New Beginnings and Sad Endings

With every ending comes a new beginning, and that's exactly what's going on in the life of CCT/2FT right now.

With the (very sad -- half the cast was in tears during the closing number on Saturday night) of "bare" comes the beginning of our next production, Bernard Pomerance's "The Elephant Man". Before we get into the details of the new show, however, let's do a quick wrap-up of the old one.

"I'd like to start with just a ...
If we could take a moment ...
[...]
I tried to find the words to ...
Just the right quotation ...
But I must confess I came up empty."

For those of you who saw "bare", you may recognize those words. For those of you who didn't see "bare", shame on you -- your punishment is that you have to Google the words yourself to get the reference! But in all seriousness, I think with the end of this show, most of its participants feel as though a little piece of them is missing -- not just that they now have evenings free to watch Monday Night Football and eat dinner with their families, but more than that. This was one of the closest-knit casts I've ever worked with -- this cast was truly a family, and I think there will be a bit of separation anxiety over the course of the next few weeks as we all readjust to life without rehearsal (and each other) every night. To me, that right there says more about the success of this show than any review or any box office numbers (not to say that the reviews and numbers weren't good or aren't important; I'm just a sentimentalist). To the "bare" team: I for one feel priviledged to have worked with each and every one of you. This cast had more talent and dedication than possibly any other cast I've worked with, and you all turned out a great product. Be proud of yourselves, and stay in touch!

And now, for our next trick, we present to you "The Elephant Man", directed by Natalie V. Safley. Some of you may have seen the movie with Anthony Hopkins, or may be familiar with the story of John Merrick from your history books or your own research/interest in the subject. For those of you who aren't: a brief synopsis ...

"The Elephant Man" is based on the life of John Merrick, who lived in London during the latter part of the nineteenth century. A horribly deformed young man, who has been a freak attraction in traveling side shows, is found abandoned and helpless and is admitted for observation to Whitechapel, a prestigious London Hospital. Under the care of a famous young doctor who educates him and introduces him to London society, Merrick changes from a sensational object of pity to the urbane and witty favorite of the aristocracy and literati. But his belief that he can become a man like any other is a dream never to be realized.

I'm pretty excited about this play. Safley is taking some interesting directions with it, and the cast list is full of names I recognize from having been in the community theatre world for a while, and you probably will too:

Cast List (in order of appearance)
Ringmaster/Announcer: Asher MillerFrederick
Treves: Stephen Smith
Carr Gomm: Tim Griffin
Ross: Jay Tilley
John Merrick: Hans Dettmar
Pinhead Manager: Eric Garner
Pinheads: Laura Moody, Kara Succolosky, Kyla Waitt
Belgian Policeman: Wayne Jacques
Conductor: David Saunders
Miss Sandwich: Robin Zerbe
Will, porter at the London Hospital: David Saunders
Bishop Walsham How: Phillip Archey
Snork, porter at the London Hospital: Wayne Jacques
Mrs. Kendal: Alyssa Jacobsen
Duchess: Kara Succolosky
Countess: Kyla Waitt
Lord John: Eric Garner
Princess Alexandra: Natalie Holmes

I don't know about you, but I'm curious as to why "Miss Sandwich" didn't make it into the final round of "Clue" suspects. Probably that won't be covered in the script, but maybe there's some back story there for Ms. Zerbe to delve into during character analysis time.

To wrap up: Congrats to the wonderful cast of "bare" for a great show; congrats to the cast of "The Elephant Man" for being cast in our next fabulous production; and keep checking in over the next few weeks for new cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes looks at "The Elephant Man". You'll have a guest writer, too, in the form of "The Elephant Man" producer Theresa Bender -- I know, it will be very sad to not have my charming wit for a few weeks, but she'll take good care of you, I promise.

Piñata Party

So I promised you all a Thursday post if Asher sent me the pictures Michael told me he was going to send. Well, he didn't, but Brittany did, so Brittany is today's official Blog Superhero, and she gets extra superhero points for being as nerdy as me to the point of Googling the word "piñata" so that she could paste it into an email and have the proper accent on it. I thought I was the only one that anal retentive -- good to know I'm not!

Okay, so this post is about the piñata-making party a few of our cast members had earlier this week. During the show, there is a birthday party, and at this birthday party is a piñata shaped like a penis. Now, this is not an easy thing to acquire, nor is it cheap, so the cast decided to make their own penis piñata. Below, find pictures from this endeavor, courtesy of Brittany Washington (who says the piñata is apparently pretty heavy, so we're going to hope she doesn't take out and cast/audience members while she swings it around onstage!).

