OPENING NIGHT
Our opening night has come and gone and what a night it was! A full house and our cast and crew did an incredible job. I'm so proud of everybody! Of course I would say that but, gosh ... you should'a seen it. I feel like a proud parent!
Of course a couple of days ago I was in panic mode as our machine (which you'll see if you come to the show) stopped working completely. And I'm talking frozen solid. Nothing. DOA. ... The machine is supposed to, well, work during the whole show - moving constantly and making parts. But late last week it just stopped. Like that.
Thanks to a really smart electrical engineer, Tim Ambrose, who came to our rescue and performed an electrical operation. I have to tell you, I was a little nervous seeing all those wires coming out of our machine. But Tim fixed it and now it's moving and working as we speak.
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THE FREE PRESS REVIEW
Brent Hallenbeck of The Burlington Free Press calls our show "powerful," and "poignant," and our set, "...a marvel."
He goes on to say...
"Humor carries much of "American Machine." ... Most of the play is built around that uneasy camaraderie that develops when people have been together for a long time and either grow to love each other or at least to need each other. Only occasionally during these lighter moments does "American Machine" pull the curtain back to reveal what its real message is. But once it does, it's powerful."
Read the full review... go to www.BurlingtonFreePress.com, scroll down to 'Living' and there's our show!
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WHICH CHILDREN?
American Machine is set in a factory and the humor and language can be crude. It's not appropriate for children under the age of 15, depending on the maturity level of the child. If it were a movie, it would probably be rated 'R' ... or PG-15 if there was such a rating.
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REMEMBER DENNIS AND COLIN?
If you saw 'The Bus' then you might recognize two of the actors - Dennis McSorley and Colin Cramer. Dennis played the gas station owner, 'Harry', and Colin played one of the two boys, 'Jordan.' In fact, the last two people you saw on stage in 'The Bus' were Dennis and Colin. How nice to have them re-united on stage at American Machine.
Welcome Dennis and Colin!
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Thursday, September 27, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Two weeks and counting!
We go up at FlynnSpace in less than 2 weeks!
Hard to believe it's less than two weeks 'til opening night. Here's what's happening now...
Sound F/X - we're honored that Jim Wolvington, the man with a couple Emmys (okay, six) on his wall for sound design and sound f/x editing for shows like 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and 'Max Headroom' has starting adding the 'Ker-chunks' and 'Pshhhs!' that will make up the factory soundscape for American Machine. Some cool sounds coming from his studio. ... Thank you, Jim!
Moving into FlynnSpace - Maria McGrath, our stage manager, has had a tape measure in her hands a lot these days planning how our set, temporarily imagined at The Soda Plant, will fit onto the stage at FlynnSpace.
Postcards - the Lantz family sat around the kitchen table the other night, peeling, labeling and stamping LOTS of postcards that hit the mail today. If you don't get one (and you'd like one) shoot down to Waterfront Video, pick up a cool flick, and one of our postcards on the counter.
Final rehearsals next week - at the moment, we're breaking scenes down, and running them over and over so the actors can get just the right feel for their characters. Next week, before we move into FlynnSpace, we'll be running the entire show from start to finish.
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MEET NEW YORK ACTOR BILL TOSCANO
So we didn't know what it would be like to hire our first NY actor - and more to the point, we couldn't imagine what life for a NY actor would be like in Vermont - after all, the actor would have to uproot their life in the city, move to Burlington for six weeks, and work with a first-time director.
But after running several ads in a NY stage paper, receiving hundreds of head shots, and auditioning a bunch of possible actors, we're glad to have found Equity actor Bill Toscano to play the role of 'Winkie' - a challenging and humorous role in our play.
In addition to being a NY actor, Bill is also a director and playwright - and a practitioner of QiGong - a breathing and meditative exercise that's similar to tai chi or yoga. In NY Bill practices QiGong in his apartment close to the theatre district, or in Central Park with joggers running past him, taxis honking in the distance.
But here in Vermont, most mornings, Bill can be found amidst the quiet of Red Rocks beach, doing QiGong at the edge of Lake Champlain. A few trees turning color, low fog over the lake, a cool breeze.
