A Thank You

From the moment that this who thing started several months ago I was skeptical. I have been far busier than I have ever been in my life. Everything has had some bit of stress attached to it. This show has been something that brought along a large amount of stress but all for the right reasons. Never was the stress about not being able to do this or that, or worrying about my actors. It was always on whether or not the audience was going to like the show, or even if I was going to like the show when it was all said and done.

Here we are on the other side. The play is over and we're all still standing. That would not have been possible without the help from so many different people and to each of them, thanks are in order. First and foremost are my actors, Ben Lawrence, Isaac Meisenheimer and Hannah Fretz. Without them this show does not exist. They have worked through my inability to direct and have created something that I believe we can all be proud of. 

Next, I would love to thank Ruth Drake and Emily Upton for all of the magic that they do. These two have brought the characters to life in a spectacular way. From the ridiculous earring and billowing short that Ben wore, to the flowers and amazing makeup designs for both Isaac and Hannah. No matter how stupid or ridiculous my requests were, these two managed to make everything work.

Finally I would like to thank my fellow directors. You are all amazing and without all of you, this term would have been unbearable. We've all shared our directorial woes over drinks and good company. We've all gotten up at an inhumane hour of the morning to hike through forests and jump over tide pools. I couldn't have asked for better group of directors to do this with. Thank you.

Overall Impressions

I apologize for the extremely late posting of all these blogs, however these are records from various rehearsals and conversations with actors.

From start to finish, this has been a great experience for a multitude of reasons. I really find it difficult to explain what this show has done to and for me. I cannot thank everyone involved enough.

From the off, I dealt with complications that usually I see the directors deal with, but have never fully experienced myself. The biggest was trying to make a rehearsal schedule. Brad was booked in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Max had Dam Jam coming up, and Mike was, and still is, in the marching band. Unlike a main-stage production, I did not have the ability to say, “These are our rehearsal times, please adjust accordingly.” There were three weeks when Brad could not rehearse during the times that the others were available. THREE WEEKS. I knew that when I casted him, but once we got to that period of rehearsals, I was worried. I was concerned. However, Mike and Max were ready to go as soon as Brad’s schedule cleared up. That was great that they put in their work even though we did not have rehearsal for a long amount of time.

Our first rehearsal was so much fun. We did walking exercises, and I asked them questions about their characters that can be seen in the blog posts. I ask those questions in order to get the actors thinking, but then ask later once they have a solid answer. The goal of the first rehearsal, for me, is to begin them thinking about the overall production, what they bring to the table as an actor, what their character brings forward, and what they are able to do/restrictions they may have. For example, it was a chance to further see Mike’s French accent. In the first rehearsal, Brad brought something that I did not even think about: a voice for Riverman. It was great to see someone take an unprompted stride toward a strong show. Obviously, we workshopped the accent, but to have something brand new presented to me was extraordinary.

After our first rehearsal, we suffered a set-back. Max fractured his ankle and would be in a cast for at least four weeks, or to put into terms of the production, he would be in a cast until the Tuesday before we opened. Immediately, I began going through the possible ways to correct that; what if we gave him a cane? Or maybe crutches? What about a wheelchair? But that will change all the blocking. Or maybe, we play it up that he’s an injured goon. I plowed through the possibilities. Max came to rehearsal in his cast, we worked around his limited mobility, and then Max told me he believed we would not have to change the blocking. That was a great thing to hear, but would it be true?

Once Liz was able to come to a rehearsal, I was extraordinarily nervous. Not for the guys onstage, but for myself. What if I am not giving them blocking that leads to their best performance? What if my notes have been unhelpful or have steered them the wrong way? Liz gave me notes, obviously, about what could progress further. The biggest was that she felt the guys were not listening to each other, which made total sense to me. Truth be told, our off-book day was two days before she watched, so they were still concerned with memorizing lines and blocking at the same time. At that time, I did not feel we were at our strongest, and that is probably true of all productions. Once actors go off-book, I think there is a minor step backwards as they call for line, or are in the wrong spot so we have to stop and reset. It is a difficult rehearsal the first they are off-book, and I am sure Liz can attest to that.

