Author: Charleston Stage

And we’re off!  The first week of rehearsals have been great fun mixing classic Shakespeare with mobland Chicago.  The cast are practicing their “gangsta” accents while striving to remain true to Shakespeare’s classic words.  We’ve all had great fun translating this classic comedy to the world of  The Untouchables, Chicago and the Roaring 20’s.  A countess’s court has been turned into a speakeasy, a court jester into a nightclub crooner, duels into boxing matches, and swords into tommy guns.  Twelfth Night is one of  Shakespeare’s funniest comedies — a comedy with a character named Sir Toby Belch has to be fun.  This original take on Shakespeare’s classic also includes original music and songs, composed especially for this show by resident music director, Amanda Wansa.  The songs keep Shakespeare’s original words with the music fashioned after ragtime and classic roaring 20’s blues.

We have a terrific cast which includes three members of this year’s Resident Professional Acting Company, four members of past Charleston Stage Resident Professional Acting Companies returning as guest artists, a great company of seasoned Charleston based performers, as well as a group of talented  new actors—newcomers to Charleston Stage.  Together it’s a terrific company of players. (I think Shakespeare would be pleased).  Already almost the entire show has been blocked. (Blocking refers to actors learning where they move, sit, stand, etc.)  Of course there’s much work still to be done, songs to be learned, characters to develop but we’re off to a great start.

Julian Wiles, Director of Twelfth Night.

 

 

It has been quite an experience playing Annelle. I have always enjoyed character roles more than straight roles, so this is right up my alley. I get to play three different characters in one. The other actresses in the cast have made it very easy to slide into this role. It’s always easier when you work with extremely talented actors. You’re able to give and receive so much more. This is also true about your director. We had the pleasure of having a great director. Kyle Barnette took time with each of us to develop our characters. He also spent a good amount of time unifying us as a cast. This show is only successful when the actresses are close. Kyle took six complete strangers and made us friends.

This show has been wonderful and it has been a joy to work with the cast and crew. I truly hope I get to do it again soon.

 

 

 

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience working with Kyle Barnette and the cast and crew of Steel Magnolias.  It is remarkable to see how the show has come together despite last minute changes which could have been disastrous.  However, when one is working with “troupers”, there is nothing to worry about.  This is truly an ensemble cast made up of wonderful actors and also brave people who joined us very late in the process.

Ouiser is a very terrific role for me. It’s fun playing this cantankerous “old” lady who is really a good and generous person, at heart!  I am happy that I was chosen for the role. (I don’t like thinking of myself as old, despite the fact that I have grown children!!! I remember the days when I was the youngest person in the cast!!!)

 

 

Creating the hairdos in Steel Magnolias
Our Steel Magnolia actresses had the help of  Hailey Nagel who taught the actors how to fix their hair in a late 80’s style as well as giving Truvy and Annelle a crash course in beautician science.  Michael Varnadore and the staff at Stuart Laurence Salon spent hours making sure the hair colors matched the wig pieces used, as well as provided styling.  Only her hairdresser knows for sure which Magnolia’s hair had a make-over and whose hair is natural.  The ladies know,  but mum’s the word.

Also special thanks to the Stuart Lawrence and Bellezza Salons for use of two styling chairs.

Barbara Young, Costumer for Steel Magnolias.

 

It has often been analogized that a person’s hairdresser is one’s own personal psychologist, someone you can share just about any intimate detail about your life with, say whatever you need to get out and leave it right there in the secured privacy of your styling chair.  The role of hairstylists is more than just about giving your hair a ‘lick and a promise’.  It is a fully unique and multi-faceted role — part friend, part parent, part confessor, part adviser and so much more.  Robert Harling uses the familiarity and comfort of a mom and pop beauty shop as a device to reflect the love, anger, frustration, and the friendship ties that bind of six wholly unique and completely real southern women in his modern southern masterpiece Steel Magnolias.  These women use Truvy’s beauty shop as not only a place to get their hair done, but as a homebase, a place for solace from the outside world.  Whenever there is a pressing issue, when comfort and reassurance is needed the ladies head over to the shop, seeking refuge, advice, or just a place to relax and not worry about anything else, whether they actually need their hair done or not.

Growing up in the south in the late 1980’s and going to college in the deep south of Mississippi, I had my own personal experiences with small town beauty parlors having two aunts owning and running their own southern styling sanctuaries.  I often accompanied my mother as she would go to ‘visit with’ my aunts Jeannie or Sandra, getting her hair done, chatting about crazy relatives and neighbors or telling things I knew weren’t about to leave that room.  There was always a pot of coffee brewing, some sort of sweets sitting around in a dish, music filling the air, and the smell of perms and aqua net filtering through the air ducts.  Elements that seemed to put customers in a trance, a truth serum if you will, allowing them to become their true selves for a couple of hours a week.

The women of Chinquapin Parish, Louisiana are real southern women, struggling with real issues of love and marriage, insecurity, grief and loneliness.  They are also women we all know in one way or another.  We’ve met them before out there at a family reunion, fish fry, wedding reception or even at your own local beauty boutique.  When you come to the theatre you may be sitting next to one of them, pointing at your friend saying “That is so you!”.  And that is the idea with this production of Steel Magnolias.  That sense of comfort, familiarity and friendship that is universal, an experience where you can say, “I’ve been to that salon.  I know these people.”

