Deathtrap

This is one of those better late than never posts. A.J. and I went to see Deathtrap at Sunset Playhouse last night. It was awesome. The cast did an amazing job. There wasn’t a weak performer in the bunch. The gentleman that played Sidney Bruhl (Paul Troglia) had several wonderful scenes where it was just him on the stage performing some complicated actions with very little dialogue. Those were some amazingly believable.

We went to the show to support our friends, Mark Neufang and Donna Daniels. A.J. and I have both had the opportunity to perform with both of them in various shows. They were both incredible in this show as they are in everything they do. I can’t really tell you what they did because the show is a suspense thriller and I don’t want to ruin it for others.

On a side note, we saw many friends while we were there. And I even got to meet Jonathan West (Artsy Schmartsy), the Managing Director at Sunset. I have been reading his blog posts for years and it was nice to finally meet him. It was quite an enjoyable and “thrilling” evening. There are only two performance of the show left today. If you can get away, go see it today!!!

And Then There Were None… Again

And Then There Were None opens on Friday at Waukesha Civic Theatre. I’ve been so busy lately that I hadn’t realized that I hadn’t posted an entry about it yet. As you may remember I appeared in this show in September, 2007 when the Village Playhouse of Wauwatosa and the Brookfield Players staged it. At that time, I played Rogers, the butler. I love murder mysteries and I liked that show so much that I suggested the show to the WCT Play Advisory Committee last year. It was recommended by them and approved by the board of directors and it found its way into the current season.

Hoping to try my hand at a different role, I auditioned for the show but, alas, I must possess those quintessential butler traits. I am again playing Rogers. I must admit that learning lines is much easier when all you are doing is refreshing them in your memory. On the other hand, it is harder to give the role a different look as you tend to fall back into old habits.

I am lucky to have the opportunity to work with a few people that I have never worked with before, many of them veterans of Soulstice Theatre. I am also pleased to able to work with three individuals that I worked with on the first show I ever appeared in, Arsenic and Old Lace. Hopefully, I’ve grown as an actor since then. One of my cast-mates, Jenny Kosek, and I have appeared on stage in three separate shows now. I’m sure that Jenny is getting sick of doing shows with me. I really enjoy working with her; she is such a fine actress.

I am again privileged to have Mark E. Schuster as my director for the second show in a row. Mark can add to the dubious honor of being my only male director to being my only repeat director. He obviously has a larger threshold of pain than many others. Kidding aside, he is great to work for and makes the rehearsal process as enjoyable as it can be.

Please come out and see the show if you have a chance. It runs October 23rd to November 8th. Check out this great cast:

Justice Lawrence Wargrave: Scott Allen

Vera Claythorne: Kelly Simon

Philip Lombard: Andrew Lien

Dr. Edward Armstrong: Joel Marinan

William Blore: Michael Endter

Emily Brent: Mina Miller

Thomas Rogers: Kurt Magoon

General John Mackenzie: Jim Volden

Ethel Rogers: Jenny Kosek

Anthony Marston: Kyle Konetzke

Fred Narracott: Jeffrey Berens

Go See Noises Off!

A.J. and I went to see Noises Off! at Sunset Playhouse last night. Oh My God, it was fantastic. It was probably the funniest show I’ve seen on stage in a couple of years. If you haven’t seen it yet, you have to go see it before it closes. There are three more performances this weekend and four more next weekend. The action of the show revolves around the rehearsing and performing of another show, Nothing On, as seen from onstage and backstage. As actors ourselves, A.J. and I found the subject matter incredibly funny. On top of that, the pratfalls and physical humor were hilarious.

The show was extremely well cast. From what I hear, that was almost certainly a very difficult task. Because this is such a popular show among actors, there was an incredible turn out for auditions. I’m told that more than a hundred individuals showed up. I can’t imagine trying to choose nine individuals so perfectly out of a hundred possibilities.

