Jack the Ripper - Jack the Ripper
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Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Theatre Festival Deadline
Hi folks,
I’ve just heard from Jennifer Shields, who is chairing the committee that is getting the theatre festival resurrected and rolling for this year.
She wanted me to let everyone know that the deadline for submissions for the festival has been extended to February 7th.
If you are interested in entering a show into the festival Jennifer will need the following information by that deadline;
-name of the group
-title of their submission and a few sentences of a description
-approximate running time
-contact email and phone number
-the fee (will be 50$ or less)(I’ll confirm the exact amount for you guys within the week)
You can contact Jennifer by email at jennifer932@gmail.com
This is going to be a terrific festival, and I’m so looking forward to seeing all of our Island’s wonderful talent.
Richard Haines
ACT President
Monday, November 30, 2009
Liverpool International Theatre Festival’s Special Christmas Offer
Liverpool, Nova Scotia. November 30, 2009
From May 19-23, 2010, the community of Liverpool, Nova Scotia will once again shine a spotlight on some of the world’s best theatrical performers at the Liverpool International Theatre Festival (LITF). Held at Liverpool’s famed Astor Theatre, the biennial festival is celebrating its tenth Anniversary with more entertainment than ever before. To mark the occasion, LITF is also offering a special Christmas ticket package as a thank-you to audience members.
In addition to the usual line-up of outstanding amateur theatre performers, LITF 2010 will feature activities for youth to enjoy, fantastic nightly entertainment, and the return of some of our audiences’ favourite troupes from past festivals. Several other special events and guest appearances are also planned.
On stage, the 2010 festival will see the return of the Teochew Drama Association from Singapore, who wowed audiences with their performances in 2000 and 2006; and Blackwood Little Theatre from Wales, who appeared at LITF 2008. Artistic Director Chris Heide has also accepted applications from Italy, France, Finland, the United States and the Faroe Islands. And, of course, the festival will host the best amateur theatre troupes from across Nova Scotia. While the exact line-up hasn’t been finalized yet, it’s definitely going to be an exciting blend of international and local theatre.
Audience members will be able to mix and mingle with the theatre troupes at the Festival Club between and after plays, and join in critical discussions with playwrights, directors, and performers at the daily Coffee Critiques. Attendees can also learn more about theatre craft by attending special Workshops.
For complete information, click on “Read Full Article>>>” below.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Urgent Casting Call
Hi everyone,
I am still looking for a few characters for my film…I have one speaking role left for Sadie, she is very bubbly and homecoming queen/cheerleader-ish - must look between the ages of 16-19, the female non-speaking roles with the same age range. I also have two speaking male roles left, the first being Jessie the nasty hot guy from high school…chick magnet but most people find gross… cocky and completely full off himself, the second is Marcus the guy who is in that dramatic relationship and him and his girlfriend are extremely jealous of each other and are constantly fighting but stay together because they are addicted to the drama. Both parts are age range 16-19. And we have a few non-speaking roles for background actor roles as well. If you fit the character descriptions or know someone who might PLEASE contact me immediately by email with a picture at fortheloveoffilm@gmail.com or call my cell @ 393-4750.
Thank you,
Amy Sark
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
FACTORY ATLANTIC - WORK IN PROGRESS
Factory Atlantic - ‘a space for theatre inquiry’ - invites you to attend
Excerpt from a Work in Progress. The 45 minute presentation will be
given Monday, the 30th of November at the yLofts, 252 Prince, in
Charlottetown at 7:00pm.
Please use the side entrance to Loft Three adjacent to the inn parking
lot. Adults only and please be prompt as late comers will be unable
to attend given the space’s configuration. A five dollar donation is
suggested. A gathering will be held immediately following the work in
Loft One. Modest food will be served and the long awaited 50/50 draw
will occur. Please bring what you would like to drink.
We very much look forward to seeing you and drop us a note if you
think you can make it: factoryatlantic @ gmail.com. Thanks.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Just by Chance Auditions
Hi,
I was wondering if you would spread the word that I am holding auditions for a short film we will be shooting through IMAC here in Charlottetown on December 5-6th. The open auditions are at the Arts Guild building 115 Richmond Street third floor on Wednesday evening November 18th from 6-10pm.