Once we got into regular run-thrus with the rest of the cast watching, the guys were able to finally learn about holding for laughs. The first run-thru, Liz commented to me that she did not hear half of the lines after a joke because the guys did not wait for the laughs. Obviously there were the general notes about projection, enunciation, and keeping eyes up, but the guys were making strides. After each night, they would ask “Can we do this?” My response was always the same; “Let’s try, and see what happens.” Most of the time, we kept what they tried because it added further detail and excitement to the story. We changed stuff even on the night before opening because something new came up with the costumes. It was a luxury to be able to discover more even at that point.

The performances went well. We were the closing play, so the guys had to bring the energy each night. The audiences enjoyed the show, I believe. And the guys loved acting in it. The smiles on their faces as they took their bows were awesome.

Mike Stephens - Brian Greer

I apologize for the extremely late posting of all these blogs, however these are records from various rehearsals and conversations with actors.

Mike Stephens plays the character of Monsieur Poulette in the play. Like Brad, I’ve known Mike from other theatre work at Oregon State University, most notably Bard in the Quad’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I have had acting classes with Mike, so I also have some understanding of how he works and how he works with others. Again, being in the lab theatre, the show calls for an over-the-top nature. And Mike has delivered so far. Poulette is ridiculously stereotypically French. The costume choice is a turtle neck, scarf, beret, and mustache. Mike is excellent to work with as he constantly wants to try something new.

I asked each of my actors five questions to respond to:

What is your character’s primary goal?

He wants to rule/conquer the world.

Who does your character trust the most? It does not have to be another character.

Can I say himself? That would be my answer. Obviously he doesn't trust the two goons to do anything.

What is your character’s relation to his parents?

I have a feeling his mom would have died when he was young and his father didn't really care for him. It sounds so Bond-like, but that’s a lot of villains.

What is your character’s favorite novel?

I have a view that are engrained in French culture, and the world knows it. The Stranger by Albert Camus, Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo, and In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust.

Is your character a virgin?

Probably. Since we’ve determined that part of him taking over the world is a form of overcompensation, I assume he's a virgin as well. The power that would come with ruling the world may allow him to have that first time finally.

The last is obviously an odd question, but it opens up a very personal side of the character and makes the actor think about something they wouldn't normally think about.

Directing

Closing show. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I will miss everyone one of my actors, fellow directors, and everyone else who put effort into the one acts. The whole process confirmed in me a passion for directing that will be with me for the rest of my life. I cannot wait to see what other opportunities and shows I will pour myself into. From choosing the play, to strike, every moment spent working on this show has been enlightening and exciting. Even when I was stressed out or worried.

I can't wait till I get to direct my next show. And I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to work as a director for OSU's spring one act festival.

Maxwel Bettendorf - Brian Greer

I apologize for the extremely late posting of all these blogs, however these are records from various rehearsals and conversations with actors.

Maxwel Bettendorf plays the character of Gary. Gary is the other goon in the play. Gary, in a way, is dragged into this crisis rather than entirely choosing to be in it. However, he is the one that comes up with the plan for Blarney to impersonate Riverman. What Max brings to the table is energy, without a doubt. Known for hosting Dam Jam the past two years, he obviously has a great stage personality, and it was good to see him at the one-act festival again. He is charismatic as a person, and it translated to Gary.

I asked each of my actors five questions to respond to:

What is your character’s primary goal?

His goal is to uphold the status quo.

Who does your character trust the most? It does not have to be another character.

I think he trusts Poulette, even though he doesn't like working for him. He wants to ensure that the story carries on the way it’s supposed to, which is why he tells Blarney to put on Riverman’s costume.

What is your character’s relation to his parents?

I don’t know, I bet he’s an orphan actually. Like Brad said about Blarney, he's in a life of crime. And I think that’s why he trusts Poulette is because he is that father figure.

What is your character’s favorite novel?

I don’t think Gary reads.

Is your character a virgin?

God no.

The last is obviously an odd question, but it opens up a very personal side of the character and makes the actor think about something they wouldn't normally think about.

