And it's over...

Last night was the final night of the performances of The Miracle Worker. After the performances everyone stayed and helped "strike" the set. That great beautiful set is now all down. :( I couldn't believe how fast it came down too! :P I know it's all part of the process though.
The cast was very nice and took me out to dinner afterwards as well.

So today was my first day of rest in awhile. It felt a bit strange though as I've been at the theater straight for about the last 2 weeks. I will write up a full wrap up of all the performances and have pictures and all that soon!

Opening Night report!

Opening night was last night and it went excellent!! :) Everyone preformed well and all the technicians did a great job running the program. We had a good sized crowd. I counted 135 heads about 30mins before the play started and I know more people came in. I also didn't see how many were in the balcony. We had a big write up in our local paper here yesterday about the play. So it was really nice to see that and all the exposure it is getting. We've got a great play on our hands and now we have an audience to preform that to.

Tonight's performance starts to about an 2 hours so I got to go get ready!

Getting closer...

Sorry for not updating this in the past few days but it's been busy around these parts. We had a full dress run tonight of the program and it went really well! The performances are THERE!
Everyone did a great job tonight. I'm very pleased how far it has come. Sure there are still a few mins to trim off of some of the set changes but that's easily done.

So more painting of the sets tomorrow and another run through and then we're ready for Friday's first performance.

More soon...

Set building!

Whoa! What a past few days it's been! Sorry for not updating everyone but it's been go-go-go-go around here. Very fun and informative! I've been helping put up the set and now I'm glad to say the set is all up! (Thank you to Amanda, Anthony, Jeff who came and helped as well with the set) And it looks great by the way! Of course it's not painted to our color scheme yet but that'll come soon after Frank gets back in town on Tuesday. Also I was able to help design the lighting for the program. That was very neat. I knew the earlier we had lights and sound it would help. Even if they are a little off here and there at least we can see that now and correct them before performance.

Tonight we are going to try and run through the whole play on stage. We'll see how it goes. I know I'm excited to see it all come together on stage. It really is a different experience when you're in the theater surrounding, it makes me heighten my work level that's for sure.

Here are pics below of the set going up! Enjoy!

Video from first rehearsal

Greetings everyone! Here is a short video from the first day of rehearsal I took. I would have gotten it up sooner but with being sick and all it just got away from me. So enjoy! I know it's a short video but longer ones will be coming soon.



I had a rehearsal today with my actresses playing Annie and Helen. Went over the 'food fight' table scene. It's really coming along although it's a very difficult scene to get down. They are both doing very good with with. I was able to talk with our set designer Frank today too. The sets are going to be going up on Mon-Wed. So if anyone is in the area and wants to come out and help contact me!

Tomorrow we are rehearsing with everyone there and going to try and get through all of Act 1. It might be a rocky start but I know we'll get through it. So till then...keep those footlights hot!
-Cohen

More rehearsing...

So more rehearsing happened tonight. And now I can say that we've went through the whole play once with all the motions! :) Tomorrow I meet up with our two main leads to go over some scenes with them. Then on Sunday everyone will be there to try and run through all of Act 1. Without scripts! Or for the most part anyway. Should be good.

Here are a few pics my sister Charla took a week or so ago of me in the big costume room they have there at the theater. A person could really get lost in it! I saw costumes for every period. It could really come in handy in some of my film work. More soon...

Getting trapped among all those costumes.

Update on play

The rehearsals are going very well so far. I can see more and more the actors are getting into their roles. I keep telling them that the scripts are going to be disappearing soon(Sunday!)
I saw Jeff tonight and he gave me a contact for a stage manager. I contacted her tonight after rehearsal and will be meeting with her Sunday.

He also told me about some publicity coming up. A banner will be going up on a major intersection in town promoting the play.( I'll be getting pics of this!) Then we've got some spots on TV! One on Nov 13th and the other on the 14th. It'll be that final push to get people to come out and see the performance on Nov 16th-18th.

So that's the update for now. More soon!

Back in Action...