The character descriptions are attached and the auditions are also posted on Kijiji so I can be contacted through that ad or by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or my home number 370-2357.
The name of the film is “Just by Chance” and it is about a brother and sister forced to live on the streets and the consequences of a robbery for everyone involved BUT with a twist and a chance to start over.
Thank you,
Amy Sark
370-2357
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Casting Call for Short Film: “Harbinger.”
“Harbinger,” a short film written and directed by Justin O’Hanley, is now casting. It’s an adventure film being made with resources from both Holland College and the Island Media Arts Co-op, and it is also intended to serve as a pilot to raise funds for a feature film project in the future. Barring unforeseen developments, it will shoot over the course of five to six days, on weekend afternoons starting mid-November. And though there’s a limit on the number of people who can actually be in the movie, the number of crew positions are unlimited, so if you’re interested in working behind the scenes, that’s an option too. If you have questions about any of the roles, the movie, or if you want to see the script, e-mail j_ohanley92@hotmail.com. Thanks!
For Casting Call breakdown, click on “Read Full Article>>>” below.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Rocky On!!!
Rocky Horror played to packed and pumped houses
Brenda and I were in the house last night and what an experience it was. You folks must have had a blast. The energy was fabulous—as was seeing so many young people clearly having a great time. Congratulations to you all. Adam, I’m afraid I will never be able to look at you the same again. You really really look good in fish net stockings and a bustier!!
- Gerry
Saturday, October 17, 2009
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
You probably know already that ACT is staging the cult classic ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ at the end of October—the 29th, 30th and 31st (Hallowe’en!), at the Carrefour. The curtain opens at 8:00 o’clock .
You can find a description of the famous show at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rocky_Horror_Show
It’s a hoot ... a fun-filled absurdity of a musical take-off on 1950s sci-fi horror flicks ... think space aliens who abandoned their original mission of galactic research in order to engage in kinky sex with earthlings and work on creating a bionic man!
Imagine these characters in a Frankensteinesque castle:
• Brad (Nick Whelan) and Janet (Helen Killorn) - naive fiancés stranded on a dark-and-stormy night
• Frank N. Furter (Adam Gauthier) - a madcap hedonist who introduces himself as “just a Sweet Transvestite from Trans-sexual Transylvania”
• Rocky Horror (Jeremy Doucette) - Frank’s creation, the “beautiful to behold” muscle-man
• Columbia (Carolyn Campbell) - conflicted groupy
• Riff Raff (Ashley Clark) - the castle’s freaky handyman
• Magenta - Riff’s sensuous, if somewhat spacey, sister
• Eddie - the biker rebel who “went to pieces” for the cause of Frank’s brand of science
• The Phantoms (Morgan Varis, Bethany Mayne, Lana MacAusland, Ashley MacLeod) - who float sinuously in and out of the action
• Dr. Everett Scott (Rob Thomson) - the wheelchair-bound scientist with a questionable past
• The Narrator (Ken Gay) - pontificatory commentator on the action and the meaning of life
The production is directed by the irrepressible Richard Haines.
The rock-and-roll music (led by Ian Toms) is a gas. The dancing (prepared by Savannah Belsher-MacLean) is amazing. The costumes (and their sometimes skimpiness!) are ... well, engaging.
Tickets are $15 (general seating)—from the Confederation Centre Box Office or at the door. Remember that there is a $2 advance-purchase discount for anyone on Sophia’s list of paid-up (2009/10) ACT members.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
COMMUNITY THEATRE FESTIVAL
The PEI Community Theatre Festival is back. It lapsed with the demise of Theatre PEI ... but now ACT (a community theatre) has spear-headed its revival.
It is a series of several evenings in late March 2010 when short plays get presented in several locations by about a dozen of the Island’s amateur theatre groups. The conclusion is a gala awards evening. In celebration of UNESCO’s World Theatre Day, it is a showcase for true community theatre—a chance for scores of amateur actors and off-stage production volunteers to perform beyond their usual home audience, to rub shoulders with and learn from one another and get constructive feedback.