Early on in the process (pre-papier-mâché [see, I can Google for accents too!]). Michael concentrates very hard. I'm fairly certain he's trying to create the head, but I really don't know.

Now that the head is attached to the shaft, Brian begins to cover it in papier-mâché.

Yes, this is slightly out of order, but it would take a really long time to delete this picture and go back and left-justify it, because I'd also have to delete all the others and re-justify them, because my computer is being really slow. At any rate, this is Michael, peering at us through the penis. A little weird, that.

Asher blow-dries the papier-mâché once the penis is assembled.

These next few photos are actually from set building on Sunday, but I figured I would include them as well.

Our lovely set -- that's me on the left, laden down with bags of costuming paraphernalia, then Brittany, Michael, and Kevin's dad Mike.

Michael and Theresa being craaaaazzzzzyyyyy.

2 Weeks Out!!!

We are almost 2 weeks out from opening night, ladies and gentlemen. Who's ready?

It's a scary time for a theatre group, to be 2 weeks away from opening. Kevin King (our technical director) and I were talking last night, and he said "I feel like we're behind, but if you think about it, in the old theatre we wouldn't have even been in the space yet, so I guess we're actually ahead!"

It's true. When 2nd Flight was just 2nd Flight, and we performed at the Cramer Center in Manassas, we wouldn't even move into the space until 2 weeks before the show went up (which would be this coming weekend). We'd build stuff ahead of time, but we wouldn't be able to really put it together until we were in the space.

And I have to say, this set is going to kick butt. Right now it's not painted or anything, it's just the skeleton, but it's awesome. Mad props to Kevin and Rick Wilson (our other technical director) and all the others who helped work on it so far (Theresa Bender, Brittany Washington, Asher Miller, Michael Schaaff, Kevin's dad Mike, and I'm sure there are others but these are the people I have actually seen working on it).

On another tech-related note, if you ever need cheap fabic, go to Wal*Mart. Their dollar-a-yard racks have costumed more shows for me than I can count. Go in with an open mind regarding color and weight of the fabric, and you're bound to find something that will work really well. Don't go in planning to be picky; you'll never find exactly what you want. Looking for something specific in the dollar-a-yard rack is like looking for a vintage Versace evening gown at the Sterling Goodwill. Not gonna happen.

That's about all I've got for today, but I have it on good authority that I may have some fodder for a Thursday update coming my way. I won't make promises, since it's not within my control whether or not the photos I've been told of appear in my inbox, but if they do, there will be an exciting story about the making of a certain special prop.

In the meantime, here are a couple more rehearsal photos, courtesy of Traci J. Brooks.

I actually watched this in rehearsal, and in person, it was even funnier than this picture. Poor Tara and Dan were trying to sing lovingly to each other, paper in hand, while Dan grabs Tara's butt to keep her from falling. Without the paper, she'll be able to hold on better, so he won't have to grip so hard, so it won't look as funny. But in rehearsal, it made me laugh.

This is one of two classic Ryan onstage poses. The other pose looks like Superman posing on top of a building with his cape billowing in the wind (though usually there's no billowing cape, for Ryan). When I go to see Ryan onstage, I always look for these poses -- I don't think it's on purpose that he does them, it's just that the roles I've seen him in lend themselves well to these "I'm singing very passionately out ot the audience" types of poses. I'm not making fun of you, Ryan. You know I love you.


A rare tender moment between Ivy and Nadia. I'm not entirely sure if this is actually Ivy and Nadia, or Juliet and the Nurse, but regardless, it's one of the few times Brittany's character isn't calling Tara's character a ho-face.

And finally, we have a not-so-tender moment between Ivy and Jason. Ivy looks like she's about to stab him in the face, then laugh about it. I'm not 100% sure what's actually going on here, but I can tell you that Ivy does not actually stab Jason in the face. Unless Debbie took some interesting directorial liberties that I'm not aware of. Which I don't think she did.

That's all for this particular update Tuesday! Come back on thursday and see if Asher sent me what he was supposed to (and if he didn't, you'll know it's his fault you don't have a story, not mine!).

Update Tuesday strikes again!!!

I promised two updates, so two updates ye shall have.

In this update, pictures from rehearsal!!!

Director Debbie Niezgoda offers direction (cuz that's what directors do, ideally) to actor Dan Plehal (Jason). I think he looks like he's not paying any attention, but I'm sure he's actually committing her every word to memory; right, Dan?

