Rehearsal update: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

So, who's got two thumbs and has been really bad about updating the blog?

This girl.

Sorry, guys. Between work, rehearsal, and the holidays, the blog kind of got away from me. But I'm back, and here is a rehearsal update!

So far, so good. We haven't been able to use the actual theatre much, so we've been doing a lot of our rehearsing in a classroom -- which will get interesting once we're on the stage and have to adapt to having four times the amount of space to work with. I forsee much laughter as we watch ... well, pretty much everyone but me, as I'm the only one who has the luxury of being so drunk taht I don't move for most of the show, tripping over themselves trying to get to where they belong when suddenly the distance from sofa to bar is a lot more than they're used to.

I have to say, this is a delightful cast to work with. Small casts have their pros and cons -- sometimes it's really nice because you all have a chance to get close, and other times it's rough becasue if you don't all click offstage, there's a lot of awkward silence in the dressing rooms while you wait to go on. This isn't one of those casts, though.

We have the luxury of having two Fairfax County Drama teachers on the cast, Chip (George) and Scott (Nick), so they already know one another. They're also both jsut really nice, affable guys who seem to be the type to get along with everyone. Chip and Wynn (Martha) have great chemistry onstage and off, joking and laughing the whole way through rehearsals (which you really have to do with a heavy show like this -- if you're not laughing wheny ou're not acting, it's really easy to get hung up in the darkness of the subject matter and then you just end up depressed and cranky for the whole run).

Our director, Michael Null, is wonderful, and he provides us with lovely rehearsal snacks of Chex mix and some kind of awesome wasabi thing he found at an Asian cafe. Wasabi is amazing. Unless you're not expecting it, in which case it can make you choke on your lines, which is hilarious if you're one of the other people in the room.

Our stage manager Christy has stepped up and filled in whenever we have an actor out for the night, and so far she's rocked out at playing Nick and I'm fairly sure she's had to play Honey, too, since I have a conflict for the first part of Tuesday nights. I'm not sure how she's faring at playing Honey, as I'm not there to see it, but I imagine she's doing well.

This will be the second time I've played drunk onstage, and it's a really different type of drunk. Georgeanne (Five Women Wearing the Same Dress) was just funny; Honey is a manic-depressive drunk. It's definitely turned out to be challenging ... although not as challenging as learning the lines. I'm not sure who has it worse in this show: me, having to learn lines that are mostly non-sequitors, scattered sporadically throughout people yelling and talking over one another; or Chip and Wynn, who have to learn basically a full two and a half hours of non-stop dialogue. Scott has it easy; all he has to do is smile and nod through about 50% of the show. I think probably Chip and Wynn have it harder, though this is easily the most difficult memorization I've ever had to do personally. And we're supposed to be off-book after New Year's (well, we may have another week or so ... I have "off-book" written on at least four days in my calendar, and I'm not entirely sure which one's right, so I'm going to assume it's the earlist one).

Wish us luck, and mark February 12 (opening night) on your calendars!

Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? Cast List

The official "Welcome to the cast" email has gone out, and the cast stands as follows:

George is Chip Rome

Martha is Wynn Creasy

Honey is Erin Anderson King

Nick is Scott Pafumi

Congrats to all of you, and to everyone who came out to auditions this weekend, thank you as well. We had some strong talent come out and I know this wasn't an easy decision for Michael to make (even if he didn't have to play musical cast members with this particular show).

Rehearsals will be starting up next week, so be on the lookout for cast and crew interviews, rehearsal recaps, and anything else you'd like to see (if there's other stuff you'd like to see here, leave us a comment and let us know!).

Cast List Coming Soon!

Today, we are all sitting around waiting with bated breath to find out who the cast of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will include.

That's about all, but I realized I haven't posted anything since I was here a few weeks ago to post about auditions, so I figured an update would be good. I happen to know that the director (who is a very nice man, I'm happy to say -- I just met him this weekend) has made the decisions, he's just making the calls. So as soon as I get an official "we have a full cast of people who have been called and have accepted the roles", I will be able to let you all know who those people are.

One thing that's interesting about this show -- normally when you go to an audition, you indicate which role(s) you are interested in, and you indicate if you'd be willing to take another role if you're not offered the part you want. That's not how Virginia Woolf works. Because, you see, there are only four characters, and they are all so specific that there's no "Hmm, would this person be better for this character or that one?" Nick and Honey are, as you'd imagine, a man and a woman, and both are in their 20s. George and Martha are, likewise, male and female, respectively, and are in their 40s-50s. So there's no, "Hmm, I really like that woman for Martha, but do you think she could play Honey?" Because, while I'm sure she could (I actually saw a Martha candidate play Honey brilliantly at auditions, because there weren't enough people in that particular group to properly fill all the roles), it just wouldn't make any sense.

My point here being that this had to have been a relatively easy decision for Michael Null, our illustrious director -- at least insofar as any casting decision goes. He didn't have the issue of "Well, I really like Person X, and he could play any of these parts, so where to put him?" Because anyone who auditioned was either a George, a Martha, a Nick, or a Honey, and it's pretty clear the instant they walk through the door who they're there to audition for.

Do you like how I turned a one-sentence "We have a cast but I can't say who it is just yet" post into a stream-of-consciousness ramble about casting decisions and physical type? Honestly, sometimes I wonder if my readers just kind of want to smack me sometimes.

Anyway, when I can say more, I will. But for now, I will leave you all with this gem:

George: Now that's it! You can take over a few classes from the older men, but until you start plowing pertinent wives, you really aren't working. The broad, inviting avenue to man's job is through his wife, and don't you forget it.
Nick: And I'll be your wife has the broadest, most inviting avenue of the whole damn campus. [long pause] Her father president and all.

Auditions for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

Auditions for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee will take place on the following dates:

Saturday, November 7th from 2-4 pm
Sunday, November 8th from 2-4 pm
Monday, November 9th from 7-9 (the latter half of this slot will be for callbacks)

Auditions will be held in the theatre in the Waddell Building on the NVCC campus in Sterling. Come prepared with a one-minute monologue, and be ready to perform cold readings from the script.

Click here for more information.

Oh, the times, I am behind them.

I know, the show closed (and it was fabulous, BTW), and I have still not posted all the cast interviews. I apologize. The cast and crew all know I've been a wee bit busy in the past two weeks, so I'm hoping they'll give me a pass *grin*.

Name: Mike Bertone
Role: Doug
Favorite show: The King and I
Role I'd Kill For: "Scar" - The Lion King

Coffee or tea, and how do you take it? Tea. Twinings English Breakfast tea to be specific. I like mine with milk and sugar.
What is your favorite Pop Tart flavor?My favorite Pop-tart flavor is the classic strawberry because I used to eat them on the way to the beach as a kid. So now, whenever I eat one, it makes me think of the beach.
Let's play "Desert Island": If I was stuck on a desert island I'd have these items with me:
3 Books: the last 3 books of the Harry Potter series
5 Movies: The Lion King, Aladdin, Gladiator, 300, and A Knight's Tale
1 Food: peanut butter and strawberry jelly sandwich (Erin says: A single sandwich? someone's not gonna last long!)
1 Person: the guy from Survivorman or Man vs. Wild (is that cheating?) (Erin says: Probably, but I'll allow it. It's probably the only way you'll survive, is to have someone who knows how to kill his own food, since that sandwich isn't gonna keep you going forever!)
What is your greatest fear? My biggest fear is that I'll die before I do all the things I want to do in my life.

