Spinning Tree Theatre : Ghost Writer

The night after Ghost Writer (Thursday) I was so wound up I couldn't sleep until 2am. It was a great show and my dates, Lorraine and Katie, were fantastic fun. I've had the privilege of seeing great theatre lately, and I am amazed at everything in Kansas City. I've got to be careful to balance my theatre events, my family, and my school work. There is just so much going on! So many Kansas City premieres!

After watching "Hope and Gravity" a couple of weeks ago at Creede Repertory Theatre, I was extremely interested in how Michael Hollinger's writing would differ in this production. This playwright is a writer. He deals in the same wheelhouse as David Mamet: simple, heartbreak, missed chances, tragedy, and almost-could-have-beens. Words, not flash, are his medium. 

Both productions I've seen discuss writing and its pains; the waiting for inspiration, the rapid flow of words, the re-writes, the discussion about writing of others, critiques. Writing, the art and work; teaching about life itself. 

As Myra Babbage, (Katie Kalahurka) explains, you wait for the words. They can come quickly like rain, or not at all for long periods. 

Franklin Woolsey (Robert Gibby Brand), and wife Vivian (Jeannie Blau), bring nuance to the pain of loss, of pining for someone you cannot have, and losing someone's love, even before they've passed away. 

This production, however, showcases Katie Kalahurka* in all the range and delivery that this production requires. Hers is a dangerous performance; too weepy or melancholy, it would've dipped into something ridiculous, not funny in the right places, the pain wouldn't have been sharp enough. She delivers with humor, and heartache, and it is perfection. 

Sean Glass has created a lighting design that is its own character. Having to slip us between times, between Franklin Woolsey (Robert Gibby Brand) being alive and a ghost, was cued beautifully by the lighting. Harsh when Vivian (Jeannie Blau) was on set, softer when Franklin Woolsey and Myra Babbage were working, or dancing, I had to divide my attention between the beautiful design and the acting. I'll be sure to volunteer usher in the future so I get the chance to see Spinning Tree's future productions more than once. There is a lot to see, and much they should be proud of in their 2014-2015 season. 

Please note: support them by buying season tickets. Visit www.spinningtreetheatre.com

Some (professional) reviews that tell it like it is:

http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/performing-arts/article1287929.html

http://m.pitch.com/kansascity/ghost-writer-spinning-tree/Content?oid=4547687

*To the patron who decided to eat a bunch of candy and play with wrappers during Katie's last speech: if I find out who you are, I will drop a typewriter on your foot. 

Spinning Tree Theatre : You're silly if you don't get season tickets

Tonight (or, last night) I had the privilege of seeing my first Spinning Tree production: Ghost Writer.

I'll get you a more detailed review later, but keep your eyes on Michael Grayman and Andy Parkhurst. They're bringing Kansas City three regional premieres this season: Ghost Writer, Violet, Black Pearl Sings and classic musical Fiddler on the Roof. 

Get your tickets now for Ghost Writer at www.spinningtreetheatre.com and purchase season tickets. 

Tomorrow night is a Premiere night for Hands on a Hardbody at The Unicorn. 

Kansas City Theatre Season 2014-2015

This is a great article summing up the upcoming KC season:

http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/performing-arts/article1269746.html

Day 2 in Creede

Day 2 in Creede! Got to spend some time with Kate before her set of shows today. We are outside the Ruth theatre here. 

First show of the day at the Ruth theatre was 'Hope and Gravity' by Michael Hollinger. I'll be seeing Ghost-Writer by the same author in a couple of weeks at the Spinning Tree Theatre in Kansas City. 

There are shows that are created by actors for actors, or shows that highlight technical elements that cannot be divorced from the production.

'Hope and Gravity' is a writer's production. Two of the play's characters are writers, and the engine is the perspective of a writer. I appreciate and love large productions, but what I love about live theatre is the smaller dialogue exchanges that actors realistically volley back and forth. 

Hollinger and Mamet are similar in this way - heartbreaking, believable misses and choices that are wrapped up in small moments that are expanded to bigger themes. Can we take something small to be a sign, or a miracle, even if it's a catastrophe? 