Photo credit: Traci J. Brooks

Ryan Khatcheressian (Peter) and Dan look very studious. Dan must be taking better notes, though, cuz his hand is moving faster. Step it up, Ryan!

Photo credit: Traci J. Brooks

Assistant Director B. Keith Ryder and Stage Manager Colleen Stock (greatest stage manager ever, from what I can tell) take notes. Lots of note taking going on at rehearsals. Kinda makes you wonder if they ever actually sing or dance or act, doesn't it?

Photo credit: Traci J. Brooks

Yes, they DO rehearse! Here, Ryan practices being a hummingbird while the rest of the cast practices choreography for "Rolling".

Photo credit: Brittany Washington

Meet the Cast: The Last Installment

Welcome back! We have some exciting news here in the CCT/2FT blogosphere (that's right, we have our very own blogosphere!). This blog has been recognized by showbizradio.net for being awesome! Well, okay, the blog itself wasn't, really, but the fact that we have one was. Check out the writeup here. This is pretty exciting for me; I've been doing theatre in this area a long time and this is the closest I've come to having showbizradio actually mention me for one of my theatrical contributions. Unless you count "Noises Off" back in 2006, when Dave kicked the railing onto my head and the review mentioned the great breakaway set, but it's too bad that actress was standing in the wrong place (in their defense, they didn't know, but for the record I'd like to state that I was 100% in the right place -- the railing was in the wrong place [i.e., on my head instead of on the second story]). But yeah, exciting!!!

Okay, this week we have our final installment of Meet the Cast interviews, and I think, because I'm feeling particularly update-y today (and I kind of want to make Michael's head explode with the sheer power of Update Tuesday), I just might post ANOTHER entry after this one. You'll have to wait and see!!!

Name: Cory Okouchi
Role: Lucas

What are some of your favorite past roles? Scrooge, Sagot, Lucentio (short shorts picture Shannon found -- Erin says: I tried to find this picture to post but alas, I could not. If I can track it down in the future I will post it. It's pretty hilarious.)

If you could play any role you haven't yet played, what would it be? Sweeney, Hamlet

What do you do when you're not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? Boring engineering work and making feature films! I'm kinda eclectic.

Anything else we should know about you? Nope.

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you (can't be something you've said already; make it good – "I'm allergic to cats" is lame, but "I once worked as a dancer in a vampire theme bar" is awesome!)? I'm from Idaho but I've never grown a potato. All my plants die.

Name: Asher J. Miller
Role: Zack - The Jock

What are some of your favorite past roles? Heck Tate, the Sheriff in To Kill A Mockingbird and Lewis in the musical Pippin

If you could play any role you haven’t yet played, what would it be? The Farmer in The Crucible (Erin says: Exactly which farmer, Asher? I'm pretty sure they were all farmers.)

What do you do when you’re not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? I work with my production company to put webisodes online, I DJ, and try and find other movie- and music-related projects.

Anything else we should know about you? I enjoy pie a great deal.

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? I am Samuel L. Jackson … I used to be a huge comic geek. On a more interesting note, my cousin was Miss World 1969 and my mom partied with Grateful Dead, no seriously. (Erin says: Asher's mom has facebook. Who knows what comes next??? Michael? Brittany?)

Name: Carla Okouchi
Role: Rory

What are some of your favorite past roles? It was an honor to play Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, our first show as 2nd Flight! Ms. Casewell in Mouse Trap was the most deep and interesting character I've had the pleasure of bringing to the stage. Poppy in Noises Off ... yes, Matthew watch out ... "I'll make it my own!" Mayor Maggie, Ron, and Clem must round out the list from Batboy: The Musical ... it's not often one can flirt with one's husband the Reverend as Mayor, play his brother, and get killed along with the rest of the cast.

If you could play any role you haven't yet played, what would it be? Elphaba in Wicked; I actually met Stephanie Block a couple months ago after the show. She was fabulous as Elphaba, and if you've seen my Halloween picture from last year, you'll know it's a dream role of mine. (Erin says: Yes, the picture posted here is from Halloween last year ... Carla is not typically green.) Mimi in Rent -- another show that I would LOVE to be part of in the future. Velma in Chicago and Kim in Miss Saigon.

What do you do when you're not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? I'm a music educator by day and spend any free time outside of working on shows ... dancing or playing billiards ... I actually have a couple trophies from APA league. Rack 'em!!

Anything else we should know about you? Making a movie "Ninjas versus Zombies" with my husband and friends. Check out http://nvzmovie.com/ for a sneak peek! And no, my character is not a ninja or a zombie.

