Theatre3's [title of show] blog

I haven't been blogging....

2010-05-14T11:28:00.001-07:00

....but I just have to document this somewhere.

Wednesday morning, we had to be at the theater for a 10am performance of (title of show) that had been scheduled for 8th graders. I know, right? I wasn't sure which was the more daunting task: singing at 10am or singing for 8th graders, period.

So it was with the Vampire of Dread drooling in my head that I made my way through rush hour traffic to get from the 'burbs to uptown Dallas. We warmed up (a LOT) and kept pepping each other up with phrases like "Well, if they don't like it, we'll just perform for each other" and "Since you're going to hell for talking about your mom masturbating in front of 8th graders, we can carpool when I head straight there for talking about getting laid. It'll be fun...I'll bring Cheetos. Get it? Chee(tos)? HA!"

We were very unsettled.

I wasn't allowed to say my first "curtain speech" line of "Whazzzzzzuuuuup, muthafuckaaaaaaaaaaaas!!!!!" for some reason, so I came barrelling through the door hollering "Whazzzzzzuuuuuuuuup, tiny bitchaaaazzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!! (you know, so I didn't scar their innocent ears).

We then proceeded to make them do a full-arena wave, and it hit us......they weren't in school. And they weren't watching Chekov. They were fucking THRILLED to be there!!!!

They laughed at EVERYTHING....stuff that many of our season theater-going audiences don't "get", these kids GOT. We'd finish a scene, and they would holler like we were rock stars. Every time one of us would exit, we would stand bckstage going "Can I keep them forever?"

Then "Die, Vampire" came.

I don't know why I hadn't thought about what it would be like to do a song about not letting anything-be it person, feeling, or thought- to stand between you and your creative self expression to a group of individuals who are right at the age where they're most vulnerable to the vampires taking up residence in their heads forever.

But getting to stand up there and preach the Gospel of (tos) to these kids....it was the closest to God that I've ever been. To get to tell them "This is what a vampire is! Kill it!!!!! Don't LET it keep you from creating!!".....how did I get so lucky as to get to be the person who got to do THAT???"

I walked offstage an thought "If I never perform again....if I get hit by a bus in the next 30 seconds....it'd be okay, because I just got to do THAT."

It was profound.

Love and Vampire Dust,
Marianne aka Susan

5 out of 5 gay people recommended

2010-05-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

You know who else likes the show. Gay people. Studies have been done... (well, it's more like a review than a study but still...)

I know we agreed not to read reviews, but...

2010-04-29T13:24:00.001-07:00

that is some bullshit I pulled out of my ass to make us feel better.

This gives me a boner.

So does this.

I'd rather be 9 people's favorite thing, but if a few of those 9 have a pen and write about it, that's not bad either...

a few things i know

2010-04-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

Here’s what I know…

I’m eating a cupcake at 12:30 a.m. on a week night.

There are so many things wrong with me saying that sentence that it sort of boggles the mind.

Here’s something else I know…

Tonight we opened [title of show] at Theatre Three in Dallas, TX and…

it. was. magic.

And, with real magic, there is not a way to really describe it. You have to see it. You have to experience it. You have to be there. So, I’m not even going to try to really explain why it was so wonderful, but it just was.

It reminded me why I love doing this. It reminded me why I exhaust myself going from work, to the gym, to rehearsal, to bed and then back again. It reminded me that my unmowed, tall grass can wait just a little longer. It reminded me that my clean laundry that has been taking up two-thirds of my couch for the past week can sit there for another day or two.

It gave me a way back to then moment… one that I will remember for a long time.

Oh, and this doesn’t suck.

Going to bed with a smile on his face,
Chad aka Hunter (or Chunter)

Where I Come From and Where I Am Going

2010-04-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

There is this very strange, quirky, and sorta haunting song in [title of show] called Monkeys and Playbills. In the song, our two writers, Hunter and Jeff, draw inspiration from culling through Old Playbills of Flop Broadway shows from the past. They are looking from Inspiration. But, they are not looking for a way to LIVE in the past. They want to capture new Horizons!! They look backward to fly forward.

This particular number is SOOOOO clever! By using the Titles of Past Flop Broadway shows as verses to the song, they end up telling a weird and wonderful story of a Monkey (Yes!) driving a Speedboat who meets his Lady Love, Marries her, Then loses her. Very Charlotte Bronte. Very Edgar Rice Burroughs!

What I adore about this number, besides its inherent oddness, AND the way my very talented cast performs it, is the way Hunter and Jeff pay tribute to the past. These young men KNOW where they come from. Yes, the future is theirs, but they are proud and appreciative of other artists that have gone before them which have led them to this place. I love that! I was a school teacher once, and it always troubled me when kids just assumed history began with them. The kids that really GOT it understood that many people had paved the way for them to enjoy the present and create a future for themselves.

Thank you Hunter and Jeff.

It makes me think of my own past. And a very special man.

