Henry IV

Henry IV continues tonight with loads of sword fights and fantastic performances!  Come check us out at Mill Run amphitheater at 8 pm: the island opens at 7 for picnicking.  We'd love to see you there.  (PS- there's fire!)  Here are a few backstage photos and a behind the scenes video of our battle sequences, courtesy of NPT member Matt Hermes.  Enjoy!

In the "Green Room" at the 

Columbus Arts Festival

NPT's official mascot, Henry!

At the storage space during final dress

A gift from our director on Opening Night

The rain descending upon us

 How many actors can you fit in a tent?

ENJOY THE MELEE!

Life Lately

Hello!  Things have been hectic around here with Henry IV opening and all the wedding planning (3 months to go!).  We've been spending some quality time with loved ones and are having a cake tasting today with my wonderful cousin Kelly, who is making our cakes as a gift.

I am so very proud of my Henry IV cast.  Our final dress rehearsal was rained out, but we persevered on with an intimate gathering at the New Players storage unit space, where we reconnected with each other and found some lovely moments.  Our opening night turned into an official final dress, and then we were rained out in the middle of Act II on Friday and all of Saturday.  I am so looking forward to this Friday's performance: I just know there are so many more wonderful moments to be found with these fantastic people.  Below are a few photos from the last few weeks, if you'd like to see.  Cheers!

 At the acrobat show

 Water Fire on the Scioto

Of Monsters and Men concert

King Arthur at Schiller Park

(Starring my lovely sister:) ) 

Just a gal and her papa

The Solstice staged reading of 

Importance of Being Earnest.

Jeni's!

The American Girl store at Easton:

Molly, you're my fave! 

Fisher gals

CommFest

   

What to See in June

 
Do you have any theatrical plans for this weekend?  Need some?  Well here are a few shows playing in June if you're interested.  Check one (or more) out!

~ Available Light Theatre's Jane Eyre has it's last performances tonight and tomorrow.

~ King Arthur and the Sword of Britain continues down at Schiller Park through June 23.

~ MadLab presents The Empire Builders June 13-15 and 20-22.

~ Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits: Vol. 1 takes the stage at CATCO June 20-July 7.

~ Short North Stage serves up Hedwig and the Angry Inch June 6-22. 

~ SRO Theatre Company performs The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas through this Sunday.

~ Columbus Children's Theatre has added an end of season bonus with The Frog Prince.

Also, New Players Theater is performing scenes from it's summer season, The Taming of the Shrew and Henry IV, Part I, at the Columbus Arts Festival this Saturday at 6:30 on the Community Stage.  Come by and say hello!  


Do you have a theatrical event you'd like to share on the blog?  Feel free to email me at helloerinfisher@gmail.com.

Photo from Optimist Theatre.

Have a Wonderful Long Weekend

Do you have any special plans for the long weekend?  Today my mother, sister and I are going to Ikea, and tomorrow my family is participating in the PetPromise Rescue Run for homeless pets.  Will and I are also attending a gathering to celebrate with Aaron and Kristina, who are getting married next weekend (yay!).  I hope you get to spend some time relaxing, and below are some interesting links if you'd like to take a look.

~Sarah Seven's Fall 2013 Bridal Collection features a beautiful grey wedding gown.

~This Playstation 3 is actually a cake!

~What's your favorite Jeni's flavor?  I'm partial to black coffee:)

~For some excellent theatre, check out King Aurthur and the Sword of Britain at Schiller Park, A Woman of No Importance at The Van Fleet Theatre or Jane Eyre: An Autobiography at The Riffe Center, Studio 1.

~Adoring this dress from Anthropologie.

~If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?  Right this moment, I'm dreaming of Urnatur in Sweden.  (You can see the earlier post I wrote on this lovely place here.)

Image of baby crow from imgur.

Midsummer Opens Tomorrow!

Hello All!  A Midsummer Night's Dream opens tomorrow at the Columbus Commons and runs through September 23.  All performances are at 7:30 and entrance is by donation.  Here are some pictures that were taken at last night's dress rehearsal by the wonderful Dale Bush.  Hope to see you there!  

