Category: Theatre

Brighton Beach Memoirs comes to Michigan Tech

Michigan Tech student Toby Mahan plays the main character and narrator, Eugene.

“He’s a classic 15-year-old boy,” said Mahan. “He’s just discovering girls now, so it’s a confusing and very exciting time in his life. And when he has his aside, he has these brief moments of wisdom.”

Read more and watch the video at Upper Michigans Source, by Sarah Blakely.

Another opening, another show

Pictured, from left, are Kate Van Susante, Dollcie Webb, Annika Seigel (hidden), Audrey Ortiz and Toby Mahan.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Scott Viau.

Tech Theatre Company to present Neil Simon play Oct. 17-19, 24-26

Brighton Beach Memoirs is a witty, yet poignant recollection of growing up during the Depression.

Read more at Keweenaw Now.

‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’

Director Trish Helsel is the one putting all the pieces of the play together and said directing “Brighton Beach Memoirs” is something she had wanted to do for quite some time.

“I wanted to direct it because it’s Neil Simon’s first play where he makes a huge breakthrough and it speaks to me,” Helsel said. “Every individual in the (play) is going through something and they’re surrounded by the Great Depression.”

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by October 17, 2013

“Brighton Beach Memoirs” a play worth experiencing

In a live performance, anything can happen, whereas in a movie, the same thing is guaranteed to happen with every viewing.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by James Wood.

Featuring local locations, cast and crew, as well as music from Hannah Bethel, a Houghton High School graduate, “Mutt” is a pure, locally produced film. The crew for this film features Michigan Tech students involved in Visual and Performing Arts department, as well as students from Finlandia.

When asked about their thoughts on their first full-length film production, Paul Kirby, fourth year Audio Production major, says “it’s exciting to have a full-length film in the UP,” a place that seldom sees video production happening.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by Jane Kirby.

Quiet on the set

Production started Sept. 21 and is scheduled to run through Oct. 30. A February 2014 release is planned.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Scott Viau.

Making ‘Mutt’?
A day on the set of a film shot in the Copper Country

Director Rick Allen arrives next. On top of Allen comes the crew for the day, three students from Michigan Technological University, Kevin Heras, a business management major, and Paul Kirby and Andrew Villa, both specializing in audio production and technology. They’re on a tight deadline as they need to get back to school for class by 3 p.m.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Scott Viau.

SOUTHERN NIGHTS AUDITIONS:

Announcing OPEN AUDITIONS for Tech Theatre’s production of Southern Nights:  Unsung Songs of the Southern Nightingale, one-act masterpieces by Tennessee Williams.  Each short play has a set of characters who discover, collectively, hope, harmony, power, and passion.  The cast calls for 9 men and 5 women.  Auditions will be held in Walker 210, on the Michigan Tech campus, Sunday, September 15 and Monday, September 16, from 7-10 pm. The audition will be comprised of informal theatre games and reading from the script.  Please arrive at 7:00 p.m. The production will be performed November 14-16.  Rehearsals begin the week of September 21.  Directed by Roger Held (rheld@mtu.edu)

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AUDITIONS:  Read the play and familiarize yourself with the scenes.  Scripts are available in the VPA office (Walker 209) and may be checked out for 24 hours.  All scripts must be returned to the VPA office by Friday, September 13, 4:00 p.m.  Show up before 7 pm on Sunday, September 15 OR Monday, September 16.  We will engage in some informal theatre games then move on to reading from the script!

Williams’ Characters

Petunias

Miss Simple.  Dorothy is attractive and untouchable.  She has passed through life without it leaving any marks.  Her hair is perfect; her make is perfect.  She does everything precisely, accurately, and never says or does anything controversial.  When aroused by the young man and his promise of living free, however, she leaps to action believing it will all be perfect. She speak formally and with restraint until she busts free.

Young Man.  He like the author very much believes one can cast aside convention and live for the moment and the self and do as he wishes to meet his various appetites.  Symbolically, he is a libertine and Dorothy his promising convert.  A smiling yarn spinning con man.

Mrs. Dull is.  She is the stuffed shirt elder who has wrapped herself in social insulations so she is never vulnerable or sexually liberated in any way.  She is ready to be offended and call the police.  She is suspicious of others.  Her speech is as tight as her other end.

The Policeman is the symbol of social control.  Seemingly amiable, he enjoys asserting his authority and threatening others.  He is just a nice guy until he warns Miss Simple about leaving town then he is capable of force.

Set in Boston, Policemen may be Irish.  Others speak Standard American English.

