tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4491904293885972672024-03-13T09:44:44.885-07:00Adoration of DoraA play of text and images by Lojo SimonUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-37592004045654939042015-06-30T07:07:00.004-07:002015-06-30T07:07:55.965-07:00Adoration of Dora Gets California Premiere by KOLT Run Creations
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<span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">KOLT Run Creations announces its fall 2015 production of Adoration of Dora </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">directed by KOLT Associate Artist </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">Kellie Yvonne Raines</span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">, with KOLT Co-Founder </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">Kelley Ogden </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">performing, and KOLT Co-Founder </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">Lisa Thew </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">producing. The show </span><span style="font-family: Garamond; font-size: 11pt;">will run from October 23-November 14, 2015 at the Sierra II Center at 2791 24th Street in midtown
Sacramento. Tickets will be available for purchase online at <a href="http://www.koltruncreations.com/">www.KOLTRunCreations.com</a>, starting in September. For more, including thoughtful and insightful commentary about the play, go to KOLT Run's blog at </span>https://koltrun.wordpress.com.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-22769443957996434282015-02-09T08:36:00.002-08:002015-06-30T07:24:01.187-07:00IDIOM Theatre's Dora Gets Rave ReviewsDirector Shu-Ling Zhao and her cast rocked the house at their two-week run at Idiom Theatre in Bellingham, Washington. Check out this audience feedback:<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I just saw ADORATION OF DORA in Bellingham. I laughed so hard I cried, I cried so hard I laughed. It is the best thing I've seen on stage. They did justice to your play with the directing, the lighting, the choreography and the acting. So gut wrenching, so demanding of everyone involved including the audience. It will be a long time before I see it's equal. Thank you and congratulations. – Wade Marlow</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">ADORATION OF DORA is one of the top three emotionally charged shows I have ever experienced. Superb writing, visceral performances. I was absolutely moved, and the hairs on my neck literally stood on end during the wailing women scene. Insanely gut wrenching and beautiful. 5 stars! -- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/heather.mahaffie"><span style="color: #042eee; letter-spacing: 0px;">Heather Cloke Mahaffie</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Refreshing, smart, deep and arresting, ADORATION OF DORA is a provocative and powerful story drawn superbly by playwright, director, whole cast and tech. Brava!! I can't stop thinking about it. I went home and cried – what a release.! -- Erin Moore</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you have ever seen a show at the Idiom Theater, you must see ADORATION OF DORA. It is the most passionate show I have seen in Bellingham. The ladies that have put this show together with all of their heart and soul have taken some of my heart with each performance I have seen. Brava to a job well done! – John Phillip</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was a great show! We sat at the edge of our seats the whole time. -- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ellabarney1?fref=ufi"><span style="color: #042eee; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed;">Ella Barney</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="direction: ltr; letter-spacing: 0.0px; unicode-bidi: embed;">An awesome show! Amazing women! Thank you for your courage to create this production! – Joyce Dolan</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’m still thinking about it. It was incredible, and such a brilliant script. I loved it! – Jordan McMakin</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The best play I have ever seen! – Julie Brandow</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Both of us enjoyed the performance, and we’ve had an ongoing discussion about the play and Picasso. This was our second play at iDiOM and we are very impressed. Thanks for a wonderful evening of intelligent, adult entertainment! – Audience member</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One of the best plays I've seen at iDiOM, and I've seen a lot of plays there… I loved it. It was emotionally powerful, had a stunning female cast, was visually impressive, and the subject matter was poignantly existential. – Audience member</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Adoration of Dora is an intense, sexy, and disturbing show. The all-female cast is enthralling, and having no male actors is a superb way of telling a woman’s story… The