So I just wanted to send a shout out to Jac Alder. For whatever place I hold in this community, for whatever impact I make as an artist, for whatever confidence and strength shores me up as I approach project after project, all of these roads lead back to Jac. I am not gonna get all sentimental, because, basically, he would HATE that! And I have certainly contributed to my own destiny. I work my ASS off! But giving credit where it is due is my pleasure. Jac is my Mentor and my colleague and my dear friend. He gave me my start into this career of mine and has been present throughout most of my creative existance since interning at Theatre Three back in 1985.

And just look at this guy! He has been the top dog of a Not For Profit Arts institution in this city for nearly half a century. Any body else do that? He has CONSISTANTLY used artists from this area because he beleives in us and appreciates us! Having survived cancer, he is actually in GREAT shape with one of the keenest minds you will ever find. AND he can always find time to listen while you struggle with artistic matters, insensitive critics, life matters or whatever you got. Cause he has been there. And you can really learn from what he has lived through himself.

Good Times and Bum Times, He's had them all and My Dear, He's still here....

Jac and I are in a really great place in our relationship. He trusts me as an artist. He beleives in my vision of things. He appreciates my hard work. And I make him laugh occasionally. And that laugh is like finding a twenty dollar bill on the ground. It can set your WHOLE day on the right path.

As I look at things now, I guess the cheif lesson I have learned from Jac is HOW to BE a mentor. As I RAPIDLY (oyvey!) approach fifty, several younger folks have wandered into my life and they have looked to me for guidance and encouragement. I take a page from my past with Jac at Theatre Three and I listen, I advise when asked, I nurture as much as they want, and I encourge them to be the absolute best they can be. I want them to accomplish their hearts desires and to be proud of them. If I am a part of that, well, what better tribute could I pay to my mentor?

And can I say how proud I am of Chad and Alex and Tricia and Marianne and Terry and Pam and Sara and Kerry? We are a little Family of [ Tossers ], all thanks to the big and enveloping embrace of a man who has meant so many things to so many people. And a man who has meant so much to me. Thanks Jac! You rock star!

the [title of show] spin off show - dallas - episode six

2010-04-22T23:58:00.000-07:00

A very special dedication for this one... check it out!

our time

2010-04-22T23:27:00.000-07:00

Here’s the deal: I’m fucking tired.

Longest. Day. Ever. Not a bad day… just longer than anyone in a Chi Chi LaRue film.

After work all day, a long run, a show, a trip to the grocery store, and doing a load of laundry, I did not make it to my happy place (i.e. my couch with my DVR) until 12:15 tonight. I should very seriously be brushing my teeth right now and tucking myself into bed… in my fire truck, footie pajamas and my teddy bear in my arms. After all, I need my rest. Tomorrow is another day of the same.

But, alas, if I went to bed tonight, my brain would be running at 5.8 mph at a 3.5 incline on the treadmill of my mind. So, instead, I’m writing a blog and watching Fast Forward (a show trying to take the spot of LOST in our hearts… but I think it will be more like a rebound relationship--- someone we just use to make us feel better until something better comes along).

Plus, I have to wind down from the show. WE DID IT! Our first preview, our first time performing the show in front of folks—eyes watching us, ears hearing us and hearts taking in our words.

While the show was supposed to begin at 7:30, as sweet Marianne already shared via her blogging application, we had a slight delay when as we were getting ready, the theatre’s power went out. Not only was the power out in the theatre, but it was actually out for a 6 block radius. Without power, there would be no keyboard. Without power, there would be no lights. Without power, there would be no microphones… Oh, wait, it’s Theatre Three, so that part doesn’t matter.

So, there we were, backstage, with no lights, no keyboard, an audience waiting in the lobby, with the concept of actually doing the show up in the air. What did we do to fill this time?

We shot the shit. We talked about how the power outage could possibly be an act of sabotage by Uptown Players’ Dirty Rotten Scoundrels cast. We talked about how to spell "sabotage." And we definitely talked about this.

And just when the conversation really started rolling, the lights flickered back on. We all let out a gleeful cheer and rushed to the dressing rooms to finish getting ready.Then, it was time. Well, past time technically as it was closer to 8:00, 30 minutes after our scheduled curtain. But, it was OUR time. Thankfully, we have about 29 more times to come. And…. I can’t wait!

Peace, love and no blackouts,
Chad aka Hunter (or Chunter for short)

Dead vampires everywhere!!!!

2010-04-22T23:01:00.001-07:00

I did it!!!!!!!!! I sang!!!!!!!!! In front of real people!!!!!!

And lived to blog about it. Buffy would be so proud.

Some thoughts on our first preview:

Performing in the round (unmiked, I must add) is tricky business...we're trying to balance projecting our voices to the far reaches of the back row without straining our voices (support, support, support!!!!!), keeping in tune with each other (emotionally and vocally), and keeping a finger on the pulse of the audience to ride the waves of laughter and hold when necessary. All this while telling a story that takes 7-League-Bootsteps forward in a flash! CHALLENGE!!!

But it's wonderful...Theatre Three is an incredibly loving place to work, and this group of folks on (tos) is pure magic....it's one of THOSE shows.

Speaking of magic, Carolyn Wickwire (with her lovely partner, Dennis) was in the audience tonight!!!!! How lovely is that?!?!?!! Nothing like loving, friendly faces in the audience.