Name: Nicole Jacobs (Erin says: As with the last round of interviews, if the actor didn't send me a headshot, I went looking. I do actually have a headshot for Nicole, but she didn't send it to me. And this is funnier.)
Role: Tess
What was your favorite show: Favorite show to perform, Abigail in The Crucible
What role would you kill for: probably Maureen in Rent

Coffee or tea, and how do you take it? Coffee, iced, lots of half and half
What is your favorite Pop Tart flavor? Chocolate, and I eat it frosting side-down
It's football season -- who do you cheer for? Colts -- I'm born and raised in Indianapolis!! (Erin syas: I knew there was a reason I liked you, Nicole!)
What are you allergic to? Any bee/insect sting/bite
What is your greatest fear? Octopi and squid. I have NO idea why, but I didn't realize how morbidly terrified I was until my friend Patrick came to visit me and I took him to the Natural History Museum. They'd just done some renevating and put in an entire oceanic section. I thought it'd be neat and harmless since, well, who DOESN'T like water? Well, I didn't realize that they had on display the largest captured squid. In a big, scary, nodescript glass case. So naive little me approaches said case, thinking it's some big exhibit with lots of pretty little sea creatures. No. I wouldn't be so lucky. After walking from one end of the case to the other, I finally realized what the pale, mangled, disgusting figure was entombed within the case. I immediatly went pale, my ears started ringing, the room became fuzzy, a sweat broke out on my forehead, and I went rigid. Patrick, who also happens to be a linebacker, immediately scooped my motionless body into his arms, carried me out of the exhibit, and placed me onto a nearby bench. Passersby stopped and asked if we needed help, and eventually a paramedic was called (much to my embarassment). After a brief black-out, some water and oxygen were enough to revive me and I insisted it was simply time to leave the museum. Still haven't gone back ... (Erin says: Wow. I think Nicole wins for best story.)

Name: Colleen Stock
Role: Producer
What was your favorite show: Ever of all time? Secret in the Wings
What role would you kill for: Um ... none

Six Degrees of Separation is all about connections. Do you have a favorite personal connection in Six Degrees or less? (think Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon): With this show, I have three...which is kinda cool.

First: 1) I volunteer at the Flying Circus with Joe and Joey Callen. 2) Joe Callen takes piano lessons from Mrs. Piper. 3) Mrs. Piper's son Joel is in Six Degrees of Separation which I am producing.

Second: 1) I volunteer at the Flying Circus with Joe and Joey Callen. 2) Joe Callen is heavily involved with Scouts in Loudoun County where he knows Ian, who was a boy scout with his troop. 3) Ian is working on the set for Six Degrees of Separation.

Third: 1) I went to Virginia Tech, where I met Buck Linton. 2) Buck Linton worked for TheatreVirginia prior to coming to VT, where he was part of the team that also employed Steve Barker. 3) Steve Barker is the Lighting Designer for Six Degrees of Separation. Theatre is such a small world ...
Coffee or tea, and how do you take it? Coffee, cream and sugar.
It's football season -- who do you cheer for? Let's Go HOKIES! (Erin says: Heck yeah!)
What is your greatest fear? Heights and enclosed spaces. I have this insane fear of having to walk to the top of a suspension bridge and then taking an elevator back down....it's giving me the heebie jeebies writing this. However, I go up in small aircraft and even go upside down in them to help overcome my fear.

Name: Joel Piper
Role: Rick
What was your favorite show: West Side Story
What role would you kill for: Roger in Rent

Six Degrees of Separation is all about connections. Do you have a favorite personal connection in Six Degrees or less? I can connect myself to Rex Harrison through a friend. (Erin says: What, that's it? No story about HOW you can connect to him? Lame, Joel. So lame.)
Coffee or tea, and how do you take it? Coffee: black
What is your favorite Pop Tart flavor? Brown Cinnamon Sugar
It's football season -- who do you cheer for? Green Bay or Redskins (Erin says: So, you like bad teams. Okay, I guess Green Bay isn't THAT bad, but they lost to the Bengals. Oh well. at least they didn't lose to the Lions. [I think I probably just offended 4 teams' worth of fans, there, and they'll probably all hunt me down. But that's okay. If they fight liek tehir teams play, I can take 'em. BURN!])
Let's play "Desert Island":
3 books: The Realms of the Unreal (15,000 page novel); A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Erin says: I LOVE THIS BOOK.); The Bible
5 movies (assume you have a solar-powered tv/dvd combo player): Fight Club, Burn After Reading, Young Frankenstein, Clue, and the Led Zeppelin documentary music video
1 food item: steak …
1 person/animal : a parrot, because it’d outlive me and therefore I’d always have some company. (Erin says: This is actually quite a brilliant answer. I approve!)
What are you allergic to? People with drama in their lives
What is your greatest fear? Being alone, so the desert island would really suck for me. And Needles, I hate needles. They are probably the worst thing ever. There isn’t much of a story behind it and they don’t even hurt that much. It’s more of a fear of the needle breaking while in my skin …

Six Degrees of Separation

Hey all, Michael here! My first post on the blog, and it's not really a substance post - more of a "come see the show post". I'll post a content one eventually I promise!

We're in tech week, ramping up to open this FRIDAY! It's looking really good. We have a wonderful set that...nah...I won't spoil it. You're gonna have to come see it :-) So mark your calendars for...

Six Degrees of Separation
Oct 9, 10, 16, 17 @ 8pm

Oct 11 @ 7pm

Oct 18 @ 2pm

www.cct2ft.com

SEE YOU AT THE SHOW!

Cast Interviews!

Hi all! It's been about a month since my last update -- sorry. Work has been uber busy and I have not had as much downtime to post as I used to before I switched jobs. And I'm never actually home (just ask my husband) so I can't post there, either. BUT Michael Schaaff has agreed to be co-blogger because he just can't stand having even a millisecond of free time, apparently, seems he's doing so much for this company as it is that there just can't possibly be any other excuse. Hopefully that means you'll be getting more frequent updates, since if I'm slacking off he'll be able to step in and help me out (instead of just sending me chats that say "Eeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrriiiiiiiiinnnnnnn, where's my blooooooooooooooog pooooooosssssssst????").

Anyway, we're gearing up for the opening of Six Degrees of Separation, and you know what that means -- interviews!!!!

I don't have nearly as many pictures of people as I would like to have, so I took it upon myself to find pictures for those who didn't send them over. If it looks like a picture that can't possibly actually be of the person whose name it is next to, chances are good that I just did a Google image search for that person's name and posted the first picture that came up. You're welcome :)

Name: Joseph (Joe) Helein
Role: The Hustler, aptly named Rocky

What was your favorite show: A Midsummer Night's Dream

What role would you kill for: Macbeth

What are you allergic to? I am impervious to everything. (Erin says: Oh, Joe. You don't know me well enough to know that now I'm going to test you on this. With Michael's help. Beware.)

Let's play Desert Island. What would keep you company for the rest of your life is you were stranded?
3 books: Songs of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin (now a 4 part series but eh) (Erin says: My husband has me reading A Game of Thrones right now. I'm not 100% sold. More like 30%.)
5 movies (assume you have a solar-powered tv/dvd combo player, because really, this question was just a fancy way for me to ask what your 5 favorite movies are): V for Vendetta, Braveheart, Last Samurai, Se7en and Life Aquatic
1 food item: Steak (rare) (Erin says: Yeah, that sounds about right, given that while I did grant you a TV/DVD palyer, I did not great you proper cooking tools. Oops!)
1 person/animal: My woman Adriana

Coffee or tea, and how do you take it? Tea, refined and sugared with a hue of honey drop.

It's football season -- who do you cheer for? Anyone who isn’t the Steelers, Eagles or Ravens. (Erin says: I can support that, as it means you DO cheer for my Hokies, my Colts, and my Cowboys.)

Name: Matthew Randall (Erin says: I really, really wish that this was actually the picture that Matthew gave me. But alas and alack, I had to go digging through Google for it.)
Role: Flanders Kittredge

What was your favorite show: Always, the one I am currently doing.

