I'm Back!

I'm gonna try and see if I can develop this blog into something going forward. On the one hand I have a lot to say, but the editor hits hard when I begin this process; most times feeling what I have to say is of lesser and/or no import. Many of my friends assure me that is NOT the case. So we'll see where it leads from here.

Got many things on my plate here at the Playhouse. First is closing the books on the 2008 - 2009 season, which followed the annual Black & White Gala and the annual membership meeting, where a great deal of business was transacted. There'll be more on that later.

Right now the air is filled with the screeches of many children as our camps are underway for the summer. Unfortunately, they've been inside for recess and lunches for the LAST FOUR DAYS!!!
A good sunny day will be needed. But you have to love their energy, drive and desire....

Why Did I Listen to That Man

I receive and read a weekly email from The Wizard of Ads, which offers many insights into marketing with a consistent look forward to the future and businesses place in it. Roy Williams is the author and I have been following his weekly Monday Morning Memo since I first became aware of his independently published series of books a few years back.

This morning I came across his comments about the changes occurring in the marketplace as we shift from the Baby Boomers to the new generation...

"The Age of The Baby Boomer ended in 2003. The torch has been handed to a new generation with new ideas and values. Sure, we Boomers still hold the power at the top, but the prevailing worldview that drives our nation is completely other than the one we grew up with. Businesses that don't get in step are going to find it increasingly difficult to succeed…

Being a Baby Boomer isn't about when you were born. It's about how you see the world…

Baby Boomers were idealists who worshipped heroes, perfect icons of beauty and success. Today these icons are seen as phony, posed and laughable…

Baby Boomers believed in big dreams, reaching for the stars, personal freedom, "be all that you can be. Today's generation believes in small actions, getting your head out of the clouds, social obligation, ‘do your part.’[My emphasis]

The adoption curve of the new values by the mainstream of society began in 2003 and will be complete by mid-2008 or early 2009. You have plenty of time to get in step with tomorrow. But you need to get started today." Read the full article here.

It's an interesting take on things today...and there are questions we all must answer about our businesses and how we approach and prepare for the trend changing. I'm on it. I hope you are too!

Too Much Exposition

Oy Vey! The last 2 weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. Tightening the music and dances...blocking the entire show in a week and a half...only four pages to go. Of course as I review my notes, I realize they are the most time consuming four pages. Just ahead of the end of Act 1, which has it's own montage demands.

Last night we had some visitors from the Newcomers Club who sat in on part of the rehearsal and got to see us begin the blocking process on a scene we had not yet done. They were quite amused by it all, and speaking with me later said how much they enjoyed being an insider on the process. That is was kinda cool to see a part of the show no one else would get to see. I hadn't thought of it that way initially, but realized it was a great deal of fun for them.

The most amazing part of this for me is the discovery that I have to dig even deeper to show the story...The most challenging has been to keep the essence of "the mob" as we define the characters individually. Keeping the movement tight and not devolving into lines is a constant frustration...I think I will take my education director's advice: The only reason to be in a line onstage is for kickline! - Make 'em do the kickline everytime they form a line." What a great idea! Maybe they'll actually learn how to keep in tight formations without line forming....

When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go Green!

I've been trying to keep my investigations on track, and thought I'd share a video from DramaBiz Magazine. DramaBiz is the newest industry insider magazine that intends to address the world of theatre, and they have taken a great approach to it by looking at the business of the theatre. They have tackled numerous aspects of the business with a distinct eye toward marketing, though they cover very diverse topics such as renovation, ticketing and in this instance the greening of the theatre in their article titled Goin' Green in Your Theatre.

By all means, I encourage you check it out DramaBiz Magazine!

In this video, Editor-in-Chief Joel Dorr interviews Seema Sueko of Mo'olelo Performing Arts Company on how they started the transition to becoming a more environmentally-conscious theatre company.

What is Urinetown?

Wow...amazing how time gets away from one. Started blocking rehearsals for the show and haven't looked back or taken the time I need to update.

Everything is moving ahead apace. We are starting to build sets and the stage is slowly taking shape. Thanks to Joe Shoup's great ideas and design, we've managed to settle on an approach and style that embodies my own thoughts on Brechtian-Epic theatre. Our dystopian model deconstructs the world of the 1930s to give us a retro-future postmodern essence (how's that for dropping jargon!), simply and creatively. My kind of setting!

We are starting to get into the various characters also...finding a place for the actors to live within this crazy world we are creating.

Nature's Call

Nature's Call
Speaking of Urinetown, have you ever found yourself out in the woods with no place to GO? Find out what some teens learned about nature calling in the woods. They were part of a Listening to the River watershed discovery workshop and produced this radio story about their experience. Click on the Nature's Call link to hear the story.

In The Interest of Fresh Water Conservation

Here's an article that appeared in the New York Times today regarding a ban on diverting water from the Great Lakes. I certainly believe that the fresh water issue is imminent, and the discussion in Congress certainly supports that contention.

Bart Stupak has taken the position that the ban doesn't go far enough leaving loopholes that do not bode well for the future:

(From the NYTimes article by Susan Saulny) “Because these concerns remain unaddressed,” Mr. Stupak said in a statement, “I regret that I have to urge my colleagues to join me in opposing the compact until proper protections are put in place.”

“I see no reason why we must rush this process when our nation’s most precious natural resource is at stake,” said Mr. Stupak, whose district borders three of the lakes, calling the bottled-water exemption a loophole that could be used for large-scale diversion, exactly what the compact seeks to prevent.