 

 

 

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Hello!  It has been a hectic summer, what with two shows, working full time and trying to carve out hours to spend with friends and family.  I finished up Scapin and King Lear on August 11, and on August 12 started rehearsals for my next show, A Midsummer Night's Dream (I feel tired just typing that!). The show will be at the outdoor- and newly renovated- Columbus Commons.  Autumn seems to be nudging in already, so the nights should be cool and comfortable.  I wanted to share some inspirational pictures I found: they are so ethereal and full of life:) Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Couldn't you see these beautiful women playing Hermia and Helena?  Love their dance costumes.

 

 Plus, check out this belt buckle from Penelope's Cauldron!  It has a monologue from Puck on it.

I can picture one of the fairies wearing this dress by Colorada.

 

1. Reilly 2001  2. Or What You Will  3. The Untended Garden  4.  SiLive  
5. and 7. Oberon's Grove  6. Wikipedia's definition for Helena

Happy Fourth of July!

What are you doing today to celebrate?  We are heading to my cousin's house for a cookout (I made apple pie) and then back to Westerville for the fireworks, which we discovered are within walking distance of our place.  I hope you have regained power!

In other news, King Lear opens this weekend, so stop on by!  We run till August 5th.  For more information, click here.  Enjoy the holiday!

(Photo from Do512.)

Scapin Has Opened

Last weekend we opened Scapin, and received a nice review from Columbus Underground.  Tonight, unfortunately, we were rained out (it was an incredible storm!) so Will and I stayed in and watched The Fighter, which we hadn't seen yet.  The heat has been crazy here in Central Ohio, but despite the 100 degree weather yesterday, we entertained a small but mighty audience:)

 Kelly Hogan and I in Scapin.

This weekend we are teching King Lear and performing Scapin.  It's going to be a long weekend, but I'm excited to have both shows on their feet and to see what it's like to perform two shows at once.  I hope you can make it out to the island!

For more info on New Players Theatre, including Scapin and King Lear, visit here.

500 Clowns

I love finding new podcasts to listen to, and recently I stumbled on Talk Theatre in Chicago!  The first podcast I listened to provided some wonderful insight into producing children's theatre, and their show about auditioning was taped while an audition was happening, with actors coming out of their audition and going into taping.  How cool is that?

Today, I downloaded and listened to an episode called Interview with 500 Clowns, about the Chicago based troupe of three actors.  They take serious stories, such as Macbeth and Frankenstein, and turn them on their heads in a way that creates pathos by engaging the story in surprising ways.  

Frankenstein, from their website

The structure is that three actors are trying to put on the play Macbeth, say, and a series of misfortunes occurs that prevents them from telling the story, but as such, they are telling the story.  There is a lot of improv and audience participation, though the framework is always the same.  Doesn't it sound like fun?


I was inspired by their ideas of clowning, such as "always say yes to the audience".  This is an idea we accept between our fellow actors, but I've never heard it in regards to the audience's energy.  They also mentioned that it is the clown's job to be honest; they don't just make us laugh, they make us cry and cause us to get angry.  It is the supreme truth that elevates clowning.  Their words are inspiring, and I can't wait to see how I can implement them in Scapin:)

 500 Clown Macbeth trailer

Would you want to or have you seen their show?

(Pause)

Tonight, Will and I are going to see the incomparable Jonathan Pryce in Harold Pinter's The Caretaker playing at The Southern Theatre.  The Caretaker is a limited engagement, playing tonight through Sunday only!  And the amazing thing is, it's only playing at two other theatre's in the whole country: BAM in NYC and The Curran Theatre in San Fransisco.  How did Columbus get so lucky?  Connections:)  I first saw Mr. Pryce in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on Broadway, so it will be interesting to see the differences in the characters.  Not to mention that Pinter is an absolute favorite of mine so I'm truly looking forward to this chance.

Tomorrow, we are going to see my sister in Columbus Civic Theatre's The House of Bernarda Alba.  She is playing Adela, Bernarda's youngest daughter.  I'm so proud of all the work she has done for this play, and I'm extremely excited to see it!  Alba runs April 26- May 20.

(1. Broadway World  2. Columbus Civic Theatre- Lindsey is top right:) )

Talk Like Shakespeare Day!

A few years back, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre started Talk Like Shakespeare Day, which is celebrated every year on April 23, Shakespeare's birthday.  The company even created a website dedicated to the event, complete with ways to turn your everyday phrases into luxurious Elizabethan sentences.  There is also a collection of Shakespeare inspired videos.  While I didn't watch them all, my favorite so far has to be Brian Cox teaching Hamlet's most famous soliloquy to Theo, aged 2 1/2.