What role would you kill for: I Am My Own Wife, by Doug Wright (one-man show)

Favorite Six Degrees connection:
1. I did Love! Valour! Compassion! at Elden Street Players, Rich Klare produced.
2. Rich and I were in The Lion in Winter, the first "College Community Theatre" show. I was asked to direct the next show, and also to teach classes at NOVA in photography and Improv comedy.
3. I directed La Bete, and Natalie Safley joined the board.
4. After Natalie directed me in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, we were both in Noises Off with Second Flight Productions.
5. CCT and Second Flight Productions merged to form CCT2FT.
6. I am in Six Degrees of Separation, [an important for reasons that cannot yet be announced]show under the CCT2FT name. (Erin says: Matthew, don't SPOIL it!!!)

Desert Island:
3 books: the complete works of Shakespeare; the complete Mark Twain; the complete Edgar Allan Poe
5 movies: Gone With the Wind; Rear Window; Dinner at Eight; The Lion in Winter; Auntie Mame
1 food item: avocados
1 person/animal: MacGuyver

Allergic to: Poison ivy, I've already said too much, I'm going to break out soon.

Greatest fear: Heights, falling from heights, anticipating hitting the ground after falling from heights, actually hitting the ground after falling from heights.

Name: Marianne Meyers (Erin says: Marianne actually gave me a picture. Go Marianne!)
Role: Ouisa Kittredge

What was your favorite show: The Underpants at CCT a few years ago. I played Gertrude and we all laughed and laughed!

What role would you kill for: I don't really have one now. (Erin says: That means Marianne's gotten to play all her dream roles. That is so not fair.)

Coffee or tea, and how do you take it? Freshy brewed decaf (preferably french press) with a healthy dose of skim milk.

It's football season -- who do you cheer for? Baltimore Ravens all the way, we even went to training camp this summer. (Erin says: I'm selling tickets to the fight that will ensue between Joe and Marianne upon my publishing this post.)

Let's play "Desert Island":

3 books: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; Bhagavad Gita, Stephen Mitchell translation; Walden by Henry David Thoreau (Erin says: You had me at Jane Eyre, but then you lost me at Walden. Though I do find it an apropos response to Desert Island.)
5 movies: The Producers with Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder; On the Waterfront; Amelie; Double Indemnity; Buena Vista Social Club
1 food item: calamata black olives

1 person/animal: person -My husband, Hans; animal - our Cairn terrier, Max (Erin says: Look at Marianne, trying to smuggle two companions onto her desert island ...)

Auditions!!!

Just a reminder -- auditions for Six Degrees of Separation are THIS Thursday, August 27th and Friday, August 28th at 7:30!

(That's really all there is to say ... auditions are Thursday and Friday. Come to them. The end!)

Call for Directors!

Hey guys. So it's been, what, a month? It's been a slow month theatre-wise for CCT2FT, but we do have some news.

First, two of our board members, Ryan and Shannon, welcomed their first child on July 25th! Baby Aidan is cute as a button, and I just love him to pieces. (I've only met him once, but I'm a little obsessed. I don't think Ryan and Shannon are creeped out by me. Yet.)

Next, we are looking for directors for our 2009-2010 season!

All interested parties: please go to our website, www.cct2ft.com, to view the synopses of the shows and download a director application.

Our season includes:
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Feb. 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, optional {26, 27, 28})

Evil Dead: The Musical (pending availability) (May 28, 29, 30 June 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13)

Sabbath Night in the Church of the Piranha (an original work) (October 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, optional {22, 23, 24})

The director application deadline is August 24th. Director interviews will be scheduled for August 31 - September 4th; please be available during this time. All directors interested in directing Sabbath Night in the Church of the Piranha: please contact me at cct2ft.blog@gmail.com for a copy of the script (since it's an original work, you can't find it online or anything).

CCT2FT Named in “Scene Stealers You Should Have Seen”!

CCT2FT's Flight of the Lawnchair Man was listed in Joel Markowitz's (DC Theatre Scene) list of eleven "scene stealers" from recent local productions.

Cathy Arnold's Amelia Earhart and Ryan Khatcheressian's Big Jack Preston both received nods from Markowitz as being two of his top performances in recent local theatre. Markowitz includes interviews with both actors in his article, as well as a brief interview with Robert Ullian, composer/lyricist for Lawnchair.

Thumbs-up to the cast and crew of Lawnchair for grabbing a critic's notice in such a positive way, and especially to Cathy and Ryan!

The complete article can be found here.

(And yes, I directly copied the exact same text that's on our website. But I wrote it, so it's allowed. I should be able to use my own words multiple time if I want!)

Call for Directors, and New Board Member!

CCT with 2nd Flight Theater Company is currently seeking directors for our 2010 season. Directors should fill out the director application (including the show you are interested in directing) by SATURDAY, JULY 18TH. The shows will be selected on August 1st, and the interview process will take place during the first half of August. Please go to www.cct2ft.com to download the application.

The timeslots for the shows are as follows:
Winter Play, 3 weekends in February, 2010 (approximate dates)
Summer Musical, 3 weekends in June, 2010 (approximate dates)
Fall Play, 3 weekends in October, 2010 (approximate dates)

There's been a bit of confusion about this, I think, so I'm going to try to explain a bit. We're looking for shows AND directors -- so if you are interested in directing for us, submit your application including the show you have in mind. We will be selecting shows first, and will consider all shows that are submitted with director applications, as well as shows that members of the board suggest.

Once we've chosen our shows, we'll call directors who have submitted applications to begin the interview process.

If you'd be interested in directing a show other than the show you have submitted for consideration, please indicate so on your application.

Next, we have a new board member! Please welcome Michael Schaaff as our new Director of Communications! We're excited to have Michael on board, and we know he will be a fabulous addition to the team :)

Closing Weekend and RoboMike

The set has been struck, the instruments have been packed away, and the lobby has been cleaned up after a very successful run of Flight of the Lawnchair Man.

Slacker board member that I am, I was unable to actually see the show until Friday of closing weekend, and let me tell you, if you didn't see it you missed a fabulous show. I tend to hold CCT/2FT in higher regard than a lot of amateur/community theatres, and I'm on the board so perhaps I'm biased, but that was one of the most enjoyable nights at the theatre that I've had. I'd like to send out a few particular shout-outs:

Ryan Khatcheressian, you were hilarious. My mom thought you were the funniest thing she'd ever seen, and your ad-lib about "guns are fun!" had me snorting with laughter. (Seriously, I snorted, it was klassy. The K is for Khatcheressian.)

Susanna Todd, not only do you have a helluva voice on you, but you too had me in stitches. I've worked with you before, and seen you in various shows, and while you're always fantastic, I have to say that I think this may have been my favorite role for you yet. How much of that is based on your stellar comedic timing, how much is based on your sensational voice, and how much is based on your awesome '80s bangs, I can't say. But I heart you.

Finally, Michael Schaaff. Oh, Michael. I may have had a minor aneurysm during that show, because of your hi-FREAKING-larious facial expressions. But mostly, way to take one for the team, dude.

For those of you who don't know, Michael did a running-high-kick-leap off the stage on Friday night, landed wrong, and busted the crap out of his ankle. It's still undetermined (to my knowledge) if it's just horrendously sprained or if he actually tore a ligament/tendon (what's the difference between those, anyway?), but he was unable to perform most of his roles Saturday and Sunday as he was in a splint and on crutches (shout out also to Josh Doyle, who covered the role of the Wal*Mart brown-noser). But he made it onstage for his NASA Official scene, turned the splint into a gag, and also made it onstage for the closing number ... where he came out in his rolly office chair and spun in circles for the duration of the number.

Mike is currently off the crutches on into a Robo-boot.

Seriously though, the entire show was excellent, we got great responses from the audiences, and I'm sure everyone is sad to see it end.

We're taking the summer off, so look for us again come fall, when we'll be putting up Six Degrees of Separation. I'll be sure to post information as we get closer to time.

