Opening Night

Six weeks later, I'm back. WAIT UNTIL DARK opens tonight and the folks who saw the preview last night thought it was terrific. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, hurry, hurry, hurry!

Directing my first show was a great experience. I learned several things, first and foremost that I thought I can't cast, block, direct, deal with various tech elements, work full-time and still have the energy to write a blog. Hence my absence from this site.

But working with so many talented, giving, passionate people both in front of the stage and behind the scenes really puts in perspective that a successful show is only accomplished through teamwork, patience, and the desire to create something that is more than the some of its parts.

I wish the cast and crew the best of luck tonight. Have fun, all of you. This is your time now!

Wait Until Dark has a cast!

Thank you to everyone who came out and auditioned for "Wait Until Dark" last week. It was a great time and we saw some really talented people. It was amazingly hard to cast Susy because there were so many terrific auditions. For regular Frog readers (thanks, Angie!), I'm presenting the Wait Until Dark cast before it even goes out to the media! How's that for perks?

Susy - Karen Jorgensen, Crystal Lake
Mike Talman - Sean Quinn, Crystal Lake
Sgt. Carlino - Frank Gaughan, Crystal Lake
Harry Roat - Tony Aiello, Elgin
Gloria - Dayna Palya, Spring Grove
Sam - Mark Drinnenberg, McHenry
Cop #1 - Don Myers, Lindenhurst
Cop #2 - Sami Hawley, McHenry

During the next few weeks this blog will shift into production mode as I talk about the rehearsal process and how hard blocking is. It's really hard. We have about 10 rehearsals for tech week. We're still looking for some lighting people, so if you know anyone, let me know at jeff@riverviewtheatre.org.

Top 10 reasons YOU should audition for Wait Until Dark

Last chance to call and schedule and audition for Wait Until Dark, a thriller that I'm directing for Riverview Theatre Company's second season.

Why should you come out for this show? I thought you'd never ask. Here are some reasons. I was going to say 'Top 10 reasons', but I'm not feeling too ambitious today and I guarantee nothing.

1) Be a part of Riverview Theatre, the company putting on the MOST shows in Richmond this year!
2) Hone your craft! Become a better actor! Amaze your friends!
3) Reaffirm your strict policy of NOT getting paid to perform! You're no sell-out!
4) You wait, it's dark, what's not to like?
5) Riverview Theatre is committed to doing shows that give actors a challenge and captivate actors audiences, and this is one of them, and if you miss out, you'll kick yourself!
7) Famous people may audition - you've always wanted to work with famous people and you know it!
8) Memorizing lines is scientifically proven to fend off diseases like Alzheimer's and the goiter!
9) The Fall TV season looks particularly unspectacular, so what else are you going to do with your weeknights? Sleep?
10 We're donating the take from a performance to Horizon School for the Blind. You're a giver. It's a perfect fit!

Audition times are 7-9, August 18 and 19 at Memorial Hall in Richmond. For more information go to riverviewtheatre.org or call 815-354-7796 and ask for Angie. Tell her how much you looove this blog!

Wait Until Dark auditions

As the official Riverview Theatre Company website blogger, occasionally I have to take care of some house business. This is one of those times:

Riverview Theatre Company is announcing auditions for its second season opener, Frederick Knott's WAIT UNTIL DARK.

Wait Until Dark tells the story of a blind woman who is terrorized by three criminals. It's a masterfully constructed thriller that moves from one moment of suspense to another as it builds toward an electrifying, breath-stopping finale.
There are 8 roles:

Susie Hendrix, a woman recently blinded in an accident.
Sam Hendrix, her husband
Gloria, a 9-year old girl, Susie's upstairs neighbor
Harry Roat, Jr., a psychopathic killer
Mike Talman, a con man recently released from prison
Sgt. Carlino, a con man, Talman's sometimes partner
2 Policemen

Auditions will be held Monday, August 18, and Tuesday, August 19 at Memorial Hall, 10308 Main Street, Richmond, Illinois from 7-9 pm.
Callbacks will be held on Thursday, August 21. Auditions are by appointment only. To schedule an audition, please send an email to jeff@riverviewtheatre.org.

There are also several staff positions open you can sign up for at http://www.riverviewtheatre.org/Auditions.aspx

And don't forget to sign up for our Mailing Listto be notified of future auditions. Ok, this isn't only house business...I'm also directing the show and that process is going to become a HUGE part of this blog in the future, I predict.

Hamlet's Facebook profile

Those of you with a Facebook account will find this amusing...those who don't, read it anyway - it's still pretty clever!

http://mcsweeneys.net/2008/7/30schmelling.html?loc=interstitialskip

I love a parade!

This weekend, about 35 cast and staff members of Riverview took part in the Fiesta Days parade, kind of the culmination of the city of McHenry's annual two week celebration/beer-fest. We gathered on and around a flatbed trailer provided for us by the city (with a driver, or it wouldn't have been much of a parade, let me tell you. It was about 95 degrees out and the two-mile route went on and on. People cheered and waved as we went by, but my cd player (we were cranking out tunes from Riv shows like Bugsy Malone and Urinetown, peppered with some stuff from Wicked and..uh...High School Musical. Hey, the kids love it! And by kids I mean me, mostly. But not HSM 2, I mean, what was up with that? But I digress...) kept wonking out (foam rubber underneath, next time), but it was a great time and it was really terrific to see all the actors who participated.

Some memorable moments:

The 2 hour wait under the hot sun til the parade started.

People along the parade route singig and dancing along to our music.

Rachel Myers, reprising her role as Puck, entertaining the masses enthusiastically (when she wasn't mock stabbing herself in the chest to the HSM music).

Watching everyone step it up a notch as we passed the judges table

Peter in the donkey hood.

The 35 mph ride back to the staging area after the parade, with all of us holding on to speakers and props for dear life.

"Defying Gravity" at the very end, as everyone sang along.

"running out of candy". Hey, it was a looong wait for the parade to start.

The nasty case of sun-poisoning I got because I am an idiot and didn't think I needed sunscreen. Or a hat.

Hopefully, this is the start of an annual tradition and if so, come out and see us next year! We'll save you some candy! Maybe. But sit near the beginning of the parade route, just to be on the safe side.

Absolutely 'Horrible' - news and notes

"Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog" is online, and if you love movies, superheroes, musicals, Neil Patrick Harris, or Joss Whedon, you need to go to www.drhorrible.com and watch the first two installments right now!

I really, really need to see the Dark Knight Returns!

"Zombie Prom" is a light-hearted, 50s horror movie musical that seems like a lot of fun. It's about a teenage boy who loses his girl, drives into a nuclear reactor, comes back as the undead, and still wants to go to prom. I can't help but wonder how well musicals like that would go over at Memorial Hall in Richmond. Hey, they loved Urinetown! Anyone up for annual Halloween shows??

Our final performance of "A MidSummer Night's Dream" is TOMORROW at 7:00 pm at Veteran's park in McHenry. It's all part of the city's Fiesta Days event and will be a lot of fun, so get thee hence! Ticket info is located on the website at www.riverviewtheatre.org

AND finally, we're gearing up for auditions for our first show of our second season ever, the thriller 'Wait Until Dark"! Auditions will be August 18-19, so block out your calendars, put out your eyes, and schedule an appointment, for crying out loud!