Well tonight was the first night of rehearsal that I've been to in awhile where I didn't think I was going to pass out. I'm feeling much much better than last week. I'm stronger now and it felt great to get back in there and be actively involved in the staging. We went over 2 strong scenes in the play tonight and all the actors are really doing good so far. I told them that they'll have to be getting rid of there scripts soon though. We are taking Halloween off but will be working Friday and Saturday to catch up for lost time. We're not that far behind but with the premiere date looming I want to be ahead more than behind.

I briefly got to talk with our costumer and she's going to do fittings on Tuesday before rehearsal. So that'll get the costumes started. Still looking for a stage manager. Jeff said he's going to look for one for me. Well...that's the update for now. I'm feeling better and more determined to see this all the way to the end.

Chronicles of an "ILL" Director

I'm amazed that I can sit here for this short amount of time and type this up. I felt my friends and family needed to be updated on what was going on around here. First off I'm sick and it's no fun. I rarely get sick but it just had to happen before the 2nd "day" of rehearsals. Our first rehearsal back on the 18th went very well and I was looking forward to seeing everyone again on Sunday. Well when I woke up Friday I hardly could get up. My throat was paining, and I was sweating from what I later found out to be a 102 fever! So on the days off we had I was stuck in bed not able to do anything. It got so bad that I had to call off rehearsal for Sunday night because my fever hadn't broke.

Tonight my fever did break and I was able to go on with rehearsal but it wasn't easy. I wore a mask as heaven forbid anyone else should get this! When I direct I really like to get involved but I just had to slow it down and speak softly with people. I'm so lucky to have this great cast as everyone was very generous and took there time with me. The more I talk the more my throat hurts. My Mom (who's been apart of my film crew) came along tonight to help me out. It was great to have here there to talk for me some of the time. But I still found myself standing most of the time and talking to much for my own good. But I'm paying for that now. I hope to get a good night's rest tonight and be better tomorrow.

I hope this made sense to everyone reading. Just wanted to give a small update since I hadn't been on here in a few days. Till next time...

Your Sick Director

Back from read through...

Back from the read through and it really went well. I'm pleased with everyone I've chosen for the cast. Tomorrow will be the first day of rehearsal. So now all the motions will start to come into play. I can tell the cast is very excited about getting into this and just working to do the best they can for this play. :) More updates soon!

Calls Backs and First Read Through

Hi everyone! Well let me update you all with what's going on. We had call backs last night and I'm happy to say that now we have our cast! It was tough making the choices as everyone I saw was really good and talented. I feel we have the best people for the roles! Tonight is our first read through of the script and I'll report back after that.

Below is the first video(I'm sure of many) from the audition nights. This shows off the inside of the Missouri Theater we'll be preforming in. They didn't have it all 'lite' up inside but this will give you a general idea how big it is. Enjoy!

Auditions Day 2

Day 2 of the auditions were tonight. I saw different actors & actress than from the first night. A few from the first night were there too. I think everything went more 'smoothly' tonight as I had already been through it once before. Charla, my sister, was off of work so she came out and helped me. She was a big help to me and it was good to have someone there I knew and had worked with before. My assistance from last night, Jennifer, was there and asked if she could do anything tonight. I got to thank her personally for helping me the other night with everything.

The auditions went good tonight and now it's time for me to let them all soak in and look at the tape again. I have a pretty good idea for the actress that I want for the main female lead. About 85% sure. Tomorrow is 'call-backs' where I'll call in my picks and they'll come and play off each other. This way I can get to know them a bit better at this stage as well. Then by tomorrow night I should have my cast pretty much set with rehearsals starting on Wednesday.

Auditions Day 1

Well I got back from auditions a few hours ago. The auditions were from 7pm-9pm. All in all it went good. I got there around 6pm. There were a few actors already ready to audition! Jeff had them 'sing in' with an audition sheet and put a number on them so I could match the number with the person/sheet. I mingled around for awhile as more and more people started to file in. I'm sure at this point they thought I was just another actor waiting around as I hadn't been introduced to them as a director. Was talking to a few of the people that were auditioning and getting some history on them and how they came into the "arts."

So once everyone got there the auditions started at 7pm and Jeff introduced Connie Willis(The Christmas Story director who was auditioning the same time I was) and myself to the group of actors/actress that had shown up. We had most of the people wait in the rehearsal hall while we called them down in groups to audition in the Missouri Theater. That's right we got to do the auditions on the stage we'll be preforming on!