As the author says himself, "Theatre dares to promise that we'll be more interested after sitting in our seats for two hours than we were when we first sat down. So we're all aspiring to engage an audience of fellow human beings, to thrill them, educate them, move them, then release them and send them home, hopefully with a little piece of ourselves inside." 

The set pieces, which had to change to go back and forth in time and place, were impeccably executed. Even though the scenes were cut out of order and referred back on others, it was able to be followed. Mandy Heath and Jacob Welch created a deep and gorgeous lighting design that helped drive realism when it was needed but created a beautiful back glow on the most gorgeous tree set piece. Original music, by Tina Watson and Jake Harbour, became its own character and set the tone the moment the audience entered the space. All of the actors were impeccable, but I was most impressed with John Arp. I didn't realize until afterwards that he played both roles of Marty and Douglas as his physical and vocal range were so varied. I wish I could watch this show at least one more time before we had to leave. 

In true repertory (whiplash style), the evening production, 'The Secret Affairs of Mildred Wild,' was a prop and costume heavy production. At the pre-show talk with the dramaturg, she explained this show was from the "magical realism" genre; a woman uses movies to escape her mundane life. 

The stage manager, Leigh'Ann Andrews, has to be in top form during every show. There are phones ringing, flying rocks, a King Kong hand, a live phone conversation paired with TV background noise, and actors going in and out of trap doors. There were some hiccups in tonight's show - some missed phone ring cues, some forgotten song lyrics - but for the amount of insanity it was well executed. Christy Brandt, 40 year CRT legend, played Helen Wild in the 1976 production of Mildred Wild, and is now reprising her role. What longevity with one company, and how fun to reprise a role years later! 

The show was stolen by Zlatomir Moldovanski, who hammed it up in a fairy dancing girl outfit, a Mammy (Gone With the Wind) outfit, and a sleazy 1970s producer. I would have loved to see more of him in an improv capacity this weekend.

As our theatre weekend vacation comes to a close, we are so grateful we came. Creede Repertory Theatre has a rich history and a bright future; I am sure their 50th season will be a great celebration next year. 

Www.creederep.org

Www.spinningtreetheatre.com

On the Road to Creede Repertory Theatre

Www.creederep.org

My husband and I are in the middle of a trip to see 4 shows at Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, Colorado. Kate Berry, an actor friend from college, is in three of the four shows. This is a true repertory style theatre performance schedule. (Yes, KC Rep, I'm looking at you.) It is fascinating how similar Creede is to Mt. Carroll, Illinois and how both small towns can hold these absolute jewels of professional Theatres. 

How absolutely lucky and wonderful, especially for the youth of these communities to grow up with live theatre in their backyard (a block from the school.) Now that I've written that, I realize that everything in Creede is about a block from everything else, but it still paints the picture. 

Tonight was closing night of Annie get your Gun and then Boomtown (improv). In reviewing Kate Berry, I'm extremely biased, cause we drove here to see her - but her comedy delivery really was exceptional. She was over the top, but her physical movements weren't so big and flailing that it distracted from what she was communicating. She was perfect. 

It's amazing having a young actor in your head from college and then seeing a professional years later. I kept telling my husband that I had to keep myself from crying even though Kate was playing an extremely funny part. I was just very proud of her and everything she's worked on. I can't wait to see her again tomorrow.

I know more about the technical side- but first impressions are that CRT is run like a well oiled machine. It may be that we are here at the end of the season, but man, the trains run on time. The house is run efficiently, even though we watched staff an actors run from one theatre to the next, from one show to the next. The artistic directors take great pride in their spaces, and they are decorated accordingly and tell the story of who they are and what they stand for as a theatre company.

Annie was a lively and fun production with a lot of moving parts - set pieces, costumes, singing, and dancing. They kept the set simple with the actors moving the pieces themselves and breaking the fourth wall by calling the changes. It looked effortless, and fun, but the backbone was hours of hard work. Well done. 

Emily Van Fleet and Sean Thompson were impeccable as Annie Oakley and Frank Butler. The roles, in the physicality and the singing gymnastics, require the very best and they were up to the task. They had to to tread a fine line of being expressive and funny without being caricatures, which is always the challenge in musical theatre. 

