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Read the update on rehearsals, shows and the theater
from Artistic Director B.J. Cleveland
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Posted Tuesday, June 2, 2008 11:02 pm
COMEDY'S HARD!!!
When most people go to the
theatre or movie they want escapism....and they want to
laugh; especially during the hot Texas summers. What they
don't realize is it takes a lot more work to do a comedy
than a drama. Especially a musical comedy. Especially a
"spoof" of a musical comedy!
Enter
The Boyfriend, Sandy
Wilson's adorable "pastiche" of musical comedies of the
1920's. Although this was written in the '50's about the
20's. Confused? When looking for a new musical to write,
Wilson looked backward to the blatantly silly styles and
fluffy plots of such musicals as No, No, Nanette
and intentionally wrote a show that poked affectionate fun
at them.
I played Tony, the
boyfriend, as a Freshman at Boswell High School in far north
Fort Worth back in 1978 and the show has had a special place
in my heart ever since. I'll never forget my first onstage
kiss and as we pulled away from each other - a string of
spit connected us. Ah, youth...and uh, unintentional laughs.
Ever since then, I've wanted to go back and play with this
script again. Now, at last, is my chance!
The show starts with an
actor explaining that they are on tour and this is a "spoof"
they have brought to our fair city. Therefore, you have a
show within a show, with clever winks and asides to the
audience. To up the ante even more, the show is
caricaturized to poke fun at itself as well. This is where
the hard part comes in.
It takes a LOT of polished
work to keep the style of this show intact, and as my cast
is finding out, the scenes are as "choreographed" as the
musical numbers. Every line has a beat, a rhythm and a set
up for an impending joke. Unless every thing falls in place,
it all goes flat.
Watch the girls feet, they
are always poised and must remain so throughout the scene to
keep the picture perfect....they even switch feet on cue and
specific words. We've painstakingly broken down sentences
for movement and set up "bits" (physical comic moments) that
are not necessarily in the script - but add continued fodder
for the "show" that is being put on. There is a comic
tension that must remain in the cast's bodies to "listen
aggressively" not passively. The plot is hilarious and thin,
but to these characters, it's high drama.
We have quite a cast of
newcomers who are rising to the occasion and finding out
they are in for a lot more than they realized. What looked
like a breezy little musical has become a master class in
comic timing and physical style. Theatre Arlington is a
great stepping stone for new actors to mix with and learn
from experienced pros. And when they "GET IT" and you see
that light bulb go off in their heads, or they get that
first big laugh because their timing was right...it's the
same equivalent for an actor as a mathematician breaking a
code. Therein lies the ultimate satisfaction as a director.
The critics might not care, the audience might not realize
the work put into it, but seeing an actor break through is
sheer pay off for me. You will not know those moments and
they should look effortless....but trust me....it was HARD
WORK. I love this style, I love this work.
The cast is a great group
of die-hards and tonight we added an actor into a major role
just a week and a half before opening. Michael Black, a
polished actor himself, came in, learned the scene -
memorized it and got huge laughs from the supportive cast
all within just a few minutes. With the final piece of the
puzzle, we are ready to run the show, add the lights,
orchestra and costumes and hopefully not fall on our face.
But if we do, we're going to make sure it gets a laugh.
"We
scheme about
and dream about
and we've been known to SCREAM about
that certain thing called THE BOYFRIEND."
BJ Cleveland
Artistic Director
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| Posted Wed. May 7, 2008 1:38 pm
The Book of Liz Opens Friday!
Welcome to an irreverent spring at Theatre Arlington!
As the spring storms blow in, so does the crackling humor of “The Talent Family.”
Written by David Sedaris and his sister Amy, The Book of Liz
is a wacky, witty and wonderfully irreverent fable about Sister Elizabeth Donderstock and her satirical adventures that skewers big business, women's lib, AA, tourists, theme restaurants, modern medicine, the Amish, the gays, cheese balls, breakfast burritos and almost everything in between.
The authors were voted two of America's funniest people by “Entertainment Weekly.” A regular commentator on National Public Radio, New York times best-selling author David Sedaris has written several novels including Barrel Fever , Naked , Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Amy Sedaris has trod the New York boards in Wonder of the World, The Country Club and The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told as well as creating "Exit 57" and appearing on TV's "Just Shoot Me" and "Sex and the City" and starring in Comedy Central's "Strangers With Candy." She is also one of David Letterman’s favorite guests.