Darren Hauck for The New York Times

Sunrise along the shore of Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee. Michigan and the other Great Lakes account for 20 percent of the world’s surface fresh water.

Urinetown Tony Award Presentation

Brecht, Alienation & Pee

I've been burying myself in research for the show, doing some in-depth work on Bertolt Brecht and his Epic theatre of Alienation. Today, I came across this great site in the UK called Universal Teacher. They have a very rich site on Brecht and the study of his theories, practice and works. Excellent!

It's been a long time since I found myself immersed in Brecht's world. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy the developing theories, the influences of German Expressionism and Marxism on his world view of the stage.

Breaking the convention of suspension of disbelief in favor of distancing his audience; to remove the emotion from the equation in an attempt to present a theatre of ideas and argument, to view a play from a critical rather than emotional standpoint.

I continue to find his experiment an engaging one, although I'm not sure he ever truly succeeded at it in a pure sense. I have seen a well wrought Mother Courage that broke my heart even as it presented his social ideas, doing its very best to keep me at arms length. Then again, maybe that is the mark of success. Empathy versus Illusion.

"...acting is acting in quotation marks." It must be completely self-aware to work this way.

Urinetown? Meet Conservancies

This morning the Old Town Playhouse, represented by Sheri (Producer), Thomas (Marketing) and me, had our second and most productive meeting with representatives from the Grand Traverse Land Conservancy (Jennifer Jay), The Watershed Center of Grand Traverse Bay (Denise Baker) and Listening to the River (Chris Kitzman). The representative from Seeds (Sarna Salzman) was not able to join us this morning but is onboard with plans that are afoot, and has been instrumental in percolating this approach. Also, thanks to Becky Ewing of Rotary Charities who brought us all together.

Today we formulated plans to collaborate on a number of opportunities and for once they appear to all be doable! We'll be working with The Freshwater Focus that is produced by the Record-Eagle for the Watershed Center. The Land Conservancy is planning one of their autumn hikes through headwaters & possibly the Mitchell Creek basin to show both the importance of water conservation and what drought can mean for us in the future. This will be coupled with Listening to the River's geo-caching event thereby adding a fun element to the hike through exploration and we hop to culminate the event with a scene from the show. The cast will also perform a number at the Bioneers conference in October as part of the Seeds involvement.

Thomas is working closely with the people from Inside Out Gallery on a toilet seat decoration contest, which will be juried and presented at the gallery with a reception that all the organizations can attend on November 1st...we'll also perform there.

I am including extra pages in the program for the show that will offer editorial content to the various environmental groups thanks to a generous assist from our printer Johnson Clark Printers. We will also have information about the organizations and their good work displayed in the downstairs Studio Theatre during the run.

We are looking into the feasibility of enhancing the message of drinking non-bottled water by working with local organizations...we hope to sell reusable water bottles they can fill with fresh water. Our attempt to increase green awareness.

We are also approaching the schools to see if there is interest in holding a competition with students for limericks, poems and songs that look at the lighter side of bathrooms etc...in other words original potty humor. The winners will be our guests as VIPee's at the show!

And that was the result of today's meet...it was very exciting!

Urinetown Is Cast

Two days of auditions later and we have a cast. The first step forward. Vocal rehearsals start Sunday evening; full read-thru and table work on Monday, then off to the races! As always I begin the process with a little bit of trepidation, but I am so happy with the cast that I'm sure I'll put those feelings to rest when we forst come together and start to explore.

I'll be working with some OTP vets, although I have not directed some of them before, and a number of newbies to the Playhouse. With their strength and forbearance we'll have a great time.

The 49th Season is Open

Nunsensations! opened the 49th Old Town Playhouse season last night. It continues the franchise in fine form. It is sweet, enjoyable, warm and appropriately cheesy. The performance was a fine opening to this year's season; one I hope will be an exciting one for our community. The remainder of the season will feature Pulitzer Prize winners, contemporary hit musicals including the winner of the most Tony Awards(12) in history, a children's musical, a contemporary classic and a recent comedy that is just beginning to find an audience: Rabbit Hole; Urinetown, the Musical; Willy Wonka, Jr.; One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Panache; The Producers; Doubt, a Parable; Leading Ladies.

The audience was a little over 200, nearly 2/3 of our house. This is actually consistent for an opening bight at the Playhouse, the premiere community theatre in the region. This is despite increases in promotion and advertising. Yes, the economy of Michigan may have an effect, but I truly believe this is marginal. Rather, I believe it is the surging wealth of entertainment opportunities throughout the region and the apprtioning of the entertainment dollar. As a result we are looking at many options. It seems the catchphrase is collaboration as we aim to capture audience layalty and dollars as well as a recognition that we are all seeking funding from many of the same sources.

Last night was also the first test of the new computerized ticketing system that has been instituted by the Old Town Playhouse, the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, City Opera House and the Milliken Auditorium of the Dennos Museum. This is a grand experiment in collaboration, which will impact all the region's Arts and Culture non-profits and profit ventures alike. Very soon any ticketed event within our region of the Northwest Lower Peninsula of Michigan should be available through our developing system.

Urinetown, the Musical

One reason this blog is being developed is to add levels of dramaturgy to my production of Urinetown, the Musical for the Old Town Playhouse; as a way to direct my cast and partners in conservation a means to get inside the many levels upon which the show plays from Brecht and theatre to water conservation and greening. Promotional ides will also be explored in an attempt to build an experience that encompasses collaboration beyond the theatrical.

However, it will also be used to capture my thoughts, fleeting and reasoned, regarding many aspects of theatre, my job and passion.