Ann Pittman was another actor, Winnie Tate and others, that caught my attention as a younger actor that was able to sparkle in a supporting role. I will be interested to see the range she can provide in other characters as she grows in her craft. 

After a delightful showing of Annie, many of the cast went to perform an improv show, Boomtown, at the Ruth. Caitlin Wise, is a bundle of energy that bounced from part to part. She came across as a little scary when she played the part of the internet at one point. Jessica Jackson was absolutely insane - black garbage bags over casts, really? John Diantonio was on this kick about murdering birds, which was frightenly hilarious. 

At times, the actors just looked exhausted watching one another in the sketches (one may have dozed off, I won't tell) but they put on a great improv after most of them were in two shows of Annie Get Your Gun earlier. It may be the mom in me, but that may be a bit much! Or, actors are a little bit more insane than the rest of us? Or both. 

Can't wait for tomorrow!

Creating our own theatre company

We are moving forward with two Saturdays of play reading and workshopping, and then we will move into more formal rehearsals. We are going to investigate creating a non profit association for our theatre company, but we need to meet some lawyers to get advice on how to create that. I don't think we will buy our own space; but renting should work for the time being. 

Starlight, Spinning Tree, Master's Degree

My writing has somewhat stalled.

On a great note, since I'm a student, I was able to purchase "Final Draft" playwriting software at a significant discount. The playwrights on "Cry Havoc Podcast" mention using that program, instead of Word, and I can tell it will be much better. You can track characters and arcs and replace character names more easily. I am not looking forward to transferring my current works to that program, but I will tackle that task another time.

I was in my kitchen the other day and I decided, above all things, I would rather be a terrible playwright rather than be a really good anything else. I've got to create balance - with a young child, work that does have to pay the bills, family obligations - but in that space I spend a lot of time daydreaming of rewrites and ideas I've had for years.

My Master's degree is done the middle of December. In the meantime, I'm submitting the play I've completed, as far as I can, to workshops and theatres that accept new works. I am attending theatre as often as possible. On September 4th I am going with two girlfriends to see "Ghost Writer" - at the Spinning Tree Theatre - a Theatre I have not attended nor reviewed before. This should be a good time. I've attended Starlight this summer with one of my best girlfriends, and that has been a good contrast to the smaller, local theatre shows I've been attending.

 I will continue to write in my spare time, but my pursuit of producing my own work and finding spaces to rent and create will most likely need to wait until December, especially since I have just taken a new job that is taking more time than I expected. It's my goal, my objective, to be a playwright, even if I am the worst one you've ever heard, but my goal is still there. I am plugging away towards my goal, even though I am slowed a little bit by the rest of my life, it is a goal that I simply cannot give up. I tried to leave the theatre for years and it made me ill. I cannot be a square peg banging myself into a round hole; it will crack me again and that cannot happen. I just need to keep the balance to keep myself well and healthy.

With my health, the strange thing about being bipolar is that when I forget my medication I feel as if I can conquer the world, and I get very excited about what I write, and what I'm doing, and I am completely singular in my obsession. I annoy myself. However, listening to other artists, I hear the same excitement and singular drive and obsession in their voices. I have talked to my therapist about this - that I am not sure if in these moments I am really manic, or am I just happy because I have been unhappy for so long? Does happiness feel like mania because I've been stuffing my feelings for years and telling myself I shouldn't act the way I want to because I need to be an adult and not be creative?

This is a question she and I continue to ponder: is it mania, or am I just happy, and shocked because I've been so unhappy for years? She and I agree that I need to keep balance so I maintain my family throughout this process, and I do not become so obsessed with theatre that I lose sight of everything else, but she and I have both considered that the mania is simply true joy and happiness. It's such a foreign concept that I am assuming it's a manifestation of my mental illness. That is sad, and strange, but yet; I am comforted to listen to other artists who sound and feel the same as me, who are just as obsessed with this strange art that is on the fringes but yet has survived for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. This is comforting, and good therapy.




References & Links:
http://www.cryhavoccompany.org/podcasts/
http://spinningtreetheatre.com/ 
https://www.kcstarlight.com/