I will take this moment now to say that I can't promise we'll have Update Tuesday all summer long, as we won't have anything to report on, really, but I'll be sure to check in periodically as things happen. We've got some upcoming additions to the company in the form of a new board member and a new baby, but I'm not going to go into details now because I need material for the rest of the summer :)

Actually, at the rate things are going, I could probably post a Baby of the Week. Seriously, what's in the water here in NOVA? Everybody I know is pregnant right now. I have like 14 friends who have either just had a baby or are due in the next eight months. Crazy.

Balloon Dude's First Review!

Kevin reminded me this morning that it's Update Tuesday, and I said it might have to be an Update Wednesday this week, as I wasn't sure how long it would take me to put together a decent post since I was unable to attend opening weekend of the show. All I had to report this morning was that we sold around 200 tickets on opening night -- which is fantastic! But it doesn't make for a very interesting/long post. But well done to the cast and crew for publicizing the show so well!!!

So I'm wracking my brain on the way to work, trying to flesh out "We sold a ton of tickets" into something more, well, lengthy. And I get to the office, and lo and behold, there's a review up already! McCall Doyle has written us a lovely review over at ShowBiz Radio.

Now, I've been getting some grief (mostly from my loving husband!) about how much I link to other sites, so I suppose I should go ahead and post some quotes from the review here so I don't force you all to go to another site to read the highlights. Problem is, every other sentence listed something that someone involved in the show did awesomely, so it's hard to pick just a few highlights and not feel like I'm leaving people out. So here's most of the review, although you can click the link above to read the whole thing (that whole, what, 15 words I didn't include here?).

"[Mark] Gray-Mendes is painfully underused…he was perfectly cast as the sensitive loser, singing with lyricism and depth, but his songs were among the shortest in the show and he spent a lot of time onstage without a whole lot to do. Write his character more songs, please! [Susanna] Todd is a charmer, with a strong belting voice and a perky persona."

"The show was anchored by its two leads, but there were brilliant scene stealers. Ryan Khatcheressian as an egotistical pilot and Rebecca Clary his stewardess bimbette sidekick were hysterical. Khatcheressian has always been known in this area for his vocal prowess, but here he finds the humor in every last aspect of his character and takes it to a new level."

"Cory Okouchi infuses his cameo as Mr. Frankel with life and over the top energy…Josh Doyle as Charles Lindbergh is thoroughly amusing, and Cathy Arnold as Amelia Earhart is a winner. And Lori Staley’s brief turn as the little French Boy is delightful."

"The very functional set (Kevin King) complete with wonderful projections, helps the show along. The lighting design (also Kevin King) is beautiful, with a dreamy, pastel palette."

"The costume design (Jacquin Pierce Allen, Michael Schaaff) was effective and fun ..."

"The surprise second ending (after the curtain call) was the dream child of director Jones … it may have changed the flavor from bittersweet to honey … but was nicely executed by Jen Faulconer."

Well done to the cast and crew!!!

Cluster ballooning?

Apparently, Jerry Gorman is an athlete.

Cluster ballooning is evidently a sport -- and all the rage among a small cult following, it seems.

CNet News reporter Daniel Terdiman gave it a shot as part of a promotion for Pixar's new film Up, only his vehicle of choice was an armchair, not a lawnchair. I feel like that would really just add extra weight to have to lift, but I guess it's a little more stable-feeling than a lawnchair.

(Photo Credit: Raquel Baldwin ... blatantly borrowed from news.cnet.com)

For those who have been living under a rock, CCT/2FT's Flight of the Lawnchair Man opens this Friday, May 29th (that's tomorrow, guys), and the writers of the show are flying in (presumably on planes, though, not chairs) for a special opening night Q&A after the show.

Opening night of Lawnchair Man is also opening night for the new Pixar film Up, about a crotchety old man who manages to cluster-balloon his house out of his neighborhood. But don't go see Up on Friday, come see Lawnchair.

Although it's only fair to note that Lawnchair is rated PG-13 for some adult situations, so if you've got really little kids, make the babysitter take them to see Up and come see Lawnchair yourselves!

Happy 50th post, CCT2FT Blog!

I think it's only fitting that my 50th post be this:

Michael Schaaff is a genius.

I am not yet allowed to say why or how, but let it be known that he is a genius, and that his genius involves Legos and Gaff tape.

Are you curious yet?

It's not actually Thursday.

I woke up this morning convinced that it was Thursday. Imagine my dismay when Kevin informed that it was actually Tuesday.


That's okay, though. Coffee makes it all better.


So I found out like 2 days ago, which is why this is just now being announced here, taht we are actually hosting Peter Ullian and Robert Lindsey-Nassif on opening night of Dude with Balloons (I hope they don't mind that I'm calling it that ... cuz I'm not gonna stop). What's that? Who are Petter Ullian and Robert Lindsey-Nassif? Geez, don't you people pay attention when I blog? I mean, I only mentioned it in December, that's only four and a half months ago. Eesh.


Okay, sorry. I'm trying to make this post long enough to be worthwhile, so I'm having to use some filler. Like "I like coffee" and "Why don't you remember every word I've ever typed?"


Ullian and Lindsey-Nassif are the lyricist and composer, respectively, of Dude with Balloons. I'm not 100% sure of the details, but apparently director Randy Jones has been in contact with them via email, and sort of casually mentioned "Hey, you guys should come see the show." And they were like, "Okay, why not?" Which is kind of a big deal. Having the guys who wrote the show here, that is. One of them is coming in from New York (I think) and one from Illinois (I think ... it's a state that starts with an "I", anyway, and is not near Virginia).


We'll be doing a Q&A with them on opening night, so oepning night would be a good night to come see the show ... get your tickets in advance or we may run out!


Also, we have a video for FOTLM. Behold. (I tried to imbed the video in the post, but Blogger's being a brat and not letting me. Sorry guys.)

In closing, I will leave you with this random factoid: In the past week, I have managed to cut myself twice on things that should not cut a person. Last Monday, I sliced my finger on a wine bottle opener -- not on the sharp corkscrew part, though, but on the little metal thingie that you put against the top of the bottle for leverage to get the cork out. It's not even sharp! I have no idea how I managed to slice my finger open on it. And then last night, I cut another finger on a piece of aluminum foil. Foil! Who does that?

New Interview, some backstory, and some really delicious chicken

Sorry for the late update (Michael) ... it's been one of those weeks where logging out of my personal blogger account has just seemed like so much effort. I've been very busy this week with non-theatre things, like shopping for clothes (I think I fixed our economy last night, BTW, if the number on that Banana Republic receipt is any indication) and cooking (see recipe below).


First on the agenda -- some backstory on the real Dude(s) with Balloons. A lot of people ask us what, exactly, Flight of the Lawnchair Man is about. Well, now you know, and knowing is half the battle (G.I. Joe!).


Next up, an interview!


NAME: Josh Doyle (Erin says: I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that, while I have not actually met Josh and thus am not entirely sure which person he is in this picture, that he is not the girl or the dog.)
ROLE: Charles Lindbergh

What is your favorite role/show worked on to date? (Just one!) Hmmm. I can’t choose, so I’ll put one word or so of the titles of my favorite shows into the title of a brand new show. That would be How to Invent a Blood Honk Tick. It’s a really gross show. (Erin says: I'm intrigued, Josh. What is the plot of this show? What is the cast size and makeup? When will rights be available?)

If you could do only one show ever again, what would it be? Glengarry Glen Ross. I love it! Someday …

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Pepperoni, olives, onions and crushed red pepper (Erin says: Those are some of my favorites tooooooooooo!!!! Crushed red pepper, mmmmm ... now I want pizza.). Check out the Firecracker at Fireworks in Leesburg.

A or B? B, I don’t know why, but it’s always the way it’s been.