Directors and friends

My fellow directors have become some of my best friends.

PJ is a lovely person all around, inside and out. Her laugh, passion and dedication astounds me. I especially love riding in her car listening to intense dance music and watching her air drum all the beats. Her show had excellent blocking, and a really fun set, not to mention it was really funny.

Reed. I love this kid! He has an awesome sense of humor, great hair, and is a genuinely sweet guy, and he's single ladies! I have been friends with him for over two years now, and I can honestly say he is one of my best friends. His show, "Dark King Kills Unicorn" was full of dark humor and some goofy bits, it was one of my personal favorites being very clever and well understood by the actors and the director. 

Kelsea and I have known each other for almost eight years, ever since high school she has been sweet, goofy, and kind to everyone around her, even me during my freshman year of high school when I was a total nerd. Her show went along with her personality perfectly, it was funny, quick, energetic and fun. 

Sedona's show, "Funeral Tea" was a lovely little British play that was classy and fun, just like Sedona.  Out of all the blocking I say in the shows hers impressed me the most. It is hard to direct five people on one small stage and make it look good! 

Brian is a gem, he is extremely hard working and dedicated, he has good ideas and isn't afraid to make big choices. His show was very clever and interesting. He did an amazing job in the one acts and I am so glad that I have gotten to know him better this year. 

Knokcers- Bonus Clips!!

So, I documented a lot of moments from our rehearsals since, from day one, it was clear that  this was a very excited group. I promised I'd publish this at the end so here you go!

Our Very First Rehearsal

They're such a photogenic bunch

Sometimes they just start screaming and there's nothing I can do to stop them.

They're very flexible, too.

And of course, there was dancing.

And of course, since I had to teach Jesse how to strut, we all had to have a walk off.

Knockers- Closing Night

Well, I gave them the pep talk and, yes, it was terrible. I need to work on that. I feel like my pep talks come off more as stern warnings. I'm trying to instill a sense of importance in them so that they feel proud of what they're putting out there. I want them to know that I take them seriously, but the reactions I get are stressed and nervous.

Tonight was fabulous! They did everything correct and the audience loved it. I found myself able to sit back and enjoy the show for once, instead of paying close attention and being nervous. I got a really great team with a lot of natural talent.

Knockers- Third Time's the Charm...?

Anahelena has completely learned how to do her own makeup but we ran into another minor problem. She ran out of grey hair spray the night before. I spent the day looking for more but didn't find any. Corvallis really needs a costume/specialty makeup store. I would keep them in business even if I was their only patron! We wound up finding another bottle in the back of the makeup shelf, thankfully. Tonight was an off night, and it wasn't just my cast. It was still good, but if one show had to be ranked less energy and accuracy than the others, it would be tonight's. Every show has it's slump. From the perspective of an actor I know that it exists but to me it always felt like something went wrong every night. Sitting in the audience, I could tell what that slump looked like. If I hadn't seen the whole run 10 times already, I would have thought nothing of it. But having others to compare it to, especially other performances, I could see the difference. I wasn't thinking about the slump before hand and so I forgot to give my actors a pep talk (which I am terrible at by the way. Ask my actors, they'll tell you). I found myself sitting in the back wishing I had remembered to amp them up before hand. I'll talk to them tomorrow.

Brad Stone - Brian Greer

I apologize for the extremely late posting of all these blogs, however these are records from various rehearsals and conversations with actors.

Brad Stone plays the character of Blarney, whom later dons the costume of Riverman. I’ve known Brad from other theatre work at Oregon State University, most notably Bard in the Quad’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I worked with Brad on the biggest stage the university theatre uses, so I knew “big” was easy for him. Though we were in the lab theatre, the show calls for an over-the-top nature. I saw Brad act in Strange Snow, also in the lab theatre, but the style of that show compared to this one was vastly different. When I cast Brad as Blarney, we had a rehearsal in which we just did walking exercises. How does Blarney walk? How does Riverman walk? How does Blarney acting as Riverman walk? His character is multi-layered more so than the other two because he does have that “actor acting as someone acting” level. I obviously thought Brad could do so.