 

 

 

A Christmas Carol:  A Ghost Story of Christmas by Charleston Stage, Charleston, SC

by Tracey Brewer

Our family of four attended A Christmas Carol:  A Ghost Story of Christmas on a recent evening and was thoroughly entertained by this enchanting show.  A musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, it was performed by Charleston Stage and directed by Julian Wiles.  This is an annual affair and runs for several weeks during the month of December.

We found the entire production to be very professional and well-orchestrated.  It was held in the College of Charleston Sottile Theatre, a charming old building located in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.  Seating was plentiful and comfortable and, from our location about ten rows back, the acoustics were excellent.

The casting of characters was delightful, with the part of Ebenezer Scrooge played by David Ardrey.  He executed the role flawlessly and with great emotion.  Justin Tyler Lewis as Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, carried off his part equally well.  Many of the cast members played multiple roles, seamlessly changing from one to the other according to the scene.  The actors were certainly talented and well-rehearsed, yet brought their own personalities to their characters.

The musical pieces, some of which included dancing, were enjoyable and featured solo as well as group numbers. The set and costumes were well-designed with evident attention to detail in their historical accuracy. Among the most creative was that of The Ghost of Christmas Future, who never spoke a word, but was quite an imposing figure. 

Our nine-year-old daughter was enthralled from the beginning to the end of this nearly two-hour show. Our seven-year-old was slightly frightened by the special effects that accompanied the entrance of each of the spirits, but on the whole found it quite enjoyable. My husband and I were pleased with the family-friendly aspect of the show as well as the quality of the performances.

Although the tale of Scrooge is well-known and often repeated, this was a presentation to remember.  Sly humor was woven throughout and the message of the story – rediscovering what is truly important in life – shone through.  Overall, this was a pleasurable way to spend an evening together as a family and brought the spirit of the holiday season to the forefront of our minds.

Click here to see the review posted online

Q: What special challenges did you face relating to and creating a nonhuman character?

A: I was so excited to get an opportunity to delve into a character like Christmas Present.  It has been a lot of fun to play a nonhuman character.  I feel like I have had some freedom when developing the character since there aren’t as many boundaries or limitations as a human character.  While being a spirit allows me to take some liberties, I have strived to keep her real and honest as she tries to teach Scrooge life lessons. Christmas Present is a very jovial spirit but she is also quick to put Scrooge in his place.  She has different dynamics to her which hopefully makes her a more interesting character. Christmas Present’s entrance has been especially fun.  I won’t tell you more about the entrance…come and see for yourself!   

 

Q: Jacob Marley and Mr. Fezziwig are dramatically different characters but they both have a profound effect on Scrooge.  How do you view their importance in Scrooge’s life, and how did that affect your performance?

A: When Scrooge views his past life with two very influential, but different bosses, he is reminded of Fezziwig’s role model of generosity and joie de vivre. Scrooge also knows about Fezziwig’s later decline in health and failed business. As we know, Scrooge initially chooses the Marley lifestyle of success in business at the expense of interpersonal relationships and true happiness. Marley’s ghost is troubled by his past choices, and he comes to Scrooge literally to scare him into changing his ways before it’s too late. Marley has the advantage of knowing what awaits Scrooge if he doesn’t change, and his visit along with the other three ghosts plants the seeds for Scrooge’s transformation.

In my own life I have known many happy-go-lucky, jovial individuals like Fezziwig. At the same time I have met quite a few solitary, success-driven, work-a-holics like Jacob Marley. In playing these polar opposites, I drew from my own life experiences to portray each character as honestly as possible.

 

 

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Judging from news reports, the holiday season is all about shopping. Are people spending less? Will discounts go deeper? Where can desperate parents find Zhu Zhu Pets?

And while shopping isn’t a bad thing, it isn’t the only thing. The holidays are a time to look for inspiration and to be with family and friends, as well as gift giving. Fortunately, there is something that might just do it all: a ticket to a holiday performance of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Stage or the Charleston Ballet Theatre.

Everyone who buys a ticket to “The Nutrcracker” or “The Messiah” or “A Christmas Carol” is doing something for the community. Those dollars keep local arts groups going.

Last year at this time, the balance sheet looked grim for the CSO. It needed big donors and a plan to weather a dark financial storm. It also needed what all arts organizations need all year long — audiences. Ticket sales help the budget, of course, but audiences inspire performers who inspire audiences.

But don’t go to a performance because you want to support arts organizations. Go because you’ll be making memories with friends and family.

Take a grandchild to the Charleston Ballet Theatre’s magical performance of the Nutcracker Suite. There are four performances from which to choose. Take a friend to “A Christmas Carol.” The familiar story of Ebeneezer Scrooge is always worth seeing. With 12 more performances on the calendar, there’s sure to be a fit.

Take your family to the Holiday Pops concert, “The Messiah,” a Gospel Christmas concert, Holiday Strings or Holiday Brass concert, or “The Messiah” sing-along.

You needn’t even think about how much the $5 you paid for a ticket will help. Just let the sounds and sights of the season come alive on stage. (But, should you really want to know, the CSO, Charleston Ballet Theatre and Charleston Stage are healthier than last year, but not close to being out of the financial woods.)

A calendar for the three groups is posted at charlestonpremierarts.com, a Web site funded with help from a private donor.

These organizations work year-round to keep alive arts in Charleston.

Attending a performance might be the most pleasant “giving” you’ll do this year. And it will certainly be more refreshing than searching for Zhu Zhu Pets.