Talk to Me Like Rain and Let Me Listen

These two characters the woman and her male companion would be white trash if they were in the South rather than New York City.  The man, if not an alcoholic, drinks to turn off the failure that is his life.  He ditches his girl to party.  She longs to be alone somewhere nice, quiet, where people just accept you and leave you alone.  He wants the torment of life to go away. They take solace in quiet talk together that would be meaningless to any one else.  In a way, they just like anyone who just wants the bad stuff of life to just stop.  Talking together is as close as they get.

The Pronoun I

The play is set in a medieval mythical kingdom. The main character is the Queen of May.  She wears an ancient mask and can remove it to reveal her beauty and sensual powers.  Her court features: her poet who begins each line of his poems with the Pronoun I.  A courtier who does her biding and an impostor who is an assassin complete the on stage cast.  Outside the crowd is in revolt.  Yes, this is an absurdist play

White Substance

An older looking man of powerful demeanor and an easy voice, a glib speaker.  He is invulnerable in his power.  It makes one uncomfortable to be in his presence as he uses his power for no good.  He feels entitled to do anything because he is special.

Young man, dependent on others for everything. He believes he can simply conform to all requests from everyone in power and thus stay safe.  He is trapped and has no way out.  Life is terrifying when you’re not alone or high on sex.

Southern Nights

BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS AUDITIONS

Announcing OPEN AUDITIONS for Tech Theatre’s production of Brighton Beach Memoirs, by America’s preeminent Broadway playwright, Neil Simon.  The play is a comedy chronicling the life of Eugene Jerome, a 15-year-old aspiring playwright and baseball pitcher.  While Brighton Beach Memoirs takes place in Brooklyn, NY, during the Great Depression, the play is timeless in its depiction of lovable characters struggling to maneuver through life’s challenges.  The cast calls for 3 men and 4 women with parts for a girl (12 or 13 years) and a young man (15-16 years).  Auditions will be held in the McArdle Theatre, Walker 208, on the Michigan Tech campus, Wednesday, September 4, and Thursday, September 5, at 7:00 p.m.  The audition will be comprised of informal theatre games and reading from the script.  Please arrive at 7:00 p.m. The production will be performed October 17-19, and October 24-26.  Rehearsals begin September 8.  Directed by Patricia Helsel.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR AUDITIONS:  Read the play and familiarize yourself with the scenes.  Scripts are available in the VPA office (Walker 209) and may be checked out for 24 hours.  All scripts must be returned to the VPA office by Thursday, September 5, 4:00 p.m.  Study the scenes provided here (“sides”).  Read for the part you feel most suited.  While not required, memorize and work with a partner.  Being familiar with the scene gives you an obvious advantage.

Show up before 7 pm on Wednesday, September 4 OR Thursday, September 5.  We will engage in some informal theatre games then move on to reading from the script!  You will be given copies of the audition scenes at the audition and will be expected to read from the sides.

CHARACTERS:

The character descriptions provided here are intended as a starting place for determining what role(s) you should consider.  Ages are relative to how the character should appear to the audience, NOT the expected age of the actorJ

Eugene Jerome:  15 years old.  Smart.  Sensible.  Sarcastic.  Adolescent, and fixated on girls.  Naïve.  Sees himself as a writer, hence the ongoing commentary of his family.  Is not above writing notes and letters for others to put himself in a positive light or in a position of power.  Looks up to his brother Stanley.  He has a love-hate relationship with Stanley, as brothers can sometimes be cruel.  Gets blamed for everything that goes wrong in the house.  Errand boy for mom.  Introvert.  Wants to be a pitcher for the Yankees.  A baseball fanatic.  (What boy wasn’t n 1937?)  Hates liver and cabbage.  Complains with regularity, pointing out the obvious double standard of behavior for himself and his female cousins.

Kate Jerome:  @ 40 years old.  Stoic.  Caregiver for all.  Superstitious to a fault.  Distrusts outsiders.  Set in the ways established by her Russian immigrant parents.  She is a fatalist in one moment but believes you can always find the good in something.  Controlling.  Doesn’t like confrontation.  Rarely gets out of the house.  She is a “work horse.”

Stan Jerome: 18 years old.  Eugene’s older brother.  Has been working in the garment district as a stock boy for the past 2 years, since he graduated from high school.  Torn by what he feels is right and what is essential for the good of his family.  Can never seem to win.  Gambles, lives dangerously.  Acts as a father figure to Eugene when his father is ill.  Athletic.  Believes his father is perfect.  Well intentioned.  Contributes his salary to the family.

Jack Jerome:  40-45 years old.  Eugene’s father.  Works as a cutter in the garment district, while working evenings as a salesman to make ends meet.  He is the provider for his immediate and extended family. Religious.  Takes working hard to the extreme.  Deals with high blood pressure and eventually suffers a heart attack.  Strong role model for his sons.  He is wise.

