Things are progressing

Wow!  It’s been a lot time since I posted!  We’re in the middle of rehearsals right now, and everyone is doing very well.  We’re doing blocking at this point, and while it can be tedious, it’s an essential step.

We’ve had a donation for the desserts, so that’s covered.  We’ve also had someone step up and say that they will get us some sound and light equipment AND run it for us.  Linda and I met with our set people yesterday, and the guy in charge of sets at church (the amazing Dale Poore) has offered to help us a little too.  So that’s very exciting.  My good friend Lisa Phillips has provided some costumes for us and may even be able to help us put some together, which is very exciting.

The whole thing is just going really well.

Will try to update more frequently.

 

First rehearsal

Our first rehearsal is tonight, and I’m really excited.  We had one actor drop out, but Kenton is taking up the slack.  We start at 6:30 in the AA4 classroom.

Jesse is working up some music for our chase scene, and I’m getting the number of the caterer who goes to NewSpring in hopes that she wouldn’t mind donating some baked goods to the cause.  I sent the scripts and rehearsal schedule to Mom for her to make copies.

It promises to be an exciting evening.

 

Casting Meeting

My co-director and I met last night to assign casting for the melodrama.  I’m so excited on what we decided.  It was so cool too because we had separately cast the same people in the five key roles!  It was awesome!!!

So the cast of Wild Goose Chase is as follows:

Mary-Mary Quite Contrary – Tiffany Hadden
Jack B Nimble – Josh Buettgenbach
Narrator – Dawn Clark
Mother Goose – Amy Blough
Fineas Grouse – Jay Luper
Jack (Who Fell Down the Hill) – Justin Ghere
Jill (Who Fell Down the Hill) – Kristen McCune
Mary (with the Little Lamb) – Elena Nightingale
Little Bo Peep – Madison Hopper
Jack Sprat - Dave Elworth
Peter Piper – Brian Hainstock
The Crooked Man – Kevin Pile
Wee Willie Winkie – Danielle Wigley
The Prince – Kenton Elworth
Hermit the Frog – Alaina Cohen

And that’s our cast!  I’m SO EXCITED!!!  HOORAY!!!

 

Auditions

Melodrama auditions are tonight!  Hooray!

At NewSpring in the AA4 classroom from 6:30 to 8:30 pm!

 

Graphics!

Here’s the graphics I designed for the melodrama!! 

 

Making progress

On Thursday, Linda and I will go to visit at the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon to see about renting their facility.  They made us an awesome deal (my friend JW Johnson is a saint) and the Lord provided someone to donate the funds (he knows who he is, and he’s amazing!!), so now all that’s left to do is sign the paper work and it’ll be official.  Linda has gotten the audition materials ready, but we’re thinking we’re going to have to postpone auditions until after Spring Break.  There’s just too much going on. 

I’m also in process of making the graphics, which I’m very excited about.

We’re making progress, and God is really setting things up for this.  I’m pumped about seeing how God is going to use this!!

 

Wondering What God Is Doing

During the meeting with my co-director last night, we began discussing venues where we might take this melodrama.  We could use the church, of course, but since we want this to be a community outreach, we’re concerned that performing at a church would limit the community response. 

We’d been praying about this for weeks, and no solution had presented itself. 

We were just sitting and talking in the cafe, and like a light switch turning on, I suddenly remembered something.  I have a good friend who runs something of a theatre company near Park City (not really a theatre company, but I’m not sure what else to call it; it’s a place to get dinner and a show).  I had completely forgotten about her until sitting down to coffee with my co-director.

So I emailed her this morning.  Trouble was, the email address I have for her is ancient.  I wasn’t even sure if it were still active or not.  So I prayed over my email and hit the send button.  It didn’t come back, so I figured at least the account was still active.

About an hour or so later, I got a reply.

My friend told me in the email that she was highly interested in allowing us to use their facility for a greatly reduced rate.  She also gave me another email address to use that she checks more frequently.  She told me then that she never checks the address I had used, but for some reason she had checked it today.

Quite a coincidence, wouldn’t you say?

Nothing’s set in stone, but at least we have one option available now!  Yay!!

 

Co-Directors

After an uplifting and encouraging meeting over coffee, my friend and fellow thesbian and I have decided to be co-directors in this melodrama monstrosity.  So Linda Castleberry and I will be working side-by-side to make this thing happen.

I’m very excited because Linda is so much fun to work with, and she has a lot of experience onstage.

So the goal for this week is to secure a location and a performance date (or dates).  After that is accomplished, we can hammer down the other nagging details.  While we were talking, too, I had a sudden insight.  God brought to mind a family I know that has access to a stage and performance area.  So I shot an email off to them this morning, and we’ll see what happens.

There are still a lot of obstacles to overcome, but if God wants this community theatre to happen, He’ll work it all out.

 

“Coincidence”

Hmmmm . . . . at least according to the Rainbows United web site, Families Together, Inc. is one of their affiliates.  I think this is another indication that I need to talk to my cousin Steve about possibly getting some help with the melodrama production.

 

A decision to move forward

Well, the decision has been made.  Lord willing, I’ll be directing a dinner theatre/melodrama at the beginning of May.  The script is one of mine, called A Wild Goose Chase and it’s specifically intended to allow families with disabled children to come adn participate.  All along we’ve been hoping to perform as a fund raiser for Families Together, a not-for-profit that provides resources and education for families with disabled children.

I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with my schedule, but it looks like it will work out.

Auditions are tentatively scheduled for March 10, but there’s a freakin’ load of work that needs to be done before we get there.  In one month, I’ve got to:

1. Find a venue to perform (whether it’s off campus or at the church) – this is the most important right now
2. Set a performance date
3. Designate a rehearsal schedule
4. Pick an assistant director, a stage manager, a costume manager, a prop manager, a publicity manager, a ticket manager, a food manager, a fund manager (or a producer), and a few others who are very important

Only after those things are finished can we hold the auditions, cast characters, and begin rehearsals.

I think this is going to be a lot of fun, and I’m really praying that it can help a lot of people.