The entire cast was amazing. There wasn’t a weak performance in the bunch. Personally, I was partial to the performances of Jenny Kosek and Ruth Arnell. I have been in shows with both of them together and separately and they are so very good at what they do. Ruth always seems to get cast in the role of the ditzy blonde bombshell. She has mastered that role and performs it so well in this show. On a side note, Ruth has also done some shows where her character has a lot more depth and she plays those parts just as well. Jenny played the part of the harried stage manager and she was equally awesome. I have seen Jenny play so many different roles in the last couple of years and she always turns in a stellar performance. It was nice to see her cast in role of something other than a teenager.

The other two standout performances from my perspective were those of Matthew J. Patten and Randall T. Anderson. Matthew was perfectly suited for the role that he played. He seems to excel in the parts where physical comedy is a requirement. Randall did a great job as the half-witted actor. We had seen Randall a couple of years ago playing the Evil Sheriff at the Bristol Renaissance Faire and this part was so different from that one. He is an extremely versatile actor.

We have seen several shows at Sunset Playhouse in the last couple of seasons. They seem to run hot and cold. Some of them have been pretty awful while the others have been absolutely amazing. This one falls into the latter category. Go to their website and order your tickets right now. You do not want to miss this one.

Lend Me A Tenor

Kristi and I went to see Lend Me A Tenor at Soulstice Theatre last night. It was our first experience with that theatre group. It was an amazingly good time. I’m so glad that we went and we are definitely going to see more shows there. Soulstice Theatre is located in The Marian Center for Nonprofits in St. Francis. They have four different performance spaces available to them in that building. The choice of space depends on the show. In the case of this show, it was performed on the stage in the third floor auditorium. What made it unique was that the audience was also on the stage as well. They needed to use the stage to be able to screw the set into the floor (lots of slamming doors). But to make it intimate, they built a small studio theatre on the stage with about 50 seats for the audience.

The show itself was wonderful. It was very well cast. Everyone was perfect in their parts. It was exciting to see Sharon Sohner back on stage after an extremely long hiatus. She was fabulous and funny. I hope that she decides to get up on stage more often. Luke Cieslewicz played the lead role of Max. He was incredible in this part. I laughed so hard at times that tears were coming to my eyes. I know that Mark E. Schuster claims that he is not a fan of farces but he does such a great job directing them. After having worked with him recently, there were several things that occurred on stage that I could see had come directly from him.

The show has three more performances next weekend. If you need a good laugh or enjoy watching people run around slamming doors, you have to get out to see this show.

Shows Opening Soon

While none of the Dramagoons are currently involved in any theatre productions, there is always excellent live theatre going on in the area. As we do more shows, we meet more and more talented actors and directors that are doing wonderful things all the time. There are two shows opening this upcoming weekend that I plan to see. Here are the details about both of them.

Sunset Playhouse presents Social Security. The performances run April 17th, 2009 through May 9th, 2009. This show features the talented and charming Donna Daniels as Trudy Heyman. Donna and I recently played opposite each other in Don’t Dress for Dinner. Donna and A.J. also appeared together as mother and son last year in Over the Tavern. Break a Leg, Donna! From what I know of the entire cast, this looks to be an extremely good show.

Soulstice Theatre presents Lend Me a Tenor. The performances run April 17th, 2009 through April 25th, 2009. This show is directed by Mark E. Schuster. Mark recently directed me in Don’t Dress for Dinner. See my previous entries about that show to see how much I truly enjoyed working with Mark. Additionally, the show includes the acting talents of Sharon Sohner. Sharon is one of the amazing costume designers at WCT. Her designs have made A.J. and I look good on stage on many occasions. It is going to be such a treat to see her out trodding the boards on this one.

Show Recap

I have recently been involved in a wonderful and frightening experience that is going to come to an end on Sunday. It started out when I auditioned for Don’t Dress for Dinner at Waukesha Civic Theatre on January 12th. I had thought it would be fun to do because I had performed a small scene from the show at the WCT Season Preview Party last June and it seemed like it was a really funny show. Things didn’t work out and I wasn’t cast but it wasn’t the end of the world. I knew that there would be other shows coming up. I was a little disappointed because the cast that had been put together was excellent. I knew most of them and would have enjoyed working with them.