cast re-enactment of the events depicted in Guernica is frightening in its power. – Audience member</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Amazing! -- Angela Kiser</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Outstanding! – Mitzi McMillan Moore</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Best play I've seen all year! - -Tad Beavers</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Awesome! -- Emily Lester</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If you haven't yet seen this show, you need to go today! I saw it on opening night and can't even accurately describe just how phenomenal it was! The content of the play itself is so moving, you will be left feeling changed and with intense emotions by the time it ends! Go see this performance. – Amy Armstrong</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Saw this last night. It's a wowzer… a tour de force. – Ramona Abbott</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This play was incredible. I've never experienced anything like this before. We were practically speechless on the way home. Bravo to all involved in this magnificent creation! – Frankie Richards</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Wow, we saw an amazing play last night. Totally sucked me in. Great acting and directing and lighting/sound, etc. I highly recommend it. It's called ADORATION OF DORA, and it's at the iDiom Theater in Bellingham. – Dallas Betz</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Everyone go see this. It's amazing! – Sean Brandow</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">It was really wonderful, raw, and treacherously beautiful. – Christopher Cariker</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We left the theater in a silent daze. I am far more comfortable and familiar with emotion than [my husband] Wade. From Guernica on, I knew he was lost. I can't and won't speak for him, but from my observations. He seemed "shell shocked", stupefied! We were both stunned with the intensity brought forth by those six actors, by the direction, with the help of many others involved. The choreography flowed beautifully and must have been studied & practiced to exhaustion. And the lighting! I've done lighting and sound, together, on those long boards with many levers, switches & buttons, and I know the close understanding of the lines, the players & the equipment it takes. It was done brilliantly (and softly, focused, colorfully, naturally).I was very aware that Sunday was the international Day of the Woman and had been thinking & reading about it all Sunday. It was the perfect way to top the day. I saw no weak or weakly played part. Dora and her reflection, Maar, were strikingly, visually similar to the actual muse in Picasso's life. To me, their roles were done with visceral perfection. The 'Chorus of Three' were well chosen and played with cultured/animalistic intensity. Their movements were as one - still accentuating the vast difference of each. My inner camera was clicking stills of every lovely/hideous pose. Marie Therese amazed me as Madonna, Bull and Fecund Goddess. Indeed, they were all Goddesses! I felt honored to be there and witness ADORATION OF DORA. Thank you! Brava!" – Tonie Marlow</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Thank for the laughter, tears, and more tears. – Ethan Leonard</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Gorgeous, exquisite direction; gorgeous, exquisite design; gorgeous, exquisite and immensely talented women! -- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/danielpaulruiz?fref=ufi"><span style="color: #042eee; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed;">Daniel Ruiz</span></a></span></div>
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<span style="direction: ltr; letter-spacing: 0.0px; unicode-bidi: embed;">You need to start a "The Adoration of the ADORATION OF DORA" site. It was brilliant. --<a href="https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.b.stiglitz?fref=ufi"><span style="color: #042eee; direction: ltr; letter-spacing: 0px; unicode-bidi: embed;"><span style="direction: ltr; unicode-bidi: embed;">Jeffrey B. Stiglitz</span></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="direction: ltr; letter-spacing: 0.0px; unicode-bidi: embed;">A massive congratulations to anyone & everyone involved in ADORATION OF DORA. It was a spectacularly powerful production of a fascinatingly complicated play. Huge kudos for even attempting such a feat, much less succeeding so masterfully at it. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing this with us! – Akilah Williams-Cariker</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The play is still haunting me. Well done to everyone involved. It was a powerful play about strong women, and powerful women in the play. I truly enjoyed it, and find it's still lingering in my thoughts. – Kari Quass</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-30761156991421291842011-12-04T17:30:00.000-08:002012-10-02T14:09:08.889-07:00David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Adoration of Dora </i>won the David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award given by the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) and the Association of Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). I was honored at the Kennedy Center in April, and in August, ATHE presented a reading of the play at its national meeting in Washington, DC.