Blanche Morton:  38 years old.  She is Eugene’s aunt, Kate’s sister.  Widowed six years ago, she depends on her sister’s family to care for her and her two daughters.  Carries a great deal of guilt, the burden of living off others.  Naïve about the world as she has always been protected by her sister and husband.  She is described as “good looking,” “the pretty one.”   Sleeps with a picture of her dead husband.  Has poor eyesight which she attributes to strain while doing seamstress work to contribute to the family.  She suffers from asthma which acts up under stress.

Nora Morton:  16 years old.  Eugene’s cousin.  Blanche’s eldest daughter.  She studies dance and aspires to dance on Broadway.  Is desperate to escape the confines of the household to experience the adventures of the Great White Way.  Often frustrated that her mother is unable to make decisions.  She misses her father dearly. Resents the attention given to her sister Laurie.  Has a propensity toward being “snotty,” though no more than average teenage angst.

Laurie:  13 years old.  Eugene’s cousin.  Blanche’s youngest daughter.  Frail.  Has a supposed heart condition that requires her to rest and avoid exercise or stress.  Coddled by her mother and aunt Kate.  Has learned to manipulate her mother to get out of work.  Her interests are mostly academic though she likes movies.  She tries to act in Nora’s best interest.

Blanche_Nora

Kate_Blanche

Laurie_Nora

Stan_Jack

Eugene_Stan

Auditions being held for “Brighton Beach Memoirs”

Auditions will include informal theatre games as well as reading from the script.

Read more at the Michigan Tech Lode, by Jane Kirby.

As a part of FinnFest 2013, Michigan Tech’s Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts presents three nights of “Beautiful: A Cirque-Tale of How the Butterfly Grew Her Wings,” Wednesday, June 19, 9 p.m.; Thursday, June 20, 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, June 21, 7:30 p.m. Creator/Producer/Director Jennifer Kelly describes “Beautiful” as “A metaphysical and visceral experience inspired by the life cycle of a caterpillar.”

“Beautiful” is the brain-child of Kelly and Aerial Choreographer Jason Whicker. Whicker’s aerial work surpasses flight originally created for any show on or off Broadway. Featured guest choreographers include “So You Think You Can Dance” finalist Robert Taylor, Jr., and Dreya Weber, Pink’s Aerial choreographer.

Read more at Tech Today.

‘Beautiful’ — a tale of transformation

Most everyone knows of the wonder and spectacle that Cirque du Soleil shows can bring, now residents of the Copper Country and beyond can experience “Beautiful,” a cirque-style show that will be premiering next week at the Rozsa Center.

“It’s a woman’s transformative journey,” she said. “It’s about how we’re either paralyzed by (change) or transformed by it, but ultimately if we embrace our own hero story, we’ll become transformed.”

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Scott Viau.

The article Faking It by Jennifer Donovan concerns Tech theatre students and the art of illusion.

Each year, students and professionals who work in theatre technology—sound, lighting, costumes, stage effects—gather at the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) annual conference.

“Each year, there is usually one, maybe two student presentations, ordinarily by graduate students,” says Mary Carol Friedrich, associate professor and director of theatre design and technology programs at Michigan Tech. “That our students, all undergrads, were chosen to present speaks to the strength of the very practical and professionally relevant work they are doing in the degree programs in the visual and performing arts department.”

A bent for swordsmithing is about Matt Willett, a Michigan Tech theatre technology student who had dabbled in magic when he was in high school and had seen a sword trick or two.

Willett’s teacher, Assistant Professor Kalen Larson, was so impressed with Willett’s creation that he invited the student to write a paper about it with him.

OMG! From wet head to up-do in five minutes is about Elizabeth LaRouche, who is working as costume shop manager in the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

Sew faux: painted embroidery for the Shakespearean stage is about Katy Ellenich, a Calumet native who worked at the Calumet Theatre all through high school.

Making every new glove old again is about Morgan Nelson, a third-year costume design student from Cadillac.

Read more at Michigan Tech Magazine, by Jennifer Donovan.

For more color photos, including a high flying performance in Stealing Fire, view the PDF or Flash versions.

Learn more about the BA program in Theatre and Electronic Media Performance and the BS program in Theatre and Entertainment Technology.

Research Excellence Fund Awards Announced

The vice president for research is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Research Excellence Fund Awards, and would like to thank all of the review committee members for participating in this important internal award process.

In the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, Kalen Larson received a Scholarship and Creativity Grant.

Read more at Tech Today.