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? I'm an animal lover and should have studied to become a veterinarian ... too bad I can't stand the sight of blood. If we could own a farm I'd have plenty of horses and dogs running about! Ever since I was little riding horses had been my favorite outdoor activity.

Meet the Cast of "bare": Part 4!

Hello once again, loyal readers (and newbies who stumbled on this blog because they were looking for posts tagged with "Sterling, VA", "Improperly Acquired Street Signs," "Awesome," etc.)!

I'm trying to get better about updating this thing. My goal originally was to update every Monday. Well, Mondays are rough days, cuz I'm usually not awake or functional till after lunch, and by then I'm already logged into my personal gmail account, which means to log into blogger on this account I have to log out of gmail, then into blogger, then out of blogger and back into gmail, which is just too much for my brain to handle on a Monday. So I've decided that Tuesdays will be Update Tuesdays, and I will do the update first thing in the morning (unless my bosses have something else for me to do!) before I log into gmail. It's a win-win for everyone (except maybe my bosses).

We're getting closer to the end of the cast list. I think there's only 3 actors left. And whether or not you get to meet them is dependant on whether or not they decide to send me their interviews! Lucky for you, I know two of them quite well, and feel confidant that I could create answers for them and no one would know the difference. The third I don't know as well, but he reminds me a lot of my brother, so I may just have my brother answer the interview on his behalf. Cory, Carla, and Asher, y'all might want to get your questionnaires in ... you don't really want to know what kinds of bizarre answers the Anderson family could come up with for you!

Today, meet Cathy, Felicity, and Michael! (I had originally typed "And now, on with the show!" but that sounded really cheesy, and besides, it's Show Biz Radio's tagline -- I don't want to be a tagline thief unless it's a really, really good tagline. I can't even think of one I'd want to steal right now. Perhaps Tuesday mornings aren't ideal update times either ... )

Name: Cathy Arnold
Role: Claire

What are some of your favorite past roles? Last summer, I played Grizabella in CATS … what an awesome role to play! It was my first time back into theatre since HIGH SCHOOL!

If you could play any role you haven’t yet played, what would it be? ????? (Erin says: I assume this means Cathy has played all the roles she's ever wanted to play. Well, after playing Grizabella, that makes sense.)

What do you do when you’re not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? During the school year, I teach pre-kindergarten at a preschool; I have been singing with a Jazz Combo since 1987; I love water volleyball; I am raising my beautiful 13 year old daughter and 6 year old Shih Tzu.

Anything else we should know about you? I am an M&M freak, I love to watch CSI and Ghost Hunters, and I love to enjoy the outdoors in the summer (as long as it is not camping). (Erin says: Cathy and I might be the same person, except for the part where she can sing and loves the water ... so, not really the same person. But I, too, like M&Ms and CSI, and hate camping!)

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you (can’t be something you’ve said already; make it good – “I’m allergic to cats” is lame, but “I once worked as a dancer in a vampire theme bar” is awesome!)? I played on a dodge ball team last winter!! It was a serious sport! Also, speaking of serious, I am a ruthless Scrabble player.

Name: Felicity Ann Brown
Role: Kyra

What are some of your favorite past roles? Topsy in The King and I, Professor Willard in Our Town, Granny in the party scene of The Nutcracker. I loved being an ensemble member in American University's production of Kiss Me, Kate, because the dance routines were incredible. Oh, and chorus member of The Mikado with Washington Savoyards, because that's how I met Guillaume. (Erin says: According to Facebook, Guillaume is Felicity's boyfriend. Probably you could figure that out, but since I had hard proof, I figured I'd pass along that little nugget.)

If you could play any role you haven't yet played, what would it be? Kate in Kiss Me, Kate.

What do you do when you're not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? I'm the Acquisitions Coordinator for American University's Library. I'm starting library school in the September. I try to squeeze in ballet classes here and there, but I'm also on the Board of the Victorian Lyric Opera Company (shameless plug: http://www.vloc.org/) so I don't get away from theatre much.
Anything else we should know about you? I like alternative and punk rock … and I like it loud.

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? Nerdiest high school moment: I once soldered together a circuit board for my F.I.R.S.T Robotics team while wearing a nun's habit (it was during my dinner break for The Sound of Music dress rehearsal). (Erin says: If there are pictures, I would like to see them. That sounds even nerdier than MY nerdiest high school moment!)

Name: Michael Ehrlich
Role: Priest, and I’m serving as the vocal director

What are some of your favorite past roles? Ali Hakim in Oklahoma and Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.