There's also a hilarious sketch by Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie that I can't stop laughing at:

If you're in Chicago today, stop by Navy Pier, Chicago Shakespeare's home, to visit with Shakespeare himself:)

...And to thine own self, be true!

Hello Friends!

It's been over a month since I last posted, and I'm looking forward to sharing with you all again!  I took a bit of an online break (my Etsy account still needs a rest!) but it's good to be back in the blogosphere.

Next Monday I start rehearsals for Scapin with New Player's Theatre.  I'll be spending the summer playing Zerbinette and also Regan in King Lear as the two plays are being presented in rep.

Bill Irwin and company in his adaptation of Moliere's Scapin.

While I am extremely excited to be playing both roles, I have to admit I'm a bit nervous for my first foray into repertory theatre.  Luckily the plays are being helmed by two lovely directors whom I trust, and I couldn't be happier that they are trusting me as well.

 

Trever Nunn's King Lear featuring Sir Ian McKellen, Romola Garai, Frances Barber and Monica Dolan.

So now comes the digging.  Research is one of my favorite parts about theatre, and I love to dissect my characters to find out what makes them tick (Nerd Alert: I sound like Sylar, don't I?).  It's such an amazing feeling when your character sparks on stage fueled by the months of hard work and personalization you've put into making her.  I sincerely hope that I'll be able to do these characters justice, and that you will come see the results!

Scapin runs June 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and July 8, 12, 13, 20, 21, 22.

King Lear runs July 6, 7, 14, 15, 19, 26, 27, 28, 29 and August 2, 3, 4, 5.

All performances are at 8 pm at Mill Run Amphitheatre, 3455 Mill Run Dr., Hilliard, OH 43026.  Every show is pay what you will!  Watch for more information coming soon on Facebook and New Player's blog.

(1. Stark Insider  2. Movie Mail)

What to See in February

I'm a little late on this month's post of theatre shows, but there is a lot out there, so I'm sure you'll find something worth seeing!  Our own company is putting up our first musical: I'm shamelessly plugging it first:)

~The Irish...and How They Got That Way, by Frank McCourt.  Presented by Solstice Theatre Company and directed by C. Austin Hill. Runs Feb 16-Mar 3 at our own Knock Theatre:

Solstice Theatre Company presents the OHIO PREMIER of this hit musical written by Frank McCourt (the award-winning author of Angela's Ashes). This funny, poignant, and moving musical traces the history of the Irish through the 19th and 20th, and 21st centuries—featuring music ranging from traditional folk songs to hits by U2.

 ~Sleeper, by David Ian Lee. Presented by Available Light Theatre and directed by Matt Slaybaugh. Runs Feb 16-25 at The Columbus Performing Arts Center, Van Fleet Theatre:

This epic political thriller ranges from an intimate portrait of two failing marriages to an abduction in Afghanistan before exploding on the set of an extreme right wing television talk show.  Never looking away from the wreckage, this smartly chilling drama takes you straight to the front line of the fraught battleground where political discourse, personal apathy, and professional ambition are at their most dangerous.

~The Rubenstein Kiss, by James Phillips. Presented by CATCO-Phoenix and directed by Steven C. Anderson. Runs Feb 1-19 at The Riffe Center Studio Two:

A combination of the Cold War and the McCarthy hearings sets the tone for betrayal in the United States.  Inspired by the true story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, this powerful American premiere winds through mysterious corridors of histroy to reveal the anguish of a family and their yearning for justice.  When Jackob and Esther Rubenstein are punished for an act of industrial espionage, we are left to decide if they are guilty or victims of zealots.

~Getting Near to Baby by Y. York. Presented by Columbus Children's Theatre. Runs Feb 9-12 at Columbus Children's Theatre:

In the North Carolina summer of 1967, tragedy strikes their family, so Willa Jo and Little Sister are sent to stay with their Aunt Patty and Uncle Hob while their mother tries to come to terms with their family’s loss. Aunt Patty has more of a way with her garden gnomes than little girls. Always concerned with the order and the rightness of a thing, she has a million rules about everything. This especially doesn’t sit well with Little Sister, who hasn’t said a word since her baby sister died, and plain refuses to let go of the drawing she carries with her everywhere. Luckily, Uncle Hob has a sweet, understanding way about him, and the neighbor kids, Lizzie and Isaac Fingers, are as nice as can be. Adapted from a Newbery Honor book, this poignant play traces a family’s journey of acceptance and understanding in the face of loss.
 
