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!!!