If you could play any role you haven’t yet played, what would it be? Leo in The Producers. If I were MUCH younger, I would love to play Matt in The Fantasticks. I'd like to play the Wizard of Oz in Wicked. Hmmm …There are so many fun roles, it’s hard not to write a huge list.

What do you do when you’re not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? I’m the choral director at W. T. Woodson HS in Fairfax. I just finished my 20th year. I’m also the president of the Virginia Music Educators Association. I love to travel, love to cook, bake, read, go to the movies, theatre. Spend as much time as possible with Roger and also with my 1 year old golden retriever Max!

(Erin says: Michael has received all sorts of awards and recognition for his teaching and directing. Too many to list here, but he is quite an accomplished man! Be impressed.)

Anything else we should know about you? I’m not sure … let’s see … I’m a tap dancer. I told color guard for quite a few marching bands for over 22 years. Does that count for something interesting?

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? I’ll never tell!! :) (Erin says; Oh, now that's just mean!)

That's all, folks! (See, THERE'S a tagline worth stealing! I knew one would come to me eventually.)

Meet the Cast of "bare": Part Three!!!

So, I don't have the script on me, and I know for a fact that the new CCT/2FT website (http://www.cct2ft.com/, for those who don't know) has the cast listed out of order, and my stupid computer isn't letting me access 2nd Flight's old site, so I'm just going to post these in whatever order I want to!

First, I would also like to mention that I am FINALLY going to make it out to rehearsal tonight -- about freaking time, too. I'm skipping class to go, since I ended up digging through costumes at Chantilly High School on Saturday instead of measuring inseams like I had planned to be. So, tonight's the night. Ryan, better prepare, I will have to touch you. Sorry.

And now ... let's meet more cast members!!!

Name: Traci J. Brooks, but my partners in crime refer to me as "Trey"
Role: I play Diana, the "naive Asian." It's one of those stretch roles.

What are some of your favorite past roles? Mayor Maggie in Bat Boy: The Musical (CCT), a dancing student revolutionary in Footloose (LTA) and Liat in South Pacific (LSDT).

If you could play any role you haven't yet played, what would it be? When I win my Tony, I would be thrilled for it to be for my stellar performance of Eponine in Les Miserables, the emotional Cathy in Last 5 Years or bratty Marcy in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Or all three at once!

What do you do when you're not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? I'm lucky enough that my day job DOES involve theater! I was the Music Director for Lopez Youth Performing Arts Company in Reston for their 2008 production of Seussical, Jr., aand I'm the Acting Teacher for their drama camps this summer. I'm pretty computer-oriented (my Mac is never far from me), and I love graphic design, web design, Photoshop and Facebook. Other than that, I am a professional student, a advanced amateur photographer and gormandizer of all things music.

(Erin says: Gormandizer is my new favorite word, as of this moment. And for that, Traci is my favorite cast member today!)

Anything else we should know about you? I am thrilled to be a part of CCT/2FT in their inaugural production as CCT/2FT! My brother's name is Jason, which makes this "You and I" fun to sing his name over and over ... and ask if he has a date for prom ...? Oh, and I'm allergic to poison ivy ... hmmm does that mean Ivy (the character played by Tara Moore), and I don't get along? Table work time!

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you (can't be something you've said already; make it good – "I'm allergic to cats" is lame, but "I once worked as a dancer in a vampire theme bar" is awesome!)? I love hugs, but I hate massages. They make me tense- which I'm pretty sure is NOT their goal.

Name: Janelle Delaney

Role: Tanya

What are some of your favorite past roles? Chiffon (Little Shop of Horrors), Cinderella (Into the Woods), Mama Euralie (Once on This Island)

If you could play any role you haven’t yet played, what would it be? My dream would be Aida , Dorothy in The Wiz or any part in Dreamgirls

What do you do when you’re not doing theatre? I work 2 jobs ; Online Resources and Coach. I am a major movie buff so watching movies is my favorite. Shopping, sleeping, laughing, cooking, eating (I’m a big foodie!) and generally having fun.

Anything else we should know about you? I am a constant source of entertainment but usually not on purpose … it’s just who I am!

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? I have been trying to answer this question for over an hour … I can’t think of anything!

(Erin says: Ooooh, that means I get to create something!!!! Ummmmm ... Janelle once participated in a V8 Wrestling Match for charity. Ew, gross.)