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-37241177214572244252011-10-09T12:30:00.000-07:002011-10-09T12:30:48.117-07:00Thank YouThe show closes today, and I wanted to thank the close to 80 people who worked so hard to make it a successful production. I'd also like to thank the more than 1,000 people who came out to see the show, especially those who were inspired to come back multiple times. I know that <i>Adoration of Dora</i> is not an easy night of theatre. I know that it challenges, unnerves and disturbs the order of things -- this was my intention -- to write a play that makes people think, and even more so, makes them feel. Everyone who was part of <i>Dora -- </i>in the front of the house, in the audience, backstage, on stage -- all of you honor me with your presence. Thank you for a wonderful, fulfilling experience I will always treasure.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-5946630421467293642011-10-06T18:49:00.001-07:002011-10-06T18:49:44.396-07:00Production photos<a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.217692258294462.55543.181980871865601&type=3">Click here for production stills shot by Alexiss Turner.</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-3515952980770147152011-10-04T22:02:00.000-07:002011-10-04T22:03:11.414-07:00Opening WeekendOpening weekend has already come and gone. Hard to believe. Today, I participated in a panel discussion of the show with Rob Caisley and art historian Marco Deyassi as part of the Humanities Exploration at UI. The lunchtime audience seemed very interested and enthusiastic. Thanks to sponsor Rodney Frey for inviting us. Dora also was featured on the morning radio show on KRAO-FM, 102.5 in northern Idaho. Thanks, Jerry!<br />
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Feedback overall has been good, especially for a show that is very challenging and disturbing to watch. I'm grateful for everyone who has taken the time to at least give it a try, even if they left the theatre a bit confused or uncomfortable. As Dora says, "Art should disturb the order of things," and this play does exactly that! Personally, I'd like to thank Charlotte, Randy and Patrick for traveling all the way to Moscow for Dora. I really appreciate your support of my work.<br />
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Cast and crew have a few days off, and then we begin again this Thursday for our second weekend of performances, including a talkback as well as the ACTF response on Thursday night. More friends and family coming this weekend, as well. I'm excited for the rest of the run. A little sad that it will be over so soon. But eager to jump into new projects, as well.<br />
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If you haven't seen the show yet, please come this weekend. If you can't make it, both the Humanities panel and the show will be available online. Details to follow as they become available.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-15289581474980678702011-09-28T17:30:00.000-07:002011-09-28T17:33:47.199-07:00Media Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBV3Cd4v_XU/ToO8nEbRt_I/AAAAAAAAAkY/-0TT5h2WeHE/s1600/hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NBV3Cd4v_XU/ToO8nEbRt_I/AAAAAAAAAkY/-0TT5h2WeHE/s320/hand.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Click the link below to read the Inlander preview:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.inlander.com/spokane/article-17004-the-weeping-woman.html">Spokane Inlander previews Adoration of Dora</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-1731601538781221172011-09-28T09:42:00.000-07:002011-09-28T09:42:43.065-07:00Rehearsal Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwRZQyD5KSu6aPacb8wSYt4LI6LR4DLjnh7_jKcYmGJkChXGB1Q4P6siE4KCvjICbIwrgJKR6r5qhNpaKgukg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Emily Nash-Gray as Dora Maar</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-42763742106384992322011-09-25T17:24:00.000-07:002011-09-25T17:24:44.341-07:00Tech WeekendWe spent all weekend in tech, which for non-theatre people, is coordinating all the light, sound and image cues, making sure they look right, work together, go on and off at the right time, are the correct volume level, etc. It's a complex, tedious process that often is fraught with technical difficulties and surprises (which we don't want).<br />