Life for a NY actor on the road isn't all bad. ... Welcome, Bill!
------------------------
BENEFIT TICKETS SELLING BRISKLY
Tickets to all shows are on sale now through FlynnTix, but tickets to the opening night benefit for The Burlington Schools Food Project ($15 in advance/$20 at the door) are available only at City Market.
Last word was the benefit tickets were selling briskly (three college classes and one High School group will be in attendance). I'm glad tickets are selling, but if you're planning on going to the opening night benefit to support Burlington schools, then make your list: milk, bread, organic green tea - then get to City Market and purchase tickets to American Machine - soon!
Hard to believe it's less than two weeks 'til opening night. Here's what's happening now...
Sound F/X - we're honored that Jim Wolvington, the man with a couple Emmys (okay, six) on his wall for sound design and sound f/x editing for shows like 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' and 'Max Headroom' has starting adding the 'Ker-chunks' and 'Pshhhs!' that will make up the factory soundscape for American Machine. Some cool sounds coming from his studio. ... Thank you, Jim!
Moving into FlynnSpace - Maria McGrath, our stage manager, has had a tape measure in her hands a lot these days planning how our set, temporarily imagined at The Soda Plant, will fit onto the stage at FlynnSpace.
Postcards - the Lantz family sat around the kitchen table the other night, peeling, labeling and stamping LOTS of postcards that hit the mail today. If you don't get one (and you'd like one) shoot down to Waterfront Video, pick up a cool flick, and one of our postcards on the counter.
Final rehearsals next week - at the moment, we're breaking scenes down, and running them over and over so the actors can get just the right feel for their characters. Next week, before we move into FlynnSpace, we'll be running the entire show from start to finish.
------------------------
MEET NEW YORK ACTOR BILL TOSCANO
So we didn't know what it would be like to hire our first NY actor - and more to the point, we couldn't imagine what life for a NY actor would be like in Vermont - after all, the actor would have to uproot their life in the city, move to Burlington for six weeks, and work with a first-time director.
But after running several ads in a NY stage paper, receiving hundreds of head shots, and auditioning a bunch of possible actors, we're glad to have found Equity actor Bill Toscano to play the role of 'Winkie' - a challenging and humorous role in our play.
In addition to being a NY actor, Bill is also a director and playwright - and a practitioner of QiGong - a breathing and meditative exercise that's similar to tai chi or yoga. In NY Bill practices QiGong in his apartment close to the theatre district, or in Central Park with joggers running past him, taxis honking in the distance.
But here in Vermont, most mornings, Bill can be found amidst the quiet of Red Rocks beach, doing QiGong at the edge of Lake Champlain. A few trees turning color, low fog over the lake, a cool breeze.
Life for a NY actor on the road isn't all bad. ... Welcome, Bill!
------------------------
BENEFIT TICKETS SELLING BRISKLY
Tickets to all shows are on sale now through FlynnTix, but tickets to the opening night benefit for The Burlington Schools Food Project ($15 in advance/$20 at the door) are available only at City Market.
Last word was the benefit tickets were selling briskly (three college classes and one High School group will be in attendance). I'm glad tickets are selling, but if you're planning on going to the opening night benefit to support Burlington schools, then make your list: milk, bread, organic green tea - then get to City Market and purchase tickets to American Machine - soon!
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Three Weeks 'til Opening Night!
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Three short weeks to Opening Night! Here's what's happening...
Factory tour - Our actors are doing some character research this Thursday and taking a tour of Twincraft, a soap manufacturing plant in Winooski. We'll probably come back smelling quite aromatic! ... Special thanks to Michele Rose and Peter Asch, President of Twincraft, for making this happen!
Posters - We start hitting the streets with our posters this week. Got a place you think our poster would look nice and gets lots of attention? Shoot us an e-mail and we'll send a poster to you. They look pretty hot (thank you Lynn!)
Brett Hughes, our music making man, sat in on a rehearsal last week to get a feel for the show and begin the process of recording the old folk song made popular by Leadbelly (and CCR), 'Midnight Special.'