Name: Richelle “Rikki” Howie
Role: Sister Chantelle

What are some of your favorite past roles? Narrator - Joseph... Dreamcoat, Vera Charles -Mame, Muzzy Von Hossamere - Thoroughly Modern Millie, Kate - Wild Party, Sarah Friend - Ragtime, Momma Rose - Gypsy, DeeLee - Smokey Joe's Cafe, Charlene - Ain't Misbehavin', Director of The Piano Lesson

If you could play any role you haven’t yet played, what would it be? Deena - Dreamgirls, Cassie - A Chorus Line, Roxie - Chicago

What do you do when you’re not doing theatre? Management consultant to the gov’t. I have over 100 pair of shoes and have a shoe shopping addiction and a Family Guy addiction.

Anything else we should know about you? I cook a killer death by chocolate dessert; I’m busier than a one-armed paper hanger at a wallpaper convention with theatre, usually doing 3-4 shows at once. It keeps me sane.

(Erin says: Oy. I struggle with one show at a time and all the other crap going on in my life. Rikki, you are a rock star.)

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? I worked in a theme park outdoor show as Yogi Bear, Cindy Bear, Scooby Doo, and George Jetson in Charlotte, NC, and one show Yogi became decapitated by mistake and I scared a group of kids when Yogi's head rolled off the stage into the audience and I hear "Oh no!!! Yogi’s a black girl!!!!” Trust me, it was hilarious. All characters onstage and singers lost it!!!

Meet the Cast, Part 2!

So my original plan was to just run on down the cast list as it's listed in the script, but I'm going to deviate from that slightly today. I had a special request for more of my witty writing from my favorite (and possibly only) loyal reader, Michael Schaaff ... who also happens to be in the cast! So he's getting bumped up a little bit, and is in fact today's very first cast member to be interviewed!

(Right now Michael's my favorite because he's the only loyal reader I know of, and because his picture is pretty freaking awesome. And, you know, he seems to be a pretty cool guy. But if YOU want to be the next Michael Schaff, tell me! I like mail, I like comments, and mostly, I like embarrassing pictures from people who will let me post them on the internet! Maybe I can make this a weekly contest ... )

(I just got an email from Michael that Brittany is also a loyal reader, but since she was supposed to be posted today anyway, I figured I'd give her a special shout-out right here. Holla! ... Yeah, I really just typed that. *hangs head in shame*)

Enough about me. Let's hear about Michael and Brittany and Brian!

Name: Michael Schaaff
Role: Alan

What are some of your favorite past roles? Ken de la Maize – The Musical Comedy Murders of the 1940s

If you could play any role you haven’t yet played, what would it be? Princeton/Rod – Avenue Q (pipe dream, I know, but I’d love to do it)

What do you do when you’re not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? I’m a Quality Assurance Engineer for Honeywell. I like to go to the movies, play video games, board games, sleeping (that’s my favorite), dining out, and causing shenanigans when with my friends.

Anything else we should know about you? I like long walks on the beach (bet you get that a lot ... Erin says: You know, I do, actually, everyone wants me to walk on the beach with them), cooking outdoors, dodging traffic, being sarcastic, making a scene in public, and I’ll do just about anything for a laugh (I’ve ordered diet water at a restaurant and they came back to say “I’m sorry sir, we don’t offer that here”).

(Erin says: Those waiters are stupid. Really, really stupid. All water is diet, duh!)

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you (can’t be something you’ve said already; make it good – “I’m allergic to cats” is lame, but “I once worked as a dancer in a vampire theme bar” is awesome!)? I’ve dressed up as Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Superman (full spandex) …not necessarily for Halloween, and looked damn good I might add. (Erin says: Heck yeah, you did! I have the Superman picture somewhere, but for whatever reason, gmail won't find it for me. If it decides to give it back to me, I'll post that one here too ... the world needs more men in spandex.)

(Michael was kind enough to resend!)

Name: Brittany Washington (headshot credit: Traci J. Brooks)

Role: Nadia

What are some of your favorite past roles? I've only just hopped back into theatre this year for the first time since I was in middle school, so I don't really have anything to choose from!

If you could play any role you haven't yet played, what would it be? Cathy (The Last Five Years), Helen (Fat Pig), Olive Ostrovsky (Putnam County Spelling Bee), the list goes on but I'll spare you.

What do you do when you're not doing theatre? I'm a receptionist for a company where the phone rings about twenty times an hour max, so I basically get paid for not falling asleep at my desk. It's a pretty sweet gig. (Erin says: You have no idea how jealous I am. No idea. Seriously, her gchat message just said she's watching "Juno" ... at work. I hope her boss isn't reading this.)