If you had your pick, which of Shakespeare’s characters would you be most attracted to, if he/she was a real person? I would pick the typical answer and say Juliet, but she’s like 14 and that’s creepy. So it would have to be Miranda in The Tempest. Those island chicks are hot!

And finally, I have a recipe I would like to share with all of you for really delicious, good-for-you chicken.

Mix 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard, 1 tablespoon olive oil, a dash each of salt and pepper, and about a teaspoon of freshly chopped rosemary, and brush it over chicken (I got 3 chicken breasts out of this recipe). Slap the chicken on the grill (or bake it, or whatever -- I used my Foreman). While it cooks, mix 3 tablespoons of whole-grain mustard with 3 tablespoons of lite mayo, and add just a touch of water to make a sauce. When the chicken is done, top it with the sauce and enjoy. DELICIOUS. Serve it with a salad or some roasted broccoli or asparagus.

I realize that chicken has nothing to do with theatre, but for all you cast members who are living off of Wendy's before rehearsal, this takes 15 minutes and is way better for you. For you theatre-goers who want to go out to dinner before the show but are trying to save money (although, remember, I fixed the economy!), put some candles on the table and serve this instead -- it's healthy, and a whole lot cheaper, and you won't have to worry about the leftovers making your car smells like stale fries and barbeque sauce while you're at the show.

See how I tied that all together? I'm awesome.

Meet a Cast Member!

Today's post is brought to you by Starbucks' Caffe Verona coffee, the number 13, and Light Pringles.

Today's interviewee is Jen Falconer of green is the new black, a cute blog dedicated to finding ways to be more eco-friendly, and also, recently, to showing you cute Target clothes, to making you feel really, really guilty about all the Easter candy you ate recently. (I've only read the few first entries so I'm sure there's more further down, but there you go.)

Also, look at that picture -- Jen's a total hottie. I haven't met her in person yet, so perhaps it's kind of weird for me to be saying that, but it's true. Jen, I'm very jealous of you.

NAME: Jen Faulconer
ROLE: Nena/Ensemble

What is your favorite role/show worked on to date? (Just one!) Cinderella in Into the Woods. (Erin says: I love that show. We did it in high school and poor Cinderella lost her voice opening weekend, so she had to speak-sing the whole thing, except for "No One Is Alone", which really needed to be sung-sung, so the girl who played the Baker's Wife sang into a microphone backstage and Cinderella lip-synched. My mom was sitting right next to their mothers, and the Baker's Wife's mom was like, "Why is my daughter's voice coming out of your daughter's mouth?")

If you could do only one show ever again, what would it be? Evita, I could have done that show every night for the rest of my life ... well, until I got too old to be the Mistress, I guess.

What is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? Actually, I boycott GS cookies. Its very hard to do. But have you seen their ingredients? It's bad. (Erin says: Remember what I was saying about making you feel guilty about all the Easter candy you just ate??? If you feel too guilty about your GS cookies, I'll take them off your hands. Except the Thin Mints. Send those to rehearsal and the vultures will descend.)

Who’s cooler, Batman or Superman, and why? Spiderman (Erin says: Jen, Spiderman was not an option. I'd be willing to let it slide, except you didn't tell us why he's cooler. I expect a comment left on this post expounding on this answer, or I'm afraid I'll have to do something very nefarious. I'm not sure what, yet, but I'll get Michael to help me, and trust me, you don't want that.)

A or B? While yes, I agree that B is better, at my house we have to do A to keep my dog from unrolling it across the entire house. (Erin says: Oooh, I just thought of my nefarious thing. Michael, wanna help me reverse all of Jen's toilet paper???)

It's Interview Time Again, Jerry Gorman.

Okay, so far, these are the last of the interviews I've gotten ... so cast and crew, remind your fellow cast and crewmates to fill it out, or I'll have to resort to posting pictures of Dudes with Balloons for the next month.

Funny story about Susanna's photo -- she sent me a bunch to pick from, and I was torn between two. One was a really cute pic, and the other was just funny. When I mentioned this to her, she responded with a jpeg of the two next to each other. So that's what I posted :)

And Randy didn't send me a picture, so you all get another lovely MS Paint Creation by yours truly. I call it "Randy as a Lego man".

NAME: Randall Jones
ROLE: Director/Choreographer

What is your favorite role/show worked on to date? (Just one!) I was a singing/dancing, Elvis-impersonating, extraterrestrial lizard in Starmites in 1991. Basically, I was an “intergalactic pet” to Lori Staley, FOTLM’s “Little French Boy!”

Jerry’s dream is to fly – what is your dream? I want to play Edna Turnblad in Hairspray with my daughter, Maribeth, as Tracy Turnblad! (Erin says: I want to see that. Let's make it happen.)

Do you speak any languages (besides English) fluently? If so, what are they? I only speak English—and sort of a Missouri Hillbilly version of English—so I speak about 75% of a language.

Who’s cooler, Batman or Superman, and why? Batman—because he doesn’t really have any fake special powers. He’s just smart, strong, clever, and RICH. (Erin says: That is a truth-fact. Batman is way cooler for exactly that reason.)

A or B? BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB

If you had your pick, which of Shakespeare’s characters would you be most attracted to, if he/she was a real person? Can I just pick Joseph Fiennes as William Shakespeare in Shakespeare in Love? Can you just allow me to pretend that he hops the fence once Gwyneth Paltrow is sent packing? (Erin says: I want to say no, but if I say no, then I can't post this question, and since somehow all 3 of today's interviewees are the only ones to have answered this question, it would throw off the balance. So I'll give you partial credit, but only because a) I like balance, and b) Gwyneth Paltrow annoyed the crap out of me in that movie.)

NAME: Susanna Todd
ROLE: Gracie

What is your favorite role/show worked on to date? Blood Brothers at Elden Street in the summer of 2006. It was just such an overall great experience: great cast, great crew, great production. And it never got old. It’s one of the few shows I’ve done where I haven’t been ready for it to close. And I absolutely LOVED the finale “Tell Me It’s Not True”—it was a wonderful theater moment.

If you could do only one show ever again, what would it be? Oooh, that’s a good one. Jekyll & Hyde. I bet it’d take a while for me to get sick of it because
(a) it’s one of my favorite musical scores and
(b) there are so many good roles that you’d want to do it over and over just to play them all. Emma is one of my dream roles and Lucy is probably up there as one of the best musical roles for women; plus, there’s all the great ensemble work, so being a Red Rat girl or random Londoner would also be worthwhile. (Erin says: Many people have asked me if I mean "do one show over again" -- no, I mean exactly what I said. One show, ever again, for the rest of your life. I had actually meant "You get one more shot onstage and then your feet may never touch the boards again", but I like Susanna's interpretation. You only get to do one show ever again, but do it as many times, playing as many parts, as you want. If you haven't answered the question yet, that's what I mean now.)

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Green Pepper, Black Olives, & Tomato. I also like Ham & Pineapple or Plain Cheese. I’m kind of a bad person to order pizza with because I don’t like a lot of the standard toppings (i.e. pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions).

What is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? Samoas, with Tagalongs and Thin Mints tied for 2nd. Which apparently puts me along with the rest of America since those are the 3 best sellers and comprise nearly 60% of total cookie sales (don’t ask me why I looked that up, I just did). (Erin says: You looked it up cuz you're awesome and a nerd like me ... even though you like Thin Mints.)

If you had your pick, which of Shakespeare’s characters would you be most attracted to, if he/she was a real person? I like Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, but I think I’d have to go with Hamlet. Can’t really explain why. I guess I’m a sucker for the tragic hero. (Despite the fact that, as my sister said, “Hamlet’s kinda messed up … and his girlfriend went insane.”) (Erin says: I like Hamlet, too. He's in my top three. I probably wouldn't be able to deal with him for the long term, though.)