This production’s guest director is the wonderful character actor and director Charles Ballinger who was a main-stay at Casa Mañana for many years before he left to direct shows across the nation. We welcome Charles to our theater, as well as Lana Hoover, seen on area stages throughout the Metroplex, and TCU actor Tyler Cochran, both making their TA debut. We are also happy to bring you the return of comedic actors Jacque Wahl and Kenny Green, who have long been absent from our stage, as well as Shane Strawbridge and Matt Grevan, who debuted with us in Working.
We hope you will join us again for the remainder of our season with summer fun that includes the roaring '20's musical treat The Boyfriend, opening in June, and the hilarious British farce, Perfect Wedding, running in August. Also, stay tuned for the announcement of our exciting 36th season with lots of family fun!
For now, allow yourself to laugh and enjoy your adventures in Squeamish Country. And don't forget to try one of Sister Donderstock's delicious cheese balls in the lobby! (Traditional AND Smoky!)
BJ Cleveland
Artistic Director
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| Posted Wednesday, March 16, 2008 10:57 a.m. -
WORKING to WORKING….A 25 year journey……..
Do you ever look at the date and wonder….How did I get HERE so fast?
As I begin this first artistic director blog for our Web site it seems appropriate to start something NEW in regards to something OLD, (besides me), … my history with Theatre Arlington and WORKING.
On a cold Saturday night in March of 1983, I stepped foot in a small non-descript building, that looked something like a forgotten church with a small hand painted sign out front that said WORKING Feb 4 – Mar 5. I wasn’t sure if this meant the building was only in operation during this time or this was a generic show title. The lobby was small and cold, and refreshments and tickets were handed out behind a rather rustic counter from overly eager volunteers. The auditorium, a 10 row intimate seating area with small steep aisles, sat 135 and was full. The tiny stage was about 18 x 18 with crudely painted platforms. The restrooms were backstage….and you shared them with the actors. What it lacked in visible finesse, it was about to make up for in heart.
Soon, I was engulfed in darkness and hit with an energy force that was the small but mighty cast of WORKING (featuring a young Persis Ann Forster). The opening song, I HEAR AMERICA SINGING, Walt Whitman’s famous poem sung by a seemingly average slice of non-costumed Americana, struck me as a cry of passion to be heard. Not just by people, but also by an organization that was already outgrowing this relatively new space. Passion is the key word here.
After two hours of this innovative new work, told by a parade of people we all relate to, I was hooked. My friend Stan Graner, (still involved with TA), and I were invited to the cast party, or more likely, a family reunion; the Theatre Arlington family reunion, at Executive Director Cliff Redd’s house. Although I grew up onstage in the metroplex, I knew no one – but several were familiar with me. (party guests including Tony Arangio, Cheryl Ford Moore, Charlotte Mathes, Persis Forster, Mark Oristano, Tom Cronk of the Fort Worth Star Telegram – all powerhouses in the area but strangers to me). And I guess I was adopted into the group – willingly or not. Within months, I was cast in a show I did not audition for, and began working (part time) as the administrative assistant. The organization could not afford to pay me what little I made, so it came out of the director’s pocket – which meant I picked up a lot of dry cleaning, mail, and children (to and from school and gymnastics) when not answering the phones, painting the set, working on a small Radio Shack word processor (the future?), penciling season admissions in on index cards and cleaning the theatre. But how exciting to be a part of an industrious die hard arts organization with a fast-growing reputation as a theatre group to be reckoned with.
Turn a calendar page….2008? 2008?!!!…..and I am about to re-open a revival of WORKING.
As fresh to me as it was 25 years ago….and I wonder, how did I get here from there?
Our building may seem rustic to some, a palace to others, and we have maintained our intimate seating area (growing to 200 seats) and expanding the stage only by about 8 feet in each direction. We have seemingly outgrown where we are now, our longest home since 1991. And the growth of programming, patrons, and education continues to climb.
I hope, as I celebrate this opening and anniversary, that someone walks into THIS space, THIS time and is hit with the same energy and passion I felt 25 years ago. With overly eager volunteers in the lobby and an energy force that strikes their heart from the stage with a passion for telling a story about everyday people who come together for a common goal – to create art….living art.
…and I hope that person knows they’ve found family.
(and I promise not to make them pick up my dry cleaning…unless it’s costumes. And I do need a little help painting the set, and I’m still trying to learn how to use the computer, maybe they have some skills, maybe they can sing, maybe they can sew….)
So many people. WORKING. With passion.
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Response posted Thursday, March 27, 2008 8:43 PM
I read your "Working" blog. I'm already
planning on being there tomorrow night - for me the blog makes
this production a "don't miss" event.
Great idea.
Connie
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Check back here for more of BJ's Blogs!
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Daytime box office is
located at 316 W Main St, across the street from Theatre Arlington, in
downtown Arlington |
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