Anything else we should know about you? I am pathetically reliant on my TiVo, enjoy singing in the shower, overuse my flat iron, and am a terrible cook unless the only thing you like to eat is toast -- in which case, I can totally hook you up.

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? When I was six, I desperately wanted to become one of the Barney kids -- I knew the words to all of the songs and had my own purple stuffed dinosaur and everything. Obviously it never quite worked out... not that I'm totally bitter or anything.

The other, less-awesome Britney. This was the placeholder headshot until we got a real one, but Brittany and I decided that it still needed to be in here, since when it comes down to it, she and Brit-Brit are essentially the same person.

Name: Brian M. Garrison
Role: Matt

What are some of your favorite past roles? ‘Puck’ in William Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream is my all-time favorite … so far. There’s nothing better than playing a mischievous fairy decked out in glitter and bells. (Erin says: It's so true. And again, I'm so jealous. I don't have nearly enough opportunities to wear glitter and bells in my life.) Portraying the ‘Dauphin’ (Prince of France) in Henry V was another awesome experience. I love any role that allows me to speak French and partake in a brutal sword fight. Outside of Shakespeare, ‘Linus’ in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown was a ton of fun and my friend made me a blanket for the show. I stopped carrying it to work, but I still sleep with it sometimes. And ‘John Landis’ in Fifth of July was probably the toughest dramatic role I’ve taken on to date. John was a very complex individual with very complex circumstances. He’s the antithesis of me in almost every way, but the experience was priceless.

If you could play any role you haven’t yet played, what would it be? I definitely have a list going: ‘Henry Jekyll’ in Jekyll & Hyde. ‘Mark’ in Rent. ‘Matthew’ ‘Mark’ or ‘Luke’ in Altar Boyz. ‘Adam’ in The Shape of Things. ‘Irwin’, ‘Dakin’ or ‘Scripps’ in The History Boys. I also want a part in any future M. Night Shyamalan film.

What do you do when you’re not doing theatre? Acting is my passion and I would prefer to put it first in my life. (Insert shameless plug here: If anyone wants to subsidize my acting career please feel free to contact me!) I’m a project analyst (accountant) for a telecommunications integrator during the sun-filled hours of the day. It pays the bills and I like my co-workers a lot, but it’s not the love of my life. I also like to hang out with my friends, travel, eat at great restaurants, write the never ending screenplay, party-party-party in DC & NYC, shop, play video games, see a lot of live theatre and spend quality time at home with Netflix.

Anything else we should know about you? I’m in an improv troop called ‘Mission Impromptu’. I’m a ‘totally fierce’ cook and avid wine drinker. I’m also ‘Godfather’ (Erin says: Godfather like Marlon Brando? Cool!) to my best friend’s son, Alex, who just turned 1 in May. In the very near future, I plan to move to New York City to further pursue my acting career.

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? I dated a dancer in a vampire theme bar … Wait, no, um … When I have the time, I still read comic books and collect action figures.

Meet the cast of "bare" (Part 1)

Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be posting some interviews with the cast of "bare". Some of the cast members took the interview more seriously than others (for example, I happen to know that Ryan Khatcheressian's favorite role ever was as my body double in BatBoy, although he failed to list this in his interview ... I am offended.)

This may take a few weeks (or days, depends how often I feel like updating) ... I have to spread things out, create some anticipation ... that, and I can't put the whole cast all in one post. This blog doesn't hold that much awesome.

Name: Ryan Khatcheressian
Role: Peter

What are some of your favorite past roles? The West Springfield HS ensembles of The Sound of Music, South Pacific, and Oliver!

If you could play any role you haven’t yet played, what would it be? Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol

What do you do when you’re not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? Sorting socks and catching butterflies.

Anything else we should know about you? I like funnel cake and tennis.

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you (can’t be something you’ve said already; make it good – “I’m allergic to cats” is lame, but “I once worked as a dancer in a vampire theme bar” is awesome!)? In July of 1991, I threw up on the Tilt-A-Whirl at Ocean City and cried.

Name: Tara Leigh Moore (real picture coming soon, promise!)

Role: Ivy

What are some of your favorite past roles? Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, Columbia in The Rocky Horror Picture show, Echo in Eleemosynary, Alice in Closer, Shelly in Batboy: the Musical, and Little Red in Into the Woods

If you could play any role you haven’t yet played, what would it be? Eponine in Les Miserables (realistic) and Mimi in Rent (unrealistic since last time I checked I wasn’t the appropriate ethnicity) oh and Daisy in SideShow which will never happen since nobody is my size :)

What do you do when you’re not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? I’m a speech and language pathologist. I work with children who have communication disorders including articulation, receptive and expressive language impairments, reading and writing delays, etc. ... love what I do.