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The whole process is coordinated by the Stage Manager Sarah Pappin. Everyone involved this weekend was remarkably pleasant during the 20-plus hours of work, but for my money, Sarah and her assistant, Zach Brink, deserve a medal. In lieu of that, fortunately, we got this response from the tech advisor at the close of business today: "It looks like we're going to have a show."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-24034106524689351192011-09-22T11:40:00.000-07:002011-09-22T22:44:14.524-07:00Countdown to Opening<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGFIp5W6KZQ/Tnt-E1nLkiI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/BJumCf1XgG8/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGFIp5W6KZQ/Tnt-E1nLkiI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/BJumCf1XgG8/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>With a week to go, the word is getting out in the greater Moscow area. The banner above hangs in the University Commons, emails have gone out to the entire student body as well as faculty, and posters for the show hang all over campus, in Moscow and neighboring cities of Pullman and Troy. Media coverage also begins this week with articles to be published in the <a href="http://www.uiargonaut.com/sections/rawr/stories/2011/september/92311/muse_and_mistress.html">Arognaut</a> (UI newspaper), Moscow-Pullman Daily News and the Inlander in Spokane. A videographer and still photographer are lined up for dress rehearsal, and respondents are scheduled to judge the show for possible inclusion in the regional American College Theatre Festival.<br />
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Sound, light and images are slowly making their way into the rehearsals, the projection surface is nearly done, and stitchers are sewing furiously to complete costumes by Tuesday's first dress rehearsal. Hair and make-up tutorials begin tomorrow, and some of the actors are coloring/cutting their hair today. The propsmaster has solved the problem with the trunk, the knife and some other tricky props, and yesterday, actors had an opportunity to rehearse with cigarettes (herbal). The dramaturg has completed the program note, and the program is being finalized for the printer.<br />
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Tech begins Saturday, so that's when all the pieces will come together, and everyone on the team will spend 10 of 12 hours locked in the theatre coordinating their efforts. Lots of details still to work out, but by all accounts, it appears that we're going to pull this off! More news to come soon. In the meantime, spread the word so we pack the house. Audiences are going to love this show, and I wouldn't want anyone to miss it. And thanks to everyone involved. I'm so honored working with you every day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-45715544951804656712011-09-18T22:15:00.000-07:002011-09-18T22:15:48.376-07:00Anxiety #1Although my experience is limited, there seem to be times in every production cycle during which I find myself experiencing momentary periods of heightened anxiety. What was I thinking when I wrote such a complex and technically demanding play? We have so many light, sound and image cues, how can we possibly tech the show in only five days? What did I write that prompted the director to include so many quick costume changes? Why are hats so expensive? What are we going to do if our cast continues to succumb to the plague-like illness that has already felled nearly all of them? Then I remember to breathe, and remind myself how much fun I am having creating a production with so many talented, hard-working theatre-makers. I remind myself that I am here to learn, to grow, to explore new ways of expressing myself. I remember what Ann Bogart says about theatre: that it is "a gym for the soul, the intellect, the imagination and the emotions... The artist's job is to get in touch with the dark places of the soul and shed light there." Anxiety is one of those dark places, and so, I welcome it to the table. The end product be damned! I love the process, even on days like this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-74010195668482027222011-09-15T22:09:00.000-07:002011-09-15T22:09:09.067-07:00A First Look at CostumesBefore rehearsal tonight, media and marketing personnel were invited to interview some of the actors and designers working on the show. The costume shop also offered up a preview of their designs for Marie-Therese and Dora:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5V-1s5mRkS0/TnLWidwWmWI/AAAAAAAAAkE/gxgrCVHgZL4/s1600/DSC00090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5V-1s5mRkS0/TnLWidwWmWI/AAAAAAAAAkE/gxgrCVHgZL4/s320/DSC00090.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Marie-Therese Walter, Picasso's lover before Dora, was 17 when she and Picasso first met. In the play, she is young and innocent, and, as Picasso often portrayed her, a Madonna with child. Here, actor Kristen Glaeser, tries on her costume -- soft and yellow and round, like a buttercup.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vYsyYdQCmI/TnLWtPaBBhI/AAAAAAAAAkI/5uY0bf6aNtg/s1600/DSC00092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9vYsyYdQCmI/TnLWtPaBBhI/AAAAAAAAAkI/5uY0bf6aNtg/s320/DSC00092.