I asked each of my actors five questions to respond to:

What is your character’s primary goal?

I guess he wants recognition. Everything he does is designed to give him the attention. He kills Riverman to get Gary’s attention. He becomes Riverman to voice his concerns to Poulette. Then obviously he becomes Goodman to be himself finally. To follow his desires.

Who does your character trust the most? It does not have to be another character.

Himself, right? I mean he doesn't ask Gary to revolt, he just does it himself.

What is your character’s relation to his parents?

I guess it would be a bad one because he has a life of crime and wants to be recognized. Maybe he was neglected or something.

What is your character’s favorite novel?

I think he's more of a comic book guy, and he loves Batman. Finding out Robin is gay is devastating to him.

Is your character a virgin?

I don’t think he is, but he probably isn't good with women. He doesn't have confidence, and I think it shows. I assume that translates to his love life.

The last is obviously an odd question, but it opens up a very personal side of the character and makes the actor think about something they wouldn't normally think about.

Knockers- Night Two

Tonight the routine started to kick in for me. Having the first show done with has got me feeling much more at ease and systematic, knowing that we can actually do it. Anahelena's been doing her own makeup for a bit now and it's looking great! I'm feeling incredibly comfortable with their consumes, hair, and makeup now. It's looking exactly like I wanted it to. Transitions are going smoothly and they are... audible. Though I wish they could have gotten louder. They've never given me exactly what I want on volume, but I think that being first in the run doesn't give them anything to go off of. There's no example set so they have nothing to "compete" with for lack of a better word. Which is hard because they get so many laughs and are often times inaudible over the audience.

This is the intro/exit song we used. It's "Hello!" from The Book of Mormon.
Side note: the brown, leather book that Esther holds is actually a Book of Mormon that we found in our props!

Brian Greer - Brian Greer

I apologize for the extremely late posting of all these blogs, however these are records from various rehearsals and conversations with actors.

I guess I should introduce myself, finally. My name is Brian, if you haven't all ready discovered that. I am a Junior majoring in theatre at Oregon State University. I am from an Appalachian Mountain town named Boone, North Carolina. I am the youngest of four (two older sisters and an older brother) and my mother opened our house up for foster care.

My father, in a way, started my theatre life. When I was seven, I had a hip problem that prevented me from playing sports. When a community theatre was producing “A Christmas Carol” my dad encouraged me to audition as my limp was the real deal. In his eyes, there was no way I would not get cast. I did not get cast, because I was too nervous at auditions and left before my name was called. After that, I acted in class shows in elementary school and in high school.

As time has progressed though, I have slowly drifted from the acting side toward the technical side. I love set designs. Obviously, there can be an excellent acting with a blank stage and it still be a terrific show. However, the possibilities to further paint an image in the audiences head is awesome. I enjoy lighting and light design. Light design, behind the words/acting, is the next piece that sets the mood, and it’s remarkable how you can feel enclosed by lights shining in a certain direction.

What I have found most enjoyable, and most challenging truth be told, is stage managing. I don't know if it’s being in a position of (some) power, or if it’s working closely with the director/designers, but it’s the best! As an actor, you obviously see the show develop and progress, but once the costumes and lights are added, you are not seeing the full picture anymore. You can’t sit out in the house to see what everyone looks like under the lights. You can’t see what the audience sees. As a stage manager, you see it all. You see day one in which the actors are all wearing tennis shoes and t-shirts. And you see closing night when actors, with tears forming in their eyes as the realization of the last show sets in, are wearing waistcoats and tails, or garments of the 1940’s. It’s a remarkable experience: to see it all come together.

It's All Over

Well it has been months in the making and just like that it is over. Four days of performance from my actors and now the 2016 Spring One Act festival is complete. All the sets have been struck. Props have been put away and the spike tape has been peeled from the floor. It is strange to think that I am already moving on to the next show when it finally feels like this one was starting to make some real headway. I will say that the final performance were my actors best performances and that they went out with a bang and that's not just because the show ends with a flare gun. Its been roughly two months since we started this process and I'm sure that my other directors feel the same way as I do. Glad that all of the stress is now gone from waiting to see if people like what you have created and put out into the world. At the same time, that sigh of relief is somewhat bittersweet. 