Dates: March 25th to 28th, 2010
Venues: three or four small theatres or community halls in different parts of the Island
Who should participate: any group—big or small, young or old—which does theatre in an amateur (not-for-profit, for-the-fun-of-it) way
What kind of show: short (45 minutes maximum) ... comedy, serious drama, avant-garde, whatever. There’s no pre-screening to assess appropriateness, although a group should be conscious of potential offensiveness. (Even so, it may be possible to have a special performance evening for more ‘mature’ or ‘cutting-edge’ plays). Choice of play could be affected by technical limitations of the performance space and the limited set-up time between plays.
Programming: arrangement depends on numbers and nature of the plays ... but each evening will probably have 3 plays, with a 20-minute set-up gap between plays.
A group is responsible for all aspects of its play—rights, costumes, props, light/sound design, special effects, transportation, etc. A technician will be provided for each evening, with whom the player-group can make specific plans. It is possible that workshops or mentoring may be offered if groups feel they need such support as they prepare.
Adjudication: an experienced off-Island professional will give constructive feedback ... and there will be awards for such categories as overall production, lead and supporting actors, costuming, set, and audience choice.
Wrap-up Gala: Sunday evening - presentation of awards, entertainment, refreshments
Finances: mostly covered by sponsors and program advertisers + ticket sales ... but it is necessary to have each group contribute an entry fee (probably $50)
Timelines: expression of intent before Christmas ... confirmation by the end of January
Organization: by the Festival Committee—9 community-theatre enthusiasts with the sponsorship and support of ACT (a community theatre)
Contact: Jennifer Shields jshields932 @ gmail.com
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Young At Heart Auditions
General auditions for Young At Heart Musical Theatre for Seniors are in process right now. Adult singers / actors / musicians are encouraged to call Catherine at 569-4449 to set up an appointment.
Young At Heart Musical Theatre for Seniors Inc. is a professional, non-profit charity organization which tours original Canadian musicals to Community Care Facilities and Manors across PEI.
Monday, September 28, 2009
ACTING WORKSHOP for YOUNG ADULTS
The Confederation Centre of the Arts’ Young@Arts program is offering an acting intensive workshop this fall for aspiring actors (young people, high school and up). Charlottetown Festival alumna Marlane O’Brien will be teaching the workshop in the Centre’s new Studio 2.
“The idea is to offer an opportunity for young people interested in acting a chance to hone their skills,” says Peggy Reddin, Director of Dance Development at the Centre. “Participants will learn improvisation, how to break bad habits and open a direct line to their emotions, and how to glean every last bit of information a script has to offer and become a director’s dream.”
Over the course of three six-hour sessions, using a Shakespearean monologue and a two-person scene from the classic modern repertoire, students will focus on three major areas: Freeing the Inner Actor, The Voice – Your Instrument, and Scene Study – the Devil is in the Details.
The workshop is for students high school age and older and there is no experience required. The intensive will run for three Sundays, October 18, November 1, and November 15, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Cost for the program is $125. Enrolment is limited. Contact Peggy Reddin at (902) 629-1196 to register.
Marlane O’Brien has been a professional actress for more than 25 years and has played in theatres all over Canada. On Prince Edward Island she is well known for her role as Patsy Cline in The Charlottetown Festival’s A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline and appearances in Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™, Songs of the Island, If You Could Read My Mind: the Music of Gordon Lightfoot, and Dads in Bondage. She has appeared in productions in theatres in Thunder Bay, Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, and Edmonton, among other cities. O’Brien played the recurring role of Mrs. Stuart on Emily of New Moon. She is also a director and choreographer.
The Confederation Centre of the Arts gratefully acknowledges the support of the Michael S. Schurman Family Foundation for Young@Arts programming.
Friday, September 25, 2009
ADULT ACTING CLASSES
ACTING with JOSETTE CORMIER
Fall Semester begins September 26.
Call 370-2493 for more information.
Beginner Class - Adults 19+
Class fee $15.00 per week
12noon - 1pm
8 week class with last two weeks(On-Camera Introductory Training).
Introductory classes on acting - theatre, television and films.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
MEMBERSHIP - RENEWAL for 09/10
It’s time for membership renewal. Our membership year runs from September 1, 2009 to August 31, 2010.
