Friday, February 26, 2010

Announcing our 5th Anniversary Show!

Hello All!

Well, it looks as if Nero's gone and gotten himself in a bit of a bind this week. Apparently, after we sent him over to England to do some research for our upcoming 5th Anniversary show, he got a little side-tracked. And by side tracked, I mean he took it upon himself to try and convince David Tennant to rethink his departure from Dr. Who.

This as you can imagine went over about as well as the time FOX tried to produce an Americanized version of Dr Who, with Julia Robert's brother as The Master. Folks, it wasn't pretty.

Soooooo. While Andy attempst to convert dollars into Euros to bail him out, I shall be the one to Officially Announce:


Our 5th Anniversary Performance of
Robin Hood!!!!!!


Yes! The Misdirected Theatre Company has returned to once again delight audiences with the most beloved of all our children's shows!



Featuring
Jon Ryan.................................Warren/Robin Hood
Maggie Nichols.........................................Margaret
Molly Haas-Hoven..................Cynthia/Maid Marian
Matthew Arnold.....Ozzie/The Sherrif of Nottingham
Michael Riffle.......................Jason/Guy of Gisborne
Vincent C. Morreale.....................Larry/Prince John

Directed by Andrew Rhodes


Keep an eye out for more information and new interviews!
And head over to our facebook page for even more information on all things Makeshifty!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Audition Announcement!

Hello All!


We are coming to the end of our 5th season of theatre and family shows and we have one more show and one more role to fill. The show is ROBIN HOOD, and the role we need to fill is...

Robin Hood!

We need some one to play the handsome UPS man who shows up to the theatre and gets roped into playing the leading role!

There will be one night of auditions on February 24th from 7-10.

Please email Vincent (vinnie@makeshifttheatre.com) with a Head Shot and resume to schedule an audition time. He will provide you with all the exciting details!

We will have a good time and read with the cast. I may shoot an arrow into there air and who ever it strikes will be our Robin Hood, if he survives.... Speaking of, some Stage combat experience would come in handy as well!



~Andrew

Monday, February 08, 2010

Interview with an Actor (Day Seven)

One of the great things about Makeshift is that we consistently get to work with a wonderful group of vibrant and exciting actors each of whom has a passion for entertaining audiences young and old alike. We consider ourselves a family, and while we have many actors that come and go throughout our seasons, we do have close friends that return season after season to entertain and inspire young audiences. As part of our Anniversary season, many faces of Makeshift old and new are happy to offer their own personal thoughts and memories about their experiences in theatre. For the Previous Update, click Here!

Today I'm sitting down with James Aitchison, a newcomer not only to the Makeshift family, but also to the United States. Originally from South Africa, James joined the cast of Emperor's New Clothes to play the swindler, Johnny. I took a moment to sit down with him to talk abit about his childhood and his experiences with Emperor's New Clothes.

So, you're originally from South Africa.
I am, which is why I talk funny. I grew up in a city called Pietermaritzburg and my holidays growing up were spent hiking through the Drankensburg. My father was an anti-Apartheid political activist and was placed under a form of house arrest by the Apartheid government for 10 years.  It made for a strange upbringing!

Were you active in theatre out there?
I was. I played lead and supporting roles in a number of South African productions including Cabaret, Geography of a Horse Dreamer and the Glass Menagerie. I also helped to develop a number of educational theatre productions aimed at addressing the spread of HIV/Aids among under-aged youth of South Africa.

So, tell me a bit about New Clothes. What do you like about your character?
I love Johnny’s confidence, I am fairly shy and withdrawn myself so it’s always fun to play characters who don’t care what people think of them.

What is it like working with the director?
I have really enjoyed working with Caitlin, she has energy and enthusiasm to put the rest of us to shame and although she has a clear vision for the show she has always encouraged us (the actors) to be integral to the creative process.

How do you memorize all those lines?
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves! In all seriousness though, I don’t have any special tricks or techniques that I use to memorize lines, beyond good old fashioned repetition. As with anything the more you practice something the better you get. Other than that though I find it sometimes helps during memorization to pair specific lines to actions or blocking.

Makeshfit shows have a very high energy level. how do you keep your energy levels up?
Caffine, caffine….oh and caffine. More than anything though being passionate about what I do gives me all the energy I need.

Since you've come to the US, you've been fortunate enough to be involved with a wide range of projects, including the critically acclaimed and deeply moving Boston Actors Theater production of Where Moments Hung Before. What's next for you?
Zombies. Lots of Zombies.