And I don't think I will ever forget the feeling of standing backstage after having just finished "Die, Vampire, Die" in front of an audience for the first time...it was pure exhilaration. A lightness and joyfulness filled me, and I just stood there going "I DID IT!!!!!!!" in my head over and over!!!!!

Now, off to sleep, perchance to assimlate my notes: "DICTION!!!! LOUDER!!!!!! FUNNIER!!!!!!!!" (Bruce's notes have more finesse to them than that, but there's the essence of 'em for me!)

Love,
Marianne aka Susan

Aaaaaand the power's out!

2010-04-22T17:47:00.001-07:00

And I am the only one with a blog app on my phone....mwahahahahaha!!!!

At 15 to places, the lights began to flicker. We were then plunged into total darkness...and Tricia had not even put on her bright pink blush yet!

Our 7:30 curtain time has now come and gone, and we're all gathered in the green room (where there is a skylight) and talking about how Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (who is also previewing a few block away) has probably pulled a dirty rotten prank on us.

We shall be filling their dressing rooms with rice krispie treats.

Aaaaaand the powers back on!!!!!!

Oh my God!

This is it.

Here we go.....

Holy

Fucking

Shit!

First audience TOMORROW!!!!!

2010-04-21T07:26:00.001-07:00

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!

I have to sing in front of 242 people tomorrow.

I get nervous about singing, harmonies, finding my part, singing songs, and songs that are sung by me, in general.

Inside my head, there lives a tenacious vampire that took up permanent residence about ten years ago when a vicious ex-boyfriend told me he never liked my voice.

The vampire had been vacationing in my head for years...showing up for piña coladas and Clive Cussler novels just before big auditions. But when the guy that I had been dating for two years- who had had to sit through countless recitals, operas, concerts and musicals listening to me sing my little vocal-performance-major heart out-turned to me and said "You know, I've never really liked your voice, right?"....Those words burned themselves in a giant HOLLYWOOD-sized flashing neon sign in my brain, and the vampire decided to waste away in the Margaritaville in my mind forever.

He's a strong vampire...I let him own me for years. I didn't audition for musicals, didn't sing in front of people, would barely sing in the shower in case one of the neighbors ears might start bleeding. For some reason, I now thought my voice was the Medusa of voices, ready to turn any hapless passerby into stone. I'm a "live and let live" kind of girl, so I just shut down.

But music is in my blood...and while that vampire was driving his 1974 pink Cadillac Sedan de Ville down the TaMiami Trail in my mind, a little Buffy was honing her vampire slaying skills (in the Slayer Training Academy in my mind?)

I'm too tired to try and see this metaphor through to it's grisly conclusion, so let's just say that tomorrow, when I sing in front of 242 people for the first time in over a decade, you'll want to bring a face-mask....cuz mama is gonna be dusting some vamps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DIE, VAMPIRE, DIE!!!!! And your polyester leisure suits too!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,
Marianne aka Susan

the [title of show] spin off show - dallas - episode five

2010-04-19T11:18:00.001-07:00

Enjoy this very special episode of 'the [tos] show spin off show'

Our first audience....

2010-04-16T22:16:00.001-07:00

.....is in 6 days. And that first house is sold-out.

Holy f'n shit.

We blocked 30+ pages in the last two days. Tomorrow is another full day...we'll be running the show twice.

I'm exhausted, but so happy....I love this show and these people I'm working with. What a blessing to get to count myself among them.

That's all I've got for now...sooooooo tired. Must sleep so I can get up and make more (tos) magic mañana!

Word,
Marianne aka Susan

[tos] diet

2010-04-16T11:24:00.001-07:00

I had two small brownies and four cookies after lunch today. I feel like I need to burn them off. Who needs P90X when you have this:

the [title of show] spin off show - dallas - episode four

2010-04-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

The fourth episode is so star filled that we had to supersize it! What is it? Sweeps month??

Enjoy, and a special thanks to all our guest stars!

we heart susan, part one

2010-04-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

Wanna see something funny? Me too.

part of it all

2010-04-12T23:28:00.000-07:00

Howdy, Dallas [tos]sers!

Right now, I should be enjoying one of three things: (1) sleeping or (2) learning my lines or (3) this. Instead, I’m watching The Real Housewives of New York City. I’m a couple of weeks behind… not because I’ve been uber busy (although, truth be known, I have been uber busy). I’m a couple of episodes behind because I freaking LOVE this show, and I’m all about delayed gratification.

They are hands down the best Housewives of all the Bravo Housewives. No, they aren’t as blonde as the OC; no, they don’t wear wigs nearly as well as those of Atlanta, and no, they don’t flip tables nearly as well as those of Jersey. But, they do remind me of every reason why I love New York (hey… that’d be a great t-shirt!).

So, I just posted Episode Three… how are you liking them? That’s what I thought.

This Dallas cast calls our online shows ‘the [title of show] spin off show,’ but in actuality, this really is impossible -- so far. Spin off shows usually to take one character from an existing show and then create a whole show around that person… like Frazier, Joey, Flo, Rhoda or The Facts of Life. They can also start by having a character or two visit an existing show, making a “cross over” appearance and that links us to whole new gaggle of new characters that we also might like… like Knots Landing, Empty Nest, Laverne and Shirley or Mork and Mindy.

