A Christmas Story second weekend review

We have completed two weekends (5 shows, 1 preview) now with 2 weekends (5 shows) left. The first weekend went well enough, better than expected.

But the second weekend was a real roller coaster. Friday night was a little bumpy considering we had 6 days off. I missed a queue and thus missed a paragraph as a queue for someone else. We skipped 3 pages on that one. Yikes. Of course the audience does not necessarily know that we missed something, but still you hate doing things like that. It troughs everybody off.

For Saturday night the general consensus is that it was our best show to date. One or two of the actors felt they did not do very well, but over all it was good.

Sunday was a disaster, or at least it felt that way to the cast. On my part, I seemed to skip every fifth line. At some point in the first act, the computer running the lights and sound locked up. Even a quick reboot did not solve the problem and we called an early intermission to restart the whole system.

I realized something was wrong when the spotlight was being moved between the two areas of the stage where action was taking place. The scene was where the family is in the Oldsmobile and I am across stage narrating. I moved over into the scene so that the light would not have to be moved back-and-forth.

All I can say is, that the fun in LIVE theatre.

Alpharetta news paper Review & News

There is an article in a local news paper called Review & News for Alpharetta and Roswell titled:

ACT1 actors in Alpharetta relive holiday memories with ‘A Christmas Story’
November 28, 2007

(SPECIAL/www.northfulton.com)Jay Croft, the narrator and adult Ralphie, holds the famous genuine Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle, the object of young Ralph’s (portrayed by Bobby Cookson) dreams in ‘A Christmas Story.’

Actors Mark Olsen and Jay Croft, who perform respectively as “the Old Man” and as the Adult Ralph in ACT1 Theater’s production of “A Christmas Story,” have discovered their own forgotten Christmas memories embedded in the Philip Grecian play.

Based on the popular movie and the memoirs of Jean Shepherd, “A Christmas Story” follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker’s quest for a genuine Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle for Christmas in the early 1940s.

Veteran actor Mark Olsen who performs as Ralphie’s “Old Man” could not resist the audition call.

Since his move to Atlanta two years ago to work at the Georgia Aquarium, the marine biologist has not auditioned once. Most of the shows on his resume from his home city of Medford, Mass. are musicals such as “South Pacific,” “Music Man,” “Oklahoma” and “Anything Goes.” He both tap-danced and sang in “A Chorus Line,” and in “Forty Second Street.”

Olsen earned his degree in Marine Biology from Northeastern University in Boston and worked at the aquarium in Connecticut before taking the job in Atlanta.

In the pecking order of his own family, Olsen was the little brother in a family of four. His real life boyhood memory of Christmas was the adventure of the whole family going together to a snow covered lot to select his very first live Christmas tree when he was 5 and his brother was 8.

“We can all relate to the story of wanting that one special Christmas gift. For me it was a Big Wheel, which, incidentally, I didn’t get,” he said. “The real message of ‘A Christmas Story’ is neither the gift nor the turkey dinner. It is the family.”

Georgia native Jay Croft takes on the introspective role of story-teller and narrator as the adult Ralph. He is on stage for most of the play.

“It is not a traditional role. There is no verbal interaction with other cast members. In fact I am invisible to the other actors as I tell the story of my younger self,” he said.

Croft was born in Macon and is a life long Georgian. He earned his undergraduate degree in anthropology and archeology from Georgia Southern, as well as a graduate degree in recreational administration. During a brief stint as an anthropologist, he helped excavate some historic cemeteries dating back to the 1700s. Croft now works for Northup Grumman in Data Quality Assurance.

Croft’s first show was in 2004 in “Sunshine Boys,” followed by “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” “Beau Geste[SIC],” and numerous shows at Kudzu in Roswell.

“I never had the desire for a Red Ryder BB gun, but when I was 12 years old my grandfather bought me a brand new 22 rifle for Christmas,” remembers Croft. “The sad thing is that while we were on our way to spend Christmas Day with my grandparents, he died. I still have that gun today.”

www.northfulton.com

Auditioned for Same Time Next Year

I must say that Adriana Warner is absolutely brilliant. I would love to be in a play she directs.

I went to the second night of auditions (last night). I was the only guy. There were three ladies auditioning for the part of DORIS. So I got to read with all of them. Better for me. Each time I could improve or change what I had done before.

Because there were so few ladies, it gave Adriana more time to work over the readings. For the last lady (Bronwyn Glantzberg, who I have had acting classes with), Adriana worked with us for over 30 minutes, tweaking, prodding, etc. to get us to think about, shape and mold the characters. It was a great experience.

I was being pushed in a way I have not been pushed before. Nerve racking. I loved every minute of it. But I did get the feeling that all the acting I have done before now in community theatre was nothing compared to the level of expectations a director has for their actors.

Call backs on on Sunday with a call by Adriana by Saturday Evening. I don’t know how many guys auditioned on Tuesday night or if she has someone already picked out, but I would do almost anything to be in this play.

Other notes about this production: This is a two person play. Adriana has plans for a larger crew: a couple of people for set changes and two or more people to assist the actors in wardrobe. There are 6 scenes and each scene is in a different year over a 25 year time period. So quick changes in the set and wardrobe of each era. I would image 5 to 7 people for the crew and tech.

A Christmas Story, the Preview

We had a Preview Night last night, where friends and family were invited to view the play. We had a dozen or so people. Not many, but still this was a non-stop run through of the play. So having done the play in front of an audience, and having made only a few small mistakes boosted my confidence.

I have not counted the paragraphs, line, words or otherwise that RALPH/NARRATOR has, but there are a lot lines if not half the play. And all memorized. I am still a little nervous about opening night but I do feel better about my capabilities.

There are extremes like Keanu Reaves memorizing every single line of Hamlet or Shirley Temple who knew everybody’s lines in any of her movies. And then there are the countless complaints about those who just can’t remember any of there lines.

I would hope that I would be remembered as one who can, or rather I would not like to be remembered as one who cannot remember his lines.

But on the other hand, it was suggested to me by my acting coach, Chris Cole Harris, that I should memorize everybody’s lines because of the role I had in this play. It is possible and even during rehearsals, you do hear the lines over and over to the point of memorization.

I suppose, maybe I should have, but I am satisfied.