Auditions - Brian Greer

I apologize for the extremely late posting of all these blogs, however these are records from various rehearsals and conversations with actors.

Auditions are always a scary prospect, for everyone really. I’ve been at them on nearly every side: actor, director, stage manager, production manager. I don’t know if people realize that everyone is nervous. Leading up to the auditions, I had frantic thoughts running constantly. What if there aren’t enough people for the everyone’s show? What if there aren’t enough guys/girls for the desired casting? Then, the questions that apply to each individual director started. What if myself and another director want the same person? What if no one shows good chemistry? What if no one can do a French accent well? What if, what if, what if. There’s the “Magic If” in acting, but this isn't what Stanislavksi was concerned about.

Sure enough, more than enough people turned out for the audition. It was a luxury to see so many people interested in the production, with numerous people asking, “If I don’t get cast, can I work on the crew?” I love it when people are invested in the production itself rather than just being in it. It’s a luxury, really.

We had two evenings of auditions, with new faces both nights. People I had never seen before turned out. People from Linn Benton Community College showed up to be in the production. The word was out! The reception from those auditioning as well was great. They were excited about the shows, excited about the directors, and just excited. The energy was through the roof! It made the audition process fun and enjoyable, and clearly helped actors and directors relax.

At the same time, it was a tough audition. It was tough to deliberate through the various actors that read. Even though my cast calls for all men, I obviously paid attention to the ladies as well. Hell, there were strong enough actresses that I could have flipped the gender of my entire show. In the end, I stayed true to the script, and cast three talented actors that also fit the physical descriptions I desired. A great part was there was only one conflict in directors wanting the same actor. I was stressed throughout that we would all be fighting over the same people, but there was an abundance of talent and directors saw something in their choices that they wanted. A great process overall!

The Director- Reed Morris

My name is Reed Morris and I am directing Dark King Kills Unicorn by Reina Hardy. I am a double major here at Oregon State University studying both New Media Communications and Theatre. I am from Oregon City, Oregon where I attended Oregon City High School and eventually Clackamas Community College. Most of my hobbies include theatre performance, playing video games, reading and photography.

Selecting a Play - Brian Greer

I apologize for the extremely late posting of all these blogs, however these are records from various rehearsals and conversations with actors.

Selecting a play for this one-act festival was far more difficult than I could have imagined. I looked at various anthologies, but most of the one-acts in those were forty-five minutes. Our limit was obviously twenty minutes. From there, I struggled with myself to decide what genre I wanted. Would it be a drama or comedy? Would it be a light or dark comedy? I had to ask myself these questions, and that’s what led me to “The Goon” by Pete Malicki. It’s a goofy play, and that’s what I wanted. The two goons, Blarney and Gary, are written to have these endearing qualities. They feel an obligation to uphold the status quo, but also aspire to much more than being goons. As Gary says, “And I’m sick of being demonized just because I’m a goon.” The two goons want to be valued as individuals, and I think that’s all we really want. It’s nice, really, that in less than fifteen minutes, I think Mr. Malicki does that. Riverman, the hero, is dead at the start of the play. In an attempt to please their boss, the goons decide Blarney must wear Riverman’s outfit. The third character, Monsieur Poulette, is the villain to the goons, and a stereotypical one at that. He is a mustache-wielding, beret-wearing Frenchman, whom only desires to conquer the world. Now that Blarney has this disguise, he is able to speak out against the horrible treatment he has received from his boss. This mask allows Blarney to speak up without consequence. I find it mimics the way we view social media sites.

So yes, the play is extremely goofy. There are various sight-gags, plays-on-words, and silly conventions, but the play does hit various levels within myself and I hope that translates to the audience. Otherwise, what am I doing?

Knockers- Show time!