So, to say we’re a spin off show is pushing it since none of us made a ‘cross over’ appearance on the original ‘[tos] show’ and no one of the original cast has made an appearance on ours -- although Jeff, Hunter, Susan and/or Heidi are more than welcome (as are supporting characters like Cheyenne Jackson, Mindy, Cheyenne Jackson, Barrett Foa, Cheyenne Jackson and Cheyenne Jackson).

Nah, thinking about Real Housewives… and other reality shows like the Real World, Big Brother, Top Chef… all with different casts or set in different cities… I see kinda what’s a’happenin’ a little bit with [tos]. It’s sorta feels like we’re a season of an industry. (And having been turned down twice for the Real World and now 3 times for the Amazing Race, I’m appreciating what feels like the closest thing to a reality show I’ll experience).

It’s the same show, the same feel, the same message but there are different cities and casts. And, I know this can be said for every show that’s ever been done ever—but this one is a different. With a show that is so self aware and one that ‘eats its own tail,’ it’s almost impossible to not be connected with it as we are on a personal level.

It’s about friendship and the process and being aware of those things, so as we go through these rehearsals and the upcoming performances, I’d lose focus of what the show is about if I disconnected from that. It’s great fun being a part of something bigger while at the same time enjoying the small stuff like writing this blog and making ‘the [title of show] spin off show.’

Then again, it's also about sounding good and knowing my lines-- so on that note, I need to go to bed and get some rest. Tomorrow, we're back on the boards!

Cake balls and Team Bethenny,
Chad aka Hunter – or Chunter

the [title of show] spin off show - dallas - episode three

2010-04-12T21:18:00.001-07:00

I suck at dancing

2010-04-09T06:07:00.001-07:00

It's a fact.

I played Agatha in 'Guys and Dolls' ("Who is Agatha?" the invisible blog reader asks. Agatha is a member of the Salvation Army Mission Band. She has one line, plays a trombone with no mouthpiece, and sings like a troll....well, at least my Agatha did.) last summer.

I hadn't been in a musical for years and years, and I had come onboard the production to sing in the pit and be a part of a big 'ol musical with a giant honkin' orchestra (Dallas Wind Symphony). Suddenly, I'm whisked out of the pit and into an ensemble role, like a poor man's Peggy Sawyer (if Peggy couldn't tap dance her way out of a paper bag and was only given one line and a trombone with no mouthpiece.)

And I was jazzed! One whole line!!! In a MUSICAL!!!! (It had been a really, reeeeeeallllly long time!)

Then they choreographed 'Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat'.

When our choreographer (Miss Paula) said "Stand!", I sat. She said "Sit!", and I stood. She said "Take three steps to your right!", and I'd face plant into the wall on my left.

Over and over and over.

I have no idea why I couldn't learn this simple choreography, but it never happened. It wasn't like I'd never danced before...I've even played dancing roles, with the word "dancer" in the character name (Shepherdess Dancer, Jitterbug Dancer....breathtaking turns, may I add). But suddenly, all I could do was rock the boat, despite all valiant efforts not to.

I was so bad that Miss Paula called remedial dance rehearsal with the members of the Mission Band.

At this point, I should probably mention that my fellow Mission Band member was me was the divinely sweet and wonderful (and Tony Award winning) Michael Serrechia. What did Michael Serrechia win his Tony Award for? Well, invisible blog reader, it was for being one of the dancers behind the creation of a little show called 'A Chorus Line'. About dancers. And dancing. DANCE!!!!

I was so bad that Tony Award winner (for 'A CHORUS LINE'!!!) Michael Serrechia was forced to attend remedial dance rehearsal.

So, you can imagine my trepidation when our (tos) director, Bruce, mentions "choreography for the opening number". His disclaimer that this would be the kind of choreography one would make up in one's living room did not help to alleviate my fears...I leave a trail of broken furniture behind me every time I walk through our living room.

But last night, I made Choreography my bitch.

Bruce said "step touch", and I step touched like a Temptation. Bruce said "Batman" and I batmanned like a Royale with Cheese. Bruce said "twist" and I twisted like a bat out of Hairspray.

Some of you who have actual dance training might be saying "Batman? Is that like a triple-point-arabesque-plié-pas-des-deux....or whatever it is you dancer-types say to yourselves when you hear the word "Batman". And the answer would be no. It's not whatever you think it is.

What it is is a "dance move" that I understand and can remember and execute when I'm supposed to. WOW!!!!

And it's because when Bruce gave us our choreography, he didn't bark numbers at me. He shouted "BATMAN!!" And something deep inside me responded with "YES! I WILL! I'LL BATMAN!!!!!!"

And I danced.

