché, but with improv, it’s true. I’ve been doing similar exercises for 20 years, but while they rarely change, the outcome is always different.”
Greg’s next improv class begins June 15, 2010. Details.
Crimes of the Heart Closes the 2009-10 Season with a Bang
05/20/10 • The audience didn’t actually see Babe shoot her husband (because she didn’t like his looks); nor did they hear the gunshot. But it gave impetus to the action in Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize winning Crimes of the Heart. SCR’s production boasted a stellar cast, two generous honorary producers and was graced by the presence of the playwright.
After the thunderous standing ovation, First Nighters headed for Ela’s Terrance for the season’s final Cast Party, where they joined the playwright, director and all the artists for a smashing event, with food, drinks and decor straight out of the Old South, also the home of Jean Weiss, who said, “I was not only transported back to my roots but to my parents’ kitchen! I actually felt like I personally knew the characters as soon as they began their dialogue.”
A Play for Children—and Adults
05/17/10 • Ben and the Magic Paintbrush is an adaptation of an ancient Chinese folk tale, but it owes a great deal to early Disney movies.
Its author, Bathsheba Doran, grew up watching those films, which often featured children who helped change the adults in their lives for the better: “I liked that structure very much,” she says. “In Mary Poppins, the kids cause the grown-ups (with the help of Mary Poppins) to undergo an evolution.”
And so in her story, orphaned siblings Ben and Megan teach the grown-ups around them a thing or two. The talented pair—Ben’s a painter and Megan’s a human statue—deliver a comeuppance to the greedy couple who try to take advantage of them, and bring together another couple who become their surrogate parents.
Doran, a British native who lives in New York, has been at SCR throughout much of the rehearsal process to watch her world premiere take shape. She took a few minutes to talk about writing for children and what sort of stories she liked as a child.
Where did the idea originate? This was a story I remember from when I was little. It came in the form of a tiny children's book with wonderful drawings. One particular image that stayed with me—the image of a bird flying off the piece of paper onto which it had been drawn.
But when I re-read the book, the story was a lot more frightening than I had remembered. So I decided to keep the basics of the myth, but to use it as a jumping-off point to write something that that I thought children would love.
What do you want children to take away from the play? I want little boys to know they can be artists, and little girls to know they can be astronauts. I hope they'll see the merit of loyalty, and that even though they are children they can effect enormous change.
Mainly though, I want them to fall in love with going to the theatre, the way that I did when I was a child. So I've tried to write something that they will like, and something that their parents will like, so that they can enjoy the experience all together, without the barriers that usually exist between children and grown-ups.”
What sorts of stories did you like as a child? I was obsessed with the British author Enid Blyton. I liked stories where kids were the main agents and they would go on these big adventures, and adults didn’t really exist except for the criminal that they would have to capture on their vacation.
Enid Blyton wrote 700 books, and I read about 650. I owe my love of reading to this author. They were not great literature, but they were compelling.
Ben and the Magic Paintbrush runs May 21 through June 6. Tickets are $17 to $29.
Updating Crimes
05/04/10 • Rehearsals are well underway for Crimes of the Heart, the final play of SCR’s 2009-10 Season which, given the director’s SCR history, theatre-goers await with bated breath.
Consider the plays directed by Warner Shook for SCR: The Importance of Being Earnest, Born Yesterday, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, The Circle, You Can’t Take it With You, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and Beyond Therapy—all megahits with audiences and critics alike.
And for that matter, consider just a few of the plays the Crimes cast members have appeared in: Tessa Auberjonois (Everett Beekin), Nathan Baesel (Princess Marjorie and, by the way, Shook’s production of The Last Night of Ballyhoo), Jennifer Lyon (Noises Off and also Shook’s production of Born Yesterday), Kasey Mahaffy (Taking Steps), Kate Rylie (Goldfish) and Blair Sams (The Last Night of Ballyhoo, too).
Recently, Shook and the cast took a break from rehearsal to watch To Kill a Mockingbird. “I wanted them to see a depiction of a small Southern town similar to the one the characters they portray grew up in,” he explained. “Even though it was a different decade, there’s a certain vernacular in those towns that never changes, right up until today. I wanted them to experience something similar but not pertaining directly to the play.”
And that they did. According to Lyon, “Much of the play is about how we relate to each other, having played together as kids. The movie provided an in-depth specificity with my relationships.”
Not only did the characters in Crimes of the Heart grow up in the same town, the three sisters grew up in the house where, as adults, they’ve gathered again—in the big, cozy kitchen of their childhood. To try and solve some of the problems playwright Beth Henley has heaped upon them.
During rehearsals, the kitchen is taped out on the floor of SCR’s Colab rehearsal space, which the cast occupied until the first onstage rehearsal Tuesday, May 4, with the first preview following on Friday, May 7. The buzz is beginning!
Post PPF
05/03/10 • They began to arrive on Tuesday, April 20, and by the following Monday they were gone, but the results of their efforts will be seen in the months and years to come at theatres across the county.
They are the nearly 50 writers, directors, actors and dramaturgs whose talent infused SCR’s 13th annual Pacific Playwrights Festival. 7 Plays in 3 Days was the tag line, and whether playgoers attended some or all (two full productions and five readings), they were treated to extraordinary new work.
More than 30 theatres—from New York to Louisville, from Seattle to San Diego—were represented at this year’s festival. Besides industry guests, Orange County playgoers continued to attend the festival in large numbers as they have for 13 seasons, filling the Segerstrom and Argyros stages and selling out the Nicholas Studio.
According to Festival Co-Director John Glore, “The enthusiasm and dedication of everyone involved—artists, staff and audience—gives PPF its extraordinary energy and accounts more than anything else for its ongoing success. Our thanks to all.”
See photos from the party and from reading rehearsals.
