Category: Theatre

Auditions!!
for
Christopher Durang’s

BABY WITH THE BATHWATER

When:  Tuesday, September 2, and Wednesday, September 3,  7:00-10:00 pm (Choose one.)
Where:  McArdle Theatre, Walker 207
Who:  Any student, faculty, or community member!
How:

• Arrive at 7 pm to fill out a contact form.
• We will begin a group audition at 7:15 pm, followed by readings from the script.
• You are welcome to perform a prepared scene, up to 5 minutes, with a partner, otherwise you will simply read from the script.
• Tips:
  • Familiarize yourself with the script so you understand the plot and characters.
  • Practice so that you can make the most of eye contact when you read with a partner.  (Try to glance at the script and deliver the line to the other person and really listen and respond to them.)
• Scripts are available in the VPA office, Walker 209.  You may check out a script for 24 hrs. or for a weekend.  (We need to keep them available for all.)

Performances will be October 16-18, and October 23-25.

Rehearsals are Sunday-Thursday, 7:00-10:00 pm beginning September 4.  We will also rehearse Friday and Saturday October 10-11.  Rehearsals during “Tech Week” (Oct 8-15) may be extended.  A cast list will be sent via email late Wednesday evening.

About the play:

Characters –

• Helen, the mother
• John, the father
• Nanny, the nanny
• Cynthia
• A woman in the park
• Another woman in the park
• Mrs. Willoughby, the principal
• Miss Pringle, a teacher
• Young Man
• Susan

Contact Patricia Helsel

Associate Professor Patricia Helsel is directing Red Jacket 1913, a special production in collaboration with the Calumet Theatre. This play uniquely presents the history and conflict surrounding the 1913 copper strike, focusing on one family’s struggles. While fictional, Red Jacket 1913 is based entirely on historic events.

Dennis Kerwin, former VPA faculty, heads the cast comprised mostly of community members, while Jonah Mueller, a Tech sound design major, and Dollcie Webb, majoring in theatre and electronic media performance, are both involved in the play’s production.

Performances are tomorrow and Friday at 7:30 p.m. Contact the Calumet Theatre box office for tickets at 337-2610.

From Tech Today.

Associate professor Kalen Larson (VPA) will be an Instructor for the TOP Flight workshop hosted by the North American Association of Flying Effects Directors held in DeKalb, Illinois, Aug. 13-16. This four-day workshop covers topics ranging from designing performer flying effects systems to choreography techniques.

From Tech Today.

Two Visual and Performing Arts majors, Josh Maiville and Devin Miller, will be part of the popular summer series, “America’s Got Talent,” broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York this week.

They will be riggers and flying-effects operators for Mothmen Dance, an aerial performance group created by On the FLY Productions–the production company that partnered with Michigan Tech last year to produce the flying extravaganza, “Beautiful: A Cirque-Tale of How the Butterfly Grew Her Wings.”

Maiville and Miller were riggers and operators for the productions of Beautiful, and Maiville performed some flying stunts on stage. 

On the FLY was so impressed with Michigan Tech’s students that the production company invited several of them to work with Mothmen, according to Associate Professor Kalen Larson (VPA). Michigan Tech is one of the only schools teaching performer flying, Larson said.

The live broadcast of “America’s Got Talent” is scheduled for 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 12, on Charter Cable channels 6 and 785. An elimination round will follow at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13. See the audition.

This is not the first time Michigan Tech has been represented at Radio City. Ken Showler, a 2007 Tech graduate in sound design, was a designer with 7th Sense for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular 2011. He received an Excellence in Live Design Award for that work.

From Tech Today.

Dinosaurs invade rock garden
Students create wooden dinosaurs for theater class project

Some think dinosaurs are frightening, but there is no need to fright over the wooden additions to the Rock Garden outside of Fisher Hall. The dinosaurs were constructed as a project for Kalen Larson’s Advanced Backstage Technology class.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by Sasha Burnett.

ROSE AND THE RIME AUDITIONS

Calling all dancers, actors, and gymnasts!  Auditions for Rose and the Rime will be Monday, October 28, and Wednesday, October 30, 7 pm in Rozsa 120 (Choir Room).

Rose and the Rime is a spectacular modern fairy tale of courage and hope in the face of adversity and fear.  The fable features Rose, a very special girl who embarks on an adventure to save her town, Radio Falls, Michigan, from perpetual winter. The play includes dance, and original music composed by students.

Rose and the Rime will be performed next semester, however there will be a large dance/aerial component to the show that will require rehearsals and preparation this semester.  One dance form we hope to feature is aerial work.   Roles are available for non-dancers as well.  You may sign out a script from the VPA office, Walker 209.

• Aerial Silks Clinics:
  • Friday, October 25, 2 pm-5 pm, McArdle Theatre
  • Saturday, October 26, 2 pm – 5 pm, McArdle Theatre

Come for as long as you can, especially if you have never worked with silks before.

• Auditions:
  • Monday, October 28, 7pm-10 pm, Rozsa 120 (Choir Room)
  • Wednesday, October 30, 7 pm – 10 pm, Rozsa 120 (Choir Room)

The dance portion of the audition will include a quick warm up and a few simple combinations. We ask that performers come prepared with a short (30 second) sample of their abilities. This is to be used as an opportunity to showcase your strengths and ability as a dancer/gymnast. The aerial silks portion of the audition will include basic exercises that will test performers’ grip and arm strength and provide opportunities for everyone to demonstrate skills learned in the Open Clinics. Performers should wear form fitting clothing that is easy to move in.

• Rehearsals:
  • Some initial rehearsals will occur throughout the rest of fall semester
  • January 12- 30, 7-10 pm (Sunday-Thursday, probable weekend dance calls)
  • Technical Rehearsals:  January 31 7-10 pm, February 1-2 all day
  • Technical Dress Rehearsals:  February 3-5, 6 pm – 11 pm (potentially)

• Performances:
  • February 6-8, 6:30 – 10:00 pm
  • Brush-up rehearsal: February 12, 6:30 – 10:00 pm
  • February 13-15, 6:30 – 10:00 pm

For more information about Rose and the Rime contact Patricia Helsel helsel@mtu.edu

For dance-specific questions, contact Mary Muncil memuncil@mtu.edu