Welcome to Taking Flight Theatre Company.

Formerly known as CCT with 2nd Flight Theatre Company; also, CCT2FT.

2010 has been an exciting year for us so far. We've changed our name, changed our logo, and let's talk about our WATCH nominations, shall we?

In 2007, before CCT and 2nd Flight merged, 2nd Flight's Jerhonda Spaulding was nominated for "Outstanding Cameo in a Musical" for her role as Nahebka in Aida.

Last year, CCT2FT had three nominations:

• Cathy Arnold as Claire in bare: a pop opera (Outstanding Cameo in a Musical)
• Robin Zerbe as Miss Sandwich in The Elephant Man Outstanding Cameo in a Play)
• Hans Dettmar as John Merrick in The Elephant Man (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play).

This year, CCT2FT (because that is the name the 2009 season was produced under) was nominated for -- wait for it -- EIGHT WATCH awards:

• Dawn Parker, Six Degrees of Separation (Outsanding Set Design in a Play)
• Steven L. Barker, Six Degrees of Separation (Outstanding Lighting Design in a Play)
• Josh Doyle as Charles Lindbergh, Flight of the Lawnchair Man (Outstanding Cameo in a Musical)
• Joe Helein as The Hustler, Six Degrees of Separation (Outstanding Cameo in a Play)
• Ryan Khatcheressian as Big Jack Preston, Flight of the Lawnchair Man (Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical)
• Susanna Todd as Gracie, Flight of the Lawnchair Man (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical)
• Haley Murphy, Six Degrees of Separation (Outstanding Direction in a Play)
• Six Degrees of Separation (Outstanding Play)

A resounding CONGRATULATIONS to the individuals nominated, and to everyone else who contributed to these fabulous shows. And a huge THANK YOU to every single person who has helped CCT2FT grow into Taking Flight -- without each and every one of you, it would truly not have been possible.

Rehearsal Recap #2, and tickets!

We're a month from opening. We're a week from being off-book. Last night was Scott's first night in the theatre. It's been a big week for us!

I think I mentioned before that most of the rehearsing we've been doing has been in a classroom, which is, um, not nearly as big as the stage. So it's a big shift to get onstage and realize that you have to cover 20 feet during one line instead of 2 feet. Scott Pafumi (Nick) was taking a class last semester that met on Wednesday nights, which was our only night in the theatre in December. So last night was his first foray onto the Waddell stage. He did very well, the size of the space didn't seem to phase him.

We did notice last night that Michael likes to stop us to give directing notes when we're in a really awkward position ... like when Nick and Martha are making out and he's half on top of her. This is especially awkward because we're still working with a rehearsal set right now, which means that instead of sofas, we have three plastic chairs lined up next to each other. It's really hard to make out with someone when you're trying to keep the chairs from sliding apart (at least, it looked like it was. I don't make out with anyone in this show, so I don't speak from personal experience. Although I do spend an awful lot of time flopping myself drunkenly/petulantly on the sofa, and it's hard to keep the chairs together doing that, so I can imagine it's just as hard when you're making out).

I think I insinuated last week that the hardest part will be memorizing lines. I'd like to amend that. The hardest part of this show will be remembering when we need our glasses to be empty, and remembering where we put them down (on the rare occasions that we do put them down). There's not only a lot of drinking in the show, there are a lot of references to refilling glasses, so we all have to make sure that when someone offer to refill our glasses, those glasses are empty. I told Wynn on Tuesday that I never thought I'd do another show that was as much of a pain props-wise as Noises Off (which I've done twice, and which is a serious pain in the rear as far as props go), but that this one might top it. There are only a handful of props -- I think I have about 4 throughout the entire show, and one is a purse that I leave on the floor about a minute after walking onstage and don't touch again till my final exit -- but the lines reference the props (mostly the drinks) being just-so, so we have to make sure they're so.

All complaining aside, though, I really am having a great time with this show. Come see it -- tickets are now available on our website!