 ~A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee.  Presented by Columbus Civic Theatre. Runs Feb 16-Mar 11 at Columbus Civic theatre:

American playwright Edward Albee won the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for this caustic and taught drama about marriage, family and friendship. 

~Comedy'Splosion, a stand-up comedy festival. Presented at MadLab Feb 17 and 18:

16 comics, 2 shows, 2 nights... COMEDY'SPLOSION returns to the MadLab Theatre for another amazing weekend of stand-up comedy!  In it's fifth year, COMEDY'SPLOSION is the longest running local stand-up comedy festival in Columbus.  While the line-ups for each night include staple local acts and national headliners, all of the comics on the shows are Columbus-based.  This not only makes COMEDY'SPLOSION one of the best, most dense line-ups of stand-up comedy you can see all year, but also showcases the tremendous talent that is available at shows throughout Columbus all through the year.

~Drunk in Love, a collection of Valentine's shorts. Presented by O.G. Productions. One night only- Feb 14 at 7:30- at St. James tavern:

Four shorts will be presented: Courting by Scott Tobin (I'm in this one!), Desperado by Amanda Bauer, It's Not Just a Number by Stephen Woosley and Never again, Well...Maybe... by Chris Lane.  Each short follows a couple on a date in a bar ranging from first to last. 

~V3, presented by Sketch by Number. Housed in our own Knock Theatre Feb 10 and 11:

SBN's annual February sketch comedy show celebrating (?) Valentine's Day. 

What are you planning to see? If you live outside of Ohio, what's going on in your area?

If you have a local production going up and I have missed it here, email me at helloerinfisher@gmail.com and I will add it to the post. Happy viewing! 
 

The Year of Shakespeare

Since 2008, Ohio State University and The Royal Shakespeare Company have had an educational partnership focused on artist residencies and teacher development programs.  Most notably,OSU has sponsored RSC's successful Stand Up for Shakespeare program here in Ohio.  This program brings Shakespeare into the classroom in a way that is accessible and fun for students.

This year, OSU has put together an exhibit called The Year of Shakespeare which runs now through April 29 in the Thompson Gallery Library.  On display are items from OSU's own Shakespeare collection as well as newly acquired artifacts from the OSU-RSC collaboration.  As a Shakespeare junky myself, I am looking forward to checking out the exhibit.

On a related note, Will and I saw the movie Anonymous today, about the real identity of Shakespeare.  A hot topic among scholars, there are many different sides to choose from in the identity debate.  Anonymous explores the idea that the Earl of Oxford was the man behind the pen.  Though a bit far fetched for my taste, it was a beautiful and well acted film.  I would recommend it mainly to see the scenes from Shakespeare's plays performed the way they were intended: bawdily and passionately.


Where do you stand?

What to See in January

The Columbus theatre scene has hit the ground running in 2012!  Here are some local productions that shouldn't be missed this month.

~33 Variations, by Moises Kaufman.  Presented by Available Light Theatre and directed by Eleni Papaleonardos.  Runs Jan 12-21 at The Columbus Performing Arts Center, Van Fleet Theatre:  

Ludwig van Beethoven fights through his failing health, his encroaching deafness, and his poverty to work with mystifying obsession on his Diabelli Variations.  Two centuries later, Katherine, a terminally ill musicologist, navigates a tenuous relationship with her daughter and the onslaught of her disease, even as she marches forward with determination to discover the true origins of Beethoven’s most confounding creation.  It's a beautiful and evocative story about the inspirations that get us through our darkest days, and family we find when we need it most.

~If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, adapted by Jody Davidson.  Presented by CATCO-Phoenix and directed by Joe Bishara.  Runs Jan 6-15 at the Riffe Center Studio One:

A small boy learns that giving a mouse a cookie has many implications that lead to madcap adventures as the house is turned upside down to please the mischievous mouse! A fast-paced script loaded with a ton of mouse-filled fun brings this best-selling children's book to life. 

