Coming Up in Dayton Theatre: 06/09 – 06/22

THURSDAY, JUNE 9 – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2011

The unexpected happens a lot in theatre. Everything rarely goes exactly as planned; that is the nature of live theatre, and we have to learn to deal quickly to make things work. And yesterday, the show I’m ASMing (Evil Dead: the Musical at CATCO; it’s a professional show and well worth the drive out to Columbus, so come see it!) was no exception. Halfway through the show, the hinge on the trap door broke when one character stomped to close it; so my crew and I scrambled around backstage alerting actors and shuffling duties so that a crew person could be underneath the door as needed. We averted any potential injuries or changes to the blocking, finished the show well and fully, and fixed the door immediately after.

At first, the thought of problems is irritating. Why can’t things just work all the time? Why can’t we be in control of everything during a show? As Assistant Stage Manager, if something backstage goes wrong, it’s my fault. I really like when the show and the effects run smoothly.

However, thinking about it, I realize a certain exhilaration, too. Having something go wrong, but being able to work together to get past it and make the show work, is a mark of good collaboration and communication within a show. If our cast and crew weren’t working well together, we couldn’t fix problems like the cellar door on the spot. Those elements are part of the very essence of theatre, whether garage, community, or Equity, and seeing them lived out successfully reminds me why I love theatre, and why Dayton theatre is so great. These next couple of weeks, we have venue and artistic collaborations on shows, as well as the individual process of each performance. Support those this weekend, and go see one of these great productions.

Another Openin’, Another Show

…SHOWS OPENING SOON

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

BEAVERCREEK COMMUNITY THEATRE

The Story: John Jasper, a Jekyll-and-Hyde choirmaster, desperately loves his music student, Miss Rosa Bud, who is engaged to Jasper’s nephew, Edwin Drood. However, when Edwin Drood disappears mysteriously one stormy Christmas Eve, suspicions abound. In this adaptation of Dickens’ last and unfinished manuscript and a show-within-a-show, audiences choose the ending!
Dates: June 10 – 19, 2011
Tickets & More Information: BC Theatre: Edwin Drood

…SHOWS CLOSING SOON

right next to me

HUMAN RACE THEATRE COMPANY

The Story: A war widow, attempting to cope with her Marine husband’s death in Iraq, goes with her brother-in-law on a quest to scatter her husband’s ashes where he required, remembering and seeing flashbacks along the way in an emotionally moving and uplifting journey. This show premiered in an earlier and very different version as part of the Human Race Musical Theatre Workshops in 2009.
The Dates: May 21 – June 12, 2011
Tickets & More Information: Human Race Theatre Company

…ONE WEEKEND ONLY

Southern Comforts

YOUNG AT HEART PLAYERS and DAYTON THEATRE GUILD

The Story: Some people thrive and grow enervated with change; others, run from any potential unsettlement. In a Victorian era New Jersey, a taciturn Yankee widower and a vivacious Tennessee grandmother find a second chance at love, but the relationship is filled with surprise and unpredictable tribulation. A collaboration between two theatres, “this off-Broadway success is an affecting, late-in-life journey of compromise and rejuvenation, of personal risk and the rewards of change” (DTG).
Dates: June 10 – 12, 2011
Tickets and More Information: Dayton Theatre Guild, DMM Event

Altar Boyz

ENCORE THEATER COMPANY

The Story: In this foot-stomping, rafter-raising, musical comedy, a fictitious Christian boy band performs on the last night of their national “Raise the Praise” tour. The Boyz are five all-singing, all-dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham. Performed in Sinclair CC’s Blair Hall Theatre, this show is perfect for those who love (and to love to make fun of) boy bands!
Dates: June 16 – 18, 2011
Tickets and More Information: Encore Theater Company

Part of it All

…AUDITIONS AND CASTING CALLS

Into the Woods

PLAYHOUSE SOUTH

Auditions: June 13 & 14
Performances: August 12 – 21, 2011
The Story: After a Witch curses a Baker and his wife with childlessness, the couple embarks on a quest for special objects from classic fairy tales to break the spell, stealing from and lying to Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel, and Jack (of beanstalk fame). But the characters didn’t count on the consequences of their actions or the disasters that would ensue…
More Information: Playhouse South: Into the Woods

Harvey

BEAVERCREEK COMMUNITY THEATRE

Auditions: June 13 & 14, 2011
Performances: August 26 – September 4, 2011
The Story: Elwood P. Dowd begins introducing his imaginary friend, Harvey (a six and a half foot rabbit) at a society party; his sister, Veta, can’t tolerate the embarrassment and has him committed to a sanitarium. However, problems arrive when Veta explains that years of living with Elwood have made her see Harvey, too! The doctors commit Veta instead of Elwood, but when the truth comes out, the search is on for Elwood and his invisible companion.
More Information: BC Theatre: Auditions

~KN