Somebody best get a dustpan for this dead vampire, y'all...I'm jes sayin'.

the [title of show] spin off show - dallas - episode two

2010-04-08T15:35:00.001-07:00

the [title of show] spin off show - dallas - episode one

2010-04-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

2010-04-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

So last night was our first rehearsal for [tos ]. We filled out paper work. We elected Equity officers. We chit- chatted and ate salad. I gave a few introductory notes. Then Terry says,' Lets all move over to the piano.' We plunk our way through the finale. everybody sounds great. Marianne says " Well, we at least know where we are going...' or some such. Then Terry says,'Let's just start at the top and go number by number.' He rumbles some keys on the spinet and Alex sings...

' A..D...D...D..D..F#...A ...Will be the first notes of our show....'

Marianne and Tricia looked at each other and couldn't contain their glee. Chad smiled quietly to himself. The very air in the room became sweeter and the lights glowed bright gold.

If our audience can feel one tenth of the joy we felt at that moment, that will be something, brother.
We cannot wait to bring you guys into this experience with us! We will work so hard over the next couple of weeks to share this great feeling with you all!

I don't have much time, BUT...

2010-04-07T14:41:00.001-07:00

A few things to share!:

1. We recorded our first "[title of show] show show" (online it's officially called "The [title of show] Spin Off Show") and it will be up on the facebook and the youtube soon. Word.
SPOILER: It's pretty sweet.

2. First rehearsal yesterday! We worked on music and although it's pretty hard (and different from the CD!), it sounds pretty great already.

3. The show is worth seeing if ONLY for the reason that Chad is hilarious as the blank piece of paper.

See you [tos]sers soon!
Triceidi

First rehearsal: Toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!! And a shout-out to Lucy!

2010-04-06T12:48:00.001-07:00

....and first audience in 16 days. My pants are what I'm crappin' in at the festival in September....(for those who don't know the show, I don't have Tourettes. It's a bastardization of a line from the show. HA! Bastardization is a funny word.)

Do I know my lines? I do not know my lines. I know everyone else's lines.

Do I know my music? Sort of. I have the tendency to sing my costar's lines along with my own, but in funny voices. Like as Grover from Sesame Street. Or Gilbert Gottfried. But that's mostly in the shower, so hopefully that'll stop when there's actually other people there singing them.

If not, they'll probably fire me. Or make me into a one-woman show. With sock puppets.

That would rock. The sock puppet part, not the firing part. The firing part would suck.

Anyhooooooo......

So, in an effort to kill my vampires, I thought I'd sing 'Die, Vampire, Die' today in front of my musical theater class (with the divine Wendy Welch and the fabulous James McQuillan). And that was good...except I was shaking like Santa's belly (bowl full of....never mind), which was bad. I mean, how am I supposed to truthfully sing a song about killing the thoughts and feelings and opinions that stand between you and your creative self expression when my own vampires are obviously clamped like rabid chihuahuas to my soul? Noone will believe a word I'm saying! It would be like believing Angelina Jolie when she says she never works out...that baby weight just melted right off. I'm jes sayin.....

It also didn't help when one of the children said "You close your eyes a lot when you sing." I stabbed him in the heart with a wooden stake, but it was just a big mess.

I haven't had ankle shaking that badly since I put on my pretty Laura Ashley dress and ballet flats and marched my 16 year old ass into every terrifying conservatory audition on the roster back in 1993, when we walked a mile to school barefoot in the snow and there were no cellphones.

When I'm in a straight play, I'm kosher. I mean, I have my moments of terror that I'm going to be seen as some sort of talent-fraud (someone really nice and fun that everyone likes working with, but bless 'em...just not very good. Keanu Reeves, maybe?) But I know how to work through them, have wonderful mentors and colleagues that I can be frank about this stuff with, and once we get to the point of having an audience, I'm fine. And I never shake...the nerves just don't come like that for me.

I didn't shake in my audition for (tos)...I just sang my piece and had a blast. I didn't shake in our (tos) read/sing through two weeks ago. So what the heck was today about?

I don't have any answers...jes documentin' the process here. And you, invisible blog-reader-person....don't answer with "You're probably going insane." I carry wooden stakes now, and I ain't afeered to use 'em.

In other news, my class is coming to one of our previews, which is super-awesome (I hope I don't throw up on them...that would be so wicked awkward.) I also hope I keep my eyes open.

In other other news, I saw the tour of Spring Awakening (AMAZING) over the weekend....twice. When I saw it Saturday night, I knew my husband Steve NEEDED to see it, so I bought tickets for the next day (the final Dallas performance). I tell you this only because I wore my (title of show) hat to both performances, and talked to a crapload of people about the show and when it opens and such....it was a blast. (Lucy, if you've managed to find the blog, here's a shout out from one tosser to another!) I was like a walking (tos) sandwich board. Without the board. Or a sandwich. It's a blast to be able to connect with other (tos) fans that way....some of them didn't even know that it was being done in Dallas!!!

Speaking of documenting, this brought me joy: Apparently there are the T3 patrons who have called the Box Office and said "There's a mistake on your web site. Instead of a play name, it just says [title of show]." So T3 Box Office staff have been responding with "No worries! That is the actual title of the show. [title of show] (really, that's the title)." I LOVE IT!

SPREAD THE (tos) WORD, Y'ALL!!!!!!!!!

We start todaaaaaay!