NAME: Jeffery Miller

ROLE: Ensemble/Parisian

What is your favorite role/show worked on to date? Ryan in High School Musical

If you could do only one show ever again, what would it be? Probably How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying with my middle school kids (Erin says: May I assume you teach middle school theatre?)

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Pepperoni and pineapple (Erin says: Together? Weird.)

Who’s cooler, Batman or Superman, and why? Batman is way cooler!!!!!! A real superhero doesn’t need powers!

If you had your pick, which of Shakespeare’s characters would you be most attracted to, if he/she was a real person? Haha I like Hermina :) (Erin says: What play is Hermina in? [I am such a jerk.])

Interviews, Part Un (that's "one", for you non-French speakers)

A new show, a new installment of "Get to Know the Cast and Crew!"

Michael Schaaff has informed me that he is "waiting with bated breath" for my commentary, so I'll try to be funny for you, Michael.

Here we go!

NAME: Shannon Montague
ROLE: FAA Agent (aka Mrs. FAA man)/Ensemble

What is your favorite role/show worked on to date? (Just one!) I did Godspell about a year ago and sang the solo for “O Bless the Lord.” It’s such a fun show because it gives a lot of opportunity for improve and just having fun with your fellow ensemble members. In a lot of ways, the process so far with FOTLM reminds me of that.

Jerry’s dream is to fly – what is your dream? My secret dream is to be a cruise ship entertainer. It’s a career I’m pretty sure my family wouldn’t approve of.

Do you speak any languages (besides English) fluently? If so, what are they? The operative word is fluently, in which case the answer would be no. I even struggle with Pig Latin. I teach English and find simply understanding the nuances of it is enough work. (Erin says: Amen. People really don't understand exactly what a complex language English is. Oh, wait, I promised Michael I'd be funny, and that wasn't funny at all. Um ... okay, how many letters are there in the alphabet? 24, because ET went home. Hahaha, I slay me.)

What are your favorite pizza toppings? When I was in high school, the newspaper advisor introduced me to bacon and green pepper pizza. Everything is better with bacon. (Erin says: Um, YEAH it is.)

What is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? I HATE Thin Mints. Just want to put that out there into the universe. I love Samoas in moderation and Trefoils. There’s also this new lemon flavor that’s pretty tasty. (Erin says: Shannon and I just might be the same person ... I don't know anyone else besides me who can't stand Thin Mints. I once ate one in a fit of "If I don't have something sweet right now I might die, and this is all there is", and it actually made things worse. I ended up running to 7-11 for a candy bar to get the taste out of my mouth. Oh, and Michael, no comment-section war about Girl Scout cookies this time ... after all, if Shannon liked Thin Mints, then you'd have to share.)

NAME: Cathy Arnold
ROLE: Amelia Earhart

What is your favorite role/show worked on to date? Must be bare because the cast was amazing and I got to see 2 men kiss and that's really hot!

If you could do only one show ever again, what would it be? If I could do one show over it would be Cats because there are jellicle songs for jellicle cats (whatever the h*ll [Erin says: Come now, Cathy, this is a family-friendly blog!] that means!)

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Pepperoni

A or B? Toilet paper roll has to be on the outside (B) . That is only proper!! And it is nice when folded in a triangle for easy access!

What is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? Thin Mint cookies are the best girl scout cookie in the world!!!! You can buy lots of them and freeze them! (Erin says: Uh-oh, Michael, looks like you're gonna have to share.)

NAME: Michael Schaaff
ROLE: NASA Official, Walmart Employee, Ensemble, Assistant Costume

What is your favorite role/show worked on to date? (Just one!) Alan in bare: a pop opera (WHERE ARE MY CUPS!!!) and Ken de La Maize in The Musical Comedy Murders of the 1940s
(Yes Erin … I did 2!!! I’m a rebel) (Erin says: Strikethrough'd -- what now???)

Jerry’s dream is to fly – what is your dream? TO RAIN TERROR ON DOWNTOWN TOKYO!!! (Erin says: Michael answered this question specifically to justify the inclusion of his "Michael as Godzilla" picture. Whic is why his headshot is, um, him as Godzilla.)

This question un-intentionally left blank because Erin screwed up and hit "Enter" in the middle of a numbered list in Word. I am choosing to answer this question, which is I think the most thought provoking. How does one answer a blank question? I’d say 42. (Erin says: Douglas Adams for the win. Well played, my friend, well played.)

What is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? VIVA LA THIN MINTS!! (Erin says: Sigh.)


A or B? B! It’s so much easier to find the end cause you can just spin it a little and ta-da. I actually will change it if I go to people’s houses or the public restroom (if I can) cause it bothers me. I’m forcing my choice onto other people!

So, it's been what, 800 years?

Sorry I've been MIA lately folks. Personal stuff, like ensuring I stay employed, has been keeping me busy. But I am (as far as I know) staying employed, so I figured I'd take a few minutes and post the cast list. At some point soon there will be interviews, I promise. I just have to actually think of good questions. Right now, my brain cells are pretty much just coming up with things like "Why are bananas squishy?" -- and while that's a fascinating question, and I'm sure Michael would love to answer it, most of the cast members don't know me and my sense of humor, and probably would not respond to that email. And also, you guys probably don't want to read 15 responses about why bananas are squishy.

The cast list for Dude with Balloons!

Mark W. Gray-Mendes: Jerry Gorman
Susanna Todd: Gracie
Marissa Quintos Dolcich : Mother Gorman
Ryan Khatcheressian: Big Jack
Rebecca Clary: Blaire
Cory Okouchi: Mr. Frankel
Lori Staley: French Boy
Braedon Kulick: Young Jerry
Jesse Baskin: Ens/Lindbergh Baby
Mark Mariano DeGuzman: Ens/Fr. Ann
Jen Faulconer: Ens/Nena
Jeffery Miller: Ens/Parisian
Shannon Montague: Ens/FAA Agent
Carla Okouchi: Ens/TV Reporter/Bimbo
Renee Rabben: Ens/Parisian
Michael Schaaff: Ens/NASA Official
Stephen T. Wheeler: Ens/Thuggish Bully
Christine Young: Ens/Bimbo
Kevin McCormack: Da Vinci
Josh Doyle: Lindbergh
Cathy Arnold: Amelia Earhart

For those who have worked with CCT/2FT before: Welcome back! For those who are new to our group: Welcome ... front?

Five Women Wrap-Up and Dude with Balloons

Wow, I haven't been in to update this in some time. My apologies to everyone for that -- I, apparently, am a big old slacker.

In truth, I was so focused on my character and my role in Five Women Wearing the Same Dress that I completely forgot about all of my other responsibilities, what with having to deflect the paparazzi, meet my agent for lunch to discuss my next project, and I've enrolled my dog in this puppy play group that also includes Sandra Bullock and Eva Longoria's pooches, and I'll tell you what, they are such sweet women but man, can Sandy go on for HOURS when you're trying to pick up the pup to take her to the nanny's so that you can get to rehearsal.

That's all a lie. What really happened was that I was really tired and didn't have the brain cells to be funny, so I procrastinated about posting.

BUT. All that said, Five Women... was a great success -- we got wonderful reviews from the audiences, made good friends who we'll all actually keep in touch with (I'm notorious for being horrible about getting together with people, and after most shows I've done, we all go our separate ways -- but I can say for a fact that I will actually make the effort to see all of these women again, because they're amazing and fabulous), and given me enough fodder to create an entire post of ridiculously long sentences.

Special thanks go out to the wonderful team of beauticians at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa in Reston Town Center, who volunteered their time and about 50 cans of hairspray (seriously, they ran out and had to go buy more at the Harris Teeter next door just to finish out the two weekends of the show) to make us look good onstage. Caron, Remona, MariJane, and the rest of the team (I feel so bad, but I don't know the names of the two makeups artists who worked on Brittany and Betsy) were all so kind and welcoming, and I for one hope to work with them all again soon.

