Jeune Lune recap

Curiously ominous clouds...

Alb being responsible. "Somebody give Dens the clipboard.
OK, kids. Before we put the suburban in motion, make sure you fasten your seat belts."

Seat belt? Check. Eyes on the road, hands slightly above 9 and 3.
Hey! Don't make me pull this suburban over and ...

That's right. Advice is free. In Thailand.

Derbs saluting Borders Books and Music.

Logan demonstrates his fine taste in literature.

Outside the Jeune Lune

Ah, yes. Charter members of Mefistofele's fan club.
Who knew it was possible to eat a sandwich while singing opera?

BTW: Greenwald is a signature performer -- expect to see him often in Jeune Lune shows!

Mefistofele recap

Drama kids never cease to amaze me.

We've already discussed over coffee and miles of interstate, but I'm interested to hear your thoughts on this show. Like Amanda said, "I think I need to sit back and let this one wash over me for a few days."

Although this is only the tip of the iceberg, some impressions:
character development: The attention to detail was marvelous.
example: Margherita's walk. She turned her toes in, which resulted in a somewhat awkward gait. It was intentional for her character. Once I recognized it, I began looking for other subtle touches the actors had applied, and was not disappointed. What did you notice?

language and music: was the language or the music ever a barrier? How did it serve to further the production? Subtitles, anyone?

physicality: again, this goes back to actor intention. What did you think about some of the specific images created, movement? The very physical nature of the play became in a sense a character unto itself -- a means to tell the story.

What else?

Field trips in general... I don't care for Suburbans, but I do like Thai food, good coffee, a beautiful night out in downtown Minneapolis, and the company of artistic souls.

Jeune Lune trip on Saturday *updated*

Please turn in your permission slips to Alb ASAP for the trip to Jeune Lune on Saturday. No permission slip, no trip for you :-(

• Details: play: Mefistofele @ Theatre de la Jeune Lune
  105 N. 1st Street, Minneapolis, MN
  doors open @ 7:30 for general seating, show starts @ 8:00
• we'll leave at 2:00 pm from the North doors in the BHS lot.
• Approximate return time: 1:00 am -- please arrange for a ride home before Saturday 1:00 am.
• Food: BHS Drama will pick up a large portion of your dinner, but bring some extra dineros for treats and maybe in case you want a super-sized dinner (?$5-20?). We'll eat dinner in the cities before the show. -- the box office made a few recommendations. Ultimately, we need to be at the theatre by 7:15 for the 8:00 show, since specific seats aren't reserved.
• We'll be traveling in style, hopefully in school suburbans that include the magnetized signs stating "this vehicle stops at all railroad crossings."
• If you can't make it, you owe Drama club $30 for the ticket we bought for you.
• If you really wanted to go but couldn't find the time to help out, see Alb and maybe we can work something out. We have space for maybe 4 or 5 additional people since we spilled over into a 2nd vehicle, provided tickets are still available and you're willing to put in a few hours this next week in the Little Theatre.

Kids on the list:

Derbs, Celina, Pat, Macky,
Amanda O, Maria, Den Den,
Logan, Dain, Arielle,
Matt, Alb.

See me asap if I accidentally left someone off.

Hooray! This should be fun! Check out the Pioneer Press review, the Playbill review, and production photos. It would also be helpful if you previewed the story (try notes on Boito and his original opera, Dr. Faustus, the Faust legend, and I-hate-Wikipedia-but-I-like-this) before we go.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Decision time for field trippers...
If you helped out with Matt's scene shop organization and are ready for a field trip, here we go!
Mephistopheles closes this weekend. If we want to go, we need to make plans like NOW. Otherwise, we need to wait for the next calendars to open up (Guthrie's next show is in July... Matt's shows are in July...) etc. See me about the content on this one.

Got the Summer Time Blues? Matt Needs Some Help with some independent theatre projects

M.Cummings said...
I am designing 2 shows showing in minneapolis this summer. Any help would be apprieciated. One Is Called "Born in Iraq" http://www.borniniraq.com showing at the Mixed Blood theatre July 5th-15th. (Reports are out that B.B.C, N.P.R., C.B.S, and A.B.C. (British Broadcasting Company) are all Doing a piece on the show. Its very high profile. Its a heart wrenching tale about a young mans life,the son of an iraqie uprise leader, escapeing an attack on his village by saddam. then returning after the recent invasion by american forces. THis is the premire being performed by profesionl actors on awell known stage, and everyone is doing it for free. YOU CAN GET INVOVLED TOO!

The second show wich is shown mid july is a one act at Minneapolis Community and Technincal College. A comedy by Christopher Durang Called "Nina in the morning" about an aging Herres and her niglected children. (No money for me here either) I have already Begun Construction on the Durang peice and the Mixed blood piece should start by the end of the month.I have begun a blog with all my design notes http://catharsis-anonymous.blogspot.com/ you can contact me there or in person if you wish to help. Every one will get credited for their help.

So what did you think about JC Superstar?

It was a sell-out crowd at the Chalberg theatre on Friday night for the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Director Patrick Spradlin graciously offered free tickets to the BHS drama club, and 26 of us attended, including my two kids.

It was an interesting production. They chose to present the show as a concert rather than a musical, but still managed to incorporate set, light, sound and costume design. Matt was a bit nostalgic, since the CLC students who designed and ran the tech were the last from his classes (they were freshman when he graduated). In a way, since Patrick may focus his theatre energies elsewhere next year and since the tech students are the last of their bunch, it was a show about closure...

I was just about to join our theatre freaks and for a post-show discussion at Applebees when I realized that Abe was bound to fall asleep in his Dreamsicle cake, if he could stay awake until it arrived. (After we left, he fell asleep before we hit Nisswa.)

I wish I could've stayed and heard what you thought -- I'll save my opionions until I hear from you -- what worked, what didn't? I've got some definite thoughts on the pit orchestra, Jesus, Judas, Mary Mag, and some of the design choices (I will admit when the ladies came out in feather boas, Matt wasn't the only one laughing!). I'll also come right out and say that I thought Patrick Spradlin's Pontious Pilate was distant, condescending, and spot on, and made me increasingly uncomfortable, especially during the counting segment. It's also important to keep in mind that this was a very amateur choir, band and crew -- most of you recognized Judas as a waiter from Perkins, for example.

Given the Brainerd Lakes areas strong church community, I'm also wondering what you thought about this show playing at a community college? Was this show choice for the church community's benefit, or to stir it up? (religious folks have both embraced and protested JC Superstar). Also, how do you see JC Superstar fitting in with the rest of Spradlin's season this year? Keep in mind that he started the year with Inherit the Wind...

Many of you said the show wasn't what you expected. So I'm curious: what did you think?

Review of the Perpich Center's newest show

I had the chance to drop by the Perpich Center for the Arts and check out their junior class student-created show this past weekend. Brilliant.

The show was done in a black box theater (which allows the director to move the seating around; it also allows for a much closer audience/performer relationship.)