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>Costume Designer Emily McQuarrie gives Marie-Therese some pink lip color for her photo shoot.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7SMO6IB5AxA/TnLW61uarpI/AAAAAAAAAkM/mzRQGVc8m0M/s1600/DSC00093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7SMO6IB5AxA/TnLW61uarpI/AAAAAAAAAkM/mzRQGVc8m0M/s320/DSC00093.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Unlike Marie-Therese, Dora is dark and sultry. She seduces Picasso with her body and her mind. Cady Ann Smola plays Dora, shown here in black, reclining on the chaise in Picasso's art studio.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-39035735674020085512011-09-14T10:59:00.000-07:002011-09-14T10:59:50.477-07:00Details You Wouldn't Think About (unless you've done this before)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Collaboration is key in any theatrical production, and the devil, as they say, is in the details. To give you an idea of how all the parts must work together to create a successful production, listen in on this snippet of conversation between the stage manager, technical director and costume shop manager after the director raised concerns about hearing the actors get to their places behind the projection curtain in preparation for the silhouetted scenes:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Stage Manager: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">How much noise will walking on the platform in heels make?</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Technical Director: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It helps that the platform is so low to the ground and hence shouldn't have much reverb, but it will be noticeable. As to whether or not it will be undesirably loud probably depends on the scene. If it is too loud, we have a couple of options. Option one is that costumes may be able to provide some substance on the soles of the shoes to help quiet them. Option two is that we install Homasote, a paper pulp based fiberboard, between the plywood and MDF. Homasote would help deaden the sound of footfalls. We have some on hand, probably enough to do the whole platform. The main drawback with Homasote is that it adds 1.2 lbs/sq ft, so about 210 lbs in our case. This is a minor hassle if we travel it, but not horrible. Also, it adds a little time to the platform build. Also, also, it adds 1/2" to the height (unless we want to remove all the legs, remove 1/2" and then reattach them - which I don't think is worth it for the 1/2").</span></span><br />
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<div class="im" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #500050;"><div dir="ltr"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div></div><div dir="ltr" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Costume Shop Manager: From the costume end, we are still anticipating the arrival of our shoe orders. When they arrive, we will get them to rehearsal as soon as we can to assess the noise issue. Is the sound issue only happening on the platform, or is it a genereal shoe noise concern? Most modern shoes are soled with a plastic and rubber mixture on the soles. There are some things we can try, but anything we do can not completely dispell the sound of shoes, although it can mitigate "clicking" sounds. If the sound issue is on the platforms or a foot fall sound (as opposed to the material of the shoes) then we might need to look towards padding the platform. </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-10064260019207520732011-09-12T10:36:00.000-07:002011-09-12T10:36:36.782-07:00ArtAn early draft of <i>Adoration of Dora</i> had incorporated several paintings by Picasso, as well as Dora's photographs. I later came to learn that it would be impossible to use those works of art in the show because of copyright issues. As a result, the play is now one of original text and original artwork inspired by the works of Picasso and Dora Maar.<br />
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Several very talented artists are contributing to the process, and I want to share their beautiful work with you. The first is photographer Alex Trimm, who took many of the photographs included in the play. You can learn more about her at <a href="http://www.alextrimmphotography.com/">www.alextrimmphotography.com</a>.<br />
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Set designer Will Tedrow is responsible for the paintings that appear in the play. The paintings are Will's interpretation of some of Picasso's greatest masterpieces. Both of the paintings below that Will made are projected in the play, and then are brought to life on stage by the actors.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0C0eo1ZAD8E/Tm5B6KTeO8I/AAAAAAAAAj8/Q3en6DzLvjY/s1600/299330_10150376254564187_610909186_9856938_1849387579_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0C0eo1ZAD8E/Tm5B6KTeO8I/AAAAAAAAAj8/Q3en6DzLvjY/s1600/299330_10150376254564187_610909186_9856938_1849387579_s.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Guernica </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nPGHOprQhCY/Tm5B6RgOemI/AAAAAAAAAkA/To2Ex_Wi26I/s1600/320586_10150377580749187_610909186_9869038_276396475_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nPGHOprQhCY/Tm5B6RgOemI/AAAAAAAAAkA/To2Ex_Wi26I/s1600/320586_10150377580749187_610909186_9869038_276396475_s.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Les Desmoiselles d'Avignon</div><br />