Anything else we should know about you? I love sushi and lobster. Not together. And chocolate – milk chocolate or with caramel is a plus. Favorite TV shows: Lost, Heros and Buffy the Vampire Slayer

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? I’m a pole dance instructor for DivaFit in Ashburn!!! I’ve been pole dancing for two years. It’s the first hobby in my life that’s rivaled theatre for my attention. And yeah, you could guess it on the days that I have bruises up my legs from too many pole classes but it’s worth it!

(Erin says: Tara is my pole dance instructor and she's awesome. If you've ever considered taking pole dance, you should really check out DivaFit. Super fun. And now, back to your regularly scheduled interviews.)

Name: Dan Plehal (Erin says: Dan said I should have made his shirt green, but that other than that it's a pretty good likeness ... so apparently, Dan looks like Charlie Brown mated with a Weeble. Watch out, ladies. This one's a hottie.)
Role: Jason

What are some of your favorite past roles? Pish-Tush (Mikado), Willard (Footloose), Pharaoh (Joseph…Dreamcoat), Papa Ge (Once on this Island), Bobby Child (Crazy for You)

If you could play any role you haven't yet played, what would it be? Leaf Coneybear! (25th Annual…Spelling Bee) and (admittedly) Mark in Rent. If I had the range I would love to play Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, but alas, I do not.

What do you do when you're not doing theatre (day job, hobbies, etc.)? Going to School (senior at William & Mary, studying theatre), doing lighting design and direction, singing with my a cappella group (DoubleTake), taking headshots

Anything else we should know about you? I'm a big fan of food, and Lost, bowling, mediocre pizza at 2am, Wii, mint chocolate chip, and that performing thing :) Shameless plug: if anyone needs new headshots, let me know!

And finally, what is one thing that people would not guess about you upon first meeting/seeing you? I may or may not have a relatively extensive collection of improperly acquired street signs. And a traffic light.

(Erin says: Dan just may be my new hero. Sorry, Ryan. He's got an improperly acquired traffic light. That's pretty rad.)

Dan's REAL head shot (credit Traci J. Brooks) ... not nearly as Charlie Brown-esque.

Oh and also, apparently the traffic light works. Dan wired it himself and it is controlled by a normal 3x lightswitch box.

I am impressed.

And they're off!

So the cast has been rehearsing for about a week now, and things seem to be going smoothly!

Last week we had a cast meet 'n' greet at Tara Moore's (Ivy) house. I hear everyone got along great and had a lot of fun mingling -- I got there late as I had dinner plans that I had made before I knew about the meeting, so I missed the fun part and was just there for the administrative stuff where everyone got their scripts and talked about how this is going to be a lot of work but SO MUCH FUN!

Rehearsals so far seem to be very music-oriented at this point, which is good, as it's a pop opera (i.e., not much dialogue).

One day soon I'll start posting some cast interviews!

Oh, and yesterday was also Technical Director Kevin King's birthday -- Happy Birthday, Old Man! ;)

Final Call for Jason

We are holding our final auditions for the role of "Jason" this Thursday, June 5th at 7:30 p.m. Auditions will be held in the black box (room 106) at Chantilly High School.

4201 Stringfellow Road

Chantilly, Va. 20151

Auditions will consist of sides and songs from the show.

Please pass along to anyone you know who may fit the bill.

Actor must appear at LEAST in EARLY TWENTIES if not younger on stage, have a wide vocal range, and be a strong performer.

For additional details visit www.2ndflightproductions.com or call 703-927-5438.

Auditions, Part Deux!

Well, auditions went very well last week, and we have most of the roles cast with extremely talented, wonderful people. However, there are a few male roles we still need to fill, so if you wanted to audition but couldn't, or didn't know about it, come on out!

We are holding a second round of callbacks for the roles of Jason, Matt and Lucas.

They will be held this Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. at Chantilly H.S. in room 106.

If you're not a man, but know a man who can act, sing, and dance, send him out!

We're almost there ...

It's almost that time, folks -- Audition Time!

Next Monday and Tuesday. Bring your acting, singing, and dancing hats.

I'll post back next week to let you all know how things went, who got cast, and so forth. All that interesting stuff!

AUDITIONS for "bare" (a pop opera)

http://www.2ndflightproductions.com/
or
www.nvcc.edu/CCT
for more information, directions, etc.