2010-04-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals start tonight! Woooo! Like Chad, I have gone into Type A mode to get my life together for this show- although no matter how hard I try, I will never be Type A.

My days will consist of: waking up at 6:30 (well, usually 6:50), getting everything together for the day because I will most likely not be home until after my bed time, getting to work (school) by 7:30 for morning tech for our spring play, school until 3:40, after school rehearsals until 5, gym/cleaning/errands/dinner, rehearsal at 7, pass out at 11. Do it all again.

Sooo worth it.

The more I learn about this show, the more I listen to the music, the more I read the lines...the more I love it. "Die, Vampire, Die" is my new workout song- trust me, it works! Put it on right when you're at that point that you want to quit- for some, like me, that may be 5 minutes in. It makes me realize that I'm the only one telling myself that I can't do it. The vampires ain't gonna get me! (I don't recommend singing the song out loud, though. You get strange looks.)

Tricia (aka Heidi)- I can't blend those very seamlessly. Theidi? Triceidi? Heidicia?

P.S. Random story- I did not know what Shrinky Dinks were until a few weeks ago. I know, I know. (Can you blame me? I'm from El Paso.) My 8th grade students were very excited to explain the concept to me. So today, one of my 8th grade girls comes in with a hilariously hand-decorated envelope. Enclosed, I find a Shrinky Dink (!) and a full hand written, decorated note on how to do it. Apparently I just need to decorate it and she'll shrinky dink it for me. She even warned me not to cut any sharp angles because if I plan on wearing it, it will poke. (Either my students think I'm an idiot, or they care for my welfare. You never know with 8th graders.) I am so excited!

Any suggestions for what I should draw on my first Shrinky Dink ever????

word of the day, part three

2010-04-05T22:13:00.001-07:00

Oh, one other thing… I knew what “facetious” was after all.

This is either going to give me intellectual points back or make me look stupider, but:

I always that it was spelled with a ‘ph,’ as in “pharmacy” or “babbie phat” (I read that last one on the ass of some sweat pants a girl was wearing at the Department of Public Safety this morning).

Honestly, when you look at it, it’s a misleading word. I see “facetious” – face. tious. And *that* doesn’t make sense. It should be spelled “phaceesious.” That would make a lot more sense.

Changing words and LIVES!
Chad aka Hunter – or Chunter

the night before

2010-04-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow’s the day! Our first day of rehearsal!

I’ve been looking forward to this day since I got the call that I was cast (like Tricia, I hear a sound in my head when I think of that great moment, but instead of the choir of angels, I hear the KoolAid Man let out the sound after he busts through a wall, “OH, YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!” -- Too young to remember? See below).

On one hand, it feels like the night before bootcamp. This schedule is going to kick. my. ass. With my day job, rehearsals, house chores, working out, not to mention keeping up with my shows on my DVR plus the whole eating thing, it’s going to be a major challenge.

I’ll be preparing meals in advance so I don’t go poor picking up Subway every day ($5 foot long!). I’ll be working out when I can (the lunch crew at 24 Hour in Plano will know me well). I’ll be waking up early to get the yard work taken care of (sorry, neighbors—but then again, since you yell for your damn dog to get back in the yard on Saturday mornings at 7, maybe I don’t feel all that badly). I know I’m being totally Type A, but if I’m not like this, then I’ll skip meals, have no clean clothes, sleep through my alarm and the grass will grow o.o.c. (out of control).

On the other hand, it sort of feels like the night before my family went to DisneyWorld when I was in 8th grade. I couldn’t go to sleep the night before, and my stomach was in knots. I had never been that excited before, and I was sure I was going to throw up. I woke up my parents and I was all worried that I was getting some sort of flu and I was going to be vomiting on Main Street USA. My parents reassured me that I was just excited and that I was not getting sick. I just need to get some rest and get ready to have a wonderful time.

I’m pretty sure that as the hours to our first rehearsal tick down to 0 and I’m just as excited, they’d give me the same advice.

taking a pepto and going to bed,
Chad aka Hunter-- or Chunter

WE’VE GONE GLOBAL!!!

2010-03-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

WE’VE GONE GLOBAL!!!

I’m not sure who all checks out our little map on the right side of our blog, but if you take a look, you’ll see that someone in Australia read our site! AUS-fucking-STRALIA, y’all!! All I gotta say is, “G’day, mate!” We haven’t even OPENED yet and someone from down under is checking us out! I realize they possibly could have come to our site by mistake and the map just marked it, but I’m going to act like they were googling ‘[tos] – dallas’ due to all the buzz reaching the land of OZ.

Speaking of ‘googling’ things, I totally had to ‘webster’ that ‘facetious’ word that Tricia used to describe me. I need to get a word of the day calendar. If it’s not used often on shows on Bravo, I probably don’t know it.

For those as dumb as me: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facetious

Thanks to my friend the dictionary,
Chad aka Hunter

I use parentheses waaaay too much...

2010-03-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

Don't be a goofus. Don't be a goofus. Don't be a goofus. (Sandlot, anyone?) I can not even begin to express how excited I am to begin this adventure. I discovered [title of show] in college and was struck by the cleverness of the lyrics and the hilarious dialogue, not to mention the words of "A Way Back to Then." (That's me! I get to sing that!)

