Author: jcroft

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Arsenic Weekend

Last Tuesday evening, I received the script for Arsenic And Old Lace. On Wednesday evening, while The Man Who Came To Dinner was rehearsing, the director of Arsenic, Patrick Schambach, and I went over the blocking for the scenes I would be in.

On Friday evening, the night I will be in the play, with just 3 days of leaning lines, 1 evening with blocking with the director only, no cast, I was in my truck parked outside the theatre and going over my lines again. I did this by holding a sheet of paper over my lines and recite them as I read through the script. I get to my first little monologue and my mind goes completely blank. My third line into the scene and I have no idea what it is. Needless to say I had a small panic attack, right there in the truck.

About 20 minutes later, cast call being at 6:30, the cast of Arsenic went over the two of the scenes I would be in; three times for the first scene and once for the second. That was it. That was all the rehearsal I would be getting. Time now for the real thing.

Needless to say, I was a little nervous. Friday evening went well enough despite my rearranging words in sentences and when two actors jumped ahead of one of my lines, which I had to get in and did appropriately. Saturday was better. I knew what the timing should be and how the other actors were going to do their bit, etc.

That, I think, is the most difficult bit. Not having had rehearsals with the other cast for weeks before the show, I did not know how they were going to react, behave, move … the little nuances. Leaning lines and blocking (where to stand and move) really is just a very small part of a play. It’s everything else and THAT is the hard part.

Just 5 more shows over the next two weekends.

Class Act Theatre
June 3 – July 3, 2005
Fridays and Saturdays @ 8:00 p.m.
One Sunday Matinee only on July 3 @ 3:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $18.00 adults, $15.00 students & seniors (Group rates available for reservations of 10 or more). For ticket purchase/information, please call 770-579-3156

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Last Minute Role Accepted

At rehearsal last night for The Man Who Came To Dinner, I was asked if I would be interested in having a part in Class Act Theatre’s current production of Arsenic And Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring. The part is for a police officer named KLEIN. Apparently the original actor had to drop out a week before opening and the current actor dropped out after this past weekend.

The role is not very large. KLEIN and BROPHY (his partner) are in the first act and act somewhat as narrators, providing some of the background for the play. They are not seen again until the third act when the mystery is close to being solved.

I accepted the role. It is now Wednesday and I have until Friday to learn all the lines and blocking.

Arsenic And Old Lace runs for 3 more weekends, 7 shows.

June 3 – July 3, 2005
Fridays and Saturdays @ 8:00 p.m.
One Sunday Matinee only on July 3 @ 3:00 p.m.
TICKETS: $18.00 adults, $15.00 students & seniors (Group rates available for reservations of 10 or more). For ticket purchase/information, please call 770-579-3156

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Sugar Creek Gang – Episode 3 – World Premiere

I was an extra in Episode 3. I can’t wait to see it.

The Sugar Creek Gang Episode 3 and Episode 4 World Premiere!

When: Sunday, June 19, 6:30PM
Where: Mt. Paran Church of God North Marietta, GA
Directions: Click Here

Episode Three: Revival Villains
Revival_Villains.jpgFinally the first day of Sugar Creek’s highly anticipated revival celebration arrives! But for some of the town’s residents, the morning begins on a sour note… which leads to sour thoughts and the possibility of sour plans. The gang anticipates the upcoming evening’s events together with a swim in the creek… until the bullies show up. After a water scuffle, Big Bob Till tips off the gang to the possibility that the celebration might be in great jeopardy. Upon arrival at the revival, the gang members don their thinking caps and scour the area searching for clues. Join the gang in their race against nightfall to discover if there’s any truth to Big Bob’s threat… before the threat comes true!

Episode Four: Secret Hideout
The anticipated follow-up that continues the story that left viewers of the previous episode begging for more! The gang races through the swamp only to stumble upon previously unexplored territory that leads them right into the middle of a mystery. As if the puzzling discoveries in the swamp aren’t enough, Poetry’s lamb causes enough mischief to get everyone into more hot water than they bargained for.

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Jest a Second is a No Go

Tammy and I went to see a play Saturday night at the Stage Door Players in Dunwoody. The play is Blithe Spirit. Mary Sittler, who was in Beau Jest with me, and my friend Mark Grey were in this play. And by chance the director of Beau Jest, Lane Teilhaber also attended Saturday’s show.

As you may recall, Jest a Second is the sequel to Beau Jest. Lane was hoping to do Jest a Second at Kudzu Playhouse, with the same cast as Beau Jest, and at the same time next season. Well it turns out that Kudzu does not want to do Just a Second.

The story of Beau Jest was that SARAH created a fake boyfriend to please her parents because, they did not approve of her real boyfriend. So in Jest a Second, JOEL, divorced parent of two, is afraid to introduce his significant other, RANDY to his parents. The impression is that RANDY is female when actually RANDY is JOEL’s boyfriend.

What Kudzu has an issue with is not the potential controversy, the same controversy Stage Door experienced with a homosexual relationship in Deathtrap just recently, but that it would not draw the audience or even chase away the audience when they call to find out what the play is about.

Well keep that a secret. Say something like: “Jest a Second, a sequel to Beau Jest. In Beau Jest, SARAH has problems and hilarious consequences over the issue of presenting her boyfriend to her parents. A year later, JOEL is faced the very same issue.”

See. Let the audience assume whatever they want. Jest a Second, like Beau Jest is about family and family relationships and not about sexual preference. And after seeing the play, I would hope the audience would see it the same way. It is a very good play and I hope one day to be able to be in it.

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Landed a role at Class Act Theatre

Well, I landed a part at Class Act Theatre in The Man Who Came to Dinner. I have the part of the Dr. Bradley. I thought I did terrible on that part. I actually found out Friday morning (May 20, 2005). I was on a cruise and received a call on Thursday night, well a message was left on my cell phone. When we arrived in port at Key West, I turned on my phone and discovered the message. While on shore I needed to conduct some business. I called Kudzu Playhouse to see if I might have received a role there, didn’t want to pass up a better role, such as a lead. After I accepted with Class Act. Then CATCo called and offered me the part of the Son of the home owner.

Rehearsals begin in June.