One down and another to go

Well, we survived our opening weekend!  It was a thrill to have such responsive audiences.  You think you know when you're going to get laughs or a reaction from the audience, and then they surprise you.  They connect with something that you hadn't even thought of originally.

 


One of the favorite scenes for both the cast & the audience has been our "play-within-a-play" scene.  Vera is of course, over the top with her acting and Mame is simply trying to make something out of her minor character.  It becomes a bit "the battle of the divas."  Needless to say absolute chaos and humor follow.  (Poor Reginald & Lord Dudley don't stand a chance.)



 



As our second weekend approaches though, we all begin to feel a bit bittersweet.  We've spent so much time together, especially the last two weeks, and have definitely battled being weary; but soon, the journey will come to it's end.  For now though, we're appreciating each moment and the chance to provide exceptional entertainment for theater lovers, young and old.

 

Tickets are on sale now thru the St. Norbert Box Office, 920-403-3950 or online, www.evergreenproductions.org

Almost there...

What a crazy week it's been!!  Of course, most production weeks are insane as all the final pieces get together; but this has been exceptional.  You see, with a cast of nearly 30, 25+ scenes and multiple costume changes, this is a real labor of love.  Needless to say, all of us involved with community theater are absolutely junkies!  We can't help ourselves.  There is something truly powerful about an intentional group of people focused on a single vision and creating an experience.

And now we're at our final dress rehearsal TONIGHT! We'll be getting our feet wet with a small audience, since family is invited to get a sneak peek.  Now's when we get to see if what we think is funny is really funny and learn a whole new rhythm to each scene as we adjust to the audience's reactions.  Energy will be high, the adrenalin will be flowing - we're ready for an audience!!

Tickets are on sale now thru the St. Norbert Box Office, 920-403-3950 or online, www.evergreenproductions.org

Week Three - COSTUMES!!

With a cast as large as "Auntie Mame" and the fact that the play takes place over 20 years, there are A LOT of costumes to arrange and fit.  Some of the actors are double cast with characters that are in their 20s to their 60s.  The play opens during the bootleg era of the 20s, goes thru the depression, heads down to the glorious south for a spell, then back to Manhattan, plus a trip to Connecticut!  Characters are wild, eccentric, traditional, conservative, urban, suburban - in other words, all over the place.  

If it wasn't for our amazing wardrobe expert, Judy Patefield (pictured), we'd be lost, for sure.  She has the responsibility of taking the director's vision for each person in Mame's world, and creating just the right look.  


As an actor, it's a thrill to collaborate with Judy.  Characters suddenly evolve and develop. It starts to bring our more and more of who s/he will become on stage.


Of course then, there's all the shoes!  Which ones?  Is there such a thing as too many?  HA! Of course not!

 

 

Tickets are on sale now thru the St. Norbert Box Office, 920-403-3950 or online, www.evergreenproductions.org

They say it takes a village...

 
One of the best gifts Evergreen has to offer is it's ability to bring people of various ages together.  Every now and then, we get a golden opportunity to cast a multi-generational show.  And AUNTIE MAME  is just one of those shows.


You see, when the old and young get together, some really beautiful things happen.  Youth of course, always brings high energy and humor to adults who can forget how playful theater is.  And our seasoned actors have the chance to encourage and mentor the younger ones who are still developing their craft.  So much of the toxicity in this world comes from a collective draining of empathy. We don't understand each other, and we don't want to. But theater invites us -- no, forces us -- to empathize.


 
It's an amazing mix - theater.  People of every age and every race or belief coming together for one purpose and goal.  For it's success, it takes patience, understanding, humor, give and take -- all the same pieces that make family and community.

Tickets are on sale now thru the St. Norbert Box Office, 920-403-3950 or online, www.evergreenproductions.org

Week Two

We've still been spending lots of time working on blocking and getting the gist of our characters.  This week, Mame introduced us to some of her more colorful companions.  There's Gooch, the endearingly awkward secretary, and O'Bannion, the flirtatious ghost writer.

It's always an interesting balance as an actor to hear the director's vision while at the same time interpretting it and creating an authentic character.  Even when the characters are as wild as those in Mame's world, there needs to be a sense of honesty or else they wouldn't be so loveable.







 




Of course, while the director is off working with another group, that's a great chance to work on lines!

Tickets are on sale now thru the St. Norbert Box Office, 920-403-3950 or online, www.evergreenproductions.org

Week One

 

Getting together this week for our first read-thru and initial rehearsals was both awkward & a joy, kinda like your first middle-school dance.  Many of the actors have never worked together, so there's the excitement of getting to know each other plus reacting to each other plus learning blocking!  Phew!  Good thing we all love to laugh & love the process of bringing this baby to life.

Other than Mame (played by Barb Alloy), initially the actors will only have 1-2 rehearsals per week while we learn our blocking.  As time goes on, of course, we'll need to be there more and eventually these charming characters will become merely quaint and quirky extensions of ourselves.   

Oooh! I get goosebumps just thinking about it!

 

 

"I had so much fun at rehearsal this week, I think we should do it again next week! Phenomenal first week of rehearsal. Thank you actors, for your patience and to Bing Harper for having your lines memorized already!!!" - Jon Weiss, director.

 

Tickets are on sale now thru the St. Norbert Box Office, 920-403-3950 or online, www.evergreenproductions.org

Getting ready for "Auntie Mame"

The cast of MAME is getting excited as the first read-thru approaches.  Keep checking here for the latest updates of the rehearsal process and get to know some of these wonderful eccentric characters before you see the show!  

Tickets are on sale now thru the St. Norbert Box Office, 920-403-3950 or online, www.evergreenproductions.org

And if you haven't heard the cast list yet, here it is:

• Barb Alloy - Mame Dennis
• Amanda Cormican - Gloria Upson
• Laura Duescher - Pegeen Ryan
• Adam Elmergreen - Ralph Devine
• Max Frost - Ito
• Paul J Grall- Lindsay Woolsey
• Ann Preiss Gray - Mother Burnside
• Kelly Grelecki - Agnes Gooch
• Bailee Harper - Osbert, Al Linden
• Bing Harper - Michael Dennis
• David Harper - Brian O'Bannion
• Mark Jackson - Beauregard Burnside
• Lana Kakuk - Sally Cato MacDougal
• Keith Lutz - Claude Upson
• Terry Muldoon - Norah Muldoon
• Colleen Moriarty - Doris Upson
• Daniel Newdiger - Cousin Jeff
• Cheryll O'Callaghan- Cousin Fan
• Michael O'Callaghan - Dwight Babcock
• Sam Phillip - Young Patrick Dennis
• Connor Quaintance - Emory MacDougal
• Teresa Sergott - Vera Charles
• Michael Troyer - Edwin Dennis
• Robert Wautier - Mr Loomis, Mr. Waldo
• Ian Wisneski - Adult Patrick Dennis