Before we go, is there anything else you'd like us to know?
I have never ridden an Elephant.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Interview with an Actor (Day Six)

One of the great things about Makeshift is that we consistently get to work with a wonderful group of vibrant and exciting actors each of whom has a passion for entertaining audiences young and old alike. We consider ourselves a family, and while we have many actors that come and go throughout our seasons, we do have close friends that return season after season to entertain and inspire young audiences. As part of our Anniversary season, many faces of Makeshift old and new are happy to offer their own personal thoughts and memories about their experiences in theatre. For the Previous Update, click Here!


Today I'm sitting down with two newcomers to the Makeshift Stage. Kaili Turner and Gavin Killea. Both have joined the cast of Emperor's New Clothes to portray remarkably different characters. Gavin portrays the love struck Prince Comberbun-Jodphers, while Kaili is a frazzled mother, with a very very busy schedule.

Kaili and Gavin, this is your first show with Makeshift Theatre Co. How has the experience been?
KT: I'm very excited to be a part of it and to be doing a childrens show. This is also my first ever childrens show and I'm really enjoying myself.

GK:  I'm excited to be working with such a great cast. Sometimes it's hard to keep the energy up, but the Director is great at getting us amped up before rehearsals, and making sure we stay energized throughout


Kaili, your role is somewhat unique in ENC in that it has a lot of fun playing with The Fourth Wall. What do you like most about your character?

KT: I like that my character is Bossy and always interrupting things. She's very self-centered and thinks things should revolve around her and the schedule she's made for her daughter.

Gavin, as the Prince,  what do you think families should take away from Emperor's New Clothes?
GK: I love the show, and the lesson learned by the Emperor about how there are more important things than clothes and looking good. Even though Johnny and Suzie play a mean prank to get the point across it's an important message.

What's the most difficult thing you've ever had to do as an actor?
KT: I think the most difficult thing for any actor is trying to create authentic experiences for the audience. Suspending your disbelief and asking the audience to do the same. I think also depending on the character, character development can be hard. If you have someone who is in no way like yourself or believes/wants things that you yourself don't. It becomes a challenge in creating that and making it feel real. I want anyone who sees me in the moment to be in the moment with me.


The Emperor's New Clothes Opens Tomorrow! Visit our Website for More Details!

Monday, February 01, 2010

Interview with an Actor (Day Five)

One of the great things about Makeshift is that we consistently get to work with a wonderful group of vibrant and exciting actors each of whom has a passion for entertaining audiences young and old alike. We consider ourselves a family, and while we have many actors that come and go throughout our seasons, we do have close friends that return season after season to entertain and inspire young audiences. As part of our Anniversary season, many faces of Makeshift old and new are happy to offer their own personal thoughts and memories about their experiences in theatre. For the Previous Update, click Here!


Today I'm chatting with Erika Geller, who joins Makeshift Theatre Co for the role of Bryanna in The Emperor's New Clothes. Erika is a graduate of Brandeis University where she studied Theatre Arts and Women's and Gender Studies. She has been acting since she was Bryanna's age but started getting serious about it when she was in high school. In addition to loving acting, Erika tells me that she enjoys fall weather, chocolate, and puppies.


What is your favorite children's story and why?
My favorite children's story is Peter Pan because I'm a big kid who never wanted to grow up! The story is also about the acceptance of change. It's great to be Peter but eventually everyone needs to take a cue from Wendy and learn that growing up isn't that bad - as long as you never lose your imagination.

Tell us something unique about yourself.
I was a competitive alpine ski racer for eleven years. I still love to ski, but I haven't raced in a long time. Maybe some day but for now I'll stick to the stage - it's a lot warmer there than on the slopes!


What is it like working with the director?
Caitlin is a great director because she knows what she wants, but lets the actors find their own way of getting there. She's more like a really fun tour guide through this adventure.

What's the most difficult thing you've ever had to do as an actor?
When I was in college I spent a semester living in London studying drama. While I was there we took class from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week for three months. It was very tiring and at one point I was playing over ten different characters at once - memorizing all those lines (and keeping them straight!) was a lot of work but I learned so much that it was absolutely worth it. I came out of that semester a much humbler and better prepared actress and it has totally paid off in the months since then.


What advice would you give to kids who want to be actors?
I'm sure you've heard this before but, it's true. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." Acting is hard work and incredibly unpredictable but the one this you can control is how hard you work at it. Take pride in what you do - memorize your lines on time, stay focused in rehearsals, and ALWAYS be positive when you tell people you work in the theatre. It's a fabulous tradition to be a part of!