------------------------
MEET BRIDGET BUTLER - ACTRESS, OWL WHISPERER
So our cast is sitting around during a break and talking 'What did you do on vacation?' Bridget Butler, who plays 'Teena,' starts telling us about her trip to Maine. Picture this: a clear night in the Maine woods, Bridget's sitting around a fire with family and friends and, in the distance, she hears an owl. As a professional birder, Bridget calls to the owl. The owl calls back. Then others. A little while later all these owls are in the trees around the fire. Everybody's staring up at the night sky. Bridget keeps calling. The owls keep answering.
Now that's cool.
When she's not on stage playing Teena in 'American Machine,' or Connie in 'Midwives,' or one of the many other roles she's played, Bridget is a teacher/naturalist with Audubon, Vermont. You can hear her work, too - Bridget also hosts her own radio show called, 'BEEKS - A Birding Geeks Radio Delight' which is webcast weekly at www.vt.audubon.org.
I tell you, we've got the coolest cast.
------------------------
GOT TICKETS COMING TO YOU?
If you're a sponsor and you've got comp tickets coming your way, you'll be getting a phone call or e-mail starting in about a week or ten days. Sue Kavanaugh is our administrative assistant (and also my mother-in-law.) Sue's sweet on the phone, and even sweeter when telling me what needs to be fixed around the house. If you're a sponsor, thank you so much for your sponsorship - our play wouldn't be possible without you! ... Interested in being a sponsor? Drop us an e-mail.
------------------------
FRONT PORCH FORUM
One of Burlington's great gems is Front Porch Forum, an on-line neighborhood forum created by Michael Wood-Lewis. If you live in Chittenden County, chances are you live in one of the 130 forums that neighbors use for all sorts of communication - finding a lost cat, recommending a plumber, to ... letting people know about a new play!
One way you can help our production (and the Burlington Schools Food Project) is to place a free notice on your local FPF telling neighbors about our play and the opening night benefit for the Burlington Schools Food Project. Be sure to include our web address: www.AmericanMachineThePlay.com
Not a member of your neighborhood Front Porch Forum? Go to www.FrontPorchForum.com, take a tour, and join. ... It's free!
------------------------
BE A VOLUNTEER - HAVE FUN!
Our production could use a few extra hands...
Load-in/Load-out ... Got muscles? Our load-in is scheduled for Saturday night, September 22nd. We'll probably start loading out of our studio around 7pm, then start loading into the Flynn by around 10 or 11 that evening - anticipated wrap by 2am. Our entire set (including the machine) will move from The Soda Plant (at Recycle North) to FlynnSpace ... walls, machine, barrels and skids. If you're a night owl and want to hang with some punchy theatre folk, e-back and let us know - we'll provide the coffee and lots of appreciation!
Ushers... At each show we need 3 ushers to take tickets, show people to their seats and man (or woman) the door. If you can commit to ushering at least 2 shows, we'll spot you a comp ticket. Interested? Check out the show schedule at www.AmericanMachineThePlay.com then e-mail our house manager, Elizabeth Wilkins at ceowilkins@msn.com.
Three short weeks to Opening Night! Here's what's happening...
Factory tour - Our actors are doing some character research this Thursday and taking a tour of Twincraft, a soap manufacturing plant in Winooski. We'll probably come back smelling quite aromatic! ... Special thanks to Michele Rose and Peter Asch, President of Twincraft, for making this happen!
Posters - We start hitting the streets with our posters this week. Got a place you think our poster would look nice and gets lots of attention? Shoot us an e-mail and we'll send a poster to you. They look pretty hot (thank you Lynn!)
Brett Hughes, our music making man, sat in on a rehearsal last week to get a feel for the show and begin the process of recording the old folk song made popular by Leadbelly (and CCR), 'Midnight Special.'
------------------------
MEET BRIDGET BUTLER - ACTRESS, OWL WHISPERER
So our cast is sitting around during a break and talking 'What did you do on vacation?' Bridget Butler, who plays 'Teena,' starts telling us about her trip to Maine. Picture this: a clear night in the Maine woods, Bridget's sitting around a fire with family and friends and, in the distance, she hears an owl. As a professional birder, Bridget calls to the owl. The owl calls back. Then others. A little while later all these owls are in the trees around the fire. Everybody's staring up at the night sky. Bridget keeps calling. The owls keep answering.