As luck would have it, I received an email from the director on February 16th, informing me that one of the actors had left the show and asked if I would be willing to fill in for the part of Robert (the role I had played at the Preview). That was like asking me if I would be willing to breathe. The cast had only been rehearsing for a week so I wasn’t too far behind. It was only after I accepted the role that I realized what I had done. Robert is a principal role and he just happens to be on stage for almost the entire show. Prior to this experience, I played only character parts with very little time on stage and a nominal number of lines to learn. My family will confirm that I spent the next several weeks freaking out day and night. Kristi, A.J., and Erin did a fabulous job of supporting me through all the craziness. Although I’m sure there were times when they wanted to launch me out the window.

Now I’m not going to say everything was sunshine and roses all of the time during the rehearsals and the shows but I have to admit that this probably the best cast and crew that I have had the opportunity to work with. Although I don’t have nearly the same amount experience as the rest of them, they never treated me like anything but an equal. They were very supportive as I came up to speed.

Bernard is played by Mark Neufang. Oddly enough, Mark has been involved in all of my theatrical firsts. The first time I helped out on show, I was A.J.’s dresser in Lost In Yonkers. Mark played A.J.’s Uncle Louie in that show. When I finally got cast in my first show, Arsenic and Old Lace (I played Officer Klein), Mark was there playing Mortimer Brewster. And now Mark is involved in my first show as a principal character. Mark is great as Bernard. I can’t imagine bantering with anyone else on stage. I am afraid he is going to get me with those ice tongs one of these times.

Bernard’s wife, Jacqueline, is played by Donna Daniels. I have wanted to perform with Donna ever since I auditioned with her for Over the Tavern last year. A.J. did get that opportunity when she played his Mom in that show. Donna is a terrific actress and a good friend. Kristi saw the show on Saturday and told me that watching Donna’s facial expressions was one of the best parts of the show. I would agree. She is so connected to her character that it is fun to watch. I hope to be half that good some day.

Bernard’ mistress, Suzanne, is played by Ruth Arnell. Ruth and I had the opportunity to work together in The Importance of Being Earnest a couple of years ago. Ruth was Gwendolyn Fairfax and I was Lane, the butler. Of my fifteen lines in that show, eight of them were “Yes, sir!” Ruth’s portrayal of Suzanne is spot on. I’m so glad we have had a chance to work together again.

The cook, Suzette, is played by Chelsey Peterson. Chelsey is the one person in the cast that I had never met before. I have to say that her comedic timing is impeccable. If anyone deserves to be called the star of this show, it is her. From the moment she comes on stage, the audience falls in love with her. The physical things she and I do on stage are so funny that it makes me want to laugh.

Suzette’s husband, George, is played by Scott Fudali. I have always known Scott as a very talented lighting designer. Now I can see that he is also a talented actor. As George enters, the script says “George is big!” Scott makes the menacing husband completely believable. And I love it when he lifts me off the ground in a bear hug.

The show is directed by Mark E. Schuster. It was nice working with Mark because he didn’t micro-manage the process. He let the actors do their stuff and only tweaked things here and there. What is amazing is that the things he had me change always get a fantastic reaction from the audience. Things I didn’t realize would be funny are hilarious because of his suggestions. I am appreciative to him for giving me a chance on this show. It has been an amazing experience.

While I probably won’t be reduced to a blubbering mess on Sunday after the show closes, I have to admit that this show will definitely hold a special place in my theatre memories. I can’t imagine having a better time with a finer group of people. The nice thing about community theatre in this area is that it very likely that I will get a chance to work with many of them again… just not all at one time.

Don’t Dress for Dinner Opens Tonight

Last night was the preview performance for Don’t Dress for Dinner at Waukesha Civic Theatre. I am happy to report that it all went amazingly well. I have to say that I am very lucky to be to able to work with such an extraordinary cast. They are all so talented. I can’t imagine doing this with any other group of people.

I also want to publicly thank Kristi, A.J., and Erin for being so incredibly patient and supportive through this entire process. I’m not sure I would have been so caring if one of them had been as freaked out as I have been the last few weeks. On top of that, they left a balloon bouquet and a box of cookies from Nino’s Italian Bakery in the green room before the show. It feels great to have your own fans.