EEEK! It's opening night! I find I micromanage my actors a lot back stage as they're getting ready. Kelsea keeps telling me I need to "let the little birds fly" and she's totally right but I'm so worried. I guess it's cos this is the first time I'm not the one getting ready back stage and so I don't have direct control of the prep. I'm worried that something is going to be tied wrong, or their hair will come undone, or Jesse's straps will break and then the audience will be distracted from their performance. Because it really is a great show and they deserve the audiences utter submersion for the work they've put in.

The performance went great! When the lights went down and "Hello!" from The Book of Mormon, my into song, started to play I was suddenly struck with the realization that this was it. There was nothing I could do and anything could happen. My brain was screaming, "They could just stop talking... They could just draw a blank and stop talking all together!" I mean, I have faith that my actors are smart and trained enough to handle a mistake in the lines but all of a sudden I was realizing that the worst case scenario was suddenly entirely possible. It's kind of like how you know the Zombie Apocalypse isn't possible but you're still keenly aware of your own mortality if it were to happen. Luckily, there were no mistakes and it went wonderfully! I am very, very proud of my six collaborators. Emily, Ruth, Elena, Jesse, Anahelena, Steven, you all rocked it! Thankyou!

Knockers- Tech Rehearsal

We are less than a week away from opening night and tech has begun. Knockers is first in the line up which is good and bad for my actors. Good, being that they can carry their energy and excitement into the performance right away, and they'll be able to get out of costume the soonest since it is getting increasingly hot in Corvallis. It's expected to be in the 90's during performance weekend. The negative side to it is that, once they get done with their performance, they have to wait till the other one acts are completed before they can leave. And during tech, that can take a long time. I do feel bad for them, since we get out at 9 pm or later. They often come to me with an exhaustion in their voices and barely strung together smiles asking when rehearsal will be over since they have so much homework to do. It's week 10 and I know very well that all their professors are assigning pre-final, final projects and essays, midterms, and concerts. I want to tell them that I'm in the same situation they are in; I've got my academic life is crunching down around me too. I feel bad telling them every night that it'll probably be till late again. Especially since they move a lot of large set pieces in the second act. They seem exasperated and slightly annoyed with that fact so I'm going to bring them cookies tomorrow to say well done. They deserve a little treat. They're working hard.

Final Bow
I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who came and supported our shows by buying tickets, being a faithful audience member, family, friends, cast and crew members. It was so important to have all of you behind us directors for support and inspiration. A huge shout out to Liz for pushing us and believing that we could do this. That's a lot of trust for a group like us. It was an amazing journey this term. Most of us are actors and behind the scenes kind of people and to be giving the opportunity to direct a one-act was exciting and intimidating. We all killed it if you ask me. Each show reflected the director in a strangely accurate way. A piece of us was in each show and it's hard to let a piece of you go like that. I'm so impressed with all of the shows and how different each one was, yet how well each one fit into the festival. I'm just gushing over this and I don't care. It was such a fun experience despite the stress and hard times. All worth it. Again, thank you to everyone involved and please continue to support OSU theatre in the future.

The Unicorn- Isaac Meisenheimer

Isaac Meisenheimer is an Electrical Engineering major at Oregon State University. This is not Isaac's first show here at OSU. Last year Isaac was part of the 2015 Spring One Act festival. Isaac comes from Portland, Oregon and enjoys spending his time playing Rugby. In addition, Isaac likes to go hiking and listening to sick beats whenever possible.

The Other Unicorn- Hannah Fretz

Hannah is a Theatre major here at Oregon State university who has worked in the costume department on both Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as well as the Spring One Act Festival. This is Hannah's first term here at OSU and her first performance here at Oregon State. Hannah comes from Medford, Oregon and is an aspiring novelist. She enjoys playing both golf and soccer as some of her other hobbies.

