The Theatre Department Newsletter
Edition 8, Issue 5
February 2008 |
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Move Over Job...Joe Benjamin's in Town!
In two weeks the Saint Ambrose Theatre Department will hit the main stage hard with Neil Simon's God's Favorite. The story is a modern day spin on the Biblical Book of Job where we are introduced to Joe Benjamin and his lovely wife and children. Joe is in the box business and has made a very comfortable life for himself and his family. One day he is visited by a messenger of God ("important documents only, no packages"), and Joe is told that he is God's "favorite." God has decided to test Joe in an attempt to prove that His followers are a loyal bunch of people. Well, everything is downhill for the Benjamin family from there on. Joe's place of business catches fire, as does his home (including the pool) and Joe comes down with various illnesses. Rest assured, it is funnier than it sounds.
The February slot is unique in that the show is cast before students leave for Christmas break and the cast comes back, rehearses for a week, leaves for ACTF, and comes back for just under three weeks of rehearsal time before the show opens. Mike Kennedy and his cast of eight are up for the challenge, though. SAU Junior Seth Kaltwasser says of the production, "The February slot is always interesting because there is such a gap between when the cast list comes out and when rehearsals start. It really requires the actors to prepare in a different kind of way; we have to use different tactics to get the lines and blocking memorized, but I'm sure this cast is up to the challenge. God's Favorite is such a fun script and this small cast seems to have a great energy. It will be great when we finally get to share this show with an audience."
The cast is as follows:
Joe Benjamin - Matt Mercer
Ben Benjamin - Sean Tweedale
Sarah Benjamin - Jenna Clark
David Benjamin - Ryan Westwood
Rose Benjamin - Katie McCormack
Morris - Rick Sheehan
Mady - Jessica Stratton
Sidney Lipton - Seth Kaltwasser
God's Favorite will be performed Friday, February 15 and Saturday, February 16 at 7:30 p.m. and again on Sunday, February 17 at 3:00 p.m. in Allaert Auditorium. Tickets are free to SAU students with a valid ID. Adult tickets are $10 and can be purchased through the Galvin Box Office at (563) 333-6251.
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Upcoming Auditions!
February is looking to be a busy month in the theatre department, with auditions for Diana Son's Stop Kiss in the Studio Theater and Pippin on the mainstage.
Stop Kiss tells the story of two single New York women who fall in love. The story is told in a very nonlinear fashion and explores the growth of their relationship from friendship to romance as well as the aftermath of their first kiss. Auditions for Stop Kiss will take place on Thursday, February 7th from 4-6 p.m. and Friday, February 8th from 7-9 p.m. in the Studio Theater. There are roles available for 3 men and 3 women. All wishing to audition must come prepared to read from the script and all theatre majors should come with a prepared monologue. Scripts are available to check out from the Galvin Box Office. Performance dates are March 28-30 in the Studio Theatre.
Pippin is written by composer/lyricist Stephen Swartz and tells the story of a young man who sets out to find true meaning in his life. Auditions for Pippin will be Tuesday, February 19th in Allaert Auditorium from 7:30-10:00 p.m. All wishing to audition should prepare 16 bars or a verse and chorus from a song. An accompanist will be provided at the audition. The dance portion of the audition will also take place on the 19th, so please come dressed appropriately for movement. Auditions on February 20th, will consist of singing and dancing for those who have not already done so, as well as reading from the script. Performance dates for Pippin are April 18th-20th in Allaert Auditorium.
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Memories from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival 2008
As is the tradition, this January a group of thirty SAU theatre students piled into a couple of 15-passenger vans and set off for a fun, busy, and challenging week at the annual Region V KCACTF Festival. This year, the festivities took place in Omaha, Nebraska.
Over the course of the week, there are numerous ways to get involved. One of the festival's biggest events is the Irene Ryan Acting Competition. This year, Ambrose took six nominees to compete and, though none of them advanced past the preliminary round, the students made a strong showing for the SAU Theatre Department. The six competing nominees were SAU Alum Andrew Harvey, SAU Seniors Jessica Stratton and Sean Tweedale, and SAU Juniors Jovon Eberhart, Seth Kaltwasser, and Ryan Westwood. About her week in Omaha, nominee Jessica Stratton said, "ACTF was a great time. I was much more involved this year than in years past and it really took a lot out of me. Between seeing a couple really great productions and venturing to 8:00 a.m. workshops in below zero temperatures, I think I really came away from festival with a lot of information and ideas."