The annual fees are the same as they’ve always been since ACT began in 1995:
• $25 regular • $40 for people of the same household • $15 for someone with limited income such as a full-time student or unwaged person.
It’s actually a pretty good deal ...
• Tickets: you get a $2-per-ticket discount on the advance purchase of two tickets to ACT shows
• Play-Reading Evenings: free participation (vs $3 non-member charge for printing cost)
• ‘ACT-Out’ social events: going to a show and having dinner together
• Being ‘in-the-loop’: e-mail notice to get word of theatre-related events (auditions, performances, workshops, etc.)
• Performances: the Constitution requires that you must be a current member to participate directly in a show, whether on- or off-stage (... and so be eligible for a comp ticket)
Why do we need fees? It’s because it costs money to run the organization—about $7,000 a year for maintaining ACT’s building, insurance, snow-removal, the website, office equipment, giving two kinds of theatre awards, etc.
We get that money from two sources: the profits from shows and member dues.
So ... if you’d like to be a member of ACT for 2009/10, please get in touch with the Membership Coordinator, Sophia Wong (sophiacw @ gmail.com) or send your cheque —payable to ACT - a community theatre—to ACT, 11 Beach Street, Charlottetown PE C1A 5G5.
ANNUAL MEETING 2009
What a fine annual gathering we had on Saturday, August 22nd. Big thanks to Monique and Ben for hosting it at their beautiful country home.
20 people attended. We played croquet. We chatted. We ate. Boy, did we eat (and sip).
We held our formal Annual General Meeting, at which ...
- The financial report revealed we are quite solvent ... we have plenty of money to cover the expenses of the fall production plus the costs of our normal year-long operating expenses. Those expenses—for the Beach House rental, snow removal, insurance, awards to support community theatre, etc., together with our sponsorship of the PEI Community Theatre Festival—are distinct from the money it takes to put on our productions, and in the coming year the cost will be about $7000.
- The Director of Theatre’s report reminded us of the three productions of the 08/09 season: “Jack the Ripper,” “Christmas Remembered” and “Evita.”
- Monique reported on the fun of the Reading evenings.
- Sophia reminded us that we had more than 90 members this year.
- Richard told us about “The Rocky Horror Show” coming up in October, and Jennifer spoke about the the renewal of the Community Theatre Festival next March.
- We held the election for officers of the Board ... and here is how that shapes up;
• President - Richard Haines • Past-president - Rob Thomson
• Vice-president - Rob Reddin • Treasurer - Jennifer Long
• Secretary - Janet Macdonald • Membership coordinator - Sophia Wong
• Director of Theatre - Adam Gauthier • Readings coordinator - Monique Lafontaine
• Music adviser - Carl Mathis
Still needed: Workshops coordinator ... ACT-out coordinator
- We presented ACT’s Community Theatre Appreciation Award to Wallena Higgins—recognizing her year-after-year contribution to the life of amateur theatre on PEI, through her stage managing and mentoring service with ACT as well as Charlottetown Rural High School and other community stage enterprises.
Here is the President’s report to give an overview of ACT’s 08/09 year ...
• The Board held 10 monthly meetings between early September/08 and the end of June/09 ... plus a couple of e-mail votes.
• ACT’s membership surged this year to over 90 – chiefly because of strong involvement in Evita. Thanks to Sophia Wong for handling membership matters.
• This was a somewhat limited year for our play-reading evenings. There were just a few, although Monique Lafontaine did well in choosing a good variety, editing longer works to manageable size, and conducting the readings so that the dozen or so participants had a range of parts.
Two tries at ACT-Out occasions did not work out so well. A good experiment, though, was to have a dinner together before one of our own play-readings.
One other good evening was the ‘Evita preview’ – video clips, biographical outline, tango demonstration, and information about the show – as a way of recruiting auditioners.
• ACT staged three successful productions in the 08/09 season:
- “Jack the Ripper: Monster of Whitechapel” by Joe Dickinson in October 2008. Directed by Richard Haines and produced by Adam Gauthier, this comedic-melodramatic pleaser offered the novelty of optional endings. It played to about 300 people at the Carrefour and had a surplus of over $1100.