Now that's cool.
When she's not on stage playing Teena in 'American Machine,' or Connie in 'Midwives,' or one of the many other roles she's played, Bridget is a teacher/naturalist with Audubon, Vermont. You can hear her work, too - Bridget also hosts her own radio show called, 'BEEKS - A Birding Geeks Radio Delight' which is webcast weekly at www.vt.audubon.org.
I tell you, we've got the coolest cast.
------------------------
GOT TICKETS COMING TO YOU?
If you're a sponsor and you've got comp tickets coming your way, you'll be getting a phone call or e-mail starting in about a week or ten days. Sue Kavanaugh is our administrative assistant (and also my mother-in-law.) Sue's sweet on the phone, and even sweeter when telling me what needs to be fixed around the house. If you're a sponsor, thank you so much for your sponsorship - our play wouldn't be possible without you! ... Interested in being a sponsor? Drop us an e-mail.
------------------------
FRONT PORCH FORUM
One of Burlington's great gems is Front Porch Forum, an on-line neighborhood forum created by Michael Wood-Lewis. If you live in Chittenden County, chances are you live in one of the 130 forums that neighbors use for all sorts of communication - finding a lost cat, recommending a plumber, to ... letting people know about a new play!
One way you can help our production (and the Burlington Schools Food Project) is to place a free notice on your local FPF telling neighbors about our play and the opening night benefit for the Burlington Schools Food Project. Be sure to include our web address: www.AmericanMachineThePlay.com
Not a member of your neighborhood Front Porch Forum? Go to www.FrontPorchForum.com, take a tour, and join. ... It's free!
------------------------
BE A VOLUNTEER - HAVE FUN!
Our production could use a few extra hands...
Load-in/Load-out ... Got muscles? Our load-in is scheduled for Saturday night, September 22nd. We'll probably start loading out of our studio around 7pm, then start loading into the Flynn by around 10 or 11 that evening - anticipated wrap by 2am. Our entire set (including the machine) will move from The Soda Plant (at Recycle North) to FlynnSpace ... walls, machine, barrels and skids. If you're a night owl and want to hang with some punchy theatre folk, e-back and let us know - we'll provide the coffee and lots of appreciation!
Ushers... At each show we need 3 ushers to take tickets, show people to their seats and man (or woman) the door. If you can commit to ushering at least 2 shows, we'll spot you a comp ticket. Interested? Check out the show schedule at www.AmericanMachineThePlay.com then e-mail our house manager, Elizabeth Wilkins at ceowilkins@msn.com.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Production Update
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Four weeks to go to Opening Night and lots of stuff is happening...
Off-book Rehearsals ... Tonight is our first rehearsal where actors are 'off-book' meaning that all the actors have memorized their lines and we can start rehearsing with details like props, set pieces and blocking (where an actor moves within the set). The show is coming together really well. I'm biased to say this, but our actors are so talented. I'm quite proud of our cast.
Seth Jarvis portrays 'Ipsy,' a man with a disability and a cleft palette. Seth has put a lot of hours into researching this role and it really shows. Everybody else is researching their characters, too ... reading books, talking to people similar to their characters. We have plans to tour a factory in a couple of weeks.
Sets... Sam Rudy has finished sculpting the sets and now Isaac Wasuck has begun painting them and, boy, do they look nice! Both of these guys are phenomenal artists - the old brick wall looks so true to form that you have to touch it to realize that it's really carved styrofoam.
Beer for Cola ... So we bought an old coke machine on e-bay that will be a key set piece. The man we bought it from kept it in his garage to keep beer cold (his wife made him sell it). When we told him that we were probably going to gut it and re-wire it, he got this sad look in his eye and said, 'Hell, I thought you were going to use it for beer, too.' (...in order to get a beer, you have to pay 35 cents). ... After the show, if anybody wants a beer cooler that could make money too, let us know.