Costume designer Emily McQuarrie was inspired by the wearable art of <a href="http://www.schiaperelli.com/">Elsa Schiaperelli</a>. Hopefully, I'll post some previews of the costumes soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-37463209881965871102011-09-09T08:14:00.000-07:002012-10-02T14:05:02.059-07:00Three Weeks OutHere's where we are three weeks before opening:<br />
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We saw the first incarnation of the set yesterday, with the silk-striped projection surface, and were able to experiment for the first time with the creation of silhouettes and shadows. Smaller set pieces have been integrated into rehearsal and are working well. I'm particularly fond of the mirror.<br />
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Props are being found and made, but Dora Maar is still rehearsing with the wrong kind of camera while the propmaster fabricates a more accurate Rolleiflex twin lens.<br />
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We've also tried three or four different travel trunks (used by Dora Maar in several scenes), and none is working the way we want it to, so that's another challenge the propmaster will have to take on next week. Rob continues to add and delete props based on staging decisions and script revisions.<br />
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Today, we have another image meeting and on Monday we expect to see how the images will look when projected. Today, we are also recording the pre-show announcement and voiceover for the Guernica scene.<br />
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Marketing has begun around town, and a videographer from the Humanities project stopped by rehearsal last night. A talkback has been planned for Oct. 6, with other events in discussion.<br />
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Actors ran the show last night, and continue to work out problem areas with Rob. Rehearsals will be closed as of Sunday when we plan to navigate scenes that involve disrobing and nudity. As college students, the actors have not had to contend with this challenge before, and so we're devoting extra time to helping them feel comfortable with this aspect of the play.<br />
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Last night after the run, Rob sat around a table with the actors and had them say/read their lines aloud with the pace and reactions that he wants to see during performance. <br />
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The actors have to find that same energy when they are on their feet, but in the reading, they sounded brilliant, and I feel the new text is working.<br />
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Let me know if you have any questions I can answer about the production process. I'd love to hear from you at lojosimon@gmail.com.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-47848489673069011062011-09-06T16:35:00.000-07:002011-09-06T16:35:40.273-07:00Leaping Off CliffsI just watched a documentary about <a href="http://www.glassthemovie.com/">Philip Glass</a> and the creative process in which he said that if you're lucky as an artist, by the time you get to staging your work, you will understand what it is about. It may sound odd to say that in the process of writing <i>Dora</i>, I sometimes didn't know what the play was about. I more felt than understood the scenes I was writing, but I didn't always know why I was writing them or how they fit into the story.<br />
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It's nearly impossible to explain the new insights I find watching rehearsal every day, the nuances I hear in the language choices, the sentence construction. In so doing, I am able to tighten, trim, enhance, manipulate, rearrange words and scenes. I learn to make the play darker, funnier, more poignant, more dramatic -- all because I am now writing in collaboration with a director (who I love and respect) and actors (who I also love and respect) and, of course, stage managers (who I love and respect for literally managing the rehearsal and production process so efficiently and effectively).<br />