So tonight is opening night for the show and it runs for three weekends. Check out the Now Playing page at the WCT web site for show times. It is a very funny show; I’m sure you will enjoy it.

Don’t Dress for Dinner

Don’t Dress for Dinner opens one week from tonight at Waukesha Civic Theatre. For those that don’t recall, please check out this post to see how lucky I was to become part of this fantastic show. I have to admit that the last few weeks have been wonderful and terrifying all at the same time. It is a great show but the pace and the number of lines had me worried for quite a while. I have lost almost ten pounds in the last three weeks mostly due to stress.

Things at rehearsal are starting to go pretty well and I think it is going to be a very funny show. I am blessed to be part of an absolutely fantastic cast. At times, I feel like a complete hack next to them. They are all so talented. We are also lucky to have Mark E. Schuster directing. He is so funny and great to work for. Just as a note, this is my first show with a male director.

Please come out and see the show if you have a chance. It runs March 13th to March 29th. This show is for mature audiences only. Check out this great cast:

Bernard: Mark Neufang

Jacqueline: Donna Daniels

Robert: Kurt Magoon

Suzanne: Ruth Arnell

Suzette: Chelsey Peterson

George: Scott Fudali

Wahoo!

I must have been born under a lucky star. Near the end of January, I posted an entry about how I had auditioned for a couple of shows but was, unfortunately, not cast in either of them. This past weekend, I started to look at the upcoming audition schedule and realized that there was only one show left this season that I was interested in auditioning for and that wasn’t until mid-March. I also realized that many people would be auditioning for that same show as it is a fairly popular work and very funny. Due to the extreme competition, I was looking at the prospect of possibly not doing any theatre for the entire season.

On Monday morning, however, my luck changed for the better. I received an email from the director of Don’t Dress for Dinner at Waukesha Civic Theatre indicating that one of the actors had to drop out of the show and asked if I would be willing to step into the part. Wahoo!!! This was one of the two shows I had auditioned for in January. I will be playing Robert and am blessed to able to join an incredible cast: Mark Neufang, Donna Daniels, Ruth Arnell, Chelsey Peterson, and Scott Fudali.

After the euphoria wore off, I realized what I am in for. I joined the cast a week after they started rehearsing and nearly three weeks after they received their scripts. In addition, this is the first time I will be appearing on stage as something other than a character actor. Man, there are a lot of lines to learn. Yikes.

For those interested, here is a modified version of the synopsis that is provided by the publishing company.

Bernard is planning a weekend with his chic New York mistress in a New England farmhouse. He has arranged for a cordon bleu cook to prepare gourmet delights, is packing his wife, Jacqueline, off to her mother’s, and has even invited his best friend to provide the alibi. It’s foolproof; what could possibly go wrong? Suppose Robert turns up not knowing why he has been invited? Suppose Robert and Jacqueline are secret lovers? What happens if the cook is mistaken for the mistress and the mistress is unable to cook? An evening of hilarious confusion ensues as Bernard and Robert improvise at breakneck speed.

More details to follow.

Lasertag Adventure

On Saturday morning, A.J., Erin, and I went to Lasertag Adventure for some great family fun. Because we got there very early, we actually got to play a head-to-head game… just the three of us. We have been there many times in the last year and it is always a great time. In fact, in October, A.J. had his birthday party there.

Lasertag Adventure is owned by a friend that I have worked with in the past. A year ago, in November, he invited us to come to the soft-opening of the arena just prior to its official opening. The whole family played several games of lasertag that night and we were hooked. Games in the arena are 20 minutes long and you are divided into two evenly sized teams of between five to fifteen individuals on average. Equipped with a phaser and a vest, your goal is to “tag” as many of the opposite team as possible without getting tagged yourself. When you are tagged, your vest and phaser are deactivated for 5 seconds before you are allowed to resume the game.

Although it is a great time for the kids, I have also been there with a group of co-workers. That was blast on a whole different level. Also, I have noticed that it is just as much fun for boys and girls alike. On the night of our “co-worker” outing, we played one game opposite a group of 13 year old girls from a soccer team. If you haven’t been there yet, treat yourself to some fun.