Our Ads ... Advertising for 'American Machine' starts just after Labor Day. Check out SevenDays, Front Porch Forum, and your local kiosk. Each of our ads contains a statistic or fact about the vanishing American dream...
------------------------
BE A SPONSOR - HAVE FUN!
Egads! We're still $5,000 shy of our fundraising goal. With only 4 weeks to go and a big hole in our budget, to be honest, we're getting a little nervous at American Machine.
We're making calls and hoping that we can still reach our goal. Did you know that for as little as $75 you can be an individual sponsor; for as little as $95 you can advertise in our program. Get great seats to the show with your complimentary tickets, advertise in the program, and see a really cool play about an important subject. Interested? E-back or give us a call.
If you're already a sponsor, THANK YOU! We're going to recognize you at the show in four short weeks. Of course, our play wouldn't be possible without you!
------------------------
BLOGGERS NIGHT
The Thursday night, September 27th show of 'American Machine' we're calling 'Bloggers Night.' This is how we hope it'll work. ... In addition to our paying audience and sponsors, we're going to invite about 20 of Burlington's bloggers to this show gratis. The only thing that we ask in return is that our bloggers do what they do best: blog about what they saw. What they say is up to them - what they see on Thursday, September 27th will be up to us.
So if you regularly read any bloggers in Burlington, let us know who they are and we'll be sure to invite them!
Well, that's all for now. E-back if you have any questions. As always thank you for your support - hope to see you at the show!
Four weeks to go to Opening Night and lots of stuff is happening...
Off-book Rehearsals ... Tonight is our first rehearsal where actors are 'off-book' meaning that all the actors have memorized their lines and we can start rehearsing with details like props, set pieces and blocking (where an actor moves within the set). The show is coming together really well. I'm biased to say this, but our actors are so talented. I'm quite proud of our cast.
Seth Jarvis portrays 'Ipsy,' a man with a disability and a cleft palette. Seth has put a lot of hours into researching this role and it really shows. Everybody else is researching their characters, too ... reading books, talking to people similar to their characters. We have plans to tour a factory in a couple of weeks.
Sets... Sam Rudy has finished sculpting the sets and now Isaac Wasuck has begun painting them and, boy, do they look nice! Both of these guys are phenomenal artists - the old brick wall looks so true to form that you have to touch it to realize that it's really carved styrofoam.
Beer for Cola ... So we bought an old coke machine on e-bay that will be a key set piece. The man we bought it from kept it in his garage to keep beer cold (his wife made him sell it). When we told him that we were probably going to gut it and re-wire it, he got this sad look in his eye and said, 'Hell, I thought you were going to use it for beer, too.' (...in order to get a beer, you have to pay 35 cents). ... After the show, if anybody wants a beer cooler that could make money too, let us know.
Our Ads ... Advertising for 'American Machine' starts just after Labor Day. Check out SevenDays, Front Porch Forum, and your local kiosk. Each of our ads contains a statistic or fact about the vanishing American dream...
------------------------
BE A SPONSOR - HAVE FUN!
Egads! We're still $5,000 shy of our fundraising goal. With only 4 weeks to go and a big hole in our budget, to be honest, we're getting a little nervous at American Machine.
We're making calls and hoping that we can still reach our goal. Did you know that for as little as $75 you can be an individual sponsor; for as little as $95 you can advertise in our program. Get great seats to the show with your complimentary tickets, advertise in the program, and see a really cool play about an important subject. Interested? E-back or give us a call.
If you're already a sponsor, THANK YOU! We're going to recognize you at the show in four short weeks. Of course, our play wouldn't be possible without you!
------------------------
BLOGGERS NIGHT
The Thursday night, September 27th show of 'American Machine' we're calling 'Bloggers Night.' This is how we hope it'll work. ... In addition to our paying audience and sponsors, we're going to invite about 20 of Burlington's bloggers to this show gratis. The only thing that we ask in return is that our bloggers do what they do best: blog about what they saw. What they say is up to them - what they see on Thursday, September 27th will be up to us.
So if you regularly read any bloggers in Burlington, let us know who they are and we'll be sure to invite them!
Well, that's all for now. E-back if you have any questions. As always thank you for your support - hope to see you at the show!
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