With Bruce directing this show and Terry musical directing, I knew that this show was bound to be brilliant. Upon meeting the other members of the cast, my excitement only grew more.

On first meeting, three words to describe...

Chad: entertaining, facetious, ironic

Marianne: whimsical, intelligent, glowy (which may be a made up word, but she glows! For evidence, see our "profile pic." Beautiful.)

Alex: playful, pensive, courteous

Add "talented" to all three.

We talked. We ate. We drank. We ate. We drank. We ate... We drank... And then we did a reading! (I'm only kidding. Most of the eating was on my part. Most of the drinking was done by Chad.) The reading, suffice it to say, was great! I always knew the show was funny, but with the five of us in that beautiful apartment (and the [tos] wine, I suppose?) it was HILARIOUS!

.........five days later...........

Sorry, yes, I started that post many moons ago, but due to UIL competitions this weekend it was put on hold. I am a teacher, it's true. I just started last fall and the job took over my life. Being a full time, first year teacher is tough! Because of that, I had to put theatre on the back burner for a little bit. Which was tougher. This spring, I finally felt like I had it together enough to start auditioning again. I was excited. I was confident. I was called back like a mofo (yes, I said "mofo"). I received no parts. VAMPIRES. Melt down. I started to question my life. My boyfriend and I are moving to L.A. in a year and a half or so anyways, should we just go now? I will NOT be stuck as a middle school theatre teacher who doesn't get to act and goes to bed at 10 p.m. reading plays she wishes she could perform. I'm young. Why do I feel so old?

And then Bruce called. Heavenly chorus of angels sings here.

This shows kills so many vampires for me. Not only am I getting to perform, not only am I getting to work with some of the most talented people I have ever met, but I am playing a role that is soo different than my usual. Heidi is a.) smart, b.) witty, c.) mature, and d.) not scantily clad for most of the show. How crazy is that?! I can never thank Bruce enough for seeing past the 5'10" blonde-ness and letting my inner Heidi shine through.

Now I've just got to start memorizing them lines....

Until next time (I'm refraining from making apologizes for not being as funny as everyone else),
Tricia, a.k.a. Heidi

2010-03-27T11:20:00.001-07:00

This is my very first blog! It will be short as it is simply a test drive to see if I have figured out how to do this. I will write more later. Believe me. I have PLENTY to say!

Lerv Ya!

Oh my Lanta!

2010-03-26T14:28:00.001-07:00

As we left our first [tos] meeting on Tuesday night I KNEW that I would be the last person to join the Blog. Not because I'm a terrible writer (although I know, without a doubt, I will score the lowest on grammar, comedic effect, and overall content of all the contributers) but because I've never blogged before, nor have I ever read a blog, and it scared me a little. DVD right Marianne?!? Im hoping this will be a good "writing exercise" :) for me, and get me out of my normal routine when it comes to sitting down at the computer: Open facebook, ignore 18 event requests, ignore another 14 group requests, scream at the monitor about another 15 farmvillezombiesendmeahuggykissywissy requests, untag all the recent pictures that I dont want my family, pastor, girlfriends mother etc. to see, accept so called "friend" requests, check my email then laugh my @$$ off at youtube videos of Karate auditions (you MUST check that out by the way) miranda sings and ultimate "failures in life" (see above :)

After reading everyone else's posts I feel the need to write something a little personal about my background in theater/music or how I got to this point in my life. BTW I love my new [tos] family....taint....sorry, random thoughts. Wait...that wasn't completely random...tos family...first meeting...bruce's apartment...BRUCE! ah yes Bruce, the man who has quickly over the past year become my mentor and one of my closest friends. Obi One I like to call him! The opportunity that he gave me in History Boys last year was an ABSOLUTE life changer for me. I owe him pretty much everything, and the chance to do [title of show] as our fourth collaboration is like a beautiful dream that just keeps coming true over and over again. I feel so incredibly blessed. I also feel so incredibly anxious to start rehearsals. I was sitting outside in the sun this afternoon with my script thinking, "I cannot start rehearsals for this show with my head in my book!" at the same time I thought, "the more I actually look at the three hysterical people surrounding me on stage, the harder it's going to be not to completely lose it and burst out laughing." What a show! And what a rockin cast we have! CANT WAIT!

ANKLE UPDATE!!!

My ankle is doinnnng.... ok. I am walking slowly at the moment without crutches. Swelling has gone way down, and now Jess and I are playing a fun game called "what color will Alex's ankle be today!" I am doing my rehab exercises, and will start swimming at the gym soon to gain back some level of fitness. Hoping for a very quick recovery or else it might be a piano, three stools and a wheelchair ;)

Ok, now i'm finished writing. WOW blogging IS fun! Sorry about the run on sentences, grammatical errors, and random thoughts. Actually, im not in English class, if you don't like my writing...Suck it!

Love,

PS: My parentals became permanent residents yesterday! Only one left! God bless the USA :)

my buffy

2010-03-25T22:38:00.000-07:00

First of all, skip whatever I’m about to write here because Marianne’s post below this one is HI-LARIOUS!