Dr. Corinne Johnson has always played a big role in the festival, as an acting coach and festival adjudicator, but this year she really made a splash. Dr. Johnson took on a huge responsibility and volunteered to be the workshop coordinator for this year's festival. This means that, in addition to adjudicating over a dozen shows across our seven-state region over the last year, she was also in charge of scheduling, organizing, and monitoring all of the 129 workshops that occurred in the week. This made for little rest over Christmas "break" and a very busy week in Omaha. Cory was rarely seen sitting down. About her experience, Cory says, "I have a newfound respect and gratitude towards the people who quietly and namelessly did this job in the past. As I have felt so passionately about the festival over the years, I did not want to let the community down. Ultimately, I think things went well. And I couldn't have done it without Emily Kurash!" In addition to being an Irene Ryan scene partner, SAU Junior Emily Kurash served as Dr. Johnson's assistant. About her experience she says, "ACTF was a wonderful learning experience. I spent a good deal of time running from place to place to ensure that everything was in order, but I also got to participate in some wonderful workshops and meet some fantastic theatre artists. Although I was quite busy the whole week, I had a wonderful time and was able to bring home a great deal that I will be able to apply to my future work in the theatre." At Friday night's awards ceremony, Cory received a high honor for all of her achievements this year, receiving one of two "Road Warrior" Awards, which are given to KCACTF respondents who have been nominated for excellence by the schools they adjudicated. About her award, Cory says, "The heart and soul of the KCACTF experience is the onsite responses and I know how important they are to our students and to me, as a director. To be recognized as someone who gives a helpful and inspiring response to other schools is flattering and humbling."
In addition to the Irene Ryan Acting Competition and the week's worth of workshops, SAU students stayed involved with a number of other activities. Two students, Matt Mercer and Madeline Dudziak stretched their directing abilities by volunteering to direct a selected 10-minute play, written by student playwrights from the region. These directors were expected to do a lot of homework before coming to the festival, and then also spend much of their week in auditions, rehearsals, and meetings. Both students found the experience to be both challenging and immensely rewarding. Madeline recalls the work fondly, saying "My involvement with the ten minute play competition was probably the most fun I have had at any festival I attended. In December, Matt Mercer and I (as the two participating Ambrose students) were sent the script we were to direct. I directed "Erica's Kite" by Whitney Rowland. Whitney and I had a lot of conversations about the piece and we went into the
festival very confident with the play's world and where to go with the piece. At the festival, it became far more time consuming than I anticipated. There were group meetings, individual meetings, auditions, casting,
rehearsals, tech rehearsals and, of course, the performance. Because of this, I went to far fewer workshops then ever before but I felt more involved than in years past. It was nice to make friends with people from other schools. My cast was made up of some great people from all over Region V and we had some great conversations. It was a great learning experience to work in depth with a new play." Mercer agrees. He says, "It was definitely a challenge and I had to do my homework for it, but it was an absolute blast to work with people outside of Ambrose. I highly recommend doing anything you can at ACTF."
Ambrose students also made a strong showing at this year's "Stage Crew Showdown". The contest, which started with nine teams of four students from schools across the region, took place on the Sunday and Monday of the festival. Ambrose's team "Don't Touch Me!" featured SAU Junior Jaci Entwisle, SAU Sophomore Michael Kline, and SAU Freshmen Josh Tipsword and Matt Carney and was one of three teams to advance onto the final round (for the second consecutive year). "Don't Touch Me!" represented Ambrose well,
tying for second and earning the first ever "Best Individual" award for Jaci Entwisle.
When she wasn't rehearsing for her Irene Ryan audition, Jovon Eberhart found other ways to stretch her acting skills. She says, "I auditioned for the ten minute scenes and was cast in the Alternative Forms Writing Workshop. We worked with playwright Rob Urbinati and performed readings of his scenes for his workshop. I played Anne Sexton in a scene from "Karaoke Night at the Suicide Shack". Cory also performed a piece as Lee Harvey Oswald's mother. Rob's plays were incredibly interesting and so different from each other, it was fun to hear him talk about the process of writing them. Later that week we were told we'd be writing our own pieces for the Alternative Forms Writing Workshop. Our theme was something along the lines of 'the most twisted night of television ever' and no show/subject matter was safe!"