I would have been "lost" if I didn't have my assistant Jennifer helping me. She was so wonderful in going to get people to come down and audition and just anything I asked her. I missed her on the way out so I hope she comes back tomorrow as I really wanted to thank her for all the help she did for me. Plus I hope she'll help me the 2nd day of auditions.

The auditions themselves went good. We had 2 males, 4 females and about 12-15 kids try out for The Miracle Worker on this first night. More auditions will be held tomorrow night so hope to see more talented people in the area. Everyone I saw tonight does have talent! That's so great to see in a small town. All of them were very nice to me as well.

Here to a good first night of auditions...Keep that curtain open!
-CP

Quick update...

Just wanted to update everyone on what's been going on. I've been going through the script and "analyzing" it more but not to much. I want the actors to really make the characters jump off the page for me. Auditions are this coming weekend. 14th-15th(Sunday & Monday) with call backs on the 16th. This will be a very important step in the process as casting the right people in these roles is essential.

I took a few pics by the theater where the play will be preformed on Nov 16-18th. The Missouri Theater was built in 1927 and is gorgeous inside and out! Enjoy!

Set Design meeting

Just got back from my meeting with set and lighting designer Frank Polleck. Frank had some good ideas and is going to be making a great set for us. We looked at the set design layout in the back of the script book, but Frank thought changing a few things would help for the audience to see everything going on stage better. His ideas were good and I think they are going to help for the audience to see everything. He's going to draw it up for me to see it all together. Then I'll sign off on it and he'll get started. After we have auditions this weekend( 14th-15th), he's going to tape down the set on the rehearsal hall floor so we can block all the motions and not be running into walls.

After the meeting stopped by to talk with Jeff. We're still looking for light/sound operator and stage manager. Also I've got to get him pages from the script that we'll be using at auditions for the casting. Jeff has been promoting casting and getting the word out about it. He went on our local news this morning to talk about his upcoming production, but I guess got roped into talking about the auditions for this and the other play they'll be casting for at the same time. Sorry about that Jeff. :P

Till next time, don't raise the curtain, lower the seats...
-CP

Weekend update

Greetings all. Just wanted to give you a small update on what's been going on. I've be reading over the script and making notes about it. This is a highly dramatic play indeed. Casting will be very important. Speaking of casting, auditions will be held Oct 14-15th with the 16th a day for call backs. Then after that I'm sure we're going to have to go right into rehearsals due to the short time we have before performance time.

Tomorrow I meet with set designer Frank Polleck to talk more about sets and all that good stuff. Will give a report of how that goes tomorrow.

Till next time, keep the spotlights hot!
-CP

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog were I'll be writing about my experiences as a first time theater director. Am I a first time director? No. I have done film directing for over 14 years but this is my first time directing a stage play. So I thought it would be fun to chronicle the whole thing on here for my family and friends to follow. Plus when it's all over with it'll be neat to look back on this for myself too. I'm very excited and looking forward to doing it.
The play that I will be directing is "The Miracle Worker."

Let me back up just a bit and tell you(for those that don't know) how I came into this position...
I had an interview with our local community theater, Robidoux Resident Theater, in town on 10-9-2007. They were looking for a director for an upcoming play. I went and had the interview with Jeff Haney at 11am. We had a good hour long talk about everything. He even showed me the rehearsal/costume hall! Now that was neat. Felt like being in NY!

At about 2:30pm the same day Jeff(who was extremely nice) emailed me and said I HAD THE JOB! So now I'm a theater director! hahahaha Like I said before the play is "The Miracle Worker" based on the life of young Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan. Very dramatic play.
It's going to be preformed in the historic theater we have here the Missouri Theater on Nov 16th,17th 18th. I'll be taking pics/videos of to post on the blog. So very excited about that.

I think we'll be casting for it next week as they want to get started on it quick with just 4-5 weeks away from show time. Also I'll be meeting with with my technical director(sets/lights) in a few days to talk with him about the sets he'll be making for the production.

It's going to be a fun time with some hard work thrown in but I'm looking forward to it!
I'll keep this blog updated as much as I can. Things will really kick in once the cast is set and we're off and rolling.
Till next time, break a leg(just not mine)
-CP