Being her first time, she hit the button a little too early… (Don’t we all on our first time?) So, instead of posting it in the blog box, she posted it in the comment boxes. It’s a four part series and is pretty much brilliant through and through (minus the one punctuation error I found in the third comment box).

PLEASE READ MARIANNE’S BOX!!

Have you? Did you? Seriously, I’ll wait.

….

Okay, now that you are thoroughly entertained, you can read mine which promises to be only marginally as funny, enthralling and heart-felt as Marianne’s. I’m writing this after another LONG day at the office which slowly and certainly kills portions of me every day – yet pays my mortgage and I'm able to buy a new pair of shoes every now and then, so it balances out.

Didn’t you love Marianne’s post? And, don’t you hate when you meet someone funnier than you? I mean, I walk along, thinking I’m a pretty humorous fella, and then I met someone sharp and funny like Marianne and suddenly I feel like Shirley Jones before Robert Preston took her to the foot bridge… all buttoned up and stick-in-the-muddy.

That Marianne Galloway… she raises the bar, that one does.

Speaking of bars, I’m having another glass of wine and finally finishing the [tos] wine from Tuesday. It’s a tough job but someone’s gotta do it. And, since it was photographed, I should take this opportunity to thank BJ Cleveland for the wine glass pictured below as well as the one I’m drinking out of right now. These were my first wine glasses to own, and I was THRILLED to get them. It was probably the first grown up gift I ever received. Otherwise, I’d be drinking the wine out of my Muppet collector McDonald glasses from 1982.

Since I’m giving BJ a shout out for the wine glasses, it’s a great chance to give him a virtual-high-five for another, and slightly more major, contribution he made in my life. Back in 2002, Bush was in office, Avril Lavigne was at the top of the charts, and I was a desperately confused and frustrated guy living in Waco. For reasons still unclear to me, I decided it was time to start acting and doing theatre, and with the Waco theatre scene not offering much outside of Christmas pageants, I looked elsewhere. Looking at an upcoming show at Theatre Arlington, I decided to give it a whirl and drove up from Waco to audition.

I had no idea that day the world that was about to open up to me. The passion I would re-discover, the opportunities I would have, and the friends and family I would make because of it. And, because BJ Cleveland was on the other side of the audition table that day, I owe it all to him. He cast an unknown guy from Waco at a show in his theatre and in turn cracked the door to my new life, my real life.

He started killing my vampires that day. He’s my own Buffy. Thanks, Beej.

BTW, Beej, you totally pocket dialed me today. You better fix that shit.

Looking both ways before crossing the street,
Chad aka Hunter... or CHunter.

On the road

2010-03-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

just know

2010-03-24T20:47:00.001-07:00

Wow-- I totally feel like a pioneer! Venturing into uncharted territory, being the first to brave new lands. Like Columbus… Neil Armstrong… Kelly Clarkson. I'm going where no man has gone before.

I'm the first of the cast and production team to write on the [title of show] - dallas blog!

This momentous moment is only minorly cheapened by the fact that I’m watching RuPaul’s Drag Race as I make the entry. But, I would think that if Columbus had a DVR, he would have done the same thing on the Santa Maria.

Still—here we are. The very beginning (a very good place to start). And, there is no greater place to be than at the very beginning of something you know is going to be an amazing experience. Last night, we had our first read-thru of Theatre Three’s production of [title of show]. Afterwards, seriously, I wanted to smoke a cigarette—it was *that* good.

We gathered at our director Bruce Coleman’s apartment and so many aspects of the night felt like the show. The intimate setting made me feel like we were in a New York apartment. Meeting the girls for the first time was true to the show. And, just reading the show through for the first time, hearing the words aloud with the voices to which they belong was just flat out thrilling. It was like meeting someone that you know you are just going to love! It was like that when I met Marianne. It was like that when I met Tricia. It was like that when I heard us read the show. I’m going to love these people; I’m going to love doing this show. I’ve never been in love before, but they say ‘when you know, you just know’—well, with these people and this show, I just know.

WHOA—who knew I could get so schmaltzy while watching RuPaul’s Drag Race?? Guess the wine is helping. It’s leftover wine from last night (picture included). I figure since [tos] is like the word ‘smurf’ (used in any tense for all purposes), I’d get a little creative with the wine.

Now, I’ve never done a read through for a show involving alcohol, and it was FUN—but a bit of a challenge! I always get paranoid for a read through—that I’ll get lost in the lines, that I’ll mispronounce a word. It happens in every read through. This one was no different. Of course, on top of all that, with the Blue Moon beer (with an orange… thanks, Alex!) and 2 glasses of wine, I got lost in the lines, mispronounced words, AND slurred a lot of what I was trying to say.

It’s hard to write too much and not give the best parts of the show away, but that’s what we are going to try to do. [tos] is all about the process, and that’s what are blog will be about… the process that we go through putting on a show about people putting on a show about people putting on a show. And, hopefully, as you read this blog and when you see the show, like me “you’ll just know.”

Gotta go, RuPaul is about to make 2 people lip sing for their LIVES!

Lots of love and shrimp,
Chad aka Hunter