~Arms and the Man, by George Bernard Shaw.  Presented by Columbus Civic Theatre and directed by Richard Albert.  Runs Jan 12-Feb 5 at the Columbus Civic Theatre:

"Shaw employs irony in the title of his play, taken from the opening line of the epic poem 'The Aeneid' written in 19 BC by  the Roman poet Virgil- 'Of arms and the man I sing...'- in which Virgil glorifies war.  Shaw's purpose in this play, however, is to attack the romantic idea of war." From the National Arts Centre English Theatre Programmes Study Guide for the play.

~Weekend Comedy, by Jeanne and Sam Bobrick.  Presented by Little Theatre Off Broadway and directed by Jim LeVally.  Runs Jan 13-Feb 5 at Little Theatre Off Broadway:

Two couples rent the same Catskills cabin for the same weekend by mistake. One couple is staid and middle aged; the other free wheeling and young. After too much rich food & way too much alcohol, they decide to share the cabin. Before the weekend is over, both couples learn valuable lessons from each other's relationships and what they ultimately want out of life.  

~MadLab's January offerings: The Twinight Zone, running Jan 5-14; Love@1stPlight, running Jan 19-21; FFN's Date Night, running Jan 26-Feb 18.  All presented at MadLab. Check out the new sign they got for their wonderful building!  Synopsis for their main show, FFN's Date Night, directed by Andy Batt:

This Valentine’s Day, Full Frontal Nudity will tell you a story of love … YOUR story of love! Based on the best and worst true-romantic stories you tell us, FFN will retell that story from a different point of view.  New characters!  New circumstances! Maybe an alien or two, who knows? You’ll have to come to the show to find out.

I'm also excited about some fantastic shows happening outside of Columbus.  I'm really hoping to finagle a trip to Chicago to see Elizabeth Rex!

~Elizabeth Rex, by Timothy Findley.  Presented by Chicago Shakespeare and directed by Barbara Gaines.  Runs through Jan 22.

~Penelope, by Enda Walsh.  Presented by Steppenwolf and directed by Amy Morton.  Runs through Feb 5.

~Richard III, by William Shakespeare.  Presented by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, more affectionately known as BAM, and directed by Sam Mendes.  Runs Jan 10-Mar 4.  Starring. Kevin. Spacey.

~Mathilda, The Musical, adapted by Tim Minchin from Roald Dahl's book.  Presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company's London branch, and directed by Matthew Warchus.  Runs through Mar 31.  I loved this book as a kid: what a treat it would be to see their production!

If you are outside of Ohio, what productions are going on in your area?

Those of you in the Columbus theatre community: is there a show I missed for January?  Let me know at helloerinfisher@gmail.com.  I'll make sure to update the post with your info.



 

Throwback Post #3

On this, the last day of the year, I am reminded of the wonderful times had with family and friends this past year.  It has also been a fantastic year of theatre for me, and I'd love to share pictures from the shows I was apart of in 2011.

References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot

Solstice Theatre Company 

Director

I love directing, but I only do it every so often because it takes so much out of you, since you are responsible for everything that happens on stage.  This was my Columbus directing debut, and we sold out the last two nights!

Death of a Salesman Stage Reading

CATCO-Phoenix

The Woman, Miss Forsyth

Playboy of the Western World Stage Reading

CATCO-Phoenix

Pegeen Mike

These two readings were a fantastic experience: CATCO had a live Twitter feed set up so people could tweet about the show as it was happening.  This picture is from Death of a Salesman, and you can see the large projected Twitter feed in the background.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead 
Solstice Theatre Company

The Player

This show was a lot of fun.  We did it in the Steampunk style and the costumes were amazing!  I got to really cut loose as my character was quite an eccentric.

Titus Andronicus

Shepherd Productions

Lavinia

Those of you who have read or seen this play know why this show was a challenge, and for those who haven't, I'll leave it to your imagination!

The Voice of the Prairie

Senior Rep of Ohio 

Frankie/Frances

This is quite possibly my favorite show ever.  The cast and crew were amazing, and I've never felt more invested in a role.  The play takes place in both 1895 and 1923 in the west and south of an agrarian America, and is a charming portrayal of the storytelling tradition.

Laughter and Light: A Celtic Holiday Celebration

Solstice Theatre Company

Stage Manager

The company I co-run, Solstice Theatre, performed a winter yule Celebration as a fundraiser this year.  It was lovingly crafted by one of our founding members, Allison Hill, and was a great success!

I am looking forward to working with some new friends and some old ones this upcoming year.  Hope to see you at a show, and have a Happy New Year!!!