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Just one example from a recent rehearsal: Dora and Nusch are chatting in the cafe. Dora fears that Picasso thinks of her no differently than a dog -- something loyal, something to pet, something to paint. In contrast, she wants to be an inspiration to him. She wants to be recognized for making a contribution to his artistic success. Rob asks the actors, What is this scene about? And then follows a discussion, the gist of which is: In this scene, Dora is sowing the seeds of her own demise. She is desperate to influence Picasso. She wants to be "the woman behind the successful man." But, tragically, in the end, people regard her in exactly the opposite way. "Without Picasso," they say, "Dora Mar would have been nothing." And on some level, she has known this all along.<br />
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One must be willing to leap off cliffs when creating. We can't see the bottom of the canyon. We may fly. We may fall. It doesn't really matter. The joy is found in mid-air.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-24051481415444896892011-09-02T11:10:00.000-07:002011-09-02T11:44:34.411-07:00Rewrites!!A first production is, for a playwright, an opportunity to see what works and what doesn't in the translation from page to stage. This week, as I watched early rehearsals, the distinction became very clear. The whole mid-section from pages 32 to 44 was a hot mess! Not because of the directing or the acting, but because the narrative was muddy, the pacing was off, the scenes were choppy, and my intention was not being communicated. I knew it wasn't working, and I felt like crap. Rob knew he couldn't fix it because the problem was in the text. The good news is that, after some lengthy discussions, as of this morning, <i>Adoration of Dora</i> now has 13 new pages. Out with the old, and in the binder with the new! Now, I just have to break the news to the actors...<br />
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Meeting with Will to discuss image selection and placement this afternoon. First stumble-through scheduled for tonight. And to keep the interest of the visually inclined, one new rehearsal photo:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--1cGv2yHpxI/TmEegrwfGHI/AAAAAAAAAjM/FemXobIfXlc/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--1cGv2yHpxI/TmEegrwfGHI/AAAAAAAAAjM/FemXobIfXlc/s320/photo-1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-53107842488044299282011-08-28T18:16:00.000-07:002011-08-28T18:16:22.971-07:00Photography vs. Painting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v7042VYwE-0/TlrmJXmg9II/AAAAAAAAAjI/ccHhmEWHxbY/s1600/01Rolleiflex_camera033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v7042VYwE-0/TlrmJXmg9II/AAAAAAAAAjI/ccHhmEWHxbY/s320/01Rolleiflex_camera033.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dora Maar spent the early part of her career as a marketing and advertising photographer before she became enamored with surrealism and art photography. She was also a painter and a poet, but later in life, she lived off the largesse of her once lover, Pablo Picasso. Are all art forms equally respected, even today? Why do we put Hollywood stars on a pedestal, paying them exorbitant salaries, while the vast majority of actors in the theatre can't support themselves practicing their craft? How much are most Americans willing to support the arts with ticket sales or patronage? What would you tell your child if he wanted to grow up to be a poet? What message do we send as a society by our failure to fairly compensate artists for their work? How will that failure change the future of our civilization's production of art?</div><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-69724428300750147382011-08-27T23:37:00.000-07:002011-08-27T23:40:15.868-07:00Rehearsal Begins in Late AugustAfter years of writing and rewriting, workshops and readings, auditions, casting, and months of actors working on their own, we're all finally in the theatre to start the rehearsal process. Days 1 and 2 were spent around the table, reading the script aloud and discussing meaning. Dramaturg Megan Thornton provided the cast with historical context about the rise of facism in Europe. Director Rob Caisley spoke generally about his concepts for play and the relationships between characters. Then we all moved into the Hartung Theatre to start blocking.<br />
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Rob's approach is to generally sketch out the movement of each scene rather quickly at first to get a sense of the orchestration of the entire play. Here he directs the arts patrons as they view Dora Maar's photographs in a Parisian gallery.<br />
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In the scene below, Rob gives blocking direction to Marie Therese as Dora and Maar take notes in their script binders.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qjLyQ4kXiM/TlnfiNtyvCI/AAAAAAAAAi8/eTbv-gr9lag/s1600/IMG_0697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qjLyQ4kXiM/TlnfiNtyvCI/AAAAAAAAAi8/eTbv-gr9lag/s320/IMG_0697.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Clearly, construction has not yet begun on the set, although the actors are guided by lines taped onto the floor that indicate where certain large set pieces will be. Also, we have some stand-in set pieces with which to work, such as a table and chairs for the cafe scenes.<br />