- “Christmas Remembered,” the charming mix of sentimental songs and stories, was reprised by Brenda Porter at the Carriage House, a sort of co-production with Beaconsfield. Audiences topped 100, and ACT’s share of the surplus was just over $300.
- “Evita,” the Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice blockbuster, absorbed most of ACT’s energies this past year. It engaged 100 participants: 45 singer-actor-dancers on stage, 15 musicians in the pit, and another 35 or so people carrying out the production tasks. The creative directors were Mark Ramsay, Shirley Anne Cameron and Julia Sauvé, with costuming by Pam Jewell and set by Garney Gallant. Producers were Brenda Porter and Rob Thomson. 2800 people saw the show at Confederation Centre; the budget was almost $40,000, and the surplus was over $13,500.
• This past spring, with leadership from Paul Whelan, ACT invited Island playwrights and would-be playwrights to submit short plays or play-sections ... with the plan that ACT would organize an evening or two to ‘give voice’ to the writings by way of a reading by actors. There was a fair response, but it emerged that some refining was needed, and so the readings were postponed till fall.
• Especially with the boost of Evita, ACT has continued in financial good health. As the year ended we had $36,000 invested in GICs and a little over $10,000 in the bank account, ready to finance regular operations plus the fall production.
It should be cautioned, though, that our non-production budget for the coming year is doubling, and it looks like it will be a deficit year. It is easy to forget or be unaware of the on-going costs of operating ACT, as distinct from the money involved in putting-on-shows. Our non-production expenses have been around $3000 over the past few years, but will be on the order of $7000 next year – owing to a more realistic rental arrangement, sponsoring the Community Theatre Festival, buying some equipment and having a contingency reserve.
We have been fortunate to have Mar Thomson’s bookkeeping and financial advice.
• Gerry Gray carried out a significant reconstruction of the ACT web-site.
• We benefitted from publicity sponsorship arrangements with The Guardian and Ocean & K-Rock radio.
• ACT lent materials from our collection (set-pieces, props, costumes) to several theatre endeavours – reflecting our constitutional role to support community theatre activity beyond ourselves.
• We adopted two policies to give consistency to:
- the loaning of materials (set-pieces, costumes, props, scripts, books, etc.)
- payment of honoraria when we use professional help for choreography, music, set-building, costuming, graphics, lighting and such
A policy to guide establishment and on-going management of ACT’s archives was created, but has yet to be formally adopted.
• A recommendation from last year’s ‘Thinking Session’ and the AGM was that ACT should get more active in offering theatre-related workshops. So we held two of them this year:
- “Walk-and-Chew-Gum” took place in September 2008. Jacqui Good, Leon Cole and the rest of the Rataplan players led several dozen participants in exercises to develop their singing and acting.
- “Stage versus Screen” was a weekend workshop in late May, put together by Corin McFadden, jointly sponsored by ACT and IMAC (Island Media Arts Coop). It offered intensive actor training by Alex Scott, involving video recording and feedback. Regrettably, there were just a half-a-dozen participants.
• ACT renewed the awarding of a ‘Theatre Review Prize’ to a student (this year it was Heather Parry) in UPEI’s theatre course for writing the best critical review of a production.
• Another award is being made: the Community Theatre Appreciation Award, for significant contribution to the life of amateur theatre on PEI. [It was presented to Wallena Higgins at the end of the meeting.]
• The go-ahead was given and some groundwork laid for two major projects for 09/10:
- mounting “The Rocky Horror Show” in later October;
- ACT’s revival of the PEI Community Theatre Festival in March 2010 – with Jennifer Shields in the producer-coordinator role.
• Our thanks are expressed to people who are leaving the Board: Paul Whelan, Clair Smith and Corin McFadden – particularly for some of the helpful observations they each have contributed through Board-meeting discussions and e-mail advice.
Very special appreciation is extended to Terry Pratt as he leaves the Board after terms as President and Past-President. He has been an active leader, and a fount of historical knowledge and good-sense advice. Repeatedly it was Terry who looked ahead and identified issues ... who diligently thought out the pros and cons and gave perceptive feedback ... who took responsibility to get things done. He can now formally add ‘good and true service on the ACT Board’ to the lengthy resumé of contributions to many sectors of the PEI theatre scene.
