So on Friday, February 3 at 8:00 pm at Augustana Lutheran Church (assuming the world has not yet ended), my hardy band of players, singers, and musicians will do staged readings of two of Yeats’s dance plays: At the Hawk’s Well and The Dreaming of the Bones. Each play runs about 20 minutes and there will […]
Archives for January 2017
B and B: Striking the right note
The challenge to successfully directing Durang is finding the right note to strike. While the content of the show- still borns, alcoholism, verbal abuse, general family dysfunction- are not funny on their own, the vehicle is hilarious, and it is important for the actors to be unapologetic and dive right in. As Durang says in his […]
A 50-50 Proposition
“Marriage is a 50-50 proposition,” Bette tells Boo. He responds: “Where do you come up with these sayings? On the back of matchpacks?” In spite of Boo’s scorn, I believe that directing is the same way. I like directing better than acting. Acting makes me realize all my inadequacies and the fact that my default […]
Bette and Boo: The First Read Through
The actors showed up in character and know exactly what they’re doing! Of course we started off with a bacon machine and an icebreaker. The Marriage of Bette and Boo is an ensemble piece, and I feel like it is important to build the community from the beginning. We are, after all, the Hyde Park […]
The Marriage of Bette and Boo: Auditions
And we’re off! Auditions are always difficult for everyone. I know the actors are worried about impressing the director, but I’m just as freaked out about making sure they have a good experience. For many people, this is their first impression of us, the Hyde Park Community Players, so I try my best to present […]
February Staged Reading: W. B. Yeats’s At the Hawk’s Well and Dreaming of the Bones
When: Friday, February 3, 8:00pm Where: Augustana Lutheran Church This February our staged reading will consist of two short plays by William Butler Yeats, At the Hawk’s Well (1916) and The Dreaming of the Bones (1919). Both plays were inspired by Yeats’s encounter with the Japanese No theater, an art form that synthesizes drama, music, and dance. Yeats drew […]