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Below, Dora poses for Picasso in his studio as Valentine recites a poem.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-me35fBbW-Vo/TlnfoUpoaqI/AAAAAAAAAjE/90tX5ZfCR2M/s1600/IMG_0699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-me35fBbW-Vo/TlnfoUpoaqI/AAAAAAAAAjE/90tX5ZfCR2M/s320/IMG_0699.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>During rehearsal, the stage manager takes notes regarding props, costumes, sound etc. then distributes them to the company, so everyone is aware of directorial decisions. As playwright, I'm also taking notes, listening for lines that need adjustment, clarification, or just plain rewriting. With a new play, the actors must be prepared for regular (sometimes daily) changes to their lines as both Rob and I learn what works and what doesn't as the play gets on its feet.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-61987069101502274492011-08-24T15:18:00.000-07:002011-08-24T15:18:41.775-07:00First Production MeetingThe entire crew convened for the first time this week to review designs that were created over the summer and dig into the technical and production aspects of the show, including props, stage management, sound, etc. Will Tedrow is responsible for this set design, which features a giant wall made of strips of silk onto which will be projected a variety of artistic and historic images to complement the text.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-07Xny7HrdY8/TlV2zIXybUI/AAAAAAAAAig/LvZhOy6QG_c/s1600/photo-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-07Xny7HrdY8/TlV2zIXybUI/AAAAAAAAAig/LvZhOy6QG_c/s320/photo-6.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Here, the stage managers and sound designer review costume renderings by designer Emily McQuarrie. She drew her inspiration from French Surrealist designer and fashion icon Elsa Schiaparelli, as well as from Parisian fashions of the 1930s and '40s.<br />
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They say it takes a village to raise a child; likewise, it takes a theatre village to stage a show. I feel so fortunate to be working with the UI theatre community.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-4457968647562158882011-08-22T12:15:00.000-07:002011-08-28T18:37:31.716-07:00Emily Hosts a Pre-Rehearsal SoireeEmily (Maar) hosted a period-dress Dora soiree the day before school started for the cast to get to know one another and talk about what we had discovered about the play over the summer. It was a fun and festive evening, with tears, laughs, and lots of discussion about boobs and body hair. Thanks also to Emily's husband, Travis, and her adorable kids Cai and Findley, who helped host the evening.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wwdhybhpXPw/TlKpK3RsP9I/AAAAAAAAAiU/ZE3QpwQeJ8k/s1600/DSC08306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wwdhybhpXPw/TlKpK3RsP9I/AAAAAAAAAiU/ZE3QpwQeJ8k/s320/DSC08306.JPG" width="170" /></a></div>Back row: Hillary (Nusch), Heidi (Valentine), Lindsay (Jacqueline) -- aka the three whores. Center: Kristen (Marie-Therese), Emily (Maar) and Cady (Dora) Front: Sarah (stage manager), Lojo (playwright)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-74179274049477083762011-08-07T16:11:00.000-07:002011-08-28T18:37:54.119-07:00Cast and CrewDirector: Rob Caisley<br />
Assistant Director: Ray Pritchard<br />
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Dora: Cady Ann Smola<br />
Maar: Emily Nash-Gray<br />
Marie Therese: Kristen Glaeser<br />
Nusch: Hillary Mosman<br />
Jacqueline: Heidi Lindholm<br />
Valentine: Lindsay Teter<br />
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Stage Managers: Sarah Pappin, Zach Brink<br />
Dramaturg: Megan Thornton<br />
Set Design: Will Tedrow, Paul Barrios<br />
Lighting Design: Laura Berkompas, Sean Altuna, Katie Baker<br />
Sound Design: Keely Gray<br />
Costume Design, Hair and Make-up: Emily McQuarrie, Nick Giacalone, Lynnsey Phillips<br />
Props: Hannah Whisenant, Colleen Phillips<br />
PR/Marketing: Alexiss Turner<br />
<br />
Faculty Advisers:<br />
Costumes: Anne Hoste<br />
Scenic Design: Stephanie Miller, Suzie Duval<br />
Voice/Text/Fight Coach: Chris Duval<br />
Scene Shop: Robby Valliere<br />
Costume Shop: Carrie Lawrence<br />
Technical Director: Anthony BrinkleyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449190429388597267.post-17469392354520290832011-08-07T15:05:00.000-07:002011-08-22T12:30:39.866-07:00Summertime funI'm headed up to Idaho next week, but that doesn't mean that nothing's been happening over the summer. On the contrary, actors have been learning their lines, designers have been drawing and looking at fabrics, photographers have been creating images, the director has been ruminating, and I have been, well, waiting for the fun to begin! Check here regularly for updates on our progress.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0