For our next trick, we will be flying a lawnchair. Well, sort of. Auditions for CCT with 2FT's spring musical, Flight of the Lawnchair Man (affectionately known by the cast and crew as "Dude with Balloons"), were held this weekend, with callbacks happening tomorrow evening. When I have a cast list, I'll be sure to post it, and a new show means new cast and crew interviews, so stay tuned in the coming weeks for pictures, quotes, and other various shenanigans.

Oh, and on a totally unrelated but totally awesome note, the Great and Wonderful Michael Schaaff has purchased me a BeDazzler, so if there are any requests for BeDazzled items, I am more than happy to staple rhinestones to things for you. My husband told me I'm not allowed to BeDazzle everything in the house, but I think that those rhinestones are probably enough of a pain to take off that if I do it while he's not home, I can probably keep the sparkly potholders and sofa and placemats and all his work clothes. Right?

See how pretty we are?

Check out our trailer video for Five Women..., created by the lovely and talented Shannon Khatcheressian!

Less than 3 weeks out -- WOW.

Well, we're less than 3 weeks from opening (don't panic, cast and crew) and I do have a couple of things to report.

1) Our set is up! It looks great, and we can't WAIT till we get to rehearse on it! Thanks to all who worked so hard on it!

2) We've had another change in the cast: You all remember Felipe. He was the poor lone guy in the group, I posted his interview a couple of weeks ago. Well, turns out, Felipe's auditioning for some really prestigious theatre program (Like, Yale's Master's program or something -- I'm not entirely sure) and if he gets called back, he'll be out of town for one of our show weekends. So we had to find ourselves a new Tripp, and we did! A big, warm welcome to Zachary Lanouette-Opheim (Zach, if I spelled your name wrong, blame Colleen, I copied it off the contact list!).

3) Next week I'm going to try to have our final cast interviews up, for Zach and Betsy Eames, who is playing Frances.

4) I've discovered I'm a big fan of dried mango. Thanks for introducing me to that, Betsy!

(What? You guys didn't actually think I was going to include a post that didn't have anything random or ridiculous in it, did you?)

Meet the Cast: Part ... 4? I think?

Well, we've had some changes to the cast. Do to unforeseen scheduling conflicts, We have a new Mindy. Everyone please welcome Brittany Washington to the cast!

(First, though, let me state that when I wrote these questions, we didn't know the latest developments in Izzie's going-crazy storyline, so the question is slightly dated.)

Name: Brittany Washington
Role: Mindy

Favorite roles you've played already: Nadia in bare! That was such an amazing production to be a part of.

Roles you'd like to play someday: Mae in Reefer Madness, Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, Woman 2 in Edges, CB's Sister in Dog Sees God, and ... this is really embarrassing and I know I'll end up regretting admitting it, but I would possibly kill to play Sharpay in High School Musical. Stop laughing at me.

Does anyone actually like what the writers of "Grey's Anatomy" are doing to Izzie with this whole weird Denny thing? And what happened to George? They've totally slacked off on him this season. Am I the only one who's going to answer this question?! (Erin says: Yes, you are, because I think you and I are the only remaining viewers of that show.) Because I haven't been keeping up with the show this season (Erin says: Never mind, I guess it's just me.), but I heard (SPOILER ALERT) that the whole weird Izzie plot may be a vehicle to kill her off the show, and I hate Katherine Heigl with a passion, so I'm beyond okay with this. (Erin says: Why does every hate Katherine Heigl??? Does she kick puppies or something and no one told me?)

What is your dream job? I think I would like to be a princess. (Erin says: Brittany, get out of my head.) I enjoy tiaras and sparkly dresses and the idea of pretending to rule an empire while someone else actually does all of the work for me. If being one in real life was an impossibility, I'd settle for playing one on TV.

If you had to live for a month off of either corndogs or Big Macs, which would it be? Corndogs! I'm so picky about what goes on my hamburgers that a Brittany Big Mac would just be meat and bread (and cheese? Do Big Macs have cheese? I don't think I've ever actually had one. [Erin says: Yes -- don't you remember the song?]), and I feel like that would get really boring after awhile. Not that corndogs wouldn't, but I really love corndogs.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Mint chocolate chip, but only if it's the green kind (Erin says: Amen, sister.). I don't care what anyone (Michael Schaaff, I am looking at you) says, the white kind just does not taste as good. Actually, I had blue mint chocolate chip ice cream once, though, and it was acceptable. Does this make me an ice cream racist?

Who's your celebrity cheat? You know, the celeb you heart so much that your significant other says "Okay, fine, if you ever meet that person, you can hook up once just to say you did it, and I won't get mad." Any significant other I manage to pick up is going to have to learn to be flexible, because I have a list, and it is extensive. Adam Brody and Taylor Kitsch are at the top of it.

Our second interview of the day is our beloved Stage Manager, without whom we would be both lost and confused.

Name: Colleen Stock
Role: Stage Manager

Favorite shows you’ve worked on: I think I'll have to go with Le Pas D'Acier or The Steel Step, a ballet done at Princeton University. Ton of fun and very not what I do normally as an SM.

Shows you’d like to do: Well, 5 Women was on my short list, so I'll have to go with How I Learned To Drive by Paula Vogel.

What are some of your non-theatre hobbies? I volunteer for the Flying Circus Aerodrome out in Bealeton, VA on Sundays. They perform a barnstorming show featuring vintage aircraft c. 1940s every Sunday from May through October. It's a fun way to lose weight and get a tan :D

What is your dream job? One where I get paid to do nothing but what I love. Does something like that exist?

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Ben and Jerry's New York Super Fudge Chunk. I can eat a whole container in one sitting. Sickening, I know ... (Erin says: I frequently eat a whole container of Ben and Jerry's in one sitting. And yes, it is a bit sickening. But so delicious at the time!!!)

Who’s your celebrity cheat? Hugh Jackman.

Interviews: Meet Michael and Erin!

Michael is hounding me for an update because I promised him that this week would be Michael and Erin week.

I'm honestly a bit surprised he's still excited about these interviews, since this is the third one he's done since this summer. Although at the rate he's going, even if he's not involved in a given show, I just may have to interview him anyway, or break our awesomeness streak.

Also, just cuz I feel like it, today we're Hokie-color-coding our interviews.

Name: Michael Schaaff

Role: Assistant Stage Manager / Assistant Costumes

Favorite roles you've played already: I'd have to say Michael in My Life: A Michael Schaaff Story (not actually a show, but I can't pick a favorite role/show without fear of being attacked by fellow theater people)
Roles you'd like to play someday: Still want to play Rod/Princeton in Avenue Q

If Five Women... was Survivor, in what order do you think the characters would be voted off the island? Why? Tripp (sorry, not enough room for 2 men), Frances (on principle), Trisha (there's only room for one manipulative person here ... me!), Meredith (stay long enough for me to laugh at the emo kid), Mindy (who doesn't love a witty lesbian), Georganne (she's just fun ... and no, I'm not sucking up to the blogger [Erin says: Yes, you are. Don't lie if you can't do it any better than that ;) ]), and finally Colleen ('cause I can't rule the island if I'm assisting someone) ... meaning I WIN SURVIVOR 5 WOMEN!

What are some of your non-theatre hobbies? Sleeping ... that's all my non-theater time allows for.

What is your dream job? To be a dreamer of dreams like Willy Wonka! Not creepy Johnny Depp Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder Willy Wonka. (Erin says: I never thought I'd say this, but you're right -- Johnny Depp is far creepier than Gene Wilder.)

If you had to live for a month off of either corndogs or Big Macs, which would it be? Big Macs ... GOD I love that special sauce. It's like crack ... maybe that's what's in it!