All in all, ACT has come a long way—and a very productive way—from that winter evening in early 1995 when seven or eight of us each put down $25 on a coffee table to mount “Our Town.” It is ironic, by the way, that that money was used to buy two stepladders for our first set ... and this year we had to buy two stepladders to build the “Evita” set. One wonders what became of the original ones!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Provocative New Cabaret Hits The Guild
A Peek At “Martha’s Box”
The Guild
August 12 & 13, 8pm.
Licensed 19+, Provocative Content
Tickets $16.
Charlottetown – After you’ve been touring around the world with the hit stage musical Mamma Mia! for 5 years, what do you do for an encore? If you’re Island-raised Marlene Handrahan, you take a break from Dancing Queen and S.O.S., and head back to PEI to put the finishing touches on a musical cabaret show called A Peek At “Martha’s Box”.
The former Miss Stacy from the Charlottetown Festival’s production of Anne of Green Gables – The Musical™ is bringing her new show to the Guild in Charlottetown for a two-night only run on Wednesday, August 12 and Thursday, August 13 at 8 pm. Handrahan describes A Peak At “Martha’s Box” as “a saucy evening of stories, musings and music”, which prompts the actor to ask, “Do you hate tag lines as much as I do?”
Handrahan stresses that the show is “more cabaret than theatre - no set, no staging.” With the emphasis on the entertainment, the cabaret format gives the actor an opportunity to present highlights from her more formal work entitled Martha’s Box as well as some notable musical additions. “The stories are based on the character I created for my play Martha’s Box, though here they’re presented in a more intimate and very musical setting,” explains Handrahan.
The original piece saw Martha, after the end of a relationship, rummaging through a storage locker in an attempt to locate a set of dishes, and finding remembrances of her life in the process. Says Handrahan of the cabaret version, “The story, or arc, is similar to the play in that the evening reflects on relationships, growing up, sex, finding yourself, and finding those damn dishes!” Though wearing its double entendres intentionally, Handrahan adds that the cabaret’s title “refers to the storage space that Martha uses as a metaphor for compartmentalizing her life.” And of course, the audience will be peaking at the play by getting highlights during this full-length cabaret performance.
Joining Handrahan onstage is Halifax singer/songwriter Brad Davidge whom Handrahan describes as “an incredible musician and a really intuitive artist.” Davidge will be featured performing some of his own material, as well as accompanying most of the stories. Handrahan adds that the music “plays an integral part in the piece. I really see it as a duet - both elements really influence each other - the rhythm of the music kind of drives the rhythm within the monologues, and vice versa.”
Handrahan and Davidge met while doing Eastern Front Theatre’s production of Canada’s Songbird: A Musical Tribute To Anne Murray in Nova Scotia this past winter. Davidge played with the band and joined the three female leads during duets. He’s also toured with artists such as Gordie Sampson, Bruce Guthro, Lennie Gallant and Natalie MacMaster and has shared the stage with Faith Hill, Don Henley, Allison Krauss, Yo-Yo Ma, Rosanne Cash, Randy Bachman, and Wynton Marsalis. Davidge’s professional experience has also seen him perform at Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic and Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops, and appear on Good Morning America, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and ABC’s New Years Eve Special with Peter Jennings. In 2002, Davidge released a critically acclaimed solo recording, Unfolded, produced by Gordie Sampson.
Says Handrahan of the opportunity to present this cabaret on PEI, “I love storytelling, and my writing has been informed by the community and culture I grew up in. To be able to combine the spoken word with music in such a complementary and spontaneous setting is a thrill.”
A Peek At “Martha’s Box” is part of The Guild’s Gotta Go Festival sponsored by Freedom 55 Financial, a Division of London Life. Credit Union Central joins the festival as this show’s sponsor. For tickets and more information, contact The Guild online at www.theguildpei.com or via their box office at 902-620-3333.
The Guild reminds audiences that A Peek At “Martha’s Box” contains provocative content and is licensed.
==========================================
Written by Dave Stewart
Media Contact:
Cate Proctor, cate@theguildpei.com, 902-620-3474