It was also a big year for Ambrose's theatre faculty. This year, every single one of our faculty and adjunct professors (who had to take off time from their other jobs) not only attended but participated in this year's festival. Theatre Chair, Kris Eitrheim presented a workshop, volunteered as a judge for the "Stage Crew Showdown" and the production load-ins. Adjunct professors Lou and Donna Hare each led a couple workshops, on topics such as graduate school, script analysis, vocal warm-ups, and creating "fantasy monologues". Donna Hare also performed in Tuesday's Faculty Acting Showcase. Adjunct Professor and Choreographer Shellee Frazee drove up to Omaha later in the week to hold dance workshops and Costume Designer Dianne Dye also came later to help prepare for Ambrose's appearance in this year's Costume Parade. Each year, costumes from productions across the region are chosen to be displayed in Friday's Costume Parade. This year, Corinne Johnson's designs from Ambrose's October production of Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" were chosen. Lou Hare, Jessica Stratton, Jessica Denney, Jovon Eberhart, and Ryan Westwood (most of whom were in the show's cast) modeled their costumes. It is rare for any theatre department, big or small, to have so much support and participation in the festival.
With six Irene Ryan nominees, a tech team in finals, two student directors, a showing in the costume parade, increased involvement by the SAU theatre professors, auditions for Summer Stock, and an extra night's stay at the hotel, the St. Ambrose University Theatre Department certainly made the most of Festival 40 and it's not often such a small school can create such a big impact. As everyone piled back into the vans and headed home, no one could deny that much fun had been had, much had been learned, and many memories had been made. This was an ACTF for the record books.
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Senior Salute: Matt Mercer
Name: Matt Mercer
Hometown: Ottumwa, IA
Previous Productions at SAU: H.M.S. Pinafore, Jungle Book, Fortinbras, and directing Foreplay.
Current Project: God's Favorite
Why did you come to SAU? For the Radio/TV department
Favorite SAU Experience? Too many to recount...more than likely it has something to do with Michael Kennedy.".
Dream Job? Professional director
Favorite Actor/Actress? Kevin Spacey, Anthony Hopkins, Jack Nicholson
Favorite Word/Phrase? "Booya"
Biggest Pet Peeve? People who are never on time, people that nap too much, and people that will only wear sweat clothes.
Advice for Incoming Freshmen? Even if you are not cast in a show, you can still be involved with it...You never know what you might enjoy.
What will you miss most about SAU? The great sense of community.
What are your plans after graduation? Being a bum...but the best damn bum I can be!
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Freshman Spotlight: Matt Carney
Name: Matt Carney
Hometown: Davenport, IA
Majors/Minors: Theatre
Previous Productions: Charlotte's Web (Sound Board Operator), Beauty and the Beast (Light Design), Seussical (Crew), Proof (Technical Director)
Most Recent Project: Light Designer for Stop Kiss in the SAU Studio
Why did you come to SAU? I liked the environment, particularly the theatre program.
Favorite SAU Experience? Attending workshops at ACTF.
Favorite Actor/Actress Zach Braff
Favorite Word/Phrase? "Banana!"
What do you hope to accomplish at SAU? I want to graduate with a degree in theatre and enjoy my time here.
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Theatre in the QCA This Month
Show: God's Favorite
Producer: St. Ambrose University
Dates: February 16-18, 2007; Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets: $10, free to SAU Students with current IDs. Call (563) 333-6251, or visit Galvin's Box Office.
Location: Allaert Auditorium, Galvin Fine Arts Center, St. Ambrose University
Show: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story
Producer: Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Dates: Now thru March 22, 2008; Wednesday matinees at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:15 p.m., Sunday evenings at 5:15 p.m.
Tickets:Prices range from $24.96 - $41.60 for dinner and show. Call (309) 788-7733 x2, or visit Circa's box office.
Location: 1828 3rd Ave, Rock Island, IL; located in the District of RI
Show: ComedySportz Quad Cities
Producer: Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse
Dates: Every Friday and Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $8 prepaid, $10 at the door
Location: 1818 3rd Ave, Rock Island, IL. Downtown in the District, next to Circa '21
Show: The Fantasticks
Producer: Augustana College
Dates: February 8-10 and 14-16; Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 1:30 p.m.
Tickets: Call (309) 794-7611 for information.
Location: Augustana College, 639 38th Street, Rock Island, IL
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SAU Theatre Newsletter Next Issue
Our next issue will feature cast lists for Pippin, Stop Kiss, and some news on the upcoming 2008 Galvins Night!
Please use our convenient signup page to manage your subscription to SAU e-newsletters.
Visit the St. Ambrose University Web site for more information about courses offered, degrees, events, and staff. And also check out the SAU Theatre Website for more information about the Theatre Department, or contact theatre chair Kristofer Eitrheim by email or by phone at 563/333-6255.
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Department Chair: Kristofer Eitrheim - 563/333-6255
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Corinne Johnson - 563/333-6427
Newsletter Editor: Seth Kaltwasser, SAU sophomore
Contributing Journalists: Emily Kurash, SAU Junior / Rachel Mayer, SAU Junior / Katie McCormack, SAU Sophomore
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