Closing matinee for Cake Top Follies
Today's show was so much fun to watch! Victoria and Katherine had so much energy and they were really feeling their "sister" relationship. The audience was having so much fun watching them and so was I. It's hard to believe that I don't have to go to the theatre every night this week. This show has been the biggest part of my life this past term and my cast and I have worked so hard to everything this weekend and now it's over. I'm so happy and proud of how it turned out and I'm humbled by all of the amazing feedback, criticism and compliments I've received about this production. Victoria and Katherine worked so hard and have grown so much from our first read through to the closing performance. There were definitely times when I was stressed out, annoyed and feeling like this show wasn't moving forward. I kept pushing my actors and they pushed back. There were times I laughed so hard I cried. Each moment working towards opening night was worth it. I'm going to miss working with them and with my fellow directors. I always hate shows closing and never being able to have a piece of them again, but that also is what makes theatre so special. This will be a great memory that I'll never forget. It's goodbye to this show and on to the next project. I've fallen in love with directing this term and I want to continue with a career in acting AND directing. This was the best way to end my senior year at OSU. And I'll never be able to look at cake the same way again.

Never Fretz! Hannah is here!

Hannah Fretz is an aspiring novelist, presently she is righting a young adult dystopian novel that is book one of a trilogy that she has been working on for four years. Her favorite food is her grandmas crumple berry pie, and her favorite textile pattern is aztec inspired. She has beautiful blonde hair with big blue eyes and is sincerely one of the sweetest people I have had the pleasure to work with during this process.

Hannah is my costumer and also an actor in Reed Morris' show "Dark King Kills Unicorn". 

She her concept for costuming my show was to dress the boys in kakis and red and blue sweaters, she dressed everyone for their parts and fit the stereotypes that I wanted perfectly.

Risa may have been my favorite costume, she was wearing a white nurses uniform with white fish nets, white pumps, red spankies, red choker, and a red cross on the breast pocket. 

Gabe and Joel work kakis, boaters, and sweaters, and underneath they both wore a white t-shirt, and red and black striped boxer briefs with a question mark painted on the crotch. 

Joe wore a business suit, loafers, glasses, and held a pipe. Honestly they looked amazing. 

The Draegerman- Ben Lawrence

Ben Lawrence is an Environmental Economics and Policy major here at Oregon State University. Ben hails from the mighty town of Beaverton, Oregon. His hobbies include playing guitar, backpacking and playing the gentleman's sport of golf.

Opening Night for Cake Top Follies
We had a great opening night. We had a lovely, energetic, full audience that was ready for some laughs. I was very nervous before the show. I put a lot of handwork into this show and letting it go was scary, but exciting for me. As the lights dimmed for the first show to start, I got butterflies in my stomach. Then show number two went on and my palms were sweaty. Then it was time for Cake Top.  They came out with more energy than I have seen from them in a month. It was awesome! The audience was laughing at new things and we even got an "OOOOOOOO!" in regards to Cynthia being called fat. It was so fun! I was so proud of my cast and of all the actors in the festival. I love being able to share what I love with the audiences, cast members and with my lovely crew of directors.

Punny

WOW. This last week has been a whirlwind of activity! It started with the weekend, tech on Saturday and dress on Sunday, Monday off, and then back at it on Tuesday. On Tuesday Risa went home sick and wasn't able to perform, so my professor filled in for her, so nice. 

I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off before Liz told me she would help out, and it was a huge load off of my shoulders.

 Risa came in still sick but feeling a little better on Wednesday, planning on having a doctors appointment on Thursday, which was yesterday and our opening day! Turned out she had a sinus and respiratory infection! Ouch. But she powered through warmups and got ready to do the show! 

When lights came up I was blown away. Their hard work paid off! It was incredible, I was so proud of my actors, Joel and Gabe and Joe went above and beyond, they had energy and great comedic timing. Risa blew it out of the water, even though she was sick she had the best performance I have ever seen. I can't wait to give them their notes and have an even better performance tonight.

Today is Opening

Today we open the Spring One Act Festival and I am quite excited. In the last week, the show has come together with the great costuming provided by our fantastic costume department, specifically Ruth Drake and Emily Upton. I sit here typing this out and I am nervous. I'm not in the show and I feel just as nervous as if I was the one getting ready to walk out on stage, but luckily I will be sitting in the audience cheering on my cast. All the hard work that everyone has put in comes down to tonight! Thank you to everyone who has made this show happen! Now lets go break some legs!