K.D. our Costumer Goes For A Ride

K.D. Schill, Michael Mowery, WillAbrahamse, Dave Baldwin, Gary Menendez, Gerard Menendez
Photo by Joe Iano

I got to take a walk with the amazingly talented K.D. Schill who borrowed my auto to make her costuming run.  Amy Lazerte and Charlotte Peters join K.D. for today's costume magic.  I hope the 14/48 gods help her along like they did yesterday when Chris Ensweiler whipped out a pair of blue skivvies to round out his Spider Man costume for last night's Act II opener, Touched for the Very First Time by Matt Smith.

K.D. Schill
Photo by Teri Lazzara

Paul Budraitis, K.D. Schill, Gary Menendez
Photo by Joe Iano

Updates from Floors 1 through 3

Let's start in the Lalie and head up from there.

Ben, Sarah, Megan and Mark
Photo: Agastya Kohli

Manny's crew (Mark Boeker, Justin Huertas, Ben McFadden, Megan Ahiers and Sarah Winsor) are running through lines and finding the funny in Eric Lane Barnes' script titled Slice of Life. The cast is enjoying the script - trying to go off book - like a fledgling chic. Manny is sitting back and enjoying the show.

Up in the Allen Theatre, Peggy Gannon is driving her foursome of Alex Samuels, Lantz Wagner, Rachel Ross and Rebecca Shepherd through some detailed table work.

Rebecca Shepherd, Alex Samuels, Rachel Ross and Lantz Wagner
Photo: Agastya Kohli

As the cast looks away from the scripts, Alex asks Peggy, and I quote, "Did any set discussions get had?" Peggy looks straight at him and says, "please explain the intent of your question". Then she turns to me and asks, "can I get some new actors?"

I tell her I'll look into it and walk towards the Allen Theatre green room, where Paul Budraitis is directing Matt Smith's play 21 Run, starring David Brown King, Jason Harber (Mazen!) and Chris Ensweiler.

Jason is sitting in front of 21 little paper cups, pouring pretend booze into all of them. Then he starts drinking the 21 shots and as he hiccups his way through the 21 shots, he starts arranging the cups in the shape of a pyramid, pausing once or twice to check his phone for incoming text messages.

He pours.
Photo: Agastya Kohli

He drinks.
Photo: Agastya Kohli

He burps.
Photo: Agastya Kohli

I predict this sequence will result in rolling laughter like the bouncing babies did last night. Thank you Mr. Brendan Healy for the babies and Mr. Matt Smith for the shots.

Select Pictures from Friday Performance

Here are some fantastic shots by our photographer extraordinaire Joe Iano from Friday night's performances.

Jodi-Paul Wooster greeting the audience.
Photo: Joe Iano

Action shot - that is baby on the bounce back, with skull wide open and brain
on the floor.
Photo: Joe Iano

Chris Ensweiler in Spidy suit and Trick Hulking it up.
Photo: Joe Iano

Max does his magic on the sound board
Photo: Joe Iano

Amanda Lee Williams rides the dune worms as Leia
Photo: Joe Iano

Andrew Murray, Charles Smith and Alex Samuels.
Photo: Joe Iano

Polar bear swim not so sexy in Mother Russia
Photo: Joe Iano

Thank you everyone!
Photo: Joe Iano

Rehearsal #1 12:45pm

I will not lie.

When the theme "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was drawn, I feared that a Virgin Writer was going to do some "Wizard of Oz" take and "oh wouldn't it be clever if Dorothy was really a hooker or a drag queen... ha ha ha."

Virgin Writer David Schmader wrote a script with "Wizard of Oz" the base of the story.

And I'm really enjoying watching the rehearsal.

And that's all I'll write.

The cast has the comedic genius actors Alyson Scadron Branner, Chris Ensweiler, David Goldstein, Hana Lass and Alexander Samuels.

The actors finished their run through and are congratulating each other and diretor Julie Beckman for not cracking up during the run.

And THAT'S all I'll write.

Here's a picture by me, not Auston.

And that's all I'll post.

Wannna see the funny?

Getcher tickets.

Virgewatch: The Ticket

Friday night's first piece is written by a virgin, LaChris Jordan, and features 3 virgin actors; Matthew Middleton, Chris Einsweiler, and Sylvie Davidson. Also present are veteran actor Kaleb Hagen-Kerr and veteran director Tina La Plant. This piece has inspired fire gloves, pregnancy bits (always a crowd pleaser), the band's excellent performance of "Ring of Fire", and the following piece of direction;

Tina: No, no, no, he lights the fire before the water breaks.

They have just completed a run of the show, which depicts a very "down home" sort of American family, and Tina is heading off to the director's meeting. She tells them to rest and drink water.

The virgins are calm, cool. None reek of barf, none are visibly crying. This here's a good set of virgins, I'd say. Healthy, confident, and talented. Dang talented.

I just sat at the dinner table occupied by the cast and director. After seeing Keira McDonald's hair, and commenting on it's grodyness, Keira promises she's gonna 'do it up'. I ask Sylvie Davidson and Amanda Williams about their hair, as they are playing a 'whiskey tango' mother-daughter pair. They say 'they gone do each others up real good'. Kaleb Hagen-Kerr is there. He plays the papa, and we decide he's like a wrangler, since he's got purt near a gaggle of virgins workin his soil, and he's the papa.

I am deboning chicken with my mouth, and Kaleb says, "I'm a Vee Dubya."

"A Vee Dubya?" I say.

"Yeah, a Virge Wrangler."

Kaleb is shown here, languishing in the world of the whiskey tango. He's a world class Vee Dubya.