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Mint Chocolate Chip! THERE IS NO OTHER FLAVOR!

Now, I have to say, I feel really weird posting myself up here. It feels a touch narcissistic. But, I'm in the show, and anyway, you guys all want to learn about the person who writes these posts, I know you do. So here we go.

Name: Erin Anderson King
Role: Georgeanne

Favorite roles you’ve played already: Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, and Brooke in Noises Off. Last year I was Reggie in Some Girl(s), directed by the lovely and talented Susan Devine ... I'm not sucking up to the director, I swear. (Erin says: Yes, you are. Don't lie if you can't do it any better than that. Erin also says: Michael, this whole commenting on my own interview was a really weird idea, I'm not sure I'm digging it.)

Roles you’d like to play someday: I can’t carry a tune in a bucket (no one believes me on this because they've never heard me sing, but they've never heard me sing because I think it's mean to cause my friend irreparable hearing damage), so I don’t stand a chance of ever playing Elphaba or Glinda in Wicked or Maureen in Rent, but if I COULD sing, those would be on the list. I love, love, love Shakespeare, and would really love to play either Puck or Helena in Midsummer or Katherine in Taming of the Shrew. Oooh, or Ophelia in Hamlet. But my all-time must-play role is Shelby in Steel Magnolias.

If Five Women ... was Survivor, in what order do you think the characters would be voted off the island? Why? I think we’d lose Frances first, because she kind of annoys all of them. I hate to say it, but they’d probably all boot Georgeanne off next cuz she’s so whiny and self-deprecating (I know I could only be stuck on an island with that for so long ... and yet I'm living in her head until March -- joy and joyness!), and then probably Meredith just because she’s so immature, then Mindy because out of this group, Trisha's the “ultimate do-girl”.

If you had to live for a month off of either corndogs or Big Macs, which would it be? Big Macs, if I can scrape off some of the sauce to give to Michael, 'cuz I'd get sick of it after a week or so.

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? I am obsessed with Edy’s slow-churned peppermint ice cream, which is the reason this question made it into the interview. Shame they only have it during the holidays. When it's not the holidays, Mint Chocolate Chip. Especially Turkey Hill, that stuff's addicting. Now I want ice cream.

What was your very first email address and/or IM screen name? Why did you choose it? My first email address was skyegirl17@hotmail … when I was 14, my friends and I found this thing at Claire’s in Apple Blossom Mall called “Boyfriend In a Box”. It was basically a box with a photo of said boy, a love note, a movie ticket stub, and other cheesy stuff, so that you could have your very own fake boyfriend. We each bought one, and I got Skater Skye (yes, I know that’s not a very manly name, but it’s the one he came with). I never actually told people Skye was my boyfriend though (seriously, I'm not THAT lame).

Who’s your celebrity cheat? You know, the celeb you heart so much that your significant other says “Okay, fine, if you ever meet that person, you can hook up once just to say you did it, and I won’t get mad.” I have so many, it’s a wonder Kevin married me at all. Nathan Fillion, I think, is the one I’ll choose ... a friend and I actually went to a nerd-con a few years back in hopes of meeting him, but didn’t realize that I was looking in the wrong place on the website for the con, and he’d been a guest the PREVIOUS year. I wanted to cry. But even if I had met Nathan, I probably would have been in such a state of star-struck-ness that I probably wouldn’t have even been able to squeak out a "hi", much less “Will you make out with me?”

Congrats to our WATCH nominees!!!

WATCH nominations went out this weekend, and CCT2FT people are all over the place!

For CCT2FT productions, we have:

• Outstanding Cameo in a Musical - Cathy Arnold as "Claire" - bare, a pop opera
• Outstanding Cameo in a Play - Robin Zerbe as "Miss Sandwich" - The Elephant
  Man
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play - Hans Dettmar as "John Merrick" - The
  Elephant Man

And for other companies/productions, the following CCT2FT board members have been nominated:

• Outstanding Choreography - Shannon Khatcheressian - A New Brain (KAT)
• Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical - Ryan Khatcheressian as "Roger Delli-
  Bovi" - A New Brain (KAT)
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play - Matthew Randall as "Norman" - The Dresser (PCP)

And many others whom we know and love -- congrats to everyone who was nominated!

More interviews!!!

This week we have a cast interview and a crew interview. Sorry I missed last week's update, for those of you who read this blog regularly (Michael) ... it was one of those weeks. But now I'm back!

Before I get into the interviews, I want to take a moment to play Mom: Take care of yourselves this winter. Get enough sleep, drink lots of fluids, get some Vitamin C -- half the cast and crew is fighting something right now, from a mild head cold on up through a lung infection (get better, Colleen!!!!), and it's not fun. I want you all to promise me that you'll do your best to stay healthy. Especially if you're working on our show ;)

That said, on to the interviews!!! First up, we have our costumer!

Name: Melissa Jo York-Tilley
Role: Costume Designer

Favorite shows you’ve worked on: Euripides’ The Bacchae, On Golden Pond, and Ghost Sonata.

Shows you’d like to do some day: I would absolutely love to direct Jesus Christ Superstar. I don’t usually act so I like projects that are challenging technically.

If you had to live for a month off of either corndogs or Big Macs, which would it be? Probably Big Macs because at least you have dairy, protein, and a tiny bit of veggies in there. (Erin says: You know, I hadn't actually thought about that. You make a good point ... you should do marketing for McDonald's!)

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Cookies & Cream!!!!

What was your very first email address and/or IM screen name? Why did you choose it? First name I’ve had is Melsiwelsie. A co-worker called me that one day and it stuck.

Who’s your celebrity cheat? You know, the celeb you heart so much that your significant other says “Okay, fine, if you ever meet that person, you can hook up once just to say you did it, and I won’t get mad.” Brendan Frasier ... YUMMY!!!!

If you were offered free plastic surgery and were guaranteed no complications from it, would you take it? What would you have done? I doubt it. Surgery scares me to death!!!

Name: Lauren Feliz
Role: Meredith Marlowe

Favorite roles you've played already: I was in musicals during high school ... most noteably I was Rapunzel in Into the Woods and Kate/Lilli Vannessi in Kiss Me Kate. Most recently I was Tyler in Some Girl(s) with 2nd Flight Productions.

Roles you'd like to play some day: Eliza Doolittle My Fair Lady ... Christine in Phantom of the Opera ... Other than that, whatever comes across my plate, I'm not too picky :)

Favorite thing about your character in Five Women: She sorta reminds me of myself in high school ... outside the whole spoiled bitchy part of her character (Erin says: Can we say "bitchy" on the air?). I remember trying to establish myself as an independent thinker, as a person who would define herself outside the status quo -- I respect that about her, as well as pity her for trying to do so. It's a hard road to follow ... not to mention that no man (or in this case woman) is an island and every group has rules you follow to be considered part of the group.

What are some of your non-theatre hobbies? I read a lot ... paint some ... watch my shows ... mostly I play with my 7 month old daughter.

What is your dream job? Dream job ... Rich, house/trophy wife? HA! Just kidding. Dream job would probably be an FBI profiler for their violent crimes unit, i.e. stopping super-bad guys.

What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Coldstone, Birthday Cake Light with white chocolate morsels topping, with raspberries and gummy bears on it too ... Yum!

Who's your celebrity cheat? You know, the celeb you heart so much that your significant other says "Okay, fine, if you ever meet that person, you can hook up once just to say you did it, and I won't get mad." Ahhh, there are so many attractive men in the world ... I would have to go with either Paul Blackthorne or Mark Valley. I don't heart them so much that I'm in love ... but they sure are two yummy men. ;)

(Erin says: Just for you, loyal readers ... pictures of Lauren's celebrity cheats -- Paul first, then Mark. I didn't know who they were, and figured you might not